048
welcome to south america

"I spy with my little eye..."

JJ hummed, staring out the window at the array of trees and mountains below. Thick clouds hovered below them, casting the rich greenery in shadows. It was beautiful, unlike anything Bianca had ever seen before.

Unfortunately for her, the ache in her side prevented her from enjoying it. The weed had worn off a while ago andBarracuda Mike refused to supply her with any more free samples. He claimed he didn't want to corrupt her, and that she needed to tough it out.

"Something green," JJ turned to Kiara eagerly.

The curly-haired girl shot him a deadpan look, "Is it a tree?"

"How'd you know?" JJ leaned back on the patched-up leather seats.

"JJ," Kiara rolled her eyes. "It's been trees for the past five turns."

"Okay- ooh, okay, I've got one. I've got a different one this time," JJ straightened, his eyes widening. "Okay, I spy with my little eye some-"

"Someone who needs to shut up," Bianca snapped with her head in her boyfriend's lap.

"Is it JJ?" Kiara mused.

Her eyes fluttered closed again, "It's always JJ."

"Hey," JJ pouted, tucking a strand of the girl's hair behind her ear.

As much as Bianca loved her boyfriend, there was only so much of 'I Spy' she could take. It didn't help that the cut on her waist was killing her and that no one told her too much weed could actually make you sick. The nausea rolling in her gut only made her more irritable.

JJ's eyebrows drew together at the sight of his pale girlfriend. He turned to Kiara, "Kie, do you mind grabbing the map from my bag?"

"Yeah, sure," She hummed and undid her seatbelt to search for it.

Once she was out of earshot, JJ leaned down to whisper, "Can I see?"

Bianca didn't open her eyes and nodded at his words. The boy gently reached for the hem of his sweatshirt she wore. His eyes scanned the bandage which hadn't bled through but was due for a change before they got off the plane.

"Looks okay," JJ pulled her shirt back down. "It's not red anymore. That's good."

"It hurts," Bianca murmured weakly, squeezing her eyes shut.

"I know, I know," JJ ran his fingers through her hair to distract her. "Still feel sick?"

"Mhm," Bianca curled further into his lap. "Sorry. For being mean."

"Hey, it's okay. I know you're not feeling good. Look," He nudged her to sit up and lean her head on his shoulder instead. He took the map from Kiara as she sat back down, "We're nearly there. We're gonna be landing about a couple of hours out of Tres Rocas. At a f-farm," He pointed at it on the paper. "It's right here."

"Couple of hours?" Kiara raised her voice over the engine propellers.

JJ shared a tight look with her, "Yeah," He swallowed. "But Barracuda Mike says there's a bus into town we should be able to catch, so..."

Bianca glanced over to where Barracuda Mike was piloting the plane. He'd been pretty firm with his 'sit down and shut up' attitude but it was mostly directed toward JJ. He did let Bianca sit in the pilot chair for a little bit up until she almost crashed the plane. Then she too was instructed to 'sit down and shut up'.

"What if they're not there?" Bianca piped up, glancing over at her two friends.

"If they're not there..." JJ trailed off before smirking. "Free vacation," He kissed her forehead. "I mean, we're on an adventure, baby. Come on, now."

Bianca's eyes met his through her lashes and struggled to contain her smile. JJ could somehow turn the most miserable circumstances into the most positive ones with just a couple of words. She reached for his hand and squeezed.

"I love you," Bianca whispered, eyes flickering down to his lips.

"I love you," JJ leaned down to kiss her while his free hand cupped her jaw.

"Oh, gross, you guys," Kiara covered her eyes, shifting away from them.

Bianca pulled away abruptly, "Yeah, I'm gonna be sick."

JJ's fingers hovered over his lips after the kiss, "Not usually the reaction I get but I guess-"

"No, like, I'm actually going to be sick," Bianca leaned back, the plane suddenly feeling like a sauna.

"Oh, shit- right- yeah," JJ jumped into action.

"Where's the bag- where's the bag?" Kiara began panicking, sifting through their backpacks.

When the plane landed soon after, it did so with a hefty shudder. The three Pogues let out sighs of relief. Kiara and JJ because the sooner they hit the road, the sooner they made it to the others, and Bianca because she no longer had to be confined in a metal death trap with her hyperactive boyfriend.

