All sounds of the storm raging out side the old boat house fadded away as the three scooters studied the map in silence.

Closer and closer the three were drawn to the paper on top of the barrel. The correlation of the coin's markings in the center of the map needed to be adjusted just a little.

Ben reached over to the paper coin to shift it's location just a little. Then!

CRACK-BOOOM! The floor gave way and the barrel, map, and the coin copy were gone in an instant.

The three scooters just stood there, frozen in place, holding the lanterns, looking into a hole in the floor of the boat house where the barrel once stood.

Dust and sand filled the air for a moment and then quickly settled.

Ben Looked up at the others "WOW...Glade we wert standing on that when it gave way"!

"LOOK...It's a passage way entrance...there's a ramp" Ben was holding the lanern over the hole in the floor!

"Well...We need to get the map back" said Sally as she looked in the hole in the floor.

"OK...I'll do it, I'm the smallest" volunteered Vespa as she started for the opening.

Sally looked at Vespa "HOLD ON NOW...first we need to get the rope out of the boat and tie it around you for safety".

Sally quickly opened the boat house door and went out and shortly returned with a coiled, wet rope over her handlebars.

"Let's get you tied up good...we don't want to lose you" said Ben as he gave her a reasuring look.

Once the rope and knot was checked by Sally, Vespa started for the ramp in the floor.

Slowly she started her descent into the darkness. Her head light blassing on highbeam.

Sally looked over at Ben and said as the rope was being let out "She has brave heart".

"The heart of an explorer" Ben responded.

Vespa was just about half way down the ramp when she slid a little on a patch of sand and caught herself on a tree root hanging from the tunnels ceiling. "I'm OK" she yelled up to the boat house.

"DARN IT...BE CAREFUL VESPA" Ben yelled back as he ajusted his grip on the rope!

Soon Vespa found herself at the bottom of the ramp and looked up to see Ben and Sally looking over the edge of the hole with their lanterns.

"Now that was a scrary 30 feet" Vespa said to herself.

"DO YOU SEE THE MAP" yelled Sally down the hole!

"NO...THE BARREL MUST HAVE ROLLED DOWN THE TUNNEL WITH THE MAP" responed Vespa.

Ben looked at the 5 feet rope he held and looked up at Sally. "Is there any more rope in the boat" he asked? Sally just shook her head no.

"CAN YOU SEE THE BARREL FROM WHERE YOU ARE" yelled Sally.

"YES" Vespa responded back. "IT'S ABOUT FOURTY FEET AWAY, I THINK I CAN SEE IT"

"WE ARE OUT OF ROPE, SO WE'LL PULL YOU BACK UP" yelled Ben!

Just then the rope went slack as Bend started to pull her back.

"VESPA"!!!


(c) DennisB 2010

Vespa stood there in the dark and dust filled tunnel for a moment. Her vision was starting to clear and she could see the faint outline of the barrel through the tagled mass of tree roots that pierced the roof of the old tunnel.

"I'll be right back...I can see the barrel at the end of the tunnel" she yelled to her friends just standing feet away at the top of the ramp.

He pushed her way past some of the smaller roots and over the larger ones that stood before her and blocked her way. The rootes sparked with small droplets of water in her head light.

Cold drops of rain water dripped on her from the ceiling. Each one made her shiver as they fell upon her.

Trickles of water where running down the old stone walls gathering into moss filled pools along the now slippery floor.

There at the end of the tunnel, where it tuned to the right, was the barrel... just a few more feet to go.

She made it. The barrel was on it's side with the map still cinging to it's top.

"Thank Goodness" she said to herself and looked to see if she could find the paper coin. It was gone..."no surpise there" she said out load. Her words echoed down the tunnel.

She put the map in her glove box and turned to start the journey back. She could just see the light of the lanterns reflecting off the ramp.

Then she heard it...a wisper of a voice called to her..."Vespa, come see".

She turned back around and moved quickly past the barrel and looked down the unexplored part of the tunnel.

She could see a dim light, far off down the tunnel. Then she heard the whispering voice again..."Vespa, come see".

