The Emerald Quest Page 4

  “There’s a hole in the fence, down on the edge of the property,” Noah said, pointing.

  “I like the way you think,” Anthony grinned. He started the car and drove out of the parking lot. A moment later, he parked on a side street.

  “Show me where the hole is.” Anthony grabbed a small flashlight out of the glove compartment. Noah got out and quietly shut his door.

  They scurried across the street, then crouched low and darted along the high chain-link fence that ran from the edge of the property down into the water, enclosing the wharf.

  “Here it is,” Noah whispered. A portion of the fence was pulled away from the ground.

  Anthony got down on his hands and knees. “I don’t think I can fit.” He tugged at the fencing. It rattled loudly in the darkness.

  “Sh!” Noah hissed. He squatted down and pushed Anthony out of the way. “I’ll go.”

  “You can’t!” Anthony tugged at Noah’s leg.

  “We can’t waste any time.” Noah squiggled through the hole. “I know everything about that boat and the harbor. I’ll be fine.” He took the flashlight from Anthony.

  “Be careful,” Anthony whispered. “If you’re not back in ten minutes, I’m going to Chief Burton.”

  Noah ducked down and ran to the dock, making his way past a variety of boats. The moon shone like a spotlight in the sky and tinted everything with an eerie glow. Noah stopped near the Explorer and caught his breath. The Explorer bobbed gently with the waves. Inside was dark. She looked okay.

  Noah stepped across the gap between the boat and wharf, onto the Explorer. He waited a moment and listened. He heard waves lapping against the boat, but nothing else. He went to the cabin door, unlocked it, and stepped into the cabin. He stared into the deep shadows. The room appeared undisturbed. He took the flashlight, covered the end with his hand so the beam wouldn’t glow as brightly, then shone it around. Nothing seemed out of place.

  Noah crossed to a set of cabinets, bent down and slid open a door. A small gray safe sat inside. It did not appear to have been tampered with. Noah reached for the lock but stopped. Was that a noise? He quickly turned off the flashlight. He paused and listened. His breathing sounded loud in the darkness. Noah cranked his head around but saw nothing out the windows.

  “My imagination,” he muttered to himself.

  He turned the flashlight back on, taking a risk as to whether Phil was patrolling around the Explorer. He held the flashlight with his mouth, shining the light on the safe. He twisted the dial back and forth, and unlocked the safe. He opened the door. The box his dad used to store small artifacts sat there. Noah opened it. Inside, two pieces of brass spyglass shone dully in the flashlight’s beam.

  Noah let out a sigh of relief. “They didn’t move it.”

  He picked up the box, then noticed a notebook underneath it. His dad’s notes! Good thing that wasn’t at the house, he thought. Noah grabbed it and closed the door of the safe. He stood up and froze.

  This time he was sure he heard something.

  He shut off the flashlight and ducked down. Thump! Noah sank to his knees. Someone was trying to get on the boat. Noah held his breath, then peeked out through a side window. He scanned the inky black water off the port side. In the moonlight, he saw a head and then arms clutching at an aluminum ladder that had been thrown over the side of the boat. A man in a wet suit emerged from the water. He pulled his mask up over his forehead. Noah gasped. It was the man with the spiked blond hair.

  Noah thought fast. He crawled on his knees to the door, reached up and gently turned the knob. He edged the door open and peeked out. The man hadn’t made it up the ladder yet.

  Noah dashed out the door and ran to the other side of the boat. He leaped onto the dock, praying that Phil, or the spiked blond man’s companion, wasn’t around. He landed hard, his feet smacking the ground, but he didn’t care. He ran past other boats, not looking behind him. In a few moments, he returned to the hole in the fence.

  “What’s wrong?” Anthony whispered.

  Noah pushed the box and notebook under the fence, then crawled through. He got to his knees, wheezing.

  “What’s wrong?” Anthony repeated.

  “Spike Man,” Noah panted.

  “What?” Anthony looked bewildered.

  Noah glanced over his shoulder. No one was following him. “Get to the car.” He prodded Anthony. They grabbed the box and Frank’s notebook and ran back to the truck.

