Here's chapter five. Whoo, I jsut got done watching 300. I have to say, that is one hella awesome movie. I LOVE David Wenhem(hopefully I spelled that right). Now get reading on this story and stop reading my rambling thoughts of DOOM!

"What do you think candy is made of Stewie?"

"Sunshine and farts, what the hell kinda question is that?"

Chapter Five: The Cipher

"I found the Charlotte.' Benn says to his dad, trying so hard to convince him.

"You mean she was a ship?" Mr. Gates asks getting slightly interested now, but not really.

"Yeah, she was beautiful. It was truely amazing." he says a little thoughtfully, remembering the first time he saw the ship.Ana tries to picture what the ship looked like. She wishes she as there to see it all, but of course she will only be able to imagine it with her own mind.
I could ask Riley later. She thinks and then tunes back in on the conversation between Ben and Mr. Gates.
"I finally figured it out. The legend says that the treasure was buried to keep it from the British. But what really happened was the legend was invented, to keep the British occupied searching for buried treasure. The treasure is a myth." Mr. Gates explains his opinion to his son.
"I refuse to believe that." Ben says a little coldly in a reply.
Mr. Gates lets out a sigh, "Believe what you want. You're a grown person. What am I doing?"
He starts walking out of the room, "Do what you want, Ben. Do what you want."
Ana and Riley look at each other and then at Ben.
"He's probably right. We don't even know if there is another clue." Abi says to him.
Obviously, she's getting some-what convinced about this whole treasure thing. Ana thinks and then waits for a reply from Ben. He stands there and starts thinking. That when it clicked.
"Well, I can think of a way we can find out. And we can find out right now." he says to the three of them with a smile.
They all walk into the kitchen. Ben sets down some lemons and q-tips on the table. Riley and Ana sit down as Ben and Abi roll out the Declaration on the table. Mr. Gates pokes his head in through the kitchen door. "Looks like animal skin." he comments.
Ben looks at him then back down on the document which his face down.
"How old is it?" Mr. Gates asks.
"Uh, about 200 years." Ben replies.
"Really? You sure?" Mr. Gates asks with a frown.
"Pretty darn." Ben reassures him, consentrating on the document in front of him.
"Now, if this things in invisable, how do we look at it?" Ana asks.
"Throw it in the oven." Mr. gates blurts.
"No!" Abi and Ben shout at the same time, eyes wide.
"Uh-uh," Riley stutters a little.
Ana just looks at him with a frown, "What a wonderful idea. Let's just catch the next clue on fire. What's next? We find the treasure and melt it?" she says saracastically.
I like her even more. Riley thinks and smiles slightly.
Mr. Gates glares at Ana but says, "Ferrous sulphate inks can only be brought out with heat."
"Yes, but this..." Abi starts and Ben finishes for her, "this is very old. And we can't risk compromising the map."
"Yes, but you need a reagent." Mr. Gates imploies.
Ben sighs, "Dad, it's really late. Why don't you get some rest?"
"No, I'm fine." he replies walking off.
Ben rolls his eyes and focuses back on finding the next clue. He takes a lemon and rubs a q-tip on it and goes to rubs it on the back of the Declaration. Abi grabs his wrist.
"You can't do that." she says firmly.
Ana blanks out on what's going on and starts thinking. I already know that I just got my self in one hell of an adventure. And it was all because I like Riley. I'm a very odd person and I have never done this much to be with a guy at all. What am I getting myself into? Maybe I'm in love with him...Okay, scratch that, I AM in love with him. But how can a person fall in love with in like, 5 days? It doesn't make sense.
She pulled out of her thoughts by Ben's cheery voice, " We need more juice."
Abi smiles at him, "We need more heat." They both leave the room to get more stuff and Ana gives Riley a confused look.
"Heat works." he answers simply.
She nods and stares at the wall in front of her. Riley glances at her, taking her features once again. It is now getting hard for him to concentrate on what is going on since he is sitting next to such a beautiful girl. And every time she would smile, he just wants to kiss her.
Am I in love? Riley thinks. I mean, she's all I think about even though I met her, like 5 days ago and I do want to just take her in my arms and kiss her. Wait, what am I thinking? She would never and I mean NEVER go for a guy like me. Even if I am way to cute to be a computer programmer. Most likely, I'm not her type.
"Okay, let's get to work." Ben says coming back with lemons and Abi right behind him with a blow drier.

