We just needed about five minutes to enter the house through a broken wall.
"Hey, look. Shoreline blocked the door for us.", Nathan pointed to a huge pile of furniture in front of the door.
"Looks like they forgot, that we're smart enough to find another entrance.", I chuckled.
Nathan nodded. "And that they are leaving muddy footprints on the carpet."
The footprints lead us to a door, but unfortunately it was blocked from the other side. We tried to push it open, but suddenly we were shot at.
"Shit. Shoreline!", I screamed and pushed Nathan and Elena behind a pillar. I ran over to another one to take cover, but I was too slow and one of the bullets scratched my neck. Nathan saw the blood and screamed my name.
"It's okay. It's just a graze.", I yelled back from behind the pillar and started shooting at the mercenaries. Elena did her best, but soon ran out of ammo and hid behind the balustrade of the gallery, we were standing on. Suddenly one of the Shoreliners threw a grenade at me, so I had to move away. I ran over to Nate and pulled him away from the explosion.
"Thanks.", he panted.
"No problem.", I answered and shot the man, who had thrown the grenade. Suddenly there was an explosion behind me. I turned around and saw a mercenary flying away due to the shock wave.
"You're welcome, Jo.", I heard Elena shout from her hiding spot.
Jesus, where did she find a grenade launcher?
"Thank you!"
We killed the rest of the Shoreliners and after the last one was dead, Nathan immediately came over to me.
"Are you okay? Let me see the graze."
I sighed and put my hair behind my shoulder, so he could see the wound.
"See? It's nothing.", I told him, but he pulled out a tissue and softly dabbed the blood from it. His hand was gentle and didn't press too hard, while his other hand was holding against my cheek. Some how I had to admit, that I enjoyed the touch of his hands. I looked up and our eyes met. His blue ones and my brown ones. His fingers stroke above my scar and put a strand of my hair behind my ear.
"Hey, guys, ... ah sorry.", Elena interrupted us, but realised, that we were having a moment and tried to back away. Nathan and I quickly pulled away.
"My wound doesn't hurt so bad, so it's okay.", I blushed.
I guess, I could be the fierce warrior being able to fight and so, but as soon as Nathan looked at me this way, I turned into a fifteen year old girl, newly in love and with her head in the clouds. How was is possible for him to make me feel this way?
"Okay, then ... eh let's go.", Nathan headed towards the door and Elena and me followed. Elena gave me a look, that said: sorry for interrupting you, but I just shrugged.
We opened the door and found another letter. It was signed by Avery. Apparently Avery and Tew turned against each other and Avery moved the treasure to his ship. Nathan put it in his journal and we opened another door, revealing a hall.
"Huh. No more footprints. Where did they go?", I wondered.
"Hey, look. Sam's lighter.", Nathan picked it up.
"Did he drop it?", Elena asked.
"Yeah, on purpose.", Nathan replied, while looking around.
"So that means, whatever we are looking for, has to be somewhere around here.", I figured.
We had looked around for a few minutes, when Elena opened a secret passage. The ground turned into stairs, that led under the mansion, just like in the church in Madagascar.
"How did you do that?", Nathan asked surprised.
"There's a bloody fingerprint on the globe right here where Libertalia should be, and I ...", she shrugged. "... pushed it."
"Nicely done.", I complimented her and we went down the stairs.
The tunnel was very dark, so we used our flashlights and after passing an iron gate we found some footprints again.
"Looks like we're on the right way.", I said.
"That's a lot of footprints.", Elena stated.
Nathan nodded. "Let's take this slow."
Suddenly everything went dark. I was walking behind Nathan and it was far too late for me to notice, that he stopped walking. Long story short: I bumped right into him.
"Sorry, Nate.", I mumbled. Luckily it was dark, so he couldn't see me blush.
"Not your fault, I should have said something.", he answered. After some cursing and shaking the flashlight worked again, but broke after a few steps.
"Did you bring any spare batteries?", Elena asked.
"Yes, but now they're at the bottom of the ocean.", I answered.
"I won't ask."
"We won't tell.", Nathan replied still shaking the flashlight to make it work again.
We entered a room with a wooden floor. Some of it was broken and revealed spikes with skeletons.
"Some kind of death trap?"
"Think so.", I replied to her. "Well, Sam and Shoreline made it across. We just have to follow their lead."
We in fact made it across, by stepping onto the footprints and without falling to our deaths. There was another tunnel on the other side, but it was blocked.
"The footprints end here. Looks like they went through and made it collapse behind them.", Nathan assumed.
"Well, there is no possibility to get through there, so I'd suggest to find another way.", I said.
We turned around and Nathan's flashlight stopped working again. I heard Nathan curse, when I suddenly remembered something.
"Hey, Nate. You still got Sam's lighter?"
"Yeah, you're right.", he tried to lighten it, but it was empty. "Of course he used it all up. Smoked like a goddamn chimney on the boat ride over ..."
"Relax.", I heard Elena's voice. "I brought some matches."
"You did?", I asked.
Instead of hearing an answer, I saw a small flame and walked over to it. Unfortunately it went out again, so became dark. I heard an "Ouch!" from next to me.
"You okay, Nathan?"
"Yeah, I just tripped over something.", he answered.
I went over to where I heard his voice and felt for his hand to pull him up.
"Thanks, Jo."
God, how I loved it, when he said my name like that. It was a soft voice, calm and reassuring. I would to everything for him, if he asked me in this tone.
Stop it, Jo. Focus on saving Sam. Jesus, get your act together. There are far more important things, than crushing on your best friend.
I'm not crushing on him.
I tried to convince myself, but I had to admit, that in the last weeks, I had seen Nathan differently. I was still holding his hand, when there was a light once again. I looked at the ground and let go.
"Over here!", Elena shouted.
She had found two torches, she was about to light. She handed Nathan one, who took it.
"Thanks. Glad you came prepared."
"Well, someone has to.", she chuckled. "God, if John knew, what I am doing right now."
"Technically it is indeed some research.", I said.
"Yeah, of course, but I am never going to write an article about this.", she stated.
"That's probably better. No one would believe you. They would send you in a mental hospital most likely. And Jo and me as well.", Nathan added.
Elena nodded. "I have to tell John someday, don't I?"
"It would be better, but I'm sure he will understand. He's a nice guy and definitely in love with you.", I said.
"Yeah, he would be a total asshole, if he let's you down.", Nathan commented. "Besides, you could have invited him to come here. It's a nice romantic lighting, won't you say?"
"You have a funny idea of romantic.", I chuckled.
"Yes, I do."