After getting a keg from JJ's cousin the group decided to head down to the boneyard instead of having the party at the Chateau. Leaving the boys to set up the keg Coral walked down to the water. Kicking off her flip flops she walked in up to her knees as she stared out at the vast expanse of the ocean.
She'd never dreamed she'd ever be afraid of the ocean but after seeing what happened to Scooter today and knowing her father had possibly drowned in it Coral was starting to look at it differently.
"Hey Baby Girl what are you doing?" JJ asked wading into the ocean with her wrapping his arms around her.
Leaning back against him Coral sighed, "Do you think he's out there?"
"I hope he is," he replied, kissing her neck, "We have the keg ready. You wanna get fucked up?"
"Please," she responded as they made their way back to the shore and up to the keg.
In the blink of an eye the boneyard was crowded with sweaty drunk teenagers as the sun settled behind the horizon for the night. Coral was dancing with JJ when he realized they were out of alcohol, "Be right back," he told her before taking her cup and heading back to the keg.
Continuing to dance Coral wasn't aware there was a problem till the yelling finally penetrated her drunk mind. Blinking she had a sinking feeling at the fact that JJ had been gone far longer than he should have been.
Pushing her way through the crowd she came out on the other side to find John B and Topper wrestling with each other in the surf with Topper holding her brother's head under the water. JJ, Pope, Kie, and Sarah all screaming at the two instead of actually helping.
"What the fuck!" she exclaimed charging towards the kook and taking him by surprise; Coral was able to knock him off her brother.
"You fucking pogue bitch," Topper yelled rearing his hand back as though to slap her. "I don't think so, motherfucker," JJ snarled, grabbing Topper's arm and pulling him back away from her causing the boy to land on his back in the water.
Before Topper could get up John B was once again wrestling with him as JJ pulled Coral up out of the water, "What the fuck was that?"
"Me? You were just standing there while he had him under the water," Coral yelled, "Fucking stop this shit, JJ."
"He has to get it out, Coral," JJ yelled back. Turning away from her boyfriend Coral found John B once again under the water by Topper's hand, "For fucksake JJ if you don't do something I will."
"Stay here," he ordered her before rushing towards his bag.
Eyes wide Coral sucked in a breath as JJ held the gun to Topper's head as now everyone was yelling for JJ to calm down.
"Coralina can you check your psycho boyfriend?" Sarah Cameron screamed at her causing Coral to snap out of her daze.
"My psycho boyfriend? Pretty sure your asshole was drowning my brother you fucking kook bitch," Coral screamed back as she pushed past the girl and headed for the three boys still in the water.
"Let him go JJ," Coral instructed. Once JJ stepped back Topper scrambled to his feet and rushed towards Sarah, grabbing the girls hand, and yanking her through the crowd.
Dropping to her knees Coral attempted to help John B up ignoring what was happening around her until she heard two shots being fired off. Jumping Coral looked up to see JJ with the gun in the air and Kie and Pope both yelling at him.
"John B we gotta go," Coral grunted trying to get her brother to his feet. Watching his eyes roll to the back of his head Coral screamed at the three arguing, "Shut the fuck up and get over here and help me."
Between JJ and Pope they were able to get John B back to the Chateau where the boys dropped him face first onto the sofa bed. "Are you guys going to be okay?" Pope asked, glancing between Coral and JJ.
"Yeah just make sure Kie gets home," Coral replied as she stomped her way into the kitchen hearing a vague good luck come from Pope before the screen door banged shut.
Grabbing a bottle of water Coral chugged half of it before JJ showed his face in the doorway, "You mad?" he asked.
"I'm beyond mad, JJ," she responded, slamming the bottle down on the counter, "What the fuck were you thinking firing that gun off like that?"
"I was thinking I'm sick of those kook fuckers coming to our side of the island. I was thinking he was drowning JB and almost hit you. They need to know not to mess with us," JJ defended.
"Yeah well great now everyone knows you have a gun, JJ," she retorted, "It's a small fucking island how fast do you think it's going to get back to the sheriff," she said with an eye roll.
"I can handle her," JJ responded. Taking a deep breath Coral closed her eyes, "I need to go to sleep."
"Let me make it up to you."
"We're not having sex JJ."
"I didn't say that. Go get changed and we'll camp out on the Pogue tonight. Just us under the stars," he proposed.
As angry as she was at him the idea had merit, "Fine," she relented stomping off to her bedroom.
Jolting awake the next morning Coral blinked against the harsh sunlight as she realized JJ was groaning next to her, "What's wrong?" she questioned.
