''How much time they got left, Pope?'' John B asked, his whisper tense.
''Five minutes,'' Pope replied, his eyes glued to the water.
I couldn't take it anymore. ''We need to get them out,'' I urged, my voice low but firm.
Pope nodded. ''Let's start looking for them.''
My heart raced as I peered over the water's edge, straining my eyes for any sign of JJ and Kie.
''John B!''
''Hey!'' came the faint cry again, growing louder.
''You guys hear that?'' Pope asked.
John B nodded, already steering toward the sound.
''Hey! Guys!'' JJ's voice cut through the fog, frantic and strained.
''Hey!'' Kie's voice followed, barely audible.
''Shit. It's JJ and Kie,'' John B muttered, his jaw tightening as he focused on the murky horizon.
''Come this way,'' I hissed, waving my arms in the air. ''Hurry up. Let's go!''
Pope added quickly, ''We see you. Stop screaming.''
Their silhouettes emerged from the haze, water dripping off their gear as they swam toward us with hurried strokes. I grabbed the ladder, lowering it into the water as they neared.
''Kie, hand me your stuff,'' John B instructed, reaching out to grab her vest. She unclipped it quickly.
''Where's your BCP?'' he asked, his tone rising with concern.
''It's gone,'' Kie answered breathlessly as she clambered onto the ladder, gripping the rungs with trembling hands.
John B frowned, his eyes narrowing. ''What do you mean, it's gone?''
''I mean, it's gone,'' she repeated.
I reached out to help her into the boat, my hands steadying her as she stumbled onto the deck. ''Are you okay?'' I asked, scanning her for any signs of injury.
''Yeah, yeah, I'm fine,'' she replied between gasps, collapsing onto the bench as I guided her down.
JJ hauled himself onto the ladder next. ''There was a guy that tried to kill us,'' he blurted out, water dripping from his hair as he climbed aboard.
''We saw a boat out here too,'' Pope informed him as he steadied JJ by the arm. ''They were armed. We need to get out of here now.''
''No, you don't understand,'' JJ pressed, his eyes wide and urgent. ''There's a guy down thereโ''
''There's a boat,'' Pope interrupted. ''We just saw it pass. We gotta go.''
''Get the ladder,'' Kie reminded, her voice weak but resolute. Pope pulled it back up without hesitation.
''You good, man? You all right?'' John B asked, glancing at JJ with concern.
JJ waved him off, brushing water from his face. ''Yeah, I'm fine. Just get out of here.''
As John B turned the boat, I knelt beside JJ, helping him remove the remaining gear. ''You sure you're good?'' I asked, my tone firm as I tugged at the straps.
JJ smirked faintly, though his face was pale. ''100% positive. I'm still breathin' and kickin'.''
I raised an eyebrow, tugging the last strap free. ''Good. Otherwise, I'd need to kill you myself.''
Despite everything, he managed a chuckle, shaking his head as I tossed the gear aside.
We docked at Pougelandia 2.0, Cleo and Sarah came running down the pier, their faces etched with worry.
''What the hell happened?'' John B demanded.
Kie pushed herself upright, her hands trembling as she gestured weakly. ''Someone tried to kill us.''
''What? Why? That doesn't make sense,'' Pope questioned, his brow furrowing.
John B's eyes darted between them. ''Obviously, they were going after the same thing, right?''
''That amulet was worth something,'' Cleo added, her voice firm as she reached JJ and pressed a hand to his cheek, checking him over. ''That old man is keeping some secret. Then someone else is waiting down there? I knew that story was bunk.''
Pope's eyes lingered on JJ and Kie, his worry deepening. ''My stomach feels like shit,'' Kie murmured, her hand clutching at her abdomen.
Pope turned to JJ. ''Hey, man, did you take your safety stop?'' He leaned closer, inspecting JJ's pupils with careful precision.
JJ waved him off again, his voice rising. ''I'm gonna say it one more time. Someone was trying to kill us. We did not makeโ'' He staggered slightly, his knees buckling.
''They have the bends,'' Pope declared. ''We need to get them to the hospital. Now!''
John B and Pope moved quickly, each taking one of JJ's arms and hoisting him up. I turned to Kie, gently pulling her up with Sarah's help.
''Come on, Kie,'' I murmured, steadying her as she swayed. Her breaths were shallow, her steps uncertain, but we managed to guide her off the boat and into the van.
The Twinkie was barreling down the uneven dirt road, the engine straining as John B pushed it to its limits. I knelt in the back, keeping an eye on JJ. He was sprawled out in the trunk, his face pale and slick with sweat. Sarah held his hand tightly, her other hand gently brushing his damp hair out of his face.
