SMOKE SIGNALS     /     OUTERBANKS
ੈ✩‧₊˚ written by catie . . . © vqnillascented
chapter thirty four  ━━ ' team up '

"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?" Alex felt her confusion twisting and turning into anger. Hot, bubbling lava in her veins at the sight of his face. "Why are you here?"

Rafe stared at her blankly, calmly, with the slightest hint of a smile on his face. "I could ask you the same thing."

She didn't even try to swallow back her scoff. "I have no idea! They freaking kidnapped me off of the beach."

He glanced down at his glass, swirling the amber liquid. "I'm here for a meeting."

"Oh, good. Glad your travel was less traumatic than mine." Sarcasm oozed from her words.

His smile grew, eyes still down, watching his ice. "You look nice."

Turning her back to him so he couldn't look at her anymore, she inspected one of the many elaborate paintings on the walls. "Don't talk to me."

She heard him take a drink. "You started this conversation."

Gaze locked onto a very detailed image of a monkey, her annoyance continued to grow. "And I'm ending it."

Footsteps. His footsteps approached her. She still refused to turn around, keeping her eyes locked on the painting, feigning interest.

"You seem angry, Alex."

This made her turn on him, her face flushed with rage. "I want to find out what the hell is going on here, and then get the hell out of whatever here is. I don't have to talk to you. I don't want to talk to you."

"Ouch." He placed a hand over his chest, like she had wounded him. But he was still smiling. "That's a bit hurtful, don't you think?"

"I hope so." She spat, pushing past him to approach the table.

She ran her hands along the velvet table cloth, trying to calm herself down. She couldn't think when she was this angry. She needed to think.

"Are you and your little friends trying to weasel in on my deal?"

Brow furrowed, she threw a glance back at him. "What deal?"

"Don't play dumb." He let out a huff. "I know you're not dumb."

That almost made her laugh. "Are you and Ward behind my kidnapping?"

Rafe threw his hands up, getting angry now too. "I had no idea that you were even going to be here, Alex! How could I ━ "

Just then, another voice joined them in the room. "I wondered if your little reunion would cause sparks, you know."

Rafe and Alex turned towards the open doorway, leading into another room, with a large fireplace and two long couches. Standing in front of the fireplace was a man, his back to them.

"Who are you?" Rafe looked him up and down.

The man turned to face them, but still, Alex didn't recognize him. He jabbed a finger into his chest, into his well-pressed suit. "My name is Carlos Singh. It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Cameron." He turned to Alex. "Ms. Thornbury, I am deeply sorry for the method in bringing you here. There was no other way. But please, come, sit down. I don't bite."

They filed into the room with him, sharing a tentative look. Despise him as she might, it comforted Alex slightly to know that Rafe also had no idea what was going on. At least everyone here wasn't out to get her.

Alex took a seat on one of the couches, stifling a groan when Rafe sat directly beside her.

"So you kidnapped Alex to get her here." Rafe said, watching as Singh poured some glasses from a bar cart in the corner. "What about me?"

"False pretenses." Singh replied. "But the ends justify the means, I'm afraid."

Alex waved her hand through the air, getting tired of the vague sentiments. "Why are we here?"

Singh set three glasses on the table between them, before taking a seat on a sofa across from them. "Well, we share certain interests, Ms. Thornbury. Objectives, Mr. Cameron."

Rafe held his head in his hands. "Is this not about the cross?"

"It is." Singh smiled. "Tangentially, it is about the cross, but it's also about sometimes much, much bigger."

Alex shook her head, none of her confusion getting cleared up in the slightest. "Can you just come out with it? What are we doing here, and what do you want?"

Singh, who's gaze had wandered off to a painting on the wall of a man surrounded by golden statues, brought his gaze back to Alex, his eyes twinkling with amusement. "The completion of a grand quest. The story goes that 450 years ago, a Spanish soldier came out of the Orinoco Basin with a few gold beads. And when they asked him where the beads came from, he replied that he got them from a peaceful Indigenous tribe who lived in a city of gold. El Dorado."

Alex watched him suspiciously, remembering the book that JJ had found in Jimmy's bag. The Loss of El Dorado by V.S. Naipaul.

Singh continued, "For the next 450 years, people tried to find that gold, you know. They tried. Conquistadors, knights, captains of ships, tribes, entire nations. All fighting each other in a race for the end of the rainbow. Thousands of lives laid on the pure of gold fever. And it falls to me, you know. It falls to me to complete the task. And you two..." He pointed at them both. "You two are going to play a part in that."

