GOLD ; JJ MAYBANK
notes: welcome to the first OFFICAL series! i have changed the storyline a bit, so don't worry if something doesn't make sense in relation to the storyline.
VERY MATURE
warnings: mentions of abuse, foul language, guns, underage drinking and fighting.
-unfinished series
-
part one ; aches and pains
"If I die I'm going to kill you."
-
"Morning Y/N." John B said, throwing a pillow at your head.
"Morning." You threw up a piece sign, putting down your phone.
"Are we surfing the surge today?" He asked, grabbing his surfboard from the back room.
"Surge?"
"Aggie's finally hitting tonight."
"Finally," you groaned moving up from the couch, "I'll get ready."
You made your way into the bathroom, resting a white bikini and shorts on the sink.
-
"You coming bro?"
"Of course."
You walked out of the bathroom, stretching your back as Pope and John B waited in the van.
You grabbed your surfboard from your room and went outside. It was already bucketing down and you got completely soaked just walking to the Twinkie. You, JJ and John B had all named it after your father's desert that you all used to snack on in third grade.
"Morning Po." You grinned, doing your secret handshake with him.
"Y/N/N, top of the morning to ya. How's Elliot?"
"Yeah. He's okay."
Elliot was your longtime boyfriend and Pope had actually matched you two up, so Pope always asked about him. He had actually cut you off completely, but you were too scared to tell any of the Pogues the truth. Especially Pope, he would be gutted considering he thought you two would be 'the perfect match.'
You both had hit it off for awhile, but he'd gotten bored of you by the Summer. You had assumed that would happen, like it always done.
"Holy shit guys look at those waves!" Pope said, wiping his eyes from the rain.
"It's a double over-head out there bro!" John B yelled.
"Double overhead? Those aren't surf-able waves bro." Pope warned.
"Who cares! You only live once right?" You ran down into the water, already paddling out.
"She's just like JJ." Pope laughed.
"Literally, they'd be more of a better match then Elliot."
"Yeah, starting to think of it I agree."
-
You had caught the best waves, managing the rough current pretty well although John B and Pope weren't handling it too well.
"You have an advantage JJ taught you how to surf." Pope joked.
JJ had taught you how to surf in the sixth grade after your Dad had bought you your first surfboard.
"I think you're just jealous Pope. I'm clearly the best surfer of the group." You laughed.
"Sure, sure." He stated, you both heading back to the Twinkie.
-
"Yo JJ, you been outside?" John B said, waking you up as well.
"I have polio bro I can't walk."
"What about you Y/N?"
You groaned, rolling over.
"No, I'm not planning on it either."
"Morning princess." JJ said, chucking you a beer.
"Isn't it too early for one of those JJ?" You sat up,
"It's never to early for beer Y/N."
You noticed a pain in your back as you got off the couch.
"You right? You look like you're in pain." JJ stated.
"Just my back." You gave him a reassuring smile and headed outside.
"But Elliot the dickhead wasn't over last night."
"Haha. Very funny." You rolled your eyes.
JJ and Elliot had never gotten along. Elliot was a Kook and had surprisingly somehow agreed to go out with you. JJ hated the Kooks, after everything they'd done to him you never blamed him. When Elliot realised how close the two of you were, he started being distant — but you were able to convince him to stay. After you'd found him with another girl, you broke up with him and he accused you of sleeping with JJ.
"Aggie did some work huh?" You stated, leaning on the back porch door. John B and JJ were cleaning out the HMS Pogue.
"Yes she did." John B sighed.
"So what are we thinking?" JJ asked.
"I'm thinking that storm surged pushed all the crabs out of the marshes, all the drum are gonna chase the crabs." John B said.
"What about the DCS wasn't that today?" JJ questioned.
"Nah they wouldn't be getting on a ferry today."
"Let's go get some fish boys."
-
After everyone got ready the three of you headed out to pick up Pope.
"Hi Miss Amy, did you guys get through?" JJ called out.
"Yeah, still here."
"She totally looked at me." JJ whispered.
"Yeah I saw."
"Aggie's a real bitch huh." You stated, looking at all the mess in the water.
