Treasure Tides (The Coins) (24 page)

Becki had heard the guys leave much earlier, but she felt safe.
She
knew Landon had stationed guards nearby to protect them through
tonight. She also knew Royce and Kurt would not let them stay if there
was even a hint of danger.

“Let’s finish up your packing, girls, and then we will get down to
business,” Becki proposed.
Two hours later, forty bright pink toes winked up from the floor of
the kitchen as they waited for the popcorn.
Beep, beep, beep.
Everyone scattered as if it were a gunshot signaling
the start of a race.
“I’ll get the pillows and blankets,” Leann called running upstairs.
“I’ve got drinks,” Clarissa said filling cups with ice.
“Mandy, check under the couch,” Becki suggested as she grabbed the
popcorn bowls.
Mandy yelled, “Check,” as she pulled out the four boxes of candy
Becki had stashed earlier under the couch.
“Three minutes and counting ladies,” Becki called. They had been
through this routine again and again always trying to beat their best time.
“Leann, TV. Mandy, DVD. Clarissa, lights.”
Dropping to the floor with the last big bowl of popcorn, Becki
checked the time. “Woohoo! We shaved fifteen seconds! Good job
girls!”
“Yessss,” Leann cheered.
“Awesome,” Mandy added.
Clarissa laughed, giving Becki a
high-five.
Snuggling in with the girls, she had to smother a laugh when Mandy
commented, “He’s so hoooot!”
Clarissa wasn’t as polite. “Mandy, he’s too old for you.” Fluttering
her eyes, she continued, “He’s more my age.”
They enjoyed a laugh, and then hit
rewind
to watch the part they had
missed.
Becki released a contented sigh as she waited for her
hot
man to finish
up for the evening. She looked forward to their
hot
lifetime together.
Life was good. Actually, life was great.

Royce sighed in frustration and dropped his head in his hands.
Where the hell
was she?
They had been looking all night…scouring the waters around her
last known location.

Royce dropped Becki a text message to let her know they were still
working, and she might have to take the girls to the airport.
Becki had responded,
Luv U B Safe. I will take care of girls.
Royce smiled and sent,
Luv U2 thx.
“Royce,” Landon yelled. “You need to get up here…
now
!”
Royce sprinted up the steps hoping to find out what Joanna had been up
to.
What had she been thinking?
Her renegade behavior needed to stop. She
was part of a team and needed to start acting like it.
Unfortunately, he
would have no choice but to ground her. Maybe a few weeks in an office,
with nothing to do but file paperwork, would give her time to reflect on
what it means to be part of a TEAM.
Royce’s mind was made up as to the necessary course of action. He was
even more than ready to explain to Joanna why it had come to this. As he
reached the top step, Royce was stunned by what he saw; a very beautiful,
very familiar, very
pissed-off
Witch.
Unfortunately, it was not the Witch he
had expected.
She was seated on one of the captains’ chairs in a deceptively relaxed
pose.
If the sparks shooting from her eyes were any indication of her
disposition, it was going to be bad.
“Tammy,” Royce acknowledged warily.
“Dad,” Royce nodded toward the distinguished well-built gentleman.
The fact that his father, Aaron, was present told him the potential for
disaster was imminently near.
Royce was unsure whether his father was
here to protect him from Tammy, or here to back Tammy up when she
kicked his ass.
“Son, what is going on here?” Aaron asked tightly. Royce felt the
scales tipping slightly toward the probability of the latter.
“I’m not sure I know,” Royce admitted warily scrubbing his forehead.
“I’m working on figuring it out.”
“Why is Wolf-boy here?” Tammy asked. She was obviously in a foul
mood and not in the mood.
Landon stiffened instinctively and then relaxed as he wisely stifled a
laugh. Joanna had called him “Wolf-boy” the first day they met. The
apple obviously didn’t fall far…. He had been taken aback when the
distinguished pair suddenly appeared on the boat, not knowing whether
they were friend or foe.
Witches were notoriously short tempered and not inclined to mingle
with Were. Likewise, Werewolves did not suffer the presence of a Witch
voluntarily.
As soon as he scented them, he had recognized their
connection to Royce and Joanna.
He had known that Joanna’s mother was a Witch. However,
this
beauty was no ordinary Witch.
In addition to being a former council
member herself, this particular Witch was married to one of the most
respected,
heavily
decorated,
and
highest
ranking
Special
Ops
Commanders to ever serve.
Joanna and Royce had failed to mention a
few
small details of their
heritage. Joanna might believe she had put him out of her mind, but he
would enjoy making sure she would never forget him. And then, he
would show her that she couldn’t live without him.
Landon cautiously approached the couple, extending his hand in
greeting. “It’s my pleasure to meet both of you. The name is Landon,
I’m--”
“A true friend and invaluable asset to this mission,” Royce
interrupted, moving to stand at Landon’s shoulder. He stood ready to
intervene if Tammy decided to be difficult. “We’ve been working
together to locate the coin.”
“What does that have to do with Jo?” Tammy asked. She had been
trying to push past the block Landon had thrown up. She was very good
at probing without her subjects ever knowing she had peeked inside their
mind. Landon must be an extremely powerful Were to have felt the
probe, much less to have been able to successfully block it.
Royce hesitated before responding, “He and Joanna… well, that’s
something you will have to discuss with her.”
Tammy’s eyes flashed. White sparks seemed to dance out of her eyes,
and thunder sounded overhead.