''Come on, John B!'' Cleo urged from her seat.
''I'm going,'' John B replied, his tone clipped as he focused on the road ahead.
I glanced down at JJ, my stomach knotting at how weak he looked. ''Deep breaths, JJ,'' I murmured, my voice steady despite the anxiety twisting inside me.
Sarah chimed in. ''Deep breaths. In and out, okay?'' She leaned forward slightly. ''John B, can you please go faster?''
''I'm going!'' John B snapped as the Twinkie jolted over a pothole.
''Hey,'' Pope called from the passenger seat, twisting around to face the back. ''Who was down there with you guys?''
JJ groaned, his head lolling slightly toward me. ''No idea, Pope,'' he grumbled, his voice hoarse. Then, his free hand fumbled in his pocket. ''But y'all are not gonna believe this.''
''What?'' Sarah leaned closer as JJ managed to pull out something small and wrapped in grime.
He handed it over, and Sarah took it carefully, unwrapping the object to reveal the amulet, caked in rust and encrusted rock.
''You found it?'' she asked, her voice rising in disbelief.
Cleo leaned forward, her eyes widening. ''That's the thing he was looking for.''
I stared at it, feeling a mix of awe and dread twist in my gut. ''Oh god,'' I mumbled under my breath.
John B caught sight of it in the rearview mirror, a grin spreading across his face despite the tension. ''Holy shit. Holy shit. Why didn't you tell us earlier?''
''I was too busy dying,'' JJ groaned, managing a weak smirk.
I rolled my eyes at him. ''Yeah, that's reasonable.''
Cleo clapped her hands together, her excitement cutting through the tension. ''You're a rock star, girl! Fifty thousand!''
JJ groaned again, his tone dry. ''Fifty K.''
''It was worth it,'' Kiara added from her spot, still looking worn out but clearly feeling a little better.
''Cha-ching,'' Cleo joked, miming the sound of a cash register.
We skidded to a stop in front of the hospital, everyone leaped into action. John B and Pope rushed to JJ's side, lifting him out of the trunk while Sarah, Cleo and I helped Kiara.
''We need help!'' John B yelled, his voice echoing through the parking lot as we stumbled through the automatic doors.
The nurses reacted quickly, rushing over with a gurney as we started explaining. ''They've got the bends,'' Pope told them, his words tumbling out as JJ winced in pain.
I hesitated, hovering between following them and staying back. I wanted to stick close, to make sure JJ and Kie were okay, but John B caught my arm and pulled me aside.
''Mave, stay with the others,'' he urged. ''I'll figure it out with the doctors.''
I frowned but nodded, reluctantly stepping back as the others disappeared into the emergency room. With a heavy sigh, I turned and headed back to the Twinkie.
The wait felt endless. Cleo tapped her fingers rhythmically on the edge of the seat, Sarah sat beside me, her hands wringing together anxiously and I fidgeted with my fingers nervously.
When John B finally emerged, his face was a mix of relief and exhaustion. ''Okay, good news,'' he announced. ''They're gonna be okay. They just need a little while to decompress.''
''Shit, man,'' Cleo breathed, slumping back into her seat.
Sarah let out a relieved sigh. ''I'm just glad they're okay.''
I nodded in agreement, leaning back. ''I double that,'' I added quietly.
The brief moment of calm didn't last long. Pope's voice cut through. ''While we wait, I say we go back to Genrette's and demand cash for this amulet,'' he proposed, sitting up straighter. ''After all we've been through, we're owed a lot more than 50K.''
Sarah tilted her head at him, her brow furrowed. ''Where'd that come from?''
''Cheese on bread,'' Cleo muttered, shaking her head.
John B smirked, glancing at her. ''You've been hanging out with JJ too much.''
Pope ignored them. ''I'm just saying, whatever dude is hiding from us is worth a lot more than 50K. We need to see him. Now.''
John B walked over, draping an arm around Pope's shoulders with a wry grin. ''Pope, buddy, I think that's a damn good idea.''
Cleo applauded, grinning. ''Bad man Pope!''
Pope raised his eyebrows in surprise. ''Really?''
I chuckled, crossing my arms. ''I like bad man Pope way better than smarty-pants Pope.''
John B nodded firmly. ''Yeah. Hell yeah. 50K my ass.''
''Dude's cheating us for sure, right?'' Pope asked.
''Absolutely,'' I agreed.
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