Page 20 of Whispers of Fortune (Golden State Treasure Book #1)

T WENTY

Ellie sat up, crossed to the other side of the fire, and knelt beside Lock. She gently shook his shoulder. “Lock.” She spoke softly, hoping to rouse him during this, her third check of the night, but without waking everyone else.

She heard movement behind her and saw Josh tossing kindling onto the campfire’s still glowing embers. She hadn’t managed to move quietly enough for him but smiled because she wasn’t sure that was even possible.

In the first gray light of approaching dawn, she kept up the gentle shaking, hoping to ease Lock into wakefulness. She’d gotten him to stir the other times, so she was hopeful he’d come around this time, too.

Brody had been fully prepared to keep watch of his brother all night long. It had taken some urging, but the poor battered doctor had finally agreed to get some sleep. She’d left him alone, each time wondering if she should make him wake up as well. Yet he hadn’t told her to, and he’d been alert and rational, so she’d decided to let the man sleep on.

“Lo-ock,” Ellie crooned. It made her think of the soothing way Brody often spoke to his hurting patients. “Lochlan MacKenzie, wake up now.” She saw the first shifting of his eyes behind closed lids. The rocking continued, but she quit talking for the sake of quiet.

His eyes fluttered open. They focused. She hadn’t realized how worried she was, but each time he’d awakened throughout the night, tension uncoiled within her, and she relaxed a bit more.

Brody had spoken of concussions and how important these moments of wakefulness were. She wasn’t sure why, but Brody was tired and so she didn’t question him, just promised if she couldn’t wake Lock, she’d wake Brody and let him help.

Lock smiled. He’d had a dazed look in the night, but now he looked alert. He shoved his blanket aside and sat up, then yelped.

The whole camp was awake now.

Brody moved to Lock’s side, with Thayne coming to his brother as well.

“Every inch of me hurts.” Lock reached for his head and winced. He kept moving his arm until his hand rested on the back of his head.

Supporting him, Brody got Lock to sit all the way up.

“I need ... um, that is, excuse me, Miss Hart, but if Brody and Thayne would help me, I’d like to ... step away from the camp for a minute.” Lock’s cheeks turned ruddy in the dim light.

Ellie said, “I’ll help Josh get breakfast on.” She moved away quickly to minimize Lock’s embarrassment.

She busied herself getting out the skillet but heard the boy moan in pain as Brody and Thayne as good as lifted him to his feet.

Josh came up beside her with a saddlebag and pulled out a side of bacon. From the corner of her eye, she could see how painful each movement was for Lock. She noticed Brody seemed to be feeling every move, too.

“I’d offer to help, but they’re managing. Mostly.” If it was modesty keeping them from asking for help, maybe she should offer. “I think Brody could use a hand.”

“We’ll help if they ask,” said Josh. “And I think Brody has the sense to ask, so we can keep cooking.” He nodded at Ellie, and the two of them did their best to get a meal on and not worry about the MacKenzie brothers.

They soon rejoined the camp, and Thayne eased his brother onto a fallen log Josh had rolled near to the fire.

Brody asked questions of the young man, inspecting again the bumps on his head and the scrapes and bruises on his face. The three of them were a while getting settled, and by then Ellie had prepared biscuits and baked them in one skillet while Josh fried bacon in the other.

Ellie poured fresh coffee for Brody and Thayne, handing each of them a cup. “Would you like anything to eat or drink, Lock?”

He gave her a sheepish look, then rubbed a hand over his belly. “I can’t tell if I’m starving or I just got punched in the stomach lots of times during my fall.”

“I’ll get you a little bit of coffee and a biscuit, and we’ll see how that sets in your stomach. If you feel up to it, I’ll get you more.”

They were soon all fed and drinking a second cup of coffee. Lock had eaten a little. But he kept it down and claimed to only be seeing one of everything now.

Ellie hated to say it, but she thought it was wise. “We may as well head for home—I mean, if you think you can ride, Lock. Looks as though our treasure hunt is ruined for this weekend. We’ll try again later.”

Josh, quietly packing away the washed skillet, said, “Before we go, I need to show everyone something.”

“What is it?” Lock asked.

Ellie could tell he didn’t want to head back. But he couldn’t go on either.

“Where I got the water for the horses and to refill the canteens.” Josh paused, and Ellie thought he was maybe doing it just for the dramatic effect.

“Go on.” She wanted to kick him but opted for decorum instead.

“Come and see. Lock, it’s only a few paces beyond that clump of scrub pines.”

Brody exchanged a look with Ellie, who shrugged.

