-27-

"So what were you doing all the way out here?" Stella asks Jimmy.

"I got a little guide outfit in Saint Vincent. I was spotting fish."

"What were you spotting?" JJ asks.

"You know, the usual. Wahoo." At this comment JJ looks at Stella, yup... this guy knew the Camerons. "I'd hang on to something. Gets a little spicy on takeoff."

They'd been flying for a bit, but once it was clear that Jimmy was occupied JJ nods to the others to get closer.

"Wahoo don't run in September." JJ whispers . "Ever, all right? So whoever this man is, he's not a fisherman."

"Maybe the run just starts earlier out here." Pope suggests.

"Are you sure about that? In the Caribbean?"

"No, I know what this is. He's working for my dad, and he's probably been looking for us the entire time." Sarah nods.

"All right, well we gotta find out. Start looking for some sort of.... clues." JJ spots his bag.

"Hey, Jimmy." John B starts to distract him.

"Yeah, What's up?"

"How long you had this bird?"

"Oh, about ten years now."

JJ rummages through his bag, pulling out a book about El Dorado. Inside was a postcard.

"The Coastal Venture. Oh My God." Sarah snatches it. "This is the boat we were on. With Eberhimi and the cross."

"So he was looking for us?"

"Yup."

"He's working for my dad." Sarah states as the plan jolts and Stella grabs the side.

"Hey, y'all better hold something. We got unexpected turbulence up here."

"Guy, whatever it is, it's happening fast. Look." Kie nods out the window.

"That looks like Barbados. I've been there with Terrance."

"Okay, there's seven of us, one of him. You know my vote. We storm the cockpit." JJ suggests.

"No, who's gonna fly the plane, dumbass?"

"Why don't we just wait until the plane lands somewhere safe.. preferably on land." Stella suggests.

"Or you could have just learnt to swim... you had time." JJ points out and she glares at him.

"Put that back." Stella whispers but as he does, Jimmy notices.

"Hey, many! What the hell are you doing?" He pushes JJ.

"Please fly the plan. Please fly the plane." Stella begs, holding on tightly as they fly straight towards the ground once it became apparent the plane was going to crash, she closes her eyes.

"Is everybody good? We gotta get out of here." John B asks, as the plane starts to flood.

"Stells?" JJ taps her shoulder.

"We gotta get out before it sinks."

"Oh what happened to no water?!" Stella whines.

"Oh no. They don't look friendly." John B nods to a bunch of men running towards the edge of the beach. Everyone starts swimming away except Stella  who had frozen in panic.  Someone grabs her arm. It was Jimmy, he starts dragging her to the shore . Once they get there, he drops her body on the sand and starts to run off  while yelling something. 

The group of unfriendly looking men approach her but she was too busy coughing up salt water to notice until she was grabbed. Brilliant. 

• • • • • • • • • • • • •

Stella lays on bed , she was locked in a room again but this time made no attempts of leaving. She had been staring at the ceiling when there was a knock on the door. 

The door opens, "He's ready." A lady says.

"Who's ready? What's happening?"

She doesn't answer, but Stella still follows her downstairs. She motions to an open door, Stella walks in looking around when she spots a man.

"Uh, excuse me?" The man turns around, "Rafe? "

"Ettie?" He looks her up and down. "You're alive?"

"Um clearly." She motions to her standing. "Were you behind this shit. Seriously?  What happened to no more kidnapping- " She walks up to him. "Wait where's Ward?"

"Wait what are talking about? Have the Pogues sent you here to weasel in on my deal? Is that what's going on?" He also walks up to her, and they end up inches apart.

"What? No."

"I wondered if you little reunion would cause a spark, you know." A man says from the other side of the room.

"Who are you?" Rafe asks.

"Me?" He points to himself. "My name is Carlos Singh. It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr Cameron ... and Ms Hart, I do apologise for the rough tactics in bringing you here. But please come. Sit down." He gestures.

"Rough tactics." Rafe glances at Stella. " What about me?"

"Yes Mr Cameron false pretences. But the ends justify the means, i'm afraid. Sit down. We have a lot to talk about."

Rafe exhales, sitting down next to Stella.

"Why are we here?" She asks.

"Well, Ms Hart, Mr Cameron, we share certain interests, you know. Objectives."

"Is this not about the cross?"

"Is it. Tangentially, it is about the cross but it's also about something much, much bigger than the cross." He walks over to a painting. "By orders of magnitude... the completion of a grand quest. You see, the story goes that 450 years ago, a Spanish solider came out of the Orinoco Basin with a few gold beads. And when they asked the Spanish solider, "Where the beads came from", the Spanish solider replied he got them from a peaceful Indigenous tribe who lived in a city of gold. El Dolrado. And for the next 450 years, people tried to find that god...." He rambles on and Stella zones out.

"And you two..." He laughs "You two are going to play a part in that. What about you, Ms Hart? Are you interested in history?"

"Not really, no." She says bored.

"Yeah, I didn't listen to a word you said, okay? How much you gonna keep philosophising?" Rafe groans.

