{ LIVING THE POGUE LIFE }

{21}

JJ whooped loudly and pounded his fist on the wheel with joy. They had found it! They found the freaking Merchant. This was it. They were rich. Finally, all their problems had just disappeared.

Or so he thought.

"Its not there," John B sighed, stepping back from the screen. "The gold isnt there. Look...just-just pull the drone up. Shit."

JJ's heart sunk in disappointment. They went through it again. And again. But nothing. Had someone beaten them to it? Could John B's father have found it and hidden it somewhere? He somewhat doubted it.

"Look," Pope reasoned, "We can do another pass. We can recharge the battery and go back down."

John B pulled at his hair in frustration and Kiara was hiding her disappointed expression with her hands. JJ gripped the wheel as the storm blew more furiously, making the boat turn with the current.

"Guys," JJ sighed, "We've been through it three times. It's not there."

"Shut up!" Kiara snapped, sinking back down onto the floor, wincing as she held her back, "The gold could just be buried. We don't know!"

"If it was there, it would have come up on the metal detector," John B yelled over the rising sound of the wind. "Somebody beat us to it!"

"Or it was never there," JJ muttered to himself.

Everything that they thought they knew about the Merchant could all just be bullshit. What if there was no gold to start with? How were they supposed to know it was ever there to begin with?

He brought the boat around again as the current changed, knocking them off course yet again. The wheel creaked under the strain as JJ struggled to pull it back, trying to stop the waves from making them turtle.

He heard Brie grunt with effort as she attempted to keep hold of the tether. She gasped for breath, groaning when the wind whipped harder.

"Guys!" She yelled, "The current is getting really strong! I cant hold it!"

Thunder struck again directly above them and lightening lit up the waves. As if it couldn't get much worse, rain started hammering against the deck, making it all the more difficult for them not to fall. So much for waiting for the right conditions.

"Its slipping!" Brie shouted, panic filling her voice. "We're gonna lose it!"

Thunder rumbled loudly and lightening crashed over head, completely disorientation him. The current threw the boat harshly to the side, making JJ stumble into the wall and almost lose his grip on the wheel.

"Oh, shit!" Pope suddenly yelled, absolute terror ringing through his tone. "Brie!"

JJ's head snapped up, heart racing. His eyes searched the deck, not seeing any sign of her, the teather that she was holding abandoned. Where the fuck was she?

"Brie!" John B bellowed, leaning over the side. "Brie!"

No. JJ felt his heart plummet, dread filling him. Oh god, please no.

"Oh my god," Kiara screamed, tears in her eyes. "Help her! Guys, do something!"

"I cant see her!" John B cried, "Fuck!"

She had fallen overboard, and in these conditions, she didn't stand a chance if they couldn't get her out.

"JJ, don't!" Pope warned, "If you let go of the wheel-"

But JJ didn't listen. He couldn't just stand back and do nothing. He took his hands off the wheel and sprinted out onto the deck, rain thundering down onto him. The boat veered, almost knocking them all off their feet. Pope swore loudly, running to take over control of the helm.