Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
➸
They got to Rixon's Cove and the five friends were still on a high after how they left Midsummers. Claire's smile hadn't left her face.
"So, like, my dad's already gonna kill me, so what's this mandatory meeting about?" Pope asked as they sat by the fire.
John B looked at JJ and have him finger guns. JJ looked at Pope and back to John and said, "might as well tell him man, before we're gaffed."
"You ready for this?" John B asked.
"Yeah." Kie nodded. Claire watched John intently.
"So, the gold never went down with the Royal Merchant."
"Oh my God, here we go again with this." Pope muttered.
"No, alright, wait. Hear him out, alright?" JJ insisted.
"It's been here the whole time." John continued. Claire's eyes widened.
"As in here on the island?" She asked, bewildered. John B nodded and Claire scoffed. "And all this time we thought it was with the boat."
"I'd like to voice my skepticism." Pope said.
"I'm sure you would, Pope, but can I please present you with my evidence, sir?" John B asked.
"Proceed."
"Alright, so. In my backpack, I have a letter from Denmark Tanny." John announced, holding up a piece of paper.
"Who the hell is that?" Kie asked.
"Denmark Tanny was a slave that survived the Royal Merchant wreck. Check this out."
"What?"
"Here you go."
He handed Kiara the letter and Claire leaned over to read it too.
"Okay, slaves weren't mentioned as crew members on the ship, but my dad, he found the complete manifest. That was his big discovery. So Tanny used the gold from the Merchant to buy his freedom. After that, he bought his farm." John B explained as Kie passed the letter to Pope.
"Drumroll, please," he continued. The group started slapping their knees amusedly, "because that farm is...Tannyhill Plantation."
"Tannyhill?" Kie asked.
"Yeah. So after that, he used his money to free even more slaves and then he sold a shit ton of rice, which pisses off all the white planters, and then they decide to lynch him. So on the day they were coming to get him, he writes a letter to his son as a farewell, and in the last line of that letter, he leaves a coded message about where to find the gold." John B grinned at the two girls, and Claire couldn't help but chuckle.
