"Alright, keep a lookout," JJ joked to the Pogues as the Twinkie pulled into the country club parking lot. "We're behind enemy lines."
For extra effect, she pulled out her gun and checked the chamber, not actually planning to bring it with her.
"Yo, come on JJ. Just put it back," John B said sternly, unsure if she's serious. It's hard to tell when JJ finds any reason to carry that thing.
"What?" JJ teased, enjoying getting a rise out of John B.
"JJ," John B narrowed his eyes at her, praying she's not serious.
"You can never be too careful," JJ shrugged, suppressing a laugh at his exasperated expression.
Pope stepped out and stood outside her window, prepared to lecture her. "Hey, I predict that bringing a weapon to a 4-star hotel will likely cause more problems than it solves."
"Thank you, Pope," JJ deadpanned. Did they seriously think she was going to bring the gun?
"I swear to God, JJ, I'm gonna throw that thing in the ocean," Kie nagged at her. "Put it back."
John B snatched it from her hand and tossed it into the glove box.
"There you go," Pope sighed, relieved at the disappearance of the weapon.
She almost laughed but settled for scolding John B for how he grabbed the gun. "You can't grab a gun like that."
John B rolled his eyes, realizing she had been playing with them all along, and they climbed out of the Twinkie. At the last minute, JJ turned around to grab her work badge. "Can't forget my badge. Professional busgirl."
"So, where are we going now?" Pope asked JJ as she led the way.
"We're going online because only rich people have electricity right now," JJ reminded him. "Follow me."
JJ guided them through a back door and into a kitchen. Spotting one of her coworkers whom she actually got along with, she waved enthusiastically. "Andrew! What's up, bro?"
"What's up, Mama L?!" JJ greeted a woman cook as they passed by. She often gave JJ leftover scraps of food.
"See, they got the backup generators going! Looks like they didn't miss a beat," JJ informed her friends as she led them into the lobby. Finally, she guided them into a small room, which doubled as her boss's office and had a computer.
"Sweet Lord, the internet!" Pope exclaimed, making a beeline for the computer. "I've missed you."
Once Kie and John B entered, JJ shut the door and locked it to ensure they wouldn't be disturbed.
John B pulled out the map from his backpack. "Hey, I've got the map!"
"Coordinates, please?" Pope asked.
"34 57' 30" north, 75 55' 42" west," John B read from the map, while Pope plugged them into Google Maps. He clicked enter, and the map zoomed in on the coordinates.
"Boom, continental shelf right there," John B pointed out.
"Well, if it's off the deep end, it's not gonna be much of a treasure hunt, is it?" Pope looked at John B.
John B didn't even want to think about that possibility, so he just nodded for Pope to zoom in.
JJ felt antsy and murmured, "Come on, come on," under her breath. If her boss caught them in here, she was so fired. She could hear footsteps and laughter outside the office.
"Shit, it's on the high side. It's only 900 feet," John B said when he saw where the coordinates landed up close.
"That's not too deep," JJ agreed, though she knew he was being sarcastic.
"Is that doable or what?" Kie asked, sounding skeptical.
"Yeah, totally doable," JJ replied confidently.
"Okay, so are we taking your personal submarine then?" Pope asked sarcastically.
"How do you know all this, Ms. Dive Master?" John B eyed her curiously.
JJ was only too happy to share. "The salvage yard. They have a drone that can drop down to 1,000 feet. It's equipped with a 360-degree camera and everything. Perfect for deep dives."
"Can your dad get his grimy little hands on that?" John B asked, not keen on asking JJ's dad for anything ever.
"Well, my dad's grimy little hands got him fired," JJ explained. "Showed up shitfaced one too many times for the salvage yard captain's liking. But the drone's still there. It's in the impound yard out back."
"How much did you say was on the Royal Merchant again?" Kie asked.
"400 mil," John B and JJ answered simultaneously.
"400 million dollars," Kie repeated, already standing up and heading out of the office toward the Twinkie, ready to break into the salvage yard.
"It was JJ's plan, so she was quick to follow. 'Yep,'" she affirmed.
