Jurgen's Keep - Part 1

I wish I did not embark on the expedition to the Caribbean Island, I was young and foolish to think I would find my riches and retire from this life as an explorer for the hidden rich. This all began in 1979, I was reviewing some scroll photos that were given to me by a patron to see if they were worth the buying price. I was busy reading through the Persian text when I heard a ring from my door. Annoyed at the interruption I go up and left my study to answer the door but paused halfway as I could not remember if it did ring then just as I was about to turn I heard it again and this time I was sure and went to answer the door. I looked through the spy hole and saw a figure standing on the other side looking at the plaque next to the door. I unchained the security lock and undid the locking bolt; I opened the door slowly to reveal and old man standing there.

 He looked pale from the light that shone on him from my door light and since I was already engaged, I let him know that I would not be available for the better part of the week and that he should come back after, that was when he held up the stone tablet for me to see. It was double the size of his palm and could see that it was light as he held it out without any indication of discomfort of weight.

Intrigued by this I let him and led him to my study; I then invited him to sit on a chair across mine as I then asked him about the tablet. He began with a tale of his client purchasing an island from a country in the Caribbean area for a private retreat for himself and his family. While digging up the foundation they found a hidden room after a few feet of digging and upon further exploration the room, as it would seem, was a sort of hidden bunker for a person to hide away. It was suspected that I might have belonged to a pirate of the past, but the room was too barren to be that and that the only item of interest found there was this tablet that he still held on to. For me to examine the tablet I was to be sworn into secrecy as the client did not want archaeologists to come sniffing around and stopping his plans for a retreat he invested in heavily. I agreed and we shook to that and was given the tablet.

The tablet was sort of rounded rectangular in shape, lighter than it looked, and it was smooth and not porous as would have been expected. On it was writing something in a text I had not exactly seen before so I had to use examination table magnifier to see better but looked up, the old man sat and watched me silently in all this so I finally broke from the revere and asked if I could hold on to it and he agreed. All that was needed for me to sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement or NDA that he carried in his inner coat pocket. Reading through the document it looked like every other NDA I had signed before, even from the Museums, and proceeded to sign and put my personal stamp on it to make sure. He then promptly got up and requested if he could leave, I found this odd and mentioned this to him. This time he actually smiled for the first time and said that his duty was to make sure I received the tablet and signed the NDA. He was not a lawyer or anything of importance but just a messenger and that the client would call in a later date. I asked about my fees upfront but did not get an answer but still I persisted and all I got was that the client would let me know.

Seeing the mysterious man out I forgot to ask for his name, and he just said that he goes by the name of John.

Odd.

I was left standing at my doorstep as he walked down the street and turned the corner to disappear as suddenly as he had come. It was September and the day looked like it would continue with its pouring of rain, the old blighty never let me down when it came to rain. The smell of the rain was thick and the wind was not gusty but just a cold breeze, I stood there looking around to see if there was anyone around walking or otherwise but it was quiet. Old Mayhew seemed she was busy as I would have seen her peeking from her living room window so I turned and returned to the photos, I left the tablet on my examination table for the while. To surmise on the photos they were fake and I informed my client of this, he thanked me and paid the balance of my fees though slightly disappointed.

The next day I sat and started reading and recording the writings on the tablet, they were not English but a form of creole language. This could be a sailor born in the time when the colonisation within that region had settled and he, or she, may be a first generation settler. The carvings were rough but there was some elegance to it hence my assumption of a woman’s hand in this carving. It took me the better part of 3 hours to recreate the text on paper as there were areas that were smoothed out by age and wear. Once that was done I re-read the text and tried to decipher the message, also kept wondering why anyone would write anything on something like this. It could be just a lover’s letter that the intended recipient could use a good luck charm which would make this mysterious client happy or something else. Cross referencing languages of the region in the age did not bear much fruit, widening the language circle bore some fruit but not enough. I was stumped for the moment so I decided to take a break as I had been working for more than 7 hours on this and the rain outside looked like it wanted to break my windows down. I decided to then contact Chloe but stopped as I had not been paid or had a solid reason to pursue this project.

I walked to my kitchen and brewed some coffee and while I waited I switched on the tv to see if there was anything of interest for me, ruminating on the text I happened to look out my kitchen window when I spotted something in the corner of my eye. In my small garden there was an unusual shadow in the further corner that looked like someone was standing there, moving closer to the window a flash of lighting illuminated the area and it showed that there was nothing there. It seemed that I was working much too hard on this project.

I decided to hold any further investigations till I received a call from this client whom I did not know anything about save the company called Terra Cross Co. Limited. This was another thing that made me wonder, I have never heard of this company. Maybe the company could be a sort of front company that a person would use for such delicate matters, my services were not exactly legal but in a grey area between real archaeology and plain tomb robbing. The rich clients I worked with would contact me to authenticate artefacts that were “procured” from a market to which I would be paid my fee to make sure they were not swindled, many times they were and as such it sort of plays in the park of Karma.

A thief stealing from a bigger thief.

I had received a request to look through some inscriptions found by a farmer that the Museum thought was fake so that sort of cleansed me of my fascination of the tablet so I took it up. The pay was not my usual, but I considered it a form of public service, the inscription was Norse and it was a sort of eulogy to a warrior or wife. The farmer who requested this was happy to hear and now could force the Museum to pay up and have a team clear up the space for him to farm on. Turns out the site was not a burial ground but a campsite so any finds could be counted as a form of road diary, unusual in the place they were found but honestly I did not bother too much. If I did it would then come to light on what I exactly did and the questions by some so called experts would leave me wanting to move to another country.

After that I periodically looked again and would try but honestly I had a few other requests that needed my attention and the client still had not bothered to call me so I let it sit in the shadow while I worked on other projects. Still after 3 weeks I finally decided to just sort it or it will eat at me.

I widened my language search areas which now included bastardised versions of Latin, Spanish and French and still this did not get me anywhere, I then decided to treat this as a cypher. Looking at the letters more closely and the placement I could see that this was indeed a sort of code that hid the message in plain sight. I was no cryptographer but my job demanded I learnt it for the sake of thoroughness.

I re-wrote the entire message in a grid format to see how to make it work. At first I thought of using 4 columns but after consideration the number of 5 letter words I changed to that after that I started checking for repeating letter and made note of them. Substituting a few letters before and after and then reading the message top to bottom instead of the left to right I managed to finally crack this tablet. It took roughly 5 hours to do so but the effort was worth the time.

“Jurgens Keep is safe. All goods are locked, not much time left. If you are reading this then know no one is waiting. No one is left to wait. The crown has found us.”

Odd.

First the message was shorter than I expected and this reference to Jurgen’s Keep bewildered me further, I have never heard of the place. I checked my old charts and maps but found no reference or information to guide where to look. Looking at the translation I took the page and burnt it, memorising the contents and how to decipher them I placed the tablet in the study safe. After this I say back and riffled through some old letters to see if there was any more work I could look through. I then called Chloe and asked her to look into this, she sounded like she was about to leave.

“Jurgens Keep, never heard of it. You said it was from a Caribbean site. Well honestly that place is like a junk pile, I would have to dig in the worst places like the old dusty archives. And where do I look anyway, I have a few things to do also.”

“Look Chloe, I think a better place would be the archives of crime records would better. The line saying “The crown has found us” tells me that they were being hunted by the royal navy then. I know before your say anything I will add 20% on top of our usual arrangements.”

She agreed and will contact me.

A week later I received a phone call from an old acquaintance asking if would join him for a drink at our usual spot to which I agreed and left my home. It was a good distraction as he was a professor at a University lecturing on Art and history. It was funny that we both were students of History but only I took if further.

“Say M, have you ever heard of Jurgen’s Keep by any chance in the Caribbean area during the conquests?” M looked puzzled for a moment then said he had never heard of this before, I told him that I was reading some old notes I found in my old boxes and came across this name. He laughed saying that most of the notes I made were full of Holy Grails that would make for good adventure novels for kids, I laughed with him on that. Still after a while he sat back and mentioned that a few years ago he was asked by his old teacher to re-check the maps in the pacific sea as there were some anomalies he discovered when a team of scientists came across a ruin closer to Marian’s Trench. The ruin as it turned out was a settlement on an island that might have sunk due to a volcanic eruption or seismic activity. I looked like he had just handed me another holy grail story and we both laughed it off, he knew I would never bother mounting an expedition and nor would I contact anyone to check. I preferred my desk and home. These kind of stories were red herrings as sunken islands were far and few but not many had the mystique that would conjure up the fabled Atlantis, that place would closer to Iceland than in the Pacific.

I left him at about midnight and made my way home, in the taxi I kept thinking about what he said but then filed it away in my mind as it was not relevant right now for this case. Exiting the cab I noticed that there was a car in front of my home and there was someone standing near my door. Caution did not wake up as I was slightly inebriated, so I walked up to my place and found myself looking at an old lady, she looked to be about 50 and had a plain face that looked at me with disinterest. “My client would like to speak to you about the artefact that was given to you about 5 weeks ago.”

