𝐇𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬: 𝐀𝐬𝐩𝐲𝐧 𝐂𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐨𝐧 ~ 𝐎𝐮𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐁𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐬

𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐈 𝐖𝐨𝐧'𝐭?

We scrambled up the ledge, our breath heavy. Coming to the pit, John B led the way, leaping over first, followed by myself and Sarah, mirroring what we had previously done. Then, we navigated through the narrow passageways and over the steep ledges until reaching the pool of water we had originally entered.

Swimming through the water, we neared the entrance that brought us there. I took a deep breath and dove beneath the surface, feeling for the narrow passage and swimming onward. Sarah and John B followed closely behind. Upon surfacing on the other side, we all gasped for air, trying to catch our breath.

"Woah, woah, woah!" I heard, whipping my head around to find Singh brandishing a gun. The three of us stood frozen, our eyes wide with shock.

"Easy now, young Routledge, easy!" Singh said. "Go for a little swim now, did you?"

My heart rate instantly began to rise. Did he have his men with him? Was he aware that we had found El Dorado? Where was Big John? So many questions came to my mind in an instant.

"Step out of the water and put your hands up, all of you," Singh instructed, his gun fixed on us. "Now!" He yelled. Reluctantly, we complied, wading through the water toward him with our hands up.

"Easy now..." Singh cautioned as we approached the edge of the pool. "Very good," He said as we came to a stop.

He glared at John B. "Drop the flare. Drop it!"

"I'm gonna...I'm gonna put it down," John B stammered, slowly bending down and placing the flare on the ground before returning to an upright position with his hands raised.

Singh nodded. "Very good," He said, examining John B's full bag. "Looks like you're carrying a load there, young Routledge. You wanna tell me about it?"

John B's expression was blank as he stared back at Singh.

"What's in the bag?" Singh demanded. His eyes narrowed as he cocked the gun, pointing it at Sarah. My sister flinched, her breath catching. "Show me what's in the bag," He reiterated.

John B observed Sarah's terrified expression, then shifted his gaze to Singh. "Okay, okay, okay..." He complied, his priority being Sarah's safety. He moved slowly to take off the bag, holding it out for Singh to see. "I'll keep it right here," He said.

Singh's gaze remained fixed on Sarah, his eyes narrowing.

"Look. Hey," John B said, opening the bag. "You want it? There you go," He told Singh, determined to shift his attention away from my sister.

Singh reached into the bag, pulling out a chunk of gold. I closed my eyes, trying to hold back tears. We were so close. So fucking close.

Singh chuckled, his gaze fixed on the gold in his hand. "Ah, so you've stumbled upon El Dorado at last..."

"I knew I was right to keep you alive you know!" Singh declared, his gaze scanning the cave, aware of Big John's presence but unsure of his exact location. "But, unfortunately for your son, the celebration will be short-lived," He added, shifting his gun's aim from Sarah to John B. "You have three seconds to come out before I start firing!"

"One!" Singh started. Sarah reached for John B's hand, clasping it tightly. "Two!" He counted on.

"I'm here, Singh! Over here!" Big John called.

Singh spun around, aiming his gun squarely at Big John. In his hand, Big John held a stick of dynamite, its fuse burning slowly.

"You kill us, I'll make sure this thing blows," Big John threatened, his voice firm. "That roof won't hold...and you'll never see El Dorado,"