Chasing the Thrill of Fenn's Treasure (Fiction, Part 4)

This is Part 4 of a work of fiction. Please check my blog for the other parts. This chapter will not make sense unless you've read Parts 1-3 first!

The airport’s loudspeaker burst to life. “United Airlines Flight 5978 to Bakersfield will begin boarding.”

“That’s me,” said Carlos. “Off to B-town, home of Buck Owens' Crystal Palace and not a whole lot else."

"Best restaurants and nightlife are probably a couple of hours south, I'll bet."

"Down in LA, yup. All you get in B-town is Merle Haggard and Buck Owens on perma-loop. But at least there's oil in that valley."

Carlos looked at his watch. "Hey, kid, I need to make a call before my flight takes off. But I have one more thing for you. Do you have a cell phone?”

Brody reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone.

“Let me borrow that,” asked Carlos.

He pulled out his own phone, scrolled to an image, and then used Brody’s phone to snap a picture of it. He checked that it came out well on Brody’s phone. Apparently satisfied, he repeated the action and then did something else with both phones, all in a matter of a few seconds.

“There you go,” Carlos announced, returning Brody’s phone. “Happy hunting. And don’t forget to take lots of water when you go out there.”

“Thanks. It’s nice to meet a fellow seeker. Have a great flight,” said Brody, shaking Carlos’ hand again.

Brody turned to watch as the man walked to his gate and straight to the front of the priority boarding lane. He must be in first class or a seriously frequent flyer. In a moment, Carlos was gone into the walkway that led to his plane.

Then Brody pulled out his phone to see what Carlos had added there. He went to the gallery and saw two new photos. One was a storefront. No, it looked like a restaurant. He zoomed in. There was a green sign that read, "Nopales". Interesting.

The second image showed three people standing together, smiling for the camera. Brody recognized Carlos first. He had his arm around a blonde woman who seemed about the same age. She was noticeably taller than Carlos. And the third person, standing in the back with a blue button-down shirt and a cowboy hat over white hair….no, it couldn’t be!

Brody zoomed in. There, standing next to Carlos and the blonde woman, was the eccentric millionaire himself, Forrest Fenn. His face was unmistakable. For two years, Brody had researched the treasure that Fenn had hidden, complete with all of his clues and tips. He had started with the book and its poem, the sequels, and the websites and forums devoted to the advice and lore of the search for the treasure that Fenn had hidden. During that time, Brody also had watched the countless interview Fenn had given on TV shows and in documentary films, soaking in the additional tips the millionaire often provided.

Brody knew his face. It was the same face he saw in the picture of the man standing next to Carlos. So Carlos had been modest; he had been withholding information during their conversation. The picture proved that he knew Forrest Fenn, the man who had hidden the treasure.

Suddenly, Brody realized that Carlos’ other photograph had become even more important.

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“Atticus, don’t feed it nachos,” yelled the father.

---

“Definitely no nachos!”

His son, seated across from him at one of the picnic tables outside the restaurant, was focused on something underneath the table.

“I’m just giving it a jalapeno pepper, Dad,” the kid responded. “It’s dancing.”

As Brody walked by, he noticed what they were looking at beneath the table: it was a large cockroach. Nacho-eating, dancing roaches did not bode well for the Nopales restaurant and its next health inspection, but then again, Brody had not come here for the food.

He had come here because of a random conversation he’d had with a man named Carlos at the Denver airport. Carlos had learned of Brody’s upcoming quest for the Fenn treasure, which was known to be hidden somewhere in the Rocky Mountains north of Santa Fe. Carlos was evidently familiar with the clues and with treasure hunting, but he had not told Brody that he knew or had met the eccentric millionaire, Forrest Fenn, himself. But when Carlos boarded his own flight out of Denver, he had left two pictures on Brody’s phone.

One was a picture showing three people: Carlos, a blonde woman, and Forrest Fenn himself. That photograph obviously elevated Carlos’ importance in Brody’s mind. And the second picture showed a restaurant with a sign that read Nopales. So after Carlos had departed, Brody had done a quick search and learned that this Nopales was located near Santa Fe. Carlos had known Santa Fe would be Brody’s next stop.

The only person inside the restaurant was a young waitress. Brody wondered if she knew Carlos, but wasn’t sure how to raise the subject. He ordered the enchilada plate with roasted vegetables. The latter turned out to be slices of prickly pear cactus (known as nopales) and summer squash. The nopales tasted rather like green bell pepper.

When Brody reached for his water glass, he saw his opportunity. The rim was covered in lipstick. Either he had a secret admirer or the dishwasher had taken the day off.

He summoned the waitress.

“I’d like to see your manager,” he said.

“Certainly,” she said. “I hope everything is satisfactory.”

“It’s fine,” said Brody, but I think I need a new water glass.” He picked it up and showed it to the waitress.

“Oh, I’m so sorry, sir. Let me get you a clean one.”

“Thank you. And please fetch your manager also.”

When the manager/cook/owner stepped out, Brody saw that she was the blonde woman from Carlos’ picture. She looked to be around the same age as Carlos.

After introducing himself, Brody showed her the picture.

“Where did you get that?” asked the woman, whose name was Linda.

“From Carlos. He gave it to me,” Brody replied.

“Then he trusts you,” she said. “I assume you’re a treasure hunter?”

“I am,” Brody confirmed. “Must be a lot of us who come to Santa Fe. And I’m not really sure why Carlos sent me here. But you seem to know him.”

Linda laughed and took a seat at Brody’s table. He was still the only customer inside the restaurant.

“How do I know him? Carlos is my husband,” said Linda. “That’s how I know him. And why did he send you here? I haven’t the slightest idea.”

“So you don’t have any clues for me about the location of the mysterious treasure?” asked Brody with a wink.

Linda laughed. “No. I wish I had a clue, but I don’t. We met Forrest once at an art gallery event, but I don’t know any more than you do about his treasure. He didn't give us any clues as far as I know.”

“Maybe Carlos just wanted me to get some good food,” Brody laughed. “It’s been nice very meeting you. And thank you for the meal.”

The people outside had left and taken the roach with them. Or maybe it had retreated to the kitchen.

This was Part 4 of a fictional story

Please check my blog for the other parts. The picture above is a montage made by the author based on images from the Forest Fenn books, Thrill of the Chase (One Horse Land & Cattle Co. 2010) and Too Far to Walk (same publisher 2013) and public domain material, including the border photo of the Yellowstone River. Here is a link to Fenn's book; I do not make any profit from recommending it. https://www.collectedworksbookstore.com/product/thrill-chase-forrest-fenn I simply thought the whole saga would provide an interesting background for this novel.