Treasure of the Dead

Chapter 23

Maddock and Bones pulled the dinghy up onto the rocky pebble beach and tilted up the outboard motor. The Sea Foam lay at anchor a few yards away in deeper water. Willis remained aboard, though reluctantly. This wasn’t a place to leave their boat unattended.

After getting back in touch with Jimmy, Maddock had learned from him that this location — home of yet another defense installation, Fort de Rocher, was the site of the earliest recorded zombie activity in the region. Set on a remote island off the main coast, and long associated with pirates and treasure, Maddock decided it was worth investigating in person.

Bones gave a low whistle in appreciation of the fort that dominated the island’s central plateau. “Now that is what I call a fort.”

Maddock finished dealing with the dinghy and also eyed the historic building. An imposing stone facade was situated atop a towering rock spire.

“What’s the deal on this place?” Bones asked.

Maddock recalled what Jimmy Letson had told him. “This is a really old one, erected during the 1600s by buccaneers to defend against the encroaching Spanish. Two dozen cannon overlooked the natural harbor, there.” He turned and pointed to where the Sea Foam rocked gently at anchor.

“So how do we get up there?”

Maddock squinted into the sun as he tried to pick out a route up the near vertical rise leading to the fort’s plateau. “Should be a road on the other side. Let’s check it out.” He walked off the beach into a lightly wooded area. Passing through this was easy going, and soon they emerged onto a plain of knee-high grass that directly abutted the stone spire. Seeing no breaks in the smooth stone face, the duo made their way around the spire though the grass. As they turned the first corner and headed left along the wall, Bones suddenly cried out and began flailing his arms.

“What is it?” Maddock jumped to out to the side so as to get a better look at what was ailing Bones. “What the…”

A brown, furry blob about the size of a bean bag had dropped onto Bones’ head from somewhere higher up on the wall.

“Get it off me!”

Maddock rushed to his friend’s aid, but before he could reach him the big Indian rolled out from under the thing and kicked it away from him. It landed on the grass a few feet away, moving.

“Spider!” Bones yelled, watching the oversized arachnid churn its legs in the air while it lay overturned on its back. He assumed a defensive posture, still ready to fight, but he relaxed when it became clear the huge arachnid was now in its own struggle to regain its feet.

“Come on, Bones, you never shy away from a gunfight but you’re scared of this brainless creepy crawly. We’ve got work to do.” Maddock waved an arm and continued moving at a near trot along the wall.

“That’s the biggest freaking tarantula I’ve ever seen! Weird.” With that he joined Maddock on the path around the wall. “Besides, it just surprised me. I’m not…” He cut off when they heard something shuffling their way from around the next corner. Maddock stopped moving and held out a hand. They paused and listened. The shuffling noise continued, like feet sliding across bare earth, moving leaf litter and cracking twigs.

Bones drew out his knife again, and the two men advanced.