duchess → outer banks

EPISODE XII.

[one hundred million]

When the gang arrived at John B's house that night, Duchess immediately flopped onto the couch, exhausted from running for her life for what felt like the hundredth time since they found Scooter Grubb's boat. JJ moved to the kitchen and began to make himself a sandwich.

"That bread had mold on it three days ago," Pope pointed out to him.

"I'll just pull off all the bad parts," JJ explained, "Plus, mold is good for you. It's a natural organism."

"Where'd you learn that," Duchess asked. "Chem class? Oh wait! You never showed up to that."

"Still passed though," JJ countered.

"Yeah," Duchess scoffed, "Becuase of me."

"Guys," Kie called the two bickering friends. They walked over to the table where John B sat with the folder, all of them eager to find out what Big John had left his son.

As John B ripped of the seal, JJ took a bit bite of his sandwich and promptly gagged, spitting it out. Duchess shot him a look from across the table. "Knew it."

First, John B pulled out a map. "Holy shit."

Pope pointed to a spot on the map that had an 'X'. "Oh. X marks the spot."

"Wait there's something else in there," John B said, reaching back into the folder and pulling out a tape recorder.

"What's that," JJ asked.

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

John B immediately pressed play. "Dear Bird," Duchess could only assume the voice on the tape was his father.

"Who's Bird," JJ asked.

"That's what my dad called me," John B said.

"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."

The Pogues all looked at each other, shock written on each of their faces. Did John B's father actually find the Merchant?

"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 than optimal reasons, well, that's what the map is for."

Duchess gave a passing glance to the map on the table. The X marking where the Royal Merchant would be.

"There she is, the wreck of the Merchant. If something happened 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."