Wreckers Island (romantic suspense) (12 page)

Dan was about to jump into the cave with a
cheery, ‘I’m back,’ when again his instinct reined him in. Louise’s voice – it
wasn’t quite right somehow. Dan detected a quavering, strangulated note in it.
It sounded tense, strident, discordant. Why would she talk in that tone, so
cold and aloof, to John and Emma?

Then he understood why. The voice which
responded did not belong to either of them. It was mean-sounding in a rough, uneducated
Cornish accent. While he had disappeared in search of that diary, his friends
had been caught! How could he have been so stupid!

Dan had feared that they had been overheard
in the pub. Yet despite this he had acquiesced as they blundered slowly along,
making mistake after mistake and taking half the day to get back down here.
Then, to cap it all, he – the sensible one – had gone and cleared off on a ridiculous,
sentimental errand all so he could feel less guilty about plundering the long-hidden
hoard.

There was no time to beat himself up about
it – that would have to wait until later on – if later on was ever to come. For
now he had to try to get them out of this mess. Whatever was he to do? Should
he flee along the tunnel and get help? Would help come in time?

I mustn’t panic, he told himself repeatedly.
I must stay calm and keep a clear head. Returning was a good option, a sound
option. His mobile phone wouldn’t work in the tunnel but as soon as he was out,
he’d get a signal and could call for help.

Dan pushed Felipe’s diary into his fleece pocket
and inched further forwards along the passageway. He peeped into the cave. He
could dimly see John and Emma tied up and gagged. Only Louise was free so what
was going on?

As he listened, he realised with mounting
horror, that the men planned to have sex with her. John and Emma could do nothing
to stop them. He had to act quickly. But do what? Someone slight and slim like
him wouldn’t have a hope of overpowering those two brutes. Nor would he be able
to raise the alarm in time to stop them forcing themselves upon her.

An anger welled up inside him – anger at
them and anger at himself. He felt like bursting into the cave and demanding
that they keep their dirty hands off her. But they would tie him up too and no
doubt force him to watch. That would help no-one.

Seconds passed, agonising seconds, in which
Dan stood immobilised, at a complete loss. Was there anything he could use as a
weapon? He felt in his pockets and pulled out the chalk Emma had given him. He
smiled bitterly.

What about the treasure, hard cold ingots,
and countless coins in a big chest, could he haul it from the shelf and cosh
one of them with it? Even if he did, he would be seized by the other. What else
was up there? Yes of course, there
was
a weapon – the captain’s cutlass!
It lay alongside his old jacket and boots and sailor’s hat. He could take that
and brandish it at them and order them to keep away from Louise. But would they
take any notice? Even if he manoeuvred them away from her he could not stop two
big, burly men like them from going back up the ladder to spirit away their
precious hoard.

The ladder – he could remove it and hide it.
That would impede them from getting onto the shelf and making off with the
riches, but wouldn’t stop them. After all, with John’s help he had got up to
the shelf the day before without a ladder. In any case, it wasn’t so much the
treasure he was worried about at that moment but the welfare of his friends and
in particular Louise who seemed about to be attacked.

I might as well arm myself with the cutlass,
concluded Dan. It would be better than nothing. Silently, glad he was in soft training
shoes, he padded into the cave, keeping himself pressed against the rear wall.
Fortunately, no eyes were looking in his direction – but towards poor Louise.
She had taken her jumper off and her cleavage was under careful scrutiny. Dan
resisted the urge to run at the men; it would achieve nothing.

He guessed from Louise’s apparent
co-operation that she was playing a desperate stalling game – no doubt in the
hope that he would return, realise what was happening and find a way to help.
But how?

By keeping close to the rear wall, he slid
naturally into the hidden recess. He could see the dull gleam of the ladder
from the nearby lamp on the cave floor. He did not dare flick on his torch. He
must climb slowly, carefully, silently. The slightest error and he would slip
and send the thing crashing to the rock floor and the game would be up.

Dan mounted the ladder like a spider,
smoothly and noiselessly. He might not have John’s physical strength but he was
light, agile and nimble. He stepped out carefully onto the shelf and crawled on
all fours into the middle. Only then did he dare switch on his torch, pointing
it carefully to the rear wall.

The gold and silver dazzled on cue. It was a
wondrous sight which Dan ignored completely. He crawled to the rear, where
Captain Felipe had carefully laid his personal belongings. He reached for the
cutlass and examined it. It still looked sturdy. This shelf was clearly bone
dry; the metal had not deteriorated at all. It was a proper, functional short-bladed
sword, still with its hilt and hand guard. Dan ran his fingers along the curved
blade, it was reasonably sharp. He would take it with him, it would be better than
nothing – a means of defence, if not of attack.

