They landed on water.

But that didn't make it any less jarring.

Elora screamed as they all went sliding down to the cockpit end, which was fast being submerged. She tried not to cry out at the sight of Jimmy Portis, unconscious against the controls.

But she didn't have enough time to focus on that because soon, the whole plane was filling up, and they'd surely drown if they didn't get out right now.

She coughed before shouting. "Is everybody good?"

"JJ, wake up, man! We gotta get out!" Pope shouted, lifting JJ, who looked pale, up.

They all scrambled to the door, which John B managed to kick open as it thankfully wasn't submerged yet. He climbed out quickly, spotting around four or five men wearing uniforms running down to the shore.

"Oh no, they don't look good," John B shook his head.

"No, they look very unfriendly!" Pope corrected.

"Then let's get the fuck outta here!" Elora yelled, John B jumping out along with Cleo, Sarah and Pope. Tyler went next, then JJ, until only Kie and Elora were left inside.

"Kie, let's go!" Elora shouted.

"I'm coming!" Kie shouted, but she wasn't. She was looking backwards at Portis, expression conflicted. "Go!"

Elora shook her head. "Like hell I will."

Kie shook her head. "Elle-"

"No, Kie, come on! We're wasting time! Either we save Portis or we go with the others but I am not leaving you alone-"

She stopped as Kie gave up fighting her, crawling down into the cockpit to free him.

"Go round the other side!" She shouted at Elora. "I'll bring him out there."

Elora nodded, jumping out and into the water, which was only about chest height on her, looking back at the rest of the Pogues, who were about halfway to the peir by now.

And listen, she knew this decision to stay was reckless. She knew it was stupid and and she knew it was a terrible idea, but she also knew that Kie was the first one in this group that she'd become friends with. The first one that had ever shown her kindness. The first one to make her believe in happiness.

So she knew she needed to help her, whatever it took.

"Here," Kie said, managing to get Portis out the other door and passing his limp body to Elora

"I got you," Elora groaned as she took on his weight, beginning to swim as fast as she could to shore, Kie coming with to help with the weight.

Meanwhile, the other Pogues had reached the pier and were hiding underneath it. Tyler, however, had just realised one person was not present.

"Guys, guys, where's Elle?" He demanded, voice laced with fear and concern.

"And Kie! She's not here either!" JJ joined in, just as worried.

Sarah was the only one who had spotted them, looking with wide eyes across the water. "They went the other way."

Tyler's head jerked round and his eyes caught onto her immediately. Her red hair was the defining feature but even without it it was unequivocally her. She and Kie were holding an unconscious Jimmy Portis, dragging him to shore.

Elora and Kie were both out of energy by the time two passers by ran in to help them, pulling Jimmy free of the water and onto the sand.

"Take him, take him," Elora coughed as she and Kie choked out the water in their lungs, on their hands and knees in the sand.

"Thank you," came the voice of Portis, who was now apparently awake, turning his head to look at the two of them.

"You lied to us," Kie snarled. "Who are you?"

When he stayed silent Elora shoved his shoulder, yelling. "Fucking answer us!"

He still didn't answer, instead turning his head in the direction of land, where four or five men on bikes had appeared, driving straight towards them.

"Oh, god," Portis breathed out. "You should get outta here."

Elora and Kie exchanged a worried glance, both of them shaking their heads.

"Shit."

And then they were running, up the beach and onto the land. Underneath the pier the six other Pogues saw them go.

"Oh my god, oh my god," John B shook his head.

Elora and Kie were running as fast as their numb limbs could propel them, finding an old boat up on the beach and diving underneath it as cars began to arrive, filled with more men in uniform.

Elora and Kie knelt, bodies tensed and hearts beating faster than ever as they heard a man beginning to search their boat.

"Listen," Kie whispered to Elora. "When I say go, we run and we don't stop until we get back to the pier, okay?"

Elora nodded wordlessly, because there was nothing else she could do.

So, when a man came looking and Kie kicked him as hard as she could, yelling. "GO!" Elora followed her lead.

The two girls crawled out from under the boat as fast as they could, but to no avail. Outside, they were met with resistance; two men, both of which caught them and held them, trying to take them god knows where.

"Get the hell off me!" Elora screamed as another man got ahold of her.

"We want the red haired one!" Another officer shouted. "Bring her friend if you must!"

Elora looked at them with wide eyes, kicking and screaming and trying to escape.

