Exhale, Outer Banks [ 1 ]

008. MOVIE NIGHT

"All right, JJ. Pin it here." John B says.

"Roger that! X marks the spot." JJ says, stopping the boat.

"All right, ladies and gentlemen. To going full kook." John B says before lowering the drone into the water. Kie keeps a hold on the drone while Pope controls it, looking through the camera, seeing all the fish swimming around.

"All right, JJ, we're right over it. Ten seconds northwest." John B says.

"Got it! Ten seconds northwest." JJ repeats.

"One hundred feet." Kie says and Cordelia writes a tally mark on the side of the boat.

Pope suddenly gasps, getting their attention.

"What? What, what, what, what?" John B asks, rushing to the camera.

"It's nothing." Pope says and John B groans. "Sorry, I thought--"

"Damn it, Pope." Cordelia whines.

"Don't do that to me, man." JJ says.

"And to quote The Hobbit, "Down, down, to Goblin Town. Down, down, you go, my lad."" Pope quotes.

"Four hundred feet!" Kie calls out as Cordelia adds a fourth tally mark. "The tide's turning.

"Hey, JJ?" John B calls.

"Yup?" JJ asks.

"Ten seconds easy, all right? South,-southeast." John B says.

"Copy that!"

"JJ, twenty seconds mid-speed, all right? South."

"Copy that! Aye aye. Keep the tether out of the prop!"

"I'm trying!" Kie calls back.

"JJ, keep going!" John B yells.

"John B, is that good?"

"We're good!"

"Okay, seven hundred feet!" Kie calls, Cordelia adding a tally mark as thunder crashes, the boat rocking a bit.

"Yeah, that doesn't look too good." Cordelia says, starting to fidget a bit.

"It'll be fine." Kie says. "Okay nine hundred!" Cordelia adds the last tally mark.

"JJ, we're gonna turtle into the storm, man." Pope says.

"Nine twenty!"

"Crank it north by northwest! Ten seconds! Pope, how we doing?"

"Almost there." Pope says.

"John B, there's too much current!" Kie yells, both her and Cordelia holding onto the tether. "We're gonna lose it!"

"South-southwest, JJ! Hard!" John B shouts. "Half speed. Steady at this bearing, JJ! What do you got, Pope? Come on, man. What do you see?"

"Nothing. A whole lot of nothing." Pope says.

"Come on, you should be right above it, brother." John B says.

"Kiara!" Pope yells.

"Nine-sixty." She says. "Nine-seventy. Nine-eighty!"

"I'm at the bottom. I'm at the bottom." Pope says.

"Steady here, JJ!" John B says. "You should be seeing something, man." He tells Pope.

"I know, I know! Wait, wait." Pope says as the four of them gather around the screen. "Oh, good God."

"See anything?" JJ calls from the wheel.

"It's the Royal Merchant." John B smiles.

Pope controls the drone so it moves around and investigates the Merchant.