I asked about John and she said he had served his purpose and was no longer in the picture. I nodded and then proceeded to open my door, she stood to the left of the door and waited for me to open the door and switch on the lights. Entering my home I looked about to see if all was well and I could see everything seemed ok and I asked the lady to enter, she did not give me her name but asked to be called Jane. I really hated charades, and this was really grating my nerves, I made I known to her by mentioning that what ever she wanted will have to be spoken after my deposit has been made. I had spent roughly 5 days on the tablet and found out about some work that I almost lost because of the thing. “My client will only pay after it has been confirmed that you know what is the message, you will have to accept his word on this matter as there was another discovery on a sand bank in the same island.” I looked at her with even more disinterest, “at this stage I cannot bother, please take the object. I managed to read what was written and have memorised it. As for the message why not ask someone who is more amiable to all this cloak and daggers. I, for one, cannot take is any further as there are projects I am currently working on and the payment for them has been made.”

Jane looked confused, “I am sure you know you our employer is?”

No.

She smiled for the fort he first time. We were, by now, seated at my living room next to my fireplace. I looked at her even more confused now and she was the same, taking a thick envelope from her purse she handed it to me. I took it gingerly as it was evident that there was some weight to this item.

Inside the envelope was another type of tablet just like the smaller one but here the text was a little more worn as I could see it may have been buried in a less than ideal place. I put back into the envelope and handed it back to Jane. “It has no bearing to the other, this one is just a score sheet used by slavers on how many they have ferried to the colonies. Its not recorded history but several captains marked successful trades on such tablets as parchment and ink were not the best in keeping such records should water find its way next to them.”

Jane was impressed by this and tucked the envelope away; she then handed me a slip of paper. I took it and read the contents to find a phone number, I looked at here and she shook her shoulders. Honestly at this point I was ready to abandon this but something in my conscience was not having it and found my self dialling the number. The line on the other side rang for a moment and I heard someone pick up, there was silence for a moment and the man’s voice spoke. “Hi, who is calling?”

I gave my name and mentioned that “Jane” gave me the number to which the person on the other side then asked for a moment as it seems the person on the other side may have picked the call in a busy side of their house. 2 clicks and few curses later the person then spoke in a more relaxed manner.

“Sorry for this shadow business but as you might have guessed I need to reduce the amount of exposure to this as much as possible given my circumstances. I am Mr. Rodney, you might not know me as I keep my dealings on the quiet side. I deal mainly with trade logistics and the like so my clients are the type who do not like me to be very open with my life. I was pointed your direction by an acquaintance who told me that you are the best and most discreet solution to my problem.”

I remained silent for a second longer and then replied, “Well met Mr. Rodney, forgive my bluntness but usually I take payment upfront in such matters as I have had client abscond such matters when they find they were conned. On the matter of the first tablet I managed to read the contents and can recite them only when I receive my payment of, after which I will let you know everything I have managed to find.”

It was the turn of the voice on the other side to remain silent, I heard a quiet muffle as though he was speaking to someone with the hand covering the microphone. “Sorry about that, I have a small party at home going on. Mrs. Winters will give you your payment. Look I know you like your privacy but look at my situation I in the same kind of boat but mine has many more holes that leak. If really have solved the code then we must meet, Mrs. Winters has a ticket with your name on it and also details on where you will be staying, I don’t want to hear that you like it there but honestly you need some sunshine in your life. I have more to show but I cannot spend the time to take photos and send them you better come here and sort this shit out. My house building is delayed because of this.” The phone cut off from there, I wanted to protest about my abrupt call to leave my home but as soon as the line went dead so did my will. I looked at Jane, now Mrs. Winters, and she just shrugged. “Mr. Rodney is a client of my client here do I am obliged to follow instructions, as for John he was just a messenger that we use when we need to make sure we have the discretion we need.” With that she leaned forward to dig into the larger leather bag she was carrying to bring forth a larger envelope which contained my payment and tickets. How they managed to attain my passport number and copy I have no idea but it seems that whoever this Mr. Rodney was has a deeper connection with the world I live in.

Looking at the flight details I saw that I had only 2 days to make arrangements and clear any open projects. This was annoying and never before had been put in such a situation, I was about to protest again but Mrs. Winters abruptly got up and left, thinking to myself I just sat that asking my self what in the world had I gotten involved in.

2 days flew by, there were more calls I had to make than needed to make sure my home was looked after, Agatha my housekeeper assured me that she would be on call should I need confirmation on my home’s safety. I knew she would probably use the time to really clean the place as I would limit her from areas such as my study and room. Agatha worked for me for over 6 years and came as a recommendation from an old friend, she looked after my place like her own and treated me like a son, I preferred her company as she spoke less but was just as attuned to her work as I am. Where I made a mistake or did something she frowned upon I would hear it so in some way helped me keep my sanity when things or people aggravated my nerves.

On the day of departure, I finally received the information I had requested from a fellow researcher and the quantity made me pause as it contained roughly 200 pages of information and map copies. Carrying that past customs would not be a problem but how would I carry all these pages at all was another matter as I had a small leather case, and my clothes were in another bag that would not accommodate these pages. Using a shopping bag as temporary measure I made my way to the airport. At Heathrow I wandered around in the duty-free shops while I waited for my flight, the flight was at midnight, and I was 3 hours early which gave me time to find something to help me find a better bag to carry the documents. I found a bag that would also work as a hand luggage and bought it, after this made my way to first class lounge where I could wait.

Settling down at a table nearer to the window I ordered a cup of tea and decided against going through the documents as I would end up missing my flight should the information prove to be more engrossing. Next to me was a lady who was smoking a cigarette reading a book, there were few other people in the lounge but none were of any interest. Looking at the dividing glass wall I saw the number of people flying on coach many of which looked like the people who would look at me strangely. I sipped my tea and waited, now I wished I had carried something to read.

When the call to board was made I was in the middle of a thought exercise for a project that I had been mulling over the past few months. Looking up at the hostess I picked my bag and made my way to the portal and handed my ticket for confirmation and followed an elderly gentleman to the plane. I watched as he slowly limped his way to the flight and gingerly walked into the plane and limped his way to his seat, I slowly followed and was shown my seat which was on the other side but 1 seat down. I settled for the flight and decided against sleeping and brought up the pages of research and a notebook which I bought for this purpose. The lady who sat near me in the lounge was a seat ahead had just come in an saw my tray with papers and gave a wondering look which I duly ignored.

As the flight was finally underway I started with the top sheet of the bundle and read the letter from her, it was short but I could see from the tone it looked like she was also interested in the outcome.

Dear .

Whatever you are looking for looks like a treasure of some sort but not the usual as whatever references I found lead me to the one place we both avoid like the plague. The Vatican had put out a request for a ship that was supposed to have been carrying something from the new world but did not make it. For some reason just after you asked me about this Jurgens Keep I was also asked by another friend of ours on something similar. The ship in question is called “Pilgrims Voyage” or something like that but honestly I did not bother. What really bothered me was that it was raided by privateers and was sunk off the Caribbean archipelago, your Jurgens Keep from what I managed to dig up was supposed to be the privateer ship not a fort. All the information I found is based on here say of convicts. As always expect my payment but this time please add a few more pounds as I feel like I shook a hornet’s nest.

Chloe.

 

Again. Odd.

I had never known Chloe to sound so scared, whatever I now involved in may be a problem as now it seemed that the Vatican is looking for the same in an entirely different angle. Looking at the highlighted notes in the following pages I made notes of what was recorded within. I knew that I had to destroy all these pages, save the maps, once done as I they were records from the public prosecution from 1700 – 1850. Unlike what we have today nothing was redacted but what was of note was that names of the convicts were stricken through. From what I knew was that in that time stricken names meant that the individual was executed and this was in a way to let others know that justice was carried out. Reading through the public library I had found a lot of old practises that were strange today but actually saw that it helped reduce confusion when looking for person who may been just serving a prison sentence rather than being executed.

More confessions and other spoke about a Mutiny that was carried out by a former slave who formed a splinter group on another ship called Ocean Spear. How Chloe managed to dig all this in just 2 weeks was beyond me still I was impressed. Another name was also recorded, Mr. William Greer. Mr. Greer was supposed to be a privateer who may have been a skipper on Jurgens Keep, details again become hazy as confessions during this time were made under duress.

After about 100 pages or so I came to pages from a journal of a storekeeper. The pages were truncated only to the voyages to the new world but from. From what I read they mentioned rumours of the Keep being on the prowl near the colonies of the southern colonies and not the Caribbean areas. Apart from just passing references there was not much, still reading through even more I could surmise that that the Jurgens Keep kept a very low profile and may have just been an opportunist. The exploits of Black Beard and his kind were well known but it is these small privateers that really were the cause of the pirate myths, they would attack merchants and pilgrims alike taking what see a good plunder, raping and killing all whom they found while scuttling the ship to hide their exploits. It was lucrative, brutal and efficient way of working the trade routes that forced the companies that worked on the routes to band together to keep them at bay.

