Buried Secrets at Louisbourg (15 page)

The raft buoyed, while Fred
dropped like a stone. One hand was frozen around the handles of the duffle bag. His other stretched above his head, still clutching the rope from the raft.

Kicking his feet, Fred tried to slow his descent. But the bag was like an anchor, determined to get to the ocean floor. He continued to be pulled down. His arm ached, his muscles straining.

The murky water churned, and long strands of kelp swirled and tangled around him. His lungs burned, craving oxygen. The line jerked and he stopped. The end of the rope! His hand slid.

He couldn't hold it. Below, the hazy, rocky bottom beckoned. It might be his only chance. Closing his eyes, Fred let go of the rope. And sank. His lungs were on fire. Hitting the bottom, he felt around inside the duffle bag and grabbed his box.

Monsieur Fornac, the merchant, hadn't been able to abandon his treasure. It had cost him his life. His bones were somewhere close by in this very ocean. Fred knew he had no choice. Not if he wanted to live.

He released the bag, still holding the box, and pushed off with his feet, shooting back up toward the surface. He kicked as hard as he could. Pain ripped through his chest. Air. He needed air. Stars exploded behind his eyes.

The instinct to open his mouth was overwhelming. A breath. One breath. But if he did that, he was dead. Fred clamped his lips tighter. The closer he got to the surface, the slower he seemed to go. It was like swimming in glue. Concrete arms. Granite legs. He wasn't going to make it.

Let go of the box
.

No! He clutched it tighter, his legs moving, but only in imitations of kicks now. Maybe he was just like Fornac after all. His mom's face swam in front of him. She was smiling, eyes bright with happiness and health. He reached toward her. His fingers brushed against something and instinctively curled around it. The rope from the raft.

Fred shot upward.

Rain pelted his face. He sucked in air. Drank it. Sweet, sweet air. His lungs were sails, filled and billowing with air. A wave crashed over his head and he gulped a mouthful of seawater. Hands reached out and grabbed his shirt. He was lifted up, out of the water. He tumbled into the raft.

Lying there, Fred coughed out seawater, and sucked in breath after breath. He couldn't get enough.

“We thought you were a goner!” Grace's voice shook.

“I almost was,” Fred croaked.

“Thank Jeeter,” Grace said. “He grabbed the line when we got in the lifeboat and wouldn't let go. As soon as he felt you tug on it, he pulled you up.”

Fred looked over at Jeeter. “Thanks.” One word. One word in exchange for saving his life. It didn't seem to be enough.

Jeeter grinned. “No problem, Freddo. You are one crazy dude!”

Being called Freddo didn't grate on his nerves this time. Fred even managed a grin. A real one. He leaned back, resting his head against the side of the raft. He pulled his box to his chest. Everyone else was as wet as he was. Water from the thundershower sloshed around his feet.

“I'm glad you're safe,” Mai said. Sitting in the front of the raft, she had her arms wrapped around her knees. Her eyes were even redder than before. She'd been crying again.

“Thanks,” he mumbled.

“I thought—I thought. I mean, we couldn't see you.” She sniffed, her eyes welling up again.

With his box clutched safely in his arms, Fred didn't feel quite so angry. Mai had only done what she did to protect him. He knew that.

Mai smiled through her tears.

Fred's gaze was drawn to the anchored ship. They'd drifted quite a way from it now, their raft close to shore.
No one was visible on deck. Would Molly still come for them? She'd have to use the other life raft. There wasn't enough crew on the
Invictum
to sail it.

Sunlight flickered, punching its way through the clouds. Although the sun was low on the horizon, traces of blue still speckled the sky. The anvil-shaped thundercloud continued to throw its temper tantrum, but farther out at sea.

Fred examined his box. The end was almost off. He might be able to twist it.

“The suspense is killing me!” Grace said. “Open it already!”

Fred hesitated. Unease mushroomed in his gut. What if it wasn't what he thought? He held his breath and wiggled the cut end. It wasn't coming off without a fight. There wasn't anything in the raft he could use. He needed a rock or something to smack it on.

“
EEEK!
”

Fred's head whipped up at Mai's scream. A black-gloved hand was clutching the raft beside her. A masked head appeared.

“Dad?” Fred said.

His dad nodded, pulling off his scuba mask. “What are you kids doing here? We surfaced closer to the ship. Lester was climbing on board when I spotted you. Where did you get the raft?”