"Yep, we'll be cleaning the shit all summer." JJ huffed.
"Well look who we have here," John B called, making a fake radio into his shoulder "we have a safety meeting, attendance mandatory."
"I can't. My Pops got me on lockdown." Pope
"Come on man," JJ paused "your dads a pussy over."
"Oh I heard that you little bastard."
"We need your son!"
"Yeah rules, a day after a hurricanes a free day."
"Who the hell made that up?"
"Uh pentagon I think, we have security clearance, I have a card."
"Pentagon? Y'all think I'm stupid."
Pope and Mr Heyward started to argue before Pope got on the boat.
"Bye Mr Heyward! Love you!" You smiled as he shouted at Pope.
-
"Okay, I'm going to show you guys my awesome trick," JJ stood above you, pouring the beer into his mouth, "Pope go faster!"
Pope followed JJ's instructions, who was getting beer all over you.
"Come up here princess." JJ said, giving you his hand.
"If I die I'm going to kill you."
You took his hand and grabbed onto his torso and he held onto your waist.
The boat came to a jolt, causing JJ and you to go flying into the water.
"JJ? Y/N? You good?" Pope asked as your head appeared from below the surface.
"Yeah. My back is fucked, JJ?"
"I think my heels just touched the back of my head." He groaned.
Everyone laughed as Pope leaned over the boat.
"Guys, we didn't hit a sandbank," he paused, "that's a boat."
You turned around, ducking under the water.
"Oh my god. Do you reckon there's a dead body down there?" JJ swum closer to you, as you were floating above it.
"I don't know let's go."
The four of you swum down, but were all unsuccessful.
"You guys saw that right?" JJ laughed, "that's a Grady-White, a new one of those is like 500 cheese easy."
"That's a primo rig."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah, that's the boat I saw when I surfed the surge. Maybe it hit the jetty or something." You suggested.
"You surfed the surge?" JJ asked.
"Yeah, of course I did."
"That's my girl." He laughed.
"Do we know who's boat that is?"
"No, but we're about to find out." John B grabbed the anchor out of the bow.
"Dude it's too deep."
"Awe, for the weak and feeble JJ."
"Well I'm not resuscitating you I'm just making that clear up front."
"John B." You said, slightly worried that he'd drown himself.
"What?"
"Diver down fool." Pope joked, saluting off to him.
"Diver down."
JJ shoved him into the water.
-
John B hadn't come up after a few minutes.
"Should we go get him?" Pope questioned.
John B's head popped above the surface.
"Any dead bodies?"
"Looting potential?"
"No, I found this motel key."
"A key?"
"Yes a key Y/N."
-
The hotel looked like a shitshow.
"This does not look like a place someone with a Grady-White would stay."
"No it looks like someone with a Grady-White would get killed."
"This is your captain speaking, HMS Pogue coming in for landing." JJ mimicked.
"Look, don't let him do anything's stupid." Pope stated, pointing at JJ.
"Oh well will."
"I'm not making any promises."
"Be careful." You said, handing JJ the motel key.
-
"Hey Pope, can you hear that?"
"Hear what?"
"Sirens."
You both looked at each other, "Cops."
You darted out of the boat, "Call them."
"I can't. Towers are down."
You guys went around to the side, throwing rocks at the window. Unfortunately none of the rocks were hitting.
"Didn't you ever play baseball?"
"No I was on the math team!"
Finally one of your rocks hit.
"Please. Please hear."
John B ducked his head out and the two of you motioned to cops. You started the boat, ready to escape when they got down. JJ leant back and something dropped out of his back pocket.
"Oh my god. I'm going to kill them." You stated.
Pope and you started a fake conversation just as the cops left the room.
-
"Well that was fun," JJ laughed, "you could of warned us a little earlier though."
"We would've, except Pope was on the math team."
"The cops took everything like it was a crime scene, did you guys find anything?"
"Did we find anything? Oh yeah." JJ pulled a gun and at least ten-thousand dollars out of his pocket.
"What the-"
"Why would you take that from a crime scene?"
