Part 3 - The Auction

"So what finally convinced you to come? My papi's compelling words?" Ramona asked the next time the fortune-seeking trio were set to meet.

"Naw, more like 'who'. My brother." Nathan patted the ring hanging from the cord around his neck.

"Sam."

"Yeah. You met him?"

"I never did. But he certainly left an impression on my dad."

"Yeah, sounds like it. He was good at making impressions."

"Good ones?"

"Eh. Depended." He shrugged and left it at that.

"So, you ever been on a treasure hunt before?"

"Nope, you?"

"Nope, not really."

"Hey kids." Sully met up with them then. "What took you so long?"

Nate responded with, "When do we start?"

"Right now. So the auction, this Friday: biggest collection of Spanish Renaissance art and artifacts anywhere this century. One of those items is La Cruz de la Hermandad. Only it's not a cross, it's a key - a key that unlocks the chamber where the crew hid the gold."

"Very cool, but the legend says there are two keys," Nate cut in. "One for the captain, and one for the crew, so no one man could steal the gold by himself. One key isn't going to do us any good."

"You ever get outside when you were a kid? I mean, how do you remember any of this shit? I have the captain's key. The second one's in the Augustine Auction House. Very exclusive but I managed to get us on the list. Look, all I need is for you to kill the power during the auction. That'll trigger the main alarm and then I can do my thing."

"Okay, so how am I supposed to kill the power?"

"Well, shit, that's your thing, bring what you need. I'm not cutting you in for fun."

"Hey that's actually a good point, we haven't talked about my cut yet. I'm assuming an even split three ways?"

"Even split! On what, the gold? Are you high? You know how many years of my life I've spent on this?"

"Longer than my lifetime," Ramona muttered. A cold jab, but true nonetheless.

"You're lucky if you get ten percent, and that's me being generous."

"Oh, wow, so generous."

"What are you gonna do with that kind of money?"


I'll need a nice suit, hand-held sheet metal cutters, and a cat...

That was their last correspondence with Nate.

Friday night, Ramona opened the apartment door before Nate could even knock.

"Whoa - you psychic?"

"No, peephole."

"Were you watching for me?"

"We're on a tight schedule." She pulled him inside and shut the door.

"Nice suit," he said, nodding to her red top and pants.

"Thanks, you too."

"What's up with your tie? It looks all sad, come here," said Sully by way of greeting.

"Know what you're doing?" Nate said as Sully worked with the tie hanging loosely around his neck.

"My dad was a Mavy man, I could do this one-handed with my eyes shut."

"You severed too, didn't you? Dishonorable discharge."

"You did some homework."

"Of course I did."

"Then you know you have nothing to worry about."

"Eh." Nate shrugged.

"I flew helicopters. I was preserving some artifacts from a museum in Baghdad and I was over the max load weight, crashed pretty hard. They got all upset, kicked me out. Bit of an overreaction if you ask me, but, what're you gonna do?"

"You say preserving but you really mean looting," Ramona confirmed.

"Well if I didn't take them, somebody else would've." Tie all tied now, he handed Nate the metal cutters. "You asked for those. And what's with the cat." He nodded to the white and brown cat sitting on the couch.

"Oh she's just for you."

"What?"

"Yeah, your life seems kind of sad."

"No, no, no, I'm not going to keep this thing-"

"We have to keep Pepa!" Ramona cried.

"You named it?!"

"Yeah!"

"It's going to shit all over my floor!"

Nate only laughed.

"Hey, these people can tell a fake when they see one, all right. You have to believe the lie you're selling: you belong here, you're one of them," Sully instructed as they arrived at the auction house.

Nate nodded while chewing a mouthful of gum.

"Or you could just go with the Bubbliscious, Jesus."

"Oh no, this is Bubble Yum."

"Same thing, here put this in your ear." He handed each of them an ear radio.

"Hello? Hello?" Nate tested his out.

"Yeah I can hear you, I'm sitting right next to you."

"Oh shit, I think I pushed it in too far - is that okay?"

Sully sighed. "Come on, let's go."


They headed inside and right for the bar where they had a good view of the room.

"Hey, that lady over there is looking at me. Hi," Nate waved. "Oh she is totally flirting with me."

"Oh humble yourself." Ramona rolled her eyes and sipped her drink. "Maybe she's looking at me, you never know."

"No, she's looking at me," said Sully with certainty.

"Okay-"

"That's Jo Braddock. We've crossed paths before."

"And by crossed paths, you mean-"

"It doesn't matter."

Braddock blew a kiss their way.

"Great..."

"Listen to me, if you see her coming, you run the other way, I'm serious. Shit, Santiago Moncada." A man joined Braddock where she was standing.

"Like the House of Moncada?"

"Yeah, he believes the cross is his by birthright. If he buys it before we can grab it we can kiss that gold goodbye."

"She's coming this way now, look."

"Then you know what to do - trust me, you'll thank me later." As Braddock approached, Ramona and Nate headed off in separate directions.

"Nathan, are you talking with Moncada?" Ramona said softly into the radio.

"Ladies and gentlemen if I could have your attention please: if you will please take your seats the auction will be commencing very soon," the announcer's voice came over the speaker.

"Hey, Bubble Yum, you done chatting up our archnemesis?" said Sully, confirming what she'd thought she had seen.

"You done chatting up his right hand woman?" she asked.

"Uh, I'm pretty sure he just threatened to kill me..." cameNate's voice.

"Don't touch your ear like that you look like an idiot. Now get a move on."

"I'm gonna head upstairs - uh, your girlfriend seems pretty pissed, that something I should be worried about?"

"Just stay focused." Sully took his seat - it was time to get the prize.

The movie is now available for rental so that will be very helpful with this story moving forward! :) And I get to watch my favourite scenes again!

Thank you so much for reading and I hope you enjoyed! :)