Disclaimer: All characters belong to HiT Entertainment.

Chapter 6

After I'd finished putting away the fire hose, I went upstairs to the Control Room, to see if Station Officer Steele needed anymore help.

"Sam? I thought I'd ordered you to rest," Station Officer Steele said sternly.

"I am, sir," I replied. "I don't have to be asleep to be resting."

"Oh. Right. Well, I was wondering if you'd mind staying on duty here this afternoon, with Ellie? Obviously, I do need to be down at the quay for Pontypandy Pete day, since it was my-"

Station Officer Steele was interrupted by an alert coming through on the Map Screen-700. I got to the button first.

"Norman Price and the Professor have fallen through a hole in the ground, looking for Pontypandy Pete's treasure," the Map Screen-700 reported.

Oh, no! Not again, Norman!

Station Officer Steele turned to look at me. "Norman Price and the Professor have fall-"

"Fallen through a hole in the ground looking for Pontypandy Pete's treasure," I finished. Why am I standing around here? I slammed my hand down on the red button, triggering the fire station's alarms. Then, I ran downstairs before Station Officer Steele could stop me.

Penny and Elvis were just sliding down the fireman's poles when I entered the garage. We all put on our uniforms. Then, Penny and I grabbed our caving helmets out of our lockers. I got onto Mercury, while Penny and Elvis took Venus.

"Sam!" Station Officer Steele snapped at me over the radio as I raced Mercury down the Newtown Road. "Be careful! Remember you limits."

"Don't worry, sir. I know what I'm doing this time."

Station Officer Steele sighed heavily before ceasing communication with me. I knew he was worried, but cave rescues were something I'd had plenty of experience with, so I wasn't worried. As far as I was concerned, this rescue would be relatively straight-forward. Especially since Norman had an adult with him this time, so I hoped that they wouldn't wonder too far into the cave.

Before long, we'd arrived at the scene near the ruins. I parked Mercury in front of a very large hole in the ground. Penny parked Venus next to Mercury, and she and Elvis got out. Taking care, Penny approached the edge of the hole and looked in.

"Looks like one of the old mine shafts," she reported.

"Okay, Penny. We'll search the caves." I grabbed hold of Venus' winch. "Elvis, you lower us down on the winch."

Elvis sprang into action. "Roger that, Sam," he and Penny replied in unison.

"We'd better test the air quality first," I said, grabbing the test kit of out Venus. To my surprise, the air was clear of poisonous gasses. "That's strange. There must be another opening allowing fresh air into the caves."

"We don't have time to worry about that now, Sam," Penny said as she placed a harness over my head. Then she pulled on her emergency backpack. "Let's just go down there and rescue them."

Using the winch, Elvis carefully lowered us into the mine. "Thanks, Elvis!" I called up the shaft, although I don't believe he heard me. Penny turned on her headlight and she looked around in the dimness. She spotted some old narrow-gauge railway tracks leading away down a tunnel.

"Tracks go this way, Sam."

I turned on my headlight as I hurried after her. If I had to be lost in a cave with someone, I preferred it to be with Penny. I trusted her implicitly when it came to caving, so I stuck as close as possible to her. While I'd never told anyone about my fear of being underground, I was sure Penny knew of it. After all, it was difficult to hide my lack of certainty and agitation as soon as I got underground. Luckily, Penny never said anything about it.

"WHAAA-HAA-HAA!"

Penny and I froze.

"What's that horrible noise?" Penny wondered.

I listened closely to the screaming. "That's Norman Price!" And I started running along the track towards the scream. Penny followed me, but at a more cautious pace.

A moment later, I rounded a corner, and was greeted by the cheery rays of sunlight from outside. Obviously, what was now the mouth of the mine had once been accessible by land, but the ocean had eroded the access path.

"I can't hold on for much longer!" I heard Professor Pickles say with despair.

Looking down from the mouth of the mine, I saw him clutching a tree root with one hand, and Norman with the other. They were both dangling about ten metres above the ocean.