She started to move slowly down the tunnel toward the dim light and the voice when she slipped on a patch of moss and went down and started to slide further down the dark abyss.

She caught herself on a tree root and stopped herself from slidding any further.

A few moments later she was back on her tires. She stood there in the dark for a moment.

"That's it...enough tunnel exploring for me" and turned back toward her friends in the boat house.

It didn't take her long to get to the ramp and find the rope. "OK...PULL AWAY" she shouted and was quickly hauled up the ramp by her friends.

"Are you OK" asked Ben as Vespa reached the top of the ramp. "Yes...I'm fine and have the map".

"What did you see down there" Sally asked?

Vespa looked deep into Sally's eyes, "It's more of...what I felt and heard" she responed.

"I have never seen a ghost before...and never want to again" she wispered to her friends.


(c) DennisB 2010

The three friends waited in the old boat house for the storm to pass and taking a moment to look at the map once again.

Vespa opened the envelope that she had in her glove box and took out the gold coin. She placed the map on Ben's spoiler and then the coin in the center.

"Now stay still...we need to look at the map" she told Ben. "Darn it...I wanted to look at the map to" Ben said with a fustrated tone of voice.

Vespa and Sally held the lanterns close to the map.

The map had these words along the top edge "I, Captain Gray Beard, in the year of our Lord, 1726. Being the soul survivor of the Marinette and creator of this treasure map, give my full blessing to all that come after me in the quist to find the Gold of the Marinette. BE WARNED... the remainder of the warning was missing, long gone with the passage of time.

"OK...here we are" said Sally, pointing to a small cove on the north side of the island.

"Back in 1726, when this map was drawn, there was nothing on this island except birds, sand, and coconut trees. So we need to look at the island as it was back then and try to ignore all the things that have been changed" Sally told the others.

Sally leaned over the map and coin to get a better look at the way the coins surface markings aligned with the map.

"Look...you see it...how the mark on the coin matches the drawing.

Sally shifted the coin position several times. Many lines coming off the center of the map and going in all directions on the drawing of the island and intersected by other lines at different degrees.

"How does this work" asked Vespa?

"I just don't know" said Sally?

Just then, Ben shifted his position and the coin stood on it's edge, rolled for a moment and then fell over again in a diffrent place on the map.

Sally looked at the coin and map and her eyes got big . "THAT'S IT...YOU FOUND IT, BEN...The way the map and coin work together....Your a Genius"!!

"No...Captain Gray Beard was the genius" replied Ben"

Vespa gave Ben a big hug.


(c) DennisB 2010

"Police Detective Sally...I wonder what she's up to" Doctor LaMain said to himself as he looked north through a telescope from a rain spotted, third story observation tower window and saw the boat tied to the old wooded dock.

"I should find out if the Captain has the map yet" he said to himself.

He turned and headed toward a closed door in the towers floor. He grabbed the handel on the small door and the hinges creeked in disagreement as he swung it open to revel the spiral stairwell that lead down to the main house. A boney handle bar gripping the rail as he decended through the darkness.

As he reached the second floor his old tires found comfort when they rested on the hand made Persian rug that was at the base of the stairwell.

His small, dark shadowy form scurried quickly across the second story room and picked up a lit candle from a small table. He had left the candle there just minutes before going up the obervation tower. The brass handle on the candle holder was cold to his touch but soon warmed.

"I just wish they could figure out how to keep the electrical power on during a storm" he said to himself.

Holding the candle out in front of him, he desended the remaining flight of stars to the main floor in his home.

"Let me see...where did I leave that phone...There it is" he said to himself as the moved to seat himself in the worn leather highback chair in his dusty library. He sat the lit candle on the table next to the chair and sat down on the warm leather.

He carefully pushed the numbered buttons to a memorized phone number and then placed the receiver next to his head and he waited for Captain John to answer.

One ring, then two, then several...but no answer. "I hope he's out doing what I asked him to do" the Doctor said to himself as he placed the receiver back on the phone and leaned back in the chair.