"You are direct, aren't you, Mr Cameron?" Carlos notes.

"You get used to it." Stella mutters, as Rafe stares at her. "So how do we play a part in whatever you just said?"

"I've come to believe that you and your friends are in possession of something that can help me get what I want."

"Which is?"

"An old manuscript. A diary, actually."

She scrunches her nose in confusion.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Rafe states.

"This is ridiculous. Me neither, a diary?" Stella asks for confirmation.

"But how else could you have learned that the cross was on the Royal Merchant?"

"Pfft I don't know. If I did i would tell you. "

"Yeah she doesn't pay attention much. Picked the wrong Pogue." Rafe adds and she glares at him.

"I was hoping you wouldn't say that, you know. Because unfortunately, I don't believe you. You and your friend here couldn't have found the cross without it."

"He's not my friend"

"We can't all be friends, you know."

Rafe sighs, "Look, this is ridiculous. Okay? Im out. I don't know anything about a diary, okay? So," He's stopped by a guard.

"Do I look like a fool to you, Mr Cameron? Do I look like a fool to you?"

Rafe shrugs, and Stella tries to hide her smile at his panic.

"You have the cross. She and she friends had the cross at one point. So one of you has the diary" Rafe stares at her. "And if you really don't know, then I suggest you convince your friend to tell me." He points at Stella,"Once I have the diary, you'll be free to leave."

"Brilliant." 

• • • • • • • • • • • • •

"Enjoy the ground while you stay. Im must warn you though i'm not a man of infinite patience. You have one day. Go to the window for a little demonstration. I think you'll enjoy it , you know." He pats Rafe arm walking out the bedroom and another man closes the door locking it.

"Hey. Hey!" Rafe yells. "You're just done talking?" He rattles the door. "Hey."

"It's locked." Stella states, walking over to the window.

"Get off me, man! I didn't do anything, man!" Portis yells from outside.

"Who the hell is that guy?" Rafe asks, appearing by her side.

"I know him. It's Jimmy Portis. He's the reason im here." 

"What did he do to you?" Rafe asks, glancing at her.

"In a way he did save me, but I don't think was his intention.... Jealous?" She teases before spotting Carlos ,who pulls out a gun.

"Whoa, Whoa, Whoa."

Carlos walks out of our sight and a second later a gunshot is fired. Stella jumps, grabbing Rafe's hand.

"This diary. Hey, No bullshit." He faces her, their hands still together. "Don't bullshit me. Okay? Ettie, do you have it?"

 "No."

"Shit." He exclaims letting go of her hand. "What are we gonna do?"

"I don't know ."

He groans sitting on the bed, she stares at him as he stares at the floor. His hair was different, It looked good and- "Look Ettie, If we don't come up with something, we're dead."

"Yeah, no shit Rafe." Stella turns back to the window to prevent herself from staring. Stupid Kiara and Sarah , putting stuff into her head. 

"Okay, listen, he's never gonna believe that we don't know something, all right? Singh killed that-" he comes up and grabs her shoulder.

She jumps, and he lets go, "I know" She turns around to face him. "I know Rafe, okay? But right now i've got nothing so stop having a go at me."

"Im not having a go- listen Ettie ... im sorry."

She looks at the ground, not knowing what to say.

"We've got a day, okay? We've got some time."

"Yeah, it's fine. Right?." She nods. 

"Right... " Rafe changes the subject. "You know, I thought you were dead."

"Huh?" She looks up.

"Um, when I saw your body on the boat, and you weren't moving. Then I come here and see you. I thought I was seeing a ghost."

Stella chuckles. "Wouldn't be surprised if it was a ghost, the amount of drugs you're on. But yes I'm alive, I just got knocked out by a machete and fell into the ocean. No biggie." 

"Shit"

"Yeah. To be honest it was probably safer than me falling in conscious."

"If you were conscious, you could've swum." He looks over at her confused.

She bites her lip. "Uh yeah, funny thing. I can't swim. Terrified of the water actually. Which is why I ended up here. Our plane crashed, everyone swam off but I was dragged to the shore by Portis."

He starts laughing. "It's not funny" She shoves his arm

"I've never heard of someone who lives on an island but can't swim." He carries on laughing. 

"Shut up!" He doesn't stop laughing "Well I see you're still a dick, nothing changed there."

"Yeah and you're still violent"

Stella rolls her eyes. "Rich coming from you."

"Um, who was the one that threatened the other with a gun?" 

"That was ages ago, talk about holding grudges. And you almost killed me, and your sister. Not to mention you have killed-" She starts walking off when he grabs her wrist pulling her back.

Their face were inches apart as the glared at each other, "You really want to go there?"

"You really haven't changed one bit and to think I-" She whispers.

"Shut the fuck up."

"Oh make me." She rolls her eyes,  "You're such a -" She's cut off as he covers her mouth with his hand.

"I said shut the fuck up Estella." He whispers and she glares back before kneeing him.

"See... violent." He groans as she walks into the bathroom.