Alex carefully glanced over at Rafe, who had his mouth pressed in a thin line, shaking his head as if calling bullshit.

"What about you, Ms. Thornbury?" Singh's words pulled her attention back to him. "Are you interested in history?"

She looked him in the eye. "Not at all."

Rafe scoffed. "I didn't listen to a word you said, okay? How much you gonna keep philosophizing?"

Singh glanced between them, chuckling. "You are very direct people, aren't you? I can see how this worked."

Alex's brow pinched. Singh noticed her confusion and added, "You two were together, were you not?"

Her cheeks flushed hot. Anger or embarrassment, she couldn't tell. "How do you know that?"

"I know things, Ms. Thornbury." He smirked. "That's why the two of you are here specifically. I figured you'd already know how to work together."

Alex couldn't stifle her laugh. "We definitely do not."

Rafe sat completely still next to her, staring at the soft carpet.

"Well, you're resourceful, you'll figure it out." Singh let out a sigh. "I've come to believe that you and your friends are in possession of something that can help me get what I want."

"Who says that I'm going to help you?" Alex asked.

Singh ignored her question, instead continuing on, "An old manuscript. A diary, actually."

Alex stared at him, trying to keep her breathing even as she scanned her memory. The only diary that they had in their possession was Denmark Tanny's, and that was back on Kildare. But what did Denmark have to do with El Dorado? Wouldn't he have mentioned it?

"I don't know anything about a diary." She said. A half-truth.

Frustration flashed in his eyes. "How else could you have learned that the cross was on the Royal Merchant?"

She took a deep breath, not liking the sudden intensity of his stare. "I don't know what you want me to say. I don't have what you need."

He nodded, slowly. "I was hoping you wouldn't say that. Because unfortunately, I don't believe you. You and your friend here couldn't have found the cross without it."

"Not my friend." She mumbled.

"Look, this is ridiculous." Rafe sighed, rising to his feet. "I'm out. I don't know anything about a diary, okay?" He started for the door, only to be stopped by a guard holding a large shotgun.

"Do I look like a fool to you, Mr. Cameron?" Singh asked, standing up and approaching him.

Rafe shrugged, stepping back into the room, away from the gun.

"You have the cross." Singh said. "She and she friends had the cross at one point. So one of you has the diary."

Rafe stayed silent.

"If you really don't know," Singh clenched his jaw. "Then I suggest you convince your friend to tell me."

Alex lifted her gaze to meet Rafe's, surprised to see genuine confusion in his expression.

"Once I have the diary," Singh began pacing. "You'll be free to leave." He gave a friendly smile, but there was a hidden message behind his words:

They're stuck here until she fesses up.

Singh led them back upstairs, into a larger bedroom. "Enjoy the grounds during your stay," He told them. "I must warn you though, I'm not a man of infinite patience." He held up one finger. "You have a day. Go to the window for a little demonstration."

With this, he left them alone, shutting and locking the door behind himself.

Alex shifted on her feet, glancing up at Rafe before approaching the window. She peeled back the curtain, trying not to flinch when she felt him brush up behind her.

She scanned the grounds below, not seeing anything, until ━

"Jimmy." She whispered, watching as several guards dragged him kicking and yelling out of a car.

"Who's Jimmy?" Rafe scoffed.

Alex didn't say anything. She kept watching as they took him to one of the porches, disappearing behind the wall. Singh joined them outside, looking directly up into their window as he pulled a gun from his belt.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa." Rafe leaned in closer, as Singh rounded the corner as well, gone from view. Alex would've shoved him off of her, if she wasn't holding her breath for what would happen next.

Moments later, a single gunshot echoed out from the porch.

Alex gasped, stepping away from the window as guards started to drag Jimmy's limp body back across the lawn.

Rafe remained by the glass, breathing heavily. "This diary. Don't bullshit me, okay? Do you have it?"

Alex didn't say anything, sinking down onto the end of the bed, trying to steady her racing heart and spinning mind. Singh wanted Denmark's diary. That had to be it. That's what had led them to the cross.

Rafe turned away from the window, approaching her. "Alex, do you have it?"

"No." She said, burying her face in her hands. "I don't." Lie.

"No bullshit?" His gaze didn't waver.

