The Elusive Treasure

Chapter Eleven

A Successful Rescue

Back at the surface...

The gang's reverie was broken a few moments later by the patter of Sammy and Roderick, as they emerged from the water at the swim-step on the stern of Breezy's boat. Scotty and Twister helped the two boys aboard, as they unstrapped and lowered their aqualungs to the deck. "Any word?" Reggie asked as Otto passed around candy bars and soda pop to everyone on board.

"Lou's gunna be fine," reported Rod. "They'll be bringing him up any minute." That news made everyone much happier.

Sure enough, the other rescuers broke the surface in the minute that followed, with Lou in tow. Tice gave a thumbs-up to the few onlookers on shore, who applauded as the blue-capped teen weakly wiggled a shaka sign. They gently relieved Lou of his aqualung and put it in a small raft, then they placed the boy in a floating rescue basket so they could put him aboard a waiting lifeguard boat. That boat departed immediately for one of the bayside fishing docks, where an ambulance could be seen waiting for him.

"We didn't know before that you knew how to dive, Rod!" Breezy suddenly realized.

"Yeah! The four of us took scuba lessons while Raymundo and Noelani went on their honeymoon," Otto commented. Indeed, they had just finished about a month earlier.

"Actually, you could say that I've been doing quite a bit of diving," Rod explained. "There's a lab at our shop that when certain... processes are going on, you may enter only if you're wearing special equipment. And, when I was taking junior guards, we went to that new dive shop over on the Embarcadero and got an introductory scuba lesson in their pool. I noticed right away that diving equipment worked on exactly the same principles."

Sam nodded understandingly. Rod continued: "Also, a friend of mine had a birthday event at the dive shop, called a Bubble-Maker party. Sort of an introduction to scuba for kids. I went along with him; it was a lot of fun! And I resolved right then that I'd get officially trained as soon as I get eligible."

Scott nodded grinningly, remembering his own Bubble-Maker party some years earlier.

"Well, I've probably got more time underwater than any of you guys!" Sammy boasted playfully. "In one of the treatments I had to take after my encounter with that wayward van, I was suspended inside a seven foot tall beaker of warm water for several hours a day. The breathing device they put in my mouth worked exactly the sameand that's why I was already so comfortable with the equipment."

"Anyway guys," Scotty spoke up, "thanks again."

"We're glad Lou's okay," Breezy replied.

"De nada," Twister ratified.

"I kinda know what it's like to be in his position," Otto agreed. "No friend of mine will suffer such a fate if I can do something about it."

"Ditto," Reggie answered, as she gave her brother a quick kiss atop his head, causing him to make a face.

"You're welcome, Scott," answered Roderick.

"I'm glad I was able to help," Sammy replied. "But let's not lose heart or momentum over this. There's a treasure outstanding that needs to be found!"

"SQUID!" - admonished some of the others.

"Okay okay," Sam responded. "Just wanted to keep us on track."

A few minutes later, a police boat pulled alongside Breezy's yacht. Ray, Tito, Tice, and Shirley boarded. A number of group hugs were exchanged. "We're glad you're all okay," Shirley announced. "But there are some questions that need to be asked."

"That can wait. We can take care of that at the marina firehouse," Tice qualified. "However, in the general analysis, troops," he continued, "each of you is a hero! I salute you."

'Troops!' Each of the kids looked with pleasant surprise at each other. Up til now, the senior lifeguard had addressed them as "privates" or "recruits." Proudly, they returned the salute.

A fireboat had now tied up on the yacht's opposite side. The captain spoke up. "And this evening, you'll be treated to the hospitality of Ocean Shores' bravest!"

"Go ahead and get dressed," Raymundo said.

"We'll see that your boats and property are taken care of, and I'll let you know how Lou is doing," Shirley assured them.

"We'll join you at the fire station, lil cuzzes," Tito assured.

During the whole rescue, nobody paid attention to an old barge that was floating nearby, although its crew was very conspicuously dressed. The skipper, a very bad tempered and foul-mouthed teenager with a missing front teeth and a patch on his eye was obviously angry to see all that activity by the Rocket expedition. "The devil take those lowly rats!" - cursed the skipper, pacing fore to aft on deck, fuming - "Can't they do anything right? Why, in the name of Neptune, are they dealing with those coast guards?"

"It seems that one of them got hurt, skipper" - said Pi.

