Paradise Falls ||JJ Maybank||

[15] Dear Bird

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The five of us stood in the kitchen of the chateau, our recent adventure to the cemetery still fresh in our minds. JJ stood in front of the counter, assembling a sandwich for himself, while I observed from across the room.

I couldn't help but notice the green mold that covered the bread, wrinkling my nose in distaste.

"That bread had mold on it three days ago," Pope remarked as he passed by, noticing the large green spots on the bread.

"I'll just pull off the bad parts," JJ shrugged casually. "Plus, mold is good for you. It's just a natural organism."

He glanced up at me, a mischievous smirk playing on his lips. "Want a sandwich, princess?"

I shook my head firmly. "I'm going to choose life today."

"Come on, with the amount of pot you've smoked in your lifetime, I'm sure a little bit of mold won't hurt," he teased.

"JJ, leave her alone and get over here," Kiara called from beside John B.

The group of us gathered around John B, who was carefully inspecting the package that had been retrieved from the grave. He was cautious as he opened it, not wanting to damage whatever might be inside.

Before he could reveal the contents, JJ suddenly gagged and spat out his bite of sandwich. "Quick, Ronnie, kiss me so this flavor isn't in my mouth," he joked, flashing me a smirk.

I shook my head, unamused. "That's your fault for thinking that sandwich would be good."

"Holy shit," John B muttered, pulling out a map from the package.

"Oh," Pope sighed, pointing to the X marked on the map. "X marks the spot."

John B examined the map, noting the labeled longitude and latitude. "Wait, there's something else," he said, feeling underneath the map.

We watched as he pulled out a device and inspected it.

"What is that?" JJ asked.

"It's a tape recorder, dumbass," Kiara snapped.

I frowned, nudging JJ's arm. "I didn't know what it was either. Don't worry, J."

It wasn't our fault we didn't recognize the tape recorder. Growing up without much money, our parents couldn't afford gadgets like that. And, we didn't pay attention in school.

John B pressed a button on the recorder, and a voice immediately began to speak.

"Dear Bird."

"Who's Bird?" JJ asked.

John B sat in stunned silence. "That's what my dad called me."

"I hate to say I told you so, but I told you so. And you doubted your old man," Big Johns voice sounded through the recording, "I suspect at this moment your filled with guilt and self-loathing over our last fight but don't kill yourself just yet, kid. I didn't expect to find the merchant either."

We all looked at each other in shock as Big John's voice continued to speak, expressing regrets and offering guidance.

"you and Tommy Newton were probably right to call me out, I wasn't exactly father or friend of the decade. What can I say, kid? I could smell the barn," Big John continued, noting how he regretted isolating himself from my dad, "and hopefully, we're listenin' to this in our brand new sugar-shack down in Costa Rica, livin' off passive investments and pulling on permits."

I listened closely, noticing what sounded like a gun being loaded. I was astonished that my dad was mentioned in this message, but I don't get why Big John was loading a gun.