Hunt for the Lost Treasure

Chapter 21 — The Canuck

“With Purdue caught in purgatory we cannot expect him to fund this search, so we will have to shed our predisposed love for luxury during excursions,” Sam half-joked and half-confessed after he’d helped Nina map out their venture to Weather Station Kurt to pick up the trail of the gold that had cost Leslie Michaud her life back in 1981.

“I still think we should just try to make contact to let him know I’m not home, in case he shows up there,” Nina suggested. “He’s going to be crushed that he is missing out on this juicy treasure hunt, poor devil.”

Had Karma bothered to waver in favor of wordplay, she would certainly have caught her breath at Nina and Sam's discussion. But as it were there was no resolve in measuring the affection of gods and wonders, leaving Purdue in the solitude of fond thought, but forgotten to the rest of the world. Purdue's two closest friends were conducting their conversation in wary whispers, occasionally checking the bathroom door to make sure Joanne was still unable to hear them speak, lest she find out that Purdue is not as dead as the newspapers made the authorities believe.

“Are you sure Miss Muffin can keep up with us?” he asked Nina.

“Sam, we’re going to traverse a few hundred miles to a place on relatively flat terrain that probably does not exist anymore. There is probably nobody there, or hasn’t been for years, which greatly reduces the probability of danger the likes of which we are accustomed to. I am sure she will keep up,” Nina elaborated.

“Aye would have sufficed too,” he muttered as he bagged his Canon waterproof, ignoring her amused grin. “Are you sure we will be able to get a boat to hire on this short of notice?”

A rowdy Canadian voice thundered in the open front door. “Dr. Gould, your boat is ready when you are, ma'am!”

Sam turned in awe. At the door stood a mountain of a man, his roughshod look terrifying upon first glance.

“Jesus, it's Jason Voorhees, Nina. I told you this would happen,” Sam gasped at Nina. Desperate to laugh at Sam's realistic reaction, Nina contained herself instead before she could introduce them.

“No, sir. I'm not Jason. He runs the fishing charters to the west. I'm Virgil Hecklund, owner/operator of Hecklund Fisheries right here in merry Goose Bay,” the man corrected the silly Scottish journalist and promptly trudged inside to give the confused young man a hearty handshake. Sam was impressed by Nina's swift organization and elated at her choice of charter. He was always in favor of interesting and amicable characters, especially on long trips.

“An honor, an honor,” the red faced giant smiled at Sam when he made his acquaintance. “Well, can I help you carry anything to the boat, Mr. Cleave?”

“Uh, yes, thank you, Virgil,” Sam replied, only too grateful for the help. He hated lugging gear and luggage around, which was regrettably a huge part of his job. “I would appreciate that.”

Virgil lifted both Sam and Nina's travel bags with ease and walked out with Sam to the boathouse, very keen to get to know his passengers. “So, Mr. Cleave, tell me about this Jason Voorhees you mistook me for.”

Nina laughed, wondering how Sam was going to explain the horror franchise to the sea master who could not care less about anything technologically entertaining. Joanne had just emerged from the shower, drying her hair. “What did I miss?” she asked when she saw Nina's smile.

“Oh, just Sam's foot-in-mouth disease taking Goose Bay by storm,” Nina giggled. “Are you ready, Miss Earle?”

“I am so fucking ready, honey!” the poor reclusive teacher beamed at the prospect of the adventure.

“Do you have the thing?” Nina whispered, checking for Sam in the vicinity.

“Of course I have the thing. How else are we going to get this guy to take us all the way up there on the North Atlantic?” she shrugged.

“I can’t believe you’re willing to part with it,” Nina sighed.

“It’s the only way we can pay for the trip, Nina,” Joanne reminded her.

“I know, I know, but… it once belonged to Alexander the Great, for Christ's sake! Do you know what that thing is worth?” Nina persisted in disbelief of the price her friend put on the opportunity to be part of an expedition.

“Listen, if what Erich the Mad said is true, there has to be more of these,” Joanne mentioned excitedly under her breath, holding up the medallion at Nina. Nina grabbed Joanne's hand and brought it down.

“Don't fucking flash it like that, Earle-girl. If one person here recognizes it we will have trouble, understand?” Nina warned. “It's just that it is so very valuable and worth way more than Virgil's entire fleet.”

“I get that,” Joanne explained. “But Alex had so many of these he wouldn’t miss this one if we gave it to a happy Canuck sailor, eh?”

“Stop making fun of Canadians, Jo,” Nina said playfully. “You’re one too, remember?”

“Which gives me special permission,” Joanne winked.

“Look, what if, God forbid, we don't find anything up there?” Nina exhaled laboriously. “That is a possibility.”

“You are used to this, love. I am as much paying for the adventure and the once in a lifetime experience as I am for the prospect of finding the treasure of one of the greatest and richest kings of ancient history.” Joanne smiled, in awe of what was happening to her. Resting her hands on Nina's shoulders she mused, “I don't know if that would make sense to someone like you, someone who gets to do what others only daydream of — to you it’s just another day. This is my only chance to live — really live — for once. Do you understand that?”

“Aye, more than you know,” Nina had to concede. She did know. When she’d been near death, riddled with radiation sickness and finding cancer knocking at her coffin lid, she’d felt the same… if she could just live, that would be enough. “I understand now. I do, Jo.” She took the coin from her friend and flicked it up in the air. When it landed on her palm Nina could feel the ancient magic of it infuse her. She smiled, holding it up to Joanne. “So let's go find the rest of the family, shall we?”

“Aye, aye!” Joanne yelled gleefully. With the place deserted and no boat in sight from the front door she looked around in confusion. “Great. So… where do I take my stuff?”