-35-

Stella didn't stay long In Rafe's car, once people started to leave the beach she went back to find the Pogues. Stella could feel the tension, and the journey back was silent. 

"And what about you two?" Pope turns as Stella and John B, walk out the Pope and JJ arguing "You knew he had it and let him race?"

"He told us at the last minute, okay?" Stella held her hands up in defence. 

"John B, look, man. You were supposed to cover-"

"I did cover!"

"You were supposed to not take our savings..." Pope adds.

"You know what? Maybe Stella should've raced... at least then we wouldn't have had to deal with Rafe."

"What?" Stella exclaims, and JJ and John B turn to her.

"You heard me." JJ yells, "What's going on between you two?"

"Don't fucking change the subject JJ, I didn't just loose 20k."

"Stop telling me to change the subject, you clearly just want to avoid the fact you're fucking a ko-"

"Hey enough!" Cleo interrupts. "How bad is it , Pope?"

"How bad is it? We have a 13,000 dollar property tax payment due in seven days. And we have zero working capital. There is nothing. Any just took the last of our savings. So thank you." Pope tells JJ.

They might of had zero working capital, but they're lucky quickly changed. The Outer Banks Sentinel wrote about them,  they were heroes. 

18 months after fining El Dorado, they were back in the G game. 

Stella glances at Sarah as they all stand in front of what she would call, a dodgy looking house. Truth be told, Stella wanted nothing to do with any gold adventuring anymore, but she promised Sarah she'd come along this once. Just to make sure they weren't being scammed, or anything along those lines. If Stella had a crystal ball, she would have made them all turn around before JJ had knocked on the door. 

"Hello!Anyone home.? " JJ yells before turning to the group  "Oh just a quick FYI, they drug you before they chop you up. So don't eat or drink anything."

"Great thanks. You know we could just-" Stella points back to the boat.

"Yeah I think i've changed my mind about this. one." Sarah agrees and Kiara nods.

"Can we go?"

"Someone's coming." JJ tells them.

"Hi." A  dressed up middle aged man, answers the door. "Im sorry to keep you waiting. It's quite a big house and im... im afraid all the servants have gone. All except, uh,  good all Demp."

"Poor thing." Stella mumbles. 

"Uh, you must be the ... the pogues. The Great Seekers."

"Yeah... I don't know about that." John B says. 

"Oh no, don' you be modest. I've read about your adventures... it's quite thrilling." The man says, his voice sounding very sinister. "Um, come in, come in... I am the, um son-in-law. Chandler Groff."

"Yeah, Pleasure. JJ."

"Want to go Pope?" John B asks, clearly not wanting to enter the man's house.

"After you, Great Seeker."

"Right."

"Well I am not going last." Kiara follows. 

"You know I might just-" Sarah grabs Stella's arm leading her into the house.

• • • • • • • • • • • • •

"You're not gonna believe this." Topper tells Rafe. "One of the lots that they're changing the zoning on..."

"Yeah?"

"JJ's house. Poguelandia or whatever stupid thing they call it."

"So...?"

"So if they change the zoning, they're gonna have to shut down their little bullshit business. Right? Unless they can fight the ruling, which ... betting those broke-ass Pogues don't have the money to fight it."

"Yeah. Well, listen, my... my sister was always terrible with money."

"Im not surprised." He says against his glass. "So once they default on fines or... or whatever, with this friend of my mom's we're gonna offer to buy them out. And then I got this little side deal going on with my grandfather that he's going to rule on to just make this thing bulletproof, baby."

They both start laughing "Look at you just being like a mogul and shit."

"Uh? This is my shit. I've got it figured out. Screw medicine." 

"Screw medicine." Rafe agreed. 

"You can't make any money."

"No, you can't make money."

"Ah babe." Topper calls out to Ruthie, "I was telling Rafe how we're gonna screw the Pogues and make a mint."

"Oh, I will drink to that. Not sure Rafe will, though."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I mean your girlfriend or whatever. Estella right?"

"Ettie? Yeah, what about her?"

"She's a pogue."

"Listen, she's... she's not my girlfriend... we just hook up from time to time."

"Right. Im just saying you seem to spend a lot of time together. Has she moved in yet? Or is she still living in that shack with her Aunt?"

"Im not living with a Pogue."

"I hope not."

"I have standards."

"Oh, do you?"

"Sorry, we were interrupted. Can you run this by me again?" Rafe goes back to Topper.

• • • • • • • • • • • • •

A/N- Really short and shit chapter. Also sorry for the awful updates!  I defo am planning to finish it but im just super busy , so my updates are going to carrying on being awful.