"No bullshit." Lie. She didn't know why lying to Rafe made her stomach twist into knots. He certainly didn't deserve the truth.

He huffed, running his hands over his short hair. "We gotta figure something out, Alex."

She lifted her head from her hands. "You don't think I know that?!"

"Just tell him you don't have it!" He raised his voice.

"You think he's gonna listen?" She scoffed, praying that he was believing her act. She hoped it was convincing enough, he gave her plenty of anger to work with.

He closed the gap between them, putting his hands on her shoulders. "Either we tell him, or we die, okay? You understand that?"

"Yes, I understand that, Rafe. Get off me." She shoved his hands off of her, climbing onto her feet.

"Can we at least try to get along?" He sighed, giving her a few feet of space between them. "At least while we're stuck here."

She narrowed her eyes at him. "I'd get along much better with you if you'd shut your mouth."

He scoffed. "You were always so snappy, huh?"

"Oh, I'm sorry that you couldn't just walk all over me and manipulate me into believing everything you say." She rolled her eyes.

"Come on, Alex." He took a step closer. "You loved me once, did you not?"

The satisfying sound echoed through the room when she slapped him.

Her hand contacted his cheek so hard, his skin was already turning red when he faced her again.

"You have nothing but the nerve, Rafe Cameron." She snarled.

He stayed quiet, only watching as she approached the window.

"I'm doing this for me, not you." She said, earning a short nod before pushing back the curtains. She waved down one of the balcony guard's attention. "I need to talk to Mr. Singh!" She mouthed, but he simply turned away from her, ignoring her request.

She sighed, turning back to face Rafe. "They're not listening. Just like I said."

He didn't look at her as he spoke, keeping his eyes down. "I deserved that, okay? I know that?"

"Me slapping you?" She crossed her arms. "Yeah, you did."

"But I'm all that you got right now. Those guys out there are waiting to shoot us, and Singh wants the diary more than he wants us to live."

"Thanks for stating the obvious." She scoffed.

He lifted his eyes to meet hers, pupils still a bit glassy. "That makes us friends in here, okay? We have to work together, no matter how much you hate it. Hate me."

She stared at him, scanning his expression for a hidden motive, for anything that might be laced with his words. But she found nothing but earnest.

That only made her feel worse about lying. Rafe was kind of right, even though they were definitely not friends. He was the only person in this entire building that didn't want her dead. What a shocking turn of events.

She nearly jumped when there was a knock at the door. A guard stepped into the room, a hand on his gun. "You needed something, Ms. Thornbury?"

Alex cleared her throat, refocusing. "I need to talk to Mr. Singh."

"Is your friend coming with you?" The guard glanced over at Rafe.

Alex swallowed, refusing to look back. "No. Just me."

She heard Rafe let out a breath, but still, she remained facing forward. She just couldn't bring herself to trust him. The guard grabbed her arm, leading her out into the hall, shutting the door on Rafe.

Down the stairs they went, back into the main sitting room. Singh was sitting on the couch, staring at the ground, mind elsewhere.

Alex coughed softly to get his attention.

"Ms. Thornbury." He sat up a bit straighter.

She hung back, keeping several feet between them. "I lied."

"You know about the diary?"

She nodded.

His eyes shone. "And you can get it to me?"

"Yes." Her skin was humming with nerves. The room was so quiet, she could hear her own heartbeat in her ears.

Slowly, Singh began to nod. "I'm relieved to hear that." He reached out and snatched a grape from the platter in front of him, taking his time chewing. 

Alex dug her fingernails into her palms. "What now?"

He chuckled, finally swallowing. "Relax. Nothing's gonna happen to you, not now that you're cooperating. I don't want to make you feel uncomfortable, you know."

She forced back a scoff, tucking her arms over her stomach. "It's a little late for that." She muttered.

His smirk only grew. "You're fiery. I like that about you."

Ignoring his compliment, she narrowed her eyes at him. "I just want to get out of here."

He took another grape. "You will. Once you get me the diary."

"I can get it." She said. "But I don't want any of your incredibly unnecessary guards coming with me. I want to go alone."

"I need some collateral, then, you know." He says, leaning back on the coach, hands folding in his lap. "So I know you won't just run away."

Alex's pulse quickened. "Rafe." She breathed. "Keep him here until I get back."

Singh laughed out loud at this, getting up from his seat. "I know that boy means nothing to you. So, me keeping him forever means nothing to you."

