MY PURPOSE - JOHN B ROUTLEDGE

CHAPTER SIXTEEN - PAYBACK

"It's a good idea Pope!" Eleanor told the boy once they were back on the boat.

"What's a good idea?" JJ came running down the dock before hopping onto the boat with a smile on his face.

"We bumped into Rafe and Topper on the golf course" Pope mumbled while driving the boat away from the dock "Made me drop all the food on the floor and then tried to steal the pack of beers"

"Wait, they didn't hurt either of you did they?" JJ asked, concern laced in his voice but Eleanor quickly shook her head.

"No because luckily for Pope I was there but if I wasn't you know they'd would jumped him. I met them for five minutes and I could tell they were trouble" Eleanor tried to prove her point even more.

"So what're you gonna do?" JJ asked the two and the next thing you know, Pope, her and JJ were stood on the HMS Pogue and looking right at Topper's boat.

"2020 Malibu, 24-MXC. The worlds finest wake-setter. Number one in quality, luxury, and performance" Pope explained.

"This is war guys" JJ said and covered his face with a balaclava "They hit us, we hit them"

"You got that right" Eleanor muttered and placed the black sunglasses to cover her face while Pope jumped in the water and swam to Topper's boat "I knew you could do it" The girl said as she stuck her hand for Pope to grab.

"You did it" JJ smiled and pulled Pope into a hug "I am so proud of you right now!"

"Wait! JJ, Eleanor. You can't tell anybody, okay?"

"Oh yeah, totally man" JJ nodded "My lips are sealed"

"No I'm serious dude. Not Kie, not John B, not anyone"

Eleanor chuckled and patted Pope's shoulder "Don't worry Pope, we got you covered" She smiled at him "Now can we please get back to the cut before that Rafe dude and his sidekick comes back"

-----

The Pogues were now in John B's backyard in the hammocks with beers in their hands. Pope and John B were in the first one, then Kiara and Eleanor and JJ next to them.

"You really think it's out there?" Pope asked as John B sighed "Like, no bullshit?"

"My father thought it was" John B whispered.

"But do you?" Pope looked over at him even though he could hardly see in the darkness.

"After hearing his voice on that tape. . ." John B took a breath ". . .I think I do"

"Only one way to find out" Pope then sat up slightly and the two boys did the Pogue handshake with each other.

"Look, we're gonna find it, ya know?" Kiara said, trying to lighten the mood.

"Yeah, even JJ believes" Eleanor added in with a smile.

"Oh my god, JJ, do you really believe?" John B faked a gasp and looked over at him making everyone laugh.

"Totally. Wait, are we talking about four mil?"

Eleanor shook her head at the blonde "How many beers have you had?" She chuckled before correcting him "It's four hundred mil"

"I'm gonna dream about shipwrecks" JJ said and tried to get comfy on the hammock he was laying in which proved to be of a slight difficulty "Goodnight bird!"

"Goodnight, birdshit!" John B retorted and JJ just gave him the middle finger in response.

-----

When the morning broke Eleanor wasn't expecting to be woken up by Leon but here she was. In John B's backyard trying to convince him to let her go out with the Pogues but she knew it wasn't going to be that easy.

"I know I said I would come home last night and I'm sorry I didn't but there's something we really need to do! It won't take long I promise" She pointed to the Pogues who were stood in the boat watching it all unfold.

"I can't keep doing this with you Eleanor, these friends of yours. Are they really this important?" Leon asked with a sigh.

She nodded slowly "¿Sabes lo difícil que fue hacer amigos en casa cuando tus padres están en la lista de los diez más buscados de Interpol y sigues mudándote de un país a otro?" Leon's eyes softened as he listened to her rambling in Spanish so the Pogues wouldn't understand what she was saying.

"¡Fue difícil León! Realmente jodidamente duro y ahora que finalmente encontré un grupo de amigos a los que les gusto, ¡realmente vas a arrastrarme de vuelta a la casa como si tuviera diez años otra vez! Está bien, sé que estás preocupado por mí y tienes todo el derecho de estarlo, pero tampoco puedes impedirme vivir mi vida"

After a few seconds Leon nodded his head "Okay, you can go but she need to start coming back on a night and actually talk to me about things. That sound good to you?"

