Audacious//JJ Maybank (Outerbanks)

Chapter 104

{Ward & Big John's Sacrifice}

El Dorado, the city of gold, in all its shimmering glory, was right in front of me. Massive chunks of gold stretched endlessly in every direction, glittering under the dim light, even hanging from the cave's ceiling like a dream come to life. I stood there, rooted in place, hardly able to breathe. After everything we'd been through, every near-death moment, every close call—we'd actually made it. El Dorado was real, and we had found it.

I couldn't help but think back to those days with the Pogues, lounging on hammocks outside the Château, dreaming about the Royal Merchant's treasure. It felt like a lifetime ago—back when we were just kids with big dreams and little understanding of the danger that came with chasing them. The memory made my throat tighten as that girl—the one who once let herself dream of the impossible—stirred inside me, overwhelmed by the fact that the impossible had just become reality.

"No. Fucking. Way," JJ breathed beside me, his voice thick with disbelief. He was echoing the thought spinning wildly in my own mind. Was this real? I blinked hard, half-expecting to wake up back on that hammock at the Château, left with nothing but an empty dream. But no. This was real. This was happening.

"We... we did it," I whispered, my voice trembling as I tore my gaze away from the golden city and looked up at JJ. My eyes burned with unshed tears, my lips twitching into a shaky smile. "We actually did it."

JJ let out a wild whoop, pumping his fist into the air. His laugh echoed off the cave walls, coming back to us in waves, like it was celebrating with us. I shook my head, almost laughing at the sheer absurdity of it all as John B walked toward the treasure, already swinging his backpack off his shoulders.

We got to work immediately. John B filled his backpack with as much gold as it could hold, while JJ wrapped pieces in his handkerchief, stuffing them into his cargo shorts. I just stood there for a moment, lost in awe, turning a golden chunk over and over in my hands. It was heavy, solid, real.

"Full kook, baby!" JJ shouted, grabbing me around the waist and twirling me in the air. I laughed, letting the piece of gold slip from my hand and fall to the ground as I wrapped my arms around his neck. Our lips met in a fierce, victorious kiss.

We quickly lit the last flare we had left, meaning we had twenty minutes to get back. We trekked back through the narrow cave and swam back to the opening in the wall. But when we resurfaced Singh was pointing his gun at us. "Whats in the bag?" Singh roars, maniacally.

It was silent for a moment but then John B's voice cut through the moment. "Okay!" He set down the flare slowly and yanked his backpack open again. "You want it? Here." He shoved the backpack toward Singh, who had appeared with terrifying precision, a gun trained on me. My stomach twisted with fear as Singh peered inside the bag, his face slackening at the sight of the gold. For a moment, he seemed to lose focus, but then, just as quickly, he straightened, the cold barrel of the gun pointing at me.

"So, you found El Dorado at last," Singh mused, slinging the backpack of gold over his shoulder. His voice was smooth, almost mocking.

John B's jaw clenched. "You have the gold. You don't need her. Keep it on me."

"John B—" I started, but Singh cocked the gun, silencing me. My heart pounded in my chest, fear coursing through every part of me.

Singh's eyes glinted with a sinister satisfaction. "I was right to keep you alive," he said coldly, glancing around the cave as if we were beneath him. "But, unfortunately for your children here, the celebration will be short-lived. You have three seconds before I start firing."

My breath caught in my throat. Dad. My mind suddenly snapped back to the reality that my father was still here somewhere, bleeding out. Guilt weighed heavy in my chest. I'd been so caught up in the gold and now being held at gunpoint that I'd forgotten about him.