The Elusive Treasure
Chapter Fourteen
Plans
Very early the following morning, a certain brown Mazda stopped by Old Harris' cabin. Pi, Sputz and Animal were inside, and a load of tools crammed the trunk. Pi sounded his horn in a previously agreed way, and soon the front door of the wharf opened. Harris, tall and shaggy as usual, saw the three teens inside the car and recognized them. He looked inside the wharf and made a sign to his guest.
Soon Lars exited the building, shaking hands with his not-so-reputable owner.
"About time you came here, Piston!" - snarled Lars as he climbed in the car - "You're ten minutes late! Don't you know that time is precious here?"
"I... I'm sorry, captain; but we had some small inconvenience in the way here..." -answered Pi, pointing over his shoulder to the rear seat.
Lars looked back and saw that, sitting between Sputz and Animal, was that annoying little brat, Josh Grody. Josh smiled knowingly when Lars noticed him.
"WHAT THE HECK IS HE DOING HERE?" - barked Lars, pointing at Josh.
"We... thought it would be best to bring him, Lars. He... well..." - Pi stuttered nervously.
"... I saw you yesterday after the accident, Lars. Noticed you were near the boats and left the area before the cops could question you. I was rather curious, and thought it would be a good idea to see what you were up to." - said Josh, defiantly, as if he were in possession of a big secret.
"Well, you know I could whomp you to a bloody pulp right here, right?" - Lars menaced.
"Yeah, but I'm sure you won't do that."
"And what makes you so sure about that?"
"Because I can help you beat those dorks to the cave."
Lars blinked in disbelief. For a moment he looked at Josh with confusion, but soon his confusion turned to rage. Josh had heard him telling his plans to the crew, and now was an uncomfortable witness... or was he?
"Ok, dork!" - said Lars, narrowing his eyes - "Give me a good reason for not turning you to sushi right now"
"Simple" - answered Josh, calmly - "I know the cave you want to use to reach the treasure chamber. Well, that cave happens to be in my parents' property, and I can give you access to it... for a small price, of course."
Lars needed a couple of moments to understand the situation. So this cocky little brat was trying to blackmail him? That was something new.
"And what makes you think I will give you a share of the treasure, dork?"
"Because if you don't, I'll make sure Officer Shirley knows about this whole situation, and you'll have to explain what where you doing on that boat during the accident. Not to mention that I won't let you enter my parent's property" - said Josh, gloating.
Lars was infuriated, and seemed to be ready to strangle Josh right there and then; but an idea occurred to him. His features softened, and his tone changed.
"Very well, Josh. You're a very good negotiator. All right; we'll do it your way. Give us easy access to the cave and help us with the logistics, and we'll give you a share."
"Good. I knew you would see things my way" - said Josh, grinning triumphantly.
'Oh, you don't have the slightest idea, kid' - thought Lars, making a sign to Pi to start the car. I'll make sure you don't exit the cave again...'
Pi noticed Lars smile and immediately realized the boss was planning something. He grinned; he knew better than making Lars get mad. He geared first and headed for the California Incline.
While he drove, he looked casually at Josh through the rearview mirror. 'Poor brat, should have stayed away from us...', he thought.
The first lights of the day were also setting things in motion in a certain compound near the Incline. Roderick was already up, and was looking carefully at some maps and old books.
The more he looked at those documents, the more he convinced himself that the cave where Lou had been injured was in fact just one of a series of caverns, connected through tunnels, which converged to an unexplored center.
Mike came from the kitchen with a mug of hot chocolate and offered it to his son.
"Still reading, Rod?" - asked the mechanic.
"Yep. Thanks for lending these maps to us, dad. I've been reading them, and it seems there is a series of caves under the marina, but also some on the marshes and forests. And they all seem to converge down there.
"Yep. I found these subsonic geologic surveys when I started looking for a place for this compound. The ground down there was too earthquake-prone, and a good reason for that was the existence of several unexplored caves like these. All that part" - said Mike, encircling a large area of the marina with a red pencil - "used to be above water before the 1906 earthquake, and I think there could be many things down there."
"If I were to look for that treasure, judging from these charts and the legends my folks e-mailed us from the Netherlands, I would look for those caves."- Said Mike.
"I agree. Now I think that the cave we were exploring yesterday was just an entrance. We might look for another cave to explore. That's great!" - said Rod, as hyper as usual.
"Yep. Glad to see these maps were useful."
"Indeed! Thanks a lot, dad!" - said Rod, hugging Mike.
"I gotta go to Scott's and tell the guys about this!"
"No worries, Rod. I'll drive you there."