"Get the hell up we have an issue," came her brother's voice from the dock. Shielding her eyes with her hand she looked up at him, "What fucking time is it and what did you do to him?" she asked, turning to look at JJ.
"It's almost noon and I threw his fucking boot at him," John B replied, "Let's go Kie and Pope are already here," he said before walking away.
"He needs to work on his bedside manner," JJ complained as the two sat up and slowly made their way out of the boat and over towards the work shed where the other three were waiting.
"What's this big issue?" Coral questioned after greeting both Pope and Kie.
"Peterkin was here," John B replied. "What? Why?" Coral asked immediately, fixing a glare on JJ.
"She was sniffing around about what we found down in the marsh yesterday. Told me if we stay out of the marsh she'll help us with DCS," John B told them all, "So I'm calling it off."
"And you believe her?" JJ questioned, "A cop? You actually believe a cop, John B?"
"Yeah, I believe her," John B replied, "And you know it doesn't help your ass was the one shooting off a gun last night."
"While the shooting of the gun probably wasn't necessary he did save your ass from Topper drowning you last night, JB," Coral spoke up in JJ's defense. "Thank you," JJ muttered while John B turned on her.
"Don't encourage him. Topper wasn't going to drown me," John B stated. Scoffing Coral rolled her eyes, "So him holding your head under the water twice was a figment of my imagination?" she questioned.
"Not to mention when the asshole almost slapped her for helping you the first time," Kie spoke up from where she sat under the awning of the work shed. "See," JJ snapped his fingers towards Kie, "I mean have you even looked in the mirror?" he questioned John B about the black eye he was sporting.
"Whatever, it doesn't matter. I'm trusting Peterkin," John B decided.
"Don't you get it, Man? If they don't want us going down to the marsh then that means there is something valuable down there. And you know it," JJ exclaimed, pointing at John B.
"JJ it's not that serious," Pope said in an attempt to calm his friend down.
"No, it is," JJ insisted, "And I get it if you don't want to go. You're the golden boy with too much to lose," he said looking at Pope, "And you I mean you're already rich as fuck so why bother," he continued looking at Kie who rolled her eyes, "But the three of us, John B," he said pointing to Coral, himself, and John B, "We've got nothing to lose. We really don't."
"JJ," Coral whispered.
"Look I know it wasn't always like that for you two, but it is now. We have to take care of each other no one else is going to do it. So you want to trust Peterkin to help you with DCS?" JJ questioned, "All she's gonna do is help you right off this island into two separate homes. You really want to give her the chance to do that to you both?"
"He's got a point John B," Coral said, looking at her brother.
Coral knew John B was caving by the look he gave her. JJ must've sensed it too as he gave John B the idea of going to the Cameron's to 'borrow' their scuba diving gear since John B had a key for their family boat from working for them. Looking between his friends John B sighed, "Stay here. I'll be back," he told them before heading for the HMS.
"You really think this is going to pay off?" Kie questioned. Glancing at JJ, Coral shrugged, "It has to. I'm not leaving this fucking island or my damn brother," she stated.
John B was back within the hour and before long they found themselves back out on the HMS in the middle of the marsh.
"Alright, who knows how to dive?" JJ asked as Coral and Kie looked at the diving tanks that John B had taken from the Cameron's. "Uhhh.....it's kind of a kook sport," John B replied.
"I've read about it," Pope volunteered. "John B, these tanks are empty!" Kie exclaimed. "Wait this one has like a quarter of a tank of air," Coral said, holding up the tank she held.
"Great. So we have a tank with not enough air, no one who actually knows how to dive, and Pope with a vague idea of what to do. Someone's going to die," Kie declared.
"No one's going to die. Look I'll go down," John B decided. "How hard can it be? You just put the thing in your mouth and breathe," JJ commented, gesturing towards the mouthpiece John B was holding.
"If he comes up too fast he could get the bends," Pope responded. "Bends like," JJ asked, sticking his ass out as he bent slightly over. "The bends will kill you," Pope stated. Standing straight JJ nodded at John B, "Yeah you can totally dive."
Rolling his eyes Pope began doing calculations based on the depth of the boat, "Okay, so the boat is like thirty feet down so you're gonna have to make your safety spot about ten feet down for like two minutes," he told John B.
"I'll mark it on the anchor chain," Kie decided, pulling her t-shirt off and diving into the marsh.
"You know if you want to strip down and dive on in I wouldn't be opposed to it," JJ said, smiling at Coral as she rolled her eyes.
