Buccaneer (Dane Maddock Adventures) (26 page)

“
We’d better get going
.
”
He strode through the gate, headed toward the entrance
, relieved Bones didn’t
press the issue.

By the time they caught up with Avery, she had used her credentials and charm to gain a look at the journal. She sat at at table under the close scrutiny of an archivist, a stocky man with light brown hair, blue eyes, and a youthful face. He gave Bones a funny look before returning his attention to Avery, who was carefully turning the pages with gloved fingers. Dane and Bones sat down on either side of
her
and watched her work.

The journal was thin, its pages yellow, and the script faded. Avery worked her way through the book at a steady pace, her blue eyes moving back and forth across the page as she devoured the text, putting Dane to mind of a typewriter carriage. When she finally reached the end, she frowned.

“
What is it?
”
Dane asked.

Avery held up her hand, cutting off further questions, and slowly
leafed
back through the journal. After a few pages, she paused and leaned
closer
.

“
Careful,
”
the archivist cautioned.
“
No sneezing or drooling allowed.
”
He smiled, but his comment was not entirely meant to be humorous.

“
Pages have been torn out.
”
Avery slid the book across the table so the archivist could take a closer look. The ragged edges were just visible.

“
Are you sure?
”
The man took a closer look.
“
Holy crap.
”
He dragged it out into a good four syllables, and Dane thought he detected a trace of a southern accent, so out of place in the heart of New York City.
“
I
’
m sorry. I
’
m going to have to take this back.
”
He donned a pair of gloves and gingerly
reclaimed the journal
from Avery.

“
Do you know if the page was there when it came into your collection?
”
Dane asked.

“
I assume so, but I haven
’
t read the entire thing. The donor is meticulous and I think she would have mentioned if it was incomplete.
”

“
Who else has looked at the journal since it came into your collection?
”
Avery sounded like a prosecuting attorney interrogating a witness, and her manner seemed to take the man aback.

“
Only the...
”
He reddened and shook his head.
“
Only the donor.
”
He averted his eyes, but Dane could see the lie there.

The guy was obviously protecting someone, but who, and for what reason? Instinct told Dane that the archivist was not a bad sort. Dane decided to take a chance.

“
The part of the journal you read, was there any mention of Captain Kidd?
”

“
There was.
”
The man
’
s face brightened.
“
It was interesting and a little weird. Kidd was in trouble with the crown and he knew it, so he came to Vesey because he said he had a secret he wanted to confess. Vesey doesn
’
t go into detail, but Kidd says a secret was entrusted to him that he didn
’
t want to let die. He gave Vesey what he called a
‘
treasured possession,
’
but Vesey inspected it later and couldn
’
t see that it had any value.
”

“
Did he say what it was?
”
Avery had stripped off her gloves and now
clutched the edge of the table
.

The man shook his head.

“
We
’
re interested in Vesey,
”
Dane began.
“
Are any of his personal effects on display at the church, or anywhere else? Maybe a wooden chest?
”

“
There is an old chest that
’
s bounced around the church since Vesey
’
s time, though I don
’
t know if it belonged to him. It
’
s nothing fancy, and has been il
l used, I’m afraid
. It was passed around and used for storage until someone finally realized its age and thought it was worth preserving. At the moment it
’
s in St. Paul
’
s Chapel.
”

Avery smiled and nodded a
t
Dane. The pieces were falling into place. They thanked the man and left the chapel in a hurry. When they reached the street, Avery didn
’
t pause, but turned left and took off down the sidewalk at a fast walk that bordered on a jog.

“
So where is St. Paul
’
s?
”
Bones asked, his long legs allowing him to easily keep stride with her.

“
Just a few blocks down the street,
”
she said.
“
It
’
s a part of Trinity Church. I know where it is, but I
’
ve never been there. It
’
s even at the corner of Broadway and Vesey Street. I
’
m so stupid.
”

“
You’re just like Maddock.
Don
’
t be so hard on yourself,
”
Bones b
egan, but clammed up at one look from
Avery.

St. Paul
’
s was a Georgian-style church, boxy and surmounted by an octagonal tower on a square base. From the Broadway side, a portico sheltered a statue of Saint Paul, which was flanked by double-doors on either side. To the left of the entrance, in a fenced,
grassy area, stood an obelisk, o
n which was carved an eagle and a man
’
s profile. Dane wondered if this Masonic symbol could have any connection to the Templars who built the church beneath Oak Island.