"It's better than the cops having it bro."
"I'm going to lose my merit scholarship, I'm living the nightmare."
"Guys relax. Let's just cool off for a bit. Go down to the dock and just wait there."
-
"Scooter? Scooter?" Mrs Grubbs called out.
"Hey your Mom's friends with her right Y/N?" Lilah asked.
"Yeah, I should go check on her."
You got off the plank you were sitting on and walked over.
"Miss Lana? Are you alright?"
She gave you a huge hug, sobbing into your arm.
"It's okay. It's okay." You returned the .
"How's your mother going hun?"
"Same old, same old."
She gave you a saddened smile, "I'll pop in soon okay?"
You nodded and hugged her one more time.
-
Pope had gone to find out more about Scooter Grubbs and the whole boat thing. You, JJ and John B were all instructed to 'stay at the Chateau and don't do anything stupid.'
You braided a new bracelet for yourself while you were waiting for Pope.
"Okay, so, we didn't see anything, we don't know anything. We need to have total and complete amnesia." He announced, taking a seat on the couch next to you.
"Actually, Pope's right for once. See I agree with you sometimes," JJ stood up, "deny, deny deny."
"We got to go dark." Pope stated.
"If that means we keep the money, then I agree."
"I don't agree." John B affirmed.
"Why?"
"Think about it. This is Scooter Grubbs we're talking about right? The same dude who's buying individual cigarettes at the porthole. Shit, one time I saw this dude beginning for change in the Save-A-Lot parking lot because he needed gas. We're talking about a dirtbag marina rat who's never had more than forty bucks in his pocket, and all of sudden, he's got a Grady-White? Just sayin'."
"So what you're saying is Scooter Grubbs is a drug dealer." You crossed your arms over your chest.
"Well think about it Y/N. And if they are straight smuggling what does that mean JJ?"
"There's a shit ton of money on that wreck."
"Hell yeah."
-
"For the record if that is a smuggling ship with illegal contraband on the inside of it. It probably belongs to someone else."
"Minor details."
"They could come looking for it. Taking it would be catastrophically stupid."
"Right. Well, stupid things have good outcomes all the time. All we need to do is figure out a way to get into the cargo hold of that wreck. Until then we just lay low, just act normal."
"Right. And how exactly do we do that?"
"Kegger?" You suggested.
-
Everyone got ready, heading down to the boneyard with the keg.
Quickly, the party started to grow quickly, Tourons, Pogues and Kooks all gather around.
JJ, Pope and John B had already found tourons to talk to. You headed over to John B as his pick up had seemed to lose interest when you saw Sarah Cameron and Topper Thornton heading down to the party. Elliot and new girlfriend Ashley were also there, standing near Topper.
"What the hell are they doing here." You commented, looking over at John B.
With no response from JB, you walked off to go find Pope.
"What's wrong?" He asked.
"Sarah is here. Including the rest of her group," you sat on the log next to him, resting your head on his shoulder, "where did your touron go?"
He sighed, "I scared her off."
"Don't say that Pope. She's stupid because girl would be lucky to have you."
As the night grew colder and darker, the more tension rose in the air. The Kooks had pretty much crashed the party, which had not helped you guys stay incognito.
You saw Sarah and Topper approach JJ and JB. You got up, getting Pope to come over too.
Topper pushed the drink out of JJ's hands and JJ grabbed him by the collar.
"JJ!" You shouted.
John B pushed JJ away and you rushed over.
"Hey, we're staying incognito remember!" You whisper-yelled.
"Dirty Pogues!" Topper scoffed, causing a fight to break out between John B and Topper.
The crowd screaming 'fight' did not help. JJ and Pope encouraged John B while you were trying to stop.
Soon as John B started to loose, your heart started to drop.
"He's drowning him!" Pope shouted, looking over at Ashley and Sarah, Elliot and Kelce were cheering Topper on.
"JJ help him!"
He looked to you and back at something before he ran up to Topper, gun in his hand. He put it to Topper's head.
"Yeah, you know what that is."
Then the two girls started shouting JJ's name. The a quarter of the crowd bolted in all different directions, now realising there was a gun present.
