"Wake up Felt it's time to go. C'mon wakey wake" whispered a voice in my ear.

A hand swung back and forth in front of me like the pendulum from a grandfather clock. It was very early morning, who had come to wake me up?

"Come on I'm making coffee" she said, leaving the edge of the coach where she had knelt down to reach me.

Yesterday had been a fever dream, it was hard to wake up and realize it had all been real. All of a sudden, I had been attacked by someone I thought was my friend for a year now, suddenly I was committed to heading out to an island under federal control, and for what exactly I was looking for I didn't even fully know; just some kind of evidence in finding out who really did it all. It was the least I could do for Jack at the end of the day, who I feel horrible forever dragging him into everything. Depressive thoughts lingered, but were pushed away by fried eggs, deer sausage, melted cheese, buttered toast, and hot coffee. We ate in silence while Tom was still sleeping. Outside blackness was in the windows.

"Alright sunrise is in forty-five minutes so we'll be leaving in fifteen" whispered Tom as he let the door close itself with gravity behind us.

Our arms were full of supplies as we walked past the yard flood lights to the edge of a trail made from chipped wood starting at the lawn.

"This will take us to a boat, so put your stuff in, except for your cellphone that stays," said Tina.

She was filling a caged, off-road, four wheeled hand wagon with a plastic pull in the front.

"Click, clack, click", our boots hit the long metal walkway to the dock.

Orange sunlight had just begun to show on the horizon of the harbor making just enough light to see without assistance. A gull flew off flapping from the railing, as we descended down the ramp. The boats rocked up on their moorings, and the skiffs all banged together where they were parked. Our trolley cart was packed full of items as Tom pushed back on its pull to keep it going slow down the steep ramp while I held on from the other end. It was a narrow ramp, only a single file.

"I see you have brought a shovel for me to dig for treasure" I said to Tom, noticing it over the cart. He didn't say anything, just smiled.

The cart reached its destination coming to a spot near the skiff we would use.

"Climbing on can be tricky," said Tom, jumping in.

He almost fell over as Tina jumped in behind him, rocking the boat. They reached out their hands, and I handed them items from the storage container on wheels on the dock.

"Alright tie the cart, untie us and then jump in" said Tina while Tom laughed behind her.

I tried to tie a certain knot but ended up with a mess before getting something close enough holding the cart. I slowly worked untangled the rope already tied to the dock from the boat. Tina held her hands out, as I jumped by them landing on the boat wobbling and then standing crouched.

"Sit down" she said as the boat began reversing and I fell into the seat on the bow.

"Ha ha gotcha" she laughed.

We began speeding forward on the way to Meyberry Islands. A large ledge stuck out in the middle of the low tide of Hogg harbor as the seas, and wind began to pick up intensity. The skiff bounced up and down going faster than the waves it was riding on. It was a rough windy day, thus not many had decided to go out lobster fishing, leaving the water clear of traffic. Early morning sun had strongly crept in blinding us as we traveled towards our destination Island that was on the horizon. It had the best sandy beach in the whole section of these islands, and it wasn’t too far out from one section of the connected coast.

The boat rushed towards the beach at a high speed, it was getting closer every second. Tom pulled to a sharp right, slowing off the propeller as we slowed in circles.

“Let's get you ashore,” he said, guiding the boat gently into place between the underwater rocks lining the low tide of the beach like a minefield.

“Bang!”

The boat loudly banged against the rocks, knocking us, and many other items all forward as I broke the momentum with both hands.

“Ha ha Oops well time to get off” said Tom.

Me and Misty jumped out just as the tide sucked the boat back out to the ocean.

“I'll be back” yelled Tom adjusting the height of his outboard motor as he revved it back out to the open sea.

“He’s going to go get his game camera he left on your land without permission” said Misty as we crunched up the dried seaweed lining the floor, walking on island rocks, the slippery ones already successfully climbed off.

Even with the chills brought on by the first days of October the sun shone down enough to provide some comfort. We were walking across half finely ground smoothed rock, and half shells of every sort. Remains of barbecue fires had been blunted by many sessions of high tide rubbing sand over them. Plenty of small plastic lay mashed up and recycled in the seaweed. Even with all the modern tarnishes it was still a magnificent natural Maine beach all the same.

