Free The Cathari Treasure (Cameron Kincaid) by Daniel Arthur Smith

away.
    “Whew,” said Cameron, “That will
get your heart pumping.”
    “Nicole,” said Marie.  She
turned to the backseat.
    “She is still sleeping,” said
Cameron, “didn’t even flinch.”
    Marie put the paper back under
the dashboard light, “So, the next turn is a left, I think.”
    Cameron drove slower and let his
eyes sneak out into the woods in search of any other creatures that may decide
to traverse their path.  Soon they made the last of the turns and came to
the entrance of a two-track trail.
    The cabin appeared as a brown
wall at the end of the two-track.  Cameron turned off the engine and left
the headlights on.  The engine terminated to a sudden stillness. 
Cameron sat in the quiet, feeling numb.  His eyes were glazed and he
wanted a shower.  Nicole, still half asleep, leaned forward.
    “We’re here,” said Marie.
    The car doors opened to a sweet
rush of cool air.  The sound of Lake Ontario crashing upon the shore
echoed through the trees around them.  They had not seen Lake Ontario from
the main road and the lake remained hidden from view.
    Cameron got out of the car then
went to the cabin door.  The key on the ring slid in easily.  He
stepped back to the car and killed the headlights.
    The cabin was backlit to the
moonlight flooding the trees on either side.
    “Ok,” said Cameron.  “Let’s
head in.”
    “Can we see the moon first?”
asked Nicole.
    “Why not,” said Cameron.
    The three walked toward the
lunar light at the side of the cabin.  Turning the corner, they were
instantly struck with a large waning moon floating above the sea of Lake
Ontario.  In front of the lake, the crashing ebbs were clearer, louder,
and the light breeze was moist against their cheeks.
    “It’s beautiful,” said Nicole,
“it’s like an ocean.”
    “Yeah, it’s one of God’s amazing
creations,” said Cameron.
    “But it’s not,” said Nicole, and
she turned back toward the door of the cabin.
     
    * * *
* *
     
     

Chapter 16
    Lake Ontario
     
     
    Their arrival to the cabin
invigorated them.  The southern glass framed wall that faced Lake Ontario
stood the two stories of the shaker frame, the bedrooms recessed on the
balconied second floor above the kitchen.  The hearth sat on the sidewall,
the large stone chimney dwarfing the room.  Cameron had a secret dread
that a large stuffed bust may be mounted on a wall or that a bearskin may drape
the balcony, neither was the case.
    The cabin was only remote in the
sense the property was away from the highway.  The cabin was still
connected to the grid.  The lights flicked on with the switch.  The
natural gas stored in the large tank out by the shed would need to be turned on
for hot water and cooking.  Cameron turned the gas on as Pepe had
instructed while Marie and Nicole prepared the bedrooms upstairs.
    When Cameron yelled up to tell
them that the gas had been turned on he found Marie and Nicole were already at
work washing away the last few days travel.
    Cameron opened the fireplace
flue and quickly prepared a fire with some of the chopped wood that was stacked
neatly along the stonewall .  The dried wood
ignited without much effort.  Cameron placed some larger pieces over the
flame and then went into the kitchen.
    The pantry consisted of a small
walk-in area off the kitchen with shelves lining three walls top to bottom.
 Cameron pulled the weighted string that hovered in the center of the room
illuminating the bare bulb attached to the end.  The dried food goods were
shelved in an orderly fashion.  Grains and pastas filled an entire shelf,
large cans and bottles of juice and water lined the top, and an array of canned
goods covered the bottom shelves.  Considering Marie and Nicole’s dietary
restrictions the choices were ample.  He took down some pasta and olive
oil and found cans of tomatoes, potatoes, white beans, and spinach.  He
took them over to the counter and then opened the large cupboard door where he
thought he