Lock was helped to his feet, and they all followed Josh around the pines to see...

“Loch Uaine.” Brody said it as if he were too awestruck to speak louder.

A spate of water poured down from a crack higher than their heads, coming out of solid rock. It splashed down into a bowl about six feet across that was green as the grass of spring.

Josh smiled. “This must be what Grandpa was talking about in his journal.”

Brody looked at Ellie, then Josh. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”

“I’m no chemist—not like my sister-in-law, Laura, who I reckon could tell us for sure what caused that bowl of rock to turn green.” Josh scanned the area. “We’re well off the Two Harts Ranch here, but Zane and I spent a lot of time running in these hills. I’ve never been down here, though, and I’ve never seen anything like this anywhere else either.”

“You think Grandpa’s treasure is right here?” Lock’s voice shook with excitement.

“Not right here, but close. Real close.” Thayne spoke with a reverence he probably should have reserved for church.

“Can we stay here, Lock?” Thayne rested a hand on his brother’s shoulder. “Just for a little while to look around? If not, we’ll come right back here soon as we can.”

Ellie saw how Lock trembled. He was standing up through pure force of will. How was he going to ride the whole way back to the ranch? It wasn’t just staying here; it was what they’d have to do next that was going to be the greater challenge.

“I have to sit down.” Lock’s knees buckled.

Brody and Thayne were so close that they caught him and eased him to the ground without his falling and maybe hurting himself further.

It was very clear Lock wouldn’t be doing any searching.

“I want to help.” Lock gave Brody such a beseeching look it hurt Ellie’s heart. “I want to be with you when you find the treasure.”

Brody knelt by his brother’s side. Thayne dropped in front of Lock and bent his knees, spread wide, his ankles crossed behind him.

“What should we do?” Thayne rested a hand on Lock’s shoulder. “We wouldn’t be here if you hadn’t pushed me into coming west, which brought Brody west. This is your treasure hunt as much as it is anyone’s.”’

Lock clamped his mouth shut as if he hated letting the words out, but finally, stiffly, he said, “I’ll rest here by this green pond, maybe study it while you all scout around. I can’t stand the thought of being this close and not hunting at least some. Maybe if I rest awhile, I’ll be able to help. If you find the treasure, it’ll all be worth it whether I’m there or not. And if you don’t find it, you’ll have eliminated a few places to look for when we come back. But this is the best clue we’ve ever had. I believe we’ll find it right around here somewhere.” Lock’s excitement came through even as his shoulders sagged.

“I’ll fetch you a blanket.” Brody sprang to his feet, then staggered. He wasn’t in the best shape either.

“I’ll go.” Thayne was on his way to the campsite, which was only a few dozen paces away.

“Bring a canteen, Thayne.” Ellie looked around, wondering what the green pond could possibly have to do with the treasure. It was certainly an odd feature. Chances were it was what Grandpa MacKenzie had referred to in his journal. “Lock, you get comfortable and gather your strength.”

Lock nodded and tilted sideways toward Brody, who shifted to let Lock lower himself to his side. Thayne came with the blanket, and Brody took it and covered Lock.

Thayne set the canteen on the ground next to his little brother should he wake up and want a drink. “Lock, I—” Thayne fell silent. He and Brody looked down at Lock.

Ellie, standing behind Lock, said, “What is it?”

Brody looked up. “He’s fast asleep.” Shaking his head, he added, “Let’s go hunt around. Give Lock some quiet.”

Ellie asked, “Is there anything else in the journal where your grandpa wrote about this pool, something we could be missing?”

Brody looked at Thayne, who answered, “I think he mentioned it was near Loch Uaine ... or in sight of it maybe. Or some such reference of closeness. We best just look around.”

“Keeping in mind,” Brody added, “that whatever Grandpa found, he found thirty years ago.”

As the three of them turned toward the search, Josh said, “I’ll go to the west of this green pool, each of you pick a direction. Keep your eyes peeled for anything unusual, such as an unnatural-looking mound. Whatever your grandpa saw might be buried under thirty years’ worth of falling pine needles.”

Ellie walked slowly, studying the ground in her direction, which mainly went straight back to the rockslide to the south. In all other directions, there was no end to the thick woods, the underbrush, the stony soil, weeds and fallen pine needles. They were surrounded by Sequoia trees mostly, though nothing compared to the massive ones she’d seen before, like that one broken tree.

As she headed toward the bottom of the cliff, she wondered if the scree slide was newer than thirty years. If it was, the treasure could be buried beneath tons of shattered stone.

How could they ever hope to find the treasure in such a vast wilderness?