"What the hell?" She demanded, writhing and struggling in the man's grip. "Let me go!"

From under the pier, Tyler watched it all. He saw those two men get their hands on her, dragging her towards one of their cars. His blood boiled as he watched them manhandle his girl, JJ looking the same as he watched Kie.

"Damn it," Tyler cursed. "What are we gonna do? We're going after them, right?"

"Hell yeah we are," JJ snarled.

"Where are they taking them?" Sarah uttered.

"Look, they're looking this way!" Cleo shook her head. "We gotta go!"

"JJ, Ty, come on," Sarah said. "We can't save them if we get caught."

And up on land, both Elora and Kie had been caught. They were sat in the back of two separate trucks, being watched by three officers each.

But what really made Elora's blood boil was when Jimmy Portis walked up to her, looking a mix between scared and stressed.

"We saved your life," she spat at him.

"I know, I know, and I'm sorry, okay?" Jimmy told her. "I swear, I didn't know it was gonna be like this. Look, if you don't fight, if you just do what they say, these guys probably won't hurt you."

Elora shook her head. "Too bad, cause fighting's the only way I do things."

Jimmy shook his head. "You don't understand, you-"

"How did Ward get you into this?" She demanded, because she was just sure that that asshole was behind this.

But Jimmy just looked at her blankly, asking. "Who?"

Elora shook her head, saying. "You're lying, you know exactly who I'm-"

"Listen, just take my advice and do what they say. Good luck."

Elora watched in absolute shock as he left and an officer with dark skin and a foreboding expression came to sit with her in the truck.

It was official. They should've never left the island.

It was also official that she and Kie had been kidnapped.

So clearly, the real adventure was just beginning.

𔓘𔓘𔓘

Wherever they were going, it was for sure a nice place.

Elora rode in the truck in front of Kie, so she was unable to see her friend's reaction to this. However, she was very capable of forming her own.

It was so... fancy. They were riding down a white road right now, lined with palm trees on either side. Just ahead of them there was a barrier and a bunch of guard dogs, which they only stopped at for a few seconds before they were permitted entrance.

The further they rode along the road, the more the house in front of them became visible. It was huge and painted white. It reminded Elora of every single Figure Eight house she'd ever seen, except bigger, and she hated it.

She hated it even more when the truck she was in stopped, and she was forced out of it.

She was taken through a small gate and led up to the house, which was surrounded by guards with guns. She looked backwards at Kie, who she only got a glimpse of before being forced back round, and resigned to the fact that she couldn't get out of this as they walked up the steps.

Not long after ascending them, they came to a wooden door with a fancy stained glass in the middle. The officer holding her didn't even have to knock before a woman with a stern face opened it, and she was shoved inside.

"What's going on...?" She muttered, knowing nobody would answer her as she was led inside a very, very nice house, with antiques and pictures and plants everywhere.

"Take her upstairs," the woman's voice startled her. "The Orinoco Room."

She had no idea what the fuck that meant, nor did she understand why she and Kie had been brought here.

"This way," one of the officers grabbed her arm hard, dragging her forward harshly and up the stairs. She gasped slightly with the pain, looking around in shock.

Everything was blurring together. Poguelandia, the plane crash, helping Jimmy, being brought here. She'd barely had time to process anything of what had just happened in the past hour, and she didn't know if she wanted it.

"Inside," the officer instructed of her when they got to this room, letting go of her.

Elora turned to face him, wanting to ask a million questions.

"What the fuck am I doing here? Where's Ward?" She demanded.

The officer's didn't even move, and he just told her. "Dinner at eight. I'd clean up."

Elora was so full of anger and shock and adrenaline that she did the only thing she could fathom, and slapped him.

"Just tell me why I'm here!" She yelled, hand stinging upon impact as the man's face faltered.

He looked at her dangerously, but she forced herself not to back down.

"They warned me you would be difficult," he told her. "I chose not to listen."

And before she could protest, he stepped out and shut the door. The click of it locking came the next second.

"No- no, no, no!" Elora gasped, trying the handle as she realised there was no escape. "Shit!"

She turned, because if she was trapped in here then she could at least assess her surroundings.

This room was fancier than almost anything she'd ever seen, especially for a girl who'd lived on a desert island for a month. It had huge windows with yellow curtains and white lacy drapes, a massive king sized bed lay in front of her. There were pictures all around, and various candles and lamps.

