"Guys, this is from Denmark's diary. August 15th, set sail from Port-au-Prince on calm seas," Pope read, "Came upon the Spanish ship San Jose on fire. The entire deck was aflame. And we could hear the screams of men trapped below. The Spanish captain cared about only one thing, his valuable cargo, the Cross of Santo Domingo and countless bars of gold. Once the cargo was on board, we went to help the crew, but Captain Limbrey ordered us to pull bayonets and not to let any of the Spanish crew on board. He robbed them and left them to die."
Grace looked down at JJ with a shocked expression. He returned the look.
"So it didn't go down off Bermuda," JJ sighed dramatically.
"And it was a Limbrey stealing shit again," Kie added.
"This diary proves that both the gold and the Cross of Santo Domingo were on the Royal Merchant," Pope explained.
"Why didn't we find it in the well then?" JJ asked while flicking his lighter. He pulled his head off of Grace's lap and sat up. "I mean, if Denmark was able to get this, like, bedazzled cross off of the Merchant to shore, why didn't he just hide it with the gold?"
"Because it was too big," John B answered.
"You're right. He had to hide it someplace else," Pope added.
"But where?" Kie asked.
"Right before he was hung, Denmark said he'd buried the treasure at the foot of the angel," Pope explained.
Grace placed her head on JJ's shoulder and closed her eyes while listening to her friends talk.
"I thought this was about the key," she felt JJ's voice against her cheek.
"Right. So what's the connection?" Kie added.
"The path to the tomb begins in the island room," Pope recited while examining the key.
Kiara threw her head back in annoyance, "But what is the island room?"
"You know what helps me figure shit out?" JJ got off the couch fully and stood in the middle of the room making Grace open her eyes and watch.
"Oh boy. Here we go," John B grumbled.
"Smoking beers and drinking weed," JJ continued, undeterred. "The ideas just pour out of me."
Grace bit her lip to suppress a laugh at her friends' expressions.
"If we just sit here and try to figure this out, we're gonna get nowhere. But if we get creative and go to this bonfire tonight, maybe we get somewhere."
"Well, I just got disowned by my parents, and I'm an official member of the I-have-nothing-to-lose club," Kie grinned.
Grace reached out and high-fived Kiara, "Welcome aboard."
"Pope?" JJ called.
"We're so close," he answered.
"Look, look, think about how much you could think," JJ crouched down in front of his friend, "if you just gave your brain a rest."
Grace got up and rubbed Pope's shoulders. Kie rested her chin on her hand and gave him a pleading look. John B waved their stack of beer cans around in his face. JJ sat in front of Pope with his brows raised.
Pope looked between his friends before sighing, "Okay, fine."
"Don't worry, Popeykins, you'll have a great time," Grace grinned as her friends all celebrated around her.
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The bonfire, an Outer Banks tradition.
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𝐒𝐮𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐞 - JJ Maybank
FanfictionGrace Cameron was a Pogue. Always has been. Sure her dad and half-siblings were the Kookiest a Kook could get but her mom had grown up on the Cut so she did too. Her friend group vowed to have a good time all the time but when a boat goes down in th...