Jurgens Keep was odd to me as apart from confessions and passings notes I had nothing solid. No mention of the captain nor its true crew were found in all the pages. I had a look at the maps and routes that I may have been used by this ship and I could see that it kept close to the incoming routes rather than the out going that were more lucrative.

I sat back finally from all this and looked up to give me eyes a rest and could see the whisps of smoke coming up from the seat ahead, the lady was awake also. I looked at the time and it was 4 am and still 6 hours to go before we land, I got up to stretch my back and legs with a goal to see who else was awake. Standing on the aisle I could see most were asleep, only I and the lady were awake, she was still reading and did not look up to see me. Before visited the washroom I put the documents in the bag and locked it, then walked to the washroom. I was just after the place the hostess was, I passed them and could see one was asleep also while the other was busy with something. I walked in to the large room relieve myself and wash my face, my sleep patterns were a real pain to me as some days I could get my 7 hours sleep and others I would be wide awake the whole night and this flight was not helping. Leaving the washroom I stopped by the hostess and asked if could get a glass of scotch and some ice, she obliged me with a smile and asked if there was anything else I needed I asked if sleep was on the menu with a smile as I returned to my seat. She smiled back sympathetically, and I shrugged, as I returned to my seat I could see that the lady had also tucked in for the rest of the journey. I examined the lock on my new bag and could see what it was in the same position as I left it, I was too paranoid sometimes but it was how I trained myself.

Going back to the maps I sipped my whisky and mused on the why the routes did not make sense, the ships that were coming in were full of people looking for a fresh start and did not carry much in value. Ships coming from settled colonies were full of goods and gold plundered by the colonists, or missionaries, that were prize of many privateers. The Spanish ships were most prized as the southern colonies were richer in precious gold and stones, I did not see why the Keep was staying away from these routes.

As the warmth from the whisky wormed it way into my system I could feel the sleep follow, so I wrapped up my research and settled in for some sleep. I woke to the captain informing us that we were 30 minutes away from landing and I woke to a slight haze, carefully stretching my hands I looked around to see most were awake and looking out the windows. I opened mine to see the sea from above and it was something I rarely see in real life. I felt a little excited to be in such a place, some part of me felt a tug at apprehension. I rarely left the confines London for work, most of the time I spent at home going through research and if I need something from outside I would have Chloe or Hans (my other source) to track down my information.

I had a sandwich before the last call and a glass of orange juice, I made a note to call Agatha once I got to the hotel. Once we landed leaving the plane and immigration was a breeze as I was flying first class, I could really get used to this, and since I did not have much luggage the immigration people waved me through. In the arrival section I had no idea who was to meet me until a saw a man holding a sign with my name from the hotel I was booked to stay.

“Mr.? Welcome to Miami, it’s a 80 minute drive to the hotel. Would you like to freshen up at restroom before we leave?” I nodded and was taken to another section of the airport past a few shops that had a mixed number of items. Given the heat I was feeling I knew the clothes I carried were too thick for the weather here so I asked if I could stop at one shop to get a better pair of clothes before I visited the washrooms. I picked out a few plain pastel-coloured shirts and cotton trousers for this trip and a few pairs of slip on shoes, before I could pay for the clothes the man had already paid.

“Mr. Rodney asked that all expenses be covered for your stay here. My name is Warren, lets get you freshened up and on the road. The car AC will be your best friend if you know what I mean.”

I followed him to the washrooms which were to my surprise quite well furnished and I took this opportunity to have a shower and brush my teeth the complimentary brush and paste. Putting on the lighter clothes I immediately felt better and less burdened by the heat. I followed Warren to his car and got in, it was parked in the VIP section of the airport so we did not have to wander about the parking for the car. This only deepened my question as to who this Mr. Roney was. He was more connected than I initially thought.

As soon as the AC cooled the insides of the car I was feeling better, the drive to the hotel was filled with wonder as I saw the large hotels and the number of people on the streets. The cars and bright façade of the city it was like I was looking at the world in a kaleidoscopic haze of colour. People walking around with less clothes than I thought possible at times and the mix of different cultures really made me feel like this was an alien world rather than earth. I sat in the back observing the passing views and felt like if I lived here I would probably be fuelling myself with drugs and alcohol just to keep my sanity. This would be the first and last time I come to this city, if I want to see the beach again I will open a magazine.

The Hotel was called The Gilded Reef, I had never heard of it. Driving up to the hotel it did not have the same feel as the ones I had seen on drive up here, I had a long lawn so It sat further away from the road which made it look like this was a place for exclusive customers only. We stopped at the entrance to the hotel and it was like any hotel I have been to, glass doors on the front with doormen waiting for patrons to come. A younger looking man opened my door and welcomed me to the hotel, Warren who was in the process of opening his door mentioned that Mr. Rodney will be in touch. I followed the young man to the reception, my bags were brought by another. At the reception I was greeted by a lady who took my passport and let me know I was booked to the penthouse suite compliments of Mr. Rodney. I thanked her and was led away to the elevator by a host, he ushered me to the elevator and punched in the floor number, top floor.

I had a few questions but could not ask as it would seem that this person would not give them either, he kept his eyes trained on the floor counter. The elevator dinged once we reached the floor and the doors opened, I waited for the young page to move forward and he hesitated for a second then moved and I followed suit. Walking down a corridor to the room he placed my bags on the floor and then fished in his jacket to produce a keychain and then opened the door. He stood aside and ushered me to enter first, curious I entered. The room it was not, in fact this was more an apartment as it had a sitting area with large windows looking at the beach. The View was very soothing to me, there was a kitchen to the right of me and to the left were stairs leading to where I supposed were the rooms, 2 rooms to be exact. The price for 1 night must cost a lot but it seemed that Mr. Rodney was quite well off to afford my stay here, or maybe that this so called room must afford a little more privacy. The page gave me a short tour of the place by showing me where the locks on the doors were and the rooms and their amenities, the fridge was a feast for the alcoholic as it was well stocked. Finally he indicated the 2 phones that were on a desk, 1 was for the hotel while the other was for direct calling out without having to bother the reception switch board. I nodded through all this as it would seem that he tried to cover all questions I may have before I could think of them, he was from the way he moved around, the one who looked after guests of this room.

I gave him a 50-dollar tip before he left, he looked at the note and then at me slightly confused. I asked him if I had offended him or something he nodded, he enlightened me as most of the guests who would stay in this room were the worst tippers and had even more deplorable habits. I told him that I serve those kind of people also and know what it is like hence the 50-dollar thank you. He then smiled and let me know if there was anything I needed, even private requests to call 069 as a person manning that line is the specific concierge to these rooms. I thanked him and then hazard a question as to who was Mr. Rodney. He looked at me with a wry smile and informed me that he indirectly owned the hotel but not to worry as all cost have been covered. Again I thanked him and let him be on his way.

Turning back to my apartment, rather than room, I made for the fridge to dig out a bottle of soda water and found that they call them seltzers here. Then turned to a cabinet that housed the other alcohols to look for some whisky, single malt to be precise, and poured my self 2 fingers and some seltzer to help me now relax. I took a set on the chair overlooking the beach and watched the mostly empty beach and then to the sea itself, the room was chilled by AC so it found myself floating away in the revere of the moment. After 2 glasses I felt the pang of hunger and made my way to the desk with the phones and looked for a menu to order, there was none. I picked the receiver and dialled for the hotel restaurant and asked why I did not have a menu, they informed me that penthouse I was in had a more personalised menu that would be preset by the people before they checked in. I had not done that so I had the option to order whatever I wanted and they would prepare it, I order a steak dinner as it was the easiest thing I could think of eating. The lady asked if I wanted a menu sent up with the meal and I accepted that, I also asked for some fresh juice to best as I could not find any in the refrigerator. As I replaced the receiver I was about to turn to leave and the other phone rang, I picked it and a familiar voice spoke on the other side “welcome to Miami Mr. , sorry for all the hush hush style of working but I needed to keep a lid on things as there are people who might look at my affairs a little more closely if they knew who you were. Also if you need anything you might have been told what number to dial so go wild my friend and hope I find you in one piece tomorrow.” He laughed and then spoke again. “Have you managed to dig anything up about that thing?”

I mentioned that I did and just as I was going to inform him on what I found he interrupted me and told me not to speak any further and that he would come to me so we can talk in private. I asked him when he would be coming and he mentioned that we would meet either tomorrow or later tonight but it was all upon his current schedule. With that out of the way he then asked how my flight was and how was the hotel suite, I mentioned that it was looking for some company for the night he was not going to come, he laughed heartily at this and said he will organise something then said that he will meet me tomorrow once I have been properly welcomed to America. Our conversation ended and the door bell rang signalling my dinner was here, I opened the door and a waiter was on the other side with a tray on hand with a bottle of Whisky.

