Here is another chapter :)

I own only my OC characters and of course all the errors... grammatical, spelling and otherwise.

JJ POV

I was still trying to wrap my head around what had just happened. She had been right behind me, how... how had she been kidnapped again. How could I let her get taken again. I was stuck watching under the pier as she was grabbed roughly by a man three times her size and thrown into the back of a truck. I fought with every fiber of my being to stay under the wooden planks close to the rocks. There were too many of them, but that didn't ease any of the fear or guilt I felt as I watched the truck pull away.

Finally, we emerged from the water along the side of the well populated beach. Everyone was so focused on the plane in the water that we were able to sneak to the side of one of the local shacks. I leaned against the metal wall of the building and images of what I had just witnessed flashed behind my closed eyes.

"What the hell was that?" Pope asked out of breath as he put his hand on his knees before sitting beside John B. "Why would they want to kidnap Kiara and Rowyn? It doesn't make any sense."

"It's called bait." I said frustrated, turning and hitting the wall I was leaning on, the material making a loud clang as I hit it again.

"I am so sick of this." Sarah stated. "Do you think there's any way we could trust the cops?"

"The cops? You're joking right?" I scoffed in disbelief, running my fingers through my hair roughly as I turned away from her in frustration, before turning back to her. "You seriously think your daddy hasn't called them already?" I didn't mean for it to sound as harsh as it did, but I couldn't help it.

"I have a crazy idea." Pope said raising his hand slightly. "Why don't we call my parents?"

"And say what Pope?" John B asked.

"And say we're alive." He answered, and I stared at him in disbelief. I couldn't believe that that was where his thought process had brought him. When Kie and Roe were out there, with those men, he wanted to go home. "I haven't seen my family in I don't know how long. They're probably worried sick about me. We can just call and maybe ask them to wire us some money or something."

"And put them in danger?" John B questioned.

"I got a better idea." I spoke pulling a money clip from my pocket and holding it in the air for the group to see.

"Who's is that?" Sarah scowled.

"You seriously think I'm gonna go through someone's backpack and not pinch their wallet?" I said shrugging as I pulled the driver's license from the clip. "Jimmy Portis, 101 Cattle Wash. I bet that's where they got them, all right? So that's where we're going." I handed John B the small piece of plastic and waited for him to say something. I knew this was the plan, I was going to go with or without them, but I needed my best friend on board.

"Thats conceivable." Pope finally nodded but then looked back up skeptically, "but can we at least think this through?"

"You got a better idea Pope?" I asked and when he didn't answer I turned and started walking away. "Come on, 101 Cattle Wash, that's where we're going." Whether they agreed with me or not, the group started following after me until it seemed we weren't getting anywhere. I was frustrated and hot, and the humidity in the air didn't help.

"Really helps there's no names on the streets." I stated.

"Just let me handle it." Cleo said calmly, walking away. I watched as she started walking towards the houses to our right and leaned on the fence, gripping it so my knuckles were white.

"Hey man I know you're worried, we all are but you can't lose your cool." John B said coming up beside me putting his hand on my shoulder.

"You don't get it man." I shook my head and dropped it between my shoulders letting out an exasperated breath. "I promised her..."

"What are you talking about?"

"On the island man." I said, turning and gesturing with my hand out at the ocean. "I promised her I wouldn't let him hurt her again, wouldn't let him take her and now..."

"Come on we don't know it's her dad or Ward for that matter." John B shook his head. I know he was trying but, it just made me more frustrated with the whole situation.

"Who the hell else could it be, I mean really?" I asked and he seemed to stumble with an answer. I turned back to Cleo and watched as she spoke to the resident of a house sitting on the porch.

"We're gonna get her back Jay." Sarah said coming up beside me her hand on my back rubbing up and down trying to comfort me.

"And then what?" I asked quietly. "I can't even keep her safe when she was sitting right next to me..."

