𝐆𝐎𝐋𝐃𝐄𝐍 𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆 ✓ | 𝙣𝙖𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙣 𝙙𝙧𝙖𝙠𝙚

𝟎𝟐 | 𝐑𝐄𝐉𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐑𝐄𝐉𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐄𝐃

"We were strangers for exactly 47 minutes and 12 seconds!"

Walking the slight pavement, you are currently seven meters away from him as you followed him from the bar, you had your hood on so he wouldn't notice you from behind. To your surprise, he bumped into a security guard, and to your mental bet, he did steal something from him. Devious, for just a bartender. "Hey! Hey!" The guard yelped in surprise, "whoa-" Nate yelped and stumbled backward. "Get your head out of your ass," the guard groaned, "so sorry. I didn't see you," Nate faked apologizing.

From the corner of your eyes, you can see him dangling the keys he stole from the guard, you can only wonder what he needed them for. Nate arrived at a penthouse, or rather a fancy apartment building, while you were trailing him from corner to corner. He used the stolen keys as the locks clicked, and you slipped a bottle cap on the bottom of the door frame, preventing it from closing. As he went inside the dark room, you turned off the lights from the hallway and slipped yourself inside so no light could enter the room. Who had the genius idea to put a light switch in public hallways?

Hiding behind a sofa, you saw Nate looking at a familiar portrait on a wall. The first world map, the both of you thought silently. Suddenly, the light switch clicks as Sully enters the room, "Hey I see patience ain't your virtue," he chuckled at Nate's face. "Surprised to see me?" Nate slightly growled back, "not even slightly, I made a drink" Sully shook his head and pointed at the red-colored drink. You remember Sullivan being the cocky bastard he is, the both of you met together in several authentic auctions from time to time, only to discuss history artifacts and museum events.

"Shirley Temple. That's hilarious, the bracelet?" Nate dryly chuckled, "it's in the first drawer there on my desk if you want it." Nate didn't spare any moment and he walked up to his desk for the bracelet he was going to return to you because he felt bad for stealing it. "But I think you're here 'cause you got bigger fish to fry," Sully thought out loud. "Nah, I'm here for her bracelet," Nate answered and set his backpack on his work desk.

"And we seem to have another guest," Sullivan spoke, waving in your direction and you groaned that you had been spotted. "Guilty as charged, Sullivan" you stood up and raised your hand just like you were getting arrested by a cop. "For the millionth time, it's just Sully," he tried correcting you. "Just like that blue furry from monster inc? I'd rather stick with Sullivan," you joked in all honesty, you can see his eye twitch just a tad bit.

"You," Nate screamed and jumped in surprise, "hey thief, I suppose you have received my note, no?" You greeted that dashing brunette, as he shuddered a bit. "Oh- I umm, I didn't- really- I was going to return it to you, swear on it!" he stuttered as his back was pressed on the desk's cabinet. His cold attitude towards Sullivan just vanished, like that. "Relax mate, I'm not going to kill you or anything. At least not that drastic," you joked, patting his tensed shoulder, and strolled your way to the desk.

You took a minute pause on the map and continued walking, as he began to sweatdrop. "Ah.. yeah, awesome. Great." Nate opened his backpack, he took the bracelet from the drawer. "I believe this belongs to you?" He handed your bracelet, "thanks man, appreciate it." You smiled at him and glared at Sullivan, he avoided looking in your direction and whistled playfully. "We're good?" he whispered at you so Sullivan won't hear him, "we're good." "Yall done?" Sullivan questioned, faking his annoyance.

"Ohh, this looks valuable, don't you think so?" Nate oohed, "the carved jade does cost a good fortune," you played along with him. He took the jade Buddhist lion, and shoved it inside his bag, "now we're done," Nate quaked and zipped his bag. "Shall we get the hell out of here?" He asked, "we shall," then took his hand and shook it. "Wait. Why the map?" His question made both of you stop in your tracks. "Of everything in here, that stopped you," Sullivan interrogated. "Because it looks like it might be authentic," Nate half-assed answered, "oh not might be. It is," Sullivan emphasized. "Holy shit! This line here shows the path that Ferdinand Magellan took to sail around the world," Nate chirped as his finger traced along the black line.