"Police Detective Sally...It must be her bi-weekly visit. I'll just wait here for the knock on the front door" he said to himself and closed his eyes as he waited.


(c) DennisB 2010

The morning was slipping by for the three friends in the old boathouse. After a few more minutes of looking at Captain Gray Beards treasure map and trying out the rolling coin edge theory they decided that the distance between the raised dots along the coins edge equaled close to one meter and that corresponded with the roman numerals that were along side of each line. Now where to begin?

Sally opend the front door of the boathouse and looked at the boat still tied to the dock. "We need to get the equipment, food, and packs out of the boat" she said as she started out the door.

The morning storm had moved North, taking with it the wind and rain. The sun was starting to peek through what was left of the storm clouds sending bright shafts of light into the clear, blue water just off shore.

Vespa and Ben emerged form the boathouse's opened door and stood there on the sand looking at the spectacular sight that was before them.

"Ben...Quick...get a picture of this before it's gone"! Ben already had his cell phone out of the sealed plastic bag he had it in and snapped a couple of pictures. "Got it" he said with a smile on his face.

"Come on you two...we need to get our stuff and head to the middle of the island" Sally said as she was heading for the boat.

Ben put away his cell phone back and started toward the dock and the boat.

After a few minutes the equipment was out of the boat and on their backs. They stopped for a moment on the beach.

"OK... When we get to Doctor LaMain home, I want you two to stay by the front gate with the equipment hidden from view and you both standing in front of the gate so the Doctor can see you.

At this moment, I'm making both of you honorary police investigators...Raise your right hanlebars and repeat after me".

Sally swore Ben and Vespa in, right there on the beach, as honorary police investigators for the police department. Vespa and Ben were very excited about this.

"Now here's the story I'm going to tell the Doctor of why were going to be on the his island for a few days...


(c) DennisB 2010

The three scooters headed east along the islands north shore guided by Sally.

She had payed Doctor LaMain many visits in the past to see if he was OK, since he lived alone and his island fell under her jurisdiction.

A well warn path came into view just around an outcropping of some very large, volcanic looking bolders on the shore. The bolders had the look of being warn down from countless waves hitting them.

The path lead from the beach up into the dense island jungle growth and seemed to disappear in the heavy ground fog that was starting to form on the narrow path in front of them from the recent rain and now the heat of the midday sun.

Island birds and insects sang all around them as they made their way to Doctor LaMain home in the center of the island. The heat of the jungle was stifling to Vespa and Ben as they rolled along following Sally up the pathway.

Soon the they found them selves at a large entree gate. Two tall pliars made up of volcanic stones cemented together and a heavy, black, ornate double wrought iron gate hinged to the pliars.

"This is where we need it take off our packs" said Sally as she swung the heavy load from her back and into the bushes next to the gate.

Ben and Vespa removed their packs as well.

"Now stand here, in front of the gate...and remember...Don't wave...Just nodd if the Doctor looks at you...remember your police investigators now".

Sally pushed open one side of the huge gate and entered. The rusted gate made a loud screeching sound as it opened.

"Well the Doctor knows were here" Ben whispered to Vespa as Sally rolled to the front door of the huge home covered with flowering jungle veins.

Sally stood on the front porch and reached for the doors brass knocker and let them fall three times to announce her arrival. A hollow sound echoed through the old mansion.

Minutes past as Sally waited. Soon the sound of the doors locks being turned could be heard and then the door came open with a groaning sound that could be heard all the way to were Ben and Vespa stood.

There in the open doorway, stood Doctor LaMain....


(c) DennisB 2010

The shadowy figure of the Doctor moved slowly out of the darkened doorway and into the dim light of the midday shade of the porch. He was wearing a long dark hooded cloak that covered him from top to bottom. His face was hidden in the shadows of the hood.

"Good afternoon, Detective...Always a good day when you come to call...I hope this morning's storm didn't get you too waterlogged... wouldn't want you to get sick now" said the Doctor with a mocking concern to his voice.

"Good afternoon to you Doctor LaMain....sorry to bother you, but as you know, I need to check on you from time to time, to make sure your OK out here by yourself."

