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''We should bon voyage out of here.''

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JJ STEPPED BACK from the freshly covered casket, his hands gripping the shovel tightly before propping it against the van. The rest of us sat or stood nearby.

Pope broke the silence first. ''I-I—I just don't get it. I mean, you guys saw the map.'' He ran a hand through his face anxiously. ''He hides his gold so no one finds it for 170 years, and then he sends a message to his son Robert to come here, to his mother's grave, but the message never gets to him. And Denmark wanted him to find the cross. I know we're in the right spot. It just feels like—''

''Like we missed something?'' JJ cut in, looking up suddenly. ''Guys.'' He waved us over, gesturing urgently toward the van.

I followed quickly. JJ was already climbing onto the hood of the van, and I scrambled up after him, the metal warm under my hands. He pointed toward a hole. ''The painting in the island room,'' I murmured, piecing it together as I stared at the dark cavity. ''It's worth a shot, right?''

JJ nodded, grinning slightly. ''Let's do it.''

John B was on board immediately: ''Yeah.'' 

''Go for it,'' JJ said to Kie who was standing below us.

''No chance,'' Kiara shot back, crossing her arms.

''You do it,'' Sarah encouraged him with a smirk.

Kie raised a finger as if to make a point. ''Sorry. I... I went in the storm drain, so...'' She trailed off.

''She did go in the storm drain,'' Pope sided with her, earning a look of disbelief from JJ.

''Uh... Mimi?'' JJ finally suggested, turning to me with an impish grin.

I sighed, rolling my eyes but relenting. ''Fine, but if I die, that's on you.'' I smiled, though my heart raced as I leaned toward the hole, bracing myself. My arm slipped in, fingers searching blindly in the darkness.

''There's something in here,'' I announced, feeling my hand brush against something solid. ''Wait.'' I chuckled softly, then feigned a startled cry, twisting my body for dramatic effect. My scream echoed.

The reaction was immediate—everyone yelling in panic and scrambling toward me. JJ reached for me, his face a mask of shock.

When I burst into laughter, the tension broke like a wave crashing ashore. ''Oh, hardy-har,'' Pope grumbled, shaking his head.

''I mean, the opportunity was right there,'' I defended, grinning.

JJ chuckled, shaking his head in amazement. ''Yeah, okay, that's true. Can't even be mad about that. But you scared the living shit out of me.''

I sobered slightly, reaching back into the hole. ''Okay, but guys, seriously—there is something in here.'' My fingers closed around a cylindrical object, and I pulled out an old telescope.

Pope's eyes lit up. ''Let me see it.'' I handed it over as JJ hopped off the van, turning to catch me as I jumped down.

''HMS Royal Merchant,'' Pope read aloud, his voice reverent. JJ snatched it back with a grin. ''Give it to the captain.'' He extended the spyglass, peering through it like a pirate surveying the horizon.

''There's something on the ends,'' Kie commented, still perched on the van.

''An inscription right there,'' John B noted, laughing quietly as he turned it in his hands. ''Look at that.''

''Pope, what does it say?'' JJ pressed, his excitement infectious.

Pope leaned in, deciphering the faded letters. '''You've come this far, do not falter. The cross is on the Freedman's altar.''' He looked up, eyes wide. ''The cross is at the church!''

''What are we doing here, guys?'' JJ exclaimed, a grin breaking across his face.

We all cramped back inside the twinkie, but suddenly, we came to an abrupt stop as John B hit the brakes. I leaned forward from my spot in the back, squinting through the windshield. The road ahead was gone, swallowed up by murky water.

''Ah, crap! The tide,'' Pope muttered. ''This doesn't look good.''

The water had risen faster than any of us anticipated, and now, where there was supposed to be a path, there was nothing but a deep, rippling surface.

''How deep is that?'' Kie asked as she leaned forward to get a better look.

''I dunno,'' John B responded, gripping the steering wheel a little too tightly. ''The road's gone.''

JJ, sitting next to him, ran a hand through his messy blond hair and let out a low whistle. ''The tide rose faster than I thought it would.''

''Just a little bit,'' John B quipped, but the way his foot tapped nervously against the brake pedal betrayed him.

JJ squinted out the window, as if trying to gauge the depth himself. ''Uh, John B, how high are the spark plugs?''

''They're good. We're fine,'' John B replied, but there was a hesitation in his tone that none of us missed.