"Put the gun down!" Sarah called out.
"Did you say something princess?" He said back.
"Come on man stop!" Pope said.
"Y/N! Can you get your psycho boyfriend in check please!" Elliot yelled.
"Then get your fucking friend in check!" You yelled back at him.
"Okay everyone listen up! Get the hell of our side of the island!" JJ screamed, shooting the gun into the air twice.
"Are your crazy! You're an idiot! It's not worth it! You're going to jeopardise everything!" Pope
shoved JJ.
"I was saving his life okay?!"
You rushed to the water's edge, watching JB fall back into the waves.
"Stop arguing and come help me!" You reprimanded.
Everyone had headed home after helping John B home. Pope and JJ were pretty upset after the whole thing went down, so it was silent the whole way home.
-
"Look I'm calling it off alright? Peterkin said, if I stay out of the Marsh she'll help me with DCS."
"And you believed her?"
"Yes I believe her JJ."
"An actual cop John B. You believed a cop."
"Look all I gotta do is stay out of the marsh for a couple days and she'll help me out," he threw his beer on the floor "and it doesn't help that your ass was the one shooting a gun."
"You know what I should have done man? Just let Topper drown your ass."
"Yeah because Topper was gonna drown me?"
"It sure looked like it."
"That's really funny."
"I mean, have you looked in a mirror?"
"Tell me some more. Come on."
"They always win, don't they man? Kooks versus Pogues. They always always win!" JJ punched the small styrofoam ball that was hanging from the roof.
"JJ it's okay!" You said, standing between the two boys.
"No it's not okay! It is not! They don't want us to go down into the marsh, that means there's something valuable down there and you know it. I know you do. I understand why you don't want to go, you're the golden boy, you got way to much to risk," his eyes shifted from Pope to you, "and you, you don't want your rich boyfriend and his stupid family to find out you're getting into legal trouble."
You scoffed, "Are you serious JJ? Are you actually serious."
"Yes I'm serious, I've seen how you act around him and you completely change Y/N."
"I'm leaving. And for you information, Elliot is my ex-boyfriend."
You stormed out, getting on your bike.
"Y/N come back he's being stupid." Pope chased after you but you just peddled off riding back to the one place you wouldn't want to go willingly.
-
"Mom? Mom are you in here?" You called out, walking into a stench or a whole lotta different drugs.
She was passed out on the couch, a bottle of alcohol on the table along with a few lines of coke and a blunt. Your mother was passed out on the couch, so you headed straight to your room.
The mirror hanging on the wall showed your puffy eyes and tear-stained cheeks.
-
"You don't think she actually came here did she?" Pope queried.
JJ shrugged, feeling guilty how upset he had made you. They both looked at the overgrown grass and plants in the yard. One of the windows was broken and the wooden boards on the outside of the house were slowly going mouldy.
"Her bike is here." Pope pointed, opening JJ's door.
JJ stayed still.
"Come on don't be a bitch."
"Can you come with me Pope?"
"No. You need to apologise to her. Go, meet me at the Chateau in an hour."
-
"Y/N. Can we talk?"
You looked over to the window and nonetheless JJ was standing there. You looked back to your book, continuing reading.
"Y/N."
You got up and climbed out of the small window.
"I told you never to come here ever again." You stared at the ground.
"I didn't mean what I said, I was pissed at John B and I'm sorry."
"You meant what you said JJ."
"Did you not just hear what I said?"
"I did and if you didn't mean it why did you say it."
"I was upset about the Kooks and knowing your boyfriend-"
"Ex-boyfriend."
"Was a Kook- I got upset and I shouldn't of. I'm so sorry Y/N."
You looked up at him to see guilt lingering in his eyes. Once he analysed your face, he hugged you.
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry."
"It's okay J, I accept your apology."
He smiled at you, "How's your Mom?"
"Not well."
He pursed his lips together.
"Anyway, what's the plan? Is it actually called off?"
"No, we're going down there. John B has just gone to 'fill up' the Cameron's tanks."