"Who are they" Asked the Doctor as he raised a bony handlebar from beneath his cloak and pointed past Sally to the gate?

Ben and Vespa saw the Doctor looking at them so they both nodded to him. The Doctors attention returned to Sally.

"The two Detectives by your gate are here for training and to assist me in an investigation of a possible escaped convict hiding on your island." Sally said with a deeply concered look on her face.

"Have you seen any strangers on your island lately" asked Sally?

"No...no one...only you and your friends" replied the Doctor.

"We'll be here for a few of days to do a bit of looking around...if that's OK with you, Doctor" asked Sally.

"You and your assistants can stay here at my home, if you would like, during your little stay on my island" offered the Doctor.

"No...We brought camping gear and food with us...We'll be OK with that, thank you the invitation" said Sally.

"OK then, You can stay...Camp out if you like...just don't make a mess of my island" the Doctor said a he turned and rolled back into his home, slaming the door closed behind him.

Sally stood on the porch for a moment and then turned to go back the gate. She could hear the sound of the door locks engaging from the opposite side of the massive door as she rolled back to the front gate where Ben and Vespa waited.


(c) DennisB 2010

Sally closed and swung the large latch over to secure the front gate.

"OK...Let's go treasure hunting" Salley whispered as she stood out side the gate.

"According to Captain John's map we need to start at the ""Source of life"" on the island" Sally said to the others.

"I think he means a natural fresh water spring" Vespa injected into the conversation.

"A fresh water spring would work well as a source of life" Good job, Vespa!

"I've flown over this island many times on ariel patrol with the department...I think I know where to find the water spring....Let's go".

The heavy equipment packs were once again loaded on their backs and then they were on their way.

They moved slowly along overgrown jungle trials most of the afternoon. The humity in the jungle air was starting to rust their brake rotors and the mud was starting to clog their radiators, causing them to over heat.

"Let's take a break in the clearing up ahead" said Sally. Ben and Vespa nodded in agreement.

As the three stopped to cool down for a few minutes, Vespa heard what sounded like a small stream running just beyond the jungle wall of the little clearing.

After cooling down they followed the sound of the water. They made their way through the heavy undergrowth and found the small stream they've been hearing.

Only a few inches wide surrounded with moss cover rocks and large island ferns.

"Here's where we start" said Sally. "We'll follow the stream up to it's source from here".

Ben and Vespa had their tires resting in the cool water and washing out the jungle mud from their radiators.

"That's much better...Let's go" said Vespa with a voice full of enthusiasm.

Evening was starting to fall for the three treasure hunters... and in the jungle, that happens quickly...


(c) DennisB 2010

The little fresh water stream seemed to get larger as the three treasure hunters followed it up through the islands dense jungle.

Rain water from the morning storm, was still dripping off the heavy vegetation when they found a suitable, flat location where they could pitch their tents and try to get a fire going to cook dinner.

After the camp campsite was sit up, Ben and Vespa went out into the jungle to see about finding some dry firewood.

It wasn't long before the two found a cave that had a good amount of dry wood, stacked just inside the entrance. It took a few seconds for their eyes to adjust to the dim light inside the cave. They could hear water dripping further down in the cave.

Unlit wooden torches were placed in holes in the caves walls and old spider webs hung from the ceiling to the floor.

Ben looked at the spider webs "Looks like no ones been in here for quite a while" and started to geather the wood to take back to camp.

Vespa stood there, looking past the spider webs and into the darkness that was beyond. She wanted to explore the cave and started to roll further and further into the caves darkness. Her front fender just touching the vail of webs that hung before her.

She stopped.

"Vespa...come see" the voice whispered to her. Calling here to explore the unknown beyond the webs.

Again...."Come see" the voice sang to her like in a dream. A voice that couldn't be ignored. A whispering voice that could not be heard by the others.

She started to be pulled in......"VESPA....What are you doing" Ben asked, breaking the still silence in the cave. "Please...Help me with this wood".