He set the tray on the dinner table for me and set about to the cutlery for me while I had a closer look at the Whisky, it was from a good distillery from Scotland and what was more interesting was that the vintage was 24 years. This was good whisky, even better than what I had, I set it down and the waiter picked it, opened it, and poured 2 fingers in a fresh glass for me. He also had a small container with ice in it ready for me, after all this he left with the used glass and opened bottle. I sat down to my dinner and exquisite would be an understatement, the steak was to my liking of medium rare as the juices poured out with flavour of the beef, the fat rendered to an almost velvety consistency and the sides just added to the flavours that my mouth was trying to grasp. The whisky made the meal just as unforgettable as the smooth smoky flavour enhanced the meaty flavours, I only regretted the meal had to end. I was not much of a hearty eater but this meal let me know I did not know anything about food, I sat back and continued to sip my drink and let all the cloud in my mind float away as I sought clarity.

A little later the door bell rang again and I looked through the spy hole to see a lady on the other side, I opened to see a rather pretty woman standing outside. She smiled with pearly white teeth, “Mr. , I am here on request of our friend. I hope its not too late.”

“No, no. Please come in, I was just enjoying a drink. Would you like some?”

She shook her head as she stepped in, “I see you are from out of town, what would your pleasure be?”

I blinked at this as I rarely, if ever, had the pleasure to hire an escort. I mentioned this to her and her smile did not falter, “well then we can start slow and work our way from there.” I agreed and the night went on the way it should.

The next morning I laid out 400 dollars for her next to her purse as I entered the shower, I normally wake up at 4 as this was the time I felt my mind was most active. Jet lag was not much a problem for me as I had honed my mind to accept all unexpected situations and work around them. I did not know exactly why I did this but for some reason It worked, and I just preferred this now, I did not drink until I could not walk and did not eat to my fullest as it kept me from exercising my mental faculties. Also the fact that many clients would show up in the early hours of the morning to avoid detection by unwanted eyes which also led my need to sleep only as much as I needed to work.

After the shower I stepped out to see that she was still asleep and I made my way back to the table only to find that it was cleared out by someone, I was about to have a heart attack when I realised that the waiter left a note on the table.

“Good evening, as per hotel policy we normally do not check in on our guests but as your patron requested to make sure all possible care was to be taken to your comfort we cleaned up and made sure all is well. Apologies if this caused any inconvenience.”

I set it down and looked at where I had left my bags and saw nothing was touched, I took a relieved breath and set about to look at the documents again and my notes. I may have continuously worked till about 8 as the lady, whose I had all but forgotten, came down. “You are an early bird I see, thank you for the tip but I was already paid upfront.”

“Keep it, I liked your company my lady and you gave this old toad something to smile about.”

She laughed at this, “you are a gentleman, I would not call you a toad. You are a looker and I mean that, just next time an extra hour in bed would be nice.” With this she left me with a kiss to the cheek. I smiled back and watched her leave.

After this distraction I went back to my work and noticed that Chloe left me tell tale signs on some maps, there were faint marks for me to find. They seemed random at first but reading them and then transferring what I saw on my notebook I could see they were markers of incidents or references. Cross checking with the confessions I could see that a pattern was being made, looking at the names did not bring anymore light but what I could see is that chronologically there was a pattern that was just out of reach. I wanted to keep looking but I could see that nothing would come out from the confessions so I decided to gather up the confessions and bundle them up so I can have them incinerated. Looking at the maps further I could see that all routes were related to incoming ships and they seemed to draw a kind of master route that led me to believe that the captain was avoiding particular routes that now brought a bigger question, what was being shipped out from the southern colonies that Jurgens Keep was eager to avoid.

By the time I sat back I could see it was already 12 noon and I was hungry again, this time I thought I should go down to the restaurant and take in the atmosphere. While doing that I would rather see the bundle be destroyed personally, that would give me some peace. I gathered the maps I was looking through and locked them up in the room safe then after some debate removed them and hid them behind the refrigerator. Checking on how I looked in the lighter clothes and my hair I left the room and double checked that I locked it. I made my way to the lift and punch the down button and waited. Looked around me and could see that the other rooms were also occupied but the “Do not disturb” tags were placed on the doorknobs. I checked the time and it was 12:45, I was feeling light as I did not have more than a cup of coffee in me to keep me going. The lift dinged and opened to reveal and empty interior, I took a short breath of relief and took a step in. The lift was lined with mirrors so it made me feel like larger than normal and from the way the rails were it seemed that some guests may have used them for other forms of support, none that really needed to be mentioned here. I waited as it made its way to the ground floor, the smell within was odd as it smelt like it was just washed with medical bleach that slight acidic smell was light but I could not forget such a scent. There was a potpourri scent applied to mask the bleach scent but I had a past with that scent so I remembered it well and could pick out. Once the elevator reached the ground floor it dinged again and the doors opened to reveal a concierge waiting for me, he smiled and greeted me. I smiled back but with a little restrain, he picked that up and let me know the lift for the penthouse suites were exclusive and it was his job to see if the guests needed anything.

“Would you like to visit the city or a tour?”

I looked around at he reception area and hefted the bag holding the documents, “I would like to have these documents incinerated and I would like to be there when they do it.”

His smile did not falter, instead turned and gestured asked to follow him. I followed him past the reception and through a door marked for staff only. Past the door was a long corridor with doors on either side at intervals, passing many closed doors and a few that looked like various services like laundry and others I paid no attention to them instead focusing on being in step with the man in front. He stopped at a utility elevator and pushed the down button and waited, “Normally we would not allow our guests to come through but Mr. Rodney asked that all courtesies were to be forwarded to you. I hope that this is just a formality and nothing I would have to worry about it in future.” He looked slightly concerned, I smiled again and this time a little more sincerely, “Nothing to worry about, just documents that needed to be revised and destroyed, just as Mr. Rodney likes discretion I am following that.”

The doors opened to a barren elevator interior that looked like it was cleaned once a year, not very dirty but just enough to let you know it was built for abuse and nothing more. We travelled to the basement and from there a few more turns we came to a room that was emitting heat even behind a closed door, I knew we were here. Once he opened the door the heat flew past the door and hit me like a hammer, I could feel myself beginning to sweat. There were 2 people inside working on the on furnace pushing what looked like old clothes and other items. “I did not expect you have one, more I thought that you would take me to the garbage disposal area with a shredder.”

“We have to have one as there are other guests who prefer not leaving anything behind that would be revealing. Also much of the restaurant left overs are burnt as policy.”

I handed the bag to the man and he to one of the attendants who fished out the papers and just nonchalantly tossed them in to the fire, I was expecting maybe a whoosh of flames but nothing just a hiss and once all were tossed in the bag was returned to me. Satisfied we left the men to their duties and headed back to the reception. Once back in the cool of the elevator, I asked “I wanted to have some lunch at the restaurant and maybe few drinks, do you have a private place for that. I would rather not sit and be treated as a spectacle by local visitors.”

“Of course, we have private dinning rooms, I will take you there right now if you wish.”

I nodded and followed him once the doors opened. He took me to the dinning hall and from there to another section that had private rooms with windows that looked out at the beach front. I was amazed at the view and felt a little better being here rather than the room as I was beginning to feel a little claustrophobic. Setting myself down on the table I was presented a menu brought in by a waiter who, it felt like, materialised from the corner of the room. Reading through the menu again I could see dishes that I never thought I would ever try with the simple palette I had, I asked him about the few that looked interesting and he flamboyantly recited the description and taste to me. I finally decided on a lamb dish with an accompanying red wine and sat back. Looking out at the beach I felt a tinge of jealousy for those people who had this as a daily view as they woke up, all I had was grey sky in the morning and a colder day to follow. The heat outside was very high and the humidity made my clothes stick to my skin along with the feeling that every particle of dust also did the same.

I asked for a glass of cold juice to start with and something to wake up my appetite. It was then when a knock on the door followed by the entrance of a man dressed in loud floral printed clothes. He looked at me and smiled, “I see you enjoying the view, I always liked this part of the hotel especially when I wanted to hide myself from the Misses.” He laughed after, “Derrick Rodney, sorry for interrupting your lunch but I thought I was going to pass later tonight but the business I was looking into sorted itself out before I needed to involve me. I am hungry, ask the chef to whip me up my usual please,” he motioned to the waiter.

He looked like he was in his late 30’s, dark tanned like he spent most of the time in the sun. His face was youthful but there were telltale signs of age. The smile he kept on was earnest and not like a spotlight like what many here liked to shine at me. I stood up and shook his had and saw that he had a firm hand to boot as gripped my hand, I smiled back and replied “well met Mr. Rodney, I hope catering to me did not inconvenience you too much.”

