by Gerald Lopez
“Damn right I will,” Miss Lucy said.
“As I was saying,” Jorri said. “Those pirate ghosts are ugly as hell, even being see-through and all. Their faces are all pockmarked, and they have yellow or missing teeth.”
“That’s nothing compared to the ghost nuns,” Nikki said.
Sister Vaughn gasped. “Have you seen one of the nuns, Miss Nikki?”
“Nope,” Nikki said, “and I hope never to see one, but my granny did. Said it turned her hair white from fright. Some serious shit went down that night in the key. Nobody knows all that happened, because almost nobody survived the ordeal. When all was said and done, only a handful of locals were left.”
“Why are we so sure these ghosts are going to make an appearance tonight?” Alex said.
“Because they do every anniversary year when the moon shines its light on the treasure’s location,” Nikki said. “They’ll come, you can count on that… and they’ll drive you mad if you’re not ready for ‘em.”
“Some people don’t have that far to go in terms of being driven mad,” Miss Lucy said.
“What exactly do we have to be ready for in regard to these ghosts?” Forrest said.
I found myself being distracted by how tall and straight Forrest stood, which made his ass look perfect. The bulge in his shorts was impressive too, and he wasn’t even hard. He looked up and locked eyes with Alex, who’d also been admiring Forrest. They smiled at each other, then waited to hear the response to Forrest’s question.
“I’m not sure exactly,” Nikki said. “But I have heard they can possess the body of people they sneak up on—at least for tonight.”
“That sent chills down my back,” Sister Vaughn said.
Sister Randy put his arm around Sister Vaughn, and held him close. I had to admit, to myself at least, that the hair on my arms was standing up.
“What about that cult of faux nuns?” Sister Joe said. “Are they even around anymore?”
“Rumor is that the cult is still in existence, but staying hidden in the shadows,” Jorri said. “They can be dangerous with all the bad religion and blood rites they’re into, so steer clear of them if they show up.”
“Will they show up, do you think?” Forrest said.
“Nobody knows for sure,” Jorri said.
“If we hear they’re in the key you’ll be the first we tell, Officer,” Nikki said.
“He’s a cop?” Sister Mack said.
“He is,” Alex said.
“I’d love to see him in uniform,” Sister Joe said.
“By the way,” Jorri said, “what are y’all doing here in the cemetery?”
“First, we showed our respect to your son for his military service, Mr. Jorri,” Sister Joe said. “Then Sister Vaughn pointed out where he thinks the treasure is located.”
“Do you really know where it is?” Nikki said to Sister Vaughn.
“Pretty sure,” Sister Vaughn said. “I used mostly your calculations and a few of my own. I think I’ve figured some basic things out, which should help get us to the treasure, but I won’t know for sure until the moon shines the way.”
“Good for you, baby,” Nikki said. “So, what are you boys—excuse me, I mean sisters, gonna do till tonight?”
“We were going to check out the shops, then try to find a place to eat later that’s not packed,” Sister Vaughn said.
“I’m already hungry,” Sister Mack said, then looked at me, Forrest, and Alex. “Hungry and horny.”
“That’s a normal state of being for men your age,” Miss Lucy said.
“You boys come on over to our place,” Nikki said. “Jorri and I, along with Bella, Bean, and the others can help with your hunger problem. We’re having a barbeque, and there’s plenty for all of you.”
“That sounds great!” Sister Mack said.
“Yes, it does,” Sister Joe said. “Can our teacher come too?”
“Sure,” Nikki said.
“We’d better go get him and some of our stuff,” Sister Randy said.
“Sister Vaughn, you bring ‘em by in about two hours,” Nikki said. “You can come earlier and enjoy the beach or the hot tub if you want. But the food won’t be ready for two hours yet.”
“We probably will come by early,” Sister Vaughn said.
“Can I go with you guys?” Ginger said. “I’d love to see some more of the town with a local.”
“Sure,” Sister Vaughn said.
