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A Rock and A Hard Place.

It all started when Snowy and I found and old map hidden in a book at the library. It quickly became apparent that someone was very interested in what was on the parchment, luckily I had written down the strange markings and made a copy of the map itself which showed a small island in Mahone bay Canada.

We later discovered the symbols formed an alphabet cipher detailing the location of a second stone in the British Museum. However I wasn't the only one interested in it, a strange organization called Panthera Leo were also after the map and it became clear that they would stop at nothing to get their hands on it.

After finding the second stone I once again ran into one of the organizations agents who warned me to stop the search for the secrets of Oak Island and stay away...

Xxx

It was dark here.

What little light there was filtered down from a roughly cut window, barred with iron and spattered liberally with cobwebs. In places water dripped down the dirty stone walls, staining them green with algae and mould. Below on the bare dirt floor a figure stirred groggily and shifted its weight slightly; the clank of chains accompanying the movement. Across from the form on the floor a sturdy wooden door provided the only entrance or indeed exit from the dank place. A slot was positioned about half way up the wood and now with a soft shhht sound it slid open, allowing the person outside to peer in at the prisoner.

A pair of sharp eyes stared into the cell for a few moments and then with a grunt of apparent satisfaction the slot was closed again. Over by the far wall the person groaned again slightly louder this and his eyes blinked open. They stared blearily at the door for a few moments before the person managed to focus slightly better and grunted as he tried to move into a sitting position.

Finally managing to get into a more comfortable pose or as comfortable as he was going to get with his arms chained behind him he rested legs outstretched, back against the wall and sighed. He had a sour taste in his mouth suggesting to him that someone had use chloroform to knock him out but he didn't know who. Whoever it was had attacked from behind with such swiftness that he hadn't had time to retaliate and by that time he'd already taken in lungfulls of the stuff as he struggled to breathe. Leaning his head back against the cold rock Tintin sighed wondering how things could go so wrong in the space of a few days.

Distantly he thought he heard the rumble of thunder or maybe it was the ocean. It didn't really matter, what mattered now was finding a way to escape. Yet with his hands bound behind him, no Snowy and no plan it seemed he was out of options and out of luck. Ever the optimist though the young reporter turned his thoughts to the huge ship he'd seen half buried in the sand.

The Queen Anne's Revenge, ship of the notorious pirate Edward Teach or as he was more well known Blackbeard. Tintin wondered how long the ship had been here forgotten and left to rot slowly into oblivion. Although it seemed in remarkably good repair when he'd first seen it, he guessed that was down to Allan and his lackeys.

Yet Tintin figured the former first mate of the Karaboujan wasn't the one calling the shots here, there had to be someone else. He wondered vaguely if they would simply loot whatever remained on the Revenge and the leave the great vessel to rot once more. Although that didn't make any sense, why repair it and then leave it to...

A thought suddenly occurred to him, this wasn't about any plunder that the ship might hold although that was certainly part of it. This was about the ship itself, whoever led the organization was going to repair the vessel and then probably sell it to the highest bidder. At least Tintin guessed this is what would happen of course he could be wrong but then he tended to trust his intuition.

What could an organization such as this one do with the amount of money that the Revenge would bring? Tintin didn't like to think about it but the answer was nothing good. Although the way things were looking he wouldn't be in a position to worry about it.

Footsteps. The reporter turned his gaze to the door as they got closer turning into three separate sets. A key rattled in the lock briefly and then the heavy door swung open revealing three men. Two Tintin had met several times before, Allan wearing his long tan overcoat and grey turtleneck sweater and Tom wearing his usual blue one. Both of them worse unpleasant smiles that suggested they had been told a funny joke and couldent wait to share it with him, the punch line probably consisted of a gun and if that was the case Tintin preferred that they keep it to themselves.

It was the third man however that held his attention the longest, he was undoubtedly the leader. Tintin could tell by the way the old man held himself; he had an air of arrogant self importance that said I'm in charge, there is to be no question of this. From the way Allan and Tom were trying to keep their distance without actually trying to look as though they were doing so also told Tintin that this man was dangerous.