Derrick laughed out “you British folk are really something I tell you, even by just speaking me feel like I am a kid still learning how to speak English. No it was a pleasure, you have simple tastes and cheaper than most I have had to house. Let me tell you something this hotel was actually my wife’s idea because she needed something to do I built it for her and now I have it as place to hide from her.” He laughed again, I smiled back as humour was not one of strong points. I am 26 but being the field I am I have had to grow old faster mentally as very few last long. We sat down and he then turned to look at the beach and his smile faded, “I am in a fix right now to be honest, the island we found that thing could have my plans to build an exclusive private resort stopped cold. Also the money I have invested and the investors that pumped in their share would not like to hear that I stumbled upon some discover the local government took away.”

I turned to him and asked, “did you find anything else on that island?”

He did not turn but replied, "nope, I had my people look for a cave on the cliffs on the other side the island and nothing. There is a kind of spring on the island but nothing that leads me to believe that there was anything on that island. The room, as you called it, did not have a passage leading out and the tarp door that lead to it was destroyed when we dug into it. So honestly I am stumped right now and would like to get this out of the way.”

I then was about to recount my discoveries but the door opened to the room and the waiter walked into the room with our lunch. He set the table for us and poured my wine and a beer for Derrick, he looked at his food and the smile returned. “I see you got the lamb, well a piece of advice. Pour the pepper and truffle sauce on the lamb only, trust me the mashed potatoes are just there for idiots who don’t know what real food is.”

I did as he advised and the lamb was amazing, the mashed potatoes felt unnecessary, and the wine just felt like the perfect combination. Derrick as it seemed enjoyed his meal just was well, I could see there was a hint of distraction in his look at me as he kept eye contact to a minimum and I would see that as an alarm signal. I asked him about his distant look and it sort of snapped him from what ever revere he was in and looked at me deeply this time. “I know you want to tell me everything but honestly I want it to wait until we are on my yacht, walls have this idea in them that they can hear everything. Also my wife has been trying to distance herself from me so this hotel might be the worst place to talk. Listen, lets do this, we leave now and I replace everything in your room and we get away from all this.”

I mentioned that all my notes and such were in my room, he nodded and told me to get them but not to hurry.

Odd.

This was becoming really tiring, acting like I am some secret agent. Honestly these things happened to people who were better trained to handle such moments, I was just a glorified translator of old languages. I went to me room while acting like I forgot my watch; I acted distracted while waiting for the elevator and noticed that there was a lady sitting on a lounge chair reading a magazine with her sunglasses on. A small bead of sweat formed on my temple and I could feel it slowly call to others to form up and join its march down my face. Once the doors opened I nonchalantly walked in and punch the floor button and waited for the doors to close, my held my breath as I knew if there was someone following me they would try to join my ride up. No one came and once the doors closed I let out a small breath of relief and stood back to rest on the back wall of the elevator. Once on the floor I waited for the doors to open but hesitated for a second before stepping out and decided to poke my head out first to see if the corridor was clear, there was no one and I started to think my paranoia would get the best of me.

In the room I retrieved my shoulder bag and notebook, taking stock of anything important I left the room and took the elevator down. I walked back to the dinning room and found Derrick as I had left him. He was drinking a drinking a beer this time and kept his gaze out to the beach, I sat next to him and could smell the cigarette he just had, I smoked too but I preferred it in more open areas and the secondary smell of from furniture was not something I liked very much. I tapped his resting arm and he woke with a start, “oh? Sorry I get lost in my self sometimes. A force of habit I am afraid, working with shadowy folk does that to you if you are not careful. Ready, good lets leave this joint. I promise you I will replace the cheap clothes you have with better more comfortable clothes and real man would wear.” Derrick smiled as he got up and walked to the door, I followed and saw that he took a right instead this time and we walked like as if we were going to the beach, he talked about what he planned to on the next phase of the hotel and some other things which I could see were just to feed the ears that were listening.

Past the hotel was a short golf course and here I could really feel the heat as it was really hot and the wind was all but dead. The afternoon was bright and I could feel the sun beating down on me, Derrick on the other hand seemed not to feel a thing as we walked to what appeared to be a club house, the lawn we were walking on looked very well kept and green. I was surprised by this given how hot and dry it was, smell of the sea was strong but I found myself actually enjoying the scent of salt. I could feel my shirt sticking to my back and the feeling was not very desirable, I felt dirty and like I just came back from frolicking in a mud pool.  In all this walking Derrick did not say a single word and just walked like I knew where we were going, I was tired now and the meal we had felt like it had left the body via my sweat. Once at the clubhouse he turned to the right and walked in the direction of the parking space, once there a car joined us as I was huffing terribly from all the impromptu walking. Derrick got in without a word and I joined him as I did not have much of a choice now, once in the AC washed over me like a cold shower and I felt like a weight was lifted from my chest. The driver received his nod to move and shifted the car into gear and away we went, still not a word spoken by my patron and I was beginning to think I made a big mistake.

“The government and the other people in power I work for can really make my life miserable if I am not careful, again I will apologise for all this running around but honestly until that resort is not built I need to keep my head just below the water or else someone might take notice that I might have knock out.”

I nodded numbly at this and realised that Mr. Rodney may be more powerful than I originally thought, he seemed to have his fingers dipped in quite a few cakes at this juncture.

“Look kid, I know you did not expect to running around with an old man like me like a rabbit but your inclusion in my current problem complicates a few already strained issues so there. You said that you found something so here we can talk.”

I then began to speak about all that I found and the extra cost I had to burden onto the project to find the info he was looking for.

“Whoever captained Jurgens Keep never kept a record of himself so finding any information did not come easily, the confessions I had to reference for more information were full of self-serving statements that would not have held up much. I also found out that some other third parties were following the same path as my agent. Things did not easily come forward and the amount I was given is only 25% of what was actually spent.”

I finished with that statement. By this time we were at a private marina and it seems I was going for a boat ride now.

Stepping out of the cooled cabin to the hot was like a punch to the face, I almost immediately felt like there was no air to breath. It took a few seconds to normalise my breathing but by the time I was steady on my feet Derrick was more that 20 metres away walking to a waiting speed boat. The place we were in was a close to a mangrove forest and I could see that we were on the mouth of a river so the ground was a mix of sand and earth that made it more stable footing for me. I followed Derrick to the boat, looking around I could see that the boats here were more smaller than the usual and from the looks of it they were built to carry goods rather than fish which brought to mind that this was a smuggler’s marina. It was further away from the city and in a back water place. The few people I saw were migrants from the southern part of the continent, they paid me no attention and kept to their chores. I did the same and tried to follow as best as I could, but between rotting floorboards and wavy boards I found my footing wanting.”

“Hey boss, watch yourself. Fall into the water and our friends over there will be having a feast tonight.” A scruffy looking fellow laughed as he watched me walk over, Derrick had already reached his boat and was looking back at me with mild amusement. I gave a shaky thumbs up and finally made it to the boat, it looked like a shiny jewel in front of all the hand made tubs around it. Still It took a little effort to get on as I wasn’t exactly sea experienced. Once on I was seated onto a seat and safety belt tied on to it securely, I could see that the attendant on board could tell that this was my first time. I am not exactly the adventurous type and so such experiences were new to me and I did not hesitate to show for it.

Once secured we were off and the lurch of the boat took me off guard, I was happy that they had the foresight to keep my bag in a compartment next to the captain who it came to be Derrick himself. On we went and past the mouth of the river, or swamp, and onto open sea. The Sea was calmer though it was 6 in the evening now, the tide was coming but the wind was much calmer than I expected. Feeling the rush of air on my face was exhilarating and I felt better as we rushed through the water, I then spotted a light in our path and could see that it was a larger yacht than we were making for. Derrick again was totally quiet while we were riding, I just sat back enjoying my ride as it would be the first time in years that I got to enjoy such a ride.

Once we were close to the ship I could see that it was roughly 2 floors and the top was more a captains room, or something like that, as for the rest it seemed that this ship was build for luxury rather than normal travelling. We docked on the back of the ship and the attendant who has sat next to me took over navigation and drove the boat away once we were on it, I stepped on to the yacht and looked at what lay before me. It was quite a sight, there a living room complete with a bar and dinning table. Next to the entrance was a set of stairs that I could only surmise it to lead to the living quarters below and engine room. I stepped in to the large living room and sat on a sofa while Derrick made his way up to the captains room. I waited and a lady joined me and asked if I wanted something to drink, I nodded and was offered a glass of whisky. I took a sip and sat back, the wind blowing through the room felt so much better and given the place was open on all sides it felt better being here. The night had fallen by the time we reached the yacht so the night sky was so clear despite the light around me, I sat back and reflected on this journey and wondered how Mrs. Agatha was faring with my place’s upkeep.

Derrick finally came down and yacht moved forward, I could hear the hum of the engines ramp up the power as the yacht moved. He then sat across me and motioned the lady to bring him something to drink.