"Blue house?" I heard Cleo say and I looked up to see her pointing down the street to a house at the end of it. "Thanks, I appreciate you."

"Let's do it." I said, pointing to the house and getting a nod from Cleo. I ignored John B and Sarah both staring after me concerned, but I couldn't focus on that right now. Roe could be just a few feet away, I had to stay focused on that. "This is it, let's go around back." I instructed. As we made it to the house, we all started to hunch down and sneak around to the back yard.

As I pushed the gate open it slammed and I flinched at the sound before Pope turned and put a finger to his lips.

"My bad." I whispered.

"Hey, Window?" John B turned pointing to a window just a few feet over his head.

"Here, want some help?" Pope asked coming up behind him, but John B shook his head.

"No, I got it." and he jumped up grabbign the edge of the windowsil and pulled himself up. A tickle at my foot made me look down and jump back.

"Whoa!" I stated a little too loud. There were red crabs all over the yard and one had started climbing on my boot. "Yo, get off." I demanded, trying to kick the crab off, but it seemed glued to my shoe. I leaned over to grab and throw him off, but the pincer snapped on my finger, and I could help the yell that left my mouth as I started swinging my arm around. The crab fell off, but my finger throbbed.

"Does the element of surprise mean anything to you?" Pope asked in disbelief after watching me jump around.

"It turned my thumb purple." I complained holding up my finger.

"Shh." Cleo hissed and I glared at her. "It's just a crab man."

"I'm being surrounded right now." I shouted quietly when I looked down and more of the red animals crawled towards me. "Goddamn it. Damn little sea spiders." In the chaos I missed that John B had made it through the window and I was quick to follow after to get away from the crabs. Once inside I listen for any sound of life.

"I'll take the front." Cleo offered veering one way.

"I'll take back." Sarah added and the two left in opposite directions.

"Rowyn." I whispered loudly hearing the others do the same as they searched. The place seemed deserted and vacant, and there was no sign that life had been here in the last few days. "Sarah, no one in there?"

"No." she responded coming out from the back room.

"There's no one here." John B said as we all converged in the living area.

"Okay, well if they're not here then where are they?" I asked frustration oozing from my voice. I continued looking around the small house looking for anything that might help us and saw both John B. and Pope stopped in front of a picture. "What find something?"

"Holy shit." John B said quietly, and I scowled looking at the picture hanging on the wall. It was a painting of a ship on fire.

"It's a burning boat." I shrugged.

"This is San Jose." Pope remarked, "It's from Denmarks diary. This is the ship that Captain Limbrey stole the cross from."

"And the Merchant Gold." John B. added both still ogling the picture like it was about to disappear.

"Great, whatever." I scoffed rolling my eyes. "It's just about the gold, it's not about Rowyn or Kiara... it doesn't help us."

"Well, Portis is a treasure guy." John B turned to me, and I took a deep breath to keep from yelling out in anger. "This is too close to home; this is too close to our boat."

"Just let it go." I pleaded, putting my hand on his shoulder. "That's not why we're here."

A whistle from across the house pulled our attention away from each other and away from the painting toward Cleo. She was standing at the window looking out. "Guys, guys, guys."

"What," Sarah hissed walking up towards her and peering out the window too.

"Shit, it's Portis." Cleo cursed and I quickly walked up to see the man that had just crashed his plane in the ocean, that had plotted to kidnap us and help those men take Roe and Kie, walkign towards the house.

"Yep, he's back." I agreed, looking around.

"Do we run?" Sarah asked and I looked from her to John B. shaking my head. He was our only chance at finding Kie and Roe, I wasn't running. John B seemed to understand and nodded. We all moved to hide around the house ready to strike the unsuspecting man.