"No kidding." - answered Lars, sarcastically. - "Although I'm wearing this patch, I'm not blind, lieutenant! Of course one of them got injured! Now those sea weiners will close all diving operations for the day, until they clear the site. That means we either go down ourselves, or wait until they can come back. Either is unacceptable!"

Lars continued mumbling some old Spanish curses for a while, as he paced the deck for several minutes. He didn't seem to be concerned at all for the safety of the kids, not even if Twister was all right or not. This surprised the Lasers a lot, for even they knew that Lars really cared about his little brother, although he would whomp anyone stupid enough to tell that out loud.

But now it was as if Lars was posessed by some dark spirit, and they were quite scared.

"Never mind" - said the skipper, finally calming down, when he saw the ambulance and all the ships leave the site - "There's not much more we can do from here. We'll need to get some more equipment. But I swear it, I won't let those Rocket dorks to put their hands on my treasure! I'll make them walk the plank one by one before letting them beat me. Now, let's go, gentlemen. We must return to port before someone notices us. We'll think of a new scheme at the pub, over a round of good ole rum!"

The Lasers looked at each other, confused and disgusted. Since when was Lars - still a child under the law - into drinking rum? But they knew better than speaking before that angry and malefical pirate, so they quietly started the engine and, turing towards port, they made it to the pier.

Meanwhile, at the hospital...

... The six kids were inside the little chapel by the waiting room. They were all praying quietly for Lou. Each of them was immersed in their own thoughts.

For Reggie, Otto and Twister, that chapel brought back memories from that terrible experience they had some months before, when they almost lost Sammy. For Sam and Roderick, the chapel reminded them of the times when they had been hospitalized there, both of them fighting for their lives in one moment or another. And for Scott, being there reminded him of the frailty of human life. He was remembering all the good moments he had shared with Lou, and was trying to be calmed while he waited for news.

They were there a couple of hours, but neither said much during that time. They were worried, but they had faith. And they knew that their friend was in good hands. They wouldn't help him if they panicked

Finally, the door of the chapel opened, and a small, rather senior nurse entered the room. All the kids stood up and fell silent, waiting for her to break the news.

The old woman smiled at them knowingly. She had been working in that hospital for decades, and this was one of the closest knit group of friends she had ever seen. She knew that the patient they were praying for was very fortunate.

"The doctor will be in the waiting room in a couple of minutes, kids" - she said. - "He will tell you everything you need to know about your friend's condition. Please come with me, so you can talk to Dr. Bakula."

The nurse walked out of the chapel, followed by all the kids, who were eager to know about their good friend.

"We've gotten in touch with Lou's parents, they said they are getting on the next flight back to Ocean Shores." - announced the nurse.

"Will he be okay?" asked Otto and Scott, almost in unison.

"It's too soon to tell yet, he's still unconscious. He broke his leg; luckily it's a clean break, it should heal in about six weeks." - she replied.

Meanwhile in hospital room 226, Lou was just waking up. He looked around. "Where am I?" he asked to himself.

"You're in the hospital," a nurse who had just finished changing Lou's IV answered, "I'll go get the doctor." She returned a few minutes later, with a man in his late forties.

"Hi Lou, I'm Dr. Stanley, you were in a diving accident earlier this afternoon, you broke your leg, and probably suffered a minor concussion."

'What don't I know?' thought Lou to himself. He just nodded.

"Do you know what day it is?" the doctor asked.

"July 20th?" he replied, not completely sure of his response.

"What's your phone number?"

"310-555-2645" Lou rattled off the numbers.

"Good, we'll need to run a few more tests, but every thing seems to be in order," the doctor pronounced.

Meanwhile, downstairs...

Otto and the others were sitting in the waiting room. It was a rather small area that only had a few rows of chairs inside. To the left was a bathroom. On the opposite end were two small rooms reserved for hospital staff. There was an overhead TV that was currently showing an episode of Law and Order. The room's exit was behind the group. It consisted of a door that led out to the hallway. It had windows with which anyone can look out into the hall. As they sat, waiting for the doctor, they chatted amongst each other. For the most part, it was just casual conversation with the occassional question about Lou. They were still worried about him but they knew he'd pull through.

Also a common topic among the group was the treasure and what Rod saw. Were the Lopez Brothers really going after it too with the help of Oliver and his club? And what's wrong with Lars? Why were he and his goons dressed up like pirates?