You guys took a short walk back to the Chateau, meeting John B and Pope there.
-
"These are empty. You took empty tanks?" You looked over to John B, "This ones a quarter full. It's enough for one of us."
"Love it when the plan comes together."
"Does anybody know how to dive?"
"It's kind of a Kook sport."
"I read- I read about it."
"Great, Pope read about it, someone's gonna die."
"Look, you put the thing in your mouth and breathe. How hard could it be?"
"Well if you come up to fast nitrogen gets into your blood and you get the bends."
"Bends like bend over and..."
"The bends kill you."
"Right."
"I can- I can dive."
"You can dive. I'm cool with that."
"Since when can you dive?"
"I'll do it. It's fine."
"Let me do some calculations real quick."
"You serious?"
"That boats about thirty feet down, so it'll take twenty-five minutes at that depth. Which means you need to make your safety stop at about ten feet. All right? For two minutes."
You stood up to go tie your shirt under the water, slipping it off and over your head, you jumped into the water. Your head popped above the water a few seconds later.
"I tied my t-shirt to the anchor chair about ten feet down. It's where you need to do your safety stop."
You climbed back onto the boat as Pope went through some last minute things with JB.
"Be safe John B." You remarked
"Diver down."
-
You lay back down on the bow, when two police sirens rang through the air.
"Guys that's the police." JJ looked over to you.
"Just as the fricken normal okay?"
"Evening Officers."
"Evening."
"JJ tie this off." Pope said, handing the rope to JJ.
You stood up, standing next to Pope.
"How are you kids doing? You know the marsh is closed?"
"No."
"I didn't know that."
"Why is it closed?"
"Well, we're conducting a search out here. Boat went down."
"Oh."
"Seen anything?"
"No, no boats."
"Where's your friend you always hang with? He here?"
"He's working." You lied.
"Hm, I'm going to check your little boat out."
"Yeah."
"Yeah, hop aboard."
He jumped onto the boat and you moved into JJ's arms. He slung a hand around your waist, looking down at you but you were too busy looking at Deputy Shoupe.
"Do you have another one of these?"
"Yeah."
"Of course it's in the hold."
"Show him." You stepped out of JJ's grip and let him show Shoupe the life jacket.
He moved to the front of the bow, standing on the very edge.
"Be careful, you don't want to slip."
He looked for a couple of seconds into the water as you looked anxiously at the two boys.
"All right." Shoupe said, stepping down from the bow.
"All right."
"Beautiful day isn't it."
"Very."
"Let us know if you see anything on your way out."
"Will do."
"We'll be gone soon sir." The police boat slowly pulled away and you guys leaned over the side.
"He is definitely out of air." You said.
"There he is." JJ signed.
"Don't scare us like that!" Pope told.
"How'd it go down there?"
"Did you find anything?"
"Did I find anything?"
He pulled up a large black duffel bag.
"Yeah, there we go. That's my boy!"
"Jeez, dude!"
"Yeah, I ran out of air."
"You scared the shit out of me."
"Yeah, the cops were up here but we uh, took care of them."
"My bad."
"You're all good."
"Yeah you kind of missed the show brother."
A boat in the distance caught your eye, "Hey guys? Guys bogey, two o'clock."
"What?"
Everyone turned around to see a larger boat with two men on board.
"Anyone recognise the boat?" JJ questioned.
"Nope, never seen it."
"What are they doing here? The marsh is closed."
"Let's not stick around and find out, John B start the engine."
"JJ, Y/N get the bowline."
"Should we on 'em?"
"No, we're not."
"Go get the stern. Go!"
"Don't wait on us let's go."
The anchor came up and you and JJ put it away.
"Guys I don't like this."
"Are they coming for us?"
"Maybe they're fishing for drum too?"
"Act natural, act natural."
"Guys they're following us."
"Dude you gotta go faster."
"Shit."
"Guys I don't like this."
BANG
A bullet flung through the air.
"Holy shit!"
"What the fuck!"
"John B get down!"
BANG
"Oh my god we're gonna die."
BANG
"JJ put your head down!"
"Shit! Pope move!" You climbed over him and grabbed the fishing nets from the stern.