"Flying fish man." I heard Jimmy say as he hung up his phone. He paused in the doorway looking down at one of the red crabs that was in the entrance way. "Dammit, I've had it with you guys." he mumbled walking in only to stop as he looked around. I couldn't wait any longer. Stepping out from my hiding place I punched the man as Pope grabbed ahold of him. John B. came running out, but Jimmy quickly kicked him and knocked him back. As he turned to run out the side door, I stuck my foot out and he tripped giving Cleo and me a chance to grab him and throw him back down onto the table.

"Where is she?" I asked lifting the man by the collar of his shirt as Cleo held a knife to his throat.

"Answer the man." Cleo said pressing the weapon harder making the man whimper.

"You really don't wanna know." Jimmy shook his head, his fighting seemed to stop as he regarded the group of teens in his house.

"Talk!" Sarah came up standing in front of him. "Who took them... was it Ward? Greg?"

"Greg?" Jimmy scowled back at her and then looked at Cleo and I, "Who's Ward? You guys really don't understand who you're messing with."

"Then we'll call the cops." Sarah threatened.

"Sure, call the cops." Jimmy laughed. From where I stood, I could see Pope sifting through Jimmys bag. "See how far that gets you. This guy owns the cops. He's got eyes all over the island looking for you… All of you. He's a big man, the Kingfish."

"Kingfish?" I repeated confused.

"Hey," Pope called out before the man could explain. He walked over holding up an envelope, "what's this?"

"Hey, take your hands off my shit." Jimmy exclaimed fighting against my hold on his shirt and Cleo pushed him back down.

"Hey, quiet down!" she stated.

"Shut up!" I stated to him as well before nodding to the envelope. "What is it?"

"Come on man." Jimmy pleaded but it was on deaf ears as I watched Pope open the envelope and pull out a stack of money.

"What's that Jimmy, is that the payoff?" I asked feeling the rage build up as I saw the money in Pope's hands. I already knew the answer, I knew that it was what he was given for turning us in, for handing over Kiara and Rowyn. "Is that the payoff for Rowyn, for Kiara?"

"Talk." Cleo said forcefully.

"Hey, what's Vaux Hall?" Pope asked pointing to the emblem on the envelope.

"You really don't want to go there, man." Jimmy shook his head anxiously. "That's the Lion's Den."

"That's it." John B pointed to me, and I nodded pushing him down one more time before letting him go and walking into the house. "That's where they are, come on Pope."

"You really don't want to go there." Jimmy warned again.

"Do we look scared?" I heard Cleo ask as I came out the door with a handful of clothes.

"You should be."

"Let's go. Come on!" John B called. "Cleo lets go, Portis, we're taking some clothes."

"Deal with it." Pope called after only to have Jimmy yell after us about making things worse. There was a chance he was right, but the longer I waited, the longer I sat here and did nothing, she was God knows where, with God knows who. I may not have been able to keep my promise to her, but I sure as hell am going to make sure she is safe.

ROWYN POV

I wasn't sure how long we had been driving. It felt like we had made it all the way around the island, until finally we entered an area that was full of fields. Every now and then I would see workers in them, and trucks pass us on the road, but no one seemed the least bit concerned about the two soaking wet girls in the back with an armed guard beside them. Eventually we pulled up a long driveway where the truck stopped at the gate. I leaned over the side of the truck and watched another armed guard at the gate, with a dog beside him come up to the driver.

"All right, let them in!" he called, and the gate opened.

"Who the hell is this guy?" I asked, turning to Kie.

"Do you think this could be your dad?" she whispered to me as the truck pulled through the gate and we were driven into a large compound, a house, two stories up sitting at the end. Looking around there were towers at different areas of the compound that overlooked the fields and a large rock wall at the far end.

"I mean…" I started looking around shaking my head and shrugging. "My dad knew a lot of people, a lot of dangerous, rich people… its possible… but this, this can't be just him." When the truck stopped the man in the back with us jumped out and then grabbed my arm pulling me towards him, forcing me to stumble over the side of the truck until my feet were on the gravel driveway. I heard crunching behind me and saw Kie looking up at the house before down at me eyes wide. The guard's hand was around my arm again and pulling me up the steps of the house until the front door was opened by a housekeeper that looked at both of us without any emotion. She looked back at the guard before they released us and shut the door behind us locking it, leaving us standing in a large entry way with the housekeeper and another guard.