Bianca was by no means claustrophobic but when her feet touched the Venezuelan grass, she resisted the urge to get down on all fours and kiss it. Maybe she was just imagining it, or maybe it was the wide-open field they landed in but the air here was almost fresher- more breathable.

Bianca stared at the scenery. If you took away the drug smugglers yelling at each other in Spanish, the mountains lining the sky were beautiful. It was like a painting and she was afraid if she blinked, it might disappear in front of her.

"Damn," JJ stopped in front of the girls. "Barracuda Mike's got this import-export thing down."

Kiara hummed, her eyes trailing over the men who entered and exited a tall, metal warehouse to load bags of variouscling-wrapped substances. She tightened her hold over her backpack, hitching it higher on her shoulder.

"What's that noise?" Bianca's heart jumped when another bang went off in the distance. "They sound like gunshots."

"Fireworks," Barracuda Mike stopped beside the group, holding a bag of what they could only assume was cocaine. "There's a village not too far away. The locals must be celebrating some kind of festival or local holiday- who knows."

The sound of chattering behind them caused JJ to turn over his shoulder. Only then did he notice the bright yellow bus with crowds of people piling onto it. It looked like a school bus, but there was green cloth instead of glass to block out the rain or wind and the rear headlights were broken.

"Yo, Barracuda, is that our executive coach to Tres Rocas, right there?" JJ joked, pointing toward it.

"It is Smart-ass," The man placed his hands on his hips. "Hey-" Bianca finally turned to face him as he pulled out a small baggie of weed. "This is for the road. Don't use it all up in one go."

Bianca took it from him with a small smile, "Thanks, Barracuda Mike."

"Don't mention it, Sweet Pea," He adjusted the cap on his head. "Figured I owe you one after all. You on the other hand," His eyes narrowed at JJ who straightened his spine with a gulp. "We have a deal, remember? You still owe me for that lost load."

JJ ran his tongue over his teeth, glancing away, "I remember, alright?" He took Bianca's hand and with a nod, whispered. "Come on."

"Hey, JJ," Barracuda Mike called as they began backing away toward the bus.

"What?"

"Word of advice-"

"What?"

"This ain't Kildare," The man shoved one hand in his pocket and used the other to tip his cap one last time to Bianca. "Try and lay low."

JJ shook his head dismissively, "Ye- sure thing, Chief."

But Bianca couldn't help but think JJ was taking Mike's warning a little too lightly. This wasn't Kildare. They may have scraped by in Barbados but this was a whole new ballpark and they were in way over their heads. Especially without the others.

The trio set off on their 3-hour-long journey to Tres Rocas. They didn't have any money but fortunately for them, the bus driver could be bribed with one of Bianca's gold rings.

Not only was the ride long, but the bus was incredibly crowded so much so that Bianca, JJ, and Kiara had to squish together on the same seat to fit. It only added to the sun's sweltering heat and the humidity, making Bianca's hair frizz up. Even Kiara tied her hair up in a bun.

Bianca stared out the window and tried not to let the weather nor the gnawing feeling in her gut get to her. She was in South America, with her boyfriend and her best friend. Sure, her mother was probably going out of her mind with worry and sure, she was probably risking infecting her wound even more without treating it but like JJ said, free vacation.

"So, right here, you have Tesoro," A man who had been helping Barracuda Mike, and also lived in Tres Rocas, explained.He shifted in the seat in front of them and used his finger to draw them a map, "Up here, Orinoco. And they say up here, El Dorado."

"Wait-" JJ frowned.

"Who says?" Kiara's eyebrows furrowed.

"All the world," The bearded man hummed.

"If all the world says it, why hasn't it been found?" Kiara interrogated.

He shrugged, "Some people say it doesn't exist. Some people say it's hidden and only one very special person can find it."

"Uh-huh," JJ stifled a scoff. He hated superstitious nonsense.

"But most people say it's maldito," The man continued.

"Maldito?" Kiara frowned.

"Cursed," Bianca translated, staring at the poorly-drawn map. She remembered her Abuelita saying the same thing before locking her away.

The man stared at the girl before ducking his head down to reach her gaze, "¿Hablas español?"

Bianca glanced up at him, "Un poco."

The man smiled at her and nodded. Her accent was a little off, he could tell they were Americans. But at least now, he could rest easy that these teenagers weren't completely hopeless.

He turned back around to face the front, "Over the years, people that go up, they don't come back."