“Twenty minutes and the tide will fix itself so we can get your stuff out here much easier,” said Tina climbing a big rock that marked the end of sand, and the start of rock that wrapped the rest of Islands circumference.

“Nice place you got here” she said, reaching the top and hauling up a cut off lobster buoy that had floated in at a higher tide.

“Second time I've ever been out here in my life” I replied.

“Why don't you never get invited?” she asked.

“Well I did get invited to my brothers getting out of prison party, and a few other times, but you don’t understand ever since my mother died my family is insufferable”

“Do you think I like all the Bosswood’s” she shrugged “I still live next to em anyway, but we have very strong boundaries and shotguns enforced, it keeps the family love from getting too crazy if you know what I'm saying”

We walked round to another side of the island. A side much rougher on account of facing directly offshore. We were next to a channel sided by many islands. Standing and looking out, doing nothing but absorbing the sea winds and sounds, relaxing in them while they usher in a different kind of day than you would see farther inland.

The tide had risen since we had gone away. We came back to it now, covering the rocks touching the sand as the skiff could be heard somewhere around the corner. It was coming into the shore while messing with his motor. The outboard motor had been turned off as Tom clanged around assembling something in the rear; his air and face had been wrecked upon by the fast winds.

Tina beckoned walking into the water to grab items with her rubber boots while I was stuck taking off my shoes. By the time I had gotten them off she was dumping items next to me and he was walking up the beach with an anchor and a coil of rope.

“Want to go for a swim?” she yelled as I went into the cold water barefoot.

Items were grabbed and in two trips each we had it all stashed on the beach under the cover of an old mossy spruce. I inspected the beach to see if I could remember it from trips as a child. What memories I could bring up did not match either in sand or rocks. Perhaps this was another side of the island. This was unlikely because I had walked around the circumference many times with it being a little under five miles.

“This isn't an old Meybell?” I asked when we had finished and all sat down for a rest.

“No this is Entercorp Island on what used to be called Porcupine beach” said Tom, starting up a propane stove he had brought with a cap flint cracker and pan.

“Entercorp: the company where my father works I heard they were buying up an island when I still read the news, but I can’t tell you what they are doing or plan to do out here and have no personal connection remember me and my family don't talk, haven't seen each other in years, I don't even remember my brother” I finished.

Tom didn’t appear to be paying attention to me any longer, instead he was wielding a sharp knife in one hand and in his other a package of five hot dogs with natural casings. Cutting the top of the plastic package he ripped them out them out into the cast iron pan where the ball of lard had now melted. The food sizzled.

“This is where all kinds of construction has been taking place, including the new mansion” said Tom, flipping a hotdog with his finger.

“Yes this island is much bigger than Meyberry which is right next to shore with a sand bar” said Misty, sitting down beside me.

“They think that being all the way out in the bay will keep out intruders I suppose,” said Tom.

“We are going to find the money, yes we are” Misty sang with a deeper voice than expected.

“Actually guys I suppose three is better than one when it comes to looking, you guys can keep any money you find all I'm honestly just looking for pictures” I said as he handed me a fried hotdog and bun.

“Sure honey, but I'm going to strip search you when we leave this island to make sure you're honest,” said Misty.

“I bet you would like that” I said looking off at a lobster boat as the crew worked a string of buoys in the distance.

“We are reasonable people, we will give you a fair share once this is done” said Tom, spraying catchup. “we are just very tired of being broke, living in campers and renting trailers while you idiots own multiple islands, yachts, and penthouses”.

“I understand I'll try to help you find the treasure the best I can, but truthfully I've never been out here in my life” I sputtered.

“If we run into any locked doors or safes, you might be able to help us,” said Tom.

“You’ve been a very good girl, so good you might have your father's full trust. You probably know the old passwords to something your old man never bothered to change” said Mindy.

“And we are frankly desperate enough in life to take this gamble” finished Tom.

"Well if I'm that good I guess you don't have to ever search me" I said rolling my eyes.

"Once a Felt always a Felt" laughed Misty.

"You had the money as a child and it changed you, and If we get yours we will be changed too" said he.

"We will soon degenerate just like your mother and father except we will embrace it" she laughed.

"My mom died, don't you think that's going a little low?" I said back.

"She died of alcoholism yet rallied all her life against poor users, we don't have to pretend to be friends" said Tom.