BANG
"Y/N get down!"
BANG
You threw them into the water and ducked back down next to John B and Pope.
BANG
"PSYCHOS!" You screamed once they were stuck in the net.
BANG
"Holy shit."
"Oh my god."
"Pope, you good?"
"That was insane!"
"Pogue life man!"
-
Once you were all back safe on the dock of the Chateau, John B rested the duffel bag on the dock.
"What do you guys think it is?"
"Gotta be money right?"
"That or a couple of keys with a street value to the low- to mid mils!"
"Can we please just open the bag?!"
"Wow Pope. That's a rare outburst of emotion."
"Okay. You guys are literally killing me with anticipation. Open the bag. We almost died over this."
John B pulled out a silver canister and a compass fell out.
"Oh wow. Yup, that's about right. Good job everybody, we found a compass."
"Dude what? It's not worth anything."
"This was my fathers."
-
part two; denial
-
John B needed some alone time after that, so you and JJ dropped off Pope before heading back to the Chateau.
-
"JJ, John B, Y/N?" Pope spoke, walking into the Chateau.
"Morning Pope."
"Morning Y/N, where are the boys?"
"I don't know, I only just woke up. Do you want some breakfast?" You offered, handing him a plate of bacon and eggs.
-
"You're actually such a good cook Y/N, this bacon is delicious."
"Well thank you Pope."
"Of course."
"Y/N! Pope!" JJ rushed into the house, John B following them close behind.
"There you guys are." You smiled, handing them both a plate. During breakfast, JJ was explaining what happened at Ms Lana's house. Silently, a pit in your stomach was growing about your Mom.
"Guys, do you reckon anyone related to Ms Lana is in trouble?"
They all shrugged.
"Guys the office," John B stood up from the table "my dad. My dad's office. He always kept the office locked because he was worried about his competitors stealing his Royal Merchant research. We used to laugh at him like he was gonna find it but now that he's gone I've just kind of just left it as he kept it."
"Yeah for when he gets back." You assured.
"I've slept over here like six-hundred times but I've never seen this door opened."
John B pulled a pin up board from the wall, "Here look, this is the original owner right here."
"Okay Robert Q. Routledge, 1880 to 1920."
"There's the lucky compass right there."
"Actually he was shot after he bought it. Then the compass was shipped back to Henry, who was killed in a crop-dusting accident when he had the compass. After he died, the compass was given to Stephen, Stephen had the compass with him when he died in Vietnam."
"Let me guess he died in action right?"
"Sort of. Actually he was killed by a banana truck, in country. Anyways, after that Stephan passed the compass down to him, my dad."
"Hm. Sounds like there's a reoccurring theme here."
"Yeah, you have a death compass."
"I do not."
"You have a death compass JB."
"Get rid of it. It's cursed and made its way back to you."
"Look my dad used to talk about this compartment in here. Soldiers used to hide secret notes."
"What's that?"
"That wasn't there before."
"This is my dads handwriting."
"How can you know that."
"Because he does these weird Rs with the, see it?"
"Can I see it? Red— Rout— No I think that's an A."
"It says Redfield."
"Right."
"Okay, well what's Redfield."
"Besides the most common name in the county."
"Maybe—maybe it's a clue. Maybe it's a clue to where he's hiding."
"Okay."
"A clue? Come on that's," You gave Pope a 'stop talking' look "but if it is a clue, maybe it's an anagram?"
"Yes. Perfect. Anagram. You need paper."
"Okay."
"Here you go."
"How can you concentrate with that thing constantly crowing at you."
"JJ loves the rooster."
"I love the rooster."
"Let me think."
"Seriously think."
"Dedfiel. Colours- that's stupid."
"Guys. Guys! Somebody's here."
"Guys, guys is that them?"
"No."
"Is that them?"
"This is suboptimal."
"John B I told you man why does it always—"
"JJ! Hey, look at me. Where's the gun?"
"Gun? I, uh, I can't—"
"Now you don't have the gun, the one time we need the gun?"
"It was in my backpack and then I- on the porch."