"Funny..." JJ chuckled, shaking his head as he wound his arm around Bianca's shoulder. "Funny."

The girls shared a look. The man's little ghost story did nothing to ease their building nerves. Bianca couldn't help but think that they had no idea what they were getting themselves into.

Two hours and another couple of rounds of 'I Spy' later, the trio was reaching Tres Rocas. The bus came to a standstill in an area surrounded by small buildings with chipped paint and missing windows. Slowly, passengers began getting off the bus.

Across the street, Bianca could make out children carrying school bags and kicking a soccer ball around and a town market not too far away. The streets were slick with puddles of rain, as was the grass, and in the air, hung the smell of dew.

JJ stuck his head out the window, assessing the tin roofs and pot-hole-ridden roads, "Welcome to Tres Rocas," He drummed his fingers against the window. "This place makes the Cut look like the Taj Mahal."

"JJ," Bianca chastised before turning back to the window beside her. She was rather enjoying the culture shock of everything being new.

"Alright, so, how we gonna find 'em?" Kiara sighed, pursing her lips.

"I'm workin' on it," JJ hummed, leaning back in his seat. "Um, look, alright- Tres Rocas is fairly small, alright?" Upon noticing the two girls' hesitant expressions, he backtracked. "Don't worry about it. Their- we- we'll find 'em, okay?"

JJ was about to stand up to lead the girls off the bus but before he could, a flurry of movement caught his attention. The boy peered out the window again, his face falling as he recognized the people sprinting down the road as Pope and Cleo.

"You gotta be kidding me," JJ scoffed, causing the girls to follow his gaze. "We haven't been here for two minutes!" He chuckled.

Bianca stuck her head out of the window, "There's no way- Po!? Cleo!?"

JJ did the same, outstretching his hand and calling out, "Cómo estás, amigos?"

Pope slowed beside the bus to hi-five him, "What the f- Hey! Run!"

JJ's face paled, "What?"

"We gotta go!" Cleo shouted, close on his heel. They rounded the bus, "Shit! We gotta run!"

"You gotta be kidding me," JJ cursed, ducking back into the bus to follow them.

"Already!?" Kiara cried. "We just got here!"

"Why are we always getting chased!?" Bianca took JJ's hand who helped her down the stairs.

"What's happening?" Kiara asked as they regrouped behind the bus, out of sight.

"You-" JJ started but Pope quickly shushed him.

"Shh- Singh's men are right behind us," He panted heavily, pushing the blond boy back by the chest. "They're after us. We gotta think of a plan- something! Anything!"

"Okay, then why don't we j-just hijack the bus?" JJ pointed behind him, his eyes wide.

"This bus?" Kiara deadpanned while Pope's eyebrows furrowed. "The one that only goes ten miles per hour!?"

"'Kay- I- I'm just spit balling, okay, Kie?" JJ hitched his backpack higher on his shoulder.

"Hey-" Pope suddenly pushed past them, narrowing his eyes at a black jeep speeding down the road. "They're coming now! Hide!"

"Guys! Guys, guys!" Cleo called, taking off in the other direction. "Fruit stands- fruit stands- duck, duck, duck!"

"Sorry!" JJ began pushing past the hoards of locals to head toward the market stalls. "Sorry man, sorry man-"

"Excuse me, sorry!" Bianca winced when she accidentally bumped shoulders with someone.

"Duck!" Cleo ordered the girls who hid behind a stall of pre-packaged corn.

Pope and JJ crouched on their haunches beside them, trying to peer over the fruits at the two men getting out of the jeep. One they recognized as Singh's right-hand man, Officer Ryan, and the other, as Officer Fenton, who held Kiara captive in Vaux Hall. Both were strapped with rifles, surveying the crowd.

"Over by the bus," Ryan nodded in their direction.

Bianca held her breath, tucking herself further into the corner as the two guards neared. Ryan began speaking in Spanish to the man who was mapping out El Dorado for them earlier.

Kiara nudged Bianca, "What's he saying?"

"He's asking if he's seen any teenagers around," She whispered back.

"What did he say- what's happening now?" Cleo's eyes widened when she saw Ryan poke the man's chest.

"Shh! I'm not that good at this- shut up for a sec-" Bianca whispered harshly before refocusing. "He said he hasn't seen any. Ryan's mad. He's telling him to calm down," Then, her eyebrows drew together. "He's telling him where we are... No, he's sending him in the wrong direction. He's covering for us, I think."

