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Chapter Eight
They went down to the house by evening for the snack that grandma had promised. The lemon cake, the French toasts with strawberries and nutella whipped cream were heavenly. The children licked their plates clean.
Grandma and aunt Jennifer chuckled as they sat together at the table. "So weren't you hungry?" Asked grandma, smiling at Diana.
"Yeah, ravenous," she answered.
They all laughed. "Daryll, your dad had called. The electricity is restored. Would you like to go back home?" Asked aunt Jennifer.
"Nooo," chorused Daryll and Diana. "We'll stay till our school starts, please, " said Daryll.
"Yeah, I thought so. That's what I told your dad," she said, getting up to go into the kitchen.
"Grandma, we were reading an article on the museum theft. It's uploaded on the state's official website. Our sheriff said that the map and plan were stolen because of the mines. What mines were he talking about?" Asked Jasper.
"These regions have diamond mines hidden underground. It was the sole reason why Henry Smith came here and founded this town of Smithville. However till date no one has ever found them," informed grandma.
"Diamond mines?" Gasped Skylar.
"Yes, I don't think there are any here," said grandma.
"Maybe there is, they just isn't looking in the right place, " said Nicholas.
"Maybe, " said grandma, shrugging her frail shoulders.
The children went up to their rooms to study before their schools reopened. After dinner they all gathered in Jasper's room. Pilot sat on the ground at Nicholas's feet.
"Do you really think there are diamond mines here?" Asked Diana.
"Maybe. Maybe that man, Bob had found them and was smuggling them to that man in the car," said Daryll.
"Maybe, but the chances are bleak. He would be filthy rich if he had found diamond. He wouldn't be working as a butler at Edward Wellington's house," said Skylar.
"I think he might be searching for them but didn't find them yet," said Nicholas.
"Let's visit Edward Wellington's house at lunchtime tomorrow. We will know for sure if he has someone locked up at Brighton Creek mill," said Jasper.
They all agreed and went to sleep.
The next morning after a delicious breakfast, their uncle Stanley and uncle Henry gave them horse riding lessons. They were too tired by noon. After lunch Jasper and Daryll rode their bicycles to Edward Wellington's house. They parked their bikes behind the tall hedges and hid behind the oak trees like before.
An hour later, Bob came out of the house with a lunchbox. He placed it on the storage box of his rickety bike. Then he climbed onto it and pedalled fast towards the Brighton Creek mill.
The two boys followed him, from a distance, being as discreet as possible. Bob opened the lock and went in.
They too silently went inside. They could again hear whimpers and the sound of beatings. "Please let go," someone cried out. It was a male voice filled with suffering. The boys stood still with fear. It was clear that a man was kept hostage in the basement.
They could hear the constant sound of digging coming from inside. They both looked at each other. Coming out of the mill, they hid themselves again.
Bob came out and went to the creek to fetch water like he did the other day. Then he went back inside and came out within five minutes. He locked the door and then went back to Edward Wellington's house. The children followed him back to the house.
He went in through the back door. The boys peeped in through the back door to snoop around a little.
"Did you give him food?" They heard the clear voice of Edward Wellington.
"Yes, sir. He has started shouting again. Shouldn't we finish him?" Asked Bob.
"Not yet. Let us find it first," said Edward Wellington.
The boys quietly left the house and rode back. They had figured out a few things and needed to chalk out a plan of action now.
They reached home and everyone hurried to the treehouse for an update.
They told everything that happened to the others. "So there's a man kept hostage at the Brighton Creek mill?" Asked Skylar, with round eyes.
"Yes, and he's being tortured for some information, I think, " said Daryll.
"There was some weird scraping sounds that we heard when we went inside the mill," said Jasper. "I think they're digging for the mines somewhere underground," said Jasper.
"Yeah and Edward Wellington's involved in all this," said Skylar.
"If we don't save the man fast, they'll kill him," said Nicholas.
"Last time when was that carton delivered to that man in the car?" Asked Daryll.
"Around 4 in the afternoon," said Jasper.
"Then let's go and see if he delivers something today also. It's 3:30 in the afternoon," said Daryll.
"You're right," said Jasper.
They took Nicholas with them too and the three boys went to the Wellington Creek mill and hid behind the huge boulder.
They waited and waited, yet nothing happened. After twenty long minutes when they were about to give up, Bob and another man came up in rickety cycles and unlocked the door.
"I'll go in. If I don't come out in 15 minutes and they lock me inside, one of you can return to uncle Stanley and ask him to call the sheriff. Then have them raid both mills at the same time. Rescue me and that man at the same time. Also ask the sheriff to send some officer to arrest Edward Wellington and his men. All at the same time. No one should escape, ok? I have my mobile. I will message you if I can Daryll," said Jasper and rushed to the mill door.
He quietly slipped inside. He could distinctly hear the same scraping sound. He went down, hiding himself well. "How much more digging to be done?" Asked a rough voice.
"We're nearly there, Bob," said another man's voice.
"Hurry up, we have to finish in two days," said another voice.
"We will take all the diamonds, finish off Brighton and escape with the loot," laughed Bob.
Jasper turned around and rushed to the door and out of the mill to his brothers. They climbed onto their bikes and pedalled as hard as possible.
They reached home and rushed up to the treehouse for a discussion.