Sean’s voice suddenly boomed over the radio, “Holy shit, Royce.
Holy shit! It’s worse than we thought!”
Royce reached for the radio clipped to his belt intending to flip the
speaker off so that he and Sean could speak privately.
Tammy was instantly in front of him. Her hand rested oh-so-softly
on his arm, “Don’t even think about it,” she commanded.
Pressing the
talk
button, Royce answered, “What do you mean, Sean?
And did you forget to tell me to expect company?” He waited anxiously
for the next transmission, hoping Sean would get the message that he
was not alone.
“Oh no,” Sean groaned. “I didn’t realize where they-- Shit! I’m
sorry, man. Really, I tried to distract them--”
“I can hear you, Sean,” Tammy reminded him bluntly. “It would
behoove you to remember where I spent the last twenty years, and
whose company I kept.”
Sliding an arm around his wife, Aaron said, “Now Tammy, don’t be
like that.
He was just doing his job. He was also trying to keep you
from worrying,” he reassured her, casting a steely look at his son. “Sean
had to follow orders; he works for Royce you know.”
Tammy seemed to deflate at Aaron’s words. “Right now, all I know
is that my baby’s missing, and these
Special Forces hot-shots
can’t seem to
locate her. If that isn’t bad enough, there is a freaking Werewolf helping
them try to find her!” Tammy said with tears in her eyes.
“Royce has everything under control,” Aaron comforted her, “Right
son?”
“Working on it,” Royce assured him tightly. Moving a few paces
away from the group he asked, “Sean, what do you have?”
“Well, I was scanning cams along the battery where Joanna had been
earlier in the day.
She was looking out into the harbor. I amplified the
voice feed and went back to a conversation between a mother and child
that took place just before Joanna pulled her disappearing act.
Royce,
the little girl is talking about seeing a ship in the harbor. I’m telling you
man, I see nothing at all in the harbor.
Then the mother and her
daughter leave to get ice cream and Joanna glances out into the harbor
toward Castle Pinckney.
The next thing you know, she yanks off the
shades and does a double-take toward the harbor.
I see her mutter
something… I’m trying to decipher it now…and the next thing you
know, she is headed for cover, and
poof,
she is gone. The time-stamp was
about an hour before her text message to me.”
“Have him to send me the video,” Tammy suggested from directly
behind Royce.
Damn
! He had forgotten about her bionic ears.
Judging from the way Landon was rubbing the back of his neck, he
heard the conversation as well.
“Well, hell,” Royce muttered. “Send me the damn feed Sean.
Tammy wants to take a look at it.”
“It’s on your phone now,” Sean said. “I’ll keep scanning and let you
know if I can pick up anything else.”
“Ok, let me know if you get another hit,” Royce said, referring to
Joanna’s GPS implant.
“There’s a big-screen below. Let’s tie the feed into it. We all need
eyes on this,” Landon suggested.

As the unlikely friends made plans, Joanna’s thoughts drifted to her team
mates. Sean would have contacted Royce when she didn’t show for
dinner. Royce would be all puffed-up in big-brother mode alternating
between worry and rage about now.
The team was most likely out
looking for her. Checking to be sure the coin was safely contained in its
protective pouch; she tucked it a little further down in her bra.

It was time to make contact with her team. Joanna still had her cell
phone, but the dungeon walls were blocking the signal. She began to
imagine each of their faces as she mentally initiated a communication
link. Normally, Royce was the easiest to link with telepathically because
they shared such a strong bond.

Watching the clip for what seemed like the hundredth time, Royce
swore, “Why in hell can’t we get a visual on whatever was happening in
the harbor? She is looking at
something
out there. I want to know what it
is.”

