SEASON THREE,
CHAPTER 11:
LAST ONE STANDING
"So there's some kind of test now?"
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AFTER FINALLY LEAVING Sowell's house and sneaking away from the crime scene, JJ claimed that he knows of a man with the last name Persaud. This is what has led to JJ currently being the one seated behind the steering wheel of the Twinkie, directing which roads to take and where they are travelling to. This, however, means that John B has no choice but to just trust that JJ is on the right track to saving Big John and finding El Dorado — he has no other leads and can only hope that this is right.
Right now, JJ is driving the Twinkie across a narrow stretch of road. Either side of them are fields that are most likely hundreds of acres long. Farmers are seen standing in the fields, working their hardest as they harvest the fruits and vegetables that have all grown over time. These get passed onto the workers at the open wooden building nearby, who box everything up and proceed to sell them off to earn money.
Reaching the end of the road, JJ allows the vehicle to slowly roll to a stop before pulling the handbrake up. The key is pulled from its place and tossed to John B to hold onto after it's been twisted to turn the engine off. Then, the three teenagers quickly climb out and start to walk towards the crowded building, with JJ leading the way since he knows where he's going.
"Let me get this straight." John B begins. "So, since you know a guy with last name 'Persaud', you think they've got to be related? That is your master plan?"
"Correct." JJ confirms, nodding. "How many people do you know with that last name?"
"None." Delilah truthfully replies.
"Exactly." JJ states. "I met a guy here last summer with my cousin because we were doing the growing business, and his last name was Persaud. Oh, wait... Maybe it was Percett?"
"No, no. You think?" John B repeats as his eyes start do widen. "This is my dad's life we're talking about here, JJ. You need to be certain."
"I know." JJ corrects, trying to reassure him. "Trust me, I've got this."
They continue to advance forward and gently push their way past the crowd of people, being careful not to bump into anyone or disrupt anyone as they work. JJ directs the pair over to a specific group of people, who are standing beside stacked boxes while talking to one another. Delilah glances between each of the men, realising that all of them are too lost in their conversation to notice the teenagers standing there, at least not until JJ calls out to one of them.
"Mr P!" JJ calls.
"Hey!" Mr P greets with a wide smile. "What's up, man?"
"Hey, so we're actually looking for Neville. Is he still here?" JJ asks.
"No, he's out in his houseboat. He's been holding up near Doe Creek." Mr P informs.
"Okay. Thanks, man." JJ replies.
Satisfied with that information, the teenagers turn to walk away from the farmers and make their way over to the river that resides next to the large fields. Not a single person chooses to take any notice of the three since they aren't bothering anyone, continuing with their work instead. Fortunately, the trio prefer this because they don't have the time to be stopped and questioned for their actions, needing to find Neville Persaud as quickly as possible.
Carefully pushing past the greenery that belongs to the tall trees and the overgrown bushes, they stand on the muddy bank that borders the river. John B is quick to step down into the murky waters, not caring that it's soaking into his clothes because all of them have done this so many times before now. JJ follows closely behind him, turning around to hold a hand out for Delilah to take; the mud is slippery, and he's afraid that she will fall and possibly hurt herself in the the process. With a warm smile, Delilah places her hand in his, allowing him to help her step down into the river and join them.
"Thank you, kind sir." Delilah playfully says.
"Anything for a beautiful princess." JJ replies with a grin.
"You guys make me want to throw up." John B mutters.
"Your face makes me want to throw up." Delilah counters.
"You know, I don't know why you ever doubted me with this plan to begin with, John B." JJ comments.
"The idea was a little far-fetched is all that I'm going to say." John B reasons.
To their right, a single houseboat is seen floating on top of the water, unmoving. Delilah stares at it to try to find any sign of movement inside the houseboat, silently contemplating whether Neville is actually in there. However, suddenly, JJ starts to shout for the man, hoping that he will somehow receive some kind of sign in response. But John B quickly slaps a hand over JJ's mouth and stops him from continuing with his shouts. JJ just shoves him away with a glare.
"What?" JJ hisses.
"What are you talking about, 'what'?" John B fires back, irritated. "He thinks people are trying to kill him! He's probably packing."
"Right." JJ quietly says with a short nod. "It's a death trap."
