A/N: Sorry that it's been so long. I kinda had a writer's block and didn't know what to write. Anyway, I think a lot of people will like this chapter and I think there are only going to be two more chapters in the story. I hope you enjoy this chapter. Love, Alissa
I looked at the watch on my brother's wrist. It was now one o'clock and Shaw and Shippen were gone bringing Ben back. Ian and I were waiting across from a small coffee shop. "Why couldn't you just let me go?" I looked at Ian, leaning against the hood a car.
"Why would I do that?" My brother raised an eyebrow at me.
"What is this? Not answer any of my questions day?" I was mad because every time I asked a question, it never got answered.
"Why are you so mad?" Ian asked.
"I hate you." I stated plainly, glaring at my older sibling. He made a move towards me, but I turned around so I was looking at the coffee shop.
"Ben," Ian said. I turned around and saw Ben walking towards us. I smiled and ran to Ben, throwing my arms around him.
"Are you alright?" he asked me, pulling away from me and looking me in the eyes.
"I'm fine. How about you?" I patted Ben's shoulder.
"Yeah, a jump like that could kill a man." Ian walked over to Ben and me. You see, Ben had jumped off the flight deck of the U.S.S. Intrepid to get here.
"No, it was cool. You should try it sometime." I hid a smile at what Ben just said. Ian just sighed and pulled out the Declaration and the pipe we had found in the Charlotte.
"The Declaration of Independence and the Miashawn pipe; it's all your's." Ian put his elbow on the hood of the car.
"That's it?" Ben asked, confused.
"That's it. I knew you'd keep your promise. Now where is it? Where's my treasure?"
"It's not your treasure, Ian." I glared at my brother, shaking my head.
"Shut your mouth. I was talking to Ben, not you Caylen." Ian pushed me away from the conversation. I stumbled and landed on the car next to the car that had the document and the pipe. I glared at him and sat on the car, rubbing my arms, thinking.
I didn't listen for a while, but looked at the car that held Ben's dad. I only turned back into the conversation when I heard my brother. "Is that all the map said?" Ian asked.
Ben nodded. "Every word," he told my brother.
"Oh, Ben, you know the key to running a convincing bluff. Every once in a while you've got to be holding all the cards." Ian smirked and made a gesture to the car that we had driven here with. Shaw opened the back door and Ben saw his father with his hands tied in front of him.
"Dad…" Ben murmured. The door shut and Ben turned back to Ian, glaring at him.
"Is there anything else you want to tell me?" Ian's smirk got bigger. He knew just how to get everything he wanted. It made me wonder how he got to be this way. Maybe he was taking after our dad, who had left us when I was four, and Ian was six. I didn't know, but I just wish that my brother would stop this and we could go back to the ship where this all started and maybe start this whole thing over. It made me wonder how things might have went if Ian hadn't done this. Would Abigail have come with us? How would we have gotten the Declaration? And most importantly; would Riley still like me?
"Come on," Ian pulled me towards him and Ben and he started walking to a church. I pulled away from him and walked over to Ben. I looked back to see Shaw and the creepy dude taking Patrick out of the car and following us. I also heard the faint bell of the coffee shop door opening and my heart went into my throat as Riley and Abigail came out. I smiled and ran over to him, dodging Ian's attempt to grab me.
"Riley!" I shouted and ran into his arms. He pulled me close to him and swung me around. "I missed you," I mumbled into his ear.
"Me too," He told me, kissing the top of my head. I looked up at him, smiling. I moved in to kiss him but Abigail grabbed me and dragged me and Riley into the church. I giggled as we walked into the church and Riley and I sat down next to each other. Ben and Ian were sitting near the middle, Patrick, the creepy dude, and Shaw sat with him, leaving Abigail, Riley and me to sit near the back. I didn't mind at all; I just wanted to be with Riley. I looked behind us to see two other guys sitting behind Abigail, Riley and me.
"I wonder where my brother gets these men," I put Riley's arm around me and leaned my head against his chest.
"Maybe he runs a gay strip club." Riley suggested. I let out a startled laugh and looked up at the man I love. Did I really just think that? Yep. I sure did. I love Riley Poole.
"I guess I didn't know that my brother owns a gay club." I giggled.
"Yeah, well, know you know." Riley kissed my nose.
"Shush, I'm trying to listen to the conversation." Abigail told us, glaring.
"Sorry," Riley put his hands up in a defensive manner. I giggled and put my head back on Riley's chest, wrapping my arms around his waist. He wrapped his arms around me and leaned his head on mine. As Abigail and Riley listened to the conversation that was going on, I listened to Riley's heartbeat. I sighed and closed my eyes, loving to be held by Riley.
After a while, everyone got up and headed towards a door. "Where are we going?" I asked quietly in Riley's ear.