Eleanor smiled and gave him a hug which he happily complied to "Yeah, I promise. I love you Leon"

"I love you too kid now go before I change my mind and drag you back home like you're ten again" The man joked making her swat him on the arm, a chuckle leaving her mouth as she did it.

"Haha very funny" She gave him one last smile before walking over to the HMS Pogue. Thanking John B when he extended his hand out to her to help her get on.

"You need to teach me Spanish Eleanor so I can understand every argument you have with Leon, they always seem so interesting and here I am missing out" JJ spoke before taking a drag from his joint.

Eleanor rolled her eyes in a playful manner "That's the point JJ. You're not supposed to understand now be nice and let me have a hit of that"

-----

"All right! Pin it here JJ" John B yelled at the blonde so he could hear him over the wind. This was it, they were finally gonna know if the gold was real or not.

"Roger that! X marks the spot" JJ said from inside the boat.

"Alright ladies and gentlemen, to going full Kook!" John B smiled and placed the drone into the water.

Kiara nodded "To going full Kook"

"Okay JJ, we're right over it. Ten seconds northwest"

"Got it! Ten seconds northwest" JJ repeated.

Eleanor was helping Kie with the line when Pope gasped making everyone jump and for John B to quickly go over to him "You see anything?"

"What? What?" John B asked and looked at the screen to find nothing but ocean.

"It's-it's nothing" Pope sighed.

"Don't do that to me, man!" JJ said from the wheel as Pope apologised again.

"And to quote The Hobbit, "Down, down, to Goblin Town. Down, down, you go my lad" Pope quoted making Eleanor smile.

"Four hundred feet!" Kiara shouted as she continued to lower the tether further down into the water.

Thunder could be heard rumbling in the distance making Eleanor think maybe this wasn't the best day to do this either "The tide's turning!"

"Hey, JJ" John B called to him as he looked down at the map on the iPad. It started to beep "Ten seconds easy. All right? South-south east"

JJ turned his head to look at him "Copy that!" He then turned the boat to John B's instructions.

"JJ, twenty seconds mid-speed, all right? South" JB announced once again.

"Copy that! Aye, aye" Shit was getting real now with the thunder getting louder and the sky turning a deep shade of grey "Keep the tether out of the prop!"

"I'm trying!"

"God, I hope this works" Eleanor mumbled, now stood next to Pope with her eyes glued to the monitor.

"John B, is that good?" The blonde asked.

He nodded "We're good!"

"Okay, seven hundred feet!" Kiara told them, moving her curls out the way of her face.

The wind was picking up now and the thunder was getting worse as the boat started to rock "JJ, hold it steady!" JB shouted.

"Okay, nine hundred!"

"JJ, we're gonna turtle in this storm man" He yelled out again.

"Nine twenty!"

Eleanor sighed "Okay JJ, crank it north by northwest. Ten seconds!" She shouted this time.

"Yes ma'am!"

"Pope, how we doing?" John B asked and looked at Pope.

"Almost there" He whispered.

"John B, there's too much current. We're gonna lose it!" Kie yelled, starting to get anxious now.

"South, south-west JJ. Hard!" John B ordered "Half speed. Steady at this bearing, JJ! What do you got, Pope? Come on, man. What do you see?"

"Nothin. A whole lot of nothin" Pope sighed causing Eleanor to bite her lip in anticipation.

"You should be right above it brother" John B ran a hand through his messy locks.

"Kiara!" Pope stood up slightly as he shouted.

"Nine sixty! Nine seventy! Nine eighty!"

It was silent for a few minutes before Pope said the words that everyone was waiting to hear "I'm at the bottom! I'm at the bottom!"

"Okay, okay. Steady here, JJ!" John B shouted "Steady here. Quarter speed, all right?"

"You should be seeing something, man"

"I know, I know! Wait, wait" Pope exclaimed and El smiled when she saw the Royal Merchant ship come into view.

"Oh, good god" John B stared at the monitor in shock.

"See anything?" JJ frowned in confusion since he couldn't see anything from where he stood.

John B smiled and let out a chuckle in surprise "It's the Royal Merchant"