"Yeah, but we don't have much of a choice. He's the only guy alive who knows where my dad is." John B states.
Without hesitation, John B then shifts from his place and kicks off the soft floor to swim through the river. Delilah and JJ exchange glances at each other before they follow after their best friend, knowing that they will both continue to help him find his dad no matter what. The trio swims to the houseboat together, not caring if their heads fall beneath the water's surface because it keeps them hidden from any onlookers.
Once they eventually reach the houseboat, they grab ahold of the ladder and climb onboard, one after the other. Delilah slowly walks forward, keeping her eyes darting everywhere to keep a careful eye out. The girl doesn't like how eerily quiet it is on the boat, and she knows that if Neville has already been taken hostage by Singh's men, then they are screwed and are at risk of being in danger themselves.
Once they eventually reach the houseboat, they grab ahold of the ladder and climb onboard, one after the other. Delilah quickly catches notices of how eerily quiet it is on the boat, causing a dreadful feeling to seep into her stomach; she knows that if Neville has already been taken hostage by Singh's men, then all of them are screwed and are also at risk of being in danger. So, while Delilah slowly walks forward, she allows her eyes to dart everywhere, keeping a careful eye out for anyone. John B, on the other hand, walks further inside and hovers his hand inches above the stove, noticing how it's still radiating warmth.
"He's still here." John B whispers.
"Where the hell is he?" JJ quietly wonders aloud.
Suddenly, a feeling washes over Delilah that they are being closely watched, almost as if she can feel a pair of eyes staring into the back of her. Delilah shifts her head slightly, and, in the corner of her eye, she could have sworn that she saw someone move from behind her. Then, in one swift movement, Delilah reaches a hand out and grabs ahold of the closest object to her, holding it firmly in her grasp. She spins around on her heel and proceeds to smash it directly into the person's ribs, resulting in a loud groan of pain filling the quiet air.
Despite the agony stabbing in his chest from the thin metal pole that was just swung into his ribs, the man pushes forward and proceeds to slice the machete he holds through the air, aiming for the teenagers. John B quickly pushes JJ out of the way, not caring if his actions were harsh as long as JJ's safe. Delilah, too, dodges the attack by ducking down to avoid being hit by the sharp weapon. However, John B isn't as lucky as them because Neville holds the machete in front of his face, causing him to desperately push against the man's arm to prevent it from slicing his throat.
"Listen! It's Neville, right?" John B exclaims in a panic. "We just want to talk!"
Neville doesn't say a single word in response, only continuing to fight back, fearing for his life and just wanting to defend himself. John B realises this, but he desperately needs Neville to stop what he's doing and just listen to what they have to say. But the issue is that Neville thinks the teenagers have come to kill him or kidnap him, but none of them have stopped to prove that they don't mean any harm — it doesn't help that Delilah actually did hit him.
"Trip line!" JJ shouts.
At that, John B uses all of his strength to then push Neville away, causing him to trip over JJ's leg, which he had outstretched in the doorway to act as a 'trip line'. This action causes Neville to crash down to the floor of the houseboat with an echoing thud, closely followed by another groan of pain. But before falling, Neville had reached out and grabbed ahold of John B by the shirt, therefore causing the boy to suddenly come tumbling down onto the wood beside him.
The pair scrambles across the floor while they throw punches at one another. Due to his larger build and his strength, Neville is able to push John B back onto the ground once again, managing to hold him down this time. The machete is still gripped firmly in the man's hand as he (for a second time now) attempts to push the sharp edge against the boys neck. John B's eyes widen, trying to use as much strength as he can muster together to fight back and prevent the blade from touching his skin.
"No!" John B shouts, a pleading tone seeping into his voice. "No, stop! Please!"
Delilah and JJ both lunge forward, grabbing ahold of Neville by the shirt, shoulders, arms — anything that they can get a strong enough grip on. The pair work together in a desperate attempt to pull Neville off of their best friend. Despite Neville's attention focusing solely on John B, who is still laying helplessly on the floor, Delilah can feel the man struggle against her and JJ's harsh grasp, trying to shrug the two away. John B notices this and starts to panic even more, understanding that they, too, are unable to pull the man off of him.
"We know Professor Sowell!" John B blurts out.
"Who gave you that name?" Neville spits, his tone stern as he demands for an answer. "Who?"
