NANCY DREW AND THE SECRET OF MERMAID COVE

Chapter Thirty-four

 Not long after the two had made their way back to their friends with arms full of fireworks. "I can't believe how easy it was to take these." Ryan remarked to Nancy.

"Now to think all we had to do is move one small radio and turn on a baseball game. Sometimes life is just too easy." Nancy said

The teens made their way back in to the woods in pairs. Ryan in Nancy went east and the others south. With great care they pilled the fireworks up and rigged a lighting device using some fire wood and and a long wick. Chase and Bess went back just outside of the hideout to wait.

At exactly ten o-clock both teen lit the rigged kindling and raced back to their friends making sure to not go in a straight line to keep from meeting up with the criminals when they came to investigate the noise. Once Nancy was half way back she heard the first batch of fireworks go off then the others. It sounded like a war zone. Not long after she heard some men coming her way and hid behind some nearby pine trees. Their plan had worked! She raced the rest of the way eager to meet back up with her friends.

Once there something did not feel right. She hid once more trying to figure out what. Just then some men came through carrying her friends who were passed out. "Oh no what have they done?" She followed behind trying to stay out of sight.

They were brought just outside a large dark gray tent. Chase seemed to be waking up a little when a tall man stepped out of the tent. A look of deep surprise was on the man's face to see them there. Nancy was in shock as well to see the very professor she had shown the watch too just a few days before.

"Boss we caught them what do you want us to do now?" asked a small man.

"I know these three. Was there another a young titan haired girl perhaps?" asked the professor.

"No Boss we caught them all. Said the other man who seemed quite proud of himself.

"Search the whole isle just to be sure we cannot risk anyone escaping and leading the police back here. We have too much riding on this new deal that is happening tomorrow night."

He seemed to notice something and moved closer to her. Nancy held her breath scared. Before the man could reach her a large gray hound came running out of the tent and right up to her. It grabbed hold of her shirt a pulled her out in to the open.

to see what they were up to. Once near the camp she could hear a loud commotion. "Get all those explosives out of the open. They will be ruined in the heavy rain!" Yelled one man from across the camp.

 "I do not care what the men thank! WE WILL LOSE A GOLD MINE IF THIS IS NOT DONE RIGHT! WHERE ARE AMY'S AND BEN"S CREWS? WE NEED EVERY MAN HERE!" Yelled the professor from the large army tent. This was good for the teens perhaps in the confusing they could slip back in to the moon pool and get to their own boat before the seas got to rough. Like a ninja Nancy slipped away from the camp to get back to her friends.

Once back at the secret cave entrance Nancy found her friends waiting. "The moon pool is off limits."Chase spit out angerly.

"What? Why can we not go there?" Nancy asked confused as she went to stand beside Ryan.

"The way is blocked there is a small fire that way. Most likely from a stray light bolt." Chase explained with a huff.

"The only other way I know to get there is right by another camp that is full at the moment." Ryan added quietly.

"Maybe with this storm we can slip by in the confusion." Nancy suggested trying to be optimistic.

"These are a pretty brave lot I am afraid we would have to wait until the storm got really bag to slip by them. By that time however, the seas would be too wild to get back to our ship by swimming."

"So our only chance is the misty cove. We will need to hurry." As Nancy said this another crack of thunder sounded and made them shiver. They traveled at a quick pace and made it back jsut as teh su was coming up. Once they got there something felt strange to Nancy. "Where are to dry ice and fake ghost guys?" She asked her friends not sure what they should do now. The sea was starteding to get rough with the wind they could not wait around much longer.

They ran up to a speed boat and tried to start it. Of coarse there were no keys! Nancy untried the boat as Ryan tired to hot wire it. "Can you do it Chase?" Bess asked afraid.

"Not sure I have only ever hot wired by dads old jeep once before. Hopefully it is to different." Just hen they heard something stirring in the back of the boat to their surprise a drunken man sat up from under a tarp and pointed at them.

 "What... Who are you?" He asked while badly slurring. He gave them a hard look then dived for a silver button. Their eyes were wide in shock! Chase tried to dive for the man but it was too late.The man hit the switch and a ear piecing alarm sounded. The teen instantly covered their ears to mask the horrible sound. Chase motioned for them to run away the teens tried by was caught again by a different band of criminals.

"Good job brother leaving that drunk behind. We were merely trig to ditch him but this worked out much better!" Said a young women who stepped out of the shadows she wore a dark out fit of gray and purple and her long black hair blew around in the wind. From somewhere else a man appeared he looked to be around her same age but taller with jet black hair and a charcoal out fit on.

"Yes I agree Amy the boss will be pleased with us. Good thing we followed our hunch. There was just no way the world famous Nancy Drew could be so easily caught in the first place. Now what shall we do with them?" He said with a creepy expression on his face.

Amy walked along beside her brother then paused in tough for a brief moment. "The boss would want them brought back alive but I think it would be best to kill them here but how is the question." She cooed like a mincing evil crow. While there stood there arguing on the best method to kill the teens Chase made a braeck for it.

In the commotion Nancy also got loose she watch as he ran for the water. Once up to his neck in the water he felt something strange happen a pulse ran through the water like he had never felt before it did this continuously! It must be the treasure had had secret stuffed in ti=o his pocket that was causing this! Chase was not sure what to do the man came in to the water after him. Meanwhile back on shore a man was taking aim to kill Chase with a shot gun. Nancy saw this and raced over to fight him for the gun.