A Man of Fortune

8: Hidden in Plain Sight

 Sam stopped the truck just outside the large tower. We were at Joseph Farrell's tower, it being very well kept in comparison to the others. As I stepped out of the truck and approached it to get a better look I noticed Sam was missing, but when I turned I saw heat a market stall buying a packet of cigarettes. "Really?" I asked and he pulled one out immediately, lighting it and breathing a sigh of relief.

"After that gunfire and that damn cliff incident? Absolutely," he said, breathing in the nicotine like it was air. I rolled my eyes and headed up to the tower, but of course the front doors were locked. "Gotta find another way in," he stated the obvious.

"Up there, there's an open window," I pointed and he nodded, the two of us scaling the side of the tower as discreetly as we could, sliding through the open window and hopping down on the floor.

It looked as though it hadn't been used in decades, the place was rusted and worn and there were even weeds and plants growing through the concrete floor. Still the walls were beautifully carved and there were statues dotted around, and in the centre of the tower on the floor was a large pattern of Farrell's sigil. "At least we got the right tower, look," Sam said, pointing to the sigil.

"I don't get it, surely the treasure would've been in Avery's tower if he was the one the started this whole thing?" I questioned.

"Or maybe that was too obvious. Like you said, the grave of Avery was too obvious so maybe his tower was too," Sam suggested.

"But would he of really put his trust in one pirate to look after all the treasure?" I asked.

"There's only one way to find out," he said, the two of us exploring the rest of the tower. This was the first time since landing in Madagascar that Sam and I were truly alone, and I thought about all the things that had happened since we arrived. Both Sully and Nate claimed they believed there was something between us. I thought Sam had been acting a little intimate around me, but I wasn't sure whether I was imagining it or not. Perhaps it was just wishful thinking.

I had a feeling it was nothing more than relief of him being alive. I may have liked him back then but surely the feelings weren't still lingering inside of me - it had been fifteen years after all. I tried to convince myself that it was just relief and happiness, that it was nothing more than that...

"Hey (y/n)! I think I may have something," Sam called out, distracting me from my thoughts. I headed over to him, following the sound of his voice to find him in a chamber off of the main room, and in front of us was a cross with Saint Dismas on it.

"Hello again, Saint Dismas," I said and Sam chuckled.

"Look, it's a door," Sam pointed out. "And there's the lever."

"Wait, what if it's a trap?" I asked quickly.

"Only one way to find out," he said, tugging the lever. The mechanisms seemed busted however, so we had to lift it together, but inside all there was was a large map of multiple small islands off the coast of Kings Bay, but it seemed as though it had been a victim to fire as the Latin words above the map were barely comprehensible. All I could read was 'Pro de'. "Damn," he muttered, investigating it further.

"Maybe there's something else up the tower?" I suggested.

"Can't hurt to look," he said, the two of us leaving the burnt map and climbing the tower floor by floor, until we were at the very top. We went to the balcony outside and looked all over Kings Bay, it being a truly stunning view.

"Wow," I found myself saying.

"Yeah... c'mon, let's take a picture," he said, standing next to me against the balcony rail. He held his phone out in selfie mode, wrapping his arm around me. Instinctively I cuddled up to his side and smiled as he took it. We had a look and chuckled, it being a nice photo however I realised our close proximity and stepped away awkwardly. "Oh shit, I've got a missed called from Victor."