Skyla and JJ walked side by side to the Cháteau. Skyla took a seat next to Kie as she played the bongos "lovin' the music Kie" Skyla laughed "well thank you it's one of my hidden talents." The girls laughed as John B walked towards them.
"Look, I'm callin' it off. All right? Peterkin said, if I stay out of the marsh, she'll help me with DCS." "And you believed her?" "Yes, I believed her, JJ." "An actual cop, John B. You believed a cop." "I'm sorry JB but I gotta go with JJ on this one. She's a cop, how is she gonna help you?" Skyla sighed waiting for a response.
"You wouldn't understand Sky. I need all the help I can get. And if it's trusting Peterkin then so be it." JJ threw a rocks out as John B continued "all I gotta do is stay out of the marsh for a couple days, and she'll help me out. It doesn't help that your ass was the one shooting a gun."
Skyla stood up to say something but Kie grabbed her arm shaking her head no not wanting her to get in the middle of it. "You know what I should have done? Just let Topper drown your ass." "Yeah cause Topper was gonna drown me?" "Sure looked like it."
"Funny." "Have you looked in the mirror?" "Tell me some more. Come on." "They always win, don't they, man?" JJ walked up placing his arm up to lean on something. "Kooks versus Pogues. They always, always win! Goddamn!"
Skyla stood up walking over to JJ "look, it's okay!" Kie said trying to calm the two boys down. "JJ it's okay" Skyla placed her hand on his arm trying to calm him down. He shrugged her hand off turning around to her and Kie. "No, it's not okay!" He yelled.
Skyla went and stood next to where Kie was sitting slightly annoyed with JJ's outburst, but knowing where he was coming from. "It is not! They don't want us to go down into the marsh. That means there's something valuable down there, and you know it." JJ pointed at John B "I know you do. And I understand why you don't wanna go. You're the golden boy. You got way too much to risk. And you. I mean, you're already rich as fuck anyway. Why would you bother? But you, Sky and me, man, we got nothin' to lose! We really don't, all right?"
"JJ" "and I know it didn't use to be that way for you." "I don't want to talk about this. I don't want to talk about it." John B pushed past JJ "so that's it?" "Just get out of my way, bro." As JJ tried to convince John B to go Kie and Pope turned towards Skyla.
"Okay what's going on?" Skyla have them a confused look not knowing what they were talking about "what do you mean what's going on?" Skyla questioned. "Don't give me that innocent shit. You and JJ." Pope smiled at the girl "um nothing" Skyla smiled looking down fiddling with her fingers.
"Okay you may be able to fool John B but you can't fool me and Kie." "Oh my God, okay we kissed!" Skyla blurred out. "No fucking way!" Excitingly Kie hugs Skyla "but please don't say anything I told JJ that I didn't want anyone to know just yet." "Secrets safe with us." Pope promised.
•••
"This is empty. You took empty tanks?" Kie and Skyla checked the tanks "okay this ones a quarter full. It's enough for one of us." Skyla said setting the tank down. "Love it when a plan comes together." "Does anybody know how to dive?" Skyla looked around before raising her hand. "It's kind of a Kook sport." "Are y'all just gonna ignore me or?" Skyla raised her hand higher "yeah we are because you're not going." JJ flat out said "and why is that?" "You're just not going got it?" Skyla put her hand down in defeat.
"I read about it." "Great, Pope read about it, so someone's gonna die." "Look, y-you put the thing in your mouth and breathe. How hard could it be?" "It's not that simple JJ. If you come up too fast, nitrogen gets into your blood, and you get the bends." Skyla pointed out. "Bends like, bend over and." JJ bent down but stoped once he heard what Pope said. "The bends kill you." "Right."
"Like i said I can do it, I know how!" Skyla said standing up taking her shirt off. "As much as I'd like to see you with your shirt off no. Put that back on." JJ pulled Skylas shirt down. "I can- I can dive." "You can dive. I'm cool with that." "Since when can you dive?" Kie questioned.
"I'll do it. It's fine." "Now how come he gets to but I can't?" Skyla asked annoyed "because you could get hurt." Skyla have him a look "and we don't want you getting hurt now do we guys?" JJ finished. "Let me do some calculations real quick. That boat's about thirty feet down. So it'll take 25 minutes at that depth."
"Which means you need to make your safety stop-" Pope was interrupted by Skyla diving in the water "what- what was that?" John B asked "I don't know but I liked it." JJ smirked. Skyla came up "I tied my shirt about ten feet down there" Skyla swam to the boat getting on "THATS where you should do your safety stop for about two minutes." "What she said" Pope pointed at Skyla.
John B put the vest on "Zen. Think Zen, you know?" "Yeah. Got it." "Hey, if we get caught in the marsh, we're basically screwed, so better get a move on." "Copy that." Kie walked up to John B placing a kiss on his cheek. Skyla smiled at the two and JJ turned toward Skyla making a kiss face and pointing to his cheek. Skyla playfully pushed him away watching John B jump in the water.
