Freedom's Treasure (27 page)

“Where do you think you’re going?” Anna was nearly to the road when Dock’s voice came from the darkness. He shone the light directly into her eyes and Anna winced, tried to cover her eyes and gave up.

“I had a feeling I should move away from you. You don’t exactly look happy and I appear to be an easy target.” Anna stepped to the middle of the road and looked up and down it praying to see Hunter, a pretty cop car with lights flipping or, well, anything.

“It’s funny you should use the word target, Anna. You did this on purpose.” Dock raised the gun, bringing it even with her nose.

“Excuse me?” She kept stepping backwards and Dock stalked after her.

“You brought me to a freaking unmarked grave, Anna! Where is the treasure?”

Enough was enough. “How am I supposed to know? I told you everything I know, Dock! Jesus!” She rubbed her hands over her face. “What a stupid reason to die,” she shook her head, straightened her shoulders and faced Dock head on. “Go ahead, shoot me. I don’t care anymore.”

Hunter sprinted to midway up the hill. He watched Dock, gauged his speed and yanked the rope he’d tied there. At the top of the hill a wooden block came free of his tire and the truck slowly started to roll downhill with a direct bearing on the blond man with the gun.

As the 3000 pound silent missile picked up speed Hunter launched into the road and tackled Anna. He turned his body, taking the jolt of their landing on his hip at the exact moment the truck struck and rolled over Dock. It continued down the hill and eventually came to a hard rest against an oak tree. Hunter didn’t wince at the sound of the crash. Instead he ran his hands over Anna to make sure she didn’t have any extra holes or random injuries.

After Hunter knew she wasn’t hurt he turned back to the road. Dock lay in the center, groaning. His gun had disappeared and Hunter kept that in mind when he drew his own and stepped closer to the downed man.

“Hello, my name is Hunter Williams, you killed my father, prepare to die,” Hunter used the fake Spanish accent he so loved in the movie
The Princess Bride
. His gun was aimed at Dock’s head but the man wasn’t listening. He rocked side to side, grunting with pain and looked at Hunter with tears streaming.

“I really hate you, you son of a bitch,” Dock arched with pain.

“Trust me, the feeling’s mutual.”

Anna sat at Hunter’s kitchen table and massaged her temples. “What happened tonight?”

Hunter stood at the counter and poured them both a stiff shot of whiskey. He placed one of the glasses next to Anna and sat in the chair next to her. “What do you mean?”

“The question is pretty self-explanatory. Do you have any aspirin?”

“Well, you found something in the woods with a madman with a gun,” Hunter replied to the first question. “And yes, I have aspirin but try the shot of whiskey first. It might help more.”

Anna picked up the glass and, using a stiff wrist, downed it in one swallow.
Hunter had to admire any woman who could do that without coughing or gasping. “We didn’t find the treasure.”

“A good thing, too. I’m not sure my plan would have worked if you had.”

“What did you do to your truck?”

“I tied off the steering wheel to keep it straight, put it in neutral and set a block under the front tire. When Dock stepped into the line of fire, so to say, I yanked the block. I really didn’t want to shoot him,” Dock explained.

Anna looked at the gun on his thigh. “But you were ready to.”

Reflexively Hunter looked also. “Only if I had to but I’m glad it didn’t work out that way.”

“You and me both,” Anna said. “I wonder who’s skeleton was in that box.”

“I have a feeling it was Samuel,” Hunter responded.

“Clarify.”

“Well, the letter that gave you the answer was never mailed. The only reason he wouldn’t have sent that to Mary Ellen was if something had happened that prevented it. Death tends to prevent a lot.”

“Do you think he was murdered?”

“I highly doubt he buried himself in the box.”

“Cheeky.”

“I never denied it,” Hunter grinned cheekily.

“I need some air. And maybe another shot.”

Hunter refilled their glasses and they made their way to his deck and looked out to the moon. He set the drinks on the railing and turned to Anna. He wrapped his arms around her and when she tipped her chin up to him he whispered, “I love you, Anna Molly Milan.”

Her breath hitched. “I love you, Hunter.” She twined her fingers into his hair and let all the love she felt for this man seep into the kiss.

When he regained his breath he chuckled. “I just realized something.”

She smiled at him. “What’s that?”

“If I say your name fast enough it sounds like anomaly.”

Anna dropped her head against his chest. “My parents had a sick sense of humor.”

“I love it. And I love you.”

Anna pulled him in for a kiss headed toward steamy when she suddenly stepped back. “Oh my God.”

“What?”

“I know where the treasure is.”

“What? I thought we decided there wasn’t one. Someone killed Samuel and stole it. They buried him where the treasure had been.”

“I disagree. I thought about this while Dock was digging. The directions I gave him were transposed, not backwards.”

Hunter thought that over for a beat. “Okay, so where do we dig?”

“I’m not sure we’ll have to dig.”

The next morning the two of them stood over the unmarked gravestone next to Nathaniel Lucas’ final resting place. “Are you sure about this?” Hunter asked.

“Yes, I am. Very much so,” Anna answered.

Hunter leaned the sledgehammer against a tree and stripped off the long sleeved flannel he wore. The morning was cool but this would be hard work. “And you’re sure we have to smash something instead of dig?”

“I’m pretty sure. We could grab the metal detector if you think that would help.”

“I don’t think it would get a reading through granite. Tell me why again?”

“This gravestone looks exactly like the granite slab. Samuel was brilliant and his directions tell me we should look here.” Anna turned on the video camera and focused it on Hunter.

Hunter nodded. “I trust you. Here we go.” Hunter rolled his shoulders, picked up the sledgehammer and swung, hard.

The gravestone shattered. After the dust settled Anna gave a gasp and zoomed in the camera. Gold and silver glinted in the early morning sunlight.

Two months later

Anna placed the last book in the cardboard box. She was shipping several pre-signed copies of
Grave Robbing
to her sister who had been kind enough to help her edit as she wrote.

Hunter came up behind her and gently kissed the back of her neck. “Think she’ll come over for the wedding?”

“Of course she will. She’s my matron of honor.”

“I can’t wait to meet her.”

“She says the same of you.” Anna wrapped her arms around Hunter’s neck and leaned back for a deep kiss.

“So, my little anomaly, what’s next?”

“Did I tell you I’ve been reading about the Gold Rush? There was this fellow in Dowogiac, Michigan,” Anna trailed off as Hunter nipped her bottom lip.

“Tell me more,” Hunter whispered, “later.”