Caribbean Gold: Three Adventure Novels

by K. T. Tomb

  CARIBBEAN

  GOLD:

  Three Adventure Novels

  The Honeymooners

  The Tempest

  The Swashbucklers

  by

  K.T. TOMB

  Acclaim for K.T. Tomb:

  “Epic and awesome!”

  —J.T. Cross, bestselling author of Beneath the Deep

  “Now this is what I call adventure. The Lost Garden will leave you breathless!”

  —Summer Lee, bestselling author of Angel Heart

  “The best adventure novel I’ve read in a long time. K.T. Tomb. I can’t wait to read the sequel. Count me a fan. A big fan.”

  —P.J. Day, bestselling author of The Sunset Prophecy

  “K.T. Tomb is a wonderful new voice in adventure fiction. I was enthralled by The Lost Garden...and you will be, too.”

  —Aiden James, bestselling author of Plague of Coins

  Other Books by K.T. Tomb

  STANDALONE ADVENTURES

  The Last Crusade

  The Kraken

  The Adventurers

  The Swashbucklers

  The Tempest

  Sasquatch

  Ghosts of the Titanic

  The Honeymooners

  Curse of the Coins

  Drums Along the Hudson

  THE CHYNA STONE ADVENTURES

  The Minoan Mask

  The Mummy Codex

  The Phoenician Falcon

  The Babylonian Basilisk

  The Aquitaine Armor

  THE EVAN KNIGHT ADVENTURES

  The Lost Garden

  Keepers of the Lost Garden

  Destroyers of the Lost Garden

  THE PHOENIX QUEST ADVENTURES

  The Hammer of Thor

  The Spear of Destiny

  The Lair of Beowulf

  The Fountain of Youth

  THE CASH CASSIDY ADVENTURES

  The Holy Grail

  The Lost Continent

  The Lost City of Gold

  THE ALPHA ADVENTURES

  “A” is for Amethyst

  “B” is for Bullion

  “C” is for Crystal

  Caribbean Gold: Three Adventure Novels

  Published by K.T. Tomb

  Copyright © 2015 by K.T. Tomb

  All rights reserved

  Ebook Edition, License Notes

  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  The Honeymooners

  The Tempest

  The Swashbucklers

  Reading Sample

  About the Author

  THE

  HONEYMOONERS

  A novel

  by

  K.T. TOMB

  The Honeymooners

  Published by K.T. Tomb

  Copyright © 2014 by K.T. Tomb

  All rights reserved.

  Ebook Edition, License Notes

  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  Dedication

  The author wishes to dedicate this book to the late

  Josephine Hart.

  The Honeymooners

  Chapter One

  The Elysium Resort shone like a diamond in the sun on the azure shores of the Cayman Islands. Multilevel buildings connected by glass-covered walkways, leading to and from the private beach. The shore was dotted with large blue umbrellas all bearing the emblem of the Elysium. Tan vacationers frolicked in the dancing surf, some tanning on the lounge chairs above the tide line, hiding behind large sunglasses and even larger hats. Beyond the edge of the sand where the grass began to grow butted the edge of the several resort pools, blazing bright blue in the tropical sun. Swimming in one of the pools closest to the shore, Ella and Charlie Colton were enjoying the first days of their honeymoon and marriage.

  Ella broke the surface of the water, brushing chlorine-filled water from her eyes and pulling auburn hair away from her face. She adjusted the spaghetti straps of her red bikini as she paddled her way over to the poolside bar. She nodded to the bartender; a pretty blond pushing fancy drinks bedecked with colorful straws, umbrellas and various pieces of fruit. Ella smiled as she took the bright green drink and lifted the sweet concoction to her lips, leaning against the edge of the pool. The sweet liquid warmed her body as she swallowed, relishing the flavor. The large swimming pool was one of three. Ella leaned against the far left edge of the area against the bar. She scanned over the crowd of other vacationers, all enjoying the offerings of the Elysium. Occasionally, the morning sky would brighten with a scheduled eruption of the faux volcano, casting a golden glow over the sun-browned skin of the vacationers.

  Seemingly out of nowhere, a pair of strong hands suddenly grabbed Ella's waist beneath the water, threatening to pull her under. Her adrenaline quickly gave way to laughter when her new husband broke through the surface of the water, his face inches from her own.

  “Well, hello there, Mr. Colton,” she said with a smile.

  “Hello yourself, Mrs. Colton,” he returned, punctuating his reply with a light kiss.

  They had been married all of three days. They had met five years prior at the archeology department where Charlie was a teaching assistant. They had noticed each other almost instantly that first day of class. Ella Berger had been a student in the class where he worked. They flirted for a few weeks, eventually acknowledging their attraction for one another. Charlie went so far as to form a study group for the class under the hopes that Ella would show up. It met every Tuesday after the lecture. She did show up, of course; she and her group of girlfriends who suppressed giggles and exchanged glances behind the back of the gorgeous teaching assistant. Despite the instant attraction between Ella and Charlie, at her insistence, the two held off on dating until after her graduation. She did not want any rumors going around as to how she earned her grade point average. She graduated with honors, and spent the following summer on a two month internship studying ancient shipwrecks off the coast of Haiti. After this whirlwind adventure, her first action after landing back in the states was to call Charlie Colton to ask him out for a cup of coffee.