She crossed the room fast, heading towards the windows. Looking out, however, only revealed what she'd seen upon entering. More guards, more uniforms, more guns.

She turned, looking towards the one thing she hadn't looked at yet; the wardrobe. Inside about five of the same dress were hung up; a slim fitting, satin, emerald green dress. There was also a note hanging in there, which she took out and read.

ᴘɪᴄᴋ ʏᴏᴜʀ
sɪᴢᴇ

She scoffed, rolling her eyes. She'd been wearing the same clothes for a whole month; a black sports bra and pair of navy trackpants. She could hardly change into the fucking Kookiest dress she'd ever seen in her life.

But she also couldn't afford to get shot.

So she did it.

𔓘𔓘𔓘

The car rolled up to the scene of the accident about twenty minutes after the Pogues had fled. And Elora and Kie had been kidnapped.

It was a car containing three people, all of whom were looking upon the scene of the half submerged plane. Two women and a man.

"You think it's them?" The man asked.

"Hm, they fit the description I heard," the older of the two women nodded.

"Well hallelujah," said the younger, who had red hair and a sarcastic tone. "Remind me why this is helping us?"

The older woman turned, eyes narrowing. "Unless you want this whole deal to be off and your daughter to be disposed of, then I suggest you stop talking."

The redhead chuckled slightly, sitting back in her seat but saying nothing as the other two began to talk. She and her had never really seen eye to eye anyway.

Well, to tell you the truth, she'd never really seen eye to eye with many people in general.

She was Elizabeth Easton, after all.

𔓘𔓘𔓘

This dress was the itchiest piece of fabric Elora had ever worn.

And that was saying something, given some of the stuff her delightful mother had shoved off on her when she was younger.

She had to admit it did look kinda nice, the emerald green dress contrasting with her bright red hair, which she'd even brushed for the first time in ages.

Currently, she was lying on the bed in this creepy ass room, wondering how she got here and trying to process things in her head. She couldn't believe that in just around two hours, she'd been ousted from paradise and thrown straight back into all this crazy shit. She couldn't even imagine what the others were feeling right now, missing two of their number and not knowing what to do. A selfish part of her was begging they were trying to free them, but the selflessness inside her begged they'd gotten away and had caught a boat back to OBX, rather than sticking around.

She couldn't help but think of Tyler. Of his beautiful blue eyes and blonde hair. Of his steady hands and steadier words. Of those strong arms that held her most nights on that island, helping her through everything.

Where was he? Would she ever see him again? Was he alright? Was he thinking of he-?

Knock, knock, knock, knock!

The sound startled her and she was instantly sat up, looking at the woman unlocking coming in the door.

She said only two words. "He's ready."

Ward, Elora could only presume, because even though Portis hadn't seemed to recognise the name or know who he was, she was still convinced that he was behind this.

And to be honest, what she had said earlier on the plane still wrung true. She couldn't wait to see him and beat his ass.

So she went without a fight. Followed the woman who was not in a uniform out this room and down the stairs, the slit in her dress allowing her to walk comfortably.

Once she was down she was led into another room, which looked like a dining one. It had a long table at it, and at the end there was a table with a few drinks on it. A man in a suit was standing there with his back to her, filling a glass. There was no sign of Kie.

"Uh, excuse me?" She asked, and he turned.

And oh my fucking god, it was Rafe Cameron.

Elora faltered for a second, because Rafe looked different. Older, somehow. It had only been about a month since she'd last seen him, yet in that time he'd got his hair buzzed, he'd grown taller, and the bruises on his face had healed.

She couldn't stop the anger coursing through her at the sight of him, remembering what he'd done to Tyler on the ship.

"Oh, I fucking knew it," she snarled, a sarcastic smile coming to rest on her face as she marched up to him. "I knew you and your precious little daddy were behind this!"

"What are you talking about? Are you trying to muscle in on my deal?" Rafe demanded, also looking shocked to see her. "Is that what's going on?"

"What the hell are you going on about? What dea-?"

"I wondered if your little reunion would cause sparks, you know."

It then became apparent that Elora and Rafe were not the only two in the room.

There was another man, in the little room off the side. He was turned away from them, towards the window, but as he turned round his face was revealed. He had dark skin, a shaven beard and a sharp suit on. He looked more dangerous than even Ward Cameron, and as she looked at him Elora began to realise she'd got this wrong.

This man chuckled as he slowly walked up to them, and Rafe asked the question Elle was thinking. "Who are you?"

