Betrayed (25 page)

Light! It was faint, blurry and green, but there was definitely a patch of light up ahead! Kicking his feet vigorously, he helped the air transport him towards the heavenly sight. After several breaths from the air bag, green light suddenly exploded all around him. He was free from the tunnel!

But the air bag was suddenly wrenched from his hands. It had caught on something sharp near the frame of the entranceway. When Angus tried to pull it away, he felt it tear in his hands. In one enormous bubble, the precious, beautiful, life-saving air left the bag and rose for the surface.

Angus was not a swimmer. He knew the buoyant bag was his only way of making it to the life-giving air at the
surface. And he had come so close! Panicking, Angus didn't think it was possible for life to play such a cruel joke. He was not about to give up without a fight. He thrashed his arms and legs, doing everything he could to try and propel himself that final distance to the surface. His lungs burned. His effort demanded more oxygen. But the ripples above his head seemed no closer. It wasn't fair. He was going to die while in sight of salvation. In one final act of defiance, he screamed a curse at his situation. Instantly, sea water filled his lungs, burning and cold. Falling limp, he felt his body begin its slow descent towards his ocean grave.

Somehow, through his greying mind, he felt a tug on his tunic. It didn't matter what he had hit. It was over. But the tugs persisted, and suddenly his face broke through the surface. Two strong arms wrapped themselves around his waist and squeezed. He felt the sea water in his lungs jet out through his mouth and nostrils. After coughing up what felt like half the ocean, the sweetest, most glorious breath of air filled the empty void within his chest. Angus looked up into the painfully bright light of an overhead sun. Was this heaven? Had an angel saved him?

His eyes cleared, and the beautiful face of his father, standing neck deep in the ocean surf, filled his vision. His radiant smile made Angus's heart leap. They embraced then whooped for joy.

“Is it really you, father?” gasped Angus.

Sir Rudyard Gunn wrapped his arms around his only child. “Welcome back, son.”

The three exhausted escapees were overwhelmed by the crushing embraces of their rescuers. Cheers rang out as everyone shouted thanks to God for bringing Prince Henry and his friends back from the dead. The ravenous survivors were given food and water. As warm tea trickled into their empty stomachs, Prince Henry retold the enraptured crowd of their life underground and their daring escape from the chamber.

When the prince finished his spellbinding tale, Whipper and Connor moved forward and knelt before their leader. Prince Henry perceived the heaviness lining their faces. “What is it, my friends?” he asked. “Speak, for at this very moment, nothing could possibly dampen the joy that is coursing through my veins.”

“I'm afraid the news we have might do more than dampen your spirits, my lord,” said Connor.

Concerned, he placed a hand on Connor's shoulder. “From the despair I see in your eyes, I have no doubt that your words will be grim. As your leader and friend, I ask you to share with me your heavy burden.”

“It is news of the worst kind,” agreed Whipper, unable to look the prince in the eye.

Prince Henry stood up, alarmed. “My sister, Sarah. Is she all right? Speak to me!”

“She's alive, my lord,” said Connor, solemnly, “but she is in grave danger.”

Prince Henry grabbed Connor and lifted him to his feet. “Danger? Speak! I beg of you! Tell me what has happened in my absence!”

“We only found out about this most heinous of plans after Connor had escaped from the floodway,” explained Whipper.

Prince Henry looked to Connor to continue the explanation.

“When I finally made it to the end of the floodway, I was attacked and almost killed by Master Robertson.”

Prince Henry was stunned. “Attacked by one of my engineers? Almost killed? Why?”

The exhilaration of the rescue evaporated as Prince Henry listened to the story of Connor's near murder and his timely rescue. The men then went on to relate the startling plot of treason and attempted murder, masterminded by Black Douglas, Prince Henry's trusted second-in-command. But what sent the prince into a rage was hearing of the ruthless abduction of his sister, Sarah, and her planned forced marriage to the new leader of the Templar Order.

Fists clenched, the prince abruptly left the gathering on the beach and stormed up to the ship. Going below deck, he kicked in the cabin door that held the chained Master Robertson to the wall. Seeing the prince, Robertson screamed as if the Grim Reaper himself had burst through the door. He collapsed into a quivering mound at Prince Henry's feet. The prince grabbed the man off the planks and threw him hard against the wall, pinning him against the wood with an iron grip.

“Tell me everything,” growled the prince. “I want to hear it all, every single detail, from your worthless, deceitful lips.”

It was dark by the time Prince Henry finally entered the crowded captain's quarters. The senior knights, along with Connor, Angus and Na'gu'set, all bowed as the prince crossed the room and sat at the head of the table. Gravely, he took hold of a quill and pulled the candle close. The men waited silently for their leader to bring the meeting to order. Prince Henry skipped the usual formalities and simply nodded at his trusted colleagues. His eyes were distant and empty.

