INDIANA II JJ Maybank (Outerbanks)

chapter twenty three

The next morning they all took Heywards boat to find the Royal Merchant. It was a long drive because the shipwreck was far away from the island.

"All right, JJ. Pin it here." John B tells JJ who was steering the boat.

"Roger that! X marks the spot." 

"All right, ladies and gentlemen. To going full Kook." John B tells them as he takes the drone and puts it in the water.

Kie and Indi are in charge of making sure the tether of the drone is steady and lowering it down.

"All right, JJ, we're right over it. Ten seconds northwest." John B keeps a look on their position on a monitor.

"Got it! Ten seconds northwest." 

"One hundred feet." Indi tells the boys as she spots the first mark on the tether. Kie makes a line with chalk so they could remember the feets.

Pope gasps as he sees something on the monitor and Indi and John B quickly make their way over to him to see what he saw.

"It's nothing." He disappoints them.

John B groans and Indi goes back to help Kie. 

"Don't do that to me, man." JJ tells him. "Come on bro!" 

"I thought I saw something." He defends himself. "And to quote 'The Hobbit', 'Down, down, to Goblin Town. Down, down, you go, my lad'" 

"Four hundred feet." Indi told them and Kie made another line.

"The tide's turning." Kie informs them as thunder is rumbling in the background.

"Hey JJ." John B calls after the blonde.

"Yup?"

"Ten seconds easy. South-southeast."

"Copy that!" And he repositions the boat.

"JJ, 20 seconds mid-speed, all right? South."

"Copy that! Aye, aye. Come on." 

"Ind keep the tether out of the prop!" JJ tells her.

"I'm trying." She answers him, as her and Kie were struggling to keep the tether out of the way.

"JJ, keep going!" John B tells him as more thunder rumbles.

"John B is that good?" He asks him.

"We're good!"

"Okay, 700 feet." Indi informs them. Thunder is crashing in the sky above them and as Indi looks up she can see the dark clouds have made their way to them.

The waves are getting bigger, making it hard for them to stand still in one place. It gets to the point where JJ falls into the wall beside him and it gets harder and harder for Indi and Kie to hold the tether in place.

"JJ, hold it steady." John B shouts at him.

"Okay, 900." Indi informs them yet again, hoping they would reach the ground soon so she can go home.

"JJ, we'll turtle in this storm."

"920!"

"Crank it north by northwest! Ten seconds!" He tells JJ again as he turns to Pope. "Pope, how are we doing?"

"Almost there."

"John B, there's too much current!" Kie yells at him. "We're gonna lose it!" Thunder crashes again above them.

"South, southwest, JJ! Hard!" John B ignores Kie's yells. "Half speed. Steady at this bearing, JJ!"

The monitor in front of John B whirrs and beeps. It indicates them that they are right above their goal.