We sit in the clearing in Rixon's. The guys get a fire going.
"Hey, guys. So, like, my dad's already gonna kill me. So what's this mandatory meeting about?" Pope asks.
John B points finger guns at JJ.
"Might as well tell him, man, before we're gaffed," JJ state.s
"You ready for this?" John B asks.
"Yeah," Kie answers.
"So, the gold never went down with the Royal Merchant," John B states.
"Oh, my God. Here we go again with this," Pope remarks.
"No. All right, wait. Hear him out, all right?" JJ tells Pope.
"It's been here the whole time. It's on the island," John B informs them.
"Are you serious?" I ask.
Kie laughs. "Oh, my God."
"I'd like to voice my skepticism," Pope says.
"I'm sure you would, Pope, but can I please present you with my evidence, sir?" John B asks.
Pope gestures with his hand. "Proceed."
John B stands up. "All right. So, in my backpack, I have a letter from Denmark Tanny." He pulls a letter out.
"Who the hell's that?" Kiara asks.
"Denmark Tanny was a slave that survived the Royal Merchant wreck. Check this out, John B says.
"What?" Kie asks.
John B hands her the letter. "Here you go. Okay, slaves weren't mentioned as crew members on the ship, but my dad, he found the complete manifest. That was his big discovery. So Tanny used the gold from the Merchant to buy his freedom." Kie hands the letter to Pope. "After that, he bought his farm. Drumroll, please, because that farm is..." We all slap our knees. "Tannyhill Plantation."
I look at him surprised. "Tannyhill?"
"Yeah. So, after that, he used his money to free even more slaves, and then he sold a shit-ton of rice, which pisses off all the white planters, and then they decide to lynch him. So on the day they were coming to get him, he writes a letter to his son as a farewell, and in the last line of that letter, he leaves a coded message about where to find the gold," John B explains.
"Where?" Kia asks.
"Harvest the wheat in parcel nine, near the water. Except... there's no wheat. You see, wheat is code for gold. Check this out." He holds up a picture of british gold next to the letter. "The gold is in parcel nine, near the water."
"Holy shit," Pope says.
"All we need is an original survey map of the property, and we've found the gold," John B states.
"Okay, so this might have a small chance of being actually true," Pope admits.
"Dude, it's like King Tut," Kie states.
"I am a genius," John B states. JJ picks him up. "Hey, whoa! Hello! Fire! You're near the fire. You're gonna burn."
JJ puts him back down. "I'm so proud of you right now."
"Thank you." John B cups JJ faces. "That's really sweet of you."
"Okay, so, guys. What's the plan?" Pope asks.
John B points at him. "Good question. So, Sarah Cameron's coming tonight. She'll bring an original survey map..."
Kie cuts him off, "Wait. Wait. Hold on. Sarah? Wh-why Sarah?"
"Um..." John B starts.
"This is gonna be good," I taunt.
"Sarah, um, she-she got me into the archives in Chapel Hill yesterday, and that's where I got the letter," John B explains.
"You were in Chapel Hill with Sarah Cameron?" Kiara asks.
"Yeah, um..." John B starts.
"He was mackin' on her," JJ states.
"I wasn't macking," John B states.
"You were totally macking Sarah Cameron," JJ argues.
"I wasn't macking on her, okay? I was using her for access," John B says.
I know that's not true. I know John B and I know my sister and both of them are crazy about each other.
"There was access, all right," JJ mutters.
"Did you tell her about the treasure?" Kie asks.
"I was trying to get into the archives," John B reasons.
"Is that a yes? Cause you could have just asked Ash," Kie states.
"Ash was busy. And I... I left out key details," John B states.
"Yo, what? You let a Kook in on our secret? What about Pogue Lyfe? What about the T-shirt company, bro?" Kie questions.
"I was just using her for information," John B insists.
Kie gives him a look. "Why don't I believe you?"
"I'm trying to make us filthy rich here. Okay, so that we can pay off a boat, or... or, uh..." John B gestures to Pope, "send you to autopsy school to study dead bodies. Look, you guys know me. Do I look like the type of person to fall for Sarah Cameron?"
"Uh..." I trail off.
"Do you want us to answer that, or..." Pope starts.
