6 A Day at the Inn

Will arrived at the plane grumpy as ever.

"Where the hell have you been?" Sully asked.

"Oh you know, getting pumped with drugs."

Sully raised an eyebrow.

"You don't wanna know."

"I think I might." Sully inquired.

Will sighed, "Well the girl who probably drugged me last night just drugged me again today while seducing me."

"Seduced?" Felix popped his head out of the plane.

"Yeah, and then I woke up in handcuffs and was gagged and then LZ was there and-"

"Wait, LZ? Why was he there?... It wasn't a threesome was it?" Sully asked.

"Good god no!!!... Man, why'd ya have to put that in my head? Anyways, he threatened me not to get in his way, and then the girl made me look for the keys to the handcuffs." Will finished.

"Where were they?" Felix asked.

"Again, you don't wanna know. Maybe if I take more drugs I'll forget it."

"If only kid, if only." Sully shook his head.

"Now why would you wanna forget a thing like that?" Felix chuckled.

***

"Alright, we're all stocked up on clothes, food, guns, ammo, first aid, and a bunch of other gear," Felix stated.

"I believe we are." Sully agreed, "Everyone good back there?"

"Let's go," Felix replied.

Sully started the plane and they lifted out of the liquid, blue, sapphire waters, and into the mid-afternoon sky.

"So LZ told us that you were gonna help us on the treasure hunt, is that true?" Felix asked.

"Yeah."

"I thought you wanted to get home."

"I do but, if I a have chance to help make an amazing discovery then, why not take it?"

Felix doubted his reason for tagging along but then noticed that something else might be worrying Will since Will wasn't asking the usual million questions, "Hey, if you're worried about your parents, don't be. LZ had some people contact them saying that you and him met and that he thought you had business potential in the music industry and that he was gonna teach you the works for a bit."

"I'm not sure they'd believe that."

"They sent them a photoshopped picture of you and him together. He also sent them an email from you to your parents." He explained.

"I would never wanna take a picture with that carrot-topped ghost, let alone be near him... Also how the hell did he send an email from me to my parents?!"

Felix chuckled and gave Will a concerned look, "Thought you would've figured out by now he's a criminal."

Aren't you all criminals? Will thought.

"So what did LZ say to you exactly?" Sully asked.

"Said that if I got in his way of the treasure, he knew who I was and then said my first and last name and flicked my ID at me."

"You won't have to worry about that." Felix reassured Will, "Cause we know his first and last name, Logan Zawiki."

"So, here's the big question... What are we looking for?" Will asked.

"Jewels, gold, silver, priceless items..." Sully listed.

"Now, there's gonna be some crazy shit happening out there, I can't lie about that, but what I can do is give this to you." Felix handed Will a holster that contained a gun and a couple knives.

"I don't really do weapons."

"Well you will and you have to." He insisted, and gestured for Will to take the holster, "Next time we land I'll teach you how to shoot."

***

A few hours later they descended.

"They say that this island was used as a port for everyone who was about to go into the Bermuda Triangle to smuggle supplies. After it became obvious that it was a death trap the island became run down." Sully explained as he beached the plane.

"So why isn't this like a tourist attraction or something?" Will asked.

"Because everyone who knew about it is dead."

"Do I want to know how you got information about this island then?"

Sully and Felix looked at each other, "Probably not," Sully stated, putting the conversation to rest.

Felix threw Will a backpack and his new holster. Will put them both on and caught up with Felix and Sully when they started to hit the brush. They found an overgrown path and followed it until it opened up to reveal a maze of eroding buildings and rotten wood.

Felix pulled out a leather-bound notebook, flipping through its pages.

Will peered over in Felix's direction, "What is that?"

"Just some notes about our mysterious pirate. Little is actually known about this man, which is a bit surprising considering how much he plundered, but then again it also makes sense as to why no one knows him."

Will raised his eyebrow slightly in curiosity, "What do you mean?"

"Well, he stole from the great empires of Europe. This pirate wouldn't want to be caught of course so he obviously kept his name and whereabouts a secret, so secret that none of the Kingdoms in Europe were able to catch him. Knowledge about the kingdoms' failures would be an embarrassment, so the countries that had priceless artifacts stolen from them agreed to cover up any and all evidence that the incident ever happened. Of course, not all knowledge or evidence for that matter was destroyed, and that's what we got right here." Felix said, holding up the journal slightly with a look of pride on his face.

"And here I thought we were here based on some rumor," Will mumbled.

Felix frowned, looking down at Will, "If you're so concerned about how or where I get my information, then next time maybe you can tag along as we sneak over borders and into restricted areas, all at the risk of getting shot or caught."

Will grumbled thinking: 'Like I wanna stick around long enough for that.'

"Okay, so what does your nifty notebook say about this island?" Will asked.

Sully chuckled, causing Felix to shoot the old man a dirty look, "Well," Felix said, fixing his gaze back onto his journal, "it says that there was a man from Spain sent by the royal guard to investigate our pirate. Turns out he was close to something, however, he was never to be seen again, his last known location being somewhere near the Caribbean sea. We think he must have stopped here. There were only a couple of inns on the island which is the most likely place he would've stopped."

