downstairs it would throw them off guard.
When no one came down she went to the stairs and headed up. Dylan stood at the edge, exchanging heated words with a man she’d never seen before. There were two others standing behind the man.
They were threatening to come above the ship and search, and in a flash, Dylan took out a cell phone and she watched as he snapped a picture, then hit a few buttons.
“What the hell?” The man stared at Dylan, who just smiled.
“Insurance,” Dylan said. “I just sent your picture to a friend of mine. That way if something happens they know you were out here, with us. It will give the cops something to go on.”
Charlene was pretty sure he was bluffing, but she didn’t want to find out for certain. Not until the threat was gone. She could see by the look on the intruder’s face that he thought the same thing, but he wasn’t really sure, either.
She was thrilled when the man took a step back and held up his hands.
“Fine, go right ahead. She didn’t have anything on her when she came out anyway, and you haven’t had time to uncover anything really big. I’ll just tell Mr. Ives it was a wild goose chase.”
“You do that,” Charlene said, coming to stand next to Dylan. “And while you’re at it, tell him he can kiss my ass, too.”
Dylan’s attempt at hiding a laugh made her smile. She put her hand on his arm and leaned over to kiss him.
“You promised me an early morning swim. Am I going to get it?”
“Of course you are, darling.” He kissed her back. “And I’m thinking right now’s the perfect time for it, don’t you?”
She nodded, then laughed as the men turned back to their controls and motored a little way off. A few minutes later two of them splashed into the water and headed toward the island.
“Let them search,” Dylan said. “We already have what Tuck left, and I’m pretty sure it leads to where the real treasure is buried.”
“Me too,” she said. “Shall we leave, or stay?”
“Let’s stay, just so we can see them all pissed off when they don’t find anything.”
“It sounds like a perfect plan,” she replied. “Absolutely perfect.”
Chapter Five
Watching the one watcher watch them was comical. The man stood at the edge of the boat, his eyes fixed on Dylan, who lay back a chair, grinning. Drifting back from the island you could hear the grunts and groans of his friends as they searched.
“Do you guys need to borrow a shovel?” Dylan yelled at the watcher. “I have one, if you need it.”
Charlene hid her face in her hands and laughed. He really was incorrigible. “Don’t make them angry,” she whispered to him. “
“At least we have pictures of them if something happens,” Charlene said, coming to sit next to them. “Did you tell the person you sent them to that they should take them to the cops?”
“Sent them to? Sweetie, do you see a cell tower out here? Check your phone, because I’m pretty sure it will say the same thing as mine. No service.”
“What?” She pulled out her phone and checked the display. Sure enough the words ‘No Service’ blinked back at her. “You bluffed?”
“It worked, didn’t it? I really think they would have come aboard if they hadn’t thought we’d sent something to the authorities. With any luck they’re nervous enough to think the Coast Guard could show up at any time.
“Shouldn’t we go? Now?” She’d been fine when she thought they’d had insurance, in the form of a photo that would help catch the crooks of something happened to them. But now that she knew there was nothing, her nerves shot back up.
When that happened she wondered why she’d felt safe when she’d thought there was a photo out there. It wasn’t as if it would keep them from shooting them if they wanted to.
“Let’s go. Now. If we have to come back we can.”
“Give it a minute. These guys are morons or they would have realized it. Let’s let the two of them get totally
When no one came down she went to the stairs and headed up. Dylan stood at the edge, exchanging heated words with a man she’d never seen before. There were two others standing behind the man.
They were threatening to come above the ship and search, and in a flash, Dylan took out a cell phone and she watched as he snapped a picture, then hit a few buttons.
“What the hell?” The man stared at Dylan, who just smiled.
“Insurance,” Dylan said. “I just sent your picture to a friend of mine. That way if something happens they know you were out here, with us. It will give the cops something to go on.”
Charlene was pretty sure he was bluffing, but she didn’t want to find out for certain. Not until the threat was gone. She could see by the look on the intruder’s face that he thought the same thing, but he wasn’t really sure, either.
She was thrilled when the man took a step back and held up his hands.
“Fine, go right ahead. She didn’t have anything on her when she came out anyway, and you haven’t had time to uncover anything really big. I’ll just tell Mr. Ives it was a wild goose chase.”
“You do that,” Charlene said, coming to stand next to Dylan. “And while you’re at it, tell him he can kiss my ass, too.”
Dylan’s attempt at hiding a laugh made her smile. She put her hand on his arm and leaned over to kiss him.
“You promised me an early morning swim. Am I going to get it?”
“Of course you are, darling.” He kissed her back. “And I’m thinking right now’s the perfect time for it, don’t you?”
She nodded, then laughed as the men turned back to their controls and motored a little way off. A few minutes later two of them splashed into the water and headed toward the island.
“Let them search,” Dylan said. “We already have what Tuck left, and I’m pretty sure it leads to where the real treasure is buried.”
“Me too,” she said. “Shall we leave, or stay?”
“Let’s stay, just so we can see them all pissed off when they don’t find anything.”
“It sounds like a perfect plan,” she replied. “Absolutely perfect.”
Chapter Five
Watching the one watcher watch them was comical. The man stood at the edge of the boat, his eyes fixed on Dylan, who lay back a chair, grinning. Drifting back from the island you could hear the grunts and groans of his friends as they searched.
“Do you guys need to borrow a shovel?” Dylan yelled at the watcher. “I have one, if you need it.”
Charlene hid her face in her hands and laughed. He really was incorrigible. “Don’t make them angry,” she whispered to him. “
“At least we have pictures of them if something happens,” Charlene said, coming to sit next to them. “Did you tell the person you sent them to that they should take them to the cops?”
“Sent them to? Sweetie, do you see a cell tower out here? Check your phone, because I’m pretty sure it will say the same thing as mine. No service.”
“What?” She pulled out her phone and checked the display. Sure enough the words ‘No Service’ blinked back at her. “You bluffed?”
“It worked, didn’t it? I really think they would have come aboard if they hadn’t thought we’d sent something to the authorities. With any luck they’re nervous enough to think the Coast Guard could show up at any time.
“Shouldn’t we go? Now?” She’d been fine when she thought they’d had insurance, in the form of a photo that would help catch the crooks of something happened to them. But now that she knew there was nothing, her nerves shot back up.
When that happened she wondered why she’d felt safe when she’d thought there was a photo out there. It wasn’t as if it would keep them from shooting them if they wanted to.
“Let’s go. Now. If we have to come back we can.”
“Give it a minute. These guys are morons or they would have realized it. Let’s let the two of them get totally
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