"Every family has dark secrets. I'm sure yours has had many throughout the years behind closed doors that have helped to keep it so poor" I said before everyone went silent with incomparable tension as greed began to ruin my relationships yet again.

All our items had been picked back up, and now on our backs as we hiked a winding path off the beach and into the trees. Birds chirped, squirrels played climbing all over branches, and a deer stood at the end of the path very briefly. A muddy section was boarded over by logs leading out and the other fork was paved in square wood chips.

“This way according to satellite images” said Tom, leading the way onto the log bridges.

This plan did not seem very well organized and these fools didn't even know where they were looking. It wasn't going to be long at all before one tripped up on a trap or alarm.

“Now what about cameras, what about the alarms?” I asked in a whisper.

“What about em?” laughed Tom as lightning shot down to earth behind him.

“Just as you forecasted, princess” said Tom as rain had started to drop.

Tom stopped lowering the sack he had been lugging on his back to the ground. He removed a rain jacket from it, and threw it to Tina as she was taking out three pairs of gloves, and balaclavas from hers.

“Weve been out here many times actually more than you ever have. We didn’t actually plan on bringing you here, but you wanted to go and we thought you might be of use” whispered Tom.

These must have been two members of the infamous Loony arson crew. Who had zeroed in on another target as I had walked right into them in the process of carrying out another no doubt sinister plot. With the rest of my family already in Federal I was fucked. A moment of hysteria might have just messed my whole life right up. I was stuck on this path I had chosen accompanying these crooks, putting on the same disguises most likely used by those who had taken my former lover's life and would probably take mine too.

“We just have to wait for a couple more strikes from mother nature's all natural EMP and we are good to go” whispered Tina crouching next to me.

Thus the sky thundered on, deep bass booming before a spark of lightning came crackling down close. We were all running down the trail as rain was beginning to pour through the thick timber, laced with a thick fog and the faint smell of smoke. My thoughts immediately went to the lightning hitting a building we meant to rob, bursting it up in smoke. With us here, with our boat right out in the open on the beach. This is a surefire way to end up tied to everything else regardless of my intent. Yet for all this I keep running forward headed straight for a fire I should be avoiding.

A carpenter had no doubt painstakingly carved and lacquered a fancy fence, gate, and gazebo. The entrances shut outside a matching bridge crossing a small pond with lilies. Tom ran us forward around the banks of the pond to the other side where a plastic garden shed had been assembled against it. Seeing a wheelbarrow undercover; I wheeled it out to beside where it had been. Climbing aboard the makeshift step and pulling myself up on the shed roof. It bent with the sudden added weight.

Looking over the fence was a sight I could not believe. A tower climbing to the sky, made of brick and mortar. It was a massive lighthouse mounted on the island's point. Perched on rocks facing up against the ocean. Its light showed far off the coast, penetrating well into the fog of Hogg harbor.

It might have been a nice lighthouse but it was hard saying that anyone ever kept treasure in something of that sort. It didn’t quite make sense when you could bury something like that anywhere on the island and it would be a lot more hidden. I knew none of my family would ever be dumb enough to hide something on the now main landmark of the island.

“There’s a treasure,” whispered Tina.

“Let me see those hun” said Tom, reaching for the binoculars she was using until she snatched it away from him.

“Let's go,” she declared, jumping off the roof.

"Ok you two have fun I'll go get the boat for our escape" said Tom leaving us.

Crushed stone led to a chain link fence blocking the path to the lighthouse on the hill. I could now see it closer, the light ever brighter and its marvelous fresh white paint winding upwards. I still saw no signs of buried treasure anywhere near as I hopped over the wet slippery metal and onto the ground on the other side soaked from the cold rain.

We now stood on a ledge in the open exposed to the wind, rain and lighting. Moving as quickly as we could, up wet chunk granite steps to the light's eye looking out into a storming sky. The cement foundation of the structure had an entrance path with a very gradual incline as we worked up it and streams of water flowed down.

Tina removed a coil of rope from her sack ahead of me as we came to the door in the structure made of cast iron and locked shut with chains.

“We will have to go around back,” she whispered.

The storm was still picking up as we got around back the lighthouse right beside the cliff edge where the wave smashed with intensity splashing up.

A cold wet hand grabbed at me from behind. Misty was silently pointing to me ,and then several times at a patch of concrete. A square much fresher than all the rest that had been recently filled behind us on the platform where the lighthouse was built on.