I looked around the house. The walls and all shelf space were filled with different artifacts. Some looking older than anything she had seen before, some reminded her of the key Pope had found.

"Take them upstairs." The housekeeper spoke to the guard that stood at the bottom of the spiral staircase. "The Orinoco Room." The guard simply nodded and wrapped his hand around my arm pushing me forward doing the same to Kie behind me. Tentatively I started climbing the stairs keeping an eye on the man behind me as he followed close behind us his gun ominously hanging in front of him.

"Inside." he said pushing us into a large room.

"Why are we here?" I asked turning around quickly to stare at the man.

"Who are you working for?" Kie added but the man didn't make any attempt to answer just stared at us and grabbed the door handle.

"Dinner at eight." He said looking us up and down. "I'd clean up."

"Just tell us what they want!" Kie yelled as he shut the door and the audible sound of the lock clicking echoed and I ran both hands through my hair as panic started squeezing my chest. My breaths came out in short gasps. The moment that door shut and locked I was back on the freighter, locked in the cabin. I was alone… I was in the middle of the ocean. I couldn't get out… Kiara was kneeling in front of me, but her image was blurred as tears filled my eyes. I was lost in my own personal nightmare. The one I had been running from.

Cool hands touched my cheeks while Kie calmly spoke to me. Everything sounded muffled until finally words started filtering in.

"Rowyn, deep breaths," she said calmly. "Breath with me, Roe. In. Out. In…" I followed her instructions until my breathing finally evened out and I was able to clear my vision and finally meet her eyes. "What happened."

"When… When my dad had Rafe… I was locked in a room on the ship… alone… I…"

"It's okay Roe," Kie said softly pulling me into her holding me tightly, "You're okay, and you're not alone this time. We are going to get out of this okay." Taking a deep breath, I nodded before pulling away. She smiled at me, and I wiped my cheeks smiling back at her. "You aren't alone, and when you feel like that, just talk to me okay. I got you."

"Now what?" I finally asked, looking around the room. We were in a large master bedroom. I was sitting at the edge of a four-poster bed and there was a bathroom on the far side of the room.

"Well… the windows out of the question." Kie sighed standing and going to the window beside the bed looking out it. "There's guards crawling all over this place." I sighed before standing on shaky legs to walk up beside her and look out the window. Shaking my head, I looked at the wardrobe beside us.

"Did you see this?" I asked looking inside. The closet was full of red dresses of different styles and all different sizes. PICK YOUR SIZE. "What the fuck… so clean up for dinner means, dress up in… one of these?"

"Who the hell…"

"Is it bad that I really just want to go down in my month old, saltwater soak clothes instead of one of these costumes?" I smiled at Kie.

"You heard Jimmy." Kie laughed, her hands tracing the silk fabric. "If we just do what they ask then they won't hurt us."

"Yeah, and Jimmy was so trusting…" I scoffed rolling my eyes before laying back on the bed. Eventually we conceded and got dressed up for our 'dinner' with our kidnapper. The guard unlocked the door and led us down the staircase. Kie stayed close to me, her hand brushing my arm every now and then, making sure I knew she was there. Once we were at the bottom of the stairs the housekeeper led us into a large room and a man stood by one of the windows. I scowled and looked at Kie confused. She shook her head confused.

"Uh… excuse me?" Kie called out and the man stood up and turned around. I felt like the floor fell from beneath me as I stared at the man, I thought I left on the freighter.

"You have got to be fucking kidding me." I stated stepping past Kie. I'll give it to Rafe, he seemed surprised to see Kie and I, it almost looked convincing. Stepping in front of him I shoved him back. "Of course, it was you."

