Read Online Janet McNulty - Mellow Summers 06 - Where Trouble Roams by Janet McNulty - Free Book Online Page A

killed anyone to get it.”
    “That means someone else killed Michael Evans and is after the treasure,” muttered Rachel.
    “Give us the gold and we’ll be on our way,” I said.
    “Are you crazy?” said Gil.  “We found it first.”
    “Perhaps it escaped your notice, but someone killed that Evans guy for the map.  That means he will probably kill whomever has the treasure,” I said.
    Gil and Stark looked at each other before looking at me.
    I hadn’t noticed Rachel moving to the side where a bunch of bags were.  She, like myself, must have guessed that the gold was in them.  Suddenly, Rachel snatched a bag and took off down the tunnel.  “Run!  I got it!  I got it!”
    Gil and Stark rushed to the other bags while Aunt Ethel and I turned and ran with Jedidiah close behind.  Of course, all the two idiots saw was a bag careening down the cavern with a disembodied voice screaming.  In all the mayhem I never noticed that they hadn’t followed us.
    “Rachel, stop,” I said.  “Stop!”
    “What?” asked Rachel as she slowed to a halt.
    I took the bag from her and opened it.  Nothing but packages of jerky and bottles of water were in it.  “Congratulations.  You just stole a bag of food.”
    Rachel jerked the bag out of my hands.  “Unbelievable.  Those two tricked me.”
    “Rachel—”
    “I’m going to get them.”  Rachel disappeared.
    “That certainly explains why they weren’t following us,” said Aunt Ethel.
    A series of frightened screams echoed around us as they bounced off the walls.  I turned around.  Gil and Stark both ran toward us with a couple of bulging sacks and a shovel chasing after them.
    “I’ll beat you both to a pulp,” shouted Rachel.
    “Get it away from us,” yelled Stark.
    “Help us,” shouted Gil.
    They dropped their bags by our feet and both hid behind me.
    “Rachel, please,” I said.
    She stopped chasing the two men but remained nearby with the shovel in her hands.
    I scooped up one of the bags.  Inside was a variety of items: some of it made from gold, letters, journals, a few rolls of money, a gun dating back to the 1800s, and a few other items I didn’t know.  “Is this the treasure?”
    Gill and Stark nodded.  “It’s what we found.”
    “Not much in the way of treasure,” said Rachel.
    “I don’t think so,” I replied, “Some of this you could sell to a collector for a lot of money.  These journals would be of immense value to any historical society.”
    “Mel!” 
    Jackie’s voice echoed throughout the caverns.  By the tone I knew she was in trouble.
    “You obviously don’t need us,” said Gil.
    Rachel waved the shovel at him and he and Stark shied away from it.
    “Mel!”
    I took off with the bags and the others close behind.  It didn’t take long for me to reach the hole in the ceiling where I had fallen through.
    “Mel!”
    “Jackie!,” I shouted as I reached the hole.
    “Hold it right there,” said a harsh voice.  Peering into the sunlight, I noticed it was Poppy.  He held Jackie by the neck with a gun pointed at her.
    “I’ll take care of him,” said Rachel.
    “No,” I hissed.  “What if that gun goes off and hits Jackie?”
    Huffing, Rachel remained where she was.
    “Mellow Summers I presume,” said Poppy.  “I know you have the treasure.  Do not bother denying it.  If you wish to see your friend again, be at that made up town on the ranch by noon tomorrow with the gold.”
    “Noon!  It took us three days to get here.”
    “Be there at noon, or say good-bye to your friend.”
    “But—”
    Poppy disappeared with Jackie.  I heard her scream and struggle until she fell silent and only the galloping of hooves remained as they slowly faded.
    “How could I have let this happen?” I asked.
    “Mel,” said Rachel.
    “It’s all my fault!”
    “No, it’s not,” said Aunt Ethel.  “It’s no one’s fault.  We’ll just have to be at the town tomorrow like he says.”
    “But won’t there be