It occurred to him that he might as well
carry out his mission and slip the old diary into Felipe’s coat. Perhaps that
act of decency might bring him good luck. As he was about to do so, an idea struck
him – a crazy idea, but this was a crazy situation.

Instead, Dan pushed the diary into the furthest corner of
the shelf, took his fleece off and placed it on top. It was the safest place
for Felipe’s precious jottings, given what he was about to do. Now for the
crazy idea! He picked up the captain’s old coat, noting its
red lapels, gold lace and
maritime insignia
bearing the name of the ship Providencia. A proper sailor’s coat. It looked worn
but had not noticeably deteriorated – at least not as far as one could tell in
poor light. The stable, dry climate on this subterranean rock shelf had proved
a perfect storage location.

Dan slipped the coat on and did up the still
functioning brass buttons. His trousers were dark and would pass muster but his
training shoes were a giveaway. He slipped them off and gingerly pushed his
feet into the captain’s sturdy leather boots which fastened to the top of his shins.
The boots, which sported large ornate metal buckles, fitted surprisingly snugly.
Now for the hat. He lifted it gently. It was a magnificent two-cornered bicorne
edged with gold braiding which would not have looked out of place atop Nelson
or Napoleon.

He placed it on his head in side-to-side
position – from memory he was pretty sure that was how they were worn around
the turn of the 19th century and most probably was how Captain Felipe would
have sported his. He wished he had a mirror to check his appearance. Dan
fumbled in his pocket for the chalk and crumbled it in his hands. He rubbed it
briskly over his cheeks and forehead to make himself look as pale as possible.
Reverently, he picked up Felipe’s cutlass.

With some difficulty, in footwear unworn for
over two centuries, he clambered his way as quickly and quietly as he could to the
ladder. He listened for any sounds from below. All he could hear was the
muffled conversation in the cave.

Dan left his torch behind on the shelf. He
would have no further use for it and with a cutlass in one hand, he needed the
other free. He inched stiffly down the ladder, preying he wouldn’t slip in
those antique boots.

When he got to the cave floor, while behind
the hidden recess, he listened hard for Louise’s voice. He could scarcely
believe it. Those revolting men were telling her tell to strip and, incredibly,
she was telling them to do the same! For a split second he was paralysed with
doubt, as if this could not be the Louise he knew, but the moment passed.

This was a clever, if high-risk strategy on
her part, to dupe them into thinking they had a chance with her and allow their
lust and conceit to cloud their judgement. They were now being distracted by
treasure of a different kind and with Dan on the loose, it offered a sliver of
a chance.

Dan overheard one of them sneer that he and
Jake were sensitive types who did not want to be led on, so she had better
strip off first. Gingerly, Dan poked his head round to look into the cave.
Louise was towards the far side of the wall and the men were on either side of
her.

‘Go on, let’s see if you’re for real,’
snarled Jake. ‘Step out of those clothes and lay yourself on the floor.’

The look on Louise’s face shouted
desperation. She had been bluffing her way through and her bluff had been
called. If she stripped off now they would be on top of her in seconds. They
could, legitimately, argue that’s what she had promised them in exchange for
half the treasure.

Where on earth was Dan?, thought Louise. He
should definitely have been back by now. Perhaps that was a good sign, that he was
aware what was going on and had avoided lumbering straight into the cave and
being caught. That would suggest he had gone for help. Only help would not come
quickly enough. She was to be raped and the treasure spirited away, never to be
seen again. A double violation.

‘Well,’ snarled Zak, ‘do we ’ave a deal or
not? I think the young lady’s ardour has cooled somewhat, Jake. I think she’s
one of these flirts who get men all excited only to let ’em down. Come on, we’re
wasting our time, let’s scoop up that booty and go out and find ourselves a
real woman. We’ll be able to afford a good few now, I should say.’

‘Right,’ said Louise, in a final attempt to
buy some more time. ‘Here’s what we’ll do. I will take my things off, but I
will do so slowly, and make it more interesting. If I must have sex with you,
at least let’s make it a bit more erotic.’

‘Oooh, great idea missy,’ crowed Jake,
approvingly. ‘Hey Zak, I’ve always been partial to a slow, sexy striptease.’

Grinning like schoolboys, Jake and Zak sat
on the floor, looking up expectantly.

