Stranger Things have Happened...

I was quick to raise my hands as she set her phone back down. "So this is about treasure recovery. I now understand why you came to me. I'll bring my houseboat down here, and I'll spearfish every day for supper. But when I'm down there, I'll begin looking around to see what I can find. I'll invite a couple of my crew down a few times to give us a hand, and before you ask... I trust them with my life."

"Slow down, junior. It's going to take more than getting wet to find what we're looking for," Tammy said. "Everything I've found I researched, and what I think happened was some tectonic plates adjusted themselves to relieve some pressure instead of a sea storm. It's the only thing that allows for land to be there for one second and then totally gone the next, well that and alcohol."

"Now, I have a question for you. You said that everyone here is related in one way or another, and then again, by your own admission, you say you are not related. So what parts of you are related, and what parts are not?" I arched my eyebrow.

She winked and flashed her breast to me. I winked back and stuck out my tongue. Then I looked into the sack and saw we were out of beer. I picked everything up and rolled the sack closed. Throwing it on the backseat floorboard, I reached under the front passenger seat from the back and then came back to the table. "Have you brought something else to tease me with, or is it all in your pants?"

I set the burlap bag on the table and unwrapped a 115-year-old bottle of Cognac. Tammy jurred.,"Tell me something that will make me want to open this,. Then I blew her a kiss laughingly.

"Some years ago, the most beautiful woman you ever saw in your life descended to earth upon a single beam of golden light..." I made it like I was putting it back in the bag. "Damn, you're a tough sell!" between gulps of air from laughing!

I was set up by my father to take the rap for a heist he did. I was in prison when he came to introduce me to his new wife, then had her wait outside in the hall while he told me that he was taking everything and leaving. I spent the rest of my sentence learning 'the tricks of the trade' and a few contacts that might hire me.

"That's when I met Mr. Karl Maddox, but more importantly, his son Devin. No, Daddy had a little girl thing, but nothing sexual ever happened between us. But now Devin was a wealth of knowledge and only just turned 18. All he wanted was to learn everything he could to please the female body. What a trade that was! The kid was a natural and hung like a Shetland pony! So all it was was he would fuck me, teach me the computer tips and hacks, and then still give me $500 to get something to eat, as I was getting a little too thin in his opinion."

I could trust him, but one of his friends made equipment someone in my profession needs, and once the asshole figured out my mark, he raised the price to get a larger cut of the payoff. Devin asked me why I wasn't at my best that night, so I told him. He asked me to get each of us a drink. I walked back out to the front room to where the bar was, and when I came back into the bedroom, I heard, "Yeah, I know already! That's my business, not yours, understand? All you have to do is what I tell you to do when I tell you to do it, and we'll both be fine. Just remember, you treat her like you treat me. No more 'bait and switch,' got it?

"I got better with every job I did, and soon everyone was asking for me. Then I was offered my biggest job, and right in the middle of it, I realized it was a setup. I had managed to get out with more than they expected. The news said I got out with 2.8 Million in gold and jewels, I stole a car and made my get-away. Just as I thought I was free, the driver's rear tire blew out and I lost control of the car, it rolled down the embankment and landed on its side. I grabbed my case and headed into the woods."

"I walked for about an hour and a half when I heard a female shouting for help. I followed the sound of her voice and found a woman in a hole dug as a bear pit. The bottom was full of sharpened branches, and she had one stuck through her lower right leg. I hid my case and tried to help her out, I found a log that I could roll one end into the pit and let the other end stick up out of the pit. I made it down to her, and I did what I could in the pit even breaking the branch a few inches from the point of entry and exit of her leg, I then spoke to calm her down and found out she had been there for two days."

"She was saying how grateful she was that a godsend like me had come along and found her. I told her I was far from a godsend and was running from a security team at that very moment, but I couldn't leave her there to die. I linked our belts together, strapped her to my back, and began climbing out of the pit. I made it three-quarters of the way up when the entire area was lit up by flashlights. There was shouting, and a couple of them tied themselves off with a rope and lowered themselves down to give me a hand."

