We parked the boat at the Marina and soon we saw someone who looked like JJ then me and Kiara came out from hiding. "JJ?" Kiara blurted out before I could and he looked at both of us.
"JJ."
Kiara ran into his arms and I watched as they hugged, my heart sank, it was like I was invisible.
"I'm so glad you're safe." He mumbled.
"Liv!" Sarah ran over to me pulling me into a hug and soon John B, Pope, and Cleo ran over to us then started hugging me "Liv, you're okay." John B said and i teared up "I thought I'd never see you guys again, I was so worried." I cried and pulled away, JJ turned to me and smiled "Hi." "Hi." I muttered hesitated to hug him but he pulled me into a tight hug.
"We thought you were dead." Pope said and I pulled away from JJ wiping my tears away "I uh- I really was worried about you two." JJ said and I nodded. "Yeah, me too." I mumbled then JJ stepped away and looked at the boat.
"Are you kidding me? Kie..."
"Is this you guys?"
"What... what is..."
The others were surprised with the boat that Rafe had and I smirked "You wouldn't believe it if we told you. Come on." Kie said looking at me then back to the others. "Where'd you get this?" Pope asked and I looked at John B.
"Holy shit."
"I know, right?" I muttered, we walked toward the boat but I looked at John B who was looking distraught "You okay?" I asked and he nodded "You hear that bell right?" He asked and I listened and it sounded familiar "Yeah, why?" "Remember the bells that my dad would bring us back in whenever we needed to go back inside?" He asked and I nodded.
"That's the same ding he'd ring." He told me and i frowned.
"John B, Liv, let's go!" Kie's yelled and I sighed "Look, we need to get going. Maybe it's just a coincidence." I said and he nodded then walked onto the boat.
I helped JJ and Kiara untie the boat and I was struggling to keep my eyes open, I was so tired from not being able to sleep on the island and after being kidnapped.
"Yeah, so I have just a couple of questions." "Go ahead." Kie laughed and JJ smirked "A Lagoon with twin Volvos. You understand we can go anywhere with this thing, right?" JJ said and I rolled my eyes "I know, kind of a piece of shit." Kie told him and I sighed.
"Way to be discreet, by the way. What did they want anyway? They didn't hurt you guys, did they?" JJ asked looking at Kie and then me.
"No. No, I'm- we're good. It just... I mean, you're not gonna guess what Singh wanted from us... Denmark's Diary." JJ frowned.
"Why?"
"We don't know. Said it leads to a treasure that's a lot bigger than the Merchant." I told him and he climbed onto the boat.
"You're saying there's a bigger treasure?" He asked and Kie nodded "Then, sign me up." He said walking past us and Kie laughed following him.
I looked at the ground and when I looked up I saw Pope looking at us which my guess he overheard our conversation and was thinking about Kie.
He gave me a small smile and I shrugged then went around the boat then I remembered I Rafe gave me his jacket so I slipped it on.
His cologne was still strong.
"So you're not going to believe who was with Singh." I muttered looking at Pope and he frowned "My fa- Nathan... he's with Singh not Ward." I told him and JJ came up. "Did he hurt you?" He asked and i gently touched my neck "He admitted in killing my dad and grandfather." I said and John B stopped what he was doing and frowned. "It was Nathan?" He questioned and I nodded "He admitted it." I told him and he pulled me into a hug.
Everyone went back to their own preparations and soon enough John B jumped off the boat "Hey! John B! What are you doing?" "I'll be right back!" John B yelled and Pope frowned "What are... What?" Pope yelled and John B ran off. "Be right back! I love you, Sarah!" John B yelled and he was gone.
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"I can't believe he just took off." Pope said as we sat waiting for John B but I saw a bunch of Singhs guards on ATV's and keep coming into the marina. "Guys, incoming!" I yelled and they all turned to look "No, no, no. That's Singh's men!"
"Where's John B?"
"He said he'd be back by now." Pope yelled and
"Well, he's not! JJ, what are we gonna do?"