The interior of the chapel was elegant, but was not awe-inspiring like Trinity Church. Cut glass chandeliers cast slivers of light across the ceiling and the rows of white pews. All around them, banners memorializing the tragic events of the terrorist attack on the World Trade center
a decade before
hung as stark reminders of the disaster that St. Paul
’
s had, according to Avery, miraculously avoided.

They fell in with the other tourists and made their way around the church. The history of the place was interesting. It had withstood not only the 2001 attack, but also the Great New York City Fire of 1776. Both George Washington and Lord Cornwallis had worshiped here at different times, as well as other figures of historical
signific
ance. Though he
found it all interesting
, Dane
was
growing impatient. Where was the chest?

And then he saw it.

A simple, wooden chest sat atop a plain table in the back corner. It was afforded no special place. In fact, it was being used to hold brochures. Dane took that as a good sign. No one who knew anything about the Kidd legend or the potential connection between this chest and the legendary pirate would ever put
it
to such a pedestrian use. If this was the chest they sought, there was a good chance its secret remained
undiscovered
.

He nudged Avery and inclined his head toward the chest. Her eyes lit up.

“
That
’
s it. It
’
s identical to the
one
Dad found.
”
She took a hasty step in toward the back corner, but Bones grabbed her by the arm.

“
Slowly,
”
he said.
“
Don
’
t draw
undue
attention to yourself.
”

They moved casually in the direction of the chest, still looking around as if no
single
thing held their interest. When they reached the corner, Dane turned to Bones.

“
Turn around and look scary.
”

“
Can do, boss.
”
Bones pretended to answer his phone, twisted his face into an agitated scowl, and began speaking in a harsh whisper. Dane had to admit Bones was a pretty good actor when he
put his mind to it
.

“
Let
’
s see if it opens the same way
as the other chest
.
”
Avery
pressed her finger against a raised wooden square
and moved it side to side, then up and down in
the shape of a cross. The square
came free
, revealing a hidden compartment.

Smiling, Avery reached in and removed a brass cylinder, uncapped the end, and plucked out a roll of aged paper, much like the Oak Island map. She handed the cylinder to Dane and was about to unroll the paper when someone called out.

“
What
’
s this now? Give me that.
”

A big man with a shaved head approached them from near the doorway. If his British accent didn
’
t set off warning bells, his hand resting on the pistol at his hip did. The man took a step closer and held out his free hand.

“
That
’
s right, hand it over now.
”

Dane tossed the cylinder at the man
’
s face and, as the f
ellow reached up to grab it,
drove his fist into the man
’
s chin. The big
man
’
s knees turned to rubber and he went down in a heap, his eyes glassy. Dane grabbed Avery by the arm and steered her toward the door. All around them, people were talking and pointing. A few had taken out cell phones and were probably calling the police.

“
He was a Red Sox fan,
”
Bones
explaine
d before following Dane and Avery out the door.

Beneath the portico, Dane looked out at the street and saw a dark-haired man leaning against the fence that ran along the sidewalk. Their eyes met and the man stood ramrod straight and reached behind his back.

“
Gun!
”
Dane shouted. Still holding Avery by the arm, he made a hard right and ran around the corner of the church and onto the churchyard. They sprinted past the obelisk just as a bullet
deflect
ed off its surface.

“
Looks like it’s t
ime to call in the cavalry!
”
Bones shouted, punching up a number on his phone while running at full speed.
“
Church Street at Fulton,
”
he barked, then tucked
the phone
back in
side
his leather jacket.

They dashed through the cemetery, navigating the tombs, hurdling low gravestones, and ducking in and out of the trees that shade
d
the yard. They reached the end of the church and veered to the right just as another muffled pop sounded and a bullet buzzed past his ear. The streets were busy
, but
the guy didn
’
t seem to care who he
might
hit.

“
Get Avery to the street.
”

Bones nodded and pulled
her
along,
ignoring
her protests.

Dane
leaned
against the wall and waited. He heard the
sound of footfalls and someone breathing hard
. As their pursuer came around the corner, eyes on the receding figures of Bones and Angel, and his pistol leveled, Dane lashed out with a vicious roundhouse kick, catching the man across the shins and sweeping his legs out from under him. He landed face down on the stone
path
with a sickening thud, his breath leaving him in a rush.

Dane hastily relieved him of his weapon, as well as a radio and cell phone. He rolled the man over. His nose was broken, his forehead split, and his face
thick with
blood and mucous. He gasped for breath, staring up at Dane with hate-filled eyes.