They looked us over and then helped us into a car that took us to the hospital. I was bruised and scratched up from helping her out. I sat there holding her leg. They stared at us all the way, until I told them to keep their eyes on the road and get my sister and me to the hospital, as being involved in one accident was enough for one day.

They took her back first and she went right into surgery, then a doctor and an intern came into my room. I told them I wasn't hurt, and to just focus on my sister. The doctor waved my concerns aside and pointed at the sheets on the bed, there were three pools of blood in different places. I felt a prick in my hip, and everything started to become fuzzy. The doctor said, "You can cuss me out after you wake up, honey."

When I came to, They were draining the infection from my newly adopted sister's leg. The sight and smell instantly made me gag. A large kidney dish was pressed against my cheek, and I threw up everything in my stomach. "After what they told me you did, I'd never figured you to have a weak stomach," the doctor said. Then the prick pricked me again. "Now it's your turn!"

The next time I came to, my new sister and I were in the same room. She was reading a magazine, "I was wondering when you'd wake up. You missed the cardboard delight they call breakfast here. But you're just in time for a real lunch," She smiled. About 15 minutes later a group of four males and three females came into the room. One of the men stood by the door, while the other men began talking to her, with a glance in my direction now and then. The women looked at the guy by the door, after he nodded his head they began pulling out sandwiches, onion rings, and french fries as well as the sodas they bought at the vending machines.

I was never much into fried cooking, but it tasted like a chef had prepared a culinary delight for us. When we were all done eating one of the females produced a trash bag to hide the evidence, and another passed out handi-wipes to clean ourselves up, then they went into the bag as well. Then we were both given a roll of certs, mint flavored. "This isn't our first visit to see someone in the hospital, hun." one of the women told me. I tried to thank them, but they said they should be thanking me for rescuing their sister.

The oldest man walked over to me, "We have had our family chat, and we all agree that you could never pass as her sister, so you'll just have to settle for being a half-sister on her way to see her sister she hasn't seen in a while." He gave us a sideways grin, "We've about stayed our time limit, so it's time you figure out what you both want for dinner. Your cousins have been waiting to come up and see you both, so they'll be bringing the supper with them."

Tammy suggested a place called 'Steak & Shake'. I told her I had never eaten there, so I would follow her lead. It turned out to be one of the better fast-food places that I ever ate at. It was also the first time I ever had a shake,Tammy said her favorite was strawberry, so I had one as well...I was not disappointed.

After she fell asleep, I stayed awake thinking. These people accepted me and covered my back when I needed it most from just one act of kindness, while those I had once trusted tried to take me out of the game. When morning came, I decided that I would become Tammy Willslet like my fake ID said I was and let myself be adopted no matter how unorthodox it happened.

A week later we were released and heading for my new home. When we got there, I noticed that many of the buildings required different levels of repair. I found the older man who was in our hospital room, I asked him if he could take me back to the bear pit where they said the had found us. "We'll head out right after lunch," and he set a place for me at the table without asking.

It took us a few hours to get to the pit, the older man whose name I found out was Johnathon, stared at me strangely when I walked past the pit for about 30 feet, and disappeared inside a split tree trunk, and came out with my case. I asked him where the nearest town was. "That would be Jasper, and if you want, you can ride with me tomorrow. I have to pick up some supplies we desperately need."

So at 10 a.m., we were on our way to Jasper. I asked Johnathon if he could stop by a hotel for a minute so I could use the phone. He pulled into the parking lot of a hotel called 'The Shady Pines,' I hopped out and went inside. Five minutes later I came back out and got in the truck. "Are you able to spend the night in Jasper?" I asked him. "I contacted a very old friend I haven't seen in a long while, He's bringing me something that we both might need."

Johnathon nodded, " I have to call and let the wife know first, but I don't see an issue with it." We arrived in Jasper around 2 p.m., and he pulled up to a small motel.