“I’ll see you later tonight, Ginger,” Miss Lucy said. “Call me if these boys get out of hand, but I don’t think you’ll have any worries there.”
Sister Vaughn walked up to Nikki, hugged her, and whispered in her ear, then he gave everyone else a hug.
“Time to go,” Sister Vaughn said, then reached for Ginger’s hand, and the group of boy nuns was gone.
“Did that just happen?” Alex said. ‘Was there just a group of college boy nuns in front of us?”
“Pretty much,” I said.
“One of those boy nuns claimed to know the location of the treasure,” Miss Lucy said. “And they’re gone now.”
“Yes,” Nikki said, “but not before giving me a hint as to the location.”
“And remember, nobody in the area knows more about the terrain than Nikki,” Jorri said.
“Follow me and I’ll show you something,” Nikki said.
We followed Nikki to the highest point in the cemetery, then stopped. Nikki pointed toward the beach that was in the distance to the right.
“Do you see that grouping of trees along the far beach?” Nikki said.
“Yeah,” Miss Lucy said.
“The moonlight is supposed to shine through them to highlight the location of the treasure,” Nikki said. “But there are more than a few problems.”
“I should think,” I said, watching Alex looking through his camera and attempting to zoom in on the area Nikki had pointed out.
“The trees aren’t as close together as they look to the naked eye from here,” Alex said.
“But how likely is it they’re the same trees the pirates saw when they hid the treasure?” I said.
“They are,” Nikki said. “That was easy enough to figure out.”
“But?” I said.
“But,” Nikki said. “But the original trees the pirates would’ve used as points of reference in front of the current trees were long ago swept up by the rising water. They actually stood way in front of the trees we can see from here.”
“The shoreline was wider during the pirates’ time, but several bad storms in the area changed all that,” Jorri said.
“Luckily we have a base on the water,” Miss Lucy said.
“We?” I said.
“You heard me, boy,” Miss Lucy said. “Orders from on high arrived not too long ago. And they’ve changed things.”
“Something’s going on,” Forrest said. “And I don’t think I’m gonna like it.
“Probably not,” Miss Lucy said. “Time to put your big boy panties on and deal with it, though.”
“Deal with what exactly,” Forrest said.
I could tell his back was up, and he was not backing down. That was both sexy and slightly intimidating. But, Miss Lucy could be formidable in these types of situations… although I wasn’t exactly sure what had changed.
“Listen up, everybody,” Miss Lucy said. “There’s been a slight change in plans that affects us all. And, believe me, it’s not my doing.”
Chapter 10
New Plans
“OUR COMMON ACQUAINTANCE Leticia Carter sent me several text messages earlier,” Miss Lucy said. “Oh goody, here’s a new one—she just wrote. Nikki and Jorri are now on the treasure-seeking team here.”
“So, The Organization has decided to get completely involved,” I said. “And we’re expected to jump into line.”
“That’s it in a nutshell,” Miss Lucy said. “I’ve been told that my team is to help yours get whatever Sassy’s father is after.”
“And deliver it t
o you for The Organization?” Alex said.
“No,” Miss Lucy said. “The staff is to be delivered to Sassy’s father, per Leticia’s orders. He’s the only one that can handle the thing, apparently. The Organization is only interested in the chalice that comes with the treasure.”
“Sounds fair,” I said.
“And your organization just expects Layton and Alex to do their bidding, no questions asked,” Forrest said.
“They keep us on retainer for that,” I said. “And it pays well. Still, if I didn’t like it, I’m capable of saying no—so is Alex. And so are you for that matter.”
“I’m here,” Forrest said. “If you and Alex are in, then I suppose I am too… grudgingly. I’m still not sure how involved I want to be, since my son only really has me.”
“Now that’s a lie,” Alex said angrily. “You have us, a brother, and don’t forget about Charity and Linus. You and Chip aren’t by yourselves anymore—you’re part of a larger family now, whether you like it or not.” He looked at Forrest who was silent. “Do you understand me, Forrest? You can question this mission or The Organization, but I won’t allow you to question the fact you and Chip are part of our family—period. Now I’ll ask you again—do you understand that?”
