𝐛𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐭𝐞- 𝐣𝐣 𝐦𝐚𝐲𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐤

10.

🦋☀ 🌊 - 10

JJ continued spreading peanut butter on the bread Pope claimed had grown mold days ago.

"I'll just pull off the bad parts. Plus, mold's good for you. It's just a natural organism," the blonde said confidently.

"I'm not helping you if you get sick," Olivia said, patting him on the shoulder as she walked over to the table where the others were huddled.

John B ripped open the top of the package Kiara had found. None of them knew what it was-or why it had been hidden in his great-great-grandmother's tomb. He laid the paper on the table. It looked like a map, full of markings.

"Oh shit," Olivia muttered.

JJ gagged on the bread and spat it into the nearest trash can. Olivia stifled a laugh; she'd known he'd regret it, yet he didn't seem to mind.

"Well, X marks the spot," Pope said, pointing to a marked location on the map.

John B muttered to himself, tracing the markings with a finger. He pulled out a tape recorder from the package.

"What's that?" JJ asked, bewildered.

"A tape recorder, dumbass," Kiara said, hands on her hips.

"Are you gonna play it or what?"

John B hesitated, his nerves buzzing. Finally, he pressed play.

"Dear Bird-"

"Who's Bird?" JJ leaned over the table.

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

The recording continued, his father's voice calm but heavy with emotion:

"...I hate to tell you I told you so, but I told you so. You doubted your old man. I suspect right now 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. You probably have the right to call me out, as I'm not exactly the father of the decade. Hopefully we're listening to this in Costa Rica, living our best life. If not, and you find this for whatever reason, that's what the map is for. There she is: the wreck of the 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."

John B set the recorder down and stepped away from the group, his heart aching for the father he still couldn't reach.

"Hey, your old man did it. He found the Merchant," JJ said, arms spread wide, a triumphant grin on his face.

"JJ, can you please?" Kiara snapped, dropping her smile and realizing now was not the time for goofing around.

"It's okay," Olivia said softly, moving closer to Kiara, giving the two some space. She waved the rest outside to let them talk privately.

The trio walked to the dock. Kiara picked up a guitar, and they settled in, staring at the stars as she strummed soft, calming chords.

JJ threw a pebble into the water. "How much was it again?"

"$400 mil," Pope replied.

"Alright, let's talk the split," JJ said, adjusting himself. "Before we say evenly, keep in mind I'm the only one who can defend us properly from those groupers," he said, holding up the gun.

"You've done zero training," Pope shot back.

"Any objections?" JJ ignored him, scanning the group. "Didn't think so."