Hurricane - JJ | Outer Banks

Chapter Five

"That bread had mould on it three days ago." Pope told JJ who was making a sandwich in the kitchen.

"I'll just pull off the bad parts." JJ replied.

"It's all bad." I said as I jumped up and sat down on the counter.

"Mould is good for you. It's a natural organism."

"You're disgusting." I smiled before jumping to the floor and walking over to John B and Kie who were sitting at the table. John B had the envelope in his hand as he got ready to open it. "JJ."

"Yep. I'm here." He said as he walked into the room with his sandwich. He then took a bite and gagged before spitting it out and throwing the sandwich away. I couldn't help but laugh before I looked back at John B who pulled a map out of the envelope.

"Holy shit." John B sighed as he looked at the map which had drawings and writing on.

"X marks the spot." Pope told him as he pointed to the x on the map.

"Longitude, latitude." John B then whispered. I then picked up the envelope before tipping it upside down only for a tape recorder to fall into my hand.

"John B." I said before giving it to the boy.

"What's that?" JJ asked.

"It's a tape recorder, dumbass." Kie told him.

"Dear bird." John B's dad then said after John B clicked play on the tape recorder.

"Who's bird?" JJ asked.

"That's what my dad called me."

"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." We all looked at each other with our lips parted as we continued to listen to the tape. "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 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 for less optimal reasons, well, that's what the map is for. There she is, the wreck of the Royal Merchant. If something 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 tape recorder stopped playing and I sat down as John B put the recorder down and walked over to the wall. "Holy shit, he did it!" JJ exclaimed. "Big John, he found the Merchant."

"Can you... can you please?" Kiara asked as she looked over at John B who was sobbing in the doorway.

"Sorry." JJ whispered as the girl walked over to John B and put her arms around him.

***

We were all sat around the dock as Kiara played her ukulele. "How much was it again?" JJ asked as he broke the silence.

"Four hundred mil." Pope told him.

"Alright, let's talk the split." JJ sighed. "Now, before we say evenly, may I remind you that I'm the only one that can properly defend us from those groupers who were after us." He finished as he held up the gun. "Protection. Not cheap, okay?"

"You have trained. You've done zero training." Pope said.

"YouTube, bro! That's at least a five percent bump right there. Any objections?" Me and Kiara raised our hands but JJ chose to ignore us. "Didn't think so."