Carson Keller used to think her biggest problem was their rivalry against the Kooks, but that was until buried secrets rose to the surface. Now her biggest problems included a dangerous treasure hunt and a hot-headed teenage boy.
✰ season 1-3 ✰
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CLEO BECAME THE LEADER as she directed them to an abandoned hotel with the security guards from Singh's property still out on the hunt for them. It wasn't the best option to hide out, but it was better than being in the open. Besides, the fact that Cleo had been there before meant she at least knew the layout of the building. They gathered in one of the rooms on the top floor to think about what to do next.
"We gotta get Kiara out, guys. Does anyone have anything?" JJ asked.
"Well, we can't storm the fort. We can't call the cops," Pope decided.
"It's not helping, Pope," JJ said.
"We can't even negotiate. We don't know what they want," Pope continued. "It's got to be about the cross or the gold."
"Mm-mm. Guys like Singh, it's always about money," Cleo said.
"Which is something we have none of," Carson said. They didn't want to rest because they didn't want to waste any time, but there was nothing they could do for Kiara until they gained their energy back and figured out an actual plan. It's why they were all settled, although somewhat uncomfortably, in the abandoned hotel. Carson was just about to fall asleep when she heard Sarah's voice.
"What is that?" she asked.
"This is a little souvenir that I plucked from Portis' pocket," JJ said.
"You have a phone?"
"I forgot I had it," he said lamely. "It was in my back pocket. That's my bad."
"Oh my God, dude. Can we go anywhere without you stealing something?" Pope said.
"Pope, I think we should all know by now that JJ's a klepto," Carson reminded him.
"Nice work, rude boy," Cleo said.
"How'd you get this unlocked?" Pope questioned.
"No passcode. Portis keeps it loose."
"What're you looking for?" Cleo wondered.
"Any information that'll help us negotiate with this guy," Pope said. "The only problem is I don't see a Carlos Singh in the contacts."
"Kingfish," Carson said casually as she continued to lounge in one of the beach chairs with her hands tucked comfortably behind her head with her eyes closed. "Check the stupid nickname, Kingfish."
"There he is, Kingfish," Pope said.
"There he is. Alright, phase two," JJ said. "Text him, okay?"
"And say what exactly?"
"You know, you said it. Negotiate, right? Pretend to be Portis, ask him to meet somewhere in private. That's really important. Just solo. Bam! We just his ass, tie him up, and then politely request for Kiara in return for his life."
"I hate to break this to you, but something gives me the feeling that Singh wouldn't go anywhere solo," Carson said.
"I agree with Car. We should think this through," Pope said.
"What's rule number one?" JJ said.
"Never let JJ be in charge of coming up with the plan?" Carson offered.
"I'm ignoring your input. Rule number one is actually that thinking never helps when you already have the idea," he said.
"No, hang on, I agree with Pope and Carson," Sarah said. "This could make things ten times worse for us and Kiara."
"How much worse can it actually get?" John B said.
"We could be dead at the bottom of the ocean and no one would ever know," Carson answered. "Just saying." Regardless of that, JJ ultimately took the phone out of Pope's hands and crafted the message to Singh. The plan was to try to lure Singh in by pretending Portis had them hostage. No one really knew why Singh wanted them in the first place, but it was all that they knew. When he finally replied and told them to send their location so he could come meet them, Carson didn't buy that it would be that easy.
"We can't give Singh our location. Just give him some random place," Cleo said.
"Alright, where? Where do we want to send him to?" JJ said.
"What about the horse tracks? I saw them yesterday. It's a wide open space," Pope suggested. "We can do some surveillance."
"Now we're working, now we're jelling! I like it. And if we have to make a getaway, we'll just hop on some horses, guns-a-blazing!" JJ said.
"No. We're not horse-backing with guns," John B shut it down.
"Scratch the horses," he said.
"John B, we can really plan this out, man," Pope stepped in. "Maybe sneak from behind and use JJ as bait? Just put him in the middle of the field."
"Nah, Singh won't want him. Too annoying," Carson said.
"Once again, I'm ignoring your input," JJ said to her, making her laugh to herself. "Little announcement. 'Never mind. I just tracked your location, and I'm sending my men. They'll be there in ten minutes to pick you up.'" They all sat in silence for a moment, trying to process what was happening before John B realized something.
"Wait a minute. Did you turn off your location?" he said.
"So-"
"You didn't turn the location off?" Pope yelled in disbelief. "This right here is why you need a plan!"
"Everybody relax for a second! Let's just think about this!" John B screamed.
"Isn't that what Pope has been suggesting this entire time?" Carson said. "Damn, I mean, he's the smart one in the group, right? But no, we have to listen to Dumb and Dumber? I'm too young and pretty to be sent to the bottom of the Caribbean-fucking-Sea, okay? So someone better come up with a real good plan quick or else that's where we'll all be!"
"Well, y'all, I know you guys might not wanna hear it, but we got home-field advantage. We can turn this around," JJ said. He lifted his hands and placed a bucket hat right onto his head. "We're gonna booby-trap this shit."
"Oh great, now JJ thinks we're in Indiana Jones," Carson said.
"We're not running from this dude. This is our best chance to get Kiara back," he said. "It's gonna work. We got ten minutes. Come on!" Carson pulled her severely knotted hair back into a ponytail and shook her head in frustration.
"Someone tell my mom I love her 'cause my boyfriend is about to get us all killed."