"We're friends." John B replies. "You and five other people were in Orinoco last year!"
"How did you know that?" Neville hesitantly asks.
"Let me go, then I'll answer." John B pleads.
Neville falters in place; the strong grip he had on the sharp weapon and on John B slowly loosens. JJ only uses this moment to their advantage, snatching the machete out of Neville's hands to make sure that he won't suddenly lash out. In one swift movement, JJ proceeds to grab the man by the shirt and slam him against the nearest wall, with Delilah standing at his side after quickly jumping out of their way to avoid getting caught in the crossfire. Then, the sharp point of the blade is pointed directly under Neville's chin.
"We're on the same team." JJ assures.
"We don't want to hurt you, okay?" John B tells him, calmly.
"Yeah. Sorry for hitting you earlier, but you did kind of attack us." Delilah apologises.
"Look, we were with Professor Sowell yesterday. But he, uh... He didn't make it." John B informs.
"He's dead?" Neville questions.
"Yeah." John B confirms with a nod, feeling bad for the man. "I'm sorry."
Neville's breathing becomes shakier by the second. He uses a hand to attempt to push the three away, but the action barely does anything because he feels too weak and is in shock right now. Neville attempts to walk further along the boat, but his footsteps grow unsteady, threatening to send him crashing down to the ground with a thud. Delilah almost reaches out to help the poor man, knowing that he's grieving the loss of a friend.
"I'm the last one left." Neville whispers under his breath in realisation. "Everyone's dead."
"Yeah. That's why we had to get to you before they did. But if we found you, they can too." JJ informs.
"I just have a few questions." John B tells him as he unfolds the paper he stole with the sketch. "You've been to Solana, right?"
"That is a place of evil." Neville says.
"My dad and I found the thingy that goes in the centre of that stone piece there." John B states.
"The gnomon." Neville corrects.
"What's a gnomon?" JJ quietly asks, confused.
"The gnomon." John B repeats, ignoring the blond's confusion. "Listen. There's some bad men who have taken my father to this place, and they are going to kill him. I need your help to find this place."
Neville shakes his head. "No. The curse has already done enough."
"It's not a curse. I understand that it's dangerous, but I need your help. Please." John B insists.
"Hey, wait! Be quiet." JJ whisper-yells.
Everyone onboard the houseboat falls silent at once, wondering what the boy may have heard. The sound of a boat's loud engines then disrupts their silence in a matter of seconds, travelling closer at an alarming speed. The teenagers immediately turn to each other and exchange similar looks of concern. A feeling of dread seeps into Delilah's stomach, already knowing what's about to happen next if the boat truly belongs to Singh or his men.
"How much traffic do you get on this river?" JJ asks the man, slowly.
"Nothing." Neville replies.
All of a sudden, a male voice shouts Neville's name from outside, which is closely followed by the sound of gunfire. Everyone immediately drops to the floor as their arms move up to protect their heads. Bullets shatter the windows, causing thousands of little glass shards to rain down on them all, threatening to slice at their skin. Without thinking twice, JJ shifts closer to his girlfriend and shields her body with his own, wanting to protect her from harm.
"Get the anchor!" Neville orders.
Neville scrambles to his feet, trying to avoid showing himself through the open windows while also trying not to slip on the shards of glass that now hides the wooden flooring. The man heads toward the control room of the houseboat, switching the engine on and preparing to leave at the first chance that he gets. He barely even glances back at the teenagers, silently hoping that they will just listen to his orders so that they can get out of the situation as fast as possible.
Meanwhile, the three sneak out of the broken room and head around the back of the houseboat, making sure that they cannot be seen from across the river. The anchor is just inches away from them, ready to be pulled back up so that the boat can finally move again. However, JJ quickly stops Delilah and John B from stepping towards the anchor, having another idea in mind.
"We can't just pull the anchor up. We need to make sure that they won't follow us." JJ whispers.
"JJ's right." Delilah agrees. "They'll just follow us and it will only cause more problems for us."
"Then lets steal their key." John B suggests.
Mutually (and silently) agreeing to the plan, the trio carefully climbs down the ladder and slips back into the murky water. Their heads submerge underneath the waters' surface, wanting to keep themselves out of sight in order for their plan to work. They ensure that their are actions are kept slow and calculated so that they can avoid creating any possible splashing sounds that could potentially draw attention towards each of them.
