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"What the hell happened?" John B asks as they tie the boat off at the dock

"Someone tried to kill us." Estrella pants holding her hand to her stomach

"What? Why? That doesn't make sense." Pope says

"Obviously, they were going after the same thing we were, right?" John B says. Estrella takes deep breaths as she hangs her head low

"That amulet was worth something. That old man is keeping some secret." Cleo says holding JJ's head up, "Then someone else is waiting down there? I knew that story was bunk."

Pope eyes Estrella and JJ as the girl groans, "My stomach feels like shit."

Pope walks over to JJ and grabs his face, "Hey, man, did you take your safety stop?"

"I'm gonna say it one more time." JJ breathes, "Someone was trying to kill us. We did not make the safety stop."

"They have the bends. We need to get them to the hospital. Now."

John B and Sarah rush to Estrella as Pope and Cleo help JJ up, "Nice and easy. You've just got a couple bubbles in your blood right now."

"I've got bubbles in my blood?" Estrella grunts

"No. You're gonna be fine." He says as Charlotte and Kie help them off the boat

•••

"Come on, John B!" Cleo yells

"I'm going. I'm going." He says stomping on the gas

"Hey, watch out! Watch out!" Pope yells. A car honks at them while John B swerves.

"Deep breaths. Deep breaths." Sarah says calmly. Estrella looks to her as Sarah pushes her hair out of her face, "John B, can you please go faster?"

"Shit." John B mutters

"Hey." Pope calls out, "Who was down there with you guys?"

"No idea, Pope." JJ strains, "But y'all are not gonna believe this."

JJ pulls a shirt out and hands it to Sarah. Sarah unwraps it as Cleo looks over, "What is that?"

"You found it?" Sarah asks wide eyed as she uncovers the amulet

"Oh shit."

"What?" Pope asks

"That's the thing he was looking for."

"Holy shit. Holy shit." John B gasps, "Why didn't you tell us sooner?"

"I was too busy dying." JJ grunts

"John B!" Cleo yells

"I'm going. I'm going."

"You're a rock star, girl!" Cleo says, but Estrella can barely share her excitement. She had never felt pain like she had in this moment. Tears gathered at her waterline as Cleo smiles, "Fifty thousand!"

"Holy shit. Holy shit." John B smiles

"Fifty K." JJ groans

"It was worth it." Estrella mutters

"Cha-ching."

The tires screech as John B finally comes to a stop in front of the hospital. The doors fly open as the teens file out of the Twinkie.

"All right. Let's go." Pope says

"You got her?" Sarah asks as Kie helps Estrella climb out

"Here you go." Kie says

"Pope, keep going." John B says as they open the trunk to help JJ out of the back. John B wraps Estrella's arm around him, "I've got you. Come on."

"Come on. Come on." Kie says as they burst through the hospital doors

Estrella groans as John B walks with her, "I got you."

"Hey, hey, hey, hey, I need help." Charlotte says as a doctor takes JJ

Another doctor takes Estrella's other arm. John B holding her, "I got you."

"Okay." Estrella breathes

"I got you." He says as the doctors lead them to the hyperbaric chamber. Estrella climbs in first with a groan. JJ breathes heavily as he lays beside her.

"Jay." She breathes

"I'm right here." He grunts, "Oh, jeez."

•••

As the doctor finished explaining to John B that Estrella and JJ were gonna be okay, he looked to the chamber with a worried expression. Estrella's head lulls to the side and her eyes land on John B. She gives him the middle finger making him smile before her eyes shut and she turns away.

The boy looks down and heads out to the Twinkie. The others look up as he approaches them, "Okay, so, good news, they're gonna be okay. They just need a little while to decompress."

"Shit, man." Cleo sighs

"I'm just glad they're okay." Charlotte says

"While we wait, I say we go back to Genrette's and demand cash for this amulet." Pope says, "I don't know about you guys, but after all we've been through, I think we're owed a lot more than 50K."

"Where'd that come from?" Sarah asks

"Cheese on bread."  Cleo mutters

"You've been hanging out with JJ too much." Kie says

"I'm just saying, whatever dude is hiding from us is worth a lot more than 50K." Pope says, "We need to go see him. Now."

"Pope. Hey, listen, buddy. Um..." John B says placing his hands on his shoulders, "I think that's a damn good idea."

"Bad man Pope." Cleo claps

Pope turns to John B, "Really?"

"Yeah. Hell yeah, 50K my ass, bro." John B chuckles

"Dude's cheating us for sure, right?"

"Let's go! Come on."

"Let's get in the bus." Kie says

"Let's get this money."

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"Star?" JJ mutters

"Mmm."

"You almost died. I should've never let you go down there."

"Then who would've saved your life?" She says, "If I wasn't there, he would have gotten you."

"Okay. I saved you too."

Estrella turns to the side with a small smile, "You did."

"Thank God."

Estrella reaches over and grabs his hand, "You know, I really thought things were different now. But it really is just us against the world, isn't it?"

"Mm-hmm." JJ hums, "Us against the universe, more like. And we're winning." Estrella chuckles as JJ nods, "We are."

"You know..." Estrella says looking around the chamber, "we're in here for 12 hours."

"Mm-hmm." JJ hums, "What are we gonna do?"

Estrella's eyes flicker down to his lips, "I'm sure we'll think of something."

As JJ inches closer, a voice comes over the intercom, "Dr. Roberts to room 43. Dr. Roberts to room 43."

The two look over at the open window. Estrella lifts up and takes her pillow and sets it up against the window. As soon as she lays back, JJ sits up and cups her jaw. Estrella giggles as he litters her jaw in kisses.

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"If these people are willing to kill for this amulet, I wonder how much it's worth." Pope says

"Okay. Let's show him the piece and then, what, throw out a price?" John B says

"A million dollars." Sarah says

"I like it." Cleo smiles

"Go big. My dad taught me that."

"Wait a minute." Kie says, "What the hell? Is that Shoupe?"

"No. No. We're gonna turn around." John B says

"Don't."

"What? No." John B says, "Pope, you don't voluntarily go towards cops."

"I agree with John B. It's too risky." Cleo says

"If we run now, we trigger the chase mechanism." Pope says, "Just stay the course."

"Okay. Okay." John B sighs

"And here he comes."

"Not afraid of cops."

"We didn't do anything wrong."

"Didn't do anything wrong."

"There they are!" Shoupe says as they get closer to the dock

"Shoupe." Pope nods

Shoupe chuckles, "Great treasure hunters."

"Yeah."

"Bring it on in. Toss the line." He says. As they approach, Pope tosses him the line, "Oh, lucky me. I was just coming to see ya."

"Oh yeah? Why, uh..." John B says as he ties it off, "Why would you come to see us, Shoupe?"

"You know, uh, the old guy who lives here? Who you talked to yesterday?"

"Yeah." Pope says

"Okay. So you did talk to him?" Shoupe nods as Cleo sucks her teeth looking up at Pope, "Yeah. Glad you confirmed that. Well, that old guy is up there... dead. And, except for his son-in-law, you were the last ones to see him."

"The curse?" Sarah whispers to Charlotte

"So, uh, y'all ain't going anywhere. Why don't you all just, uh, step on up?" Shoupe says, "We got a lot to talk about."

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