Halle's POV
I looked over my should as I saw Nate flipping through the pages of the worn out book Dad gave him a while ago in awe of the information and drawings it contained.
"Wow, the captain's journal, that's amazing." I commented as I peeked over his shoulder.
"There's some crazy shit in there." I also noticed that the words written in the book were ancient.
"It's unbelievable, it totally confirms the legend." Nate says as he ran his mouth. "Magellan did find tons of gold in the Philippines. They hid the gold in Barcelona, then told the Moncada's that the trip was a bust."
"I have a question?" I asked him as I looked at the book.
"What's that?" He asked.
"How the hell can you read that. I can barely read my writing." I commented as Nate chuckled a little as I whacked his head for being a smart ass.
"Will you stop doing that?"
"No, smart ass." I say to him as I flipped through the pages of the book.
"Yeah, here the captain wrote 'the path begins in Barcelona where the keys turn into pine." He says as there's a sketch of a pine three. "Here." He took the book and gestured to the pine. "So we're looking for a tree."
"Really?" Dad asked sarcastically. "Wow, that's your expert analysis?"
"You really gave him the book an hour ago, you should've given it to him beforehand." I argued.
"We were a little preoccupied with something." Dad argued back. "I mean I got that far on my own. I've seen the picture of the tree. Where's the gold? Is it under the three? Is it in the tree?"
"I don't know, it could be." Nate shrugged.
"Look out the window." Dad motioned his head to the window. "There's a lot of trees in Barcelona."
I looked out the window and saw the beautiful landscape of Barcelona. When the plane landed the first thing I did was find a bathroom.
What? I don't like airplane bathrooms! It's a death trap.
When I came back Dad was talking about his friend as I wasn't paying attention as I pocketed someone but he didn't notice in the first place.
Idiot.
I'm guessing his friend is walking towards them. She had short hair, wore a mini red dress with a black leather jacket and black boots. That's honestly something that I'd wear.
"Hey, Chlo!" Dad greeted enthusiastically.
"Don't do that, she doesn't like you." I commented as she ignored his greeting.
"I like you but not him." She said as Dad gave me a 'really' look, and I cheekily grinned.
"I'm Nate." Nate says introducing himself, trying to give her a handshake but she didn't shake his hand. "A friend of Sully's."
"Sully doesn't have any friends. I should know, I'm one of them." She says with a fake smile.
"Ain't that the truth." I say as I knew that Nate was going to thump me as I grabbed his hand before it even touched my head as I twisted it, causing him pain.
"What the hell?!" He exclaimed.
"That's not true, people love me." He says offended. "..and what's with the spy games? Why couldn't we meet at the house?"
"I don't love you." I commented saying what Papa calls the 'peanut gallery'.
"I was making sure you weren't followed."
"C'mon, you don't think I can spot a tail?"
"Mate, I've been on you since the airport."
"Really? All the way from the airport."
"That's not creepy at all. Nowadays, that would be stalking. It's illegal." I commented as I should shut up before either Dad and or Nate thump me.
"Look, it doesn't matter. Why are they here?" She asked.
"Why am I--why are we---why are you here?" Nate stammered, as I grinned but didn't say anything.
"Clearly, you didn't tell them." Chloe says as I scoffed.
"Not surprised, he doesn't tell me anything." I commented as I didn't realize that after I said that Nate put his hand over my mouth, making me shut up. I got the message and kept my mouth shut.
"She has the other cross?" Dad informed last minute. "Did I not mention that?"
Nate shook his head as he kept his hand over my mouth, as my tongue poked his hand, but I'm guessing that he didn't notice it, so I licked it. I glanced at him and he looked at me with a glare, as I batted my eyes at him like a sweet innocent girl I was.
"Are you sure? We're gonna be a team on this thing. That's the way it's happening. So get used to it."
"No we're not." Chloe turned to me and Nate. "Look, word on the unwise, everything out of this one's mouth is an exaggeration, a half truth or an outright lie."
"Noted."
"You know what? That's not true." He feigned being innocent. It was too late to do that now that I've seen his true colors back at the auction.
"See you Sully." She took off.
"C'mon, Chlo...she'll come back...she has to...I don't think she's coming back."
"She's not coming back, dumbass." I commented not feeling sorry for it.
"Where's the cross." Dad asked as I plopped myself on the ledge behind us.
"Check your bag. Do it. Now!" He rummaged through the bag finding no key. I tried not to laugh.
"Before any of you two question, I do not have the key." I commented to them, making them ignore me.
"You let her take the cross? You let her take the cross. You better get that cross back!" Dad exclaims as I hopped down from the platform that I was sitting on.
What? It was comfy. I suppose that it's over being comfy.
Nate made Dad hold his backpack as Chloe began to run with Nate following behind him.
"Rookie mistake, Nathan." I say running after him as he's going to be the death of me.
Nate chased her through rooftops with me following behind closely. I ran to the opposite direction to corner her, but my strategy didn't work as next thing I knew was that my body knocked against Nate and Dad's.
"Could you run any slower?!" Nate exclaimed as Dad turned to me knowing that I'd say a smart ass comment.
"Don't, even." He says pointing a finger at me, before turning back to Nate. "I'm an old man who likes being in bed before eleven."
I kept running and running until I was literally chasing her through a fountain. Nate almost caught her but he slipped and fell, and I jumped in the water.
She was already in her car starting the engine so me and Nate hurried out of the water. Nate placed himself on top of the car.
"Listen! You don't know where you're going with them keys!" He exclaimed. "Look! You're looking for a tree right?"
"Piss off!" She yelled as she pushed the gas pedal, trying to drive away.
"Listen to me! The eighteen were willing to wait years to go back for the gold. They wouldn't have picked a tree as a marker, they would have picked something permanent." Nate explained to Chloe.
"You're full of shit."
"Hey!" I heard Dad say. "She knows where to use the keys then she doesn't need us, right?"
I stopped looking at Chloe and Nate and looked a my father, as I gave him a blinking look. He using his brain for once.
Not bad.
I don't use mine at all.
"Okay. Be my guest. Get outta here."
"Alright, guys, let's find the treasure ourselves."
Me and Nate were playing along with the new plan.
"Thank you." She drove away then hit the brakes. She closed her eyes sighing heavily, as I grinned.
"Now start praying, fold your hands together, and you're all set." I commented as Nate gave me a look.
We looked at each other knowing that she was having second thoughts. "If it's not a tree, what is it?"
"At the auction house, Moncada called it an 'alter crucifix'. I didn't think about it then, but it means that the cross was originally made to stand on an alter..."
"So we're looking for a church?" I resolved as Nate snapped his fingers in my direction.
"Correct."
"Which church?" Me, Dad and Nate ask in unison.
"God you guys never stop, do you? If we wanna get the gold, we have to figure out a way to trust each other, so give me the key."
There was no way I'm trusting Dad with the key.
Chloe complied, giving the key to Nate who had a smug grin on his face.
"What church?"
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Have I said how much I love Halle and Nate?
Because I do.