“Royce, I’ve looked. There is nothing out there, or if it is, it’s beyond
the view of the city surveillance cameras,” Sean said, equally as frustrated
as his boss.

Tammy, who had been strangely silent since the first clip had been
displayed, sought her husband’s gaze. “Something feels very strange
when she is watching the woman and little girl,” she spoke softly in
Aaron’s head.

Aaron raised one eyebrow indicating that he
wanted further
explanation.
“I don’t know any more than that,” Tammy said as she continued to
speak only in her husband’s head. “I can’t explain the feeling, but I keep
thinking I should know that woman. Joanna had such a stricken look in
her eyes. She hasn’t had that look since-- well, since
then
. Royce doesn’t
know, Aaron. He was missing during the time of her breakdown.”
Aaron closed his eyes in mutual agony.
When he looked back at his
beautiful wife, she had tears in her eyes.
Aaron nodded toward Royce.
Without words he asked if Tammy intended to fill Royce in on all that he
had missed when he disappeared.
Tammy blinked rapidly, forcing the tears from her eyes. “Not right
now, Aaron. He has enough to deal with. It won’t help the situation to
dump that on him right now.”
Aaron nodded in agreement.
“Is this a private conversation, or can anyone join in?” Royce asked
sarcastically.
Tammy ignored Royce’s bad manners completely. “Sean, show me the
clip of the harbor.”
“Tammy, I promise you I have scoured every bit of that clip. There is
nothing out there,” Sean said. He didn’t want to waste time looking at
something that could not possibly help them find Joanna.
“Sean, dear, have I ever told you that I’m a Witch?” Tammy asked
sweetly.
Shit! Was this a precursor to her turning him into a toad…or worse?
Knowing when to fold, Sean answered promptly, “Yes, Ma’am, I’m
loading the clip now.”
“Thank you, Sean. You are a good man,” Tammy praised, “And,
darling, you know I would never turn you into a toad. I love you too
much,” she continued with a sparkle in her eye.
Sean laughed.
Of course she would read his mind when some stupid
thought was churning through it. He knew Tammy would never hurt him;
he was like family. Like all families, they got on each other’s nerves from
time to time.
As the clip flashed onto the big screen, Tammy gasped, “Oh, my God!”
Aaron knew that whatever Tammy had seen on that TV screen was not
visible to any of the others.
He also knew it had shocked her deeply,
which was disconcerting because Tammy was not easily shocked.
A low growl sounded from nearby drawing everyone’s attention.
“What in the fu-- uh-
hell
was she thinking?” Landon bit out furiously,
remembering mid-sentence that there was a lady present.
“I don’t know,” Tammy said hollowly with her eyes glued to the screen
in front of her.
“Uh-- some help here you two. We aren’t all blessed with supernatural
talent,” Royce complained.
Ignoring him, Landon moved closer to Tammy, “Is that what I think
it is?”
“I’m afraid so,” Tammy whispered. “What are they doing here?”
Aaron had been kept in suspense long enough. While they might
ignore his son, they would
not
ignore him.
“
Tammy
,” he said harshly, bringing her attention to him. “Kindly
explain to us what you are seeing,” he asked in a milder tone.
“I’m sorry,” Tammy apologized immediately. “I-- it-- well--” she
struggled to put together words to explain that which was inexplainable.
“What she is trying to say,” Landon butted in, “is that
Queen Anne’s
Revenge
is anchored just off Castle Pinckney, and in that clip…Joanna
just boarded her.”
“Are you telling me there is a ship out there that we can’t see?”
Royce asked incredulously. “And that my
sister
has been taken on
board?”
“She wasn’t exactly
taken on board
, Royce,” Tammy said drearily.
“That’s right, buddy,” Landon said, seeming to grow angrier each
time he watched the video. “Your
sister
just voluntarily boarded a damn
pirate ship.”
“If
Queen Anne’s Revenge
is out there son, you’ve got more than just an
invisible ship.
That ship belonged to Blackbeard, who died in the
seventeen hundreds,” Aaron said with dread.
“There’s another ship approaching…the
Ranger
.
Who’s ship is that,
Aaron?
They are boarding
Queen Anne’s Revenge
,” Tammy said urgently.
“Aaron, they’re shooting crew members!”
“The
Ranger
belonged to Charles Vane,” Aaron said, giving Royce a
hard stare…the kind that meant big trouble.
Not one to let anything get by her, Tammy arched her eyebrow at
her husband prompting, “The ship belonged to Charles Vane…and?”
“He was famous for his cruelty,” Kurt said softly, watching Landon’s
every move.
Tammy’s eyes suddenly widened as she caught her breath.
Aaron was beside her in an instant. “What do you see?” he asked
quietly.
“They are carrying her. She is unconscious. God, Aaron. I have to
go.” Tammy turned tear-filled eyes to her husband, “She has blood all
over her head.”
Landon clinched his fists and struggled to contain his Were. “Castle
Pinckney,” he growled.
Landon’s eyes had already turned yellow. His canines began to
drop… and then he threw back his head and howled.
“Oh, that’s not good,” Kurt said, as he ran topside. “Hold onto
something,” he called firing up the boat.
Soon they were moving
toward Castle Pinckney at top speed.
Royce muttered, “What did he mean…
that’s not good
?” He looked at
his father saying, “This day just keeps getting better.”
Tammy, who had previously been watching Landon with caution,
responded to Royce, “He called in the Pack,” she said gratefully.
“Oh, that is indeed…not good,” Royce seconded.