"You won't have to!" I called down to them.

"FIREMAN SAM!" Norman shouted with both desperation and relief.

"I'm going to call for back-up," I explained. Penny removed her emergency backpack, and she anchored an abseiling rope top the rock face, while I got on my radio. I put the call out to everyone. "We're going to need Neptune and Wallaby One, fast!"

"On my way, Sam," Ben promptly radioed back.

"On my way, Sam," Tom radioed a moment later.

While we waited for back-up to arrive, Penny finished putting on her abseiling harness. As soon as I'd double-checked that everything was in order, she began to descend the cliff to where Norman and the Professor were dangling precariously. Norman screamed again.

Just as Penny reached them, Norman slipped from the Professor's grasp. Miraculously, Penny was able to grab hold of him before he fell to the water below. I doubt the fall would've killed him if he had fallen, but he probably would've been badly hurt.

"You're safe, Norman," Penny said reassuringly.

"Good work, Penny!" I called with relief. But I knew that they were far from being safe. Any moment, Penny could lose her grip of Norman as well. I needed to get him and the Professor to safety as quickly as possible. At least with Norman out of his hand, the Professor was now able to get a better grip on the tree root.

Just then, Ben arrived with Neptune, followed closely by Tom in Wallaby One. Tom flew Wallaby One as close to the cliff as he dared.

"Lower the double harness, Tom!" I shouted into my radio. The wind produced by the helicopter's rotor blades made it difficult to hear.

"Roger that, Sam!" Tom replied. And he did so.

I caught one of the harnesses, and I slipped it around me. Once I was ready, Tom flew me down the cliff face to where the Professor was dangling.

"You first, Professor," I said. I helped him get into the harness. Then, Tom slowly flew us down to Neptune. Ben helped the Professor out of the harness, and then Tom flew me back up the cliff to fetch Norman.

"And now you, Norman!" I said as I put the harness around him.

Once we were both safely back inside Neptune, I removed the harness from myself and Norman. Penny would be able to manage the harness by herself.

"So, you two," I said sternly to Norman and Professor Pickles. "What happened there?"

"We're…really sorry, Fireman Sam," Norman replied sheepishly.

"We won't do any dangerous treasure hunting ever again!" Professor Pickles added.

Ben handed over a couple of life vests for Norman and the Professor.

"I'm glad to hear it!" I replied with relief.

Tom flew back with Penny in the harness. He gently lowered her into Neptune, and she removed the harness. Professor Pickles looked sadly out across the water.

"Still, it really is a shame that treasure is lost forever."

"Lost forever, Penny?" Ben said, turning to look at her. I placed a hand on Penny's shoulder for a moment.

"Hmm…" Penny mused thoughtfully.

Confused, I shook my head. "Okay, can someone please fill me in on exactly what's been going on? I know you were looking for Pontypandy Pete's treasure, Norman, but I didn't know you were involved as well, Professor."

"Er…well, I wasn't originally, you see. But then I found a clue in Pontypandy Pete's log book, and one thing led to another. I probably would have had the treasure safe and sound by now if it hadn't been for Norman…"

"But it was my idea to find the treasure in the first place!" Norman protested. "I wanted to find it, so I could be known as a great explorer!"

I held up my hands. "Wait! So, you've actually found the treasure?"

"Yes!" Norman and the Professor replied in unison.

"But it's at the bottom of the ocean now," Professor Pickles said sadly, and he glanced overboard.

"We found it sitting in an old cart in the cave," Norman added.

I raised my eyebrows in surprise. "It was actually IN the cart?"

"Yes," Professor Pickles replied. "Why? Do you think that has some significance?"

Well, I'd like to know how it ended up in the cart in the first place… It's not a clever place to hide treasure. Anyone could stumble across it! Maybe Pontypandy Pete was in a bit of a hurry when he hid it. I shook my head slightly. "Why are you asking me? You're the professor."

"Yes, but you're a local. I can tell that you're very interested in this discovery."

