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''The true treasure. His wife.''

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THE SALTY TANG of the nearby ocean mixed with the faint scent of last night's bonfire, still lingered in our clothes. John B slouched in the armchair with his legs sprawled out . Pope sat across from him in a chair that creaked whenever he shifted, while JJ leaned casually against the screen door, a faint smirk playing on his lips. Kiara was stretched out on the couch, one arm flung over her eyes to block the sun, breathing softly in her sleep.

I sat cross-legged near JJ, glued to my phone, furiously tapping away at Flappy Bird. My tongue peeked out slightly as I concentrated, determined to beat JJ's high score. The bird crashed into a pixelated pipe, and I groaned in frustration, resisting the urge to throw my phone across the porch.

''Hey,'' JJ warned, his voice dropping as the screen door creaked open. ''Well, hello, princess.''

I looked up from my phone to see Sarah Cameron stepping onto the porch. 

''What's up?'' Kiara stirred on the couch, her voice groggy as she pushed herself up on her elbows.

John B removed his sunglasses with exaggerated slowness. ''Shouldn't you be on Figure Eight with your little group of polo players?''

I smirked but didn't join in. Instead, I leaned back on my hands, watching the exchange unfold like a spectator at a tennis match.

''Or did you break up with Topper?'' John B added.

Sarah stepped further onto the porch, brushing off the jab. ''We're just friends,'' she replied. She crossed over to where Pope sat, her sandals tapping softly against the wood.

John B snorted, leaning forward in his chair. ''Oh, he's just a friend. You have a lot of friends, Sarah Cameron.''

Sarah chuckled shaking her head. ''Yeah, and it seems like you've got some of your own too.''

''All right,'' John B said, abruptly pulling the lever on the La-Z-Boy, the chair folding forward as he sat up straight. ''What are you doing here?''

''I'm here for Pope,'' Sarah stated matter-of-factly, standing tall. ''I think I found the island room.''

A charged silence followed her words. Pope's brows furrowed as he leaned forward, his interest piqued. ''The island room?'' he echoed.

''And you came here instead of just figuring it out on your own?'' I asked, crossing my arms. ''Why?''

Her eyes settled on Pope. ''Because I need his help,'' she explained. ''And because if I'm right, this could be big.''

Kiara groaned, sitting up fully now, her hair a tangled mess. ''Can we at least get coffee before diving into another one of your schemes?'' she muttered, rubbing her temples.

JJ grinned, pushing off the screen door. ''Coffee sounds good. Adventure sounds even better.''

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

WE HAD BARELY We had barely finished changing into clean clothes more suitable for the sweltering heat before piling into the van. John B sat behind the wheel, Kie right beside him in the passenger seat. Sarah perched behind them, while Pope, JJ, and I claimed the bench seats in the back as we drove towards Tanyhill.

''Guys, listen to this,'' Pope broke the silence, holding up the diary.

''What now, Pope?'' I asked, leaning forward, trying to catch a glimpse of the worn pages in his hands.

''The diary says the cross holds the most holy relic in all of Christendom,'' he explained, glancing at each of us in turn. ''The Garment of the Savior.''

Kie frowned. ''So, wait. He's saying there's a holy garment inside the cross?''

''Exactly.'' Pope nodded. ''It says the garment is capable of healing the sick from any malady.''

JJ, sitting beside me, leaned back and quipped, ''Mmm, yeah. 'If only I may touch His garment, I shall be made well.'''

The van went quiet as we all turned to stare at him. He shrugged nonchalantly, though a mischievous smirk tugged at his lips. ''What? I went to Sunday school.''

''Sure,'' Kie muttered under her breath, making me chuckle.

''Well, that explains why Limbrey would want the cross so badly,'' I chimed in. ''She must believe it can heal her.''

Pope nodded in agreement, his brow furrowing as he glanced back at the diary.

''What else does it say?'' Kie pressed.

'''Many feel that we have sinned to steal such a sacred thing, and God will strike His vengeance on us,''' Pope read aloud.

''Thing is, God did have His vengeance,'' Kie murmured.

''He sent a hurricane to sink the ship,'' Pope added. ''Only Denmark survived.''

By the time we reached Tannyhill, the sun was beginning its descent. 

''This place still freaks me out,'' John B muttered as we followed Sarah through the familiar corridors.

''Yeah, same,'' I admitted. 

