𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐬𝐨 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐥𝐲

eighty-two: Freedman's.

     

     AND SO the boys lifted up the lid of the coffin, John B and JJ, they set it down on top. They hammer down the lid, Pope brings over some flowers to set on top and then they set it back into the grave it was in.

When they finished burying her, JJ sets down the shovel. "I-I just don't get it. I mean, you guys saw the map." Pope said, stammering as he spoke. "He hides his gold so no one finds it for 170 years. And then he sends a message to his son, Robert to come here to his mother's grave, but the message never gets to him. And Denmark wanted him to find the cross. I know we're in the right spot. It just feels like--" "Like we missed something?" JJ said.

"Guys." They all look over at the boy standing by the van as he walked to the front, climbing on top. "There he goes." John B says as Kai climbs on top as well, grabbing JJ's hand that was extended out to him for help. "That looks like the painting in the island room." JJ says, pointing to the whole in the tree as he looks at Kai standing behind him. "Yeah..." Kai says softly and looked down at the other four.

"It's worth a shot, right?" JJ says as he looks at the hole. "Y-Yeah..." Kai nods and JJ backs away. "Do you want to?" He quickly spun around to look at his boyfriend who furrows his brows. "JJ Maybank... are you scared?" He raised an eyebrow at the blond boy.

"N-No! No, not at all..." He says and Kai crosses his arms. "Then do it. I went in a storm drain. You show your courage and bravery for once, J." He says and JJ nods. "Yeah, no, okay... I'm gonna do it." He turns back around.

Kai glanced at John B and the other three, all of them smiling slightly before looking back at JJ who's hesitating. "He's scared." Kie whispers as Kai smiled widely. "I-I'm not scared, dude." JJ says and Kai pats his back.

"It's okay. I'm right here, you can even hold my hand." He says, slipping his hand into JJ's free one as the other reached inside the tree. "There's something in there..." JJ says, his grip on Kai's hand getting tighter. "Wait." He said then started screaming, like something was pulling him in as they all started shouting over one another. Kai grabs onto his jacket, "JJ!" He shouted, sounding scared.

But then JJ's laughter stops the group's panic as they realize he had been joking around. "Oh, you asshole." Pope says as they let go of him and Kai sighed deeply. "Oh, man! I got all of you on that one." JJ says, amused as Kai crossed his arms. "It's not funny. You really suck." He says and JJ grins widely, side eyeing his boyfriend for a moment. Kai tells he has another joke up his sleeve but doesn't say it.

"Wait, but seriously, there's something in here." JJ said, taking out some sort of spyglass and Pope reached out. "Let me see." He says and JJ hands it over before jumping down with John B's help who then helps down Kai. "HMS Royal Merchant." Pope says as Kai reached out and jumped down. "Give it to the captain." JJ says, snatching it from his hands.

"Here we go. It's a spyglass." JJ extends it, looking inside as Kai just looks at it with a confused look. "There's something on the ends." Kie says, stepping closer. "An inscription right there. Look at that shit." John B says as he takes it from JJ's hands and then Pope takes it next, reading it. "Oh, what does it say?"

"You've come this far. Do not falter. The cross is on Freedman's altar." Pope read aloud to them. "Freedman's altar. The cross is at the church!" He said next before turning around to face the other five who all look around. "What are we doing here, guys?" JJ exclaimed. "Come on!" Pope says, closing the spyglass.

"We got it!" He looked at JJ who raised his hand. "Woogity-woogity!" They say excitedly before all of them rushed to get into the van. They rushed to the church, but this time when they reached the part where it was all muddy and wet, it was even more worse. "Oh, crap. The tide!" Pope exclaims as they got close.

"Oh, this doesn't look good."

"How deep is that?" Kie asked, also looking ahead. "I dunno. The road's gone." John B says before coming to a stop. "Tide rose faster than I thought it would." JJ says, glancing to John H. "Just a little bit." The other boy says. "Uh, John B, how high are the spark plugs?" The blond boy now asked their driver.

"They're good. We're fine."

"How high are they?"

"Oh, uh... Just above the taillight."

They all share looks. "Okay, so that's, what? Three feet?" Pope says, glancing at Kai then looking back at John B. "That's three feet. Yeah." Kai nods. "That water can't be three feet deep." Kie tells the boys. "So then what's the problem?" John B glanced back at them.

"Not a problem. No, we're good. We're good. She'll make it." JJ says, sounding confident as Kai glanced between the two boys in the front. "Yeah. Ladies and gentlemen, fasten your seat belts. Hold on to something. We're going into hyperdrive." John B says.

"I'm gonna say a quick prayer."

"Three, two, one."

And then the van was off, the group were shouting over one another as John B was speeding down the water-road when it slips off the track and towards the side. "Ah! Shit! Oh!" Sarah exclaimed. "No, no, no, no," John B repeatedly says. "I think we miscalculated." Pope says and Kai nods softly.

"You think?" He looks at Pope. "I knew I should have driven." JJ says softly before they all then got out. "Okay. Maybe we can walk from here." Pope looks at John B. "What? And leave the Twinkie?" He gestures to his van. "The... the tide's coming in." He added.

"So then what are we supposed to do?"

"Not stay here." JJ says and Kai looked around. "I can take my dad's truck." Kiara spoke up. "Kie, are you sure?" John B asked. "How much worse can it get, you know?" Kie looked over at them. "We're gonna need something to pull her out with. There's the winch at the Chateau. That's, like, two miles." JJ tells them.

"Yeah, that's a good idea."

"Hey, if you're gonna do it, let's go, okay?"

"Alright." Kie says and JJ grabs Kai's arm. "Come with us." He says and Kai looks at him. "Tide's coming in. Twinkie's going underwater." John B says and Kai furrows his brows. "Why would I go with you guys?" He says and JJ glanced around. "There are gators. I don't want you to be eaten by one." He whispered quietly and Kai sighs. "Okay... let's go." He agrees.

"Double time, guys. We gotta move."

AUTHORS NOTE
i'm kinda living for kie, kai and jj trio