"Only because I've been hearing the story of Pontypandy Pete since I was born," I pointed out.

"And Sam did discover the wreck in the first place," Penny added, placing a hand on my shoulder.

"In that case, I'd love to talk to you later!" Professor Pickles exclaimed. "You must know a lot of local legends, Sam."

I nodded, not sure about how I should respond. Ben cleared his throat.

"Let's head back to shore now. Uh, Professor and Norman, could you please sit down there? Sam and Penny, you'll just have to hang on."

Penny and I put on life vests, and we sat down at Neptune's stern, with the engine between us. I grabbed hold of one of the ropes attached to Neptune's side, and Penny did the same.

"We're right to go back here, Ben!" Penny called.

Ben gunned the engine, and we took off racing across the water towards Pontypandy.

…

Later that afternoon, almost everyone had gathered at the quay to celebrate Pontypandy Pete day. Ben and Penny were noted by their absence. They'd taken off with Neptune shortly after we'd returned to Pontypandy, without telling me where they were going. So, I'd radioed them to find out. Ben had replied saying that they were just checking something on Pontypandy Island, and would be back soon. I was about to report their absence to Station Officer Steele, when he stood up on a dais to address the crowd.

"Today, is Pontypandy Pete day. But sadly, the treasure of Pontypandy Pete…has been lost."

"It wasn't my fault!" Norman quickly protested.

"But at least someone's going to be playing the part of Pontypandy Pete," Elvis said. "Hehe! Aren't they, sir?"

"Oh! Er, yes! Well, er, I have of course been thinking long and hard about this one…"

As Station Officer Steele scanned the crowd looking at all the men, I tried to hide in the shadows.

"…And I… Err…" He made eye contact with me, but I quickly glanced at Charlie, who was standing beside me. "…Well…"

At that moment, we heard Neptune's horn sounding in the harbour. As a crowd, we rushed to the harbour's edge to see what was going on.

"Great tangled hoses!" Station Officer Steele exclaimed. "What was that?"

Looking out to sea, we saw Ben driving Neptune towards us. Penny was also on board, dressed in her scuba diving gear.

"Ah-har, sir!" Penny shouted. "Did you be wanting to see the treasure?"

Penny had her foot on a wooden chest that look suspiciously like a treasure chest.

"Penny must've swum down and found it!" Elvis said with delight.

I groaned inwardly. And after I gave strict orders that there were to be no more solo scuba dives too! But still, I suppose it is good that she's found the treasure. Now we can find out more about it.

The children cheered as Ben parked Neptune alongside the harbour stairs.

"Oh, well done, Firefighter Morris!" Station Officer Steele praised.

"I think you might've found your Pontypandy Pete, sir," I said over his shoulder.

"I have indeed!" he agreed.

"Pontypandy Penny!" Station Officer Steele, Elvis and I declared in unison.

"Ah-har!" Penny replied, grinning.

Penny and Ben brought the heavy treasure chest up the harbour stairs. At the top, they set it down on the ground and opened it for Professor Pickles to examine. Three gold coins fell out when the lid was opened.

"Huh! There you go!" Ben panted happily.

Professor Pickles stepped forward to examine the hoard. "I say!" he breathed as he picked up a gold bangle. "It looks marvellous!"

"Shame it has to go to Newtown," I said sadly to Station Officer Steele. As much as I wanted to keep the treasure in Pontypandy, I knew the laws about ancient artefacts. All finds that were older than the mid-twentieth century had to be sent to a museum for verification. If the item was deemed of significant importance to local or national history, the museum had every right to claim it for the nation.

Professor Pickles put the bangle back and he stood up. "I think, in honour of your marvellous treasure hunters, we should open up a Pontypandy Seafaring Museum, and keep the treasure here!"

Everyone cheered with delight.

"I think that would be an excellent idea, Professor!" I happily agreed.

Norman stepped forward. "I think it should be called 'The Norman Price Treasure Museum'!"

"Er, no!" Professor Pickles said. "It'll be called the 'Professor Pickles Museum for Maritime Artefacts'!"