"Basement," He replied, taking my hand and helping me down the steps. Riley started looking for something, but I looked back to see Patrick, Ben and Abigail talking. I shook my head, wondering what they were talking about. I turned to Riley when I felt him squeeze my hand.
"Hey! Park… I found it!" Riley exclaimed. He looked closer at it and saw it was a name. "Him…" He added as an afterthought.
"It's a name…" Ian mumbled.
"Parkington Lane; he was a third degree master mason of the blue light." Ben read off the stone.
"Wait, this is his grave?" I asked, bewildered. Who would put a grave in a basement of a church?
"Yes, darling sister, it is and we need to get through there so…" Ian cut off as Shaw grabbed a hammer and swung at the tombstone, barley missing Ben's head.
"Hey!" Ben yelled, backing up quickly. Ian's cronies ignored him and started pulling out the old coffin that was in there. I backed up against Riley and he put his arms around me.
I screamed as the coffin's bottom broke and the skeleton of the man fell out. I coughed and tuned my head into Riley's shoulder, trying to block out the smell. "Be careful that no one steps on him," Shaw mumbled as he and the rest of Ian's cronies set down the coffin. I got out of Riley's embrace and walked over to the tunnel, looking in side it. I felt someone's hand on my lower back and knew it was Riley because of the butterflies flying around in my stomach.
"Okay, who want to go down the creepy tunnel inside the tomb first?" Riley asked to no one. I shook my head and laughed softly at him.
"Alright. Victor, McGregor, you stay here. If anyone should come out without me…"
"Shut up, Ian." I said to my brother. "Just shush and get your butt into the tunnel." I pushed him in the direction of the tunnel. He turned around and glared at me, a menacing look in his eyes. Riley pulled me behind him, glaring at my brother, daring him to do something. Ian growled and shook it off.
"Okay, does anyone have a lighter?" Ben asked, getting us back onto the subject of what we were doing. Ian handed him one and Ben and he walked into the tomb. Riley helped Abigail and then he helped me. I took his hand and pulled him in with me. Abigail let us pass her so we were behind Patrick.
"Careful," Ben touched his father's arm as Patrick passed him. "Watch your step," Ben told me, guiding me past a rock.
"Thanks." I smiled at Ben, who nodded at me. Riley and I walked forward but I turned my head to see Ben and Abigail kissing. I turned Riley's head in their direction so he could see them. "I told you." I told him, smiling.
"Yes you did." He smiled back at me and we moved forward.
"What's that?" Ian asked, looking at a wooden circular thing.
"It's a chandelier." Ben walked over to it and held out the torch that he was holding. "Here," He said as he put the fire end of the torch on the chandelier.
"Wow," I whispered, looking around the open room as the chandelier lit up the place. The room went down and was made out of wood.
"Look at the elevator system." Ben murmured.
"How do a bunch of guys with hand tools build all this?" Shippen asked out loud.
"The same way they built the pyramids and the Great Wall of China." Ben informed us.
"Yeah, the aliens helped them." Riley said out loud. I laughed and kissed his cheek.
"I bet they did." I said. Riley looked down at me and smiled.
"Alright, what are we waiting for? Let's go." Ian made a motion over to the elevators.
"I'm not going out on that thing. 200 years of termite damage and rot." Patrick shook his head.
Ben sighed. "Dad, do what he says." Patrick shook his head again but started to slowly walk down the steps toward the elevators. Everyone else followed him. I held on to Riley's hand as we made our way.
"Watch your step," Patrick called out behind his shoulder. There was a low rumble and the walls around us started shaking, causing dirt to fall on everyone. I shook my head and looked at Riley, not knowing what was going on.
"Subway," Ian told everyone. We nodded and for a second, everything was quiet. Suddenly a huge hole opened up where Shaw was standing and he fell down. Everything started falling apart and Riley grabbed me, pulling me close to him.
"Follow me," He said and jumped down to the next available place. I jumped after him, landing on my leg next to him. I gasped in pain and held on to my leg. "Are you okay?" Riley asked me, pulling me up.
I nodded and pulled his face down to mine, kissing his lips. The stupid butterflies went nuts and flew all over my body, making me feel like I was on a roller coaster. I wanted to stand there and kiss him all day, but I pulled away from him and giggled at the dreamy look on is face. I grabbed his hand and pulled him down to where Abigail and Ben were standing.
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry I dropped you. I had to save the declaration." Ben said, running his hand down Abigail's arm.
Abigail smiled. "No, don't be. I would have done the same thing."
Ben looked at her surprised. "Really?" He asked. She nodded. Riley shook his head.
"I would have dropped you both… freaks." I laughed at Riley.
"That was so mean." I whispered to him.
"What? I would have." He smiled at me, giving me a peck on the lips. I smiled and limped down the steps next to Ben.