"I knew you and Ward were behind this shit." Kie spoke behind me, venom in her voice.

"What are you talking about?" Rafe asked, "you trying to weasel in on my deal, right now?"

"What?" Kie scowled taken back.

"Is that what's going on?" Rafe asked looking from Kie to me. I ground my teeth together, anger running through my veins.

"I wondered if your little reunion would cause sparks, you know." A voice from an adjoining room said. His accent was thick, and I stepped back from Rafe looking into the room unsure.

"Who are you?" Rafe asked as he followed Kie and I into the room. I didn't like him being there, I didn't like that he was only steps away from me, but the man in the expensive suit in front of me, made Rafe look like a cupcake right now.

"Me?" he said pointing to his chest almost insulted we didn't know who he was. "My name is Carlos Singh. It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Cameron, Ms. Carrera and Ms. Daniels." He nodded at each of us, and I looked at Kie confused. How did this guy know our names? "I do apologize for the rough tactics in bringing you here…"

"You could have just asked…" I mumbled and received a jab to my rib from Kie as I looked up to see Mr. Singh looking at me. Swallowing, I looked away and cleared my throat.

"Yes, well I could risk you saying now." Mr. Singh surprised me by answering my comment with a chuckle. "But please come, sit down. Come now… I don't bite." I almost let the laugh escape my throat but turned away and looked to the couch behind Kie and I.

"Rough tactics?" Rafe asked almost sounding concerned as he looked at me before quickly shaking his head and looking at Mr. Singh again. "What about me?"

"Yes, Mr. Cameron, false pretenses." Singh shrugged with a small smirk of amusement. "But the ends justify the means, I'm afraid. Sit down. We have a lot to talk about." Reluctantly Kie and I sat down and eventually Rafe did the same thing.

"Why are we here?" Kie asked.

"Well, Ms. Carrera, Mr. Cameron, Ms. Daniels… we share certain interest, you know… objectives." The man said and I scowled looking to Kie and then Rafe.

"Is this not about the cross?" Rafe asked and I rolled my eyes remembering how he pulled the large gold cross up from the side of the freighter after Pope had tried dropping it.

"It is." Singh nodded walking around the room, drink in hand. "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. You see the story goes that 450 years ago a Spanish soldier came out of Orinoco Basin with a few gold beads. And when they asked the Spanish soldier where the bead came from, the Spanish soldier replied he got them from a peaceful Indigenous tribe who lived in a city of gold. El Dorado. And for the next 450 years, people tried to find that gold, you know. They tried. Conquistadors, knights, captains of ships, tribes…" Singh turned his back to us as he told his story stopping at a far wall picking up a from a display stand, "entire nations. All fighting each other in a race to the end of the rainbow. Thousands of lives laid on the pyre of gold fever, and it falls to me, you know. It falls to me to complete the task. To bring full circle a quest that has gone on for almost 500 years. Perhaps… Perhaps, the greatest quest in the history of the western hemisphere, you know. And you three, you three are going to play a part in that. What about you, Ms. Carrera? Are you interested in history?"

"I'm more of a future person." Kiara said beside me trying to seem unaffected by his story.

"What makes you think we want to play a part in this…this task?" I asked. "It's a good story… but isn't that just it?"

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

Mr. Singh chuckled looking at the knife he twiddled in his fingers. "You are direct aren't you Mr. Cameron."

"What do you need from us?" Kie asked directing the older man in our direction.

"I've come to believe that you and your friends are in possession of something that can help me get what I want." Mr. Singh said. It was eerie how calm the man seemed, putting on a smile like he hadn't kidnapped us and forced us here.

"Which is?" I asked suspiciously.

"An old manuscript." Mr. Singh answered easily, "a diary actually." I had to force myself not to react. He was talking about 'the' diary. The one that led us to Angel Oak… to the cross… how did he know we had it. Kie had come to the same questions as I felt her hand twitch only slightly beside me, but I kept my eyes on Singh.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Rafe groaned frustrated.