Closing her eyes, Joanna mentally scanned the area. She would start
in a small circle and work her way out until she was able to make the
connection.
The process was tedious and exhausting, but she knew
Grace and the others would help if needed.

“Dear, I can save you some time,” Grace offered with a mischievous
smile.
Joanna wrinkled her brow in questioning frown.
“Try your mother first,” Grace advised.
“My mother is--”
“Very close,” Grace assured her.
“Oh, great,” Joanna groaned.
“Lass, does your mother look like you do?” Blackbeard asked

Joanna laughed. “She’s very beautiful. But, you would have to fight
my dad for her.”
The door to the dungeon swung open, and Joanna turned with a
smile anticipating Blackbeard’s reaction to her mother.
The pirate standing in the doorway held absolutely no resemblance to
her mother whatsoever.
“It’s time,” Vane announced.
All eyes turned toward him in confusion. Blackbeard spoke aloud the
words they were all thinking. “Uh-- it may have slipped your mind, but
you don’t have the coin.”
Vane smiled evilly, “I have everything I need right here.”
Pinning
Joanna with his gaze, he continued, “Don’t I, Witch?”
They knew she had the coin
. The blood drained from Joanna’s face.
“Let’s move.” Vane indicated with a wave of his pistol that she
should precede him up the dark musty stairway.
“It will be ok. Just do as he says,” Joanna felt Grace’s feathery touch and
heard her voice.
Joanna moved toward the stair case. As they entered the main gathering
hall, Joanna saw that it had filled with pirates. Torches flickered illuminating
moss covered walls.
The eyes of long dead men followed every step she
took; they leered at her in anticipation.
“We ain’t tak’en no chances this time,” one of the pirates said. He
grabbed her shoulder and shoved her roughly toward the front of the hall.
As she stumbled closer to the makeshift altar, she noticed the chains and
shackles mounted securely to the slab of stone.
They were going to chain her up!
Joanna felt panic choke her as one of the
pirates unsheathed his knife and begin to stalk toward her with lust and glee
in his eyes.
“We are here, Child. You are not alone,” she heard Grace’s soothing
words inside her head. “We’ve had an unexpected…
development
,” she
continued.
“What
development
?” Joanna projected, struggling to remain calm as the
pirate’s blade drew ever closer.
“We can’t get out,” Lucy blurted.
They couldn’t help her. She was all alone!
Joanna felt bile rising in her throat;
she began to shake as panic spread through her mind and body.
“We have had a
temporary setback
,” Grace insisted forcefully. “Joanna, I
told you that your mother was close by. She will be here shortly to help me.
Just remain calm and believe that we
will
get out of this,” Grace urged.
Joanna forced herself to take a calming breath, pushing the panic away.
Relief lasted but a moment as she felt the pirate’s knife cut through her shirt
and bra as if they were butter.
Joanna screamed as her shirt and bra fell open, exposing her soft white
skin to the lustful eyes of pirates long-dead.
The coin dropped from its
hiding spot to the floor at her feet.
Vane grabbed the coin almost the instant it landed. “Ahhh, yes! Just like
we planned. Right, Mateys?” he asked turning to speak to the crowd of
pirates who were now cheering.
Heavy wooden doors guarding the entrance to hall suddenly crashed to
the floor.
A dozen Vampires glided into the room.
Pirates drew their
swords and pistols, all training their weapons on the newcomers.
“Stand down!” Vane shouted to the motley crew. “They are here at
my invitation. After we finish with the coin, I have arranged a trade with
my pale friends.”
Joanna scanned the crowd of pirates and…Vampires?
Why would they be
here?
What an unorthodox mix. She struggled to figure out what the two
had in common.
She remembered Grace saying the death-walkers had
been closing in on Royce.
They would have killed him to get the coin.
None of this made any sense! Her thoughts were interrupted as the pirate
and his blade went to work on her remaining garments.
Suddenly, she
stood before the evil mix of unlikely cohorts, as naked as the day she was
born. Cheers sounded. Disgustingly perverted suggestions could be heard
as they all raked their eyes over Joanna’s now exposed body.
“Joanna, you are doing fine, just a few more minutes. You can do