"Boring!" Norman whined. "It will not!"

"Will too!"

"Will not!"

"Will too!"

"WILL NOT!"

I facepalmed myself. If we want an example of what Norman will be like when he grows up, we don't have to look far…

…

Later, at dusk, I found Penny inside the Ocean Rescue Centre, drying off her scuba diving gear. I sat down at the table opposite her, and I pushed a piece of paper towards her.

"What's this, Sam?"

"Your official warning from me," I replied sadly. "As your senior officer, I had no other choice. You ignored the warning I sent out via email, and I know you didn't tell me where you were going, because you intended to make a solo dive."

Penny chuckled and she pushed the paper back towards me. "You're mistaken, Sam. Ben dived with me. Do you honestly believe I could've lifted that treasure chest all by myself? We anchored Neptune before we made the dive. Ben's cleaning his gear upstairs."

As if on cue, the lift doors opened and Ben emerged carrying his freshly cleaned scuba diving gear. "Have you fitted a new oxygen cylinder to your set, Penny? Oh, hi Sam."

"Yes, I have Ben," Penny replied.

Clearly, I've jumped the gun here… I crumpled up the piece of paper with just one hand. Then, I stood up and I headed towards the door.

"Why don't you stay for a cup of tea, Sam?" Penny suggested.

"No thanks, Penny. I'll see you back at the fire station." Ashamed, I hurried towards the door, tossing the paper into the bin as I passed it.

"Are you going to tell Professor Pickles about the legends you know, Sam?" Ben asked, stopping me in my tracks.

"No, of course not! Not even my own family believe some of them, so he certainly wouldn't!" And with that, I hurried outside and I climbed onto Mercury.

I sat still on Mercury for a moment while I tried to pull myself together. I felt bad for accusing Penny of disobeying my order, and not investigating the facts before I approached her. I was also annoyed at Professor Pickles' arrogance, and at myself for snapping at Ben.

"Sam?"

Looking up, I saw Bronwyn approaching me. I sighed heavily. "Yes?"

"Are you okay? You have the same expression James has when he's knows he's done something bad."

I chuckled slightly, despite myself. "I think I just need a holiday, that's all."

Bronwyn raised her eyebrows in surprise. "What? Are you sure you're not coming down with something? You never take holidays willingly! We always have to force you into it."

I put on my quadbike helmet. "Maybe I'm just starting to slow down a little. I've made a lot of mistakes recently, and they're playing on my mind."

Bronwyn shook her head. "You must be sick! Your mother always said that you start to overthink things when you're not well."

"When did she tell you that?"

"Does it matter? But I do agree that you need a holiday. You haven't had one this year. Why don't you go down to Cardiff and visit some of your old friends?"

I nodded thoughtfully. "Yeah, maybe I should. Thanks, Bronwyn. Talking to you always seems to help me feel better."

Bronwyn smiled. "That's because I know you better than you realise. Plus, I'm a mother. I tend to notice things most people miss."

My phone rang then. Glancing at the screen, I saw that it was Station Officer Steele. I answered and put him on speakerphone. "Hello, sir."

"Where are you, Sam?"

"I'm just down at the Ocean Rescue Centre."

"Oh. Well, when are you planning to come back here? I need your help with some documents."

"I'm about to head back now, sir. Um, sir? Do you have any leave forms spare?"

"I believe so. Why?"

"I'm thinking of taking my annual leave sooner rather than later. We can discuss it more when I get back."

"Oh, right!" Station Officer Steele sounded even more surprised than Bronwyn had. "I'll er… I'll put one on your desk."

"Thank you, sir. See you shortly." I hung up my phone, and placed it back in my pocket. Then I smiled and nodded at Bronwyn. "Thanks. I'm feeling a lot better now."

"Good. Take care, Sam. Good night."

"'Night, Bronwyn," I replied as I started up Mercury. I drove away up the street feeling a lot more positive and confident than I had within the past few days.