"So much for no more stupid ideas," Harley laughed as she skipped ahead of John B and pulled a face at him.
"You're way too happy about being in a graveyard," Pope noted.
Harley dropped back and let John B and Kie pass. She shrugged. "It's creepy for sure." She twirled around prowling closer behind Pope before she pounced startling him. "Ghosts skulking around ready to scare you to death."
The group laughed at Harley's silliness. JJ found it the funniest though likely because of the weed he'd smoked.
"Come on, lighten up." Harley hugged Popped from behind. "How often can you say you've been at graveyard at night searching for clues to a big mystery."
"Thankfully never."
"Fair enough," Harley said. She let go of Pope and went to JJ.
Kiara complained, "This place is scary." She held up a light against the headstones following John B who was ushering the group to follow faster. "What are we doing here?"
"You know how you try 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 up his lantern. "It's a person."
The blue hue lit up the rock face to a tomb. Thing twigs and ivy grew across the front, moss building in the crevices and cracks. Carved in bold letters, read the name Redfield.
"Voi- effin- la."
Harley snickered at JJ shaking her head.
"See, my great-great-grandmother. Olivia Redfield. That was her maiden name."
"Now what?" Harley asked.
"Help me with the door." John B stepped toward the crypt with Pope.
The two braced themselves and grunted out their efforts to edge open the heavy door. When nothing happened, JJ joined in trying to force it open. Encouraging sounds of stone moving resounded, hopeful eyes meeting the sight of crumbling rock.
Suddenly, hissing rattled through the air, a snake slithering out of the hole on the side. The boys leapt back, JJ right into Harley's arms.
"That's a moccasin alright. Ye olde Doctor Cottonmouth. Death in tall grass." JJ then began barking at the snake.
"What are you doing?" Harley hissed in disapproval although she was holding back laughter, too. JJ did the most random and funny things and whilst he shouldn't have been doing them it was near impossible to not laugh about it.
"JJ, shut up. Shut up!" Kie called desperately trying to silence him.
Harley glanced over her shoulder, no guards in sight. She stepped forward and smacked a hand over JJ's mouth giving him a hard glare.
"Stop barking." She let go.
JJ started up again trying to explain that the snakes were scared of dogs, but the group wasn't having it.
Harley clamped her hand over his mouth again. "Shut up, JJ. Please."
He made no move to protest allowing the group to focus back on the crypt.
Harley smiled and placed a kiss on his lips the second she removed her hand, whilst no one was looking.
Giddiness bubbled in her chest at the dumbstruck gaze that washed over JJ"s face. Both of them wore stupid grins whilst their hearts stuttered at the fact any one of the group could have seen. Well, JJ's stuttered more in surprise.
"I can stop barking. I can totally stop barking," JJ mumbled.
"Thank you."
When the pair finally melted back into the group, it had been decided that Kie would try and fit through the hole to get inside. She wanted to help John B on his mission and get closure, albeit not believing the wild hunt they'd been on to find the truth of what happened to Big John.
JJ and Pope managed hoist Kie through the tight space. An eerie silence crept into the midst of the group as all that could be heard were Kie's footsteps across concrete.
"They put the bodies in coffins inside there, right? Like they're not just laying around."
All the boys craned their heads to stare back at Harley with bewilderment.
"What? We can all agree I'm not the best spark plug in the toolkit."
Pope chuckled at Harley's rendition of the famous idiom and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Somehow you always make my day."
"Gee thanks." Harley shuffled over to the gaping hole. She stood on her tip toes and peeked inside. The darkness intensified, Kiara's light barely illuminating the grey rock. The sound of skittering of insects made Harley's skin crawl. "Kie, are you okay in there? We should have forced one of the boys in there."
Harley smiled at Kiara's laugh. "Yeah, JJ. He could have scared all the insects away with his barking." The group laughed.
JJ ambled forward, his hand on Harley's hip for balance as he peered into the tomb. "You wouldn't be saying it like that if that snake bit you."
