I liked all of the hits that this story was getting and decided to upload this chapter quickly. And I also love reviews because it lets me know that you've actually read the story.

They had managed to get most of the snow off of The Charlotte and were now resting. Valerie wasn't helping with uncovering the ship and was standing a little bit away. Riley had decided to keep her company.

"Something doesn't seem right." She said.

"What do you mean?" Riley asked.

"This is supposed to be a legendary treasure of enormous size, and it's all supposed to fit on this tiny ship? I don't think it's here." She said.

Riley thought about that. She did have a point. And he hoped it wasn't on The Charlotte. No treasure meant no proposal and he wasn't looking forward to that.

"Let's go!" Ben shouted and Valerie and Riley rushed to go down into the ship.

They went down and saw everything was covered in snow. After some exploring and Riley getting scared of a frozen corpse, they went into the cargo hold. Everyone froze at the lack of a treasure.

Feeling sympathetic at Ben's obvious disappointment, Riley quickly said, "Do you think it's in the barrels?"

They all went their separate ways, opening different barrels. Ian opened one and put his hand in it. He sniffed his glove.

"Gunpowder." He said.

Valerie looked around at the different barrels, trying to find one that stood out, when she saw Riley put a plug on a barrel and try to put it back in. She chuckled and looked to see Ben crouching down in front of something.

"I found something!" He said and brought a package out.

He unwrapped it and found a fancy box. He opened that to find a pipe.

"Do you guys know what this is?" Ben said.

"Is it a billion dollar pipe?" Riley said. Valerie chuckled.

"It's a meerschaum pipe. Ah, that's beautiful." Ian said, examining the pipe in his hands.

"Look at the intricacy of the scrollwork on the stem." Ben said, pointing to the stem of the pipe.

"Is it a million dollar pipe?" Riley asked.

"No, it's a clue." Ben said. Ian's face fell. Ben pulled the pipe apart.

"What? No, don't break it!" Riley said.

"We are one step closer to the treasure gentlemen," Ben turned to Valerie, "and lady."

"Ben, I thought you said that the treasure would be on The Charlotte." Ian said. He unconsciously put his hand on his pocket.

"No, 'The secret lies with Charlotte'. I said it could be hear." Ben said.

Ben pulled out a pocket knife and sliced his thumb. Blood showed up. Valerie flinched at it. Ben slid his thumb over the pipe then rolled it onto a piece of paper in a little book he had brought. Words showed up in blood.

"Templar symbols." Ben observed.

"The legend writ,

the stain effected,

the key in Silence undetected,

Fifty-five in iron pen,

Mr. Matlack can't offend.

It's a riddle." Ben said.

He put the book down and started talking to himself, trying to figure the riddle out. Valerie walked over to where Ian was inspecting the pipe.

"We'll find it." She told him. "Ben's too passionate about it to let it go."

He smiled at her before asking Ben, "Wait a minute, what do you mean invisible? An invisible map?"

"'The stain effected' could refer to a dye or a reagent used to bring about a certain result combined with 'the key in Silence undetected' the implication is that the effect is to make what was undetectable, detectable." Ben answered. "Unless 'the key in Silence' could be-"

"Prison." Shaw interrupted.

"Albuquerque. See, I can do it too. Snorkel." Riley said.

"It's where the map is. Like you said, 'Fifty-five in iron pen'. 'Iron pen' is a prison." Shaw explained.

"Or it could be since the primary writing medium of the time was iron gall ink, the pen is just a pen. But then why not say a pen? Why say iron pen?" Ben continued.

"Because it's a prison." Shaw muttered. Valerie patted him reassuringly on the back.

Ben went on, but Valerie had tuned him out. It was boring and they would find the treasure whether she listened or not. Ian walked over to where Ben had sat down and sat near him.

"The Declaration of Independence." Ben finished. Valerie looked up.

There was a stunned silence.

"C'mon, there's no invisible map on the back of the Declaration of Independence." Riley reasoned.

"That's clever, really. A document of that importance would ensure the map's survival. And you said there were several masons signed it, yeah?" Ian asked.

"Yeah. Nine for sure." Ben replied.

"We'll have to arrange a way to examine it." Ian said.

"This is one of the most important documents in history. They're not just gonna let us waltz in there and run chemical tests on it." Ben explained.

"Then what do you propose we do?" Ian asked.

"I don't know!" Ben said, frustrated.

After a pause, Ian said, "We could borrow it."