''This way,'' Sarah said, leading us to a room I'd never been in before.

The moment we stepped inside, I stopped short, my breath catching in my throat. The walls were covered in intricate, aged drawings—maps, symbols, and sketches.

''Whoa! You've got to be kidding me,'' Pope breathed, his wide eyes darting from one image to the next.

''Yeah, I know, right?'' Sarah said, her tone tinged with awe. ''It's the island room. It's been here this whole time.''

''No freaking way,'' John B muttered, stepping further into the room.

''This definitely means something,'' JJ said, his fingers brushing the wall.

We all spread out, examining the drawings. I traced a finger along one of the maps, my eyes narrowing as I recognized a familiar landmark. ''Guys, look—Parcel 9 and the well,'' I pointed out.

John B and JJ joined me, their eyes lighting up. ''If that's Parcel 9," John B said, his voice rising with excitement, ''and if that's Rixon's, then that's gotta be the surf break at Mase.''

''Right,'' JJ agreed, flipping through a copy of the diary. ''And look here. Pope, come check this out. This is definitely Denmark's handwriting.''

Pope hurried over, his eyes scanning the page and then the wall. ''The drawings,'' he whispered. ''They match up. Denmark, you genius. These are all his drawings. He... he painted this entire room.''

"It's got to have something to do with the key, right? Right?" JJ asked.

"Yeah, but what?" Kiara spoke up, crossing her arms across her chest.

"How did you know to uncover this?" Pope asked Sarah.

"I didn't. It was like this when I got home." she replied.

"Okay, then who did it?" Kiara questioned taking a step towards the girl.

"I don't know."

"The freaks."

A voice called out, making them all turn around, only to be met by a small figure.

"Wheezie!" Sarah exclaimed, turning to her little sister, who had appeared in the doorway.

"Wait, what freaks are we talking about, Wheezie?" JJ asked.

''Uh... that sick lady and her attack dog,'' Wheezie replied. She glanced around at us before continuing, ''They showed up last night, and they wanted to talk to Rafe.''

''Wait. Pale blonde lady?'' JJ pressed, his brow furrowing.

Wheezie nodded. ''Uh-huh.''

''Did she have crutches?'' Kie asked quickly, already piecing things together.

''Yeah,'' Wheezie said with another nod.

''It's gotta be Limbrey,'' Pope concluded.

''Okay, what happened?'' John B asked, breaking the short silence.

Wheezie shifted her weight and crossed her arms as she began explaining, ''Well, at first, they searched the whole house looking for something, and then Rafe told me to go upstairs. But I didn't wanna miss out, so I listened through the grate.''

''What'd you hear?'' I asked, stepping closer to her, watching as she tilted her head, deep in thought.

''They were talking about getting across the sand flamingo,'' Wheezie said, lowering her voice slightly as if Rafe himself might overhear her.

''That's code. That's code for something,'' JJ said almost immediately.

''The cross. The Cross of Santo Domingo?'' Pope guessed, his eyes narrowing.

''Yeah, that's it,'' Wheezie confirmed. ''Oh, and they were talking about, like, angels. A lot of angel talk. I don't know.''

''Angels?'' John B repeated, his tone shifting to one of interest.

Pope snapped his fingers suddenly, his eyes lighting up. ''Guys, Denmark's famous last words. He buried the real treasure at the foot of the angel.''

''They're looking for an angel. We have to find the angel in the room,'' Pope said with certainty.

''Start looking. Start looking,'' JJ instructed.

''Spread out,'' Kie echoed as we began scanning the walls.

As the group scattered to look for the angel mentioned in Denmark's writings, Wheezie tugged at my sleeve.

''Mavis,'' she said softly, looking up at me with a hesitant expression.

''What is it, Wheezie?'' I asked, crouching slightly to meet her eyes.

''Why can't you tutor me anymore?'' she asked, her voice dropping into a tone that bordered on hurt.

I sighed, glancing toward the others briefly before answering, ''Wheeze, I'm sorry. It's just... I've been really busy. And, well, your brother threatened me and wasn't the nicest towards us.''

Her mouth opened slightly in shock before she looked down, her fingers fidgeting with the hem of her shirt. ''I'm sorry about Rafe,'' she muttered. ''It's just... weird. He's never done something like that before.''

I gave her a small, sad smile and shrugged. ''That's just how it is sometimes, Wheezie. Don't worry about it.''

