Lost At Sea 3 ⋆ JJ Maybank

𝖎𝖎. Third Time's a Charm

"You know, the usual. White marlins."

Apparently, it's not the right answer. Kathryn can guess why, as JJ and John B, the designated fishermen, look at each other with a slight shake of their heads. She turns to look at Sarah, who's frowning in confusion. She does the same thing they did – just shake her head a tiny bit, not too suspicious. Sarah nods once. Then glares at her boyfriend.

Portis, his headset tightly set on his head, can't hear a thing, Kathryn wagers. At least, she hopes so, as JJ takes this opportunity to lean towards the others.

"White marlins don't run in October," he tells them. "Ever. All right?"

Kathryn purses her lips. "Yeah, figured. We've been having Wahoo! for days now." John B side-eyes her. "I only know because that's the sound JJ makes when he catches one."

"Well, whoever this man is, he's not a fisherman," he goes on.

This was obvious by now. What with their luck being rotten. And the outrageously rich people after them.

"Maybe the run just starts earlier out here," Pope tries optimistic.

JJ raises a brow. "Are you sure about that? In the Caribbean?"

"Let's stop hoping for the best for a second," Kathryn presses, "and start being rational. We all know what this is."

Sarah nods. "He's working for my dad, and he's probably been looking for us the entire time." Kathryn gestures at her, lips tightly closed. Obviously.

"All right, we gotta find out. Start looking for some sort of... clues."

She follows JJ's stare to the man's satchel, and tenses up. It's right behind Portis, hanging on his seat. Not the best place to look through it. She rolls her lips into her mouth, watching as JJ gestures to John B to distract the man, forcing him to look the other way. She's not exactly fond of him looking away from the... air road they're on, but she'll take that over a third kidnapping.

Except, as all good JJ trademarked plans go, it's bound to end in total shit. John B talks Portis into whatever picture of a girl is on his windshield, JJ going through his satchel, finding some book about El Dorado, and in it, a nice picture.

A nice picture of the Coastal Venture, that is.

That's confirmation enough for all of them. The boat they were on, with Eberhimi, and the Cross, Sarah reminds them. Kathryn bites down her tongue to rein in the urge to call John B an idiot – did he have to confirm it was them from the get go?

"Hey, y'all better hold something," Portis calls out. "We got some unexpected turbulence up here."

Kathryn wants to vomit her breakfast (she didn't have one) at the words, tensions already running high from the sole fact that they're in the middle of being abducted.

"Guys, whatever it is, it's happening fast," Kie says, gesturing to the window. "Look."

Her friend swallows down bile. "I'd rather not, if it's all the same to you."

"That looks like Barbados," Cleo spells it out for her. "I've been there with Terrance." Right. Her old boss. At least he was better than Eberhimi, which was all he had going for him.

"Okay," JJ breathes out. "There's seven of us, one of him. You know my vote. We storm the cockpit."

"Immediately vetoed," his girlfriend hisses. "Or did you take some flying classes I don't know of?"

"I've seen Pope fly simulators."

Pope's eye twitches. "I crop-dusted for my uncle last summer. This is not the same thing."