"Steal it? I don't think so." Ben objected.

"Ben, the Treasure of the Knights Templar is the treasures of all treasures."

"Oh, I didn't know that. Really?" Ben said sarcastically.

"Look Ben. I understand your bitterness. I really do. You've spent your entire life searching for this treasure only to have the respected historical community treat you and your family with mockery and contempt. You should be able to rub this treasure in their arrogant faces. And I want you to have the chance to do that." Ian said.

"How?" Ben said.

"We all have our areas of expertise. You don't think mine are limited to writing checks, do you? In another life . . . I arranged a number of operations of questionable legality."

Shaw came to stand next to Ian. "I'd take his word for it if I were you."

"So don't worry, I'll make all the arrangements." Ian said.

Ben looked stunned. "No." He stood up.

"I really need your help here." Ian said and he stood up also.

"Ian, I'm not gonna let you steal the Declaration of Independence!" Ben said.

Ian sighed. "Ok. From this point on, all you're going to be is a hindrance."

Ian signaled to Shaw and Shaw pulled out his gun and pointed it at Ben. Valerie went to stand next to Ian. Riley stared after her in disbelief.

"What are you gonna do? Are you gonna shoot me Shaw?" Ben said, trying to get Shaw to back off. Shaw just smirked at him. "Well you can't shoot me. There's more to the riddle. Information you don't have, I do. I'm the only one who can figure it out, and you know that."

"He's bluffing." Shaw said.

"We played poker together, Ian. You know I can't bluff." Ben said.

"Tell me what I need to know Ben, or I'll shoot your friend." Shaw pointed the gun at Riley.

"Hey!" Riley said and tried to hide behind some rope.

"Quiet, Riley! Your job's finished here." Ian said.

Riley glanced at Valerie and she looked indifferent.

"Why?" Riley shouted at her. "I thought you were nice! But you're not doing anything to stop them!"

She appeared slightly hurt at his observation. "I love Ian. And I trust him. If I went against him now I'd be looked into the barrel of a gun."

Ben suddenly lit a flare and everyone's attention went back to him.

"Look where you're standing. All that gunpowder. You shoot me, I drop this, we all go up." He said.

"What happens when the flare burns down? Tell me what I need to know, Ben." Ian said.

Ben looked between Ian and Shaw. "You need to know . . . if Shaw can catch!" Then he threw the flare.

Time seemed to stop as everyone waited for the flare to hit the ground. But it didn't. Ian caught the flare in his hand.

"Nice try though." He said, waving the flare at Ben.

"No!" Valerie shrieked as she realized Ian had put that hand into gunpowder before.

It was too late, and his hand burst into flames. He dropped the flare and the gunpowder started to burn. Flames licked up at them. Shaw started shooting them, but Ian yelled at him to get out. Ian grabbed Valerie and ran out of the room.

"Go!" He shouted at her as he pushed her towards the exit of the ship.

He turned back to the burning room and looked regretfully into Ben's eyes. A big flame shot up near Ian's face and he quickly locked and shut the door.

"Fool!" He said before running out of the ship himself.

Ian, Shaw, and Valerie ran to one of the snow mobiles while screaming at everyone else to run and get away. Shaw drove with Ian sitting next to him and Valerie in the back. The ship exploded and they stopped. Ian got out to look and Shaw looked back from his seat. Valerie didn't dare look back.

Ian got back in. "Ok, let's go. Before someone sees the smoke."

Shaw drove on and Ian looked back at Valerie.

"Are you alright?" He asked.

"No! I am NOT alright! We almost died! Ben and Riley are probably dead! And that was a rush, but that was risking our lives and that is not fun! And did you see the way Riley looked at me? He hated me! He probably died hating me! I can't believe we just did that!" She was freaking out.

Ian went to sit next to her, but she stopped him. "No! Don't try to comfort me! You said no one would get hurt! No one ever gets hurt!"

She cried into her hands. Ian looked at her sadly.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know that Ben would pull out that flare. It was a bluff, Val. We were never going to shoot them." He said.

Valerie looked at him unconvinced, but she nodded in agreement.

"Good." Ian said and turned back to the front. "Let's get the Declaration then."

I know its boring because it's almost word for word, but that was boring for me too! It gets better, I promise. I tried to make Valerie not seem that evil. She's just into the whole stealing stuff because of the rush it gives her. So she freaked out when people actually got hurt. I'm debating on whether or not her and Ian have a big fight over this. Hmmmm . . .