With a groan, he felt his way back to where the stone dippedbelow the water. He cautiously extended a leg and explored the underwater tunnel. At least it didn’t get any smaller.
“Tommy, go back and let the men know we found a tunnel and possibly a cave. If the tide comes up, it’ll be too dangerous for anyone to follow. Tell them to stand by.”
Bracing his hands on either side of the walls, he took a steadying breath. And another.
Here goes nothing.
One last deep inhale and he pushed under.
He kept one hand on the rocks and kicked hard. More than a few feet passed and he blindly surged forward. When his lungs began to burn, he slowed. Had he made a wrong turn? What a way to die.
And then, his hand broke the surface, blessed air cooling his fingertips. He pushed his face above the water and opened his eyes. A muted grey cut the darkness and he blinked as his sight adjusted.
“You came.” She tread water just beyond his reach.
He wiped water from his eyes and craned his neck. The rocky ceiling sloped up, revealing a large cavern. His breath whooshed out as some of the built-up tension faded.
Space.
“Where’s Tommy?” She swam toward the tunnel with furrowed brows.
“I sent him back.”
The lines of worry eased and she turned to face him.
“Now what?” He spoke the question aloud.
“Now we find the treasure.” She pointed ahead at the outline of a rocky ledge. The source of the dim light became clear. A tunnel.
Red kicked over and tossed the torch onto the dry ground. She got her hands on the edge and began to pull herself up as Christian followed. He stretched his feet down and his boots grazed the bottom. He could touch. Barely.
“Here, let me give you a boost.” His fingers closed around a slendercalf and she stilled. The wet fabric of her breeches clung to her like a second skin. With a swallow, he slid his hand down to the sole of her boot and she pushed up.
After she scrambled over the edge, he got a good handhold and lifted himself. When he stood, he had to duck to keep from hitting the low ceiling. Red unwrapped the torch and gave it a good shake.
“Should be dry enough.” She shoved one end between her knees and opened the flint box. Water poured out. “Now, to see if we can get a spark.”
After several tries, she dropped her hands. “No use.”
Christian took the flint from her hand. “Let me try.” A heavy tang filled his nose. “How much oil did you soak that thing in?”
She rubbed her finger over the rag at the tip. “Enough.”
He held the flint next to the torch and began working it. Harder and harder, he struck it. If he was lucky, the friction would dry it out. Sure enough, a minute later, his efforts rewarded him with a shower of sparks.
The torch erupted into fire and Red nearly dropped it. Flames crackled and hissed while he shielded his eyes. Before he could lower his hand, a scream pierced the air.
He jumped and followed Red’s gaze into the tunnel, angling his body between her and whatever danger lurked. His body blocked the light and he grabbed the torch and extended it into the darkness.
A gleaming skull grinned at him from its resting place against the wall.
“What? A pirate afraid of skeletons?”
She rubbed her hands down her arms and frowned. “I just wasn’t expecting it, that’s all.”
He let out a chuckle and swept aside a curtain of cobwebs. “Shall I lead the way?”
Without answering, she yanked the torch back and strode forward. He had to hurry to keep up. “Careful, what if there’s traps?”