Izzy was tossing and turning in bed. Sweat was pouring down his face as he groaned. A shiver went down his spine as a familiar voice whispered (or in Izzy's case, yelled), "Do not let the pirate with the missing tooth reach the treasure... Do not let the pirate with the missing tooth reach the treasure... DO NOT LET THE PIRATE WITH THE MISSING TOOTH REACH THE TREASURE... DO NOT LET THE—"
°Brrrrrrrrrrrrriiiiiiiiiiinnnnnnnnnnnnnggggggg!°
"Ugh..." The brunet groaned as he opened his eyes. "Not that dream again... When will it end?"
He fully woke up as he heard the ringing again. He looked around for the source.
"I thought I dealt with that stupid clock..."
°Brrrrrrrrrrrrriiiiiiiiiiinnnnnnnnnnnnnggggggg!°
He blinked in realization and slapped his forehead.
"Duh... That's the phone..." He grumbled as he ran a hand through his disheveled hair. As he walked towards his desk, he put on his usual scowl.
"Whoever woke me up better have a good reason..."
Just before he reached the desk, he spied the gold mushroom, which was sparkling in the sunlight pouring in through the window. Izzy gave a shudder as the memory of his conversation with Iggy entered his mind. He shook his head and reached out towards the phone. He grabbed the receiver and held it to his left ear.
"Hello?" He yawned.
"Izzy! I'm glad I caught you." The voice on the other end replied. He sneered at the unseen person.
"This better be important, Van Rossom! I was having a nice rest before you called!"
The truth was he was having a horrible rest. Visions of that giant skeleton and dreams of that gruesome voice that sounded exactly like Twister's plagued him all night. Because of this, he was actually thankful that his teammate, so to speak, called and disturbed his horrifying slumber. But he wasn't about to let him know that. He still had his dignity and pride, after all.
"Oh it's important alright!" Oliver reassured. "But I can't tell you over the phone. Can you come to the Sea Crest Engineering club building?"
Oliver reassured. "But I can't tell you over the phone.Izzy glared at the phone. He didn't have time for this! Before he could show his annoyance, he relaxed and put the phone back to his ear.
"Very well, but this better not take too long. I still have to pick up Iggy at the hospital, after all."
"This shouldn't take too much time. Don't forget to bring the map and that mushroom." The redheaded genius advised.
'The mushroom?' The brunet gulped and looked at the golden fungus with a look of pure fear. He shivered for a moment before shaking his head.
"Pffft! Whaddya take me for?" He scoffed. "Of course I'd take them. See ya in a few."
"Goodbye." Oliver said. Izzy hung up the phone and started to get dressed.
'That blasted dream...' He thought as he reached into his drawer and pulled out his usual purple shirt. 'Why do I keep having it? And what's with that monster that looks like Cortez?'
He thought as he reached into his drawer and pulled out his usual purple shirt.He discarded the blue pajama shirt he was wearing and put the violet one over his head.
'And that idiotic voice... Now that I think about it, it does sound like that Twister kid, but why? You'd think if I was having a nightmare, it would've been that blond twit instead!'
He reached into a different drawer and pulled out a pair of black shorts.
'But what did he mean? "Do not let the pirate with the missing tooth reach the treasure."'
He took off his pajama pants and put on the shorts.
'If I remember correctly, Iggy said that the pirate the voice was talking about was Lars. But—'
He gasped.
'Iggy!' He scowled. 'Whatever Oliver wants to talk to me about, it better be fast! I can't let those losers pump him for info! Iggy would sing first chance he got!'
He scowled.He grabbed his bucket hat off the top of the drawer and put it on.
'If he knows what's good for him, he'll keep silent. I don't trust that Crumpacker guy that's right next to him. He may have been asleep when Iggy was wheeled in, but I still don't trust him. He'll probably get the brat to talk by acting all nice and stuff.'
He shuddered at the thought.
'Yeah right. Somebody actually being nice to Iggy? Pfffft! That'll be the day!'
Snickering to himself, he laced up his shoes and grabbed the map, which was placed on the desk next to the mushroom. He stuffed the tattered piece of paper into his backpack and with a frightful gulp, put the mushroom away.
'But still... I want to share my triumph over Sam with someone, and it's not gonna be Van Rossom! Even if Iggy was on his deathbed, I'd drag him down to that cave and nab the treasure!'
With that thought, he put on his backpack and grabbed his helmet and pads. He then made his way through the house to the garage, where his and Iggy's mountain bikes were. He grabbed his, put his hat in the backpack, and put on his helmet. He then walked his bike outside and hopped on. Making sure that no cars were around, he peddled his way to downtown Ocean Shores.
