Page 65 of In the Pursuit of Haven
As if that was my true concern! “Hunter will get us on the other side. We won’t break through without them hearing us.”
“Everyone else will too! Are you going to help me or what?” He pulled more rocks away from the wall. “Remember we’re a team.”
Was he going to start throwing that in my face now that we were breaking every law I’d ever cared about? Then again, getting away from Hunter and his men could be a matter of life and death… and Jessie had already darkly hinted that my scruples might get in the way of all this.
I got busy hauling rocks until we hit what could only be the brick retaining wall. “This is it, Jessie. We can’t…”
He kicked through it, sending rocks tumbling down like an avalanche outside. The streetlights poured through a hole the size of his fist. Sizing up the opening, he kicked again. The lights from outside grew brighter as the way opened up to us. I could hear the music from the tavern. The real world was coming back, but we were still stuck in this dream.
Jessie’s arms found me and covering us both, he ducked his head as we burst through the rocks holding in the old seawall.
What a relief! The ocean air that met my nostrils was nothing short of sweet after that musty tomb. Now that we were surrounded by the bustling nightlife in Salem, I couldn’t get enough of freedom. With any luck, Hunter and his team were still underground and hadn’t heard a thing.
Swinging around to see, I cried out as we stopped short of a tour group. Davey stepped back, his eyes wide. We’d interrupted his lecture on the underground tunnels with what could only look like proof of their very existence.
I wondered if Davey was as surprised as we were.
Jessie rolled up the treasure map. “Hey, Davey… you tell anyone we were down there and I won’t let you date Abby.”
Really? He actually thought that would do it?
Ducking my head from the streetlights, hoping that kept the others in the tour group from identifying us more clearly to the authorities, I swung away from them and saw the red and blue lights flashing over the hill at the cemetery. I could scarcely hope that I was seeing what I was seeing. “Jessie.” I nudged his arm with mine.
He turned just as Hunter got shoved face-first into the sheriff’s patrol vehicle. The rest of his crew were in handcuffs, refusing to make statements.
Jessie let out a laugh. “They’ll be stuck in a holding cell for at least a day. If I know anything about Randy—he takes his time booking criminals, and Judge Stevens sets his bail high.”
Good. That bought us time.
Randy spun around, his eyes fixing on us.
Jessie quickly covered me with his arm while I scrambled back. Small town connections or not, we were done for. “Let’s go,” Jessie whispered hoarsely into my ear, “before he brings us in too.” I let him tug me across the street, quickly putting as much distance between us and the men who’d do anything to get at that map.
It was only when Haven’s boat was halfway across to Bakers Island that I leaned against my husband. “Who are you?” I asked.But really. Every part of me is shaking after what we’d done.“Are you living a double life?”
He laughed, thinking I was joking. “Hey, I’m sorry. Things are going to get real weird from here on out.”
Chapter Eighteen
Jessie and I shoved through the door into Haven’s home, out of breath and full of adrenaline. I half expected Randy to come barging in after us with a SWAT team at any moment as I pulled the dirt and rock debris from my hair and clothes.
People didn’t just break into sites rich in American history and find treasure maps. What happened to all that heavy security Luther put up around the museum?
Jessie threw the map onto the table, shoving plates and cups out of the way so that we could study it. I thought he’d never looked so attractive.
What is wrong with me?
I was trying to gather my nerves back into my body, so I could concentrate. I’d seriously had my first real adventure since getting stranded on Brown’s Island together, and my poor heart wasn’t used to living out anything that surpassed my imagination.
Bowing my head against my clenched fingers, I took a deep breath.
“My uncle Matthew found out some key information in the Caribbean,” Jessie said.
Lifting my head, I met his eyes. “How did his secrets get out? He died.”
“He wasn’t alone when he found out about the map.”
Now that I suspected Robert of being the one who’d fanned Hunter’s interest in the treasure, I wondered what else he knew and what else he’d done?