Swimming to the small boat that has pulled up next to Neville's, they slowly resurface from the river and climb up the short ladder to see that one of the men has remained onboard. Still, John B continues with the plan and sneaks around him, making sure that his footsteps are light. He then leans behind the man and reaches for the key to try and steal it from where it resides on the boat.
Metal clinking against metal faintly fills the air. At the sound of this, the man sharply turns on his heel and finds his gaze falling onto the three teenagers. He instantly cocks the gun, preparing to fire a bullet into each of them, even if it kills them on the spot. John B, however, quickly reacts by grabbing ahold of the weapon and turning the barrel away from him so that he (and Delilah and JJ) won't get shot. John B then slams the gun back against the man's face and hits him in the temple. This action causes the man to go dizzy, allowing the boy to push him overboard.
As this happens, Delilah quickly reaches past JB and yanks the key out of its place. She then turns around and launches it into the murky water, letting it sink to the bottom of the river's bank. None of the three care where the key ends up, just as long as it gives them and Neville enough time to escape. Delilah can only hope that the man won't go diving for the boat's key, which is highly unlikely but still very possible.
"We need to get back to Neville." John B informs. "I think he's in trouble. The other guy's on the boat."
"J, do you still have the machete?" Delilah asks.
"Yeah, it's right here." JJ replies, holding it up for them both to see. "Why?"
"We may need to cut the rope to the anchor." Delilah tells him. "We need to get out of here, and that's the fastest way. We don't have time to stand around and pull a heavy ass anchor out of the water."
"Fine by me." JJ agrees.
Diving back into the water, they quickly swim back over to Neville's houseboat and climb up the ladder to see the two adults fighting. John B scrambles for the fallen gun, which lays discarded on the floor. But the man catches notice of this and harshly kicks the boy in the ribs, ignoring the groan of pain as he picks up the loaded weapon. The barrel of the gun is then pointed down at John B, his finger preparing to pull the trigger at any second. But Delilah also notices a shard of glass that he holds in his other hand from when he was fighting with Neville.
In a panic, Delilah grabs a frying pan from on top of the counter — which was the closest thing to her — and doesn't hesitate to smash it over the man's head. He turns upon impact and goes to shove Delilah, one of his hands brushing against her upper arm. But the sudden harshness of the action catches the man by surprise, sending him stumbling backwards as black spots begin to fill his vision. However, his foot makes contact with the edge of the boat, and he's unable to stop himself from toppling overboard. A large splash is both seen and heard as he's then submerged in the river's water.
"The anchor!" John B exclaims.
JJ pulls the handle of the machete out from between his teeth, which he had originally put there to 'safely' hold onto as they swam. Then, JJ brings the machete up above his head before swinging it down through the air and slicing the rope in one swift movement. This therefore frees the houseboat and allows Neville to immediately set off, sailing further along the river. He hardly looks back when the three teenagers come stumbling into the room to join him.
"Go!" John B urges.
"Are they following?" Neville asks.
"No." Delilah replies with a shake of her head. "We probably have awhile until they find us again."
"You owe me an anchor." Neville states.
"You're welcome." JJ counters, sarcasm dripping from his voice.
As Delilah glances back over her shoulder, she feels the adrenaline from the fighting begin to cease. The once energetic feeling is then replaced by a stinging sensation in her upper arm. This causes Delilah to glance down and see that she has a fresh cut on her skin, most likely from when the man tried to fight back while holding the broken piece of glass. Warm blood continues to leak out of the wound and slide down her arm. But before Delilah can do anything about it, JJ and John B catch sight of the wound too.
"Shit, Red." John B curses.
"Yeah, blood tends to be red." Delilah jokes, trying to make the situation more lighthearted.
"Do you have anything to help her?" JJ desperately asks the man.
"There should be a medical kit somewhere." Neville replies. "One of you boys will have to look. Unless you want to take over for me."
"I'll look, it's okay." John B replies.
While John B starts to rummage through the mess in search of anything that may help, JJ guides Delilah over to a counter so that she's able to sit down on top of it since there's no chairs. JJ then stands in front of her as he gently holds her injured arm in his hands, examining how deep the wound is — fortunately, she won't be needing any stitches, but it may take longer to heal. Neville then passes them an old bandana he has, allowing JJ to use it to press on the wound and stop the bleeding. Delilah scrunches her face up in pain at the mere action.
John B then comes rushing back into the room with a medical kit, placing it down onto the counter next to the redhead. He digs through the kit, finding some bandages and a wet medical pad that is used to clean injuries. John B rips the packaging open and passes the wipe over to JJ, who removes the bandana and carefully starts to clean the wound to avoid infection. Delilah hisses at the painful stinging sensation of the alcohol cleaning the cut, causing her hand to latch onto John B's hand as she leans her forehead against JJ's chest for comfort.
"I know. I'm sorry, angel." JJ softly apologises.
"Red, I sure hope that you don't need any stitches because none of us are qualified for that." John B tells her.
"I don't." Delilah assures through gritted teeth. "I wouldn't trust you to do that anyway."
Finishing with cleaning the wound, JJ puts the wipe to one side before grabbing ahold of the bandage. He carefully wraps it around Delilah's arm, making sure that it's tight enough to apply pressure to the wound but not too tight to make her uncomfortable. After it has been firmly secured in place, John B disposes of the used products and puts the kit back. Delilah only wraps her arms around JJ's middle as he strokes her ginger hair, feeling a kiss being planted on her head.
"Thank you." Delilah whispers.
"Anytime." JJ replies with a warm smile. "Well, I'd prefer that you're not hurt, but I will always be here to help you."
"Neville, can you answer our questions now?" John B asks as he enters the room again, pleading. "They have taken my dad there, and you're the only person who knows where it is. They are going to kill him if you don't help us."
"If they are going to find the gold, then they will die anyway. Unless they can pass the test, which they won't if they can't translate the idol." Neville finally speaks up. "You know the story?"
JJ shakes his head. "No."
"El Dorado was discovered by a Guajiro King. When it came time for him to slip his mortal coil and meet my greats on the astral plane, he wasn't going to just give the gold to his sons because it was the source of his power, so had to go to the wisest man. To ensure that this actually happened, he set up a test of the gnomon." Neville explains.
"So there's some kind of test now?" JJ comments.
"There's always a test." John B states.
"I hate tests." Delilah mumbles.
"Whoever passes the test gains access to the gold. If you fail the test, you die. If you somehow get to the gold without taking the test, then you die." Neville finishes.
"Great." JJ mutters, turning to the two standing next to him. "He's lying, right? There's no way that can actually happen, right?"
"Tell that to the crew of the San Jose and the Royal Merchant." Neville tells him.
"We don't want the gold." John B informs.
At the sound of this, Delilah and JJ snap their heads over to John B, almost giving themselves whiplash at how fast they move. But John B refuses to meet their gazes, already knowing that they both disagree with what he just said; he doesn't want to argue about it right now in front of Neville, especially when they're so close to getting the answers that they need.
"Well..." JJ trails off, awkwardly scratching the back of his neck. "About that..."
"Speak for yourself." Delilah adds, mumbling under her breath.
"I just want to save my dad." John B states.
Neville studies John B for a moment, trying to look for any sign that he's being lied to. Then, hesitantly, Neville steps away from the steering wheel while he silently motions for JJ to temporarily take control of the boat so that they can keep moving. As JJ moves to take his place, Neville grabs a pencil and a scrap piece of paper from a messy pile nearby, beginning to draw a map onto it.
"You must go to the port of Tres Rocas. From there, find passage from a river guide called Jose. He will take you up the Orinoco to El Tesoro. In the bush, you will find a site. It is there." Neville explains.
"I guess we're back in the G-game?" JJ questions.
"You need to make yourself pure of heart and pure of mind." Neville tells them.
"Pure of mind." JJ repeats with a light laugh while glancing over at his girlfriend. "Yeah, okay."
Delilah catches his eye, noticing the smirk playing on his lips as he continues to stare at her. The girl rolls her eyes before she playfully nudges his arm with her shoulder. JJ, however, catches sight of the smile that tugs on the corners of her soft lips, which causes him to then grin widely.
"You are there to save your father." Neville reminds, his eyes on the brunet. "The gold kills everyone."