"No, it's too late now. They're on the porch."
"John Routledge!"
"Come on out now! Fuck!"
"Where's the compass?" You questioned.
"Here." John B said, pulling it out of his pocket.
"Give it to me. I'll put it in my bikini bra."
"Get out here boy!"
"Routledge! Where you at boy!"
"We gotta leave."
"Window, window, window."
"What's happening why is it taking so long?"
"It's painted shut okay?"
You looked through the draws, finding a knife.
"Is the Y/L/N girl here too boy, because we'll get her too!"
"Hey, check the back room."
"Come on."
"I'm going as fast as I can."
"Shhh."
"You better not be in there!"
BANG
The window burst open and the four of you jumped out, darting to the chicken coop.
"No one move or speak."
You were sat next to JJ and we're holding the rooster so it didn't squawk.
"You're alright. You're alright." JJ whispered, grabbing onto your spare hand.
-
"We all heard what they said, do you think they're after my Mom too?" You said, as the four of you were pulling up to the Redfield lighthouse.
"We can check on her after this, if you want."
"Yeah."
-
"Right here's what's gonna happen, you're going to post up and look out for bogeys okay?"
"Wait, why me?"
"Because you're not coming."
"Why?"
"Look JJ there indecent and dependent variables. You're independent, we don't know what you'll do."
"Shut up Pope, shut up Pope."
"Listen to me for a second, Pope you stand on look out with JJ. Okay? If we get split up we meet back up at JJ's house."
-
"Remind me what we're looking for again."
"We'll know it when we see it."
"Okay."
The two of you climbed up the rusty metal stairs to the top of the lighthouse.
JB knocked and an older redhead man answered.
"Um, we're here for the lighthouse."
"Lighthouse is closed."
"Um."
"Actually we- we aren't here about the lighthouse. We're here about the um, the Royal Merchant."
"Then you came to the right place."
"I know more about the Royal Merchant than anywhere else in the Kildare County," he stated, letting you through the lighthouse to the balcony "come on."
"Now the Merchant disappeared in the graveyard of the Atlantic in 1829."
"With four hundred million."
"Correct, you're a bit of a Merchanteer yourself huh?"
You smiled at John B.
"Uh, something like that."
"Well, follow me."
"I wanna show you something, I've been working thirty years up here. The view never changed till two days ago, the point's almost gone. One more storm like that, it'll take the lighthouse and I'll go with her. Now the trick to know in' where the Merchant is knowing whether she was on the north end or the south end of the eye of the storm."
John B held you hand, guiding your through the holes in the lighthouse floor.
"Now more experts believe that she was on the south end. Now, she's on the south end, the bands from the hurricane would of pushed her back out to sea, but I don't believe that. I think she was on the north end of the eye, which means the bands would of pushed her..."
"Closer to shore." You stated, causing the man to smile at you.
"That's right. Now by my calculations, the Royal Merchant is about ten miles that away. Come on, come on."
He walked into a darker room and you followed him.
"Right here is where the Point used to be. My calculations say the Merchant is right about there, down about one-thousand feet."
"That's what my dad used to say."
"Yup."
"Yeah, I-I know this is weird all right? But do you know anything about this?" John B pulled the compass out of his pocket and the man's face dropped.
"Look it-it says Redfield in the back in my dad's handwriting. Yeah, I don't know know why I'm here but I feel like I'm supposed to be here. Do- do you have anything to give me or to.. Where are you going? Wait a minute, look- look man I know this is weird. I just thought, hoped maybe you would know something about this all right?"
"Sir you won't believe what he's been through in the past twenty-four hours. I mean, threatened, shot at,
home invaded."
"Home invaded?"
"My rooster was killed. Look man my dad wanted me to talk to you okay? If there's anything you could think of that would help us, please, just tell us okay?"
"Look man, please!" John B grabbed him by the collar.
"John B."
"If you know anything just— just—"
"Wanda, I got two kids on drugs up here at the lighthouse. Call the police!"
"No! No, no, no, no!"
"Let go!" The man shouted before John B slammed his hand into the window.
"What are you doing?"