“Yes, Sir,” Forrest said, then looked at Alex and tried to be tough, but couldn’t help but smile.
“We’re in,” I said to Miss Lucy. “But if things go wrong—in a supernatural fashion or what have you, I want you to arrange something for me.”
“What?” Miss Lucy.
“Get Charity, Chip, the kids with Chip, and Diesel’s wife on the yacht and safely away from here,” I said.
“I can arrange that,” Miss Lucy said. “I’ve leaned some interesting things today.”
“Oh yeah,” I said. “Like what?”
“Our boy Buck is the son of a high-ranking, highly decorated general and a Vegas showgirl headliner,” Miss Lucy said.
“That explains how Buck got into The Organization,” Alex said. “And it also explains his good looks, having a Vegas showgirl as a mother.”
“Buck told me before that his dad was ex military,” I said. “I think you were somewhere else at the time. But I don’t recall him mentioning his mom had been a showgirl.”
“Both the parents are easy on the eyes as they say,” Miss Lucy said. “The general called me himself to apologize for Buck, and take the blame for his son’s shortcomings.”
“Why would he take the blame?” I said. “And for what exactly?”
“He told me that Buck is an only child of two parents who are still very much in love, and who adore their boy Buck,” Miss Lucy said. “And they blame themselves for spoiling Buck to the point he’s a bit of a Peter Pan type—still young at heart.”
“He’s fine,” I said. “You and everybody else need to stop giving him a bad rap. Maybe he has his own way of doing things, but he succeeds in his mission.” I gave Miss Lucy my hard stare for a moment before continuing. “Buck’s not military, that’s all. You can’t judge him by military standards when he hasn’t been trained that way.”
“True, and I suppose I should listen to you more,” Miss Lucy said.
That shocked Alex, but not me. I merely smiled at Miss Lucy, who’d clearly learned something more.
“I wasn’t surprised when they told me, you know,” Miss Lucy said to me. “There was always something in the way you walked—even in those flip-flops you love so much.”
“What about him?” Alex said.
Miss Lucy looked at me.
“We’re being kept in the dark here, Alex,” Forrest said.
“Yeah,” I said. “Because it’s all stuff in the past that doesn’t matter. Not really mine to share, anyhow.”
“No,” Miss Lucy said. “Only in a ‘need to know’ basis. And your former bosses decided my bosses needed to know. Not all the details but just enough.”
“If Layton doesn’t want to share, then we don’t need to know,” Forrest said.
“Thanks,” I said, then turned to Miss Lucy. “Tell ‘em what you have to say. There must be a reason you were told.”
“Layton far outranks me,” Miss Lucy said. “He’s exceptionally well-trained in a variety of things. He was the leader of his unit and our group’s natural leader.”
“Is this a triad thing?” Alex said.
“No,” Miss Lucy said. “I’m talking about his place in the marines. He can probably take on this whole town singlehandedly and win.”
“Don’t sell yourself short, Miss Lucy,” I said. “Besides, I’m no longer in the marines.”
“What ranking was he?” Alex said.
“They didn’t tell me that,” Miss Lucy said. “But he’s above me and that says a whole helluva lot.”
“It’s training that’s all,” I said. “I’ve been well trained, and have some skills that may come in handy—as we all do. A good leader knows how to utilize everyone’s skills. Nikki’s probably our most valuable player at present.”
“Thank you,” Nikki said.
“I for one am happy to help two ex military people,” Jorri said. “As long as they’re not AWOL.”
“No, Sir,” I said. “I served honorably until it was time for me to get out and focus on the domestic side of my life. I waited too long and screwed that up anyhow.”
“And it’s a good thing you did too, or you wouldn’t have met Alex and Forrest,” Miss Lucy said.
“True,” I said and smiled. The noise of someone in the bushes behind me caught my attention. “Alright, get outta there.”
“Aww shucks!” Bogie said, zipping his fly. “I would have to choose to pee right where there’s a bunch of people standing around.”