"Well, thanks for being the Pogue's very own hero. We appreciate it." Harley drawled sarcastically patting JJ's chest.
Every time JJ toucher her, no matter how casual or meaningful, her stomach exploded with butterflies. It was like gravity started to ease up and her body went floating towards those pink, fluffy clouds that coddled the pair whenever they kissed. The fact he could make her feel like this, even stood in the middle of a graveyard was ludicrous. Harley had to look down at her laces when she felt heat travelling to her cheeks.
It was made worse by feeling JJ glance at her and the knowing, cocky chuckle that followed.
"Anyway," Pope stepped forward pushing between the pair. He gave them both a casual, yet pointed look. "You found anything, Kiara? The sooner we can leave the better."
Harley gnawed down on her lip not wanting to turn back to John B in case he was already staring at her. Nothing had happened and JJ had only held onto her because he had clearly lost his footing, but who knew. Maybe he'd read into it.
"Found something!" Kie called.
JJ and Pope helped Kiara back through, once she passed of a package to John B.
"That's not gold," Pope pointed out.
He was right. The envelope was smaller than an A4 piece of paper. Something sat in the middle of the package, something square or rectangular and rather thick.
"What is it?" Harley urged.
"It's from dad."
Harley's eyes grew with wonderment. John left an envelope in their great grandmother's grave for them to find. Things kept getting bizarre. What could he have left? Why leave it there? Why not leave it in his room or something with a note about it on the kitchen table for them to find?
"Let's open..."
"Code red. Code red." JJ announced. Harley spun around to be blinded by two glaring lights. Someone was headed their way. "Square groupers. Square groupers."
Harley paled. Fear trickled around her body, down to her legs making them feel like lead. Her feet were rooted to the floor beneath her. All she could do was stand their in rising fear and be blinded by the lights.
Why were they still searching for them? Hadn't they gotten everything they wanted after wrecking their home and causing Harley another seizure. What would they do this time?
A gentle hand tugged on Harley's, yanking her down out of view with the rest of the group. They were all in motion, twisting and turning to one another in panic, yet Harley crouched stuck.
Dark, troubled eyes caused thunder in her chest. He had trapped in his hold, a nasty sneer directed her way. She would have screamed for help, but his eyes turned hazel like her own and then she was being forced beneath water.
"Harley!"
She gasped, thrown back into reality.
"Come on!" Kiara yanked the dazed girl up and towards the back entrance to the graveyard. A Tall, black, metal fence came up quick. Harley watch Kie scale the fence like a pro, John B following suit.
"Can we not just open the gate," Harley whined in frustration. She sucked at running and climbing, everyone knew that. So, why they thought she would willing haul herself up and over this giant gate after being forced to run was beyond her.
"The gate is chained shut, Harls." Kie gestured to the metal links looped at the middle.
Harley groaned smacking her hands onto the gate and haphazardly pulling herself up. Even Pope was doing better than her and he was way less sporty.
"Come on. Put your back into it," JJ joked from below Harley. Her struggle became less when she felt the blonde hoisting her up.
"Shut up," Harley replied.
"Move your ass, mini Routledge."
Harley rolled her eyes whilst she grabbed a hold of the top of the gate. "A lot of people would enjoy having my ass in their face."
She got her leg over ready to jump down to Kie, who had waited for her, when JJ took a leap and hauled himself up beside her in seconds. He leant over with a coy smile.
"I enjoyed it fore sure. But, I'd enjoy it more if we were in private," JJ whispered. He didn't wait to see her blush and hopped down.
"Come on, Harls," Kie urged.
"I'm coming. I'm coming."
Harley swung her other leg over and let herself fall. The group intended to run to the Twinkie, only to hear Pope struggle.
"Guys I'm stuck. I'm stuck. I'm stuck."
Harley skidded to a stop and ran back to Pope before even realising his shorts had gotten stuck on one of the intricate swirls sitting atop the gate. Harley and Kiara reached up trying to unhook and get him down, all while JJ started pointed his gun aimlessly at the trio and the gate. If he shot at the square groupers, the bullet would definitely ricochet of the huge metal gate in the way.