"First guy to do it. You know your history," Sullivan praised. "Only he wasn't the first guy to do it, Magellan died in the Philippines on a random beach somewhere. It was his captain, Juan Sebastian Elcano, who finished the trip with seventeen others," Nate added. "Or also known as the infamous eighteen. Certainly, his legend about his voyage wasn't about exploration, right?" You pondered. "It was for gold but it's just a story," Nate shook his head in disappointment. "No. I beg to differ," Sullivan augmented. He showed a book page with parts of the ships, and pictures filled with detailed explanations.

"These trips were hugely expensive back then, and the King of Spain couldn't afford them.  There wasn't gonna be any trip until a private financier stepped in," Sullivan explained. "House of Moncada," you and Nate said in unison. "Yep," Sullivan responded and dropped a book titled 'An 800-Year Dynasty The House of Moncada'. "Bankrolled the Crusades, the Inquisition, Franco's fascists in the '30s, and just about every horrible thing you can think of. Nate shifted the book a bit to your side so you two can read them, he flipped the page with two men in expensive suits, and both of them had a sour looks on their faces.

"They offered Magellan his grand voyage of exploration, as long as he came back with that gold," Sullivan continued. "How much gold?" Nate wondered, "today's dollars, whew, 5 billion easy," Sullivan answered cockily. "It's the biggest treasure that's never been found. I've been dreaming about this since I was a kid, but somehow you already knew that" Nate tilted his head to Sullivan, glaring at him suspiciously.

"I didn't know you'd be here so easily. When Sam said he had a little brother and his girl best friend, just as into this Magellan stuff, I thought, there's no way," Sullivan trailed off. Your mind was hazed with pure confusion and happiness. Questions filled your mind as the world had just put you and your childhood friend together at this moment. You know it's him, and he knows you're here. "You knew my brother Sam? And Y/n-" Nate was baffled and turned to look at you, only to make eye contact with each other.

"Oh, we were practically friends. That's saying something, considering the company I keep. Look," Sullivan showed a picture of him and Sam together on his phone. "Look at him, he has a beard," Nate chuckled. "And that damn contagious smile too," you whispered, yet it still was heard by Nate.  "Where is he? When was this taken?" Nate went on with a slight glimmer in his eyes. "Almost two years ago, San Sebastian, Spain. We were getting close to Elcano's tomb, where Sam was sure we'd find his journal and in it the location of that gold. Then he disappeared, didn't call, didn't answer my texts, emails, nothing. Practically ghosted me " Sullivan exclaimed, with a slightly sad tone.

Nate sighed and turned to you, "yeah that sounds like my brother. You can ask her", Nate turned his back with great disappointment. "Oh, so he hasn't been in touch for yall?" Sullivan scrunched up his nose. "Sam? No." Nate shook his head and picked up his backpack, "Me neither," You sighed. "Not even a postcard?" He asked, "not a postcard, phone call, text message, email, nothing," Nate answered sorrowfully. "Look, I don't know what happened, but I think if we find that gold-" you cut him off.

"Hold up Sullivan. Is this another plan to get your selfish ass rich, then leave us like dust  if something went south?" You taunted him. "-there's a real good chance we find him too, what do you say?" He looked at you and Nate with begging eyes. "And what if we don't," You hesitated and Nate put a hand over your shoulder. "Sam left when I was ten, Y/n was only eight, and he would call every once in a while. Swore to us he'd come back, but he never did." Nate choked at his last sentence.

"The Sam that I knew disappeared a long time ago. So nah, you'll have to find somebody else," Nate rejected him and motioned you to leave with him. Walking outside the building, you thought that it'd be better to reconcile with him, after the whole Sullivan offer, the both of you hadn't talked to each other. From strangers then finding out the both of you were childhood friends, there's a bit of a boundary that divides the both of you. Nate, however, was ready to catch up with you, he as unsure if you though the same or not. 

[1555 words]