waves • jj maybank

thirteen

"you really think it's out there? like, no bullshit?" Pope broke the silence.

"my father thought it was." John B replied.

"but do you?" Pope asked.

"after hearing his voice on that tape... i think i do." replied the Routledge boy.

"only one way to find out." Ace looked over seeing the two boys doing the handshake.

"look, we're gonna find it, you know? even JJ believes." Kiara gasped jokingly.

"oh, my God, JJ, do you really believe?" John B asked, the two girls laughed quietly.

"totally. wait. are we talking about four mil?" JJ asked.

"four hundred mil." Pope, Kie and Ace said at the same time. "jinx" Kie says.

"i'm gonna dream about shipwrecks." JJ lays down pulling Ace closer to him, she leaned into the boy laying her head on his chest. "goodnight, bird!" he called out.

"goodnight, bird shit" John B said, Ace laughed seeing JJ stick his middle finger out at John B.

—

"all right, JJ. pin it here." John B called out figuring out the spot where the Merchant is at.

"roger that! x marks the spot." JJ says stopping the boat.

"all right, ladies and gentlemen. to going full Kook." John B turned on the ROV dropping into the ocean. Kie stayed by it lowering it while Pope and John B monitored the ROV.

"all right, JJ, we're right over it. ten seconds northwest." John B announced, Ace walked over to JJ standing next to him.

"got it! ten seconds northwest." JJ replied looking at Ace, "come here lemme teach you how to steer" he smiled pulling over in front of the wheel standing behind her. she smiled putting her hands on the wheel, he put his hands over hers steering ten seconds northwest.

"one hundred feet" Kiara said marking down the number, Pope soon gasped making everyone looking over.

"what? what, what, what, what?" John B rushed over looking at the screen, "it's nothing." Pope replied causing John B to groan, "sorry, i thought-"

"don't do that to me, man. come on, bro!" JJ told him.

"my bad. i just thought i saw.. and to quote The Hobbit, "down, down, to Goblin Town. down, down, you go, my lad" Pope says changing the subject.

Ace turned her head looking at him weird and then turned back to the wheel hearing Kiara say they hit four hundred feet. "the tides turning!"

"hey, JJ?" John B asked.

"Yup?" Ace leaned against the boy looking at the wheel and their hands, "ten seconds easy. south- southeast." John B orders.

"copy that!" JJ moved the wheel with the help of Ace, "JJ, 20 seconds mid-speed, all right? south."

"copy that! aye, aye." the two turned the boat as fast as they could, "keep the tether out of the prop!"

"i'm trying!"

"JJ, Ace, keep going!"

Ace looked out the window looking at the sky seeing lightning for a far. "JJ, it's getting really bad" she told him, "it's okay we'll be fine. John B is that good?" he turned.

"we're good!"

the waves started to get more rough causing JJ and Ace to lose balance holding onto the wall.

"JJ, hold it steady!" John B yelled.

"okay 900!" yelled Kie.

"JJ, we'll turtle in this storm man." John B yelled.

"920!"

"crank it north by northwest! ten seconds!"

JJ and Ace tried turning the wheel as fast as they could trying to get away from the storm and closer to where John B was instructing where to go.

"John B! there's too much current we're gonna lose it!" Kie yelled.

"go help, Kiara, go!" JJ kisses the brunette's cheek, she nodded running over to Kie helping her pull the tether.

"south, southwest, JJ! Hard!" John B yelled. "half speed. steady at this bearing, JJ"

"what do you got, Pope? come on, man. what do you see?" John B asked frantically.

"nothin' a whole lot of nothin'." Pope. replied.

"come on, you should be right above it, brother"

"Kiara! Ace!" Pope yelled at the two girls who were lowering the tether as fast as they could.

"960! 970!" they both yelled lowering the tether faster and faster, "980!"

"i'm at the bottom! i'm at the bottom!" Pope yelled.

"okay, steady here, JJ! steady here. quarter speed, all right?" 

Ace ran over to the monitor smiling seeing the Royal merchant.

"see anything?" JJ called out.

"it's the Royal Merchant."  John B smiled.

Ace smiled running over to JJ hugging him tightly.