"You're gonna rip me. You're gonna rip me, guys."
"Who needs pants when you're being chased, Pope. Come on!" Harley urged.
She grabbed at his hand and Kiara grabbed at his back getting Pope down unceremoniously. An awkwardly loud rip had the group stifling laughs as they got Pope down in only his boxers.
⚓️
The Pogues had found themselves back at the chateau, buzzing with anticipation of what could possible be inside the envelope John had addressed to John B and Harley.
The latter leant her shoulders on the counter beside JJ where he believed using mouldy bread for a sandwich would be a good idea. Harley grimaced at the sight of the green, fuzzy patches on the bread and gagged as he grabbed a jar of peanut butter.
"Do you want some?" He offered.
"No JJ, I don't think you should be having any either."
Pope walked passed sharing the same look as Harley. "That bread had mould on it three days ago."
JJ shrugged and slathered the peanut spread on top. "I'll just pull off the bad parts. Plus, mould is good for you. It's just a natural organism."
"Gross," Harley commented.
Everyone circled round John B, he sat at the table, the area gently lit with candles and a lamp. He began to tear open the package and pulled out a folded piece of paper. Harley edged forward to peer over John B's shoulder whilst he smoothed out the huge map.
"Holy shit," John B exclaimed.
"X marks the spot," commented Pope.
Harley's eyebrows furrowed as she stared harder at the lines over the page. "An X to where? What or who are we finding? Dad?"
John B rummaged in the package and pulled out a tape recorder in response. "Let's find out."
"Dear Bird and Jellyfish."
JJ interrupted the recording. "Who are Bird and Jellyfish?"
"Dad used to call me Bird. He called Harley Jellyfish."
"I hate to tell you I told you so, Bird, but I told you so. And you doubted your old man. I suspect at this moment you're filled with guilt and self-loathing over our last fight, but don't kill yourself just yet, kid."
Harley tried to recall fights between John B and John. The last to her recollection had been about John's diminishing presence around the shack and in their lives. From the way John B had explained it, he felt as though their dad was abandoning them for a search that could lead to nothing. Then he would have wasted all his time on a story and not in reality.
"I didn't expect to find the merchant yet either. You were probably right to call me out. Wasn't exactly father of the decade and I definitely wasn't there for you as much as I could have been in the end Harls. What can I say, kids? I could smell the barn. And hopefully we're listening to this in our brand new sugar-shack down in Costa Rica, livin' off passive investments and pulling on permits."
A soft smile adorned Harley's face, a sweet expression that JJ admired for the second it was on display only to fall away slowly seconds later.
"If not, then you find this for less optimal reasons, well, that's what the map is for. There she is the wreck of the merchant. If somethin' happens to me, finish what I started. Go for the gold kids. I love you, Bird, even if I didn't always act like it. And I love you Harley, like you're my own daughter. I'll see you both on the other side... "
The tape recorder clicked off. A heavy silence fell in the room.
Big John had found the gold that he had seemingly spent his life's work searching for. He achieved his goal, but he wasn't here to finish what he started.
What had happened?
It sounded like he knew something bad could or would happen to him. He had prepared for it by leaving the recording for Harley and John B, that's what made the whole thing sour. The two were still without a dad with no further explanation of what had happened to him or where he could have gone.
Did he choose to leave them? Was he forced to abandon his kids? Had he been killed by others searching for the gold? It could have been the same square groupers that were after Harley and John B.
The air turned sombre quickly, everybody at a loss for words bar JJ.
"Holy shit! He did it. Big John found the Merchant..."
By now John B had gotten up and stumbled toward the door. Kie shut JJ up then followed to comfort her friend. Harley did know what to do with herself. She felt like her veins were thrumming a sad tune as her chest tightened. She backed up silently and ambled toward her bedroom. Tears burnt her throat as they made their way to her eyes.