  “Why now?” he had asked her, glancing over the steam coming off his Turkish Black as they sat on the patio of the sunny coffee bar. “Why did you call me?”

  “I like you Charlie, but ours was an attraction of convenience,” she explained, sipping her latte. “We were not equals. I couldn't date you while still a student, Charlie. You already know that. Besides, I had to figure out if I actually liked you or if I just thought I liked you.”

  “What do you mean?” Charlie asked. “I think it was pretty evident.”

  “Oh come on, Charlie,” Ella replied. “Who doesn't look sexy while running a slide show on historical inconsistencies of ancient artifacts? I had to make sure my attraction to you was viable.”

  “And is it?” Charlie asked, his ego slightly bruised from the two month absence.

  Ella leaned across the table, peering at him from under her full eyelashes. “I asked you for coffee, didn't I?”

  They had moved in together within the year.

  Another two years after that, they decided to combine their intellectual prowess and open their own business dedicated to the preservation and restoration of ancient artifacts, Berger and Colton, Inc. When questioned about top billing on the name, they both insisted that they had gone with alphabetical order. Life sailed along for the two of them, working cases and developing a sterling reputation in archeology circles. Six months ago, Charlie had gotten up early and a
rrived at the office before Ella. When she arrived, he had the entire office garnished with white candles. He stood in the center holding a single red rose and had a small package tucked under one arm.

  “Charlie, what are you doing?” Ella asked when she opened the door.

  “I want to show you something,” he said. He handed her the rose and lead her to one of the chairs in the waiting area. He unwrapped the package, revealing a gold plaque engraved with the words “Colton & Colton, Inc.”

  “I don't understand,” she'd said. She did understand perfectly, but she wanted to hear him say it.

  “Marry me, Ella,” he had said. “I love you, you love me. We should take the next step. I can’t imagine ever waking up without you there with me.” When she didn’t seem particularly moved by his romantic gush, he added, “Besides, it would be such a benefit to the business, you know. Combine our assets, allow us some tax benefits. All we would really have left to do is change the signage. It certainly would save us from all those wretched conversations of explaining the alphabet method.”

  “That is true,” Ella said, with a mock serious look on her face, her fingers tracing the lettering of the gold plaque that she held in her lap. “That is definitely true.”

  Charlie went down on one knee and pulled a black silk ring box out of his pocket. He opened it and the candlelight illuminated the diamond cluster that was nestled inside it. Despite herself, Ella gasped. In the months between then and now, they had planned a wedding, arranged the honeymoon and even took on a few cases, including a week long symposium on Spanish shipwrecks in the Dominican Republic.

  Though they were used to traveling quite a bit with their job, the atmosphere of the Elysium still allowed for a much needed respite. No cases, no shipwrecks, no artifacts to find or relocate. Just a poolside bar, a luxury hotel, and days of relaxation stretched out ahead of them. Ella closed her eyes, resting her head on the edge of the pool and letting the water support her as she floated at the edge. She had not felt this relaxed in years.

  “Are you two enjoying yourselves?” Mitch Berger, Ella's uncle stooped down at the edge of the pool to greet the couple. He was the senior technical analyst for the resort and had gotten them in at a hefty discount despite the extensive waiting list.

  “Yes, Uncle Mitch,” Ella replied, opening her eyes and squinting up at him. “Very much so,”

  “What do you think of the place?” Ella's uncle was a kindly looking man, with laughing gray eyes and a large mustache. She thought he hadn't changed in appearance since she was a child.

  “Mr. Berger, we can't thank you enough. This place is amazing,” Charlie added.

  “Please, call me Mitch. Welcome to the family,” he said.

  “Thank you,” said Charlie.

  “Excuse me, sir.” The blond bartender leaned over to get Charlie's attention. She slid a dark beer toward him on a small napkin. “This is from the lady across the way there.”

  Both Charlie and Ella turned to look. A severe but attractive woman lounged at one of the tables in the patio-themed restaurant along the other side of the pool. Across the table from her sat two men wearing jeans and hard hats, looking over a detailed blueprint laid out in front of them. The woman wore her dark hair short and feathered around her face in a pixie style, offsetting her bright red lipstick. She raised a glass toward them, and Charlie raised his bottle slightly to acknowledge her purchase of the drink. Her dark blue business attire seemed out of place among the swimsuit clad resort occupants.

  Mitch gave a low whistle under his breath and exclaimed, “Well, I'll be...”

  “Who is she?” Ella asked.

  “Carol Chapman,” said Mitch. “She's the lead designer for the hotel, Benjamin Lee's go-to arts and relics dealer. Charlie, didn't you work with her during the acquisition of the Museum of Ancient Cultures?”

  “I sure did. Wait a minute, Benjamin Lee,” said Charlie. “He’s the owner of the Elysium, isn't he?”