“From the ship,” Fred said. “Dad, I've got to tell you something.”

“You were on the ship?” His head swivelled in that direction. “Why?”

“Dad, Molly's a crook!”

“You know Molly?” He looked confused.

“Not really, but—”

“Geez, son, you can't say things like that about people.”

“Dad, I heard her. She's getting your dive sites for some people that want to steal all the treasure. She's been planning it for a year.”

“What?” His dad's face had gone grey. “But the job…”

Fred reached out and grabbed his dad's arm. “There's no job, Dad. She was using you. Her position at the fortress is a cover. Your friend Lester's even in on it. It's all a scam.”

“Scam? Lester?” His father's voice was barely a whisper.

“That's not the worst.” Fred cleared his throat. “Umm…she…”

“Not the worst? What could be worse?” His father's voice cracked. “All this time, wasted. What are we going to do now? Your mother…” He sank lower in the water, his forehead resting on the edge of the raft.

“No, Dad, it's okay,” Fred said. He crawled over to him, deciding not to add that Molly had also deliberately wrecked his business. “Don't worry, we'll be all right. I've got treasure.”

His dad lifted his head. “What treasure?”

“For Mom.” Fred held out the box. “It'll take care of everything.”

“What are you talking about?'

“But I have to get it open. Don't happen to have a rock with you, do you?”

His dad rose up, towering above the raft. “No, but there's a few thousand to choose from.” He pointed behind Fred.

The raft had drifted into Little Lorraine Harbour's beach. His father pushed it the last few feet. Rocks scraped the bottom as Fred hopped out, his bare feet splashing in the shallow water. His wet wool pants stuck to his legs. The white shirt sagged, water still dripping from the elbows.

“Now, are you going to tell me what's going on? This life raft—you got it from the ship? Do you know how much trouble you kids can get in for that?” His father had taken off his scuba gear and was pulling off his fins.

“The captain and Molly were chasing me,” Fred said. “I locked them in the captain's cabin. But we had to get off the ship before they broke free.”

“Locked up? Chasing you?” His father's eyes darkened. “I think I better get the whole story, not bits and pieces. Start from the beginning.”

Fred sighed, sitting on the edge of the raft, and proceeded to spill his guts. First about the box, and then the events on the ship.

“So, let me understand this. You think that box belonged to an ancestor and is full of jewels? Are you serious, son?”

“I'm sure of it, Dad. It was in his journal. All about how he got them. And then later, when he went to the Fortress of Louisbourg as an adult, and how he hid them before the siege.”

His dad didn't look convinced. “Well, let's have a look.”

Fred scanned the shore, picking a tall boulder several metres away. His stomach was flipping and tripping along with his bare feet as he gingerly navigated the small rocks and seaweed. Mai, Grace, Jeeter, and his dad circled around the boulder.

He held the box over his head and brought it down fast, smacking it as hard as he could on a jagged edge of the boulder.

PIINGG!

Vibrations shot up his arm. The box sailed out of his hands and fell into the water. The contents had gone flying, too, ricocheting off the rock and into Fred's leg. A pouch the size of a squished softball sat at his feet.

Everyone's eyes were glued to it.

Holding his breath, Fred picked it up and opened the drawstring. He stuck his hand inside and pulled out a roll made of brown leather, just like the pouch. It was still soft, protected by the sealed box. And it seemed to be treated with some kind of oil. He spread it open in his palm. Lining the inside of the roll were several pockets stitched in the leather.

His fingers trembled as he checked the first pocket, pulling out what lay inside. It was the size of a quarter. Fading sunlight reflected off the ruby's deep red edges.

His father gasped.

“Jewels!” Grace squealed. “I can't believe it. Real treasure!”

Fred emptied the remaining pockets. Green, blue, red, white, and yellow—a gemstone rainbow.

“Yellow diamond,” his father said. He held it up. “Magnificent!”

“What are they worth?” Jeeter asked.

“Hundreds of thousands, at least.”

Fred gawked at his dad. “Seriously?”

His father nodded. “I'm no expert, but this one diamond has got to be at least twenty or thirty carats, maybe more. A high-quality five-carat diamond can run as high as a hundred thousand dollars. And you've got a couple of dozen gemstones here.”

“We're rich!” Fred yelped.

The bus ride back to
the fortress was uneventful. Fred kept expecting Molly to try and overtake them—some kind of a supervillain chase scene. But they bumped along the old warped highway from Little Lorraine to Louisbourg at a plodding, uninterrupted pace.