  Once inside, Noah breathlessly told Anthony about Spike Man.

  “They’re after the spyglass,” Anthony said through gritted teeth. He wasted no time leaving the area. “Good thing we beat them to it. We have to watch our step.”

  A few minutes later as they drove down their street, a patrol car passed them.

  “The police are keeping an eye out,” Noah said.

  They went into the house. Anthony made sure all the doors and windows were securely locked.

  “I’ll keep this with me,” Anthony held up the box and Frank’s notebook.

  Noah nodded, stifling a yawn.

  “Time for you to hit the hay,” Anthony said.

  Noah protested. In truth, he was worried sick, but he could feel sleep tugging at him. He started up the stairs, but stopped. What if someone was up there?

  Anthony must have sensed his fear. “Come on, let’s go check your room.” He climbed the stairs after Noah. “I know the police have been through the house, but until I check myself, my mind says it’s not safe.”

  Noah nodded gratefully, glad Anthony was with him. They entered Noah’s room. The intruders had turned it upside down, even tearing his new Titanic poster. Noah picked it up.

  “That stinks,” Anthony said angrily. Then he patted Noah’s shoulder. “We’ll get you another one.” He went over and remade the bed. “Here, good as new. See, Indy’s ready for bed.” The cat appeared from under the bed.

  “Thanks, Anthony,” Noah said to his friend.

  Anthony smiled at him. “You get some sleep. We’ll figure this out in the morning, and before you know it, your parents will be home.” He left the room with the box and notebook under his arm.

  Noah stared at the disarray in his own room. As he crawled into bed, anger replaced fear. If someone hurt his parents, they would be sorry. He gazed into the darkness for a long time before sleep finally overtook him.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  ISLAND OF THE BARRACUDAS

  Noah rushed downstairs the next morning, hoping his parents had returned during the night. But when he came into the kitchen, instead of his parents, Anthony was sitting at the table, drinking coffee with a small man with hair as dark as coal.

  “Look who’s up,” Anthony said. “Noah, meet Juan Carlo.”

  Juan Carlo stood up. He was not much taller than Noah. Juan Carlo wore a dark blue suit with a yellow tie. He shook Noah’s hand firmly.

  “I am pleased to meet the son of Frank and Riley,” Juan Carlo spoke very formally, his accent thick.

  “Hi,” Noah said glumly.

  “You okay?” Anthony asked.

  Noah shrugged. All he could think about was his parents. Were they okay? Tears welled up in his eyes. He hurriedly brushed them away.

  Anthony came over and hugged him. “Hey, I know you’re worried,” Anthony said. “But we’ll find your parents.”

  “How?” Noah asked.

  “We’re going to figure out where your parents are,” Juan Carlo said. He had a neatly trimmed mustache that he smoothed with his fingers. “The question, as you say, is how. You know nothing of these men that hit your car?” he asked Noah.

  Noah shook his head. “I only saw the passenger, but I’ve never seen him before. He has spiked blond hair.”

  Juan Carlo pursed his lips. “This is bad.”

  “What?” Anthony and Noah said at the same time.

  “That man is Dave ‘The Wrench’ Dixon. He works for Max Scheff.”

  Noah frowned. Max Scheff hired out himself to the highest
bidder and he stopped at nothing to get what he wanted.

  “Dave ‘The Wrench’,” Anthony said as he sat back down at the table. “His weapon of choice is a wrench, huh.”

  Juan Carlo nodded.

  “This is bad,” Noah echoed Juan Carlo’s sentiment.

  Juan Carlo nodded again. “Sí, Max must have kidnapped your parents, Noah.”

  “What will this guy do to my parents?” Noah’s voice shook.

  “Mark my words, he will exchange your parents for the map.” Juan Carlo gripped Noah’s arm. “Max will not let Dave hurt your parents. Max wants the map, that’s all.”

  “But we don’t have the map at all,” Anthony said. “We only have the spyglass, not the pieces of glass with the map etched on them.”

  “And there is also a third piece that attaches to the etched pieces of glass. It has lines to mark the exact spot to look,” Juan Carlo said.

  “X marks the spot,” Noah tried to smile.