"Me?" The man repeated, as if he was surprised they were asking. "My name is Carlos Singh. It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr Cameron. And Ms Easton, well... I do apologise for my rough tactics in bringing you and Ms Carrera here, but... may I say, you look just like your mother."

Elora tensed up, swallowing the lump in her throat.

"What do you know about my mother?" She demanded, but her voice sounded painfully weak.

"Oh, I know more than you'd think," Singh chuckled slightly, shaking his head. He then gestured to the seats in the next room and said. "But please, come. Sit down."

Elora didn't trust this situation one bit. Rafe was here, for one thing, and this man looked dangerous, and he claimed to know her mother.

"Come now, I don't bite," Singh joked when they didn't move, and Rafe just glanced at her. Elora rolled her eyes, because even if she didn't know this dude she wasn't doing anything with him.

She was just taking a seat when the boy asked. "Rough tactics, what about me?"

"Yes, Mr Cameron. Falce pretenses," nodded Singh, as he filled glasses. "But the ends justify the means, I'm afraid. Sit down. We have a lot to talk about."

Rafe didn't seem convinced, and Elle wasn't either, but he did take a seat next to her.

"You can start by telling us why we're here," she surprised herself with the amount of confidence she said that with. Confidence she was certainly not feeling.

Singh sighed, lips pressing together. "Well, Ms Easton, Mr Cameron, we share certain interests, you know. Objectives."

"What about Kie?" Elora asked.

"Your friend Ms Carrera is here as... a fail safe, for want of a better phrase," said Singh. "I was wanting to talk to all of your friends, but two of you will have to do."

"Is this not about the cross?" Rafe asked.

"The cross that you stole," Elora snapped, unable to contain her anger.

"It is," Singh glanced between them. "Tangentially, it is about the cross, but it's also about something much, much bigger than the cross. By orders of magnitude... the completion of a grand quest."

He walked over to face one of the pictures, then turned back round to face them as he continued. "You see, the story goes that four hundred and fifty years ago, a Spanish soldier came out of the Orinoco Basin with a few gold beads. And when they asked the Spanish soldier where he got those beads, he replied that he got them from a peaceful indigenous tribe who lived in a city of gold. El Dorado."

Elora tried very hard not to let her shock show on her face.

Jimmy Portis. The book he'd had. It had mentioned El Dorado. And now, apparently, she was being brought to weird Kooky mansions because of it.

"And for the next four hundred and fifty years, people tried to find that gold, you know," Singh continued. "They tried. Conuistadors, knights, captains of ships, tribes, entire nations. All fighting each other in a race for the end of the rainbow. And it falls to me, you know. It falls to me to complete the task. And you two... you two are going to play a part in that."

Well, shit was starting to come together. If Singh was a gold hunter, then it made sense why he would know her mother.

The fact that he wanted her though? That still made no sense at all.

"What about you, Ms Easton?" Singh turned on her. "Are you interested in history?"

"Not really," Elora replied.

"Yeah, I didn't listen to a word you said, okay? How long are you gonna keep philosophising?" Rafe demanded.

Signh smiled slightly. "You are direct, aren't you, Mr Cameron?"

Elora sighed, because she was about two seconds from losing it.

"Look, could you cut all this bullshit and tell me what you want from me?" She asked, looking Singh directly in the eyes.

The man shrugged, and took a deep breath. "I've come to believe that you and your friends are in possession of something that can help me get what I want."

"Which is?"

"An old manuscript," he explained. "A diary, actually."

The diary of Denmark Tanny.

This went unspoken between them, because whilst Rafe was looking confusedly at both of them, Elora's gaze was fixed on Singh. She knew exactly what he was talking about.

But she also couldn't afford to give that information away.

So she just held his gaze, her eyes narrowing slightly.

Everything was falling into place.

But that wasn't necessarily a good thing.

𔓘𔓘𔓘

The Pogues climbed over the massive stone wall surrounding the huge mansion where they knew Kie and Elora were, determined to get their friends back.

Tyler, especially, was more desperate than any. This was his girlfriend they were talking about, the girl he valued above all life itself. The girl he'd fought so hard for, and needed back.

"Pssst, Ty!" JJ hissed, the two of them sitting up on the wall, helping the others up. Blue eyes met blue eyes as his friend assured him. "It's gonna be okay, alright? We're gonna get them back."

Tyler nodded, smiling slightly as he looked at him. "Yeah. Of course."