He soon made it to the building where Oliver's club meets. It was two stories tall. It looked like a small office building. A stone path stretched from the street to the front entrance, which were a pair of electronic doors. To the left of the path was a statue that consisted of a Ship's propeller. Underneath it was a pair of divers. They appeared to be holding up the propeller. To the right of the building was a garage, presumably for transporting the club's submarines and boats. Above the main entrance was the Sea Crest emblem. It was a circular symbol. On it was a bronze anchor, which was wrapped in a white cord that was tied into a graceful knot. It was over a blue background, supposedly to symbolize the ocean. On the border of the emblem were the words, "Sea Crest Engineering Club—Ocean Shores Order."
"Hmph. Guess this must be the place." Izzy said in awe. "Like the decoration."
Remembering the reason for being here, the brunet grabbed a chain from a pouch that was secured to his bike and walked his transport to the nearby bike rack. He tied the chain around the rack and the bike and secured it with a lock. He then walked up the stone path to the main entrance. The electric doors slid open as he neared, granting him access.
"Ah Izzy! There you are!" Oliver called, walking towards him. The brunet glowered at the redhead as he walked towards him.
"Alright, I'm here. So what'd you want to discuss?"
"Not here. Let's go to my office." Oliver replied. He turned and started walking. Izzy gave an irritated groan, but followed.
As they made their way through the hall, the brunet couldn't help but look around. The lobby was very wide. The ceiling had a tinted sunroof, which bathed the place in a bluish light. It was as if they were walking underwater. The second floor had a balcony on which several Sea Crest members were walking around, supposedly to get to offices or laboratories. The pair's footsteps echoed throughout the room as they walked along the tiles. It was like being at an indoor swimming pool. The walls were decorated with lamps, as well as various plaques, awards, and pictures of undersea life. There were also the occasional map and picture of assorted divers or scientists. Also pictured were various shipwrecks, coral reefs, and undersea caves.
Finally, after traversing a small flight of stairs, Oliver and Izzy entered the formers office. It had a beige shag rug. All of the walls, aside from the one that had the door, were one big aquarium. Many colorful species of fish swam among plastic ships, divers, and treasure chests, as well as seaweed and coral. Sofas, chairs and tables also littered the room. At the far end of it were a desk, some office chairs, and a bookcase. Potted plants were also placed at each corner of the office.
"So why am I here, Van Rossom?" Izzy asked as he sat on one of the plush chairs in front of the desk.
"Well, it's about the treasure." Oliver answered as he sat behind the desk.
"What about it?" The brunet asked with an impatient sigh.
"Well, I remember what your brother told us last night about the dream he had." The redhead replied. Izzy gulped at the mention of the dream. "Do you remember what he said that strange voice told him?"
Izzy nodded numbly. "'D-don't l-let th-the pirate w-with the m-missing tooth reach the t-treasure...'"
"Correct." Oliver said, ignoring the other boy's apparent fright. "I did some research on this 'Cajon de la Esperanza' and found this."
He typed on the computer that was on the desk for a moment or two before he turned the monitor towards Izzy. The taller boy gasped when he saw the image.
"I-Is that...?"
"Lars." The redhead confirmed.
On the screen was what seemed to be a painting of Lars. Except, he was dressed in pirate clothes. He was wearing a patch on his left eye and a hat which had a skull and crossbones on it. He even had the standard parrot perched on his shoulder! He had a devilish sneer on his face. He was holding a sword in his left hand.
Izzy paled as the monitor was moved.
"Y-y-y-y-you mean to t-t-t-tell me th-th-that the pirate I-I-I-Iggy was blabbing about is L-L-Lars!" He stuttered.
"Yes." The other boy replied simply as he adjusted his glasses.
"What! Is that guy supposed to be Lars' ancestor or something?"
"It's possible." The redhead answered. He then proceeded to tell Izzy the legend of the Cajon de la Esperanza. When he was done, the brunet gaped in disbelief.
"This is getting way too strange."
"I'm not finished yet." Oliver continued. "It seems that this Frans Banninck also had a younger brother who he had executed when he wouldn't reveal the location of a treasure."
He typed on the computer again and clicked a bit before turning the monitor towards the brunet again. What Izzy saw surprised him to no end. Displayed was another painting. This time, however, it was of Twister. The main difference between the cameraman and the one displayed was that he wasn't wearing a shirt or shoes. Only a pair of tattered and ripped blue shorts. On his head was a red bandanna, which covered his hair. Unlike the menacing position the pirate resembling Lars was in, Twister's ancestor was tied up and was about to walk the plank. On the water underneath the redhead, Izzy could make out three fins. It didn't take a genius to figure out what they belonged to!
