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They all were sat on logs around a fire. Estrella had her legs over one another as her hands laid in her lap.

"Hey, guys. So, like, my dad's already gonna kill me. So what's this mandatory meeting about?" Pope says

"Might as well tell him, man, before we're gaffed." JJ says. Estrella raises her brows as she looks to John B.

"You ready for this?"

"Yeah."

"So, the gold never went down with the Royal Merchant."

"Oh, my God. Here we go again with this." Pope sighs looking to Estrella

"No. All right, wait. Hear him out, all right?"

"It's been here the whole time. It's on the island."

"Seriously?" Estrella says

"Oh, my God." Kie chuckles

"I'd like to voice my skepticism."

"I'm sure you would, Pope, but can I please present you with my evidence, sir?"

"Proceed." Pope says waving his hand out

"All right. So, in my backpack, I have a letter from Denmark Tanny."

"Who the hell's that?" Kie says

"Denmark Tanny was a slave that survived the Royal Merchant wreck. Check this out."

"What?"

"Here you go." John B says handing Kie the letter

"Okay, slaves weren't mentioned as crew members on the ship, but my dad, he found the complete manifest. That was his big discovery. So, Tanny used the gold from the Merchant to buy his freedom."

Kie reaches over and hands the letter to Estrella.

"After that, he bought his farm. Drumroll, please, because that farm is..." The teens smack their hands against their legs, "Tannyhill Plantation."

"Tannyhill?" Kie says as Estrella hands Pope the letter. Pope immediately takes out a flashlight to look over the letter.

"Yeah. So, after that, he used his money to free even more slaves, and then he sold a shit-ton of rice, which pisses off all the white planters, and then they decide to lynch him."

"So on the day they were coming to get him, he writes a letter to his son as a farewell, and in the last line of that letter, he leaves a coded message about where to find the gold."

"Where?" Estrella says

"Harvest the wheat in parcel nine, near the water. Except... there's no wheat. You see, wheat is code for gold. Check this out." He says walking over to Pope, "The gold is in parcel nine, near the water."

Kie chuckles as Estrella smiles.

"Holy shit." Pope says

"All we need is an original survey map of the property, and we've found the gold."

"Okay, so this might have a small chance of being actually true."

"Dude, it's like King Tut." Kie says

"I am a genius." John B says as JJ walks over and picks him up off of his feet, "Hey, whoa! Hello. Fire. You're near the fire. You're gonna burn."

"I'm so proud of you right now." JJ says

"Thank you. That's really sweet of you."

"Okay, so, guys. What's the plan?" Estrella says

John B points to her, "Good question. Sarah Cameron's coming tonight. She'll bring an original survey map-"

"Hold on." Kie says, "Sarah? Wh-why Sarah?"

"Um..."

"This is gonna be good." JJ says

"Sarah, um, she... she got me into the archives in Chapel Hill yesterday, and that's where I got the letter."

"You were in Chapel Hill with Sarah Cameron?" Kie exclaims

"Yeah, um..."

"He was mackin' on her." JJ says

"I wasn't macking."

"You were totally macking Sarah Cameron." JJ and Estrella say

"I wasn't macking on her, okay? I was using her for access."

"There was access, all right." JJ mutters

"Did you tell her about the treasure?" Kie says

"I was trying to get into the archives." John B sighs

"Is that a yes?"

"I... I left out key details."

"Yo, what?" Kie chuckles humorlessly, "You let a Kook in on our secret? What about Pogue Lyfe? What about the T-shirt company, bro?"

"I was just using her for information."

"Why don't I believe you?"

"I'm trying to make us filthy rich here. Okay, so that we can pay off a boat, or... or, uh... send you to autopsy school to study dead bodies. Look, you guys know me. Do I look like the type of person to fall for Sarah Cameron?"

"Uh..."

"Do you want us to answer that, or..." Pope trails off

"I don't think you want us to answer that." Estrella shakes her head

"Just... just stop."

"Look, you don't know her yet. I do. You can't trust her."

"Her brother did hit me in the back with a golf club." Pope says

"Rafe and Sarah are different human beings." John B says

"What did she do to you, exactly?" JJ says

"She's like a... like a spitting cobra." Kie says. JJ and Estrella furrow their brows, "First, she... she blinds you, and then..."

"This is a bad analogy." Pope says

"Listen to me! Whatever we get, she's gonna try to take." Kie says. JJ looks to Estrella who just shrugs as she rests her head on her hand.

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John B pulls up to where he and Sarah were supposed to meet. Everyone else sat in the back.

"All right."

"Hit it, boys! We're goin'." Pope says

"Recon mission." JJ says as they start to get out

"Yo, uh... so, uh, I think I'm gonna do this one by myself... tonight." John B says. Kie rolls her eyes.

"Really?"

"What?"

"Nothin'."

"I don't want to spook Sarah with the peanut gallery."

"I just don't understand why we're involving her at all." Kie says

"Kie, we're not involving her, okay? It's... it's just, uh, like a... a business meeting... thing. Look, once we get what we need, we cut her loose, all right? Plus, we need the map."

"Promise me nothing's happening between you."

"Nothing is happening, Kie."

"I'm being serious."

"Okay!" John B exclaims. Estrella was already getting a headache from hearing about Sarah Cameron.

"This isn't about you, and this isn't about us. This is about her. Dude, she's gonna get inside your head. Just promise me nothing's happening between you guys."

"I promise." John B says as the thunder starts to roll

"That was really believable." Estrella mutters

"A hundred percent believable." Pope says

"Anyways, um... I'm gonna take care of business." John B says before he gets out

"You're gonna take care of that business so well." JJ says

"I tell you. We'll just sit here." Pope says, "in the hot-ass car. While it's lightning."

John B takes his backpack and closes the door leaving the rest of them in silence. Pope leaving the back door open to let air in.

"Kiara, holding onto your grudge is like drinking poison and thinking Sarah will die." Pope says

"Exactly." JJ nods

"That makes no sense." Estrella says

"It makes perfect sense." Pope says

"Okay." Estrella chuckles

"So, how was everyone's night?" JJ asks

"Amazing, until I showed up here." Kie snaps

"My night was good." Pope shrugs

"Star?"

"Definitely gonna have to ask my mom to make those little cake things again."

"Yo, your mom made those?" JJ says wide eyed

"Yeah."

"Oh, she's 100% gonna have to make them again." Pope says

"For sure, dude." JJ says

"What about you, Jay?" She asks

"It was alright. Rafe and Kelce followed me-"

"Wait, do you guys hear that? Sh." Kie says

"What?" Pope and JJ say as they all quiet down to listen

"Please, somebody help!"

"Oh, wait, no, I hear that." JJ says as he and Pope jump up

"Shit."

"What the fuck?" Kie says as she follows after Estrella. They all run toward where they heard the screaming. Sarah and John B come into view. Sarah crying as she held onto John B.

"Sarah! What happened?" Pope yells as they approach them

"I don't know what to do. He needs help. Topper shoved him." She says

"Where the hell is he?" JJ looks around

"Oh, please, please, please get help. I don't care who. Just call someone."

"Go. Go!" JJ yells as Pope runs off to the van

"Help, please."

"Pope, hurry!" Estrella yells

"John B, stay with me." Sarah cries before she kisses him, "Please don't leave me. John B?"

"Pope! Come on!" JJ yells

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