But deep down, a part of him didn't believe it.

𔓘𔓘𔓘

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Rafe was quick to say, which put Elora in an even tougher position.

She shook her head, trying as hard as possible to sound believable. "This is ridiculous, I don't know anything about a diary."

Please believe me. Please.

Singh just nodded, but he wasn't fooled. "But how else could you have learned that the cross was on the Royal Merchant?"

Shit.

"Look, as much as I want to help you and get out of here, I can't," Elora shook her head.

"I was hoping you wouldn't say that, you know," Singh said to her. "Because unfortunately, I don't believe you. You and your friend here couldn't have found the cross without it."

"He and I are not friends," Elora spat the word out as she spoke firmly.

Singh shrugged. "Well, we can't all be friends, you know."

Rafe pinched the bridge of his nose. "Look, this is ridiculous, okay? I'm out. I don't know anything about a diary, okay? So-"

He stood up, and was about halfway to the door before a guard with a gun stopped him, shoving him back.

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

Rafe shrugged.

"You have the cross," Singh stated. "She and her friends had the cross at one point. So one of you has the diary. And if you really don't know, then I suggest you convince your friend to tell me. Once I have the diary, you'll be free to leave."

Elora and Rafe exchanged a look of shock and confusion, and hatred.

And in it Elora said one thing.

I don't know anything about that diary. Fuck. Off.

𔓘𔓘𔓘

"Enjoy the grounds during your stay," Singh said as he led them both back into the room Elora had been in before their meeting.

"I must warn you, though," he said, facing them as they got in. "I'm not a man of infinite patience. You have one day."

Shit. So she had one day to figure out what she was going to do, and how she was going to evade Singh.

"Go to the window for a little demonstration," Singh told them, gaze sliding to Rafe. "I'm sure you'll like it. Then, of course, I must speak to Ms Carrera. See if she's willing to divulge information you two clearly aren't."

As he left the room, the familiar sound of the door locking filled it, and Elora felt like crying.

"Hey! Hey!" Rafe rushed to the door. "You just done talking?!"

As he tried the door, Elora snapped. "It's fucking locked. I know you're stupid but not that much."

Rafe turned and looked at her, rolling his eyes. "Seriously, Elle? Would've thought you'd have been a bit more understanding."

"My name's Elora, and what is there to be understanding about?" Elora snapped. "Last time we saw each other you punched Tyler unconscious."

"Tyler, right," Rafe's lip curled. "Should've known this was about him."

Elora rolled her eyes. "You also fought me too, like, a couple hours before that."

Rafe shrugged. "Well, we're both trapped here, so we're on the same level now, right?"

"Not really," Elora rolled her eyes, walking over to the window.

"Get off me, man! I didn't do nothing!"

Elora's heart skipped a beat with fear as she looked down, seeing two soldiers holding Jimmy Portis, leading him up the steps to the mansion.

"Who the hell is that guy?" Rafe, who had joined her, asked.

"It's Jimmy Portis," Elora whispered, wide eyed and shaking her head. "He was just trying to help me and Kie."

She could feel Rafe's eyes on her as Carlos Singh walked out the door, turning round and looking directly up at them, their eyes connecting.

Then, from his pocket, he revealed a pistol.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Rafa murmured, but Elora's barely heard as her heart started to beat faster in her ringing ears.

Singh didn't hesitate as he marched round the side, just out of eyesight. And Elora couldn't watch, but she couldn't hear.

She knew it was only a matter of time before-

BANG!

Jimmy Portis was gone.

Dead.

Murdered.

Elora began to hyperventilate, her heart beating faster and her whole world crashing in on itself.

Singh had just killed Portis without a second thought. And Portis had worked for him. If he could just kill one of his workers as easily as that, then-

Then what could he do to two girls and a boy he had no real use for if they didn't get him the diary?

Rafe seemed to be thinking the same thing.

"This dairy," he said, chest rising and falling as he turned to her. "Hey, no bullshit. Don't bullshit me, okay? Do you have it?"

It was a question. Point blank.

"Elle," Rafe said her name firmly, and she wanted to tell him to get it out her mouth, but she couldn't.

He'd told her not to bullshit.

But he'd also shot Peterkin.

He'd also tried to drown Sarah.

He'd also punched Tyler unconscious.

So Elora only had one answer for him, as she looked him directly in those fucking snake eyes and said it.

"No."