Coralina Routledge, twin sister of John Booker Routledge, needs a distraction from the chaos of her life. Her father, Big John, known throughout the North Carolina island of Kildaire as a crazy treasure hunter is always running off and leaving his...
"I'm gonna kill him," Sarah muttered for what felt like the thousandth time. Humming Coral nodded as she sat curled up in a chair on the porch of what she assumed was Captain Terrance's home.
Sarah had been muttering to herself for the last hour as they watched the sunrise and waited for Cleo to come back with John B.
"Boss! He's here," Cleo called into the house as she and John B came through the screen door of the porch, "Hey found your brother and your boyfriend," Cleo announced glancing at Coral and then Sarah.
Rolling her eyes Coral sat back to watch the explosion as Sarah sprang to her feet.
"Sarah."
"Liar!" she cried pushing John B away from her right into the hands of Stubbs who held John B by the neck with one hand.
"I wouldn't provoke him. It tends not to go so well," Terrance commented as he walked out onto the porch, "You can run, but you can't hide, John B. I got eyes and ears everywhere."
Gasping as Stubbs finally let him go John B attempted to get his breathing under control as Stubbs threw him into a chair.
"After all our hospitality, you left without saying goodbye," Terrance commented as he sat down across from John B.
"Let us go," Sarah commanded.
"I got 50,000 reasons why that ain't gonna happen."
"He didn't do anything," Coral spoke up.
"Maybe he did. Maybe he didn't. I don't care. We let the courts decide. Bring him to the proper authorities," Terrance responded.
"No, no," John B said springing up out of his chair, "Listen, I can pay. I can pay you."
"You got 50K in your back pocket? If not, bye-bye."
Glancing first at Coral and then at Sarah John B slowly took the bookbag he wore on his back off. Snatching it Stubbs began to open it before Sarah snatched it from him. Setting it down she unzipped the front pocket before pulling out the melted gold bars they'd taken from Crain's.
"What is that?" Terrance questioned.
"One hundred and forty-three thousand reasons to let us go," Coral responded as she stood up with her brother and Sarah.
"It's more than the bounty," Sarah stated.
"I'll tell you what. That there is your rescue fee. I want my bounty too," Terrance decided as Stubbs grabbed John B.
"No. That wasn't the deal!" Sarah cried as John B struggled with Stubbs.
"Do you think that's the only one?" Coral questioned loudly to be heard over John B yelling, "There's more! A lot more."
"It's true!" John B exclaimed, "Look, I went to Paradise Island, to her family's house," he told them pointing to Sarah, "There is hundreds of millions of dollar's worth of that gold there. It is an empty, undefended house. She has the entry codes."
"Girlie, is this true?" Terrance questioned.
"It's my family's house," Sarah confirmed, "The gold's there. And I can get you to it."
Contemplating Terrance finally nodded, "Get comfy. We'll go at night," he decided before heading back into the house.
Glaring at John B Sarah stomped into the house along with Stubbs.
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