She nodded slowly, looking guilty, before letting me get back to the search.

''Hey, yo! Hey!'' JJ's voice called out suddenly. ''Guys, I think I found something. Come here.''

We all rushed toward him as he pointed to a drawing on the wall. It depicted a massive tree, its branches spreading wide like a guardian over the land.

''This humongous tree is still on Goat Island,'' JJ said, his voice laced with excitement. ''And you know what it's called?''

''Angel oak,'' Pope answered.

''And look right there,'' JJ pointed to a distinct feature on the drawing, ''There's the keyhole.''

''Wait,'' John B interjected, leaning closer to inspect it.

''That means the cross is buried at the foot of the angel,'' Pope said, his voice filled with awe. ''Wow. That must be where he put it. That must be where they are right now! We have to go!''

''I think I'm Sherlock Holmes, all right?'' JJ declared, puffing his chest slightly, a triumphant grin on his face. ''You're welcome, by the way.''

I pushed him off lightly, rolling my eyes. ''Yeah, yeah, we heard you, Sherlock. Don't break your arm patting yourself on the back.''

''Come on, Mavie, admit it,'' he teased, leaning close again. ''I'm a freaking genius.''

''You're a genius when it comes to finding trouble. I'll give you that,'' I retorted.

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THE VAN RATTLED slightly as we drove closer to Freedman's Church. My legs were cramped in the middle seat, but I didn't mind—it wasn't like this was the worst we'd been through. The windows were half-down, letting in the salty air. Pope turned from the front seat.

''Guys, we're coming up on Freedman's Church. It's the church Denmark built for all the slaves he freed,'' he explained.

I leaned forward slightly, peering past his shoulder at the approaching landscape. The church looked old, its weathered wood blending with the gnarled trees surrounding it. Kie pointed ahead, breaking the silence.

''There it is. Angel Oak,'' she said.

We drove a bit further until the tires splashed into shallow water, causing the van to jolt. John B stopped abruptly, his hands tightening on the wheel.

''Oh, shit. Tide's coming in,'' he muttered, his brows furrowing. ''Um...''

''Hey, wait a second. Look. They already came through here,'' Pope pointed out, gesturing toward the tire tracks cutting through the mud. ''Those have to be Limbrey's tracks. Guys, we gotta go.''

JJ leaned forward in his seat, his blue eyes scanning the scen. ''Mmm, what do you think, chief?'' he asked, smirking at John B.

''I'm thinking it's looking a little dicey,'' John B replied, shaking his head.

''Yeah, I'm gonna have to agree with that statement,'' JJ quipped, crossing his arms as though daring someone to challenge him.

''Okay, well, clearly, they made it. No?'' Kie argued, tilting her head.

''In a two-wheel drive? I don't know about that,'' JJ shot back.

Sarah, sitting by the window, turned toward us. ''Why are y'all acting like you're not gonna do it anyway? Like, when have y'all ever done the safe thing?''

That earned a look between JJ and John B.

''She's got a point,'' John B admitted with a shrug.

JJ grinned. ''All right, speed is your friend here, okay?'' He gave John B a pat on the shoulder. ''Put her down in second and hammer down, brother.''

I glanced down at my lap, realizing I had nothing to hold onto in the middle seat. Kiara noticed and reached over, her hand warm and steady as she offered it to me. I took it without a word, squeezing it tightly.

''Stick to the ground in the middle,'' Pope instructed.

''All right, ready? Here we go,'' John B announced, slamming his foot on the gas.

We lurched forward, and my heart shot to my throat.

''Come on, bro! Punch it! Speed is your friend!'' JJ yelled, leaning forward like it would somehow help. ''Yo, you're not going fast enough!''

''I'm in second!'' John B snapped, his grip white-knuckled on the wheel.

''It's gonna slide!'' Kie warned.

''You're fishtailing already!'' JJ added.

''I know!'' John B bit back, his jaw tight as he fought to keep control.

Pope leaned between the front seats. ''All right, not to put any more pressure on you, but if you don't make it through, we'll be stuck here forever.''

''Relax. Put your head back, okay?'' John B said, shoving Pope back with one hand.

I couldn't help but let out a nervous laugh, my voice tinged with sarcasm. ''You always know how to raise the positive spirit, right, Pope?''