"We gotta make a stand. That's what
we gotta do. That's the only option." JJ said pulling out a gun and i frowned "What?" "Kiara, we're not splitting up again!" JJ yelled and I shook my head. "Guys, y'all didn't see what I saw! He killed Portis! We can't stay here!" Kiara yelled and JJ glared at her. "We're not leaving John B!" "No Pogue left behind!" Him and Pope said and Sarah looked at them. "They're getting closer!" I yelled and I sighed "Damn it!" "We're not splitting up again!" JJ yelled and looked at me. "We don't have a choice anymore!" I told him and Sarah went to the controls as they started shooting at us. "Go." I yelled to her and JJ grabbed my arm "John B! We need to get John B!" He yelled and I held him back "We'll find John B later!" Kie yelled and Sarah started the boat and began driving out of the marina.
"We can't just leave him like that!" "JJ, get down!" I tried my best to make sure he didn't get shot. They stopped shooting as we were out of reach and I sighed in relief.
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We got farther out and Sarah stopped the boat "So this is what we're doing, huh? We're just sailing out. We're just gonna forget about John B?" JJ said and I couldn't even look at him, I was mad at the world right now.
"We should never have left him. We're turning back." "No! We're all gonna get caught. What type of plan is that?" Cleo yelled and I nodded "It's a plan to stick together, Cleo." "Then we are dead together."
"She's right. We had to leave, or we'd all be zip-tied in the back of a pickup. We did the right thing." Kie said and I looked to Sarah.
The phone in Kie's pocket started ringing and we all looked at her "Who's that?" "It's Portis." She said and i frowned "Portis? But he died?" "Portis? That's John B. That's definitely John B. Hold on." He said and he answered it.
"Yo! Dude! Is this you?" "Speaker. Speaker."
"What... Do you need us to turn around?" "No, don't worry about it." I made out what John B said and i frowned.
"Yo, say it again. Say it again." "I said
don't worry about me, okay?" John B was going in and out and JJ looked at me "We do not copy. Can you..." "Let me talk to him." Sarah said taking the phone and I stood up next to her as JJ took the wheel.
"John B? Are you okay?" "Sarah..." John B's voice was choppy and staticky.
"Yes. I'm fine. Everything's good. Listen."
"He's fine. Thank God. What happened?" Sarah questioned pacing back and forth.
"I... found... dad... alive." I heard John B say and i frowned "Wait. What'd you say?" I asked taking the phone. "John B?" "Liv..." John went in and out and I sighed "I... I can't hear you. Hello? John B?" I muttered.
"Get out... there... meet you... Kildare..." John B told us and Sarah turned to me and Sarah took the phone.
"Kildare, when?" Sarah asked and the line went staticky "John B! No, no, no. John B!" Sarah yelled and frowned like looking at the others.
"Kildare. What the hell?" "You guys think he found his father?" Cleo asked and Pope sighed "He's been missing for almost a year." Pope said and I sat next to him and held my head in my hands.
"Sarah, Liv, what do you think? Should we go back?" Kiara asked and I shook my head "I- I don't know. Sarah?" I asked looking up and JJ frowned.
"Sarah... We're sitting ducks. We need to make a decision. Are we turning back around, or are we gonna keep going?" JJ asked and Sarah closed her eyes for a second.
"Sarah, come on! Sarah, we need to make a decision!" "He said go!" Sarah said looking at me and she and I could tell this was hard for both of us. "Go." She told JJ and he sighed "Hold on, listen." "She said go." I told him and he looked down at me. "Liv..." "Go, JJ!" I yelled and held my head in my hands again.
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"Mrs. Lana said he wasn't dead when Ward dropped him. We knew he wasn't dead, we felt it." I whispered and Pope nudged my side "Hey, you good?" He asked and I sighed straightening up and looking at him.
"I will be when we get home... my siblings are still there. Nathan lied just to keep me there. He even made up this whole apology for coming home drunk and assaulting my mother and me." I told him and he patted my back. "Well, at least you know you're siblings are safe. And you're fa- and Nathan won't be able to harm them or you ever again because we all will protect you." Pope said and i smiled "Thanks Pope. Uh I think I'm gonna lie down and nap." I told him and he nodded.