"Probably cause there were taverns on the first level, which sounds like my place to travel." Sully grinned.

Felix smiled, "Anyways, inns from this era are most likely to look like this." Felix angled the journal towards Will and Sully, showing both of them a building with predictable architecture, and two stories complete with a sign.

"Hmm, pretty basic but it shouldn't be too hard." Sully contemplated as he raised his hand to his chin.

"Alright, split up and find something that could be useful," Felix instructed, then turning to face Will, "You're with me."

Will followed Felix through the maze of ruins, most of the structures being overtaken by the vegetation. As Will looked up at the towering buildings, Felix led the way, searching with a keen eye for anything of value.

Every once and awhile Felix would veer off the main path and explore the interior of a building to look for artifacts out of curiosity.

"So how exactly do you know this guy stayed in an inn? Wouldn't it be more discreet if he stayed on his ship?" Will asked, breaking the silence.

Felix glanced in Will's direction before facing forward, "Maybe not. A man needs to stretch his legs once and awhile. Besides, chasing a highly allusive, paranoid pirate for days on end could make any man crazy."

"Hm." Will contemplated.

Felix narrowed his eyes at a building up ahead. Noticing similar characteristics that could be an inn, Felix began to jog forward, "C'mon!"

Will jogged after Felix, coming to a halt in front of their find. Much of the stonework was still in place, however, it was clear that much of the wood had rotted away.

"Are you sure this place is safe enough to look around in?" Will asked with uncertainty.

Felix gave Will a weird look, "Not 24 hours ago you were almost drowned, and then you weren't afraid to make that guy lose his balance, even though you were at the risk of getting shot. Oh-ho yeah! And I almost forgot! You got slipped ru-"

"Okay, I get it!" Will interrupted, "This won't be the most dangerous thing I've been through on this trip."

Felix sighed, "Look if you don't wanna go in you don't have to. I understand that the glory of discovery is not for everyone."

'This asshole, he's saying this shit on purpose,' Will fumed.

"Fine let's go in. It can't be that bad!" Will huffed, stomping towards the inn.

Felix smirked triumphantly, following Will.

The first level of the inn was littered in mulch, presumably what used to be tables and chairs. After doing a quick sweep of the first level the boys ascended to the second floor where the rooms would've been. Felix stepped gingerly through the halls, Will following suit.

"Alright, I'll check the left side of the hall and you check the right," Felix instructed.

The two boys swept through the rooms, and to Will's dismay, they all had a pile of rotting waste that was presumably where the beds were.

"Find anything?" Felix asked, poking his head out into the hall.

"No. What are we even supposed to be looking for anyways?" Will asked.

"Logs, journals, letters, symbols, coins... You know, clues." He said as he moved to another room.

The boys continued to turn the place over, being careful of the fragile state of the inn as much as possible until Will heard a surprised yell and multiple thuds as something gave way.

"Will!" Felix yelled from one of the rooms.

Will dashed out into the hall and quickly located Felix. The floor of the room had given way and Felix was currently dangling from the edge of the opening.

"Shit!" Felix exclaimed as the floor groaned under his weight.

Will moved as quickly and carefully as he could towards Felix, slowly bending down and grabbing hold of his forearms.

Will grit his teeth as he pulled, "Can't you just drop down? The first-floor isn't that far!"

"Do you have to ask questions now! Just pull!"

'It's not like I lift weights every day.'

Will grunted as he struggled to pull Felix up, using his arms, legs, and stomach in unison. Felix was then able to get a leg up and flop on the floor, gasping for breath. Will sat beside him commenting, "Why are you the one out of breath? It's not like you're the one who did all the work."

"I was gonna say thanks but now I don't feel like it." Felix chuckled.

Will wanted to be annoyed but gave up and laughed along with Felix, "Fine be rude, but you could at least answer my question."

"Question? Which one? You seem to have a million." Felix grinned with satisfaction as he moved his hands to rest under his head.

Will narrowed his eyes slightly, "I mean the one about why you couldn't just drop down!"

"You wouldn't want your fearless leader breaking an ankle and being seriously injured now would you?"

"Ah, so now you're scared of a bit of rubble?"

Felix smiled, getting up off the floor, "Lighten up a bit. You might as well have fun while you're looking for treasure right?"

Felix offered Will a hand to help him up off the floor, "Well we searched the whole place and nothing. Guess we should go check on Sully."

Will and Felix headed out of the inn, heading in the direction of the second inn on the island.

'Maybe he's right,' Will thought.

***

Felix and Will approached the second inn, spotting Sully waiting outside.

"You find anything?" Felix called out as the boys approached Sully.

"I think you'll be glad to hear that I did." Sully held a small object in his hand, moving his fingers out of the way so that everyone could see. In his palm was a tarnished skeleton key, decorated with two lions and an insignia in between them, "It's the Spanish coat of arms."

Felix grinned from ear to ear, Will also feeling a slight exhilaration rise in his gut.

"Guess that means we're on the right track," Felix spoke with avidity.

Sully smiled, "Shall we call it a day?"

"You can. Will and I have other plans." Felix smirked, clapping Will on the back.

Will looked up at Felix with a look of confusion, his eyebrow raised.

"Ready to learn how to shoot?"

avataravatar
Next chapter