“I have not been very honest with you, see the place we are going to was bought by me fair and square. Only thing that complicates the matter is that the place is supposed to be under the Bahamas Government but due to other factors it also falls un the Cuban Authority so I had to pull a few more strings to get me the deed to the place. Originally it was never marked on any map as everyone near it was fighting for that little stretch of land, for me it was a perfect place to build a hidey hole for people who don’t want to be seen having some fun.”

I sat there listening and could see he wanted to just unload all this because I had no connection to him or his enterprises. Why in the world did people do that with me, I am not a psychiatrist and rarely gave out advise (let alone take any) so this man telling me his life story was like someone driving an ice knife slowly into my chest.

“I am telling you all this shit because I cannot trust anyone around me and I need to think clearly without having all this swirling in my head. So on topic of the island, well it was supposed to be just a normal tourist trap but because it was not actually marked on any navigation charts very clearly I thought I might just buy it and set myself. Well with that find I sent you I find my self in a position where the Bahamas authorities wanting to start a full dig on the island hoping they will find something more, this Jurgens Keep does not have a history here only a rumour that it was richer than Black Beard when it disappeared. I did not know what I was looking for but the name did not come up when I was looking so when you mentioned Jurgens Keep I remembered this little tit bit brought up by my associate in the maritime museum in New York. Nothing like you mentioned comes up when you try to dig but for some reason the church folk started asking questions, my associate called me a day after we talked and mentioned some people in suits saying that they were from the Vatican and were looking for records on ships that were registered privateers so she hid the name from them when providing the records. It could be the third party you mentioned maybe not but honestly I need to tie up this thing before someone else picks on the scent and I find myself in the middle of a vipers nest full of power hungry maniacs.”

I fished out my notebook and began leafing through the notes and found what I was looking for, “if you also were looking for the same then maybe the direction you took was the wrong direction. As I mentioned earlier the ship plied its trade on incoming ships so it being a registered ship could be more difficult to trace, however it does not mean that it could be manned by formers criminals. See normally privateers or pirates were manned by former navy personnel who used the excuse of war between England and Spain as way to get rich and their exploits were well recorded by the people at the colonies and those records would be sent to England for prosecution of individuals who fled to the country. Its really murky when you think about it but these records ended up becoming the main source of information for many trying to trace routes ships took in hopes of finding sunken wrecks with gold and other valuables.”

I put the open notebook on the table and pointed at a set of notes I copied from a confession that I missed originally but subsequent readings had me looking for such bits of information.

“This is a confession of a priest who found himself on a pirate ship and later navy ship talking about a massive hoard taken from an Aztec ruin that was bound for Spain. What he eludes to is that more than gold was on that ship. What the more is I cannot think of right now, honestly what the Aztecs had on Christianity even less but right now we just need to see where all this will lead to.”

“Big haul of gold will be complicated, especially if it had some Aztec King’s head. I would love some gold to pay off the wolves but right now lets just get there and you tell me what you can see, I have an archaeologist who will help you, she is good at what she does so don’t worry you will not get your hands too dirty.”

“I forget to ask, how did you come about my contact?”

“Oh that, well you did some work for a friend of mine Mr. Berkley. He told me that you are very discreet, I think you are more resourceful than the few people I contacted, the archaeologist you will meet was the first to see that tablet and she could not make head nor tail of it so it took a few more phone calls to finally get your name.”

Mr. Berkley another grey merchant I had the pleasure of knowing. He was an eccentric man to be honest who was more interested in sale prices and of the 4 dealings I have had with him and in all but 1 the items were legitimate which may have gotten him a good bank balance. The 1 item was supposed to be a real Damascus sword from a accidental find in Syria but it turned out that the seller lied and the sword was made in the early 1900’s and was basically valued a fraction of what he paid for.

“So tell me this, what do you think you will find if you go depper?”

“Nothing.”

“What do you mean nothing.”

“I mean that there will not be anything to find as it would seem that the site you found may be a safe house for a member of the Keep. Also I surmised that where ever the crew may have hidden the ship and its contents it would have probably been in an isolated place nearer to your island. They did not have a full map of the area so finding a place that few knew about may be the reason they went after the incoming ships.”

I was now really getting interested in where this was leading to as the mystery of what lay ahead piqued an interest in Religious antiquary. I hated taking on commissions that had religious significance as the history on many of the items I had seen were worse than taking a dive in a toxic cesspool but some items really gave me a rush when I found something new. The Vatican being interested in this would mean anything or nothing as they had tried before to seize a few things I was looking into and majority of them were fake so it was no loss to me and my client. I did not like to be pushed around but sometimes I took a step back just to see what the pieces on the board really looked like in this picture the colours were running in all directions and I was getting frustrated exactly where the colours were coming from.

This treasure hunt as I see it now would really add to my retirement fund or it could leave me running for my life, either way I did this to myself and I needed to see it through. The question of why Jurgens Keep was so named was still a mystery to me and Chloe also mentioned in our call that there were references to that name but they were all to a castle in the Bohemian regions.

I asked Derrick if he could reach out to his associates and find out if there was ever a captain or sea faring person called Jurgen and he said he will make some calls. We sat and talked about other things till late and I decided to get some rest. Derrick suffered from insomnia so he stayed up and said he will catch up on some work. I was shown down to a cabin for me by the lady and I saw that there were some clothes laid out for me, it seemed that Mr. Rodney did not lie about this part. I took a shower and changed in to a t-shirt and shorts before lying down. Sleep came easily and before I knew it I was woken by the same lady stating that it was 9 and we were close to the island. I thought I would have been woken up earlier given that we were to arrive earlier but it seems there was another place my patron had to pass.

I woke up and had a look out he small window only to see open sea and nothing more, so I dressed and had a look at myself in the mirror before joining Derrick on top. He had changed clothes and looked a little let tired, also he had a cup of coffee in his hand rather than a drink so I could say he was sober. I sat opposite him and was offered a cup of coffee and a sandwich for breakfast. Derrick was not in a mood to talk so I held my tongue and had my breakfast, the sandwich was a layered mix of eggs, bacon, tomato and lettuce that I found really odd to have in this morning but ate as I did not know when and if I will get my next meal. The island as Derrick spoke about was still 30 minutes away so I dared and asked how come we took so long, he laughed and told me that the yacht needed some supplies and he had a few phone calls to make so they stopped off at a marina he owned in the Bahamas, I was totally out so they did not bother me. I was no really angry at this as being on a port in the early hours of the morning isn’t as lively as it would in daylight. I sipped my coffee feeling the wind course through me, it was not cold but neither was it uncomfortably hot, the air was fresher than I had expected so I enjoyed the moment.

Once we reached the fabled island that I was informed called Charles Hook, it was bigger than expected and actually had like large hill or cliff in the distance making the place feel larger than it may be. Derrick informed me that from what he was told that this place was not in any proper map because “certain” governments would use this place as a staging point to invade other countries, so it was land with a tonne of strings attached which put Derrick in a rather interesting spot to get.

The ship stopped further away from the island as the shallow waters would beach the yacht so we had to make the rest of the journey by a small boat, I asked Derrick how he was going to build anything if he cannot bring a ship close to shore. He smiled and told me that that problem was solved even before he landed on the island, the main problem was communication and because of the territories fighting for ownership radio communications was very spotty. He did elaborate on what he was going to do once things were sorted but that was still obtuse to me.

We beached the boat on a marked spot, there were a few people there and I could see there was also a medium sized excavator working in the distance, the people were looked like they were from the same area as those in the private marina we had left from, honestly I am not well travelled so I cannot say if they were from Mexico or Brazil. Derrick let me to a roughly build hut where he said I will meet Dr. Martinez. The hut was a hasty affair as it looked like it was put together with tape and sticks, the roof was make from leaves so I was wondering how people lived while working here. Inside the hut was just a table and a few chairs, there was a lady stooping over a map and another older gentleman who was looking up at another that was pinned to a wall. “Dr. Martinez, I hope I am not interrupting anything.”

The lady looked up and squinted at us while the older man turned to look at us, “Mr. Rodney?”

“Yes, I came with the help I had promised. I want to start building the foundation as soon as possible but I need to know that I will not find even more surprises from the ground.”

As her eyes adjusted from the light outside she stood straight and frowned, “nothing, I over saw a few more digs and we have found nothing. Your friend might help us to make sure but this island as I mentioned was just an isolated resting place. The shallows make is difficult for ships to anchor and bring goods. I have had a few people run the hills with metal detectors and very little in the way of precious metals were found, I also tried to find sealed caves and others like it but nothing.”

“Its find doctor, I had an inkling that we would find nothing but its better to be sure than regretting it later.” Derrick waved his hand, he turned to me and introduced me formally to the 2 and I smiled but could see I was not welcome here. My smile dropped and I was about to take a step back but Derrick held up his hand, “I told you that I would rather find someone who is not tied down by red tape and is clear minded about what to expect. I know you wanted a ship load of museum rats to dig this place up but we all know what will happen if I did. You Mr. Philips should know all about this and Martinez I also know where you stand right now.”