‘Right,’ said Louise, ‘here goes.’ She knew
she had to show them something if she was to stall things for any longer. She stepped
out of her shoes and socks then, taking as long as she could over it, pulled
her skimpy T-shirt above her head. She was now naked from the waist up save for
her bra.

As the men cheered, Louise glanced miserably
towards the entrance to the rear of the cave, willing help to arrive.

Her wish came true, although not quite in
the guise she was expecting. Suddenly, at the back, appeared the most
astonishing, unsettling sight, just visible in the poor light.

A man stood there, looking like a sailor of
some kind but not one belonging to the 21st century. He had a pirate-type hat
on and what looked to be an old seafarer’s sword in his hand – yes – a cutlass!
His face was a chilling, unnatural white; the colour of death itself, the
colour of a ghost.

Dan managed to catch her eye. He saw terror
there, because she did not recognise him. She had no idea who he was. He had to
do something quickly to put her at her ease. He took off his hat and bowed to
her. Then, cutlass and hat in one hand, he thumbed up with the other.

A look of puzzlement crossed her face, followed,
finally, by recognition. Christ, thought Louise, it’s Dan, it must be! He’s got
himself dressed up as the Spanish captain! Dan put his hat carefully back on
his head. Now that Louise knew it was him, he could wait and pick his moment.

‘Come on,’ said Louise to Zak and Jake, ‘I’m
down to my underwear now, why don’t you pair show willing and strip off as
well. If you’re going to have your way with me, I might as well see the goods.’

Well done, Louise, thought Dan. She was
using her feminine wiles to get the men undressed so they would be at their
most vulnerable.

‘Fair enough,’ said bachelor Jake, flattered
that a woman finally seemed to be taking an interest in him after so many
barren years, ‘I’m game.’

‘Take off your bra first,’ said Zak, coldly.

Louise reached her hands behind her and fiddled
with the clasp. Dan, his heart thumping, watched in grim fascination as the
garment sagged downwards and her breasts swung free. The men’s eyes widened at
the sight. They had never seen such a perfect bosom beyond the pages of grubby
magazines.

They started pulling off their clothing,
until all they had on were pairs of white Y-fronts. Louise looked at them in
disgust, glad that the light wasn’t strong enough to show up the inevitable
yellow stains. A rank smell akin to mouldy oats and bacon filled the cave from
the men’s unwashed clothing, now lying messily on the cave floor. No right-thinking
woman would go within a hundred miles of this pair.

‘Now don’t leave a girl in suspense. Take
those sexy pants off,’ she commanded.

‘Take your sexy panties off first,’ said
Zak, a pronounced lump showing in his briefs.

Dan was nervous now. He didn’t want poor
Louise to have to strip naked in front of them. But it would suit his purposes
if she could get that dirty pair starkers. They would soon get the shock of
their lives, and it would be good if they wore no more than their flabby pink
skin.

‘Come on, age before beauty,’ countered
Louise, desperate not to have to remove her underwear. ‘I asked first.’

The men looked at each other, nodded, and pulled
down their Y-fronts, their erections just visible beneath a salt and pepper
forest of mangy looking pubic hair and a car tyre of low-hanging belly. Dan started
to move forward and Louise caught his eye. The moment had arrived.

‘Aaaaagh,’ screamed Louise, pointing behind her
adversaries. They wheeled round and were struck dumb by what they saw. A ghost!
It had to be! They had often heard it say that these tunnels were haunted. Zak
and Jake stared in horror at the terrifying figure of an 18th century naval
officer in buckled boots, bicorne hat, long-skirted black coat, and cutlass
held aloft. His face was an unearthly white. No human had skin of such pallor.

The phantom uttered a spine-chilling cry,
then spoke, in Spanish followed by English: ‘Who tramples upon the final
resting place of Felipe, captain of the Providencia! Am I to have no peace? Do
you dare to fornicate on my grave and rob me of my last few possessions? You
must die for this desecration!’

Dan towered over the naked men now cowering
on the floor beneath the point of his cutlass.

‘Oh forgive me, señor,’ whimpered a
blubbering Jake. ‘We meant no offence. We had no idea this was your place of
eternal rest. I’d never believed it when folk said these tunnels were haunted
but I do now. Please dear captain, Zak and I, we are both sea-farers like you.
Spare us and we will never disturb your peace again.’

‘Be gone!’ shouted el capitano and the men staggered
to their feet and fled unclothed from the cave back down the tunnel towards the
shore. Dan grabbed an oil lamp and ran after them, holding it above his head in
one hand and brandishing the cutlass like a demented grim reaper in the other, yelling
blood-curdling threats in Spanish.