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...
"Okay, guys, I think this is El Tesoro," Pope announced while studying the crudely drawn map that Barracuda Mike had given Coral, "The trailhead to the mountain is supposed to start here."
"This is definitely El Tesoro. Right there's Fenton and another one of Singh's men," Coral said pointing towards the docks, "I don't see Singh though."
"We lost them on the river last night. They're probably an entire day ahead of us," Kie commented.
"I can't help this piece of shit couldn't keep up with them," JJ griped.
"Hey, it's because of you that we were able to hide before they saw us."
"I don't think they were interested in us. They were moving too quickly," Pope reminded them, "I think they were after John B and Sarah."
"How did they know where to go? I didn't see my father with them," Coral said remembering the day before when JJ had driven their small boat off towards the riverbank after catching sight of another boat moving quickly towards them from behind.
They'd watched Singh and four of his men drive right by where they'd hid. It was clear they knew exactly where they were going. JJ had attempted to keep up with their boat, but Singh had easily disappeared from sight with how fast they'd been traveling.
"Do you think someone tipped them off?"
"It's better than the alternative which is they got the location from my dad and then killed him," Coral answered Kie.
"That's not even an option so don't think that," JJ told her.
"We gotta get past them somehow," Cleo voiced, bringing the conversation back to the two men standing guard at the dock.
"I've got an idea," Pope declared, instructing JJ to steer their boat towards a small fishing shack across the river.
"You really think this will work?" Coral questioned wrinkling her nose as Kie scrawled a note on a loose piece of paper. Taking the note Pope attached it to the hook of a fishing pole he'd found in the shack, "It's all we got," the boy replied before handing the pole to JJ.
"Alright, batter up."
"Baby, that's the wrong sport," Coral commented as JJ prepared to cast the pole towards where Fenton sat lounging in a boat at the dock.
"Okay, then heave ho," he said before casting the pole. Watching the hook fly as the fishing line was cast out Coral gave the thumbs up when the note landed in Fenton's boat, "Direct hit!"
"What did the note say?" Cleo asked as they watched Fenton reading the paper.
"In five seconds, you will hear a gunshot. That's your warning, the next shot will be at your head," Kie told them.
"It's been five seconds," Pope said, taking one of his firecrackers out of his bag. Using JJ's lighter, he lit it and threw it across the river.
"I'm sorry, but why do you have those?"
"I packed for every possibility," he answered before throwing another one, "Is he buying it?"
Watching Fenton yelling, the girls laughed, "I think so," Cleo answered.
"They've surrounded us!" Fenton yelled before firing his gun into the surrounding river.
"Pope, return fire! Return fire!" JJ exclaimed.
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