RIPTIDE | Rafe Cameron

39. 𝘳𝘶𝘯𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘯 𝘦𝘮𝘱𝘵𝘺

Somehow we managed to pull the twinkie out of the water, without any more of us being bitten by gators. The second we were back in the truck and twinkie we raced to the Freedman's church, where we believed we would find the cross.

We make our way up to the large double doors of the crumbling church building, John B holding onto my arm as he continues to limp from the gator bite. The girls push the door open to reveal just how badly kept the church is as we step inside.

"You're telling me Denmark Tanny decided to hide the cross in here?" JJ says as we all make our way down the aisle.

"Everyone, just spread out," Kiara suggests as we all disperse across the church.

"So if I was a cross that wanted to be hidden in an old church, where would I hide?" John B mutters.

"Are you sure that Denmark hid the cross here, Pope?" JJ asks, "Like, are we at the right church?"

"It has to be here somewhere guys." Pope sighs, not ready to be defeated in the search for the cross.

"What if we have to push a secret button, or play a certain chord?" JJ suggests as he makes his way towards the piano at the side of the room, "And then all of a sudden the ground beneath us reveals the catacombs or something, on which we stand."

"Maybe start with looking for obvious clues first," I suggest.

"It's not an escape room," Kiara adds.

"It's gotta be in here," Pope replies.

"I just can't see where they would hide a giant cross in here," John B admits, sounding defeated.

"No, there's no way he would set us up on a freaking goose chase that would lead to a church that has nothing!" Pope exclaims as he continues to rush around the church in search of a trace of the cross.

"Yes, I get it, I don't know what to tell you man!" John B tells him, voicing the frustrations of the rest of us in this wild goose chase.

"The clues led us here!" Pope insists, taking a seat, "The cross is in the church."

"Pope, it'll be alright, we've had setbacks in the past, and we've figured it out," John B attempts to assure him.

"Exactly, we've come back from far worse than this," I nod in agreement.

"Maybe we need to be more logical, where would you hide a seven foot tall cross made of gold?" John B asks as Pope begins using the telescope again.

"What?" JJ mutters as we all notice Pope's gaze is focused on the roof above us.

As I stand beside Pope I realise what he's looking at. The wooden beams look like crosses, maybe that's where the gold cross has been all this time, "No way," I whisper with a grin.

In a rush of adrenaline Pope begins climbing the wall, which does not look at all secure as it is essentially just planks of wood with some holes from decay.

"That's not a good idea, Pope." I mutter.

"Oh, now Pope's climbing the wall." John B sighs.

"Be careful, Pope!" Kiara calls out, "This church is old as hell!"

"Yeah, I'm not sure how safe this is, Pope." I add.

"She's right, this church is like two hundred years old," John B tells him as he reaches the beams.

"Pope, you're not exactly the most coordinated person on earth!" JJ adds, which is an incredibly valid point.

"Pope! Be careful!" Kiara tells him as he begins hitting one of the beams with his fist.