  “Yes,” Juan Carlo said. “But I could never picture exactly how it all fit together to make a treasure map.”

  “We may never find any of it,” Anthony moaned. “If Alfonso had them with him when he died, they could be anywhere around the shipwreck.”

  “Ah, I think I can help with that,” Juan Carlo said. His dark eyes twinkled. He opened a briefcase sitting on the table and drew out something wrapped in cloth. He unfolded the cloth, exposing an old leather-bound book. “This should help.”

  “What is it?” Noah asked.

  “It’s a journal that my great-grandfather, Alfonso, kept. In it, he tells where he hid the glass pieces for the spyglass.”

  “What?” Anthony bolted upright. “But I thought Alfonso kept the pieces with him at all times.”

  Juan Carlo chuckled. “That was true, until after he survived the shipwreck. When Alfonso began searching the shipwreck for the spyglass tubes, he realized that he might lose the glass pieces if he carried them with him when he was diving. So he hid them.” Juan Carlo put his hand on the journal. “This tells us where.”

  “Why didn’t you tell my parents?” Noah asked.

  “I had to be very careful with this information. If someone else recovered the rest of the spyglass, I didn’t want him to know how to find the glass pieces. That emerald belongs to my family.”

  “So once you knew Frank and Riley had the spyglass, then you would tell them,” Anthony said.

  “Exactly.” Juan Carlo scowled. “They were successful, but now they are in danger.”

  “Where does the journal say the etched pieces are hidden?” Noah asked.

  “I know this by heart, but I will show you.” Juan Carlo carefully opened the Alfonso’s journal. Elegant, faded handwriting filled the sheets. He gingerly leafed through each page. “This is a part of my history. My great-grandfather’s notes here said that he hid a steel box of valuables, including the glass pieces, in ‘The Island of the Barracudas’. So we go to that island, and we find the box.”

  “I’ve never heard of it,” Anthony said.

  Juan Carlo’s face fell. “You don’t know this island?”

  Anthony shook his head. “But I’ve only lived here for a few years.”

  “I’ve never heard of it either,” Noah said.

  “Where’s the best place to get maps of the Keys?”

  “Let’s go to the library,” Noah said. “They’ve got a Florida History section, with some books about the history of the Keys that are way better than anything on the Internet.”

  “How do you know this?” Juan Carlo asked.

  Noah smiled shyly. “Mom makes me learn about the Florida Keys for school. And it helps her and Dad with treasure hunting.”

  Juan Carlo wrapped up the journal and put it back in his briefcase. “Very good. Let us get started.”

  Noah ate a quick breakfast and was putting on his shoes when the phone rang.

  “Hello?” he said.

  “Is this Noah Winter?” The voice sounded muffled.

  “Yes.”

  “We have your parents.” Noah clearly heard the menace in the voice.

  “Where are they? Who is this?” He hit a button on the phone, turning on the speakerphone. Anthony and Juan Carlo came over. “Who is it?” Anthony mouthed at Noah. Noah shrugged.

  “Who is not important. We want the spyglass. Bring it to us and we’ll let your parents go unharmed.”

  Noah blanched. Sure enough, his parents had been abducted! He opened his mouth but no words came out.

  “We don’t have the entire spyglass,” Anthony said.

  There was a pause. “You are the Winters’ assistant. I’m sure you’re capable of finding all the pieces. We’ll call back in twenty-four hours, at noon tomorrow, with directions on where to leave the spyglass.”

  “We can’t possibly deliver it by then,” Anthony said.

  “Then the boy’s parents will meet an unfortunate accident,” the voice said.

  “That’s not enough time,” Noah cried.

  “I wouldn’t waste a minute, then.” Click. The dial tone echoed loudly in the kitchen.

  Noah slumped against the wall. “My parents…we have to help them.”

  “We can only do that by delivering the spyglass with the map,” Anthony said.

  “Then we have to find those glass end-pieces!” Noah nearly shouted.

  “Come, come.” Juan Carlo grabbed Noah’s shaking shoulders. “You must be strong. We will find the glass pieces with your help.”

  “You’re right,” Noah said, summoning up all the courage he could. “I learned a lot about treasure hunting from Mom and Dad. I know we can find them.”