"So... This is our young adventurer hmmm?"

Tintin shivered the words chilled him like someone had just slipped slivers of ice down his back.

Tom sniggered as though the older man had just said something incredibly funny, but a simple glare from Tobias silenced the man instantly.

"S'right boss." Allan nodded obligingly.

Tobias rolled his eyes and then stared at the young man in front of him. To his considerable surprise the boy stared back unflinching.

"How much does he know?" Tobias let the question hang in the air for a moment. "Although I suppose it doesn't really matter in the end really, the outcome will still be the same."

Both Allan and Tom nodded and since he knew that nothing he said could end up with him in any more trouble than he was already in Tintin spoke.

"What are you going to do with the ship?"

Tobias smiled; it was not what could be described pleasant

"Why my dear boy, I would have thought that was obvious. As we speak my men are removing the plunder from her last voyage to a place of safekeeping in these catacombs. Then as the tide rises it will flood the cavern and the Queen Anne's Revenge will sail again to a destination of my choosing. Then we will set up an auction, as I'm sure you're aware a discovery of this magnitude will fetch quite a tidy sum. A few words in the right ears and cash in the right hands will ensure my organization is in a position of power in the government and then well...

He stopped and smiled that reptilian smile again, it was the kind of smile that would make even the largest alligator whimper and hide its eyes.

"Of course none of this matters to you Tintin." He almost spat the name as though it were distasteful.

"Soon nothing will matter to you at all BRING HIM!"

This was directed at the two men standing to either side of him.

"The tide is already on its way in and we need to be moving."

Turning he left without a backward glance. Allan stepped forward and set about releasing the manacles while Tom held his gun on Tintin. Before his circulation had time to start flowing again properly the young man felt strong cords tied tightly to his wrists keeping his arms effectively pinned behind him.

Allan grunted in apparent satisfaction and hauled Tintin to his feet, before giving him a rough shove toward the doorway. With Tom at his side gun trained fixedly on him and Allan behind, Tintin had no choice but to move forward out into a dark corridor that evidently led back to the main cavern. As he was pushed forward towards the large open space he stumbled over something that clattered and clicked like...

Tintin risked a glance down and his suspicions were instantly confirmed. A mouldering skeleton laid there, bones yellow with age and a large cutlass sticking out of its back. The boy shuddered but had no time to contemplate who the man might have been as Allan gave him another vicious shove out in the cavern.

They emerged onto the pathway that Tintin had seen earlier a natural wide shelf that ran above the bottom of the cave. The place was a hive of activity; men were moving crates and boxes of what Tintin guessed to be the remaining plunder from the revenge into tunnels that were spread along the length of the pathway. Below the sea hissed and foamed against the bottom of the ship which was already starting to bob in the swells, he noticed the torn sails had been replaced. Glancing back up Tintin found he was being pushed towards the crane that had been erected presumably to haul up the laden crates from the vessel.

"OI swing it down Jack!" Allan shouted to the man operating the heavy machinery and with a leer the man obliged turning the crane and lowering the cable that had a large hook affixed to its end. Pushing the boy towards it Allan grabbed the hook and then pushed Tintin further still until the kid's feet were at the edge of the ledge of rock.

Tintin could guess what was about to happen and winced as Allan none to gently grabbed his arms and slipped the hook underneath so that when it was lifted again it would take him with it.

The man behind him chuckled. "Alright take her up!"

The machinery whirred and with growing horror Tintin felt his feet leave the ground. The machine stopped and then turned the boy swinging helplessly from its hook until he was above the sea below and then it changed pitch and began to lower itself down towards the frothing water.

"I hope you know how to hold your breath Tintin." Allan grinned as the boy slid past in his descent "I'd give it about an hour before the water covers you completely."

The crane continued downwards and stopped just past a point where the rocks were worn smooth by the tide. The water was just below his shoes its spray actually getting little droplets on them as it splashed against the rocky walls of the cavern. Tintin swallowed as he stared down into the water and wondered how on earth he was ever going to find a way of this...

TBC

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