One of Two // JJ Maybank

my druthers: four

pope told us everything at the wharf, i sat next to kie and sarah drinking a beer. john b walked over to pope and put a hand on his shoulder. "i still cant believe your related to denmark tanny." john b emphasized. i chuckled, swinging my feet from sitting on the coolers. "are we in presence of a royal?"

i threw my hands up and started bowing down towards pope. "the king has risen." i said, laughing. "all ahil, king pope heyward." i got down and placed an invisible crown on his head as everyone else started bowing.

pope chuckled. "every one relax." he said, waving his hands around.

"relocate to the cats ass?" sarah said twindiling her fingers in a circle towards jj. 

everyone started talking as me and john b noticed pope looked distressed or even disappointed. he scratched his head, looking down at the floor. "i just keep thinking about the letter, the one limbrey sent." he said, looking at all of us around him. i took another drink of my beer. "it had the wheat symbol on it. that must mean it has something to do with the royal merchant."

everyone's eyes kinda wavered away from pope. i bit the inside of my cheek, he was right. if denmark tanny was on the royal merchant, then maybe the cross does also. sarah looked at me with a stressed look. we both thought this was over. "but if we find the cross, we can split it like we were gonna do with the gold." pope continued.

"and live happily ever after?" a voice said behind us. we turned around to see limbrey with her little rat toy by her side, holding an umbrella. 

pope clenched his jaw and stepped forward. "you assaulted my father." he said as he stepped closer. limbrey's assistant pushed pope back and i got up from my spot. 

limbrey help onto her crutches. "oh, i didnt assault anybody." she replied blankly. "why would my employee assault your father?" jj looked at me with suspicious look and to john b also. "that's absurd."

pope kept glaring at her as she continued. "listen, we can keep negotiating but the fact is i want the key." pope started forwards has her assistant stopped his again pushing him back more. "and i won't stop until i have it. i don't have a choice, which means you don't either."

i watch john b pull a key out of his pocket and held it up with his fingertips. "its limbrey, right?" he asked as she looked towards him. she nodded and got closer, keeping her eye on the key. "is this what you're looking for?" she nodded again. "looking at the tide right now, i'd say its about 20 feet deep out there."

i looked over to pope who pulled the actual key out of his pocket and quickly put it away. "the probability of you finding it is from slim to none." john b continued. me, sarah, and kie both looked at each other with tiny miles on our face to not make it obvious. i saw john b pretend to throw the key away as i heard limbrey yell, telling him to stop.

john b still held the key and pointed to her assistant. "get him to back the hell up." he motioned towards pope.

he backed up off of pope and limbrey got close to pope. "as i have told you from the beginning, i'm willing to be reasonable." she said.

pope looked to john b and john b looked to pope, both having the same idea. "okay." pope said dryly. limbrey looked shocked. "i'll give you the key, but i want the tape." john b went over to pope and started telling him to not do this but pope played along. "it's about your dad, that's way more important."

john b handed pope the key, then he turned to limbrey. "give him the tape." limbrey said before pope handed her the key. they both traded fairly and limbrey got close again. "you know, i wish you came to this decision sooner. we could have avoided all of that unpleasantness."