That was it... John was gone. Her second shot at a family had truly vanished. She didn't have it in her to tell herself John was somehow out there perfectly fine. It hurt too much, because if it were true then that meant he didn't want to come back to her an John B. If that was true, then she hated him. She hated John Routledge for taking her in, giving her a false sense of security and then deserting her with broken promises.
Harley had thought John Routledge was a nice, kind, loving man. So, how could he do this? Had he lied the entire time or was she the problem?
If John hadn't chosen to leave them and he was in fact dead...
The thought made more tears bubble in Harley's eyes.
She didn't know what to think, what to assume or what to do with herself.
JJ had come in at some point, unknown to Harley until she felt his arms around her. He didn't say anything, just let Harley cry in his arms. Harley was grateful, because she didn't want to be comforted with words in the moment. There surely wasn't much anybody could say to deter her tears.
Time passed and the tears had stopped flowing. Harley lay on JJ's chest, both cuddled up on her bed. A wave of calm had swaddled the two in their own little bubble. Harley traced hearts and flowers over JJ's shirt, whilst his hand ran through her hair. Harley had stared blankly ahead during the the minutes of their comfortable silence, JJ's heartbeat the only thing she focused on.
"How are you feeling?" JJ whispered. He tucked her hair behind her ear so that he could see more of her face.
"I've been better."
"Do you want to talk about it now?"
Harley hummed a 'no'. She didn't think talking about her thoughts on the situation would do much good for either of them. Harley would just muddle her mind more and JJ would get uncomfortable searching for the right thing to say.
"Ya know, at least Big John left you guys an inheritance... kind of."
"JJ," Harley chided pushing herself up to glare at him.
He gave a sheepish smile. "Sorry."
The door knocked and before the duo could pull apart Pope came in.
"You guys are lucky it was me barging in here," Pope began with a stern look then loosened up. "We're wondering where you guys got to. Care to join us outside?"
Harley rubbed her eyes one last time and smiled. "Yeah."
JJ pecked her forehead as he got up.
"Harley and I will go. You go to the toilet or something," Pope waved a hand dismissively at JJ.
"Ok. Mister steal my girl," JJ scoffed.
"A small price to pay for secrecy buddy." Pope joked.
"Last time I checked, Kie and I were an item. Sorry losers."
JJ pondered on her words. "I don't know if I'm mad or intrigued."
Harley rolled her eyes with a soft laugh. "Go pee."
Harley and Pope started to head outside completely ignoring JJ who had called after them.
"You know I don't even need to piss."
"How are you feeling?" Pope asked.
"I'm doing okay considering the circumstance. How's JB?"
"Same as you. Pretending everything is alright."
Harley snickered in surprise. "Observant as always."
As Harley and Pope walked up the jetty, Kie and John B looked up to them.
"Where did you and JJ get to?" Kiara questioned.
Harley had opened her mouth to respond, but Pope jumped to her rescue before she even realised she needed him to.
"JJ seems to have been indisposed in the toilet this whole time. I think the mouldy bread got to him. And Harls was in her room."
John B met Harley at the top of the walk way and gave her a soft smile. Neither of them said anything at first, instead they engulfed each other in a big hug. They both needed it, as they both relaxed. Only they could really understand how the other felt.
"Sorry for going off and crying. I should have been there for you, too."
"It's okay. I had a little cry, too. Might schedule in another crying session later of you wanna join."
"Yeah I can squeeze you in."
"Oh wow thanks." Harley shoved John B who ruffled her hair in retaliation.
The four relaxed into a light conversation, with Kie strumming a tune on a ukulele. Harley perched on one of the corner posts of the little, open hut.
The silver moon and stars looked pretty above the darkened waters. Harley haf seen seen a similar sight the night she became a Castaway. If the moon and stars could show her what they had witnessed that night, then maybe some things would have been easier. She'd at least know who had been on the boat with her before she'd gone over board.
Kiara's sweet laughter brought Harley out of her thoughts. Kie and Pope had cracked a couple jokes at JJ's expense as he made his way over. Of course, JJ retaliated.