"It was an accident."
"John B we have to go."
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to. Oh shit."
You rushed out of the lighthouse but JJ and Pope had already peeled.
"This way, this way." You pointed and the two of you sprinted until you were at the Boneyard.
"Hey, look, You've- you've got to admit that was kind of promising. I mean, my dad, the Royal merchant, the ranger, the Royal Merchant, I mean, coincidence? I don't think so."
"It's his job to know about shipwrecks."
"Okay, but the Royal Merchant?"
"That's like the most famous shipwreck of all time. Redfield's one of the most common names in the Outer Banks, that could mean anything. Look as a wild-goose chase go, this was a really good one."
"Look I don't know, maybe we missed something at the lighthouse. We —we should go back."
You shook your head.
"You believe me right?"
"Right?"
"I think there might be some light to moderate concocting going on at this point. Look, uh I get it."
"Y/N, come on."
"You miss your dad. I know how it feels. I just don't understand why he would put a clue on a compass."
"Cause he knew it would come back to me."
You gave him a hug, rubbing his back a few times.
"You're losing it. You gotta pull it together."
You pulled away, looking him in the eyes. He leaned in a kissed you which you quickly pulled your head back.
"Uh. What was that?"
"You. Uh- I'm-"
"I'm shit. I'm — I'm sorry."
"It's okay."
"My god I am an idiot."
"No it's okay. It's okay."
"I'm - it's just because I'm freaking out," he looked around "about my dad and the DCS stuff."
"Stop. It's okay, I get it JB."
"I can't breathe sometimes."
"I know. Look, I know how you feel John B. Don't apologise."
A siren blared in the distance.
"Routledge. I got you son. Now why don't you just be chill and make me chase you?"
You stood behind John B and took to compass out of his back pocket.
-
"Y/N, where's John B?" JJ asked.
"At the police station, I was let go."
"Where's the compass?" Pope questioned.
"In my bikini top, like always."
"Oh thank god, I think Shoupe would of taken it."
-
"Guys, get in." John B yelled and the three of you jumped into the Twinkie.
"You mind if I just relax on this one? It's been a long day and a lot of weird stuff's gone down. I'm just gonna lay low. Oh, did you want a hit of this?"
"I keep the signal clear."
"Dude, okay. Do you understand that your problem is that you don't get creative. If you get creative then-"
"Look, I — I know I was wrong about the lighthouse alright? And wrong about everything else going on. But I was- I was right about one thing. Okay? My dad is trying to tell me something."
-
"Come on, hey."
"I'm coming. This place is scary, John B what are we doing?"
"Shut up, you know how you're trying to remember a song and you can't remember who sings it?"
"Yeah."
"So, Redfield. This whole time, I thought it was a place, right? But it's not a place," John B held his torch up to the grave, "it's a person."
"Voi-effing-là."
"See my great-great-grandmother Olivia Redfield. That was her maiden name. Help me with the door, come on."
"All right."
Pope and John B started pushing, trying to pull open the door. JJ joined on a few seconds later.
"This door is like seven hundred pounds, it's not going to budge."
"We didn't come this far, to get this far, all right?"
A snake popped out of the whole and all three boys jumped back. JJ said a bunch of gibberish before he started barking.
"JJ, shut up. Shut up!"
"You're gonna wake the fricken dead man."
"Dude they're afraid of dogs everybody knows that.
"Wait, hold on."
"What?"
"If they're one, they're probably dozens, all around."
"Can you stop you're scaring the shit out of me."
JJ continued to bark.
"Stop barking at the snakes."
"Look, John-"
"Just making sure it's clear."
"Shut up, John look. We're not gonna get in there alright? It's not budging. We should probably just go."
"I can get through." You said.
"What?"
"No, no, no, no. You think you're gonna fit through the hole?"
"That hole?"
"Look, this is about your dad. Honestly I really don't believe in it, but you deserve to know the truth. I'll do it. Come on."
"I'll get those." JJ smiled, pulling away the roots that were covering the hole.
As Pope and John B held the weeds away, JJ gave you a boost up into the hole.
-