I looked at him and shook my head, "I saw signs for a 'Holiday Inn.' Let's go there, and don't worry about the cost because I'm buying." Twenty minutes later we walked into our hotel room. I gave Johnathon $50 and told him if he was hungry he could get food from any one of the five restaurants that were two blocks away or less, while I took a two-hour nap.

I woke up to find four different sandwiches and onion rings, and then Johnathon pulled my strawberry shake out of the small refrigerator/freezer that came with the room. After taking a shower and changing clothes, I borrowed the truck and headed out to my meeting with an independent fence to sell my case to. They said my case was worth 2.8 Million, I sold it to Herman for 2.4 Million. I told Herman that the rest was a tip for telling no one he had seen me.

I walked into the hotel room and chuckled at Johnathon operating the satellite remote for the TV. "They have a channel for everything on here, damn!" he muttered. I started to laugh, and it startled him. I came clean and told him my story from the beginning and what I wanted to do. "It doesn't matter what you did before you became family. It only matters what you do with your life from here on out."

"If you want, we could head back tonight," I told him.

"I'd rather not," he said, "We still have to pick up the supplies. Besides, They're going to show how to make a banana creme pie and a pear pie. I do love my pears!"

I smiled and asked him to keep the sound down. I woke up at 7 a.m., and he was still copying down recipes from the Food Channel. I freshened up in the bathroom and came back out. I burst out laughing, Johnathon was halfway through copying how to make a blueberry swirl cheesecake when he ran out of writing paper. He went to take a shower, and then we went to pick up the supplies.

I had already made a list of what was needed and slipped it to the salesman when Johnathon was busy going through his list of supplies at the counter. My salesman looked at my list and laughed, "You want all this in the bed of that truck?"

"No," I replied,. want it all in a semi-trailer., then delivered to the address at the bottom,. Do you have any questions?"

He totaled it up and said, "Your total is $32k, can you afford that much?"

I reached into my purse and pulled out four banded stacks of $100 dills,."I'll be expecting delivery today, so early evening would be perfect!"

He said, "This big of an order, will take a couple of days to get it all together."

I pulled out another stack and split it in half, placing one half on the counter, and the other back in my purse. I smiled, "Your right, late afternoon today would be great." I batted my eyelashes at him and put my hand on the money, " but if you're too busy, I'm sure I could find another place that could meet my needs.

He held up his hand and pulled out his phone, "Get your brothers together and get down here, NOW!" He looked at me and said, "It will be my pleasure to fill your order, Ma'am!"

With everything done, we started to head back home. I noticed a labor hall and had Johnathon pull over. I went inside looking for someone in charge, and once I found him, I told him I needed carpenters and masons who were good and wanted to work. In ten minutes, I had thirty workers recommended, and they piled into their cars to follow us back home.

Johnathon watched as everyone pulled in behind us, and then looked at me. "Something you want to tell me, Tammy?

"Nothing that comes to mind, Johnathon. Why do you ask?" I smiled at him.

His eyes rolled skyward, "Do you have any more friends that are coming home for lunch?"

"For lunch?" I used my charms, "No, they're not coming for lunch, I have some ideas and need their input on them."

"Right," He dropped the truck into gear, and we were on our way.

We got back around 1:30 p.m. We drew a crowd as our little 'convoy' pulled into our small town. I told everyone to meet me in the big storage building that wasn't in that bad of shape.

"Hello everybody! I first want to thank you for welcoming me into the family it has meant more to me than you could know! The second thing is I wanted to show you all how much I appreciate your generosity. The men outside are equipped with notebooks and pencils, I will assign them the family dwellings first, and then the other buildings as needed. This shall be our meeting hall and daycare center for those who require it."

I knew Wilma had five kids so I had her stand off to the side, "Everyone who has children go stand with Wilma," I then told Johnathon to stand in another spot, "The men who are ready to help out now go stand with Johnathon." I waited while everyone went to their designated places. "Everyone that is left will be assigned to one of two groups."