  “Yes,” said Mitch. “Along with several other resorts and hotel chains.”

  “I remember him,” Charlie continued. “There was some scandal a few years back about him being suspected of smuggling relics on the black market and selling forgeries to the museums. They couldn't make the accusations stick, though. He walked on it. It's a shame how much of this is built on blood money” Charlie shook his head at the thought.

  “Innocent until proven guilty,” said Ella. “That's all we have to go on. Besides, why talk shop right now? I haven't felt this relaxed in years.” She draped her arm around Charlie's shoulder and he grinned back at her.

  “No business talk; you're right, Ella, we are on our honeymoon after all.”

  “Listen, if you two need anything during your stay, let me know,” Mitch said.

  He stood up and rubbed his hands along the tops of his work pants.

  “Oh, and I almost forgot. Tonight is the inaugural dinner celebrating the re-opening of the Museum of Ancient Cultures.”

  Ella gasped and turned to Charlie.

  “That's right! One of the reasons I wanted to come to the Cayman Islands in the first place! They've renovated your museum, Charlie. Will we see you there, Uncle Mitch?”

  “No, I'm afraid all that hoity-toity stuff isn't my scene. But I know how much you love your ancient art. You'll have a great time, I'm sure. They always put on quite a show for these sorts of things.”

  “Thanks, Uncle Mitch.” Ella smiled up at the man she had known since childhood.

  “I'd better get going,” Mitch said

  “I wonder why she bought me a drink...” Charlie wondered.

  Ella grinned and lightly splashed in his direction.

  “Maybe she thinks you're cute.”

  Charlie flexed his arm with a playful smile.

  “Yeah, I am pretty cute. Aren't I?”

  Chapter Two

  Later that afternoon back in their hotel room, Ella stood in front of the full length mirror adjusting her diamond stud earrings. She had styled her hair into a dramatic swirl, pulled into a soft bun in preparation for the evening. She still wore the blue sundress and sandals that she had changed into after their swim.

  “I really can't believe the nerve of her buying me that drink,” Charlie said as he sat on the edge of the bed, buttoning his cuffs.

  “Don't worry about it, honey. It was probably just a professional gesture,” Ella replied.

  “It just gets me. I mean, when I was here for the acquisition I could tell that nearly half the stuff in the museum had to be forgeries. Most of the paperwork was nonexistent. It was a mess.”

  “Why would they get forgeries? It doesn't make sense,” Ella said.

  “Black market,” Charlie continued. “The real artifacts are sold to private collectors; probably sitting in the possession of one Mr. Benjamin Lee. That guy's got enough money to buy the world. Those artifacts belong to the Cayman people. They should be preserved and protected, not passed around like a bunch of overpriced baseball cards!”

  “Honey,” Ella said to him, “there's probably a lot that we don't understand. The Caribbean is a different animal when it comes to the acquisition and preservation of antiquities. We shouldn't rock the boat while we are here. We may need these connections later and we don't want to burn any bridges. Besides, your help with the acquisition is half the reason we got past the waiting list.” She walked over and ran her fingers lightly through Charlie's hair. “Let's forget about it and try to have fun tonight. Okay?”

  Charlie took a deep breath. Then he let his eyes roam over her as if seeing her dressed up for the first time. “You do look pretty smashing in that dress.”

  “That's more like it,” Ella said with a smile.

  “I'll bet you look even better out of it,” he half-joked.

  Ella placed a dramatic hand at her throat and spoke in a mock southern accent. “Why, Mr. Colton! I do declare! I'm a married woman!”

  Suddenly her smile dropped and Ella stumbled backwards, catching herself on the e
dge of the dresser behind her. Her face had gone ashen.

  “Are you okay, Ella?” Charlie reached to try and steady her. He had seen these dizzy spells before. In fact, after last year’s trip to Belize for the Mayan temple excavation, she had gone for an MRI. The results had been inconclusive and she was sent home with a diagnosis of unexplained vertigo.

  “I'm okay,” Ella said, but her voice had taken on the wispy tone he had heard the times before when she had these bouts of vertigo. “Probably just the combination of the heat and drinks from earlier.”

  “Honey, I'm going to get you some medicine from the gift shop, okay?”

  He steadied her arm and helped lower her into the chair.

  “Charlie, I'm fine. I probably just need to eat something.”

  Despite her protest, she rested her forehead on her arm and let him give her a glass of water. Charlie reached over to the bag and unzipped the inner pocket where they had packed the cash. He reached around for a minute or so.

  “Um.”

  Ella lifted her head.

  “What's wrong?”

  “The cash is missing. Did you put it in the safe?”

  “No, what safe?” Ella replied.

  “There's a safe in the closet. I mentioned it when we came in.”

  “I didn't put it in there. I remember having it this morning. I put it back in the bag, right where you’re looking.”

  Charlie got up and walked over to the closet. He punched in some numbers on the small keypad behind his dress shirts, opened the safe, only to find it empty. He returned to the bag and started taking items out one at a time, placing them carefully on the bed next to the suitcase. Ella watched him quietly. The money was gone.