“We have very little time to do so much, my friends. Before we can deal with Black Douglas and his unimaginable betrayal, we
must
first finish our task here at Oak Island.”

“But the princess . . .” stammered Connor.

Prince Henry cut him off. “Do you not think my heart bleeds for her every second of every minute, knowing that she remains in that monster's possession? Our undertaking here, however, is greater than the needs of any one individual, including that of my sister.”

“We will do as you command,” stated Sir Rudyard, flashing Connor a warning not to interrupt the prince again.

“Thank you, Rudyard. The sooner we get off this island, the sooner we can stop the corruption that has infected the Order—before it destroys everything we have worked so hard to build.”

Before the sun had risen, the men began their tasks with
passionate ferocity. Assignments that would have taken over a week for dozens of men to complete, the two dozen knights somehow finished in less than three days. Everyone worked without sleep through the cool night air using raging bonfires that lit up the entire bay. At the end of the third day, Oak Island was finally transformed into the unassuming shape that Prince Henry had always envisioned. The protective breakwater for the ships and both coffer dams had been lowered to below sea level. All signs of Templar habitation were erased, with the exception of an unassuming cross built from the five boulders used to lower the rescue gate. Both the floodway and the entrance were now covered under what appeared to be a natural coastline of rocks and mud. Even though the men worked with superhuman determination, the inability to immediately settle the score with Black Douglas was taking a heavy toll on their leader.

“Look at him,” Connor said, nodding to the table where the prince and the other knights were quietly talking. “I have never seen Prince Henry like this before.”

Angus frowned. “Can you blame him? He's been betrayed in the worst way by someone he trusted. I can't think of a more horrific nightmare for any man.”

Connor nodded. “I know, but still, we've been through so much, and he always seemed to find ways to keep our spirits up . . . you know, give us hope. This time . . . I don't know. Everything just feels different.”

Angus looked over to the prince with concern. “Aye, 'tis different this time. Before we came to Oak Island, we had only the English and unpreventable acts of God that were threatening to impede our mission. This time, someone he trusted, and a fellow knight, has tried to destroy his entire
family. A man can sometimes find it in his heart to forgive a friend, but for a friend to intentionally bring such harm to your family, even murder? No, that's unforgivable. I reckon Prince Henry might never be the same again.”

Connor felt his own anger rise again at Angus's words. He just wished there was some way he could help the prince with his dark personal battle. “What can we do for him?”

“Sometimes,” Angus said, stirring the broth with his spoon, “sometimes you just have to let a man fight his own battle.”

The ship left Oak Island for the final time as the morning sky ignited into a glowing crimson sheet. It was an ominous omen, as every sailor knew that a red sky in the morning meant danger. Still, the men did not hesitate to give Prince Henry their full support to sail west to New Jerusalem. Instead of setting a direct heading to the distant colony, they sailed on a more southern tack, for there was one issue that Prince Henry said must be dealt with first. Na'gu'set stood with the prince at the rudder, every so often pointing towards the distant horizon.

“Land ho!” came the call from a sailor standing up on the yard arm.

Connor had to strain his eyes in order to spot a tiny smudge of land a good distance beyond the bow of the ship.

“Lower the sails!” commanded Prince Henry. “We don't want to go anywhere near the reefs.”

As Connor helped to pull in the sheets from the main sail, he noticed two burly knights drag the sullen Master Robertson to the side of the ship. Prince Henry and
Antonio joined the prisoner at the rail. The crew gathered around their captain in anticipation.

“Many of you men have made excellent suggestions as to the appropriate punishment for Master Robinson, who has been charged and found guilty of the heinous crimes of treason and attempted murder.”

“Please don't kill me!” whimpered Robertson, falling on his knees and covering his reddened eyes with his hands.

“I, however,” continued the prince, “have decided on a punishment which I feel best suits the crimes. We have decided to use the small island off the starboard bow as a lifetime prison for Master Robinson. A quick death for him would be simply too convenient an escape for such treachery. I want him to think about his crimes, how he betrayed not only his Grand Master but also the ideals of the Templar Order. On this desolate island, he will contemplate with God the sins that have brought him to such a lonely and desolate demise, and here he shall also await his final judgment.”

The guards ignored Robertson's pleas and picked up his quivering body. Without ceremony they threw him over the rail.

“Throw him that empty water barrel as well,” ordered Prince Henry. “I want to ensure that he makes it to the island.”

The crew ignored the panicked screams from beyond the rail. It did not take long for the disturbance to fade away in the distance as the ship was ordered to return to full sail. Prince Henry set the rudder so that the bow raced for the western horizon.

“Now my friends, we set sail for New Jerusalem. I think that it's time I reacquaint myself with Black Douglas.”