Finally, the tires gripped solid ground, and we came to a stop. A collective sigh of relief filled the air.

''Okay,'' Pope breathed out.

''We're alive,'' Kie said.

''I told you we'd make it,'' John B said with a grin, looking back at us like he knew we'd doubted him.

''That's my girl,'' JJ added with a smirk, hopping out as soon as it stopped.

John B parked, and the rest of us scrambled out. Angel Oak loomed ahead.

JJ grabbed a stick, spinning it in his hand as we gathered near the edge of the water. ''Word to the wise—gators nest back here, so keep your eyes peeled. You don't wanna step on a mama gator. That's the last thing you want to have happen.''

Kie raised a brow, crossing her arms. ''They have nests?''

Sarah rolled her eyes. ''Seems like a good place to park.''

Ignoring them, JJ tapped the stick against the water.

''Right. Wake them up. That's smart,'' Sarah muttered.

''I was just making sure it wasn't a gator, that's all,'' JJ replied.

Before we could argue more, Pope motioned for us to quiet down. ''Hey, shh.''

We crouched behind a large bush, the sight ahead freezing us in place. Rafe, Renfield, and Limbrey stood near the massive tree, surrounded by men digging with shovels. Limbrey's shrill voice echoed.

"It's there. The garment will be in the cross, and the cross will be at the foot of the tree," Limbrey sayid with conviction, her gaze fixated on the towering tree ahead.

"All right, well, whatever we find, I get my cut," Rafe interjected.

We watched as Renfield hurried to fetch a lawn chair for Limbrey. She settled into it briefly, observing the backhoe operator as he worked. A sudden clank echoed.

"Hey! Wait! Stop! Please stop!" Limbrey shouted. She stood up abruptly and grabbed the crutches Renfield handed her. "Did you hear it? Hey, get in there, boys. Do it by hand."

The workers clambered into the hole, shovels in hand as they worked diligently.

"It's smaller than I thought. It looks like—"

"A casket," Rafe finished grimly, cutting Limbrey off.

"In the casket. Denmark put it in a casket. Get it up," Limbrey commanded.

"Let's go," Renfield barked, directing the men. He and Rafe join them, lifting the casket out of the hole. It landed with a thud on the ground.

"They got the cross? What do we do? What do we do?" JJ whispered anxiously. "What do we do?"

"What can we do?" John B asked under his breath.

"If you didn't bring the gun, then there's nothing we can do," I whispered to JJ.

"Be careful," Limbrey warned as Rafe and Renfield grabed crowbars, prying the casket open. The wood creaks ominously as the lid lifts away.

"It's just a corpse," Renfield said flatly, disappointment evident. "Sorry, Carla."

"We must have missed something," Limbrey muttered, frustration brewing as she managed to steady herself on her crutches.

"Of course. Of course, yeah. Of course, it's just a dead body. Jesus!" Rafe exclaimed, throwing his hands up in frustration.

"We just got the wrong place. We'll go back to the island room," Limbrey said firmly. "We're going back! We're going back! It's not over!"

We watched silently from our hiding spot as the crew began loading everything up. Vehicles rumbled to life, engines growling as they started to drive off.

"They're not far," JJ murmured, but Pope suddenly pushes past, heading towards the tree.

"Pope. Pope, hey. Wait, wait! Shit," JJ whispered, rushing after him with us close behind.

"Wait, wait, yo," JJ called as we reached the open casket. We came to a stop as Pope kneeled beside it.

"Cecilia Tanny, Denmark's wife," Pope said softly. He looked up at the tree. "He wasn't talking about the cross. He buried her at the foot of the angel."

"The true treasure," Kie whispered.

"His wife," John B added, his voice barely above a whisper.

Pope kneeled, his hands trembled slightly. "Denmark was hung for burying his wife... and now they defiled her grave."

Something catches his eye. He reached into the casket carefully and he pulled out a small, round object, studying it intently.

Sarah picked up another item. She smiled, a bittersweet expression crossing her face. "This must have been from Denmark. Her wedding ring."

Pope gently placed his find back into the casket, and Sarah followed suit, returning the ring to its rightful place.

"We can't leave her like this," Pope stated.

"We won't," John B assurds him. He and JJ lifted the casket lid, carefully setting it back in place. They work together to nail it shut.

As a final gesture, Pope gathered a few nearby flowers and layed them atop the casket.

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