The blonde chose to stand between Pope and Harley. He leant back on the wood barrier and spread his arms over the top beam. That meant one arm hovered close behind Harley.
Money must have been on JJ's mind because the next thing he said was, "How much was it again?"
"Four hundred mil," Pope said.
"All right, let's talk the split."
"Easy. You won't get anything JJ, as compensation for the heart attacks you give us and the times you've waved a gun in our direction," Harley smiled as if butter wouldn't melt as she stared at JJ.
"I know you don't mean that, Harley Pie. You love me." He smirked. "Now, before we say 'evenly,' may I remind you that I am the only one that can properly defend us from those groupers who were after us."
Harley shivered. She hoped to never see Cruz and his little friend ever again.
JJ's hand subtly rested on Harley's lower back. She peered at him from the corner of her eyes, though his eyes weren't on her.
JJ continued, "Protection? Not cheap, okay?"
"You haven't trained," Pope stated. "You've done zero training."
"YouTube, bro! Like John B stitching up Harley when she washed up. That's at least a five percent bump right there."
"You haven't..."
"Any objections? Didn't think so."
"Actually I have objections," Harley spoke up.
Kiara agreed waving her hand in the air. "Many objections."
JJ chose to play dumb. He cupped a hand to his ear and said, "I don't hear any, so..."
"What are you gonna do with your eighty mil, Pope?" Kie asked after rolling her eyes at JJ.
Pope thought about it for a minute, but his response didnt surprise Harley at all. "Pay for college in advance. And also, textbooks. Those are expensive "
Seeing Kie's odd look at Pope's response, made JJ ask her. "What about you Kie?"
"Yeah, what does a socialist do when she's rich?" Pope smirked.
Harley bit back a smile at the way Pope looked at Kiara.
"Just wanna make a double album. About OBX, the Pogues."
"Hopefully there's a song dedicated to me," Harley chimed.
"Of course." Kie blew Harley a kiss. "You know, the way Catch a Fire is about Kingston. Record it at Marley Studio, Peter Tosh producing."
"Peter Tosh is dead."
"Peter Tosh is dead. I know."
"Maybe eighty mil could get him to resurrect." Harley shrugged and laughed.
"Maybe. Spirit of Peter Tosh will never die."
Now, JJ cut in. Sparks of energy flashed in his eyes. He stood up a little. "Actually, I know what I'm going to do. I'm gonna get a big ass house on Figure Eight and go full Kook."
"You're gonna go full Kook?" Pope raised an eyebrow.
JJ had stunned the entire group. Never in a million years would anyone believe that JJ Maybank wanted to become a Kook. He despised Figure Eight and everyone in it, so it must have been the weed talking.
"Yup. Gonna get a marble statue of myself, and then I'm gonna get a koi pond. Put a bunch of those fish..."
"I'm never gonna visit." Kie grimaced.
"Harls?" Kie turned to her left.
"Um. I don't know." Harley had never thought far into the future or conjured up any life dreams. Mainly because her life still felt rather strange, she didn't know where it began. It was like opening up a novel in the middle with no inkling of what had happened prior. It didn't feel normal or right to plan. The only goal she'd ever had was to find her blood family and well that came to dead ends rather quickly. "Maybe you guys could just split it four ways."
"Why would we do that?" Kie frowned.
"You're a Pogue, right?" Pope nudged her side.
"Yeah..."
"You're a Routledge too, right?" John B added.
"Yes."
"There ya go then. Eight mil is automatically yours... my five percent increase still to be further discussed."
"Okay... I would... buy a cute, little, black cat because I feel like they aren't loved enough. Then fly first class to Yucatan, and buy a nice house out there. Oh and definitely get a garage full of cars."
"Yucatan, huh?" A half smirk played at JJ's lips. Harley felt the desire to lean forward and kiss him.
"Yep. What are you gonna do, JB?"
A quiet followed as John B glanced over his friends. Harley could tell his dad was still strong on his mind. Still, he raised his bottle in the air and said, "To going full Kook."
"To going full Kook!" The group cheered.