Vespa turned and helped Ben with his load of wood and then picked a load for herself.

As she was ready to leave the cave, she turned back and once again looked down into the darkness of the cave.

She turned and then followed Ben out into the fresh cool air and the fading light of the evening.

The setting sun turned the clouds overhead a brillinnt red and orange as they rolled back to camp. Vespa did not notice.

The three made dinner and set by the campfire for the rest of that evening. Vespa wondered if she sould talk to Ben and Sally about the voice in the cave that called her.


And still called to her as she looked into the fire....


(c) DennisB 2010

"Let's see now" Sally said as she looked at the map next to the fire. When we get to the fresh water spring, we need to look for some kind of marker or indicator.

Vespa sat by the fire, looking at the flames and wondering if her friends would understand.... Vespa spoke up.

"Ben, Sally....Something is going on... and I need to talk to you about it".

Both Ben and Sally fell silent and looked at Vespa.

Vespa continued "This might sound like I need to be locked up for being crazy...but I've been hearing a voice that keeps calling me to explore the caves on this island. It calls my name and then asks me to come see something down inside the cave tunnels."

Vespa paused for a moment to look at the expressions on her friends faces, in the fire light, then continued.

"I have no idea who it is...it just wants me to come see something". Vespa added.

"Did you hear the voice when we were in the cave enterance getting the fire" Ben asked?

"Yes" said Vespa. "And it's really starting to bother me" she added.

"Sounds to me like we need to do a little cave exploring tomorrow" said Sally with a smile on her face.

"Then that's what we'll do" added Ben. "We can get an early start".

Vespa sat next to the fire thinking of how lucky she was to have friends like Ben and Sally.

Morning was just a few hours away, so they all turned in for the night.

The shadowy cloaked figure of Doctor LaMain shifted position just a little, just outside of the reach of the light of the camp fire.

"Treasure hunters...BAH...They told me lies" the Doctor said himself.

"Hummm"

"A voice calls her....I thought I was the only one that could hear it's call" he whispered to himself as he moved back into the dark jungle to wait for morning.

(c) DennisB 2010

After being booked and spending the night in the islands jail, Mister Smith was let go under his own recognizes to appear in court in two weeks. He also promised not to leave the island during this time.

He was given back his personal possessions and he rolled out the door.

"I need to get that map back" he said to himself as he headed to Captain John's shop.

He soon found himself standing in front of the Captains nautical shop. He opened the door and rolled in, the small brass bell above the door, anounced him as the door was opened.

"I'LL BE RIGHT WITH YOU" could be heard from the back room and soon Captain John came through the doorway into the front room of the shop.

"O'... it's you...Where's my map" the Captain said with anger in his voice.

"Please...Let me explane to you about what happened" said Mister Smith.

"OK...but make it quick, I have things to do" the Captain responded.

Mister Smith told the story truthfully to Captain John and the Captain could see it in his eyes.

"We need to get that treasure map back...and quick" said the Captain. "But how..."?


(c) DennisB 2010

Time pasted away in the little nautical shop while the Captain and Mister Smith tried to come up with a sane and useful way to get the map out of the police departments evidents room. They talked about it most of that evening and into the night.

Just when the two were about to call it a night, the phone rang in the little shop.

"Hello, Captain John's"

"They have the map...I saw it, here on my island, not more then an hour ago" the voice belonged to Doctor LaMain.

"How soon can you get here" asked the Doctor?

"We'll be there in the morning" said the Captain. Then he hung up the phone.

Early the next morning, both Mister Smith and the Captain were on a boat heading for the island.

Morning came early for the three scooters camping on the island. A small campfire was made and coffee and breakfast was prepared by Ben.

Vespa was the last scooter out of her tent and she had the look of a bike that didn't get enough rest.

"Vespa, did you get any sleep last night" Ben asked with a concerned voice?"

"A little bit...I'm OK...I just need some coffee" she resonded as she looked to the fire pit and the coffee pot.

"You came to the right place...Coffee's strong enough to take rust off a Ford's bumper" Ben replied.