And speaking of the older Rodriguez Brother, according to Rod, he had nearly everything a pirate would be seen wearing, except for the traditional captain's hat. It struck them as somewhat odd, but they didn't pay it any mind.

Strangely, despite the situation, Twister was out like a light. A bubble was coming out of his nose as he snored. It inflated and deflated as he breathed. Otto considered giving him a rude awakening, but decided against it. The whole thing must've gotten to the taller redhead. Everyone there, anyway, had pitched in on an heroic battle against death itself within the prior hour and (by a mere stroke of luck) won, Otto reckoned, so he admitted to himself that his comrades had a right to be tired. The one in the sunglasses shrugged and turned back to the TV, which just faded to black.

:CLUNK! CLUNK:

"AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH! GIANT MONKEYS!" Twister screamed as he shot up. The others stared at him for a few seconds before rolling along the ground laughing.

"We have a dead man here, and an empty monkey cage..." One of the actors, a tall man in his sixties said onscreen while investigating a horrendous, debris-strewn crime scene, causing another scream to leave Twister's lips.

Everybody had another laugh as a doctor stepped inside. The man sweatdropped when he noticed the laughing group and Twister huddled against a corner of the room. He cleared his throat to get their attention. They instantly looked up at him.

"Are you the party that accompanied a Mr..." He trailed off as he looked at his clipboard. "Crumpacker?"

"Yes, that's us." Scott replied, standing up. "How's he coming along?"

"Dr. Stanley's been examining him. Lou's in stable condition." The doctor answered with a smile. The group heaved a sigh of relief at the news. "He has just woken up. Aside from his leg and a minor concussion on his head, he's alright. He hasn't suffered any damage to his memory."

"Can we see him?" Rod asked, walking up to the doctor.

"Yes, you're allowed to see him. He's staying in room two-twenty-six." The man answered, much to the pleasure of the group. "But please remain quiet. There are patients up there who need their rest."

"No problem." Reggie said as they started to leave.

They didn't even get close to the door when...

"IGGY! HANG ON! YOU'LL BE ALRIGHT!" A voice screamed as a slam was heard.

Everybody stopped and looked at each other as the voice, which sounded frantic and frightful was getting louder.

"That can't be who I think it is, is it?" Sam asked with a small groan.

"Sounds like it." Twister said as what sounded like a mini stampede was coming towards the room.

"COME ON IGGY! WAKE UP!" The voice shouted again. It sounded closer now.

"They're coming this way!" Rod said, looking out of the door. He quickly pulled his head back in for fear of getting trampled.

A cloud of dust was seen as an entourage of doctor's and nurses sped past, followed by Izzy, Oliver, and several crew members from Sea Crest. From what the group can tell, Iggy was the one on the stretcher. He had a strange trance-like stare in his eyes and his left arm was held out. His fist was clenched. The taller dark haired boy quickly caught up to the doctors. There was a mix of fright and confusion on his face as he ran alongside his brother.

"WAKE UP ALREADY! YOU CAN'T LEAVE ME ALL ALONE!" He cried as he held Iggy's right hand, which felt warm to him, despite the younger one's condition. "WE HAVE TO GET DOWN TO THAT CAVE!"

"Sir, we have to take him to the operating room!" A nurse said, stopping his advance. Oliver and the crew members skidded to a stop as Izzy struggled to get past the woman to reach Iggy, who was just pushed into a whole other room.

"NOOOOOOOOO! IGGY!" He yelled, dropping to his knees. "COULDN'T YOU AT LEAST LET GO OF THAT MUSHROOM!" He sobbed as Oliver and the others helped him up.

"That was whacked..." Otto said as the brunet was led to a chair in the hall. The rest of the group nodded in agreement.

"Wonder what happened to him," Rod said, referring to Iggy.

"Who knows?" Twister shrugged.

"Come on. Let's go see Lou." Scott said, walking out into the hall. The rest of the group followed, being careful not to be seen by the opposing group. They managed to sneak into an elevator without being seen.

"Heya guys" Lou greeted with a slight weakness. The teen's left leg was slightly raised in a traction sling and he was on an i.v. line that was infusing him with a saline solution and another medication, probably a mild pain killer. An open oxygen cannula was at his nose, and a heart monitor was also attached to him, though both Sammy and Roderick knew right away from looking at its display that Lou was doing okay. He motioned for the gang to come closer. He extended his hands at first to Scotty on one side, and to Roderick on the other.

