Diana Peterfreund Rites of Spring (Break)

Not all tropical islands keep...

Not all tropical islands keep their treasures buried, but for those that do, no map will help. Take, for example, a tiny strip of land off the coast of Florida. It has long been understood by those who care to keep track of such things that this glorified sandbar, this unassuming key, heavily wooded and lacking more than a single decent beach, is actually a lush and luxurious retreat for the members of one of the most notorious secret societies in the world.

Yet Cavador Key is not listed on any map, whether those commissioned by the state, or the penciled sketches of shallows by a dock-bound old salt. The locals won’t speak of it in voices raised above a whisper. No charter company will take you thither, and when emissaries from the island come to the mainland to pick up supplies, they are silent as the grave about their employers and those employers’ mysterious pursuits.

What happens on Cavador Key? Rumors abound, but few have seen the rituals up close. Anyone boating near the island is given stern warnings to stay away, and if unheeded, these warnings turn into threats. Several rooftops peek out from the ground cover, and grainy photos reveal evidence of people scurrying from building to building, wrapped in dark, hooded cloaks in spite of the warm Florida weather. Recently, access to satellite photos revealed still more: a helicopter pad, the remnants of an airstrip, and crisscrossed pathways surrounding a somber, windowless structure. Those who have made it close enough report strange sounds, and stranger lights. Those who have made it closer still are never heard from again.

So next time you’re out on your boat, a little sunstruck and with way too many piña coladas on your tab, don’t make a decision you’ll regret. Cloak-and-dagger government cabals, clandestine midnight rituals, and inexplicable disappearances aren’t on your Spring Break itinerary. You don’t want the kind of trouble an unplanned excursion like this can bring you.

But hey, is there an offshore island paradise that doesn’t hold a secret?

Trust me on this one. Some of us know the truth about Cavador Key. But we’re few in number, and we keep our secrets close, just like we were taught by the Order of Rose amp; Grave.

Don’t believe me yet? Do you think, perhaps, that I’m just spouting the party line? Or maybe you suspect that even a dedicated Digger like me doesn’t know everything about the organization to which I’ve pledged my all, and even less about the property we call our most sacred retreat.

Interesting theory. Shall we put it to the test?