Ben got Vespa a cup of coffee and she sat by the fire as she drank it down.

"We need to leave all our camping gear here as we explore the cave...we'll just need to take along some lunch, climing gear, shovels, and lights" Sally thought for a second. "You said there are two torches at the entrance to the cave...We can use them as well".

Light packs full of the things they needed were put on their backs and off they went.

It wasn't long before they reached the caves entrance and they went in.

Vespa stood outside for a moment longer to geather her courage and then she followed the others in.

As their eyes got ajusted to the dim light in the cave Ben noticed that there was only one torch mounted in the cave wall. The other was gone.

"Were not alone here" Sally whispered to the others as she looked at the veil of spider webs that were now showing signs of being burnt and pushed to one side. A set of new motorcycle tracks were in the dust of the cave floor...going in and not coming out.

"We need to be very careful in here...stay close to me" as Sally brought out her 9mm Beretta.

They lit the one torch and started to move into the cave...


(c) DennisB 2010

The boat carrying Captain John and Mister Smith moved closer to the old wooden dock where Sally's police boat was tied up.

"Detective Sally is here" the Captain whispered.

They meneuvered their boat to the other side of the dock and they both jumped onto the old wooden structure and it creeked from the heavy load.

"When I was a kid, we used to play in the tunnels on this island" said the Capain as he tied up the mooring lines. "There was an entrance in the boat house as I remember...A trap door leading down into the island and coming up near the the Doctors house".

"Lets take it so we wont run into Detective Sally" Mister Smith agreed knowing full well that he broke the conditions of his release from jail.

Captain John led as they rolled off the dock and onto the shore and up to the old boat house.

When they got to the boat house the door was standing open and from outside they could see the trap was open as well.

"What do you want to do" whispered Mister Smith?

"I have another way in besides the trail and the boat house...Let's get back to the boat" replied the Captain.

The two rolled back to their boat and headed to the south side of the island.

The islands south side was rocky and even more over grown with dense jungle vines. No sandy beaches could be seen from the water. Just large volcanic rocks and vines all the way to the water.

The Captain pointed the boat toward the island and gunned the boatmotor.

They moved faster and faster, straight toward a heavy gathering of vines hanging off the rocks into the water.

Mister Smith looked back at the Captain driving the boat and yelled "ARE YOU CRAZY...YOUR GOING TO KILL US"!

The little boat was at it's top speed when it hit the vine wall.


(c) DennisB 2010

A moment later Mister Smith opened his eyes and found himself in a very dark water cave, as dark as any moonless night. The smell of moist, stale air filled his intake and old spider webs lightly brushed by his face as they moved deeper into the cave.

"Well it looks like I didn't kill us after all" said the Captain as he turned off the boat motor and pulled it up and out of the water in a locked position behind the boat.

"From here on, we use the paddles...You do know how to use a paddle" the Captain asked?

Mister Smith picked up the paddle next to him and looked over the side of the boat. Millions of small shrimp were flashing brightly all around the boat. "It almost looks like the night sky in summer" Mister Smith remarked.

"Please, start paddling...We have just a little ways to go before we get to the end" The Captain urged.

They paddled for a few minutes and soon the small water tunnel opened up into a larger cave room. On the left side, a large flat boat landing with rusted mooring rings lined it's edge. Rusted chains with wheel restraints lined the wall of the platform.

"For the slaves that came through here long ago..a sad part of history...but history never the less" the Captain said from behind Mister Smith as they approched the landing.

"Go ahead and tie the bow line...I'll get the aft" said the Captain.

Carved rock stairs leading up to another platform over looking the cave. A large, heavy wooden door stood closed and latched at it's end. Unlit wooden torches placed in holes in the wall, follwed the stairs up to the second paltform.

The Captain and Mister Smith climbed out of the boat and rolled over to the stairs leading up to the second platform.

They climbed the rock stairway and approached the door. The Captain reached out and pushed the rusted latch open and the door opened with a growning sound that echoed loudly through the cave.

Behind the door was a dark passage way...leading up into the island.


(c) DennisB 2010