Wincing at the twisting behind her ribs, she whispered, "It doesn't mean nothing to me."

"And I'm just supposed to believe you?" Singh's eyes were wild as he turned towards her.

Alex swallowed hard. "I don't like him, you're right about that. But I don't want what happened to Jimmy to happen to him. Not here. I want him to get out of here too."

"I don't trust you."

Impatience prickled up her neck. "Well, I'm telling you the truth. I know where the diary, so let me go and I'll get it. I promise."

He scoffed again. "I built this fortune myself, you know, from nothing. From absolutely nothing. Do you know how that happened, Miss Thornbury? Hmm?"

Slowly, he stepped closer to her, one ominous footfall after the other. She forced herself not to move away, to stay exactly where she was, holding her chin high as he approached.

Now less than a foot away, he breathed, "I can assure you, it was not by being a fool. Don't even think about wasting my time."

Too late. She fought back a wince.

Singh went on, "The diary holds the key to the ultimate conquest, and that, my young friend, Alexandria, is my destiny."

The sound of her name on his tongue sent a wave of goosebumps over her skin.

He snarled. "You need to tell me where it is, or I'm gonna━" He was interrupted by a loud buzzing coming from the table. Alex snuck a glance in that direction, seeing a phone lit up with a text.

Singh sighed harshly before leaving her to grab the phone. She payed close attention to her breath, to her movements, as she watched him, careful not to make any sudden noises or anything to startle him.

Her gut was screaming at her to run, while he's distracted staring down at the screen. But there were probably hundreds of guards outside, and she got the feeling they wouldn't hesitate to fire.

So, she stayed put.

Singh laughed at the phone, the noise making Alex's stomach churn.

"Amazing." He looked back at her. "A text from our friend Jimmy Portis. From beyond the grave, apparently."

Confusion snaked it's way around her throat, making it hard to breathe as Singh turned the screen to face her.

There, staring back at her, was a photo of Sarah and John B, followed by the message: I got these two.

But Jimmy was dead.

Alex swallowed as the phone was lowered from her face. Somebody must've swiped his phone from the plane. They were trying to rescue her.

"It appears Mr. Portis has captured your friends." Singh's eyes were wild.

She watched as he responded, panic clenching at her chest. She wanted to yell, wanted to slap the phone from his hand,  but she was frozen as he typed.

I'll come meet you. Send me your location.

Her next breath shuddered out. "No..."

He lifted his eyes to meet hers. Staring directly at her, he called, "Fenton. Get Miss Thornbury."

"No!" She exclaimed, a guard entering the room, arms reaching for her. "You have to listen to me! I have no idea what they're planning! Let me talk to them! I'll tell them about the diary, I'll tell them everything! Please!"

Singh remained silent as she was dragged back upstairs and locked in with Rafe once again.

She let her fist come down on the back of the door, over and over. "Singh! Let me talk to them, please! Don't hurt them! Don't hurt them!"

Fingers wrapped around her pounding fists, pulling her away from the splintering wood. Rafe turned her around in his grasp so she was facing him, her eyes wild and chest heaving.

"What's going on? What happened?" His gaze darted across her face.

She yanked her wrists from his hands. "Don't fucking touch me!" 

She stumbled towards the bed, collapsing onto the end of it, slumping over and holding her head in her hands.

She had offered up the diary, just like that. Whether she was actually gonna get it for him or not, she still wasn't sure, but it didn't matter now. She was back at square one.

No, square negative one hundred. Singh knew where her friends were. God knows what he was willing to do for that diary. Jimmy didn't get a necessarily understanding fate.

"You're leaving me hanging here, Alex." Rafe's voice cut through her spiraling thoughts.

"Shut up!" She snapped, lifting her head to glare at him. "I'm not talking to you."

He scoffed. "At some point you're going to have to."

Her blood heated. "I'm sorry that I don't feel very inclined to help you, Rafe. Do you ever wonder why? Have you lost count of how much shit you've put me through?"

He threw his hands up in the air. "With Peterkin, I was protecting my father, okay? You know that. And I...I didn't mean to come at you like that after, I just got caught up in the moment."

"Caught up in the moment...." She couldn't hold in her laugh. "You threatened to kill me."

"You came at me with scissors, Alex!"

"You deserved it!"

"I never wanted to hurt you!" She was almost inclined to believe him, from the way that his eyes were shining in the sunlight. But she would never forget what he'd done. "I was always just trying to help my dad, to get him out of trouble, and look where that got me!"