''How high are they?'' JJ and Pope pressed in unison, sharing a glance.

John B hesitated, glancing at the water outside. ''Uh... just above the taillight.''

''Okay, so that's, what, three feet?'' Pope asked, doing some mental calculations.

JJ nodded. ''That's three feet. Yeah.''

''That water can't be three feet deep,'' Kie protested, crossing her arms.

''Then what's the problem?'' John B shot back.

''Not a problem. No, we're good,'' JJ interjected. ''We're good. She'll make it.''

John B gave a half-smile, but it didn't quite reach his eyes. ''Ladies and gentlemen, fasten your seatbelts. Hold on to something. We're going into hyperdrive.''

JJ held up his hands as if in prayer. ''I'll just say a quick prayer.''

I rolled my eyes at that, unable to help myself. ''You're not even religious!''

''Well, today I am,'' he shot back.

John B didn't wait for further discussion. ''Three, two, one,'' he counted, before slamming on the gas.

For a moment, nothing happened. The van seemed to shudder, unwilling to move, and we all leaned forward instinctively as if that would somehow help.

''You got this! You got this!'' JJ shouted, practically bouncing in his seat.

Finally, the van lurched forward, and we all let out a collective cheer.

''Speed is your friend! Speed is your friend! Speed is your friend!'' JJ hollered, his voice loud enough to echo against the trees.

The water splashed up against the windows as the van powered through, but as we neared the other side, the engine let out a troubling sputter. The van veered slightly to the right.

''I think we miscalculated,'' Pope admitted.

''I knew I should have driven,'' JJ grumbled, leaning back with a frustrated huff.

I turned to him, unimpressed. ''Yeah, I don't think that would've changed anything, JJ.''

''Fair point,'' he muttered, though his smirk didn't quite fade.

The van finally gave up, the engine cutting out completely. Water began to seep in through the cracks in the doors, and John B groaned, running a hand down his face.

''Okay, maybe we can walk from here,'' Pope suggested, already reaching for the handle to get out.

John B whipped around to face him. ''What? And leave the Twinkie? The tide's coming in.''

''So then what are we supposed to do?'' Sarah asked, her voice tinged with concern as she looked at John B.

JJ shrugged as he pushed his door open, stepping out into the water. ''Not stay here.''

The cold water hit my knees as I stepped out, the sensation making me shiver despite the warm air. 

''I can take my dad's truck,'' Kie offered, glancing between us.

John B's eyes narrowed. ''Kie, are you sure?''

She shrugged. ''How much worse can it get, you know?''

''We're gonna need something to pull her out with,'' JJ pointed out, gesturing to the van. ''There's the winch at the chateau. That's, like, two miles.''

''Yeah, that's a good idea,'' I agreed, nodding as Sarah chimed in with her agreement.

''Okay, if you're gonna do it, let's go,'' John B urged.

''All right,'' Kie confirmed, already wading back toward the road.

''Tide's coming in. Twinkie's going underwater,'' John B muttered, almost to himself, as we began to move.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

JJ, KIE, AND I moved cautiously toward the Carrera house. Kie's dad's truck sat in the driveway, gleaming faintly under the porch light. JJ crouched low and peeked through.

''He's not in there. We're good,'' JJ whispered, turning back to us with a mischievous grin.

The three of us crouched next to the fence. ''Are you sure you wanna do this? A little Dad Theft Auto?'' JJ quipped.

''No,'' Kie replied, wrinkling her nose at the phrase.

''All right, here we go,'' JJ murmured, pushing the gate open. ''Go, go, go, go, go.''

Kie slipped inside, moving swiftly but quietly, leaving JJ and me by the gate. We stood frozen, listening for any sign of Mr. Carrera. JJ's hand hovered over the gate latch, ready to act, while I kept my eyes on Kie as she made her way to the truck.

A few tense seconds passed before Kie came rushing back, her hair bouncing behind her. JJ opened the gate just enough for her to slide through.

''Hey,'' he whispered, catching the keys she tossed his way.

Without another word, we moved toward the truck, staying low. JJ climbed into the driver's seat, I settled into the passenger seat, and Kie hopped into the back. The truck roared to life as JJ turned the key, and we rolled out onto the street.

The drive to the chateau was uneventful. When we arrived, JJ parked and leaned forward, gripping the wheel like he was gearing up for a race.

