Me and the Devil

9.

Standing on what I can only assume is John B's great-great grandmother's urn or something, I manage to climb over to the other side with no problem. I hold out an envelope to John B. He flips it over and freezes.

FOR BIRD

Anyone who knew John B growing up, knows that Big John used to call him "Bird". The flicker of hope and satisfaction light up his face, if only for a moment, before JJ starts calling a code red.

We all start running, trying to turn off our flashlights. JJ's headlamp is stuck in the on position, so I smack it clear on his forehead. JJ plays up the dramatics, but at least the light is off. A quick glance behind us reveals what we feared: they've got a gun.

Theres a fence in front of us - nothing new for me, JJ, and John B who used to play this ridiculous game as kids where we'd race to hop fences for no reason other than adrenaline. I hoist myself up, the motion feeling like muscle memory. I'm over the other side, waiting for the others. John B and JJ make it over effortlessly. Kiara hesitate, fear flickering in her eyes, but we don't have time for that. Pope's pants get caught at the top of the fence, so JJ yanks him down, leaving the pants behind. We scramble into the Twinkie and peel away, hearts pounding.

At the Chateau, JJ heads straight for the kitchen, trying to make a sandwich."That bread had mold on it three days ago." Pope notes. JJ doesn't seem to care. I walk up behind JJ, putting my hand on his back and holding out his favorite bag of chips to him, who lights up like a kid.I've always kept a stash of food here - John B and JJ might be reckless and wild, but they're my friends. They'd starve if I didn't look out for them in small ways.

At the table, John B is opening the envelope. He pulls out...a literal treasure map and a camcorder.

"What's that?" JJ asked.

"A tape recorder, dumbass" I wink at him playfully to let him know that he isn't actually dumb.

John B presses play and the room falls silent as Big John's voice fills the room instead.

"I hate to say, "I told you so," but I told you so. And you doubted your old man. I suspect at this moment, you're filled with guilt and self-loathing over our last fight, but don't kill yourself just yet, kid. I didn't expect to find the Merchant either. You were probably right to call me out. Wasn't exactly Father of the Decade. What can I say, kid? I could smell the barn. And hopefully, we're listenin' to this in our brand new sugar-shack down in Costa Rica, livin' off passive investments and pulling on permits. If not, and you find this for less than optimal reasons, well, that's what the map is for. There she is, the wreck of the Merchant. If somethin' happens to me, finish what I started. Go for the gold, kid. I love you, Bird, even if I didn't always act like it. I'll see you on the other side."

The silence following is heavy. JJ,ever tactless, starts whooping and hollering about Big John finding the Merchant., but John B walks out, clearly overwhelmed. I nudge Kiara to go after him, knowing she's better at the emotional support thing.

Left with JJ, I head to the dock. The moon casts eerie shadows across the marsh, and for a moment, I think about how easy it would be to let go of this Pogue life, to let myself drift into something darker - something with Rafe.Kiara strumming on the ukulele. Crickets and frogs keep us sane. JJ throws rocks into the marsh, he breaks the silence. "How much is on the merchant again?"

"400 mil" I whisper.

"All right, let's talk the split. Now before anyone mentions evenly, please note that I;m the only one who can properly defend us from those groupers." He pats the gun tucked at his side, and I laugh softly, but my mind's elsewhere.

"What are you gonna do with your 80 mil, Pope?" I ask.

Pope gives an answer about college and textbooks. The others follow suit with their dreams of what they'd do with their money. Kiara wants to make a double album about the OBX, and JJ predictably, wants a massive house on Figure Eight with a marble statue of himself.

But I stay quiet, my thoughts tangled in something darker. 400 million..it would be so easy to slip away with it. Rafe's offer, his touch, his dangerous allure - it all comes rushing back. What would it feel like to abandon this life, to embrace the chaos with him fully?

"What are you going to do, JB?" I ask my voice, barely cutting through the noise of my thoughts.

"To going full kook," he says, raising his beer.

"To going full kook." We all chime in. Even as we sit in the peaceful night, listening to the crickets and frogs, the pull towards something else is stronger now.