Strawberry Sunscreen - JJ Maybank - Outer Banks

Chapter 45 : The Cross || Part 2

"I just don't get it. I mean, you guys saw the map. He hides his gold so no one finds it for years. And then he sends a message to his son Robert to come here to his mother's grave, but the message never gets to him. Denmark wanted him to find the cross. I know we're in the right spot. It just feels like--" Pope trailed off.

"Like we missed something?" JJ laid down the shovel as he looked up at the tree. "Guys." JJ jumped on top of the van, using it to reach a hole in the trunk of the tree. Elizabeth followed behind him, standing by his side as he pointed towards the hole. "That looks like--"

Elizabeth's lips turned upwards as JJ looked back at her. "The island room painting."

The friends all heckled for JJ to reach his arm in. "Lizzy, you do it."

She eyed him, questioning if he was truly serious. "I went in the shitter to save your pecker, JJ. You do it!"

"Yeah. No, I'm gonna do it. It's just..." He raised his arm, hesitating to put it into the hole.

"You scared?" Elizabeth taunted the boy.

"He seems scared," Kiara backed her up.

JJ sighed before reaching his hand in and moving it around. "There's something in here." All of the sudden the boy began to yell. Elizabeth began to panic as she attempted to grab his hand out, but something seemed to be holding it in.

"JJ!" She yelled amongst the other's screams. Her expression fell as she watched JJ's body lean forward as he broke out into hysterics. Elizabeth shook her head and whacked his shoulder with the back of her hand. "Not funny, you bitch!"

"Oh, man! I got all of you on that one," JJ said as he continued to laugh. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry."

"Oh, yeah, real original," Pope said as he rolled his eyes.

"Wait, but seriously, there's something in here," JJ said as he reached back in and pulled out a canister of sorts.

He passed it down to Pope who ran his finger along the side, "HMS Royal Merchant."

John B reached upwards and grabbed Elizabeth's waist, helping her down before doing the same with JJ.

"Give it to the captain," JJ said as he grabbed it. "Here we go. It's a spyglass," he said, pulling it out.

Elizabeth eyed the side as JJ looked through it, "There's an inscription."

Pope began to read, "'You've come this far. Do not falter. The cross is on the Freedman's altar.' Freedman's altar. The cross is at the church!"

"Well let's go!" Elizabeth yelled, rushing forward to the van. The pogues all followed after her, jumping into the car into whatever seat they could find. They soon realized that their trek back wouldn't be as simple as they thought.

Elizabeth's eyes widened as she noticed the tide, "Looks like we're swimming."

"The road's gone," John B pointed out as they stopped moving.

"Tide rose faster than I thought it would," said JJ. "Uh, John B, how high are the spark plugs?"

"They're good. We're fine," explained John B.

"How high are they?" JJ asked again.

He leaned his head out the window and looked back, "Oh, um... Uh, just above the tail light."

"Okay, so that's, what, three feet?" Pope asked.

"That's three feet, yeah," confirmed JJ.

"It can't be three feet deep," explained Kiara.