𝐒𝐓𝐘𝐋𝐄 || 𝐉𝐉 𝐌𝐀𝐘𝐁𝐀𝐍𝐊

𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐑𝐓𝐄𝐄𝐍

THE NIGHT WAS HEAVY with humidity as Avery crawled out of the hole, her hands smudged with dirt. She held up the weathered FedEx envelope triumphantly, shaking her head.

"Well, it's not gold," she said with a small smile, brushing the dirt off her jeans. "But it looks like something."

Kie groaned, leaning against the shovel. "We did all that for this?"

John B stepped forward, his eyes fixed on the envelope as if it were glowing. "Holy shit," he whispered, taking it carefully from Avery's hands.

JJ leaned over, squinting at the name written across the front. "Bird? Who the hell is Bird?"

"That's what my dad called me," John B murmured, his voice cracking slightly. His hands trembled as he flipped the envelope over.

Avery softened. "John B, you okay?" she asked gently, placing a hand on his arm.

Before he could answer, the distant growl of an engine cut through the night air.

"Code red," JJ said sharply, his tone shifting. "Square groupers! Square groupers!"

Kie straightened, her head snapping toward the sound. "Move! Now!" she hissed.

Avery's heart quickened as she saw the headlights growing closer. "It's the guys who robbed your house," she said, urgency in her voice.

"Light! Turn your light off!" John B whispered harshly, fumbling with his flashlight.

Pope's beam wavered in the darkness, making him a target. Avery darted forward and slapped it down. "Off, Pope. Now!"

"Hey! I had it-" Pope started to protest, but a voice in the distance interrupted him.

"I see something!" a man shouted, his silhouette sharp against the glow of the headlights.

JJ crouched low, his voice a growl. "Homie's got a gun."

Avery clenched her jaw, a spark of fear igniting in her chest. "We're not sticking around to find out what he's packing," she said firmly, tugging at Kie's sleeve.

The group sprinted through the underbrush, branches scratching at their arms. Behind them, the men's voices grew louder.

"Right here!" one of the men barked, and their footsteps thundered closer.

"Go, go!" Kie urged, pulling John B along.

Pope, trailing behind, suddenly yelped. "Guys, I'm stuck!"

Avery skidded to a halt, turning back to see him tangled in the fence. "Hold still, Pope," she called, rushing to help. "I'll get you out."

"No, no, no! Avery, don't!" Pope said, panicking. "You're gonna rip my shorts-"

With a loud tear, the fabric gave way, leaving Pope in his underwear.

"Oh no," Avery said, covering her mouth to stifle her laugh. "Pope, I'm so sorry!"

JJ doubled over as he ran past, laughing uncontrollably. "Nice! Lookin' good, Pope. Little Tootsie Roll action."

"Not helping, JJ!" Pope shouted, his face beet red as Avery grabbed his arm and hauled him over the fence.

They all tumbled into the van, slamming the doors just as the headlights crested the hill behind them. The van screeched away, tires kicking up gravel.

Back at the Chateau, the group gathered around the kitchen table. John B carefully slit the envelope open, his movements slow and deliberate. The room was quiet except for the faint hum of the ceiling fan.

Pope eyed the loaf of bread in JJ's hand suspiciously. "That had mold on it three days ago."

JJ shrugged, ripping off a chunk. "I'll just pull off the bad parts. Mold's good for you. It's, like, organic or something."

Kie made a face. "Please tell me you're not actually eating that."

Avery smirked, leaning back in her chair. "JJ, you've officially hit rock bottom. I didn't think it was possible, but here we are."

"I live to surprise," JJ quipped, tossing a piece of bread in her direction. "Catch."

John B interrupted, pulling out a stack of papers. "Hot damn. Let's do it."

The group leaned in as he unfolded the documents, scanning the coordinates scrawled across the page. "Longitude, latitude," John B said, his voice shaking. "X marks the spot."

"Wait," Pope said, his eyes narrowing. "There's something else in there."

JJ snatched it up. "What's this?"

"It's a tape recorder," Avery said, sliding it out of his hands. "See the buttons? It's ancient, but it works."

John B pressed play, and Big John's voice filled the room, crackling and raw.

"Dear Bird," the voice began, and everyone stilled.

JJ tilted his head, his usual grin replaced with genuine curiosity. "That's you, right? Bird?"

John B nodded, his expression unreadable.

Big John's words spilled out, a mix of fatherly wisdom and regret. By the time the tape clicked off, John B's shoulders were shaking, his head in his hands.

Avery reached out hesitantly. "John B..." she said softly, but Kie beat her to it, wrapping him in a hug.

JJ cleared his throat, trying to break the tension. "Holy shit, he did it. Big John found the Merchant."

Kie glared at him. "Not now, JJ."

"Sorry," he muttered, looking away.

Later, the group sat on the dock under the stars, the faint rumble of thunder in the distance. The night air was cool against their skin, a welcome reprieve from the earlier chaos.

"How much was it again?" JJ asked, breaking the silence.

"Four hundred million," John B said, his voice steady now.

JJ whistled low. "Okay, let's talk the split. Before we say 'evenly,' might I remind you all that I'm the only one who can properly defend us from those groupers? Protection costs money."

Pope rolled his eyes. "You haven't trained. You just watch videos."

JJ smirked. "YouTube, bro. Five percent bump right there."

"Solid logic," Avery teased, nudging him with her shoulder. "But I might need hazard pay for saving Pope's dignity earlier."

"Dignity?" JJ snorted. "You mean his Tootsie Roll moment?"

"Not my finest hour," Pope muttered.

JJ grinned. "So, Ave, what are you gonna do with your share?"

Avery tilted her head, a thoughtful look crossing her face. "I don't know. Maybe travel. See the world. Or buy a boat and live on it. Something fun."

JJ nodded, impressed. "Respect. Me? I'm going full Kook. Big house, marble statue of myself, koi pond. The works."

Avery raised an eyebrow. "You? Full Kook? Never thought I'd see the day."

JJ spread his arms wide. "Dream big, Street."