"Shit. JJ" "oh my god. We are so screwed." Skyla started to freak out JJ places his hand in hers trying to calm her down a bit. "Guys, that's the police." "No shit Sherlock" JJ gave Skyla a look "sorry." "Just act frickin' normal."
"Evening, officers." "Evening." Pope stood up grabbing the rope from them. "JJ, tie this off." Pope handed the rope to JJ and Skyla took a seat next to Kie. "How you kids doing? You know the marsh is closed?" "Oh, no. We didn't hear that" Skyla said trying to act as normal as possible. "Why-why is it closed?" "Well, we're conducting a search out here. Boat went down." "Seen anything?"
Skyla shook her head no "no, no boats here." "Where's your friend you always hang with? He here?" "He's working." Kie smiled. "Mind if I check your little boat out." "Yeah, hop aboard." "You got another one?" "Yeah it's under here" Skyla and Kie got up from where they were sitting. Skyla opened the hold showing the officer. Officer Shoupe walked toward the end of the boat looking in the water.
"All right." "You let us know if you see anything on your way out." "Will do." They watched as the officers left and Skyla let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. They all went to the end of the boat waiting for John B to pop up "he's definitely out of air." John B came up as Pope finished his sentence scaring Skyla and Kie half to death.
"There he is!" "Oh, God! Jesus Christ!" "You almost gave me a heart attack JB." "How'd it go down there? Did you find anything?" "Did I find anything?" "Yeah, there we go! That's my boy!" John B threw a bag on the boat before climbing up. "You scared the shit out of me." "Yeah, the cops were up here, by, uh... took care of 'em."
"Yeah, you kinda missed the show, brother. I thought Sky was gonna shit herself when Pope said the cops were here." Skyla slapped JJ's arm "no i was not." "Hey, guys? Guys, bogey, two o'clock." They all turned to see what Kie was talking about "do you recognize that boat?" "Never seen it." "Me either we probably should get a move on it." Skyla said. "I'll get the bowline" Skyla walked towards the front of the boat to get the bowline "I'll help you" JJ made his way over to Skyla helping her pull it up.
"Should we wait on 'em?" "Hell no, we don't know who they are" Skyla yelled. "No, we're not gonna wait on 'em. Go get the stern. Go!" John B ordered Pope. "Are you joking? JJ, Sky hurry up."
"Guy, don't wait for us. Go" JJ yelled at John B as him and Skyla pulled the bowline. "You know I could've done this myself." Skyla said in a whisper "yeah I know but it just gave me an excuse to be this close to you." Skyla blushed helping JJ pull the bowline up. "I don't like this." John B said still watching the boat.
"Are they coming for us?" "Maybe they're fishing." "Pope do you really think they're fishing? They are literally coming at us." Skyla said in a panic. "Go into the marsh." Pope yelled at John B. "Hey, guys, they're following us." "This cant be good." "Holy shit we are going to die. I'm going to die." "Sky calm down no one is going to die." Pope tried to calm Skyla down.
"Holy shit" Kie screamed as a billet zoomed past them. JJ grabbed Skyla by the waist pulling her down under him. "Hey, it's going to be okay. Alright? Nothing is going to happen to you, you're safe with me." JJ whispered in Skyla's ear trying to calm her down. "John B get down" JJ yelled at his best friend. Another shot rang making Skyla jump and JJ pulled her closer kissing her forehead.
"Just close your eyes okay?" Skyla nodded doing what JJ said, he kept his arm wrapped around her waist. "Shit, Pope move." Skyla heard Kie say as she grabbed something and crawled to the end of the boat. "Get down Kie." John B yelled not wanting her to get shot. Kie threw something in the water making the other boat stop.
JJ got up helping Skyla up "you okay?" Skyla modded her head hugging JJ. "Whew!" JJ yelled making Skyla giggle. "That was insane." "Yeah it was. Whatever you did Kie thanks." Skyla smiled hugging Kie.
The boat came to a stop and Pope got out tying the boat off. JJ held out his hand toward Skyla helping her onto the dock. "What do you guys think it is?" "I hope it's money!" Skyla said with a smile "gotta be money, right?" John B said opening the bag "that it a couple of keys with street value to the low - to mid - mills!"
"Can we please just open the bag?" "Damn Pope" "wow, Pope." "I've never seen you this anxious before." Skyla laughed looking at her best friend. "That's a rare outburst of emotion." "Okay. You guys are literally killing me with anticipation." "Yeah same here" Skyla popped in laughing.
"We almost died over this." They all stared at what John B was opening in amaze "a compass you got to be kidding me we were almost killed over a fucking compass?" Skyla questioned. "Oh, wow. Yup. That's about right. Good job, everybody. We found a compass." "Dude, what? It's not worth anything."
"This was my father's."