“Who are you and what do you want?” She immediately chastised herself for speaking first. Patience had never been her strong suit. “Tell me now or I’ll have you tossed out.” It was a feeble attempt at regaining the upper hand, but it was all she could think of. For a moment it seemed as if she would be forced to make good on her threat, because the man continued to smile. But, just as she was reaching for her intercom, he spoke one word.
“Herrschaft.”
She held on to her calm exterior with the greatest of effort. Inside, she was a mess. Why would anyone from Heilig Herrschaft, that vile branch of the Dominion dedicated to restoring the Nazis to power in Germany, using the church, of all things, as its vehicle, dare come anywhere near her or any Sister? Was he an assassin? Surely not.
“Please, Fraulein.” He spoke with only the mildest German accent. “Be at ease. I know who you are.”
“Then you are a fool for coming here today.” She ought to have him taken into custody immediately, but something stayed her hand.
“Perhaps, but a brave fool, no?” Each time he smiled, he seemed ever more wolflike. “There is enmity between our organizations, that is true, but I believe we can find common ground.”
“Morgan would never hear of it.”
“Not with Morgan and not with the Sisterhood. With you.”
“What could we possibly have in common?”
“A common enemy. Your sister.” He held up a finger, silencing her protest. “How much has Morgan told you about Oak Island?”
Tamsin’s stomach lurched. The honest answer was ‘nothing,’ but she didn’t care to admit it.
“Yes, I see,” he said, correctly interpreting her hesitation. He leaned forward and adopted a conspiratorial tone. “Morgan has found something on Oak Island.”
“Impossible. The island has been searched countless times, and nothing has ever been found. The Money Pit is well named, for too much money has been wasted looking for treasure that is not there.”
“You know it is not treasure we seek.” He paused. “A Kidd chest has been found.”
This time she could not keep the surprise from her face. “How do you know?”
“Of course I cannot tell you that. It is enough that we know, and now, you know.”
Tamsin stared at the man without seeing him. It was no surprise that Morgan was keeping secrets, but it galled her none the less. And this was one secret that belonged to all three Sisters. It was what they had been working for.
“How do I know you are telling the truth?”
“You do not, but you can find out. Put the question to your sister. Look into her eyes and see the lie. Or, perhaps, she will tell you the truth.” He shrugged, as if the whole issue was of no import to him.
“Assuming you are telling the truth, and Morgan has found… something.” She could not bring herself to say what, exactly. “What is it you want from me?”
“We want you to take control away from Morgan, with our help if you like. In turn, when you find what you seek, we ask only to be permitted to make use of it one time. Nothing more.”
“You believe the stories?” she scoffed. “They are symbols, and only to Britons at that. To the rest of the world, they are mere curiosities.” Her words rang false, and she knew it. She’d had enough glimpses in her lifetime of powers not understood by the modern world to know better.
“We believe,” he said simply. “If you think they are, as you say, curiosities, then surely there is no harm in permitting us to try.”
“Suppose it will do what legend says. How will you use it?”
“That is our affair.” He sat up straight. “You should not so easily cede control to Morgan. What power does she truly wield, save the court of public opinion and the allegiance of a few politicians? You have authority.”
“I am Chief Constable of the transport police. That is a far cry from powerful.”
“You underestimate yourself, and we both know you have forged many alliances behind Morgan’s back. Let us help one another. In fact, I have some information that might be of interest to you. Someone in America is making quite an effort to find Kidd’s chests. I can provide you with specifics, should you choose to work with us.”
“What benefit is there to helping Heilig Herrschaft? The last time your people controlled Germany, our nations tried to destroy each other.”
“Yes, and now America has come to dominate the world. What if we had formed an alliance, instead? Where might both our nations be?”
She shook her head. Dealing with the Dominion? The very idea was mad. Then again, perhaps this was the opportunity she had long sought. She rose from her chair, turned, and gazed down at the slow-flowing waters of the Thames. On the opposite side, the London Eye stuck out like a festering boil on the landscape of her beloved city. Too few held on to the things that truly mattered any more. The ancient things rooted in history and tradition; things that held power to make modern inventions seem trite by comparison. If the Dominion could help her obtain them… Perhaps it was time to take a risk.
“Tell me more.”
Chapter 19
“Jimmy has something for us!” Dane proclaimed, scrolling through the email he’d just received from Jimmy Letson, an old friend and accomplished hacker. “I gave him a list of everything in Dad’s research to see if he could come up with any leads on Kidd’s chests.”
“And what did he find?” Bones lounged on the deck of Sea Foam with a steaming mug of coffee in his hands. “I’m already bored.”
They’d met up with Charlie in a coastal town in Maine. He’d returned their belongings and informed them that Sheriff Meade wouldn’t let him post bail for, or even visit, with Angel until Monday morning. The sheriff also declined to say what she was charged with. Incensed, Charlie vowed to bring all his resources to bear on the situation. He’d been disappointed to learn that his Oak Island project was at an end, but had been downright giddy to hear of what Dane and Bones had discovered and to see the pictures they’d taken.
Now they were cruising south somewhere off the coast of Massachusetts. Matt, who had come along with Charlie, had rejoined the crew and was piloting the ship.
“He’s got a few possibilities,” Dane said. “There’s a museum on Gardiner’s Island…”
“Already checked it,” Avery said. She was seated next to Bones, drinking a cup of chai tea. “No joy.”
“Okay. How about the Maritime Museum in Port Royal?” The thought of a trip to Jamaica definitely appealed to him.
“Been there. Done that.” Avery frowned. “No offense, but I don’t think your friend has much chance of finding the Kidd chests. It’s not like I’m the first who’s tried.”
“Don’t underestimate Jimmy,” Dane said. “He’s talented and has access to some really obscure stuff.”
“Not necessarily legally,” Bones added.
Dane ran through Jimmy’s list, growing more discouraged as Avery eliminated each possibility. Finally, he was down to the final two items.
“Trinity Church, on Wall Street,” he began.
“Nope. Nothing belonging to Kidd in their archives. I’ve been there several times, and so had Dad.”
“But they just added the journal of a William Vesey.”
Avery sat up straight, her eyes boring into Dane with raptor-like intensity.
“I take it that’s somebody important?” Bones asked over his coffee mug.
“He was the first rector of Trinity Church,” Avery said. “He served there while Kidd was a member.”
“Jimmy read an email from the donor to an archivist at the church which says it includes an account of Kidd’s confession to Vesey and,” he paused for dramatic effect, “Vesey alludes to a treasure map.”