JOHN B

Morning came too soon, the first rays of sunlight piercing through the thin curtains of the Chateau. It wasn't the kind of gentle dawn that eases you into the day—it was sharp, almost accusatory, like it was reminding us that time was running out. I hadn't slept much, maybe a few restless hours at most, but I was wide awake now, my mind already racing ahead to the day's mission.

Today, we were going to that dock. The place where the trail might lead us closer to my dad. The air was heavy with expectation, and I could feel the tension in my chest, a mixture of hope and dread.

Pope was the first one up, as usual. I heard him moving around in the kitchen, the sound of clinking mugs and the low hiss of the coffee maker. JJ, on the other hand, was still sprawled out on the couch, one arm draped over his face, trying to block out the light. I knew he hadn't slept much either—his brow was furrowed even in sleep, like he was wrestling with something in his dreams.

I pushed myself up and out of bed, moving quietly so I wouldn't wake JJ. My thoughts were a jumble, but there was a single, clear thread running through them: I had to find my dad. Whatever it took, whatever we had to do, I couldn't let this lead slip away. We were too close.

In the kitchen, Pope handed me a mug of coffee without a word. I took it gratefully, the warmth seeping into my hands as I leaned against the counter. He didn't say anything, but the look he gave me was enough—we were on the same page. He knew how much this meant to me, and I knew he'd do whatever it took to help me get there.

"Think we'll find something today?" I asked, breaking the silence.

Pope sipped his coffee, his expression thoughtful. "I think we're getting closer. But we need to be careful, John B. We don't know what's waiting for us out there."

I nodded, though I didn't need the reminder. The weight of the danger we were walking into was something I was keenly aware of. "We'll be ready."

We sat in silence for a few more minutes, just letting the morning settle in. There was something almost comforting about the routine—coffee, quiet conversation, the sense of purpose that hung in the air. But underneath it all was that persistent, gnawing anxiety, the feeling that we were on the edge of something huge, and once we crossed that line, there'd be no going back.

Eventually, JJ stirred on the couch, groaning as he pushed himself up to a sitting position. He rubbed his eyes, blinking against the light, and I could tell he wasn't quite ready to face the day yet. But the moment his gaze landed on us, on the maps and papers still spread out on the table, he snapped into focus.

"Today's the day, huh?" he muttered, more to himself than to us. He stood, stretching out the kinks in his back before making his way over to the table. "Guess we'd better get to it."

Pope nodded, folding up the maps and slipping them into his bag. "We'll need to be in and out fast. No lingering."

I agreed. The longer we stayed in one place, the more vulnerable we were. We had no idea who else might be looking for what we were after, or what they were willing to do to get it.

As we gathered our gear, the tension in the room thickened. We all knew what was at stake, and none of us wanted to say it out loud. But we didn't need to. We'd been through enough together to know that some things didn't need to be spoken.

We loaded up the Twinkie with our gear, the familiar rumble of the engine cutting through the early morning quiet. As I slid into the driver's seat, I caught a glimpse of myself in the rearview mirror—my eyes looked tired, older than I remembered, but there was a fire there too, something that hadn't been extinguished by everything we'd been through.

The drive to the south side of the island was tense, the air inside the van thick with unspoken fears and hopes. JJ kept his eyes on the road ahead, his hands gripping the wheel a little tighter than usual. Pope sat in the back, his gaze focused on the map in his lap, tracing the route with his finger as if he could will us closer to our destination.

No one spoke. There was nothing left to say that hadn't already been said. We were all just waiting—waiting to see what we'd find, waiting to see if today would be the day we finally got some answers.

When we reached the old dock, the sun was higher in the sky, casting long shadows over the water. The place was deserted, the wooden planks weathered and creaking underfoot. It was eerie, in a way, how still everything was. Like the world was holding its breath, waiting for us to make the first move.

"This is it," Pope said quietly, stepping out of the van. He unfolded the map, comparing it to the landscape around us. "The trail leads here."

I felt my heart start to race as I looked around, scanning the area for any sign, any clue that might lead us to the next step. But everything looked... normal. Just an old dock, abandoned and forgotten.

"Let's spread out," I suggested, trying to keep the edge out of my voice. "See if we can find anything."

JJ and Pope nodded, and we each took a different direction, carefully picking our way across the dock and the surrounding area. I kept my eyes peeled, looking for anything that seemed out of place—an overturned rock, a piece of clothing, something that could tell us my dad had been here.

But after what felt like hours of searching, I was starting to lose hope. Everything looked the same, like we'd hit another dead end.

Then, just as I was about to give up, I heard JJ's voice call out. "John B! Over here!"

My heart leapt into my throat as I rushed over to where he was standing, near the edge of the dock. He was pointing down at something in the water, something partially submerged beneath the surface.

I leaned over, squinting to see what he was pointing at, and then I saw it—a metal box, similar to the one we'd found in the ruins, barely visible under the murky water.

My breath caught as I dropped to my knees, reaching down into the water to pull it up. The box was heavy, and it took both me and JJ to haul it onto the dock.

As we set it down, water dripping off its sides, Pope joined us, his eyes wide with anticipation.

I fumbled with the latch, my hands trembling with a mixture of excitement and fear. This was it. This was what we'd been looking for.

When the latch finally gave way, I slowly lifted the lid, revealing the contents inside.

There, wrapped in oilcloth to protect it from the water, was a bundle of papers—maps, sketches, and a single, weathered journal. My heart pounded in my chest as I reached for it, carefully unwrapping the cloth.

It was my dad's handwriting, unmistakable even after all this time. I felt a lump form in my throat as I opened the journal to the first page, my eyes scanning the words.

"August 15th. They're getting closer. I've found it. The Royal Merchant's final resting place. But I can't let them get to it first. I have to protect the treasure, protect my son."

I felt tears prick at the corners of my eyes as I read those words, the full weight of what my dad had been doing, what he'd been protecting, finally hitting me.

He'd been so close. So close to finding the treasure, to finding everything he'd been searching for. And now, it was up to us to finish what he'd started.

JJ clapped me on the back, his voice rough with emotion. "We're gonna find him, John B. We're gonna finish this."

I nodded, unable to speak, my throat tight with emotion.

We weren't done yet. There was still so much to do, so much to uncover. But this... this was a start. This was the first real sign that we were on the right path.

And as I looked at the journal in my hands, at the maps and notes that my dad had left behind, I felt a renewed sense of purpose. We were going to find him. We were going to finish what he'd started.

Together.

"Let's do this," I said, my voice firm, steady.

JJ and Pope nodded, determination in their eyes.

We were in this together, no matter what. And we weren't going to stop until we found my dad and uncovered the truth.

No matter how dangerous it got, no matter what we had to face, we were going to see this through to the end.

Because that's what we do.

And nothing was going to stop us.