Mr. Philips looked at Martinez and then to me, “It’s not about him but the fact that he might just muddle the water, Martinez is in the mind that we found some random room that sank a while ago and I on the other hand think we may have just found a hiding place so there might have been more but because of storms this island maybe subject at times the sands may have buried a lot of things.”

Martinez turned to Philips and then to the map he was looking at, there were red marks in a few places. She pointed at one then spoke “here we found that stone tablet that your man said was just a tally sheet and here we found a cache of old barrels that may have help rum. Here on the hill near the fresh water river we found an old camping site. There is something here but I wanted more time..”

“Time I don’t have. Please understand I have people of various governments who would like to stop my project here to show how big their peckers are but honestly I have better things to do. Please work with him and lets get this sorted. I am not a treasure hunter and would not like that added to my repertoire.”

With that he turned and was about to leave but Philips stopped him, “I would like to call it a day here for me, I received a radio call from a friend in Mexico letting me know my team there has found something I need to see.”

Derrick signed and nodded his head, “come with me to the yacht so we can clear your payment and I will have another ship take you back.”

With that I was left with Martinez, she looked at me and then to the map on the table. “Well I guess you will want to see the room first?”

I nodded and she huffed and then told me to follower her, she was maybe a year or 2 older than me, attractive, but looked like she could put up a fight if she needed. “I left it as it was found so if you see something I did not please let me know, I really am getting tired of looking at the same fucking room everyday.”

We walked past the workers who were either clearing areas or working to start digging, the excavator was busy further inland digging up some open are. The room was closer than I thought as it was no more than 20 metres from the beach, it was smaller than it was made out to be. The hole looked like they were digging a well, the opening was enough for 2 people to walk into. Once there I could see there was a guard positioned to protect the site and a few other people around it clearing the land, the island wasn’t exactly a tropical paradise as you would believe but more an arid landscape that had few coconut trees, the hill that I mentioned was sparsely covered with grass, it seemed this land did not have much water so anyone building here would have to import water also.

Martinez showed me the hold to enter and I did so, it was dark down there but I was handed a flashlight. Shinning the light within I showed an empty room made from logs that upon further inspection could see they were from a ship hull. This room may have been build from the carcase of a beached ship. Looking around I could see the table, chair and bunk bed, there was nothing else. This room struck me odd, such places usually had a chest or a hiding spot, the tablet as mentioned was found on the table so whoever left it there might have done so for someone else to find. The table was well worn with numerous scratches and gouges letting me know it may have been on a ship as there were rough names scratched in but none that were relevant to my investigation. The Chair was plain so nothing there, the bunk again was also the same. I was about to give up but decided to look at the bed more closely, it had a cloth covering the top and it looked like someone had lifted it, no doubt to see what was under, but my eyes rested on the marks below the bed. They were in a single file telling me that the bed was moved back and forward in one direction and position. I remembered the team had tried to look for door or escape hole but I decided why not try looking for a hiding spot. I moved the bed and Martinez joined me after hearing me move the thing. “We moved it to the position we found it so in case you might find something we did not.”

“Thank you, it could be something or nothing but its better I than regretting it later”

Tapping and examining the boards centimetre by centimetre I saw a seam that was different from the others, looking around it and I could that this was a sort of a hidden door. I asked for a knife or something to help me open and was handed a knife, looking for a place to insert the knife I spotted a scuffed up joint and inserted the knife. After moving it back and forth for a few seconds I manged to pry the board loose, it came out with little protest and handed it to Martinez who was smiling this time. I shone the light withing and found a bottle and leather pouch. Taking them out I shone my light to see if missed anything and saw it was empty.

Martinez had placed the items on the table and was examining the pouch, I looked at the bottle and saw it still had a liquid inside. Opening it I got a remark from her “whatever is inside might kill you so better not taste just smell.”

I took a tentative whiff of the insides but it was not old just it smelt like nothing. Not old alcohol just water that was left in a bottle for a long time, I dropped a few drops on my fingers and rubbed them together and gave it a another try and still nothing. I looked in to the bottle and it was clear, very odd indeed. It looked like clear water and it being so clear was odd, in those times water was not exactly the safest but it being this clear for that time was even odder as it meant that this was kept in the bottle for a purpose or safe keeping. I turned to what Martinez was looking at and it was a page with a familiar set of letters, she looked frustrated and then turned to me “the only thing I found in that pouch was this, looks like the tablet we found earlier.” She held it out to me and I took it replacing the bottle on the table.

It looked like the same cypher as the tablet, this one was a little more different. I turned to her and she looked at me, “do you know what the tablet said?”

“Sort of, Mr. Rodney mentioned you cracked the code.” I told her and she frowned, “Jurgens Keep, is that some sort of Fort?”

I then told her about the information I found, and she stood back and looked at me incredulously, “how? This cannot be, honestly if I knew it was a ship then I would know where to look. This changes everything for me.”

She started walking around the room again, now it was as she was looking for another hidden pocket. The light from the opening was good in lighting the room but we needed the flashlight to see better but still there were no more secrets this room held. Martinez still decided to climb out of the room and told a few men to dig the room out and take it apart board by board.

I took the bottle, pouch and letter with me as I climbed out.

This was odd.

I saw that she was standing outside waiting for me as indicated for me to follow, I followed with what we found and watched as the men descended into the room. I almost ran to follow Martinez as she moved with purpose but this time she walked to another direction. I followed huffing from the heat and the excursion, it was uncomfortably hot right now and it seemed that I was the only feeling it. We walked past the workers near the beach and to a campsite, most of them looked like they were for the workers and a little further on was another larger one that looked like it was for her. The large tent was canvas and had a lighter colour hopefully to make it cooler within, inside were 3 beds with a central pillar surrounded by 2 tables that held various samples taken from prospecting samples from the island. I moved closer to the table and placed the bottle on a clear spot, in the light the contents looked even more odd as there was a light blue sheen on the contents. I looked at the letter from the pouch and set that down before turning to Marinez, she was already rummaging in a box next to, I could only assume, be her bed. I looked for a chair so I can sit and start working on the letter and pulled it closer to the table and began to work on it, Martinez however started pacing in tent as if in deep thought. I paid her no mind as this letter was more important to me.

3 hours later I finally cracked the code and could see that this one was like a vague directional letter on how to get to Florence Port. Florence Port, I thought another name that had I no reference to in the research by Chloe. I looked up and at Martinez who, at this point, lay on her bed with a right hand over her eyes looking like she was sleeping.

“Dr. Martinez, do you know of a place called Florence Port?”

She lifted her hand and look up in thought, then lifted her head and looked around in thought. “Florence Port is another ghost name, honestly I cannot think of anything. Tell me the full message maybe I can decipher the route.” She sat up and looked at me, I turned to read what I deciphered.

 

“To my old friend. We passed the islands of the Spanish merchants; the hull is heavy and damaged from the voyage. The crew fear what it holds, we need to find harbour and the only place we can land is Florence Port. The island as you know is lost most times due to the tides and shark reef is not easy to navigate, I know you have only been here once but remember that it is in the middle of Santa Maria’s Necklace, there we have  set our feet and soon will take what we can and hope the seekers stop their hunt. Marko.”

 

Vague.

This letter is for a close relation yet it reads as though it is a confession. Who are these seekers.

“Santa Maria’s Necklace. That is interesting, I have heard from old tales that it was supposed to be a ring of reefs that sank a number of ships but the location is very vague. I was trying to remember what I had researched for some other client before, it was supposed in the Caribbean but the exact location was based more on myth that actual fiction. I think the reference of Shark Reef served as a marker so asked the doctor for more information.

She was already up and rummaging again in her chest of papers, the sun was setting now and I remembered that I had not had anything to drink or eat. I looked around for water and saw a cooler chest, I opened it found to my disappointment that there were only beers floating in tepid water, no coolness could be found here. Taking one and feeling if it still held some coolness, I had something to work with as it was slightly cool, I tried to look for an opener when a voice announced that it was a twist top. I turned to the voice to find a tall gentleman standing at the entrance of the tent, the wind had picked up as I saw the opening flaps was waving around him. Dr. Martinez looked up also and for a second looked annoyed then returned to her work, I tried to twist the top of the bottle but it did not budge, the man walked over and offered his had to help and I gave him the bottle. With a flick he opened the bottle and returned it to me, I took it carefully and looked back to him like a child hoping for an introduction but he just turned and walked over to the doctor.

Taking a sip of the lukewarm beer I winced as it tasted much more bitter and the temperature made it feel like I was swallowing a bunch of snails. The greasy feeling of the warm beer did not get any better but I needed it as I was feeling light headed, I need to change habits here as the old ones of focusing only on work might lead me to faint from exhaustion. The man stood near the doctor and watched her with interest, he was loosing fitting trousers and a white shirt, his hands were tanned but with scars to show a tough life. If I were to approximate the age it would be mid 60’s as he stood back watching and waiting, his expression was impassive and did not reveal anything. His face was drawn but sharp and I could see a scar that started from the left forehead down to his bottom lip. His eyes were dark and did not have a sparkle, sort of brooding in the shadows.

