I felt likecrying. Or screaming. Anything to relieve myself of the guilt and fear that possessed my body. Iturned around in the spot I stood, anxiously searching for a secretdoor or a flashing light that said enter here! I let out ahuff of frustration and threw my back against the wall in defeat,yelping as I fell through a curtain of seaweed and down a narrowhole.
“Dianna!” Iheard Henry scream.
I hit thebottom of the tunnel with a hard smack, my skull bouncingoff the rocky floor. My head spunas I moved to my feet. I was barely able to stand in the tinycavity. And it was pitch dark.
“I’m okay!” Icalled up to everyone above. I fished another match from my jacketpocket and flicked it across a rock. The tiny flame lit the hollowwhich held me, and I squealed in delight at what shared the spacewith me. Three small chests.
And oneskeleton.
The matchburned out and I tossed it on the ground before lighting another.“It’s here!” I yelled up to them. “The treasure is down here! Tossme a rope!”
The sounds ofjoyous laughter echoed through the cave a few feet above my headand my heart beat wildly with excitement as I hauled it closer tome, careful not to disturb the poor soul who’d been trapped thereall those years. I tied the rope around the chest in a criss-crossfashion.
“Okay, haul itup and toss the rope back down!”
After thethird one was hoisted, I bent to place my hand over the face of theskull and said a silent prayer for the fallen pirate. Hopefully,his soul could rest in peace. There wasn’t much more I could do. Ithen wrapped the rope around my wrist and climbed the narrow tunnelback up to my awaiting friends. The rough, jagged rock surface ofthe narrow space tore at my hands but I didn’t care. My body wasflooded with adrenaline. When I reached the top, I swung a footthrough the hole and pushed myself out, landing on my feet. I stoodtall and flipped my straggly curls from my face as I turned to mycompanions, but all joy fled from my body at the sight beforeme.
“What the hellis going on?” I demanded to know. Amos and his two men had gagedand tied Henry and Gus. Finn had been knocked unconscious and hismassive body laid on the ground while one of the men held Lottie inplace, her arms tight behind her back as she struggled against hishold.
“You shouldhave known,” Amos replied. “Never trust a dirty pirate. I thoughtto kill you anyway, treasure or no treasure.”
He bent downand smashed one of the chest’s corroded locks with the hilt of hissword. The lid opened with a rusty creek to reveal more treasurethan I ever thought imaginable. Coins, pearls, jewels. All sittingatop of a bed of gold coins. It was all in there and glistened likesleeping gems in the dim light of the torch fire.
“But I muchprefer to walk away with the prize.”
“You have nohonor then?” I spat. “I was going to share the treasure with you,Amos!”
“Why would Isettle for one chest when I can possess all three?” He cackled agurgled smoker’s laugh and motioned to his men. “Grab the chests.Tie these two up and let’s get out of this wretched place.”
I was about toprotest, to fight them for the treasure we worked so hard to find.But, to my utter surprise, Lottie beat me to it. The very secondAmos’s henchman released her arms, I watched as she drove an elbowdeep into his gut, sending him reeling over. She brought her kneeup and smashed his face against it before grabbing his sword andswung it around in her hands like something straight out of amovie.
“You’ll beleaving this cave a dead man if you dare move another inch,” shewarned Amos.
He appeared asalarmed as I was but pointed his sword right at her, ready tofight. “If you think I’m going to let a woman keep me from leavinghere with these chests, then you’d be mistaken.” I caught the quickflicker of his eyes at his conscious deckhand and then over towhere I stood. I knew then, he was coming for me.
“Stay awayfrom me!” I backed up as the pirate lunged toward me. Just a fewfeet away, his able sidekick duked it out with Lottie. But I knewthen, my friend could defend herself. I, on the other hand,wasn’t as lucky.
The sounds ofswords clashing defended my ears in the small echo of the cave as Iyanked my trusty dagger from my side with shaky hands. Behind myattacker, Henry and Gus wriggled against their ties, eyes bulging,desperate to break free and save us. I felt sorry that they had towatch the horrid scene about to unfold in front of them. Myattacker took a wide swipe at me and I clumsily raised my weapon upto block it, the sharp blade just inches from my face. The sheerforce that he exuded in one arm was nearly enough to bring me to myknees.
Nearly.
I held myground and pushed my blade hard against his. “Why won’t you listento reason? We can share it, and no one has to get hurt!”
“You trulyexpect me to believe that?” he replied and finally retreated hissword as he stepped back, readying himself for the next blow.“After I’ve shown my true colors? No one is that merciful.”
“I swear!”
Amos lungedone more time and I barely dodged the second swipe of his sword.His body came crashing into mine and I pushed against him with allmy might. Before I could react, the man fell down the narrow holeI’d just crawled out of. In the same moment, Lottie brought her foeto his knees. A sword to his neck.
My chestheaved with quick, heavy breaths. Adrenaline burning hotthrough my veins. “Is thatyour secret hobby?” I asked my friend, still shocked at what Iwitnessed her do.
Her swordremained at the man’s neck as she stole a glance over her shoulderat me and shrugged nonchalantly.“Among other things.”
I
