Big Blue Sky | JJ Maybank x Male OC

•11•

After we had waited for the storms, winds, and rains to die down and slack tide had come, we took the boat out into the water, headed towards the coordinates of the wreck. JJ stopped the boat at John B's instruction and I stepped out of the cabin onto the main deck.

"All right, ladies and gentlemen," John B said as he prepared to drop the drone down. "To going full Kook."

We watched as he submerged the drone into the water and the tether began to unravel as it descended. I stood behind Pope and watched on the screen as he controlled the drone down into the depths. John B continued to feed JJ instructions on how to control the boat.

"One hundred feet," Kie said.

Pope jerked backwards as a strange fish crossed the screen. John B rushed over to see what it was.

"It's nothing," Pope said slowly.

"Just Pope being a pussy," I snarked.

Pope glared at me as John B chuckled then groaned a little.

"And to quote the Hobbit, down down to goblin town. Down, down, you go, my lad," Pope said.

"You're a nerd!" JJ called from the wheel.

"Such a nerd," I added with a smirk.

"Four hundred feet," Kie said after a few moments.

There were soft rumbles of thunder above us as we watched the screen.

"The tide's turning," Kie said.

John B fed JJ more instructions on how to keep the boat steady as the tides shifted.

"Seven hundred feet," Kie said.

Thunder continued to rumble above us and the wind picked up speed. Waves began to rock the boat a little, throwing us off balance.

"Nine hundred!" Kie called out as John B spoke quickly to JJ. "Nine twenty!"

John B and I went back to looking at the screen as Pope guided it some more.

"John B, there's too much current, we're gonna lose it!"

I looked over as John B's GPS began to ding.

"What do you got, Pope? What do you see?" He said.

"Nothing," Pope said. "A whole lot of nothing."

"You should be right above it, brother," John B said.

"Kiara!" Pope yelled.

"Nine sixty!" She replied. "Nine seventy! Nine eighty!"

"I'm at the bottom," Pope said. "I'm at the bottom."

"Steady here, JJ!" I called.

"We should be seeing something, man," John B said.

"I know, I know. Wait..."

"Oh my god..." I said slowly, pointing to something on the screen.

"See anything?" JJ asked from the cabin, looking over his shoulder.

I looked over and met his eyes, nodding slowly with a look of disbelief on my face.

"It's the Royal Merchant," John B said.

We watched anxiously as the drone came up on the side of the ship. Most of it was collapsed inward, revealing the inside of the ship. There was a despondent collective sigh between the four of us. It was empty.

"It's not there," John B said quietly, then sighed. "Just pull the drone up."

I cursed under my breath and pushed away from the controls. I walked over to the cabin and leaned on the counter next to where JJ was steering. He met my gaze confused.