"Glad you're okay, bud," Scott expressed with relief.

"As am I," chuckled Lou, patting Scott on the back. "But you can thank this guy over here for givin' me a kick in the britches and reminding me of my will to live," continued Lou, raising Roderick's clasped hand. The young Dutchman grinned sheepishly. "And I thank all of you for helping out." Everybody standing cheered discreetly, at turns exchanging fist-taps and a gentle squeeze with him. "Where's Breezy?" Lou asked, concerned.

"She's giving a statement to the authorities," remembered Reggie.

"Can I share a secret with ya, Scott?" asked Lou. Scott bent down to listen to him whisper.

(seconds before the cave-in, i received, i dunno, ...a message), the blue-capped blackhair whispered, (it was like a... a cry for help, and i was following it. i think i saw a... shaft forking off to the left, just before i got hit. anyways that's where i ...wanted to go. it might be my concussion, but you never know.)

Scott nodded. Reggie was standing a few feet away with her back to a wall. Her eyes went wide for an instant, then she glanced away innocently.

"Anyway guys," Lou spoke out loud, "I feel like taking a nap right now. I'll take ya up on that burger some other time, Rod!" He then extended his hand and wiggled a woogie with the others before they adjourned.

"I'm glad Lou's okay," Otto opinionated.

"He'll be fine," Scotty reassured the gang as they made their way back down to the hospital's atrium plaza.

"Woah dude!"

As they stepped out to the breezeway, they beheld a gleaming vintage open-cab fire engine with a deep red finish, trimmed in gold-foil and its seats upholstered in black leather. This unit was used primarily in parades, car shows, and for educational and public relations duties, but was fully operational. Two fire commanders, in dress blues and white helmets, stood by.

"Thought you guys might need a ride," one smilingly announced, as he passed out yellow helmets to the kids, who gleefully donned them. Otto and Twister dashed to share the front seat with the driver, and the others took up positions on the other seats or sat on top of the hose bed.

"Can we use the siren?" asked Twister idly.

"Sure thing, dude," the driver answered, as he started the vehicle and got it moving. "It's that button over there," he pointed out. "But wait til we're on the str" His voice got obscured by the rising bellow of sound from the vehicle's siren. Reggie decided to play along, tugging on the cord that rang the truck's enormous brass bell, as traffic parted to let them through.

The engine came up the boulevard and turned towards the station, its red lights flashing and its siren bellowing. A few taps of the loud horn got the old vehicle through a stubborn intersection, and onlookers were surprised to see a bunch of kids riding on the unit. When they pulled into the back of the firehouse, they were all greeted by their parents - Otto and Reggie by Raymundo and Noelani, Sammy by Paula, Twister by Sandy and Raul, Scotty by his mom, Cynthia (his dad was on the staff of the hospital), and Roderick by Mike and Monica. The delicious aroma of chicken, ribs, and Italian food wafted through from the backyard.

At the marina firehouse...

Everybody was feeding themselves contentedly on ribs, chicken, and pasta. Tito had practically taken over the station's outdoor kitchen, while Breezy, Scott, and the kids were chatting with Bill Conner (a tallish thirtysomething fellow in a blue jumpsuit, with purple hair and wire-rim glasses) the proprietor of Ocean Shores Scuba, who was delivering some air tanks the fire department had sent for refilling. "Sorry to hear about Lou, but I'm glad he's doing okay," Bill said. "But I have to wonder: what were you guys doing out there anyway?" Otto rushed over and whispered something in Bill's ear. "Ah!" Bill nodded with understanding. "My lips are sealed. But I'll have your tanks refilled, and your equipment will be inside the shop. I'll have your boats tied up at my dock, so you guys will be good to go whenever you're ready."

"Thanks, Bill," Breezy said. Raymundo showed up.

"Is all this for us?" Otto asked his father, eyes widened at all the food layed out before them.

"Sure is, you guys deserve it," he replied.

"Yeah, what went on today was a very serious situation and you all handled it very maturely." Tito chimed in.

"We never did figure out why you and Tito were able to show up up so quickly," Scott asked Ray.

"Well, uh,..." Reggie started.