The brunet was as white as a sheet as Oliver turned the monitor towards him again.
"S-s-s-s-s-so... You're trying to say we're dealing with ghosts here?"
"I should say not!" Oliver scoffed. "There's no such thing as ghosts! But I do agree that something very strange is going on."
"No kidding." Izzy crossed his arms.
"We also have a slight situation with the cave we were planning on exploring."
"Oh goody, more bad news." Izzy said sarcastically. "What is it?"
"If my sources are correct, the cave-in that trapped Lou Crumpacker yesterday completely blocked off the cave we were trying to enter."
"Ugh!" The taller one slapped his head. "It's always Dullard! He's a major pain in the--Wait, did you say 'Lou Crumpacker?'"
"Yes. Why?"
"Hmmmm... So that's what happened to that guy..." Izzy mumbled. "So what are we supposed to do now? I don't suppose your subs are equipped with mining equipment, right?"
"They are, but it could take hours to dig through that rubble. I suggest taking an alternate route to the treasure." Oliver replied.
The other boy blinked. "There's another route we can take?"
"I hope so." The redhead answered, holding his hand out. "Let me see the map."
"Alright..." Izzy complied, reaching into his backpack. He pulled out the map and handed it over to Oliver, who laid it out on the desk. The club president then grabbed a red marker from a drawer.
"This is where the cave-in occurred." He started, circling the designated area on the map. He then put an X through it. "According to several charts and maps I researched, there should be at least four other caves nearby." He circled those areas on the map.
"So now we have to take one of the other caves to reach the treasure?" Izzy asked.
"Right." Oliver nodded. "The problem is that we don't know what's inside those caves. Plus, they're very unstable. One wrong move and we can cause a cave-in. We'd be trapped just like Lou was."
Izzy gulped.
"We have to make sure we take the quickest route possible." The bespectacled one continued.
"But we have no idea which cave would give us the fastest route to the treasure."
"Fortunately, I have a solution." The redhead assured. "There's a treasure hunter who lives nearby. We could hire her and she'll take us through the most direct route."
"Hmph!" The brunet crossed his arms. "What's the catch?"
"Well..." Oliver rubbed the back of his head. "She's not cheap."
"Figures..." Izzy rolled his eyes. "Bad enough I gotta pay you. Now I have to pay some girl just so that we can get to the treasure faster?"
"What can I tell you?" The shorter boy shrugged. "It's either that or let Sam reach it first."
The taller one sweatdropped.
"You raise a valid point." He said. "We'll hire this treasure hunter and take the easiest route to the treasure. But I'm warning you, Van Rossom, she better get me there before Blondie can get his greasy mitts on my—"
"Ahem!" The redhead glared at him.
"Errrr... I mean our treasure. Heh, heh..." Izzy chuckled sheepishly.
"That's better." Oliver stood up. "Come on. We'll go and hire her."
"Not yet. First, I'm getting Iggy before he sings like a canary."
"Very well." The other boy sighed. "Let's go get him first."
And with that, both partners left the office.
Meanwhile, in Ocean Shores…
The white racer was parked outside Scott's home. Mike and Roderick were talking to the kids over the table, sharing their last discovery with the crew.
"... And so I think there are at least three, maybe four more caves we could use to get there. Now, those caves are mostly underwater and might be dangerous, but there are at least two caves above ground. One of them is located in private property and we couldn't use it; but the other is in a park, and has been explored already. It is open to the public.
"Now, I know Scott and Lou are experienced speleologists. This will be useful here, for the cave leads to an underground lagoon that apparently connects to the channel, because it is filled with salt water and is affected by the tides. This might be a long shot, of course, but we think the cave connects to the same larger chamber as the other caves, as suggested by these echo graphs."
Mike showed the maps and geological surveys to the crew, and they all gasped: the charts did show a series of connected caves.
"This was the cave Lou was exploring when he had that accident" - said Rod, pointing to the map - "As you see, the same cave is clearly outlined in the echo--- deco---- whatevers, my dad brought."
"So, if this is true, we could use that other cave above ground, and explore the underground lagoon, we might find the passage to the main chamber."
All the kids nodded. That was a good call, and they had all the equipment needed for it.
"All right, guys" - said Scott - "This is a very good idea. So we are still on; we should make all the preparations and get the equipment on the truck. So, let's move, gentlemen! We have a cave to explore!"