THE REDHEAD ☾ jj maybank

18 | hiking

"Thank you." Pope says.

"Don't thank me. Start praying." Mike comments as he turns back to look at the blond. "JJ, you owe me ten times, dude. Good luck."

With Barracuda Mika not having anything else to say to all of them, the teenagers take that as their sign to walk forward and finally climb inside the boat. JJ is kind enough to turn and hold out a hand for Delilah, helping keep her stable due to the fact that the boat is unsteady — the slightest movement will cause it to rock on top of the water. Delilah simply flashes JJ a smile, quietly thanking her boyfriend as she takes a seat next to him.

Then, once everyone is seated down, Barracuda Mike secures his backpack over his shoulders and reaches forward to untie the thick rope that's tied around the wooden beam. After doing that, the man grabs onto the edge of the small boat and slowly begins to push the teenagers further out into the water so that they can continue their journey to find El Dorado and the gold. JJ is quick to reach for the helm of the boat so that he can direct which direction they're travelling in, not wanting to make this journey any longer than it has to be.

"Let's hope that we will be able to find John B and Sarah quickly." Kie says with a faint sigh.

"I'm sure that they'll both show up somewhere. They can handle themselves; they're strong and Sarah is responsible." Cleo reassures.

JJ laughs. "I love that you've just called John B irresponsible. You're not wrong, though."

"Cleo's right." Pope agrees. "I don't think there's ever a time where John B doesn't run off without us."

"He's somehow everywhere and nowhere at the same time." Delilah states.

"I admire his ability to get himself into this much trouble." JJ comments.

"Of course you would say that, JJ." Pope replies.

✦ · · · · ──────────── · · · · ✦

All that surrounds the group of teenagers is the dirty water and a line of tall trees that border the edge of the river. They can barely see what lurks beneath the surface, and the thought is terrifying because they've never visited South America before and have no idea what harmful creatures might reside here. However, Delilah pushes the thought to one side because she and her friends have been through far worse — John B being bitten by a gator, Sarah getting shot by her brother, the countless times they've been in a fight or ran from the police.

Currently, JJ has stopped the boat beneath a willow tree, allowing the weeping branches and green leaves to fall in front of their sitting bodies. This is because they had spotted Singh's men travelling on a boat in the near distance, desperately wanting to hide from them in order to avoid being caught; otherwise, they might never be able to find John B and Sarah. There is no doubting that they are Singh's men, especially with their dark-coloured clothes and the stern looks on their faces as they keep a careful watch of their surroundings.

Delilah intently watches as Singh's men speed across the murky river water. They look as though they are in a hurry, which only makes Delilah frown as worry begins to settle itself in the pit of her stomach. They barely even glance over at the boat that she and her friends quietly sit on, making her think that the men are no longer after the group; however, if given the chance, they would definitely try to take all of them hostage again.