Gold Digger// JJ Maybank- OBX

forty five

"GUYS, THIS is from Denmark Tanny's diary." Pope told the Pogues as he stood before them on the porch. The others had taken to sitting on the various chairs scattered around the porch. Scarlett lay atop JJ on the couch, her fingers playing with his shark tooth necklace as she listened to Pope read out one of the extracts he had photocopied from the diary. "'August 15th, set sail from Port-au-Prince on calm seas. Came upon the Spanish ship San Jose on fire. The entire deck was aflame. And we could hear the screams of men trapped below. The Spanish captain cared about only one thing, his valuable cargo, the Cross of Santo Domingo and countless bars of gold.'" He paused, looking to the Pogues whose eyes were locked on him as he continued to read out the diary entry. "'Once the cargo was on board, we went to help the crew, but Captain Limbrey ordered us to pull bayonets and not to let any of the Spanish crew on board. He robbed them and left them to die.'"

"Holy crap." Scarlett breathed, watching as Pope handed the entry he had been reading to John B before sitting on one of the chairs next to him.

"So it didn't go down off Bermuda." JJ mused. In one hand he was flicking the lighter lid on and off while his other hand gently played with Scarlett's hair.

"And it was a Limbrey stealing shit again." Kiara pointed out, rolling her eyes.

"Should've known." Scarlett muttered, shifting slightly so she could wrap her arms loosely around JJ's neck.

Pope nodded. "This diary proves that both the gold and the cross of Santo Domingo were on the Royal Merchant."

"Why didn't we find it in the well then?" JJ wondered aloud. He sat up straighter, wrapping an arm around Scarlett so she wouldn't slip off his lap. "I mean, if Denmark was able to get this, like, bedazzled cross off of the Merchant to shore, why didn't he just hide it with the gold?"

John B held a finger out towards the blonde boy as his mind raced with a possible answer. "Because it was too big."

"You're right." Pope nodded. "He had to hide it someplace else."

"Then where?" Scarlett asked. She shifted her body again so she was more comfortable. She climbed across JJ until she was sat on the arm of the sofa, allowing JJ to lean back against her legs.

Pope looked over to her before turning his gaze to the rest of the group. "Right before he was hung, Denmark said he'd buried the treasure at the foot of the angel."

"Wait, I thought this was about the key." JJ said.

Kiara nodded, looking down at the paper she was holding. "Right. So what's the connection?"

"'The path to the tomb begins in the island room.'" Pope repeated the words in-scripted on the key he had found.

"But what is the island room?" Kiara stressed, leaning her head against the back of her chair.

JJ sat up suddenly, spinning his body around so he was no longer leaning against Scarlett's legs. "You know what helps me figure shit out?"

"Oh boy. Here we go." John B sighed, watching as JJ stood up from the couch and walked over to the other Pogues.

"Smoking beers and drinking weed." JJ answered. "The ideas just pour out of me. If we just sit here and try to figure this out, we're gonna get nowhere."

Scarlett nodded. "JJ's right. We're never gonna get anywhere just sitting around thinking."

JJ hummed in agreement. "But if we get creative and go to this bonfire tonight, maybe we get somewhere."

Kiara shrugged. "Well, I just got disowned by my parents, and I'm an official member of the I-have-nothing-to-lose club."

"Same here." Scarlett smiled sarcastically. "Absolutely parent-free."