"No. Absolutely not. Absolutely not. No!" Pope refuted, but it was a lost cause.
"Pope, move!" Kie called out from the front. John B grabbed his backpack and followed behind.
"Guys, that's too—" Pope continued to complain but was interrupted by Kie again.
"Come on."
"Can't we do anything legal for money?" Pope asked, knowing he'd lost.
"Go," John B urged him on.
Meanwhile, at the Cameron residence, Sarah held back her sister's hair as she emptied her stomach into the toilet.
"Ugh… oh god, okay," Sarah groaned, trying to ignore the sounds of her sister being sick. After Wheezie flushed, Sarah dried her hair. "So, what have we learned?"
"Never mix vodka with Crystal Light," Wheezie answered.
"Very good," Sarah scrunched her face as Wheezie threw up again.
"Please don't tell Dad," Wheezie begged once she was able to speak.
"I won't. On one condition," Sarah said, seizing the opportunity. She wouldn't have told him anyway, but Wheezie didn't need to know that.
"What's that?" Wheezie sighed.
"You cover for me sneaking out with Topper tonight," Sarah replied. Wheezie sighed, so Sarah added a "please."
"Fine," Wheezie agreed reluctantly.
"Do you promise?" Sarah asked, just to be sure.
"I promise," Wheezie said, holding out her pinkie. Sarah moved to connect their pinkies, but Wheezie started retching again, so Sarah held her hair instead.
Once Wheezie's stomach settled and she was resting in her bed, Sarah left the room where she could hear her dad and brother arguing in her dad's office. They were always fighting.
"I don't feel like you care," her dad's voice could be heard saying to Rafe.
"I said I do!" Rafe argued back.
"Yeah, you said," her dad replied pointedly.
"What do you want me to say?" Rafe asked, exasperated. Sarah was almost to the doorway now and hid off to the side so they couldn't see her.
"I don't want you to say anything. Take care of business. Where are the backup generators?" her dad demanded.
"Okay…" Rafe started to reply.
"I gave you money for the generators. You said you would take care of it. Did you take care of it? Where are they?" her dad asked Rafe.
"They're on back order," Rafe replied, not looking at anything in particular.
"Yeah, of course they are," her dad answered, unsurprised.
"There was a hurricane," Rafe defended.
"I tell you what. You know that Pogue I just fired? Way more reliable than you," her dad pointed at Rafe, and Sarah could tell that comment stung.
"Really?" Rafe scoffed.
"Yeah, really," her dad affirmed. "You need to get it together, Rafe, or you can go live on the cut."
Rafe laughed, irritating her father even more.
"That funny to you?" her dad asked sharply.
"Wow," was all Rafe said in response.
"You can go live on the cut, Rafe," her father said loudly, trying to drive his point home. "As far as I'm concerned. Now get out of here. I'm sick of looking at you."
Sarah thought that was kind of harsh, but her brother really did need to grow up a bit. She knew the real reason the generators weren't here, and she had warned Rafe this would happen.
Rafe stood up and stormed out while her dad added one more comment, "Make yourself useful somewhere, somehow."
Rafe turned at that. "Sarah's not working." That was stupid. Sarah's 16 and in high school.
"This isn't about Sarah, Rafe. You're almost 20. You don't just get to sit back and have everything handed to you," her dad insisted firmly.
"Yes, sir," Rafe said angrily. He had been trying to help, but his dad would never see him as anything more than a failure, he thought bitterly.
"It doesn't seem like you understand me," her dad stated, annoyed.
"I'll take care of those generators, okay?" Rafe promised, trying to appease their father.
"I'll believe that when I see it," her dad said finally.
Before Sarah could move to hide the fact she was eavesdropping, Rafe was already storming through the door. She crossed her arms when he looked her way, not even bothering to pretend.
"Told you. Shouldn't have bought that motorcycle with the generator money," Sarah said unsympathetically.
Rafe huffed at her, then continued down the hall and out the back door.
"Sarah shrugged smugly as she heard his motorcycle engine rev and drive away. With that, she decided to head up to her room to figure out what to wear for Topper's party tonight.
