>>5700659Before you can ask your next question, the heiress reaches into her dress again and presents a <span class="mu-s">FOLDED PIECE OF PAPER</span>. Taking it from her, you unfold it to find yourself looking at a map of sorts!
“This is a <span class="mu-s">MAP</span> of <span class="mu-s">WAMPANOAG ISLE</span>,” she explains, “An-”
Hold up, you stammer as a confused expression forms on your face, isn’t it called <span class="mu-s">H-</span>
“<span class="mu-s">HAUSER ISLAND?</span> It is now, yes.” Interrupts the Prez. “But before that it was named after the indigenous people who lived here: <span class="mu-s">THE WAMPANOAG TRIBE.</span>”
You frown. Something tells you this is gonna be important…
“It couldn’t hurt to know the context.” She counters as you somehow manage to stuff the <span class="mu-s">MAP</span> into your pocket without messing with your zip ties. “This island’s bigger than you think, and if father isn’t keeping any secrets here, there’s a good chance they might be elsewhere.”
What, you snort, like at the <span class="mu-s">SUMMER CAMP?</span> The <span class="mu-s">HISTORICAL VILLAGE??</span>
“I was thinking the <span class="mu-s">WORKER CABINS</span>, the <span class="mu-s">MINING BUILDING,</span> or maybe even the old <span class="mu-s">DOMINGUEZ VILLA</span> to the <span class="mu-s">WEST</span>,” Replies Mina with a hint of irritation in her already cold voice, “The cabins have their fair share of foot traffic from the island staff, but they’re all off tonight. As for the latter two, they’ve both been abandoned for some time. Still, I could think of worse places to hide secrets…”
What about the <span class="mu-s">CAVES</span>, you suggest as you tap the corresponding part of the map with your finger, or the <span class="mu-s">MINE</span> itself?
“Too dangerous.” Mina states as if it were an undeniable fact. “The mine flooded years ago when they hit a sea cave and the caves, well…” She shivers a bit as if you’d dredged up a bad memory. “They have their share of ghosts as well.”
Wait a second, you hiss, she didn’t say anything about <span class="mu-i">GHOSTS!</span>
“Historically the caves were used as a hideout for pirates,” Mina explains with a hint of reverence in her tone, “The most notorious of them all being <span class="mu-s">CAPTAIN RAPHAEL TASH.</span>”
Tash, you nod, yea, you…
Nope, drawing a blank.
“Not much to tell, really,” Sighs the girl as she idly kicks her foot in the air, “He and his men landed on the island years ago, slaughtered the local tribes and stole their belongings.” She pauses to give you a foreboding glance. “It’s an old story, but one Dare and I grew up with. So did my father and his father.”
Gotcha, you nod, no going to the <span class="mu-s">PIRATE CAVES</span>. Way ahead of ya!
You’re <span class="mu-i">TOTALLY</span> gonna find some <span class="mu-s">PIRATE TREASURE.</span> Hell <span class="mu-i">YES</span>!
“Good,” replies Mina with a sigh of relief, “I know what I’m asking of you, but I’d prefer it if you didn’t die in the process.”
D’aww, she cares about you!
“Explaining a dead body would be a nuisance, and this island has had more than enough disappearances in the past.”
Oh. Well then.
>CONTD. 