"You did those things, though." Her voice came out softer. "You killed Peterkin. You intended to do it, and you went and did it. That makes you a murderer. You're not a victim."

"What I did was wrong! I admit that! All of it was wrong!" He jabbed his hand into his chest, his eyes going a bit glossy. "I want you to understand where I'm coming from!"

She lifted her chin to look him in the eye. "I could never understand, Rafe."

His face cracked. "I'm sorry, Alex. I never wanted you to hate me like this."

To her surprise, she felt her heart ache. She forced her face to stay straight, forced her voice not to waver. "Well, you should've thought about that."

A tear made its way down his cheek. "I know, I know that, but..." He shuddered. "I just lose control in moments like that, you know? I don't know what happened. I...I don't know what happened to me."

"Me neither." She whispered.

A memory flashed in front of her eyes then. Rafe, nine years younger, playing video games with the door open when she was over with Sarah. They used to scream at him and bang on the walls to get him to turn it down. She remembered him at school, stealing glances at her work over her shoulder, because he was too lazy to study. He used to get drunk in high school, stumbling around the house, angry from the booze.

He had always been annoying at the very best, but...she really didn't know what happened to him either.

She hated how empathy was softening her anger, was melting away the heat in her bones. She hated him, she'd always hate him, but seeing him standing there, cheeks stained with tears, she couldn't maintain the fire of her fury.

She was hollow and filled with smoke.

He fell into one of the chairs next to the window. "I'm trying to be better, you know?"

"Good." She said, speaking softly, watching him, still wary.

"I don't want to be like this, Alex, I don't. I'm not this bad guy that you think I am."

She felt her throat burning. She would not cry. Not for him.

He sucked down a breath, regaining his composure. "I'm the one who put your dad's body in the sewer."

She felt like he had just punched her. She would've preferred it, honestly.

"It was me, it was, but I only did it because Dad told me to." He was rising from his chair then, and he could've been walking on the ceiling for all she knew, her world was spinning so much.

"You're not helping yourself here, Rafe." She closed her eyes against her rapid heart rate and dizziness. "Plus, I kind of assumed that already."

Next thing she knew, Rafe was lowering himself to the floor in front of her. His hand rested gingerly atop her knee, his gaze locked onto her face. Her breath caught in her chest, brows furrowing at the sight.

Rafe Cameron was on his knees in front of her.

There was a time she would've enjoyed this very much. She was still enjoying it a little bit, only now, with more of a twinge of pride.

"I don't want to hurt you anymore. And I don't want to lie to you either." He breathed. "So that's the truth. I did it, all of it. I threatened you, hurt you, hurt your friends, hurt Sarah and I'm the one who stole your dad's chance at a burial. He was a really good man."

"I know." Her words came out quick and biting.

He took a deep breath, slipping his hand from her knee. She hadn't realized until he moved that she hadn't pushed him away.

"I'm sorry. About everything."

She scanned his face, looking for any trickery or ulterior motives, but she found none. "I can't forgive you, Rafe. But it is good to know that you feel bad."

"I know you can't." He nodded, sniffling. "Thank you for listening, at least."

She gave him a tight smile. "Yeah, you're welcome."

Silence hung in the air between them, but the tension from early had almost fully vanished.

Finally, Rafe spoke again, "So, I've got this boat that can get us off the island ━"

Alex scoffed. "Whoa, who said I was working with you?"

Rafe motioned to the empty room. "I'm all you got."

"I don't trust you." She said, her face solemn.

"I know." He nodded fast. "You don't have to. We just have to get out of here, then you never have to see me again."

She lifted a brow. "Is that a promise?"

His mouth twitched upwards. "It is if you want it to be."

She hummed, a sarcastic smile plastered on her face. "Don't flirt with me."

He got to his feet, putting some space between them. "Sorry."

With a deep breath, she opened her mouth and said something she never thought she'd say. "Alright, Rafe Cameron, I'm in. What's this about a boat?"

catie speaks!

RAFEALEX TEAM UP?? good? bad? will jj find out? will he be okay with it? find out next time...☝️🤓

sorry, i just really love drama. i can't help myself.

any thoughts? theories?

thank you so much for reading! i hope you liked it!! please vote and comment if you enjoyed, and follow to be notified when i update! love you alllll 😘

virtual hugs,
catie!