Page 153 of In the Pursuit of Haven
“Oh, dear.” She ran her hands down my hair before stepping back. “I contacted them as soon as I found you in the smuggling tunnels. I figured my baby was in too deep and if I didn’t jump in, you’d get swallowed in all this.”
I lowered my voice. “You trust them?”
“Sure! Sure! My brother has a friend who has a friend who’s worked with Brecker before, and well… you see… you know how my great-great-great-grandmother washed up on the shores of Salem after a shipwreck… with only the dress she’d been wearing and actually… she’d also inherited that blue glass relic Brecker and Caitlyn gave you. A well-mannered Quaker gentleman had given it to her for safekeeping while he tried to save a family from drowning, and long story short, he didn’t survive his heroism, and so… well, I guess you can say that our family became Shepherds of the Relics by default.”
We’d guessed Brecker hadn’t gone diving for the relic. He’d delivered the blue glass to us so quickly. My gaze slanted over to him. The wind blew the black hood of his coat against his corded neck as he set down the shovel.
“You think he can get us through that cave down there?” I asked.
Bette Ann paled at the thought. “I don’t think you should go—”
Brecker cut in, “You remember the monk’s gold discovery in the Uintas a few years back? We made that happen. We treated everyone fair who came with us.”
“His twin’s married to Hunter,” Caitlyn added. “Well, Aiden Hunter, not Archer Hunter, sonotthe guy… you met and uh… yeah. He doesn’t get along with that cousin.”
Brecker shot her a look that was clearly meant to convey she should put a cork in her mouth. She wasn’t helping their case. “Look,” he said. “We gave you the rattle and the blue glass Relics. I’m not sure how else we can prove we’re on your side.”
Did it matter? There wasn’t any way that I was going to overpower Luther on my own. Once again, I was reminded what this treasure was all about—people from all walks of life and different worldviews working together for a common goal.
“Okay.” I nodded. “I have a way to stop them. Let’s go!”
Caitlyn hurried to catch up. Brecker turned to Bette Ann. “We need someone to stay back in case this all goes south.”
“South?” Her forehead wrinkled in worry. “Oh no, none of this had better go south—you’ve got my baby with you and you’re giving me your word you’re watching out for her.”
“You’ve got it, Bette Ann.” Brecker nodded with a confidence that would make Jessie proud. “Now, how about you contact the rest of these uh… Shepherds and see if any of them can help us out. And if it makes you feel better, it might not be a bad idea to contact the authorities.”
If anything, his willingness to bring in Salem’s law enforcement proved that he wasn’t just in this for the money.
Bette Ann nodded in approval. “I saw Haven’s boat tied up here. I’ll take that out while you youngsters take the dinghy. I’ll get you your backup.” After making sure that everyone was situated, Bette Ann pulled me close to her again with a warm hug. “My deepest regret is that Haven never got to tell you any of this before she died. I’m so sorry, sweetheart.”
I was too, though at the same time, I was glad that she’d never found out that Luther was behind Matthew’s murder, especially since she’d trusted him to help her all these years.
Hurrying to the boat, I jumped inside while Brecker unfurled the sails. Caitlyn found me a stocking hat and gloves. We were in for a cold ride to Misery Island.
The immense landmass was just across Salem Sound. It was eighty-nine acres of wilderness and two miles of trails along the scorched remains of the elegant resort that once stood there in the ’20s. The wild oaks and groves of aspens had been the final destination for sailors who’d wrecked their ships on Misery’s shores, even after the creation of our lighthouse across the way in the late 1700s.
“There was a fire on that island in 1926,” I shouted above the sound of sails flapping against the wind. We were heading for choppy waters. “The resort that used to be there was burnt to the ground and… it was because Luther’s family discovered where that treasure was.”
Brecker whistled while Caitlyn’s eyes widened.
“So you’re saying that the entrance is set to explode if anyone makes the wrong move?” Brecker asked.
I nodded, trying to figure out what this all meant. “What would cause an explosion like that? The fire somehow got past all that water in the pond.”
“That’s not a stretch,” Brecker said. “There are chemicals that actually interact with water to make fire. Sodium and potassium do that, but were those Puritans smart enough to pull off something like that?”
“They had a genius working with them,” I said. “Some say it was Isaac Newton.”
Brecker’s brow went up. “Where’d you hear that?”
“Just some people in a pub…”back in the ’70s.“Never mind,” I said.
“Okay, so the danger is real,” Brecker said. “We just have to figure out how to disable the traps those pirates made.”
None of this was worth our lives. “Or we just get everyone away from there!” I grumbled.
“Or figure out the clues and get the treasure too.” Caitlyn shot Brecker a pointed look like she was accusing him of something.