John B waves his hand. "Just... just stop."
"Look, you don't know her yet. I do! You can't trust her," Kiara warns.
"What did she do to you, exactly?" JJ asks Kie.
"She's like a... like a spitting cobra. First, she... she blinds you, and then..."
Pope cuts her off, "This is a bad analogy."
"Listen to me!" Kie shouts. "Whatever we get, she's gonna try to take."
We pull up to the Hawk's Nest where we're supposed to be meeting Sarah.
"All right. Hit it, boys! We're goin'. Recon mission," JJ states.
John B turns around to face us. "Yo, uh... so, uh, I think I'm gonna do this one by myself... tonight."
Kie looks annoyed and I don't blame her.
"Really?" I ask.
"What?" John B questions.
I shake my head. "Nothin'."
"I just don't want to spook Sarah with the peanut gallery," John B explains.
"I just don't understand why we're involving her at all," Kie states.
"Kie, we're not involving her, okay?" John B says. Kie makes a face at him. "It's... it's just, uh, like a... a business meeting... thing." He gulps. "Look, once we get what we need, we cut her loose, all right? Plus, we need the map."
"Promise me nothing's happening between you," Kie demands.
"Nothing is happening, Kie," John B assures.
Liar.
"I'm being serious," Kie states.
"Okay!" John B says.
"This isn't about you, and this isn't about us. This is about her. Dude, she's gonna get inside your head. Just promise me nothing's happening between you guys," Kie states.
"I promise," John B says.
"That was really believable," JJ taunts.
"A hundred percent believable," Pope says.
"Anyways, um... I'm gonna take care of business," John B states.
JJ shakes his head. "You're gonna take care of it."
"I tell you. We'll just sit here..." Pope starts.
"Yeah." John B gets out of the car.
Pope continues, "...in the hot-ass car. While it's lightning."
John B slams the door and starts to walk away to find Sarah and hopefully the map.
"Kiara, holding onto your grudge is like drinking poison and thinking Sarah will die," Pope warns.
"Exactly," I agree.
"Rafe and Kelce followed me..." JJ starts.
"Wait, do you guys hear that?" I ask. "Sh."
"What?" JJ and Pope ask at the same time.
"Please, somebody help!" Sarah yells.
"Oh, wait, no, I hear that," JJ says.
"Shit," Pope says.
"What the fuck?" Kie questions.
We rush out of the van towards the Hawk's Nest. John B is on the ground unconscious. Sarah is cradling his head.
"Sarah! What happened?" Pope asks.
"I don't know what to do. He fell. Rafe shoved him," Sarah tells us.
"Where the hell is he?" JJ asks.
"Oh, please, please, please get help. I don't care who. Just call someone," Sarah pleads.
I turn to Pope. "Call 911. Go. Go!"
"Help, please," Sarah begs.
"Pope, hurry!" Kie yells.
Sarah cradles John B. "John B, stay with me." She kisses him. "Please don't leave me. John B?"
"Pope! Come on!" JJ shouts.
The ambulance comes and takes John B away. Sarah goes with him. They said he was going to be okay. Worst case scenario a concussion and broken bones.
I don't head home. If I run into Rafe I will snap. Instead I head to Topper's. His bedroom is on the second floor, but there is a balcony. I've climbed up here so many times before. His mother doesn't like me coming over late, but I don't really listen to her. I know on the glass door.
Topper's smile falls when he sees me. "Have you been crying? What happened? Ashlynn, tell me what happened?"
"My brother almost killed John B," I state.
Topper looks at me shocked. "What are you talking about?"
"John B was meeting Sarah. Rafe was angry I guess. I don't know. But he showed up and he pushed John B from the Hawk's Nest," I explain.
"Why was John B meeting your sister?" Topper questions.
"Because John B has a thing for her and I think she has a thing for him," I tell him. "Please tell me you didn't know about his plan."
Topper shakes his head. "No. I had no idea. I've been here waiting for you."
I groan in frustration. "I can't believe my brother."
Topper nods his head as he moves to the side. "Just come in. There's no use stressing on the balcony."
I nod my head slightly as I walk inside. Topper wraps his arms around me and I place my head on his chest.