From the beach, Mai had noticed the buses coming down the hill on the highway—the group of tourists from the ship. They'd happily allowed Fred and the rest of them to hitch a ride. As they'd boarded, his dad had looked back out toward the harbour. The longboats filled with crew had returned to the
Invictum
.

Unlike the school bus, where the back seats were premium real estate, all the tourists were sitting toward the front. Fred had made a beeline for the back two empty rows where they huddled together. Mai was fidgeting and Fred knew the fact that he intended to keep the jewels was eating her up.

The drive was mostly silent, after Fred had asked his dad about Lester. Turns out he was an old diving buddy who had shown up a while ago and had wanted his dad to try and get him a job at the fortress too. All lies, as it turned out.

But Fred's thoughts had not rested long on Lester. His mind was flying on super-speed—on a jewel-studded racetrack. He'd sell some of the gemstones immediately, enough so that his mom could get top medical treatment. Dad could get his business running again. They'd even get a new house. And a new computer. Oh, and a new bike. And enough chocolate to fill a hundred backpacks. He'd get a fridge for his room just for his chocolate and cola. He groaned as his stomach growled.

They arrived back at the fortress and his dad immediately went to the security office. Fred had wanted to go with him, but his dad had refused. He'd insisted that Fred stay out of it.

So they waited. And waited. Fred's legs were twitching. His fist was clutched around his pouch of jewels. What if they didn't believe the story? It was kind of out there. And what proof did they have?

Two men and a woman hurried by them, and entered the same office his dad had been in for ages. The door shut firmly behind them. That didn't seem good.

But his dad hadn't done anything wrong! Could they get in trouble for the life raft? It's not like they'd stolen it. And the ship wasn't part of the fortress, anyway. Would the shady captain dare to complain? The longer the wait, the worse it seemed.

“They've been in there forever,” Grace whispered. “What do you suppose is taking so long?”

“I don't know,” Fred said. “Maybe they don't believe him. I mean, what evidence is there? Just the word of some kids!”

As he said it, he realized how crazy this probably seemed to someone who hadn't been there. It sounded like a wild, made-up story. These people didn't even know his dad. But they'd known Molly for a whole year. And she had played the part perfectly. Fred shivered, thinking how nice she'd seemed.

He fidgeted and itched like crazy in the damp, stinky wool pants, and tried to return to his daydreams about the new life his jewels would bring. They'd never have to worry about money. His mom would get better. He pictured her sitting out on their new deck overlooking the water, smiling.

But then his thoughts kept switching back to his dad. What would happen to him? Molly knew about the box. What if she said something—made an anonymous tip? Or she could try and use the information to make a deal or something if they caught her. His dad would get arrested for sure. Probably Fred, too. What if they were arresting his dad right now? He clutched the leather pouch tighter.

“I have to do something!” Fred stood up and began walking toward the closed door. He couldn't believe it. Part of him was screaming in his head that he was nuts, and to turn around. The other part of him wasn't too sure what he was doing, either.

“Where are you going?” Grace cried. “Your dad said to let him handle it.”

“I can't. They won't believe him. I'll have to tell them!”

He opened the door. Everyone was sitting around a conference table. Two had laptops in front of them. They all looked up. Fred's legs began to shake.

“Let him go!” Fred's heart thumped, banging so loudly it felt as if it was going to explode out of his chest.

“Fred, I told you to stay out of this,” his dad said. “I can handle it.”

“That Molly person is a crook! She tricked my dad. She made his business go under so he'd have no choice but to work for her. She's going to steal all the treasure from the wrecks!”

His dad's face went white at the mention of his business.

“And…and…if you let my dad go, I'll give you these!” He held up the bag. His hand was shaking.
What am I doing? They still haven't seen anything. I can turn around and leave right now and they won't find out. We could still be rich.

“Son—”

“No, Dad, ” Fred said. His voice cracked. “You can't go to jail!”

“Jail?” the lady closest to his dad asked.

“He's the good guy,” Fred said. “And he's a great diver. He knows all the wrecks. You should have hired him. You'd be lucky to have him! He—”

“Listen here, young man!” a stern-looking grey-haired man said.

“Let Dad go and…and…” Fred choked on the words, but he continued, “…you can have them.” He turned the pouch upside down, shaking it. He clenched his other fist tightly to his side, to stop it from reaching out to grab them. The jewels spilled across the table.