"This is ridiculous." Kie added rolling your eyes. "I don't know anything about a diary."

"But how else could you have learned that the cross was on the Royal Merchant?" Singh asked.

"What makes you think we thought it was on the Royal Merchant?" I challenged. I knew I should just let the man talk and keep my mouth shut, but I was curious why he was so adamant we knew anything. "It could have easily been a coincidence that we found it and happened to also be looking into the Merchant gold."

"Oh Ms. Daniels." Singh smiled at me, but it wasn't friendly. It sent chills up my back and I had to keep from flinching as he stepped forward. "I don't believe much in coincidence's; I know more about you then you may think."

"Look… I want to help." Kie started and then looked and pointed to me. "… we want to help but we can't."

"I was hoping you wouldn't say that you know." Singh said quietly looking down still holding the knife. "Because unfortunately I don't believe you. You and your friends here couldn't have found the cross without it."

"Definitely not our friend." I said venomously.

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

"All right, look this is ridiculous, okay… I'm out." Rafe got up quickly and I watched as he started to walk to the door. "I don't know anything about a diary, okay so…" but he was cut off as a man stopped in front of him. The man stood above him and the gun in his hand was out in front so Rafe could see.

"Do I look like a fool to you, Mr. Cameron. Do I look like a fool to you?" Mr. Singh's tone instantly turned dangerous. "You have the cross, them and them 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 'friends' to tell me. Once I have the diary… you'll be free to leave."

We were led out of the room, Mr. Singh in front and guards behind us. I couldn't relish the nervous look on Rafe's face because I was just as nervous. Mr. Singh led us back up to the Orinoco room.

"Enjoy the grounds during your stay." Singh said. "I must warn you though, I'm not a man of infinite patience. You have one day. Go to the window for a little demonstration."

"I think you'll enjoy it; you know." Singh added as he left towards the door patting Rafe's shoulder as he spoke. Without another word he left out the door with his guard and I heard the lock of the door again. Kie had her hand on my shoulder as I took in a shuddered breath.

"Hey, hey!" Rafe called going to the door and tried to force the door open. "Your just done talking."

"It's locked." I said quietly, turning to follow Kie as she pulled back the curtain of the window. "Kie." I whispered as I watched the guards pushing a scared Jimmy Portis onto the porch.

"Who the hell is that guy?" Rafe asked. He was standing directly behind me, but his eyes were on the scene below us.

"We know him." Kie spoke, her eyes still locked in front of her. "Jimmy Portis."

"He was helping us." I finished. I wanted to look away, the moment I saw Mr. Singh come out onto the porch and look up at us. I was frozen in my spot as I watched him pull a gun from inside his coat.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa…" Rafe said until Portis disappeared, and the moment of pause was ended when there was a loud gun shot. I stared at the empty space where Mr. Singh had been still trying to wrap my head around what happened. "This diary…" Rafe started but when neither Kie nor I made any sign of hearing him I felt his arms on my shoulders as he spun me to look at him. I hadn't realized I was holding my breath until Rafe's face came into view. "No bullshit…Don't bullshit me, okay?" he looked between Kie and I. "Do you have it? Roe? Do you have this… this diary?"

Searching his eyes and still struggling with what I had just witnessed I swallowed hard. He was looking at me, looking for any hint of an answer. I couldn't trust him. I didn't trust him, not after everything, but this place was dangerous. This man was dangerous, and we were in the middle of it.

"No." I said quietly shaking my head holding his eyes as I spoke. Regardless of the fact we were all prisoners, if given the chance, I wasn't sure Rafe would risk it all for us or if he would simply look out for himself.

Let me know what you think and if you have any suggestion for future chapters. I cant guarantee anything but i love being inspired for new chapters.

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