“Don’t worry about that till its time I just wanted you to know where the treasure we saw was buried” she replied.

The rope had already been anchored to a higher window. She put hand over hand on the rope as her feet slowly walked sideways up the white stones. The wind rattled her coat and the rain and sea splash pelted above bouncing off the structure, but eventually she got to the destination. I gave a thumbs up below as I watched her light a butane torch above. It was burning, working away at the sides of the black iron gate hanging over the small glass window inside.

“Timber!”

“Clang!” the metal had dropped, bounced once and rolled over.

Tina removed a small pry from her toolbelt working away at the window until eventually it gave way inside. She began to enter, going feet first head up at the sky into the lighthouse, her thicker figure slowly squirming into the small hole.

“Guess we shouldn't have eaten all the butter,” I called looking up.

Eventually she successfully breached the lighthouse leaving me out in the dark. Things aren’t good however, my anxiety was surging, and the levy was about to burst if it got any higher. Maybe this is all a game to these people, but I was risking too much out here, too much serious jail time if they burned anything down while I was with them. I should have at least pretended to change my mind back on the mainland and went back later to the canoe by myself. Now I was pretty much screwed even if I went back to the boat as two could testify against one. The best course of action would have to be to sabotage whatever plans were taking place with me besides them. Put out any and all fires.

The metal door to the lighthouse creaked as the mechanisms housed within were unlocked. Swinging open from the other side before a hand waved to quickly enter, and we were inside the dark structure. A bright red torch light carried by Tina followed me in closing the door behind her.

The metal staircase to the top stood directly to the right winding up. The rest of the room was bare brick except a large wooden desk taking up a considerable amount of one wall. On it sat a large drone, a folded laptop, and many charts. Tina was already at the laptop and the flare was already dropped in the middle of the room illuminating everything in a red hue.

“Any passwords you remember?” she asked, looking up at me.

“Mindycat98 was always a favorite of his”, I admitted.

“How cute,” she said typing away before the computer rejected the input.

“Come on we'll take it all with us” she said, slamming the lid, turning it over, and removing a screwdriver from her toolbelt.

The backplate came off long enough for the hard drive to be removed and put safe in the sack. After reattaching things, she waved over my idle hands so that we both could carefully work together to remove the drone from the desk. Gently placing it on the floor, before we could inspect the documents beneath.

“Hmm, hold it up steady” she said, picking up the first chart and placing it in my sideways stretched arms to accommodate its size.

I pointed paper around until I could see the flare light shining through its thin surface before several camera flashes pulsed across the room capturing it as best, we could. The next canvas was in my hands before I could read the last. All I could see of the newest was what looked like a nautical chart of the island. It too was gone after a few flashes, swapped with the final and fastest capture.

“Let's go,” she whispered, putting away the camera.

We silently picked up the drone, putting everything back to as close as we had found it. I waited outside the lighthouse holding the flare as the door locked again from the other side. The hard drive and camera slung in a bag on my shoulder. The rain had picked to a torrential downpour, as I watched Tina's butt worked back out the window.

Eventually she made it down and relieved me of any valuables before leading me down the slippery rock edge where the sea splashed up pounding the rocks with its fury. A bolt of lightning sparked far off shore. Tina waved the flare as water splashed my hair with cold saltwater. Tom had the boat, and he brought it in quickly.

“You got to go quickly here, nobody waits for mother nature” she called.

“I understand”

The boat pulled in, rocking sideways from the sea swell as she jumped aboard without fear or hesitation. I was right behind her. Bouncing off the front seat and tumbling onto the floor of the vessel. We had to leave before we could be shipwrecked rolling back and forth sideways on waves as it turned.

Why would they go through all this trouble for charts anyone could legally purchase? There must be some kind of smoking gun on the laptop's hard drive. Either incriminating evidence, something worth money, or something that could be used in the process of blackmail. The possibilities were as deep as the water we rode out on, but hopefully the answer to who had my murdered Jack would be on that hard drive.

Not a word would be said for the entire 40 minute ride. Tom pulled in the dock, shut off the motor, and tied it off.

“Let’s get you a quick shower and then right to the airport ok Mindy” said Tom.

We walked up leaving the shovel, and all the other supplies floating back at the dock.