Granny and Antoinette appeared.
“Just how far did you have to go to do your business, Bogie,” Granny said. “You’ve got your poor old granny exhausted.”
“I didn’t go far enough,” Bogie said. “How embarrassing.”
“Too bad you haven’t leaned enough magic yet from The Great Bilbi to make yourself disappear,” Antoinette said.
“Granny you’re still all in black,” Nikki said. “Aren’t you hot?”
“My dead husband loved me in this dress,” Granny said. “And it is the anniversary of his death. I’ll let you in on a secret. I’m not all in black.” She lifted the hem of her skirt to reveal pink sneakers.
“Oh, I love them,” Nikki said.
“How the hell do you not trip over all that lace?” Miss Lucy said.
Looking at Granny’s socks I noticed that the pink lace trim was so long and wide it covered the sneaker and dragged on the ground.
“Granny, you and the kids are coming over for a late lunch, aren’t you?” Nikki said.
“Of course,” Granny said. “That was such a gracious invitation, and remember I’m bringing my homemade pies. I just thought this cemetery would be a good place to let the kids get rid of some of their energy. The town is so crowded at present.”
“There wasn’t even enough space for me to practice my magic or rope tricks,” Bogie said.
“Time we were leaving,” Granny said. “See y’all later.”
“I’m gonna walk Miss Lucy back to her—” I said.
“Golf cart,” Miss Lucy said.
As we walked alone, Miss Lucy and I talked.
“I’ve never been impressed easily,” Miss Lucy said. “And you impress me, Layton Shayne. Not that I’m gonna stop calling you boy.”
“That’d be too much to expect,” I said, then smiled.
“It’s not just your record that impresses me,” Miss Lucy said. “You move well in the real world too.”
“Thanks, although this bump on my head tells me otherwise.”
“Your mind’s on other things,” Miss Lucy said. “It’s to be expected. Motherhood threw me for a loop. It’s not precise like military things are. But you’ll do fine with your two. Chip loves you already, from what I’ve been told, and the ones to come will love you too.�
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“Fatherhood has made Forrest cautious, and he’s right to be that way regarding Chip,” I said. “Kids can’t defend themselves like we can. They need us.”
“Life has made Forrest cautious. He’s forty and had it rough but found a way to survive. It’s a huge step for him to trust you and Alex like he does.”
“Yeah,” I said. “This is where it gets hard—when untrained civilians are involved.”
“I get where you’re coming from. Think of me, I have Buck to deal with, and you haven’t even met the rest of my team yet. Wait until you get a peek at Ebony and Ivory.”
“Do tell.”
“Those two have to be seen to be believed,” Miss Lucy said. “And who am I to deny you that pleasure? They’ll be at a downtown restaurant on the water tonight, along with probably most of the treasure hunters.”
“Well, Ginger’s sharp, and thinks quick on her feet from what I could tell,” I said. “And I did manage to read your reports on your team during the whole pussy brigade caper.”
“Hell, I’d rather be working with those pussycats on this case. God, I hate working these training cases.”
“Miss Lucy, we both know Buck wasn’t picked because of his decorated general father. The Organization is in desperate need of help. That would also explain why they have you doing training when you clearly hate it.”
“Our regular agents are elsewhere,” Miss Lucy said. “Something big is going on, but I have yet to be told anything.”
“Something so big that it’s keeping your seasoned agents occupied in one area. We’re here in the states to keep things under control.”
“That sounds about right to me,” Miss Lucy said. “But I don’t go prying, so I can’t tell you where those seasoned agents have been sent.”
“How concerned are you about things?”
We passed a group of people who smiled at us. As we walked by them we smiled back.
“I don’t have time to be concerned with other agents when I have a job to do,” Miss Lucy said.
“This Granny and the two obnoxious kids with her have managed to accidentally run into us one time too many,” I said.
“It’s a small town,” Miss Lucy said. “What do you think? Is she running a scam with those kids, a regular treasure hunter looking for clues, or something more sinister?”