"Wilma, have your group follow me outside. The rest can wait here for a moment." I took Wilma's group outside and matched them up with one carpenter and one mason. "adies, take the gentlemen that have been assigned to yyourhome, work with them, and give them your ideas on how to best make improvements to the home,making them safer and healthier for your families!" Wilma and a few others broke down crying.

I went back into the building and split those left into two groups. The men I gave the task of clearing out all the leftover junk and trash inside the building, the women I put on kitchen detail making food for everyone. I got Johnathon aside and gave him $5k to send someone to get the food. He looked at me like he was looking at a ghost. "Tell them to grab cases of Sprite and other popular sodas as well as a few kegs of beer.

The doctors cleared Tammy to walk unassisted but wanted someone with her in case she ran into trouble. So I told her that she could walk around with two of her cousins, making sure we covered everything, or if there was anything she could think of to improve on anything that was going on. She walked out just as the semi-filled with the supplies I had bought arrived... her jaw dropped.

While cleaning the building out, four small pouches of gems were found tucked away in hiding spots. I called Johnathon over and told him to figure out who would be best as the town treasurer and gave him the pouches. "We should clean out all the buildings and see what we can find," I said. Johnathon just nodded his head.

We made the town safer and more habitable and we found thirteen pouches filled with gold and gems and one silver chalice. It took a couple of years to update everything and get it all as right as rain. I still had 500k left over, so two years ago, on the anniversary of giving the town new life, I bought every family a projection TV,. Allthey have to do is turn it on, and the TV shows on the wall.

"That's how I came to find a home here," She smiled.

It was late, so we parted ways, I walked her home and then returned to my houseboat to get some rest.

The following day, found myself sunbathing in the nude on the top of the boat. I kept hearing an unusual sound, and then there was a smell that I couldn't place in the air. I got up and looked around the boat, I noticed that the water level had dropped drastically, and I knew what that meant. I hurried and got the boat ready to move into what was left of the cove close to the town.

A storm that pulls that much water means it's going to get nasty and quickly! As I was bringing in the starboard anchor, I noticed a crack down the side of the mountain, and there was what looked like a cave deeper in the water. With the water level so low, the pointed top of the cave was exposed. I realized that was where the smell was coming from.

I made it into the cove and ran my boat aground. I tied it off to the wharf and used the aft anchor to tie it around a large tree. I turned around and noticed I had a following, that's when I looked down and realized I was still naked, and good ol' Fred was waving at anyone who decided to look his way. "Hey, Miquel, nice to see you!" one of the ladies called out. I jumped back aboard, and grabbed some clothes.

The storm raged up and down the coastline for three days before moving back out to sea. It took four days to clean everything up, and another two days to get my boat seaworthy again. When everything was done, I made a run into town to the Anchor Dive Shop and filled my tanks. I picked up a few other things, a 'Starlite camera' that takes pictures in little to no light, a better set of diving knives, as well as a small single tank and a couple of spearguns.

Then, I made sure I had enough spare line to let out as I went, and follow it back out in case I became lost in the cave. I was heading to my boat to get underway when 16-year-old Timothy Jenkins asked if he could ride along before his Mother figured out something else for him to do to keep him busy. I told him he still had to ask his Mother if he could come along.

With permission granted, Timothy and I were off on an adventure! Timothy didn't like that his job was to stay on board and watch the line payout, but I convinced him of the importance of his job, If I got trapped down there he would be the only one to tell everyone where I was. I gave him the thumbs-up, and over the side, I went.

Everything was clearer since the storm had torn up a lot of the vegetation and dispersed it elsewhere, I watched the seaweed move back and forth letting me know there was a steady flow of water in and out of the cave, which made me feel better. I proceeded slowly, jabbing everywhere in front of me, making sure there weren't any loose rocks waiting to fall on top of me.

Then I felt the probe hit something metallic I felt around with my hands and realized I had found a sword, not just any sword, but a Toledo Salamunga Broadsword! What was a sword like this be doing in an underwater cave this far from Spain? I tied it to the line and any more treasure I found. I found more treasure the further I went, Jewelry and such went into the sack at my waist, anything bigger I tied to the line.