They’d left the lighthouse and driven Earl’s boat twenty minutes until they reached a small speck of an island. There was nothing but sand, some brush, and two small palm trees. The woman had protested fiercely, but there was nothing she could do. They untied her and shoved off, leaving her to fend for herself.
“She’ll die out here, Earl,” Sean said as they were climbing back onto the boat. “I only kill people when it’s necessary. I don’t think this is right.”
The black man gave Sean a knowing grin. “You don’t have to worry about her. Someone will come to find her.”
Sean looked perplexed. “Why bring her out here then, if she’s just going to come back?”
“We only needed to slow her down a bit,” Earl answered.
“Slow her down?” Sean asked, still confused.
“Her name is Monique Van der Wahl. She’s a wealthy businesswoman from Holland. She travels around the world, trying to find artifacts.”
“If she is so rich, why was she so occupied with the gold of The Oconee?” Sean wondered. “That doesn’t add up.”
“Sometimes people are just greedy,” Earl said. “They can never get enough money. I’m sure she figured she could hock the gold on the black market, thus adding to her fortune. I doubt that’s the last time we see Ms. Van der Wahl.”
“What about the two goons?”
“Probably just mercenaries. I doubt they’re guys she’s known long. Plus, they weren’t very well trained.”
Earl’s last statement brought up a whole slew of more questions in Sean’s mind. But the mysterious barkeeper was starting up the engine of the boat and it would be too loud out on the water to continue the conversation.
The two men sat facing each other at a little table in the lighthouse. “So,” Sean said, “what’s the whole story? How were you able to take out those guards? And how did you come across The Oconee?”
Earl laughed. “Don’t forget the biggest question of all. The ship’s cargo? What happened to its cargo?”
Sean smiled sheepishly. “I wasn’t going to mention that. Honestly, our thing at IAA isn’t buried treasure. The treasure for us is uncovering history.”
Earl nodded. “I like that,” he said. “Well, I’ll tell you about all of it.
“As I’m sure you already know, Captain Tattnall hid the ship here on this island instead of sailing to England. I’m also sure that you’re aware the ship wasn’t carrying cotton.”
“I am,” Sean said, grinning.
“Tattnall divided the gold among his men. As captain, he was risking much more than the men of his ship. The men of The Oconee loved their captain, and didn’t think it right that they get an equal share, considering the risk he was taking for all of them. So, they voted, and decided that each man would pay him an additional 15 % of their share of the gold.”
“They must have really respected him,” Sean realized.
“They did. Over the years, that fortune supported his family all the way down to our friend Alfred. He is a direct ancestor, though he changed his last name a long time ago to throw treasure hunters off track. He figured less people would come asking about the ship if he didn’t have the same last name as the captain.”
“Makes sense,” Sean said. “But how do you figure into all this?”
Earl raised a finger. “Great question. My mother worked for Alfred in his home. She took care of him from the time he was very little. His wife died before they had any children. When my mother passed away, he took me under his wing and taught me everything about his family’s history. Mr. Dowlings loved my mother, and he treated me like I was his own child.”
“So,” Sean realized, “that’s how you know so much about ships. What about taking out the guys with guns? He train you how to do all that?”
Earl laughed. “No. I just picked up a few things along the way. We always used to go shooting on Alfred’s property, so I can handle myself with a gun. I took out the other guy with a knife. I’ve always been able to be sneaky.”
“So, all the gold is gone. Are you going to just keep the ship hidden forever?”
“Except for a few coins we kept for historical value,” Earl said. “Captain Tattnall’s share would have been equal to around $200 million dollars today. That money has taken care of Alfred his whole life. He has endowed it to me, which is how I bought my bar,” he smiled proudly at the last statement.
“Alfred called me after you visited the nursing home,” Earl continued. “He told me he’d given you the location and to make sure you found everything okay. When I got to the island, I found you were in a bit of trouble. But Alfred’s intention is that the IAA unveils The Oconee to the world. She will make a fine exhibit and has been hidden long enough.”
Sean was a little shocked. “You’re just going to give it to us?” he asked.
“Yep,” Earl nodded. “Like I said, we’re good with our money situation. But the ship needs to see the world again.”
“Are you serious?” Tommy asked. His voice blasted through the earpiece of Sean’s smart phone.
“Yeah,” Sean laughed into the device. “You’ll need to start getting all the permits in order for the excavation, but it shouldn’t be difficult since it is a privately owned piece of land.”
“That’s awesome,” his friend said. “Great work, Sean.”
“No problem. Glad we found something. I figured it was just another ghost story.”
“Sometimes we turn up something big. Makes it all worth it,” Tommy changed the subject. “When are you coming back to Atlanta?”
“I’m packing up and leaving in the next twenty minutes. I’ve arranged for us to meet with Earl next week to go over the process of getting the ship out of the island.”
“Sounds good,” Tommy replied. “I’m on my way to a town just south of Chattanooga. There’s an old building I want to check out there. Might be a Native American artifact to check out. I’ll see you back in Atlanta tonight.”
“Cool. Something major?” Sean asked.
“We’ll see.”