this,” Grace continued to encourage her.
That’s easy for you say. You’re not the one standing buck ass naked in a hall full
of long-dead whore mongers!
Joanna laughed, but not in a funny ha-ha sort of
way.
Iron cuffs were suddenly locked around her wrists and ankles. She felt
herself mentally crumbling.
She was trying to hang on, trying to do as
Grace asked, but it was just too much.
She felt the doors beginning to
close in her mind. She felt herself crawling into that mental hole where no
one would be able to reach her.
Blackbeard and Stede were pushed into the room.
They were still in
chains.
“Glad you could join the party once again,” Calico Jack welcomed
them with sarcasm. “Put ‘em at the altar.”
The crowd jeered as Blackbeard and Stede proudly took their places on
either side of Joanna.
They crowded in as close to her as possible
attempting to shield her nudity.
Stede whispered, “We are sorry you got involved in this, Lass.”
“It’s not your fault. What the hell are Vamps doing here?”
“They too are interested in the powers of the coin,” Blackbeard
answered.
“I don’t understand how the coin can help them?” Joanna questioned.
“Perhaps I can help,” suggested a Vane with an eerie smile. “My
friends would like to be granted immunity from death.”
“They are already dead!” Joanna informed him.
“Ahh, yes. But they are still susceptible to wooden stakes and such,”
Vane clarified.
Joanna’s eyes widened in horror as she realized the implications of what
she had been told. If what Vane said was true, the coin would essentially
make Vampires unstoppable.
There would be no way to kill them.
Eventually, they would terrorize the earth; turning all living beings into
blood suckers.
Vane laughed as he turned to make his way toward the Vamps.
Pirates stowed their weapons and parted as Vane and his pale friends
made their way through the crowd, disappearing down a passageway on
the East wall of the great room.
“Why do they need you here?” Joanna asked, unconsciously pulling
against the iron and chains securing her.
“They’ve promised us to Davy Jones,” Stede said.
“There was something missing from the ceremony last time,”
Blackbeard explained. “That is why it didn’t work. Come to find out, it
never would have worked.”
“What is it that was missing?” Joanna asked with dread curling in her
stomach.
“We aren’t sure,” Blackbeard answered.
“We only know that whatever it is, Vane has agreed to trade
us
for it,”
Stede admitted.
“Us…as in…?” Joanna pressed.
“As in the three of you, to Davy Jones, for eternity,” Calico Jack
announced. “After all, we have three more Witches below. We can
spare one,” he laughed evilly. “’Tis time to take my leave, the guest of
honor will be arrivin’ soon. I shall rejoin ye after ‘is grand entrance.”
“Bastard,” Joanna mumbled as she watched him move from the altar.
“Guard the pris’ners,” Calico Jack called as he followed the path
previously taken by Vane and the Vampires. He slammed the wooden
door shut behind him with a
thud
.
Suddenly, it seemed as if a tidal wave hit Castle Pinckney.
Water
rushed in through what used to be doors and windows. Joanna closed
her eyes as saltwater crashed over her head. Cold, swirling water filled
the room rising higher and higher. Foam and seaweed wrapped around
Joanna’s neck. She was going to drown! She began to struggle against
the bonds holding her in place.
Stede and Blackbeard grappled with the
chains trying to help free her. The water suddenly began to rush in one
direction, sucking her feet out from under her. As the force of the water
washed past her, she saw that what remained of her garments had
become entangled in the chains at Stede’s feet. She struggled to regain
her footing as the water receded from the altar. Joanna drew large gulps
of oxygen into her lungs. Screams could be heard as several unfortunate
pirates were sucked into dark, swirling, liquid death.
The altar where Joanna, Stede, and Blackbeard were standing was
somewhat elevated.
However, if she had not been securely chained and
locked in place, Joanna would have been washed away by the force of
the wave. As she opened her eyes, a figure, half skeleton-half pirate,
approached the altar.
Rotted flesh hanging from bones carried the
stench of death. Worms and maggots caused any remaining soft-tissue
to move with a life-force of its own.
One eye was missing, the other
held in place by a-- who-knew-what?