"Alright," Ryan stepped back. "Go this way."

"Move aside," Fenton assessed the bus, pushing past the locals and cocked his gun. "Move! Get out the way!"

"Alright, Fenny. Come on," Ryan ordered, turning back to the jeep. "Let's go. Let's check down the alley."

JJ and Pope peered over the corn to watch Fenton jog toward the vehicle while Ryan got into the driver's seat. Only when the engine revved and the car drove around the corner did the group slump in relief.

The Pogues got to their feet after they were sure the coast was clear. They needed to keep moving if they were going tomeet up with John B and Sarah and get to El Dorado in time.

Cleo scoffed, glancing over at the girls, "Welcome to South America."

"Warm welcome," Bianca swatted away the flies around her. She placed her hands on her hips, "So... Where's Sarah and John B?"

As it turned out, Rafe put out a hit on Ward through Barry which he quickly realized, after his phone call with Bianca, was the wrong decision. He managed to get to his father just in time but not fast enough to stop a local from witnessing Ward's resurrection from the dead.

From there it was a bloody ride to the airstrip where the Pogues were waiting for JJ, Kiara, and Bianca to return. To their surprise, it was Rafe and a bloody, injured Ward who showed up instead, demanding to be let on the plane.

Of course, the Pogues were against it but it was hard to argue the fact that it was the Cameron's plane after all. Rafe stayed back, watching his father, whom he tried to kill, leave with the Pogues until Shoupe and the rest of the Sheriff's department showed up after being tipped by the local that Ward was alive. They demanded answers but now it was a waiting game to find out whether Rafe would actually give it to them.

In Venezuela, Carlos Singh was slowly catching on that Big John could not translate the Gnomon. His poor attempt at buying himself time was failing.

By the time the Pogues landed, Ward, with his walking stick tried to come with them. He claimed he wanted to help butSarah had been burned one too many times. She refused to let the man join them on the treasure hunt he tried to hijack many times over. Enough was enough.

So, with Ward flying back to Guadeloupe, and after assuming Singh had already started the journey upriver, the Pogues set off to look for a river guide named, José. He was one of Neville's friends who would take them upriver to the dig site.

It was Pope's idea that if Jose was anything like the river guides in OBX, he was probably getting drunk on a holiday. So, they asked up and down, in bars and pubs, all over the street but came up short.

After no luck, John B and Sarah were giving up. It wasn't until they heard a ruckus from one of the buildings did they realize their luck hadn't run out just yet. After a little investigating, they figured out the ruckus was actually Big John attempting his escape only to be locked in again by Singh's men.

With the help of a couple of fireworks from the locals and one, big steely ladder, John B and Sarah managed to rescue Big John. Well, rescue wasn't the best word for it. They caused the distraction which helped him escape. Big John did the rest himself.

From there, Pope and Cleo managed to accidentally run into Kiara, JJ, and Bianca as they were getting off the bus.Meanwhile, John B, Sarah, and Big John were making plans to trek to Solana before the Solstice. But even then, they still hasn't translated the glyphs.

That was when John B and Sarah revealed Denmark's Letter, courtesy of Pope, had the direct translations. Big John was ecstatic, they were one step closer to El Dorado but it was clear he was still unsure about the other Pogues joining in on their little treasure hunt.

They headed down to the river next in hopes of finding Jose again. Finally, a local pointed them in the right direction andwhen they met Jose, he claimed their trip had already been paid for by a friend.

Confused, the three realized their so-called 'friend' who would be joining them upstream was Ward Cameron.

Big John was fuming, convinced by the idea Sarah was in on it all, and held Ward by the neck. But when Singh and his men arrived by the river, they knew they had no choice but to head upstream and leave their grudges behind.

Sarah, John B, Ward, and Big John took the river upstream to El Tesoro where they would hole up for the night and move out at first light for the dig site. Here, shielded by the humid, wet trees of the jungle, it was practically a waiting game to see who would kill each other first.

John B could only hope, as he glanced down at Sarah, that they would find the others soon. They may have loved their fathers but trust had to be earned— something the couple knew didn't come easy with Big John or Ward Cameron.

author's note. omg we're so close to the end! and obx4 just wrapped up filming i'm so happy!!! what are you guys most excited to see next season? i cannot wait to write bianca and jj again but not so excited to write out all of the jiara scenes lol.