''This will only take a sec,'' he assured us. ''I think it's in the surf shack. Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's in the surf shack. I'll be right back. I got it.''

Before either of us could reply, JJ jumped out of the truck, slamming the door behind him. He took off toward the surf shack but tripped over something and went down hard.

''JJ!'' I gasped, my hand flying to cover my mouth. I couldn't decide if I should yell at him or rush to help.

From the ground, JJ raised a hand. ''I'm okay!'' he called out.

Kie and I exchanged a glance. She sighed and leaned against the back of the seat. A couple of minutes passed, and there was still no sign of JJ. The anxiety creeping into my chest made me clench my fists, my nails digging into my palms as I stared out the windshield.

''JJ!'' Kie finally yelled, honking the horn for good measure. She huffed in frustration and climbed out of the truck to switch to the driver's seat.

''Should we go after him?'' Kie asked, looking at me.

I shook my head, trying to sound confident. ''I trust him. He'll be okay.''

More minutes crawled by, and the tension in the truck was nearly suffocating. Just as Kie looked like she might drive off to find him, JJ appeared, dragging someone behind him. My stomach sank when I realised it was his dad, Luke.

''What the frick? No. Immediately no,'' Kie blurted as we both stepped out of the truck.

''No. No, I know,'' JJ rushed to explain, his tone almost pleading.

''What is this?'' Kie demanded, gesturing toward Luke, who climbed into the backseat without a word.

''Just get in the truck,'' JJ barked at his dad before turning to grab the winch from the surf shack and tossing it into the truck bed.

''I'm sorry,'' Kie began, her tone sharp as JJ worked. ''The Twinkie's drowning right now, JJ. What is the plan? What is this?''

JJ stopped what he was doing and stepped toward her. ''Listen to me. Listen to me, okay? I need to get into the marina at the Island Club. There's a boat there that he can take. You've got the sticker on your truck. Twenty minutes, that's all I need.''

Kie pulled away, crossing her arms. ''The Twinkie's gonna be a submarine in twenty minutes.''

JJ stepped back, running a hand through his hair. ''I know. I know, Kie,'' he admitted.

''Leave him and then we can go back.'' Kiara suggests.

''The cops are after him!'' JJ shouted suddenly, slamming his hands on the hood. ''If I do this now, maybe I'll never have to do it again.''

''Don't look at me,'' Kie snapped towards JJ's dad, climbing into the driver's seat and slamming the door behind her.

JJ turned to me and grabbed my hand ''C'mon,'' he murmured, pulling me toward the passenger seat. I didn't argue as he slid into the back with his dad.

Luke leaned forward slightly. ''Hey, pull up to Home Food here. I'm gonna need provisions.''

Kie's jaw tightened, but she complied, pulling up to the store and parking with a jerk.

''Crackers and baked beans and tuna, all right? And some salt and pepper,'' Luke rattled off as he climbed out of the truck with JJ.

''Yeah,'' JJ muttered, clearly uncomfortable.

''Five days' worth,'' Luke added before the store door shut behind them.

The silence that followed was tense. Kie turned in her seat to glare at me. ''You should've argued with him. He has a soft spot for you, Mavie. He would've listened to you.''

I frowned, crossing my arms. ''I trust him, Kie. He knows what he's doing.''

''That's not the point! You should've done more anyway!'' Kiara snapped, her voice sharp.

I opened my mouth to argue, but JJ and Luke returned before I could respond. JJ handed a pack of beer cans through the window to his dad, who took them without a word.

''Let's get this over with, yeah?'' Kie muttered as JJ climbed into the backseat.

''Yeah,'' JJ replied softly, his usual cockiness replaced with something quieter.

After a few minutes, Kiara parked near the docks..

''Hey, why don't you tell your mom hi?'' Luke called out to Kie with a crooked grin.

JJ turned to glare at him. ''Shut up.''

Luke ignored him, his smirk widening. ''What, son? You seem to be hanging out with pretty girls, huh? So I can't hang out with their pretty moms?'' His gaze shifted to me and Kie.

I clenched my fists in my lap, biting back the urge to snap at him. Kie, equally unimpressed, rolled her eyes. I felt like it was the worst timing ever to bring up my dead mother.

''Make it quick,'' she said flatly.

Luke hopped out, clearly enjoying the control he held over the situation. As he started to walk off, Kie called out behind him. ''Hey, Luke.''