Once Kie came back up from marking where John B had to make his safety spot JJ handed over his dad's skeleton key for the cargo hold. After explaining how to use the key JJ moved back over to Coral as he wrapped his arm around her.
"Oh, she's so full of it," Coral muttered as Kie told John B to be careful and then kissed his cheek before he jumped into the marsh.
John B had been down in the marsh for at least ten minutes when the sound of a police siren had those on the boat swinging around to see a police boat approaching. "Shit, JJ, Peterkin said she didn't want John B out on the water. That extended to me too," Coral panicked, dropping to the floor of the Pogue.
"Get over into the water," JJ told her quickly as he and Pope attempted to block her from view from the approaching police boat. Shimmying out of her shorts Coral didn't bother to take the time to remove her shirt, but instead she rolled over the side of the boat and into the cold marsh.
Keeping close to the underside of the boat Coral listened as the officer spoke to her friends on the other side praying he'd leave quickly. She couldn't see down into the murky water, but she knew John B had to be close to having no air left.
Catching sight of the officer climbing up onto the bow Coral moved herself towards the back of the boat attempting to stay out of sight without drowning. Eventually she heard the police boat pulling away and she sighed in relief.
"They're not out of sight yet," she heard Kie say, "Do you see John B, Coral? He has to be out of air."
Pulling her t-shirt over her head Coral laid it over the ladder of the boat before diving under the water to look for her brother. She could see him swimming slowly to the surface and she swam down to get him. When she reached him she could see he had the air gauge in his hand and it was in fact out of air while his other hand held a black bag. Pulling on his arm she helped him back up to the surface.
As soon as their heads broke the surface Coral helped John B pull the face mask off as they both gasped for air, "Are you okay?" she questioned as she pulled him towards the boat and they're friends. "Ran out of air," John B gasped.
"Fuck are you guys alright?" JJ questioned as Coral got them to the ladder. "Help him up," she told him after handing the bag to JJ who passed it to Pope.
Once the siblings were back on the boat JJ was busy wrapping a towel around Coral while Pope and Kie helped John B remove the scuba equipment, "Deputy Shoupe was up here, but we got rid of him," Pope was telling John B.
"Guys, there's a boat approaching," Kie said, gaining everyone's attention to a speed boat heading their way, "Anyone recognize it?" she questioned. On a small enough island as Kildaire where each one of them were familiar with the docks around the island one of them should've recognized the approaching boat.
When no one did Coral got a bad feeling, "I think we should get out of here," she told the others. Nodding John B agreed with his twin, "JJ get the bow. Pope get the stern," he told his friends as he started the Pogue. Once the anchors were up John B started guiding the boat through the marsh away from the rogue boat behind them.
As they sped through the water Coral tugged on JJ's arm, "They're following us," she pointed out.
Everyone was yelling for John B to go faster as the boat behind them with what looked to be two men aboard chased them through the marsh. Too busy concentrating on their escape route no one saw the gun till it was fired. Screaming they all hit the floor except for John B who continued to drive the Pogue as fast it would go.
JJ had managed to pull Coral under him while yelling for her brother to get down as the men continued shooting at them. It was loud and chaotic and Coral had no idea what was happening until Pope was yelling for Kie to get down. Poking her head around JJ's shoulder Coral saw Kie take one of the fishing nets and throw it overboard into the path of the boat chasing them.
Breathing out a sigh of relief when the net was caught up in the boat's motor effectively stopping them dead in the water allowing them to get away Coral climbed to her feet with JJ's help, "That was fucking insane," she breathed out.
"Pogue style baby," JJ whooped hugging her, "You okay?" he questioned, looking her over. Nodding Coral wrapped her arms around him, "It's gotta be worth something now, right?"
Pulling up to the dock at the Chateau JJ jumped out and tied the boat off allowing everyone to climb out. Grabbing the black bag he'd gotten from the cargo hold of the wreck John B dropped to his knees to open the bag.
"What do you think is in it?" Kie questioned. "It's got to be money or something," John B answered. "Let's just get it open," Pope told them, "I mean we almost died for this shit."
Watching as her brother pulled out a smaller black bag and then a silver canister Coral grabbed JJ's hand smiling when he winked at her. Once John B unscrewed the canister he turned it over and out tumbled a golden compass.
A very familiar golden compass.
Heart racing Coral stared wide eyed at her brother as he met her gaze. Ignoring their friends' disappointment Coral sank to her knees beside her brother as she slowly took the compass.
JJ noticing her movements knelt down next to her, "What's the matter? What is it?" he asked looking between the siblings.
"This was our father's," John B responded.