Torrent 》JJ Maybank

☁ Chapter Nine ☁

We had made it back to the Chateau in record time as John B flew down he dark streets. JJ was making a sandwich by lantern light and I watched him carefully. Pope seemed to catch on when he notices my disgusted expression. 

"You know that bread had mold on it three days ago." 

JJ glances up from the jar of jam he was closely examining, "I'll just pull the bad parts off. Plus mold is good for you. It's an organic organism." 

"It definitely is not good for you." I shake my head, walking over to John B who was holding the package in his hands. He hadn't opened it yet and I could tell he was nervous as to what he would find. 

"Hot damn." JJ calls as he walk over, his gross sandwich in his hands, "Lets do it." 

With JJ now hovering over John B's shoulder he slowly removed the seal. JJ confidently takes a bite of his sandwich before gagging and spitting it out into hand. I give him a knowing stare before looking back at John B.  

He pulls out a large piece of paper. I tilt my head as he quickly unfolds it, revealing a large map. There was a drawing of a hurricane on it, as well as an X and a set of coordinates. "Holy shit." John B gasps. 

"Oh." Pope gasps, pointing to the small x scrawled onto the paper, "X marks the spot." 

"Longitude, latitude." John B whispers, following the lines on the map the the corner. He places his hand on the package and adds, "Wait there's something else in here." He pulls out a grey tape recorder. 

"What is that?" JJ questions, eyeing it closely. He had set his moldy sandwich down on the table. 

"It's a tape recorder, dumbass." Kie answers. 

John B presses the button down and it crackles for a moment, "Dear bird." 

"Who's bird?" I ask, shifting JJ's sandwich so I could lean on the counter. 

John B looks on the verge of tears, "Thats what my dad called me." 

"I hate to say 'I told you so', but I told you so." The recording says, "And you doubted your old man. I suspect at this moment, you're filled with grief and self-loathing over our last fight, but don't kill yourself just yet, kid. I didn't expect to find the Merchant either." 

I glanced at JJ, he actually found the Royal Merchant. JJ shrugs, glancing at John B who was looking back at us. 

The tape clatters, drawing my attention back to it, "You were probably right to call me out. Wasn't exactly the Father of the Decade. What could I say kid? I could smell the barn." I hear a strange clicking in the background of the recording, "And hopefully, we're listening to this in our brand new sugar-shack down in Costa Rica, living off passive investments and  pulling on permits. If not and you find this by less than optimal reasons, well, that's what the map is for." 

I look over John B's shoulder at the map. Was the X really the location of the Royal Merchant. How was it that he found it after everyone spent their lives searching for it. 

"There she is, the wreck of the Merchant. If something happened to me, finish what I started." Theres a small pause before his father quietly says, "Go for the gold, kid. I love you bird, even if I don't always act like it. I'll see you on the other side."  

The recording clicks off and static fills the room. John B stares at it until the sound cuts off with a click. He sets it down on the counter and walks over to the wall, leaning against it with his back to us. 

"Holy shit, he did it." JJ gasps, his excited blue eyes looking at the map that was still stretched out across the table. John B lets out a broken sob and I spin towards him, not knowing how to comfort him. "Big John, he found the merchant." JJ grins, oblivious to his friend breaking down.