“Mr. let me introduce you to my bastard father Mr. Martinez. What are you doing here, I thought such trips were beneath your attention?”

The man smiled at this and turned to me, he shrugged and then spoke, “I am here because of a rumour saying that you found a safe room for a pirate. You know I get very interested in such things especially when I hear pirate.”

Dr. Martinez turned to him and stared in icy anger, I wish that gaze could cool my beer as it was would have made me the happiest of men right now. “It was not a safe room, more a hiding place to wait out maybe a storm or the law. The items also included a bottle of what appears to be alcohol to wait. Nothing that would interest you.”

He turned to the indicated bottle, I had hidden the tablet under some other documents I was referring to and my notebook was closed out of habit so he did not see it, Mr. Matinez took the bottle and began to examine it. “Alcohol you say, did you open to see?”

The doctor shook her head, her father then twisted the cork and opened to bottle. Looking inside he then took a tentative sniff before jerking his head back. “That is not alcohol but water with arsenic, whoever left it there may have thought anyone foolish enough to take a drink would have had a bad time.” He replaced the cork and placed the bottle on the table where he caught a glimpse at the pouch, he moved to pick it up and instinctively tried to stop but held back when she shook her head slightly. Mr. Martinez examined the pouch inside and out and remarked that it may have been left empty or someone may have emptied it a long time ago. I asked him if could tell me where it could have been manufactured and he turned to me smiling, “it was made in England, the stitching looks from that time but nothing more. It seems that you have just stumbled on an empty room.”

I took another sip of the beer and grimaced immediately from it, he laughed at my reaction “those American beers never tasted good even when cold. It seems that rumours were not as strong as I thought but it is better. I got a call from someone higher up saying that the church people are running around like dogs sniffing at every rumour. It would be better to let the rumour mongers know nothing was found, I will let Mr. Rodney know and be on my way.

I turned to her and she looked at me with an icy expression, I did not move and held my tongue. Mr. Martinez’ expression turned dark and then looked at her, he did not speak but I knew from what relation they had it would be better to appear like a pebble than try to placate the roaring volcano and thunderstorm. He left without a word and I slowly walked to the table and set the beer down, I then walked to the entrance at saw that he was making his way to the room site and the fading light made him look like a walking silhouette. The wind had brought the temperature down so it was more comfortable for me and I stood there looking at the yacht that was still anchored in the deeper part of the bay. The salt in the air felt more refreshing than the warm beer and I felt like I needed to get some rest but the nagging feeling in the back of my mind did not allow for that. I turned to find her holding a map of some sort and then placing it on the table, I walked over so see it was a re-creation of an old map.

“It should be here but I am not sure. If he had found out what we knew I am sure it would become a shit show because he would involve the very people you are running from to basically hand over everything and bury us in that find’s place.”

“I take it you do not trust him despite him being your father?”

“Trust works both ways, I will not bore you on how bad a father he is. Remember this, he did not gain power by being nice or helpful, he would cut my throat to get what he needs and the only reason I am still alive is because it would look bad to his people for me to die being his daughter.”

I looked at the map and it was there I saw it, a sort of ring of islands that looked like a light coffee stain. Pointing at it she also drew in close, it was faint to the point of looking more an error by the cartographer rather than an actual mark. “Hmm.. this does not show in other maps, this map was made by a explorer I learnt travelled extensively for the church. I think we have a place to start but we need to make sure my father has left or whatever we have done will be for nothing.”

Night had fallen by the time we had gathered the information on the location and from the noise outside I could see that someone was coming and that someone was Derrick. He looked angry and his steps showed it also, I took a step back as he entered the tent and the body guards that flanked him quickly closed the flaps and took their place outside. “You are telling me I wasted all this time and money for nothing, your father came on to my boat acting like he owned it and also tried to buy it thinking I was desperate for money.”

“Mr. Rodney, I had to or else..” she was cut off with a raised hand and Derrick’s expression told us that he needed to do this.

“Or else what, he will take this place from under me, I have the money and he knows it. Now I can complete this resort and life can go on for me. You can go back to digging up bugs for all I care and you can go back into that hole in London and farm your rocks.”

He then turned to the entrance and barked orders for both men to wrap up and bring in the builders. As soon as the men were out of ear shot he turned to us, “I know you found something but I have to still deal with that bastard also. Take what you found and get back to my yacht and we can talk there. I cannot trust the people here since your father was the one to hire them.”

I turned to retrieve my notebook and Dr. Martinez did the same we only took what we needed and left the rest to the crew to pack up. The bottle was taken by Derrick and before we could protest he raised his had, “I know this is arsenic laced but when life gives you a helping hand better take it or you will not live to regret it.” He smiled and walked out then changed composure and began shouting at everyone within earshot to move faster.

“Good acting” I remarked.

“He should be, after all he swims with piranhas and sharks at the same time. They smell the blood in you and not in the water so anytime you turn away they will come after you, I met him 5 years ago when he was introduced to my father. I was in his office because I refused to work for him on a site he wanted to use to smuggle goods. Derrick was there to negotiate for a client and it seems that he got me out of trouble without knowing it and I ever since then he would call me when he found something.”

We walked into the open with our bags and I followed her to the shore all the while hearing people shouting out, the camp was a buzz of activity. Machines that were left dormant were being brought to life and lights were being turned on for a night shift, the enclave we were staying it was a beehive. I stayed close to the doctor and tried not look too closely at anyone and walked like I lost my way. The cacophony of shouts and machines finally coming to life was all around me and I felt like I was walking past a storm and scared that I might get carried away by it, a few people bumped into me as I walked by and they paid me no attention as they were too busy looking their heads. We reached the beach and I looked around for the boat that had carried me here and it was not there but there was another and it looked like it was waiting for us.

The air was much cooler now and I felt the cold salty air wash over me but I did not feel comfortable yet, I knew that what awaited for me on the yacht could be worse. Derrick was still walking about shouting at people to get things working again, I looked at the small island again and felt that it could have been just another anonymous place people could have ignored but so some reason had become the centre of the maelstrom that would cause a massive deviation to my life and occupation. The hill that was located further in the island was the only place that held any form of vegetation and from the looks of it would be the only place they would not touch, Dr. Martinez mentioned earlier that there was a small stream there that had clean water so preserving its integrity would be the best option on such an island.

After about an hour of waiting on the boat Derrick finally joined us and he sat at the helm and told the driver to remain on shore and wait for the next one, he wanted to drive. The driver was hesitant for a minute but relented when he might have remembered who paid his wages, he jumped of and pushed the boat to get us on our way and away we went to the yacht.

Derrick did not speak till we were further away from the shore and he reduced the speed a little, it seemed that he wanted to speak without too many ears around. “You will have to take my word Anna I did not want to involve your father in the matter but he had one of my investors pull my arm. It seems that whatever was thought to have found might profit him. I hope you did not show him anything that might complicate my relation with this place.”

Dr. Martinez did not speak for a moment then turned to him and slapped Derrick, “that is for not warning me. You know as well as anyone he only cares to fill his own pockets and we did not mentioned anything important but what did find will create problems if explored further.”

Derrick rubbed his hand on his bruised cheek and pursed his lips, he shrugged and turned to the wheel and looked out his yacht. “Mr. I will have to apologise but it looks like I dragged you into a storm not of my making but if there is anything valuable to find I will have to look for it. I need something that will dig me out of the mess created a long time ago by Anna’s father, she knows and will tell you the same. The fucker took me and her for a ride and now that the fuel is running out we are the ones paying for the gas, Anna you know what I am talking about so better tell me we can find something of value.”

I turned to her and she was looking out at the open sea, “we did find something but what it could be I cannot tell you in confidence. What I can tell you is that it may have come from a Spanish colony so it would be valuable.” She did not turn but kept looking out and I just turned to look at the yacht which was closer now.

We docked on the yacht and I found myself standing infront of Mr. Martinez again who seemed to be waiting for us or the boat. He smiled at me and then turned to Derrick, “I see you got the people running for their lives out there.”

“Well the place is not going to build itself now is it. I brought these 2 back so I can see them off since there was nothing to find out there.”  Derrick turned to me and waved me off to my quarters, Anna was given the same but her father stopped her. He was sitting at the dinner table with a couple of bottles or tequila, “come my little girl, sit and lets have a drink to a brighter future. Hopefully you will forgive me some day but tonight I will do with a drink.” Anna turned to me and asked I could join them and I could see that her father frowned at this for just a second before the mask was set back in place. I looked at Derrick and he was already off to talk to his staff, so I reluctantly joined them.

The drink was brief and father and daughter affair spoken in Spanish so I was more like insurance, so I drank my Tequila and took a few bites of the food placed on the table. I looked out that the island and could see the lights burning bright in the distance and movement of the crew, though from this distance it looked like ant moving around. I took a better a look at t