  “I’ll call Chief Burton and tell him about the call,” Anthony said.

  “Where is Frank’s notebook?” Juan Carlo asked. “I’ll look through that and see if there is anything that will help us.”

  Anthony left and returned a minute later with the notebook. Then he called Chief Burton.

  Noah paced the kitchen while Anthony talked to Chief Burton. Juan Carlo sat at the table with the notebook.

  “He’s sending a detective over,” Anthony said when he hung up.

  They sat at the table as silent minutes ticked by. Noah rested his head on his arms, a helpless feeling washing over him. Were his parents okay?

  Anthony stared out the window. Juan Carlo flipped through Frank’s notes and sipped coffee.

  “What is this about a 4x4?” Juan Carlo asked a few minutes later.

  “A 4-wheel drive vehicle,” Anthony replied. “Like a truck or a Jeep.”

  Noah raised his head. “What did you say?”

  “He was asking about a truck,” Anthony said.

  Noah turned to Juan Carlo. “You said four by four.”

  “Sí,” Juan Carlo said.

  “That’s in Dad’s notes?” Noah continued.

  Juan Carlo pushed the notes to Noah. “Sí, right there.” He pointed.

  Frank had scribbled “4x4 – check” on the page.

  “What is it?” Anthony asked.

  “4x4 is the nickname Dad gave a cave that he explored a long time ago,” Noah said. “He said the cave entrance was so small, it’s four inches by four inches.” Anthony and Juan Carlo gazed at him with blank looks on their faces. “It was a joke. A 4x4 truck is big. Dad was joking that the entrance was just the opposite.”

  “Oh,” Juan Carlo said, still looking confused.

  Anthony grabbed the notes. “Where is the cave?”

  Noah shrugged. “I just heard Dad say ‘4x4’. I don’t know the real name for the place. I don’t think he wanted me to know, maybe because I can’t dive in underwater caves until I’m fifteen and can get certified. Dad said it’s a dangerous place to dive or snorkel because of the currents and the reefs. I don’t think too many people go there.”

  “A perfect place for Alfonso to have hidden something,” Juan Carlo said.

  “But where is it?” Anthony said with frustration.

  “I will bet that if we f
igure out where the ‘Island of the Barracudas’ is, we’ll find that ‘4x4’ cave,” Juan Carlo said.

  The doorbell rang, interrupting their conversation. Anthony left the room, returning a moment later with a tall, wiry man.

  “This is Detective Shaw,” Anthony said.

  Shaw put his hand to his forehead in an informal salute, then leaned against the countertop and flipped open a tiny notepad.

  “I need you to relate the entire phone call,” he said brusquely. His short haircut, beady eyes, and big nose didn’t make for a very friendly impression.

  “It’s not much,” Noah said. He described the call. Anthony and Juan Carlo agreed that he had the details correct.

  “We’ll see if we can trace the call but I doubt we’ll find anything. The man knew to keep the call short, and he probably used a cell phone with a temporary number. He’s too smart to let a call be traced back to him. But we’ll set things up to monitor the next call, just in case.” Shaw got up and shook their hands. “Chief Burton or I will keep in touch. You all need to be extra careful.”

  “We can’t possibly run into trouble at the library,” Noah said after Shaw left.

  Noah was correct about that. But their quest to find Noah’s parents had just begun. And trouble did follow.

  CHAPTER SIX

  COPPER KEY

  The Key West Library is a small white building on Fleming Street. Along with its many books, outside there is a palm garden with tropical foliage from around the world. Some days when Noah visited the library, he would sit in the garden and work on his school studies. But today he was focused on one thing only: locating the ‘Island of the Barracudas’.

  “They have some old maps,” Noah said, once they were in the Florida History section. “Maybe some of them show an ‘Island of the Barracudas’.”

  “Good idea,” Anthony said.

  But after checking numerous maps, they still had not found the island.

  “This is no good,” Juan Carlo said, rubbing his mustache.

  Noah walked along the bookshelves and perused titles. “Here.” He started pulling some books off the shelves. “I’ve read parts of these. I know they talk about the history of the Keys.”