"Tice rang the Shack from his boat, and told me that there was a serious emergency. He asked that Tito and I, if possible, run to the end of the pier and jump in the water, and he'd explain further once he picked us up. Noelani and Eddie were still working there, so we ran out there and jumped," Raymundo replied.

Tito continued, "When Tice and his men picked us up, he told us that the dispatch center had received a mayday call from Reggie aboard Breezy's boat about a diver who was in trouble."

Twister started to walk toward the buffet tables, but Sandy caught him by the back of his t-shirt. "Maurice, have you seen your brother?" she asked.

"No," he replied, trying to wriggle away from his mom.

"Someone told me the police are looking for him." said Raul. "I don't suppose you know why."

"Nope, not a clue."

"Actually, I did, Mrs Rodriguez" - addressed a young voice on her other side.

"Really?" Sandy asked.

"He and his goombahs were dressed as period pirates. I don't know if they were carrying any weapons, but, Lars seems to be behaving differently," continued Roderick. "I think the Lasers want to go after the same treasure we're interested in." That's as much as he would say then.

Sammy spoke up. "He's been hanging around the embarcadero. And as for why the police might be interested in him, I'll have to say I'm relieved that they are - but as to what he's doing, well, we figure that Lars is just being Lars, and sooner or later he'll learn right from wrong...or, get an ugly surprise when he least expects it."

Raul nodded. "I hope Lars learns sooner than later. I'm glad to know that one of my sons has done a good deed." He proudly patted Twister on the shoulder.

Scott couldn't help but look for a moment or two out across the channel at the scene of the recent emergency. He felt a grinding in his belly he was sure not caused by chili con carne, as there was unfinished business out there. 'Was Lou onto something?' he idly wondered as he stood at the railing.


Meanwhile, at the docks...

Four figures could be seen entering a dark, hidden alley. They were hiding from view, in case the police were looking for them.

Their hearts skipped a beat when they saw Officer Shirley slowly drive by. Had she been looking for them, they would have been caught; but she was only patroling her district. The group sat behind a large, rectangular trash deposit and discussed their options.

"This is getting a bit too dangerous, captain" - said a stocky, tall guy.

"Shaddap, Piston!" - snapped Lars - "I'll not be leavin' without my treasure chest. These dorks are nearing it, I can feel it. And believe me, they'll not be gettin' their ruddy hands on it!"

"Captain, do you think they will return today?" - said Animal

"No, it's unlikely. Those damned coastguards are still there, and most likely they won't be leavin' until they make sure the cave is safe.

"And what if they find the treasure, sir?" - said Pi

"They won't. Remember that the cave is just one of the entrances to the chamber. Here. Take a look at this."

Lars produced a piece of paper from his pocket and showed it to the other goons.

"This be the treasure chamber" - said, pointing to a large cavern drawn in the middle of the paper - "As you see, there be at least four different entrances to that chamber, each of them connected through a tunnel. The cave they were exploring was just one of the entrances. As you can see here, there be at least four other entrances to the treasure chamber" - said Lars, poining to the map.

"Now, the secret is, we should try to enter the cave as unnoticed as possible. And here " - he said, pointing to one of the caves - "We can enter here. That cave be located up on the ridge, a couple of miles from the chamber. The tunnel is dry and above water most of the time. The entrance should be in the marshes, near that sea park they opened some time ago. That is protected land, and thus the cave will most likely be there, undisturbed. We just need to get some ropes, flashlights, and perhaps a couple of bats or other defensive weapons."

Pi, Animal and Sputz were impressed. They couldn't believe how well informed was Lars about that treasure. No wonder he was the leader of the group.

"Very good, captain!" - said Pi, very excited - "I will get the hardware we need from my parents' store. But I'll need a couple of hours to get the things ready."

"Don't worry, lieutenant Piston" -said Lars - "We have time. Now that those dorks have had that... little accident, they won't return here until tomorrow If they ever return. I bet they will get scared."

"Now, let's go. We best be gettin' home. I'll be waiting for you tomorrow, at dawn, just outside the sea park. Don't forget to bring the tools. And bring comfortable shoes. We may be doin' a bit of walkin'."

Lars and his goons laughed evilly, and then split. Pi, Animal and Sputz went to their homes.

"Meanwhile, I think I'll go over to Harris'. They won't look for me there, and I can always use a good beer while I wait."