"Ian, it's not worth it." Ben looked at Abigail and then at me. I was leaning on Riley, trying not to put pressure on my right leg.
"Do you imagine any one of your lives is more valuable to me than Shaw's?" Ian asked Ben, glaring at me. I glared back and shook my head. "We move on." Ian informed us.
Ben looked at his father as to look for help. Patrick shook his head slowly. "The status quo, keep to the status quo." He informed his son as we got on to the elevator. We slowly got down to a tunnel. We got off the elevator and walked into a room; an empty room.
"What is this?" Riley asked. I shrugged my shoulders and looked around the empty room.
Ian huffed and turned towards Ben. "So, where's the treasure?" He asked, tapping a foot. "Well?"
"This is it? We came all this way for a dead end?" Riley asked, looking at Ben for the answer.
"Yes," Ben sighed, running his fingers through his hair.
"There has to be something more." Riley stepped closer to Ben.
Ben sighed again. "Riley, there is no more."
"Another clue."
"No, there are no more clues. That's it. It's over. The treasure is gone; moved; taken somewhere else." Ben yelled. I put my hand on Riley shoulder, trying to get him to move back.
"You're not playing games with me, Ben? You know where the treasure is?" Ian looked at Ben, expecting something.
"No," Ben told Ian, shaking his head.
Ian turned his head to the side and looked at Shippen. "Okay, go," He said and he and Shippen ran over to the elevator and got on to it. Shippen started to pull it up and Patrick, Riley, Abigail, and Ben raced over to it, shouting protests. I made my way over there, limping.
"You can't just leave us here," Ben said.
"Yes, I can. Unless Ben tells me what the next clue is." Ian smirked, his blonde hair falling across his eyes.
Ben sighed. "There isn't another clue."
"Ian, wait. Listen, why don't you come back down here and we can talk about this." Riley started. Ian reached down and pulled a gun out of Shippen's holster and pointed it at Riley.
"Don't speak again," My brother threatened.
"Okay," Riley squeaked out. I stepped in front of Riley, but he pushed me out of the way.
"If you hurt him, Ian, I swear that I will kill you." I glared at my brother, tears threatening to fall out of my eyes at the thought of Riley being hurt. Ian just rolled his eyes and looked at Ben.
"The clue? Where is the treasure? Ben?"
Patrick looked at Ben and then back at Ian. "The lantern," He said, pointing to the single lantern hanging in the empty room.
"Dad," Ben looked sad. I looked at them confused. I thought that they didn't know another clue; Ben wouldn't have yelled at Riley like that. I think.
"The status quo has changed, son."
"Don't," Ben started, but Patrick held up a hand.
"It's part of freemason teachings. In King's Solomon's temple, there was a winding staircase. It signified the journey that had to be made to find the light of truth. The lantern is the clue." Patrick told Ian. I put my hand on Riley's arm and he looked at me and smiled.
"And what does it mean?" Ian asked, wanting more information.
"Boston," Ben said softly, but loud enough for Ian to hear him. "It's Boston."
"The Old North Church in Boston, where Thomas Newton hung a lantern in the steeple to signal to Paul Revere that the British were coming; one if by land, two if by sea. One lantern under the winding staircase of the steeple. That's where you have to look," Patrick finished what his son began. I looked at Ben and Patrick, confused. That wasn't how it happened. I looked up at Ian and saw that he had bought the fake story.
"Thank you," Ian said. Shippen started pulling up the rope, making the elevator go up.
"Hey, you have to take us with you." Patrick told Ian, making Shippen stop the elevator.
"Why? So you can escape in Boston? Besides, you out of the picture, there is less baggage to carry." Ian shrugged, smirking.
"What if we lied?" Patrick suggested, trying to make Ian take us with him.
Ian raised an eyebrow. "Did you?"
"What if there is another clue?" Ben put in quickly.
"Then I know right where to find you." Shippen started bring the elevator back up. "See you, Ben." He gave a half wave.
Abigail, Ben, and Riley started protesting, but I knew how to handle it. "Ian, wait." I called out. Shippen stopped the elevator once more and my brother looked down at me. I put on my best younger sister look, even going as far as to start making fake tears.
"Why are you doing this?" I asked him. "Why did you turn bad?" I started to let the tears fall from my eyes.
"Do you really think that I care about what you think?" Ian smirked. I whipped my eyes and went to my plan 'B.'
"You are just like Dad. You leave the women of the family. You Howe men are just plain worthless. I hope you die." I spat out angrily.
Ian glared down at me and pointed his gun at me. "Shoot me! I bet you wouldn't." I yelled at him. He smirked.
"I wouldn't shoot you, but I could shoot Riley." Ian informed me and shot the gun at Riley. I turned around to see Riley fall down and I heard Ian's laughter and soon everything faded away and I could only see Riley's crumpled body on the dirt.