He turned around with a cocky expression just as Kiara flipped him off.

Luke began to move toward her, but JJ stepped in quickly, holding him back. ''Don't,'' JJ muttered under his breath, his tone tense.

The two of us sat inside the truck as Luke wandered off with his son. Kie's frustration bubbled over as she turned toward me.

''You should've said something to him earlier,'' she accused. ''We could've been helping the others with the Twinkie right now if you'd just opened your mouth to JJ!''

I felt my face flush, but I held my ground. ''The others will understand. Besides, JJ doesn't need to struggle with his dad anymore. This is better for him.''

Kie rolled her eyes dramatically. ''Whatever,'' she muttered, throwing her hands up and turning away.

I bit my lip, stopping myself from arguing further. I could tell Kiara was mad at something else entirely, she just felt like taking it out on me for some reason.

A few minutes later, JJ returned, climbing into the truck with his eyes red and puffy. He didn't say anything as he settled into the seat, his head resting against the window. None of us spoke as Kie started the engine and drove back to where the Twinkie was parked.

When we pulled up I noticed te others waiting on top of the Twinkie. Pope was the first to spot us.

''Where the hell were you guys?!'' he yelled as we climbed out of the truck.

''Paternal complications,'' Kie replied curtly, tossing the truck keys onto the dashboard.

JJ rubbed the back of his neck, glancing down at the ground. ''Luke was at the chateau,'' he added quietly.

Pope's frustration only grew. ''Oh, great! While you were having family time with your pops, John B got bit by a gator.'' 

''What?'' I exclaimed, immediately looking for John B. My stomach twisted as I saw him sitting awkwardly on the van, his jeans stained with blood.

''Wait, for real?'' JJ asked, his brows furrowing in concern.

''Does it look like we're joking?'' Sarah shot back, motioning toward the bloody gash on John B's leg.

''Okay, what the hell happened?'' Kie demanded.

''What happened?'' John B echoed, his tone exasperated. ''I got bit by a gator!''

''He got bit by a gator!'' Pope repeated for emphasis.

The tension snapped as Kie threw her arms up. ''I don't know why I'm being yelled at because I put my ass on the line!''

Voices exploded in every direction, everyone talking—or yelling—at once. I moved away from the chaos, climbing up onto the van beside Pope. From there, I got a closer look at John B's wound.

''Shut up!'' JJ's voice rang out suddenly, louder and more forceful than I'd ever heard. It silenced all of us instantly. He laughed quietly, leaning against a nearby tree as if he could no longer hold himself upright.

''Seriously, guys, I can't take it anymore, all right? Everyone just cut it out for a second.'' He ran a hand over his face and then straightened. ''Look, I just helped my dad leave this island for good. Like, he's not ever coming back. He's straight-up like the Spanish. Just, 'Bon voyage.'''

Confused looks were exchanged all around, but I couldn't help but lean closer. ''JJ, that's not Spanish,'' I whispered.

He rolled his eyes. ''All we got—and I know for a fact all I got—is you guys, okay? You're it. And I've come too close to losing you, all of you. I mean, shit.'' His gaze shifted to Kie. ''Like, you almost drowned.''

He looked at Pope next. ''Pope, you were kidnapped.''

Then, his eyes landed on me. ''Mavis, you've been beat up a million times and kidnapped by my dad's drug dealer.''

He motioned toward Sarah. ''Sarah, you've been shot.''

Finally, his focus rested on John B. ''John B, you were almost dinner for a freaking gator, bro.''

JJ's voice softened. ''So, this blaming each other is some kook-ass bullshit, all right? We don't do that. Okay? We're Pogues.''

He exhaled deeply. ''Sorry, that was a lot right now. I didn't mean to...''

Pope, John B, and I exchanged glances before clapping slowly.

''Yeah. All right,'' JJ muttered, looking down as a faint smile tugged at his lips.

''Well done,'' Pope added with a small nod.

John B grinned, wincing slightly. ''I gotta be honest. That was the best freaking speech you've ever given.''

''Also, you should think about, like, a Rosetta Stone because your Spanish and French are flip-flopped,'' I chimed in with a teasing smile.

JJ flipped us off with both hands, his usual spark returning.

''We should bon voyage out of here,'' Sarah suggested, breaking the moment.

JJ clapped his hands together. ''All right, let's get this damn Twinkie out of here.''

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