chapter three
the diary

Athena and Kiara were driven down the road, further and further into the countryside. They were stopped by three more guards, one with a dog while they others had large guns. The guard with the dog walked over to the truck, looking over the girls.

"All right, let them in." He instructed.

The barrier was lifted and the truck was once again driving down the narrow road, tall trees lining it. Athena looked around, noticing how heavily guarded the place they were being taken was. She let out a shaky breath, having a slight suspicion this was something much bigger than Ward and the gold. They pulled up outside a gate and the guard grabbed Athena's arm once more, pulling her out of the truck and guiding her through the gate behind Kie.

Athena looked up at the huge house that stood in front of her, a house bigger than Tannyhill, with armed soldiers stationed every few metres. Athena gulped slightly as the guard lead her up the porch and towards the front door. A maid opened the door, the guards pushing Athena and Kie inside.

Athena looked around the house, seeing loads of old artefacts. The two girls continued walking, meeting another two guards at the bottom of the stairs. The housekeeper, who was now stood in between then, looked between one and Kie.

"Take her upstairs. The Orinoco Room." She told him before looking at the other guard. "And her the Iguazu Room."

The man grabbed a hold of Athena's arm, dragging her up the stairs and in the opposite direction to Kie. Athena spun in his grip, a panicked look on her face as she made eye contact with the girl. Kie forced a weak smile onto her face that Athena tried to replicate but failed. The man then opened a bedroom door, pushing Athena inside. She spun around quickly.

"Who do you work for?" Athena asked him.

"Dinner at Eight." The man spoke before looking her up and down. "I'd clean up."

"Just tell me what they want!" Athena exclaimed as he closed the door. Her eyebrows furrowed before she heard the lock click. Her eyes widened as she tried to open the door but had no luck. She looked up, hitting the door as she shouted. "No, no. Hey, let me out! