3rd pov
The boys got back to the Routledge's house. There they were met by the other two of the gang.
''where the hell where you three? Me and Pope were starting to get worried'', Kie said to the trio. ''you won't believe it when we tell you Kiester'', JJ said.
She looked at the Maybank boy. ''tell us what?'', she asked this time looking at RJ. ''let's go in and talk. It's better if we sit'', John B spoke up. All nodded and went inside the house.
----
They told the two of how they were in Lana's Grubbs home, to the two men being there.
''first we were outside and noticed the door was open. Suddenly we heard crashing and noises. We got to hide before they could see us. Then when the coast was clear, we got inside and hid in the kitchen. Then there was like 'bam, bam, bam'. One of the men even threw paint brush out the window. Some of it came on us. Look at this'', the blonde boy said as he shook his head. Where some paint fell out.
''that's disgusting''. ''yeah no shit Kie''. ''alright thank you JJ for enlighten us and uhm giving us a sneak peek. Which we didn't ask for if I may add'', Pope spoke up.
''what about you guys. Are you two alright? I mean that must have been weird for you. Like mrs Grubbs saying that Scooter didn't have the compass, but it was in his boat after all'', Kie said looking at both Routledge brothers.
John B didn't say anything. He tried to avoid the others. RJ then spoke up. ''yeah uhm not sure what she meant tho, but I guess we won't know'', he said while looking out in the window.
''right, but like you guys saw the two men that was shooting at us. Did you like get anything from them. How they looked like, what they were wearing? Something we could tell the cops?'', Kie again asked.
''not much. One was like really build, like training. The other was more like uh shorter and small I think''. ''well, that's not really helpful tho'', Kie said sighing. ''yeah I know'', RJ said.
''at least we know they are killers. I mean they looked like square grouper. Plus, they were not afraid to get their hands dirty'', JJ added. ''you mean narco square grouper?'', Pope asked.
''uh like I don't know how to tell you man. Maybe like that. We didn't get a good look'', JJ said shrugging.
Kie sighed at the two. ''I just have to say not everything is like a king pin movie or whatever movie you guys may think it is. This is real life''. ''we know Kie'', John B answered her.
''what does square grouper look like then?''. ''you weren't there man'', JJ said scoffing at the boy. ''yeah no shit. If I was maybe I'd knew what to look for. Can't say the same to you JJ''.
JJ was about to stand up and go to Pope, but RJ saw it first and stopped it. He looked at JJ. ''don't think about it JJ'', he said in a harsh voice. ''fine'', was all he said and sat himself down again.
RJ turned around and looked at Pope. ''look Pope no offence but you weren't there, maybe if you were. Then you could have found out, but you weren't. We were. We didn't take pictures or something. We were scared ourselves man. We heard Lana's scream and we couldn't do anything, because they were armed. We found out those guys are serious. They are not joking around with this. I think this is way more than we thought, man'', RJ said looking at his friend.
Kie stood up and went to her best friend. She took her hand on his back and rocked back and forth. Comforting the boy.
''no offence RJ, John B. But why do they want the compass for? It's not worth anything. It's a piece of shit if you ask me. Even the pawn shopper would not want that'', he said looking at the brothers.
That's when RJ realized something. He looked at his brother who also had a thought in his mind. He looked up and was met by RJ's eyes. ''you thinking the same as me bro'', John B asked.
RJ looked at the door and noticed it was opened. He turned his gaze back to his brother. ''the office'', they said in union.
''that was creepy. The way you both said that at the same time, but what?'', JJ asked.
''yeah what JJ said. what?'', Pope asked them also. John B stood up from his seat. ''our dad's office. There must be something there''. ''what Johnny said. Our father always locked it because he was afraid that someone would break in and get the info he got by himself about the royal merchant research. Me and John B made fun of him because of that. He believed he would find it, me and Johnny laughed at him because he believed he'd find it but we didn't exactly. Now we haven't gone in there. Instead, we just left it as it was''.
''for in case he came back''. ''yes Kie''.
The other two boys got up from the couch. ''well, let's go and see''. They all nodded towards JJ and went to the office.
They opened up the door and went inside. Pope looked surprised. ''uhm I've slept over many times, and I have never seen this door unlocked''. ''that's because of how dad was'', RJ answered the boy.
RJ saw something that caught his eyes. He looked at his father's board. ''look guys. There it is. The original owner'', he said pointing at the board. Kie looked at it and read the name of the man that was up on the board. ''Robert Q Routledge. 1880 to 1920, and right there is the compass'', she said pointing at the picture.
The gang looked at it. ''well, after he bought that compass. He uhm got shot'', John B said enlightening the gang. ''yeah that's right and then the compass was shipped back to someone named Henry''. ''right and he got killed in an accident when he had the compass'', John B kept going. ''then the compass went to someone named Stephen. He had it all the way to Vietnam, then he died'', RJ said going.
JJ looked at the siblings. ''just guessing here, but he died in some sort of action as the others or something?''. ''well, not exactly but he got killed by a banana truck'', John B said. ''yeah and after that the compass was passed to dad'', RJ finished.
''uh not to freak out here, but that compass sounds it's cursed or some shit'', JJ said, ''agreeing with JJ on this one guys'', Pope agreed. ''get rid of it is my suggestion'', JJ said shrugging his shoulders.
''our dad told us that compartment in the compass. That you could hide secret notes or whatever to soldiers. Johnny give me a screw driver''. That the youngest Routledge brother did.
RJ began to screw open the bottom of the compass. Kie noticed something as did the others. ''what's that?'', she asked the boy.
Nothing was said. They just looked at the bottom of the compass and saw at the writing. ''it's dad's handwriting'', John B said looking at RJ. RJ looked at him too. ''it is, and that was not there before'', he said agreeing.
''how do you know?'', Pope asked. ''he has this thing with the r's that's how we know'', John B reassured the boy.
JJ snatched the compass and tried to read it. ''it says something about red... no rouk... no wait ret...''. Before he got to say something more. Kie took the compass from him and read what it stood. ''it says redfield, smarty pants''. JJ scoffed. ''pfft I knew that''.
''what's redfield exactly?'', she asked the Routledge boys. ''a common name perhaps'', Pope chipped in.
''we uh we don't know. Maybe there's a clue there. Maybe he's hiding and that's the clue'', John B said. ''maybe but how? Like if it's a clue is it an anagram or something?'', Pope said.
''yeah anagram, maybe. We need paper'', RJ answered. He looked and found it. He handed the paper to Pope who was trying to decipher it.
He began to get irritated at the noise. The noise of the Routledge's brother's rooster.
''I can't really concentrate with that rooster crowing. How could you?''. ''hey JJ loves the rooster'', John B said disappointed. ''I love that rooster'', Kie added. Pope rolled his eyes. ''whatever just let me think''.
''yeah then think Popeye. You're the smartest of us'', RJ said.
''let's see. Defield. No that's not it. Maybe colors. No that doesn't make sense. What about Ritalin? Or maybe dreidel? Fiddler? Hm what about defile. Does that mean something to you?''.
Kie looked at the boy then back at the paper. ''you're missing a letter''. He went back to the letter and tried figure it out.
John B heard a sound and looked at the gang. ''I think someone's here guys''.
To be continued