Hustle (Book 1 in The Hunted Hearts) - SYTYCW Winner #action #comedy #romance

Hustle | Chapter 5

Copyright 2013 All Rights Reserved

Hustle By Claire Chilton

5

Hidden Treasure

Ellie wiped her brow with her free hand as she steered the boat across the crystal waters surrounding English Bay on Cocos Island. She'd managed to pay her way on a fishing trawler from Costa Rica. Before the trawler sailed off to start fishing, she'd rented the captain's motor boat. The trawler was due to pick her up on its return journey in about five hours.

She checked her watch. It was midday.

Only mad dogs and Englishmen.

The sun burned down onto her bare shoulders from the clear blue skies above. The blue-green water surrounding her looked so inviting that she was tempted to stop the boat for a moment to cool off. She was certain she'd sizzle when she plunged into the sea.

She shook her head.

This isn't a pleasure trip. You'll be in the water soon enough anyway.

She glanced back at the diving gear she had tossed in the stern.

I hope I remember how to use that stuff. You just have to clear your ears and come back up slowly, right?

She turned to peer at the map that was pinned to the small windshield of the boat and then squinted at the shoreline behind her. The craggy rocks matched the drawing on the map, but the angle was wrong. She slowed the boat and turned it, heading along the shoreline until what she saw on the shore matched the rough line drawn on the map.

She stopped the boat and turned off the engine, staring at the symbols and numbers etched into the map. They didn't always make sense to her, and she wasn't an expert in nautical navigation, but Jimmy had used Google maps to plot a rough idea of the journey she would have to take. All she had to do was use her phone to find matching scenery nearby. After scanning the map and the coastline, then consulting her phone, she nodded. The craggy rocks that looked like a woman's face were to her left, and the mountains rose above the trees on the island ahead of her. This must be it.

She dropped anchor, glancing around for any signs of other boats. The sea was an untouched azure blanket. At this distance, she wouldn't even be noticed from the shoreline—not that there was anyone there to notice her. The island was a national park, home to a few rangers.

She plucked the map off the dashboard and rolled it up before putting it into her backpack and clipping a padlock around the zipper.

That should keep it safe.

There were no instructions on the map about where to go next, so she could only assume that the answer was below her. Jimmy had told her it was a fool's quest, but the Heart of Fortune was priceless. It had been lost long ago to pirates in this region, taken with a big haul of Spanish gold. The treasure had never been recovered, and the captain of the Henry Rose had never been seen again.

She picked up her flippers and pulled them on. Her father had been a great historian when it came to pirates. Not many people had known that about him, but he loved tales of ancient hustlers. She felt a moment of sorrow over his loss. Life wasn't the same without him around. He'd have loved this adventure.

She tried to imagine what he'd think of her now, chasing buried treasure.

He'd agree with Jimmy and tell me to go to college.

In the pit of her stomach, she knew they were both right, but what choice did she have? Meyer wasn't going to magically disappear from her life without some leverage.