Everyone gasped.

* * *

The campfire flickered. It was late. The fortress was eerily quiet, the campers and staff now sleeping.

His mom and dad had wanted to take them home, but they were stuck at the fortress for the night. Heavy rainfall from the thunderstorms had flooded the lower roads out of town, and the hotels were booked solid with tourists. Extra staff were patrolling the grounds in case Molly or Lester showed up and tried to cause trouble.

Fred, his parents, Mai, Grace, and Jeeter were all sitting in a circle around their firepit. Fred felt empty. He'd barely held the jewels, but it was as if part of him had gone with them. Had he done the right thing? Not that it mattered now. It was done.

Fred's mom was sitting beside his dad and he had his arm around her. He leaned over and whispered in her ear. She laughed. It tinkled, like a bell, floating on the air. Fred's breath caught. She looked happy…and almost like she used to. A trick of the glowing fire.

Fred was still bursting to hear what had happened after he'd made the grand gesture and turned in the jewels. His dad had remained inside for a long time after Fred had been asked to leave the room. Then security guards had escorted them back to their site, so there hadn't been any chance to talk. He couldn't stand it any longer. He had to get some answers.

“So, did they believe you?” Fred asked. “About Molly?”

His dad took the can of cola Jeeter held out and popped the tab. He took a long drink. “Not at first.”

“What changed their minds?” Grace asked.

“They checked her email account. It was all there on the park's computer.”

“Wow, that wasn't too smart,” Jeeter said.

“I guess after a year she'd gotten comfortable,” his dad said with a shrug. “Lucky break for us. Otherwise, it would have been hard to prove. But they think there's enough evidence to take to the police for fraud. She's probably long gone by now, though.”

“But won't she still be able to take the treasure from the wrecks?” Fred asked.

His dad shook his head. “I never gave her the exact coordinates. I brought up samples to prove I knew where they were, but was waiting to get officially hired before I shared that information. Lester was on that last dive with me, so they know that site. But the fortress is going to monitor it. Besides, she booked all the equipment using her fortress title. Not much she can do without that cover. Everyone knows the area is part of the government park.”

Mai turned to Fred. “And you really gave them your treasure?”

Fred nodded.

“I'm so proud of you,” Mai said. “You did the right thing.”

“I don't know about that,” Fred said.

“I do,” his mom said. “It
was
the right thing to do, Freddy.” She beamed at him.

“Yeah, but we're still broke!”

“Not for long,” his dad said. “They offered me a job.”

“They did?” Fred said.

“They want to excavate all the wrecks I mapped. And number one on the list is the site Lester knows. I'll be running the whole program.” He winked at Fred. “I think it was your endorsement that sealed the deal. And maybe that fortune in gems didn't hurt, either. It'll fund the entire project, maybe more!”

His dad had a job! He thought of his dad's fake job prospects from Molly. “Dad, why didn't you tell me why you were here? That you were trying to get a job? All this time, I thought…” He drifted off, not able to say the rest out loud.

His dad grimaced. “I couldn't. I've had so many things go wrong, so many screwups, especially lately.” His voice became gruff. “I couldn't say anything until I knew for certain. I didn't want another disappointment. For you or for your mother.”

His mom leaned over and kissed his dad. Fred stood up, walked over to his parents, and enveloped them both in a hug.

The whole group stayed there, chatting and laughing while the fire went from crackling flames to smouldering coals. His dad's new job, and what it would mean for their family, began to sink in. And the fact that Fred had made it happen. He laughed more than he had in weeks. He even joked around with Jeeter. His feelings of being a dumb kid in kindergarten evaporated in the campfire's curling smoke.

Eventually, droopy eyes and yawns overtook the chatter. Jeeter went back to his tent, Mai and Grace to theirs. His parents settled in as well. Fred was bunking with Jeeter, and slowly made his way over to the tent, where Jeeter was already snoring. He tossed down his sleeping bag on the empty side and lay down for a while. But he remained wide awake, his head bursting with the events of the day. Realizing he wasn't going to sleep, he gave up and went back outside.

Fred sat on the quay wall, his legs dangling. The moonlight shimmered on the still water. Slowly, he pulled an aged piece of parchment from his shorts pocket. It had been in the box when Fred had retrieved it from the water. Wrapped tightly in leather, it had also been protected.

Fred gazed at it and grinned.

His very own treasure map.