"That's not a map." Riley states.
Ana looks up from writing numbers on a pad at Ben and Abi, "Is it?"
"More clues, what a surprise." Ben's dad says coming back once again.
"Uh, are those latitudes and longitudes?" Riley asks looking at the rows of numbers.
"That's the key?" says Abi a little unsatified.
"Yeah. 'The key in Silence undetected.' Dad, can we have the letters now?" Ben says to Abigail, then asks his father.
"Will somebody please explain to me what these magic numbers are?" asks Riley getting frustrated.
"Calm down, buddy. It's an Ottendorf Cipher." Ana says to him.
"That's right." Mr. Gates says.
"Oh, okay...what's an Ottendorf Cipher?" Riley asks with a blank look on his face.
"They're just codes." Mr. Gates blurts quickly.
Ana slides the notebook in between her and Riley, "Each of these three numbers
corresponds to a word in a key. Usually a random book or a newspaper article," she takes a breath before proceeding, "In this case, the Silence Dogood letters. So it's like the page number of the key text, the line on the page, and the letter in that line."
Riley nods telling her that he understands what she just explained to him.
"So, dad, where are the letters?" Ben asks his father standing up.
"You know, it's just by sheer happenstance that his grandfather..." Mr. Gates starts.
"Dad," says Ben.
"Even found those. They were in an antique desk from the press room..." Mr. Gates keeps going.
"Dad," says Ben getting irritated.
"From the New England Current. That's a newspaper," Mr. Gates finishes.
"Dad, where are the letters?" Ben asks again.
"I don't have them, son," Mr. Gates finally says.
"What?" asks Ben.
"I don't have them," Mr. Gates repeats looking around the room bashfully.
Riley sighs, Abigail shakes her head, Ana rolls her eyes in irritation, and Ben sits on a nearby chair and takes his gloves off with his teeth.
He clears his throat.
"Where are they?" Ben asks very calmly under the circumstances.
"I donated them to the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia," Mr. Gates states.
"Time to go," says Ben looking at the other 3. He gets up and puts his coat back on.
"All this time and it was on the back." Abi says looking at the Declaration with happy eyes.
"The back of what?" asks Mr. Gates picking up the Declaration.
"Whoa!" says Riley.

"Oh, God." Ana says.
"No," Ben says.
"Oh, my god. Oh, my god," says Mr. Gates once he knew what it was.
"I know," says Ben rather calmly.
"Oh, my god. What have you done? This is...this is..." Mr. Gates starts to say in shock.
"I know," says Ben again a little more forcefully.
"This is the Declaration of Independence," Mr. Gates says nearly crying.
"Yes. And, it's very delicate," says Abi taking the Declaration way from Patrick
"You stole it?" asks Mr. Gates looking over at Riley and Ana.
Riley points over to Ben. Ana hits his arm. Riley glares at her as he rubs his arm since she hit him a little harder than what she went for.
"Dad, I can explain, but I don't have the time. It was necessary. And you saw the cipher," says Ben walking over to his father.
"And that will lead to another clue. And that'll lead to another clue. There is no treasure. I wasted 20 years of my life. And now you've destroyed yours. And you pulled me into all this," says Mr. Gates in a semi-angry tone.
"Well, we can't have that," says Ben.
Ana and Riley exchange looks and then look back at Ben with curiosity.

10 minutes later

Abi, Ben, Ana and Riley go to Mr. Gates' Cadillac and get in. Ben starts driving. Riley puts his feet up on the seat and closes his getting comfy.

"You're dad has a sweet ride." he says with a small smile.

"I think we should change clothes. We look kinda conspicuous, don't you think?" says Ben.

"Just a little," Abi says being a little sarcastic.

"I would love to go shopping too, but we have no money," Riley states, eyes still closed.

"Here, I took this from his house," says Ben handing a little black book over to Abi, "He usually tucks a few hundred dollars somewhere between those pages."

"Common Sense. How appropriate," says Abi reading the title.

She holds the book by its covers and lets the pages swing making any money fall out onto her lap.

"When are we gonna get there? I'm hungry. This car smells weird," Riley begins to complain.

Ana laughs and shifts her self so Riley becomes a pillow to her. He opens one eye and asks, "Am I comfortable?"

"Very comfortable." she replies with a smile and closes her eyes.

Hope you all enjoyed another one of my famous stories. Please review.

WAWAWEEWA!