We all turned our attention to the boat. It was a center console, about half our size, and it was traveling at a good speed, pushed by two outboards.
Wulf had the binoculars up. “Professor Devereaux and a mate,” he said. “Hatchet, raise the anchor and stow the dive flag.”
The boat came up on us, swerved, and sped away. It whipped around and came to a stop at some distance with its prow aimed in our direction.
“What’s going on?” Diesel asked.
“Devereaux is angry. The mate looks worried,” Wulf said, binoculars still trained on them.
“I’m sure Devereaux isn’t happy to find we got here first,” Diesel said.
Wulf moved to the wheel and hit the ignition. “Devereaux just shouldered a handheld rocket launcher. We need to move now. Hang on.”
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
The twin turbines roared and our boat jumped forward. I saw the flash from the rocket launcher, and then I was flying through the air. I went underwater, kicked my way to the surface, and struggled to stay afloat. Debris from Wulf’s boat was all around me. A seat cushion floated by, and I grabbed hold. I was too stunned to hear the smaller boat approach, and still stunned when I was dragged out of the water. I lay on the floor of the boat, catching my breath, clutching the seat cushion.
“What?” I said, jostled by the motion of the boat as it raced through the water.
Josh was on his knees next to me. “Are you okay?” he asked. His face was white, and he looked shaken.
I pushed myself up to a sitting position, and Josh helped me get to my feet and pivot onto the bench seat in the back of the boat.
“What happened?” I asked.
“He blew you out of the water,” Josh said. “He’s nuts. He blew that boat to smithereens.”
“Why?”
“The treasure. He’s obsessed with it. I admit I joined up with him to get some money and go on a treasure hunt, but it’s like all of a sudden he’s nutso. It wasn’t supposed to be like this. He said it would be a lark. A race to the finish with winner take all.”
I looked back at the wreckage. “Diesel and Wulf…”
“They’ve surfaced,” Josh said. “They’re floating on something. There’s a third mate, too.”
“That would be Steven Hatchet.”
I looked down at my hand. I was still holding on to the Blue Diamond.
“Whoa,” Josh said. “What is that?”
Devereaux stepped away from the console and looked at the diamond. “It’s the finder,” he said. “It’s the Blue Diamond of Babur. I never thought I would have this opportunity, but here I am. You were the critical missing element. And now I have everything I need to claim the treasure. And Ammon has nothing!”
“Wow, that’s great,” I said. “Good for you. Maybe since you have it all we should go back and pick up the men who are floating in the ocean.”
“I don’t need them. I hope they drown.”
Not an unexpected answer since the man blew up our boat, but it sent a chill through me all the same.
“You alone can find the treasure,” Devereaux said. “It’s in the diary. And it’s in the writings of Mammon. The guide will find the way. You’re the guide.”
“I thought you weren’t a follower of Mammon.”
“I’m not a believer. I’m a historian. When I find the treasure my name will be listed with the greatest historians and treasure hunters of all time.”
“Not to mention, you’ll be shockingly rich.”
Devereaux smiled. “That, too.”
“If those three men drown back there you’ll also be listed as a murderer,” I said.
“Who will accuse me? Josh? He’s an accomplice. And no one will believe you. You’re just a hysterical, delusional female.”
I was soaking wet and shivering, and I worried that he might be right about the delusional and hysterical part. There was definitely an element of unreality to all this, and I could feel the hysteria twitching in my chest, ready to burst out at any moment.
Devereaux returned to the controls and directed the boat toward shore. He had a semiautomatic pistol shoved into his pants pocket, and I thought he was wacko enough to use it.
“Here’s how this will play out,” Devereaux said. “I’ve studied the map, and I’m going to beach this boat in the most likely starting point that will lead us to the treasure.”
“How does the finder work?” I asked.
“According to the diary, the finder will want to join with the stone, so it will emit energy as it gets closer.”
“It will glow,” I said.
“Yes, I thought the finder might be the Blue Diamond, but I wasn’t sure. I personally feel like Palgrave Bellows made this whole treasure hunt more complicated than it had to be, but it is what it is.”
“Suppose I don’t want to do this?” I said.
Devereaux looked at Josh. “I’ll kill him.”
“Aargh,” Josh said. “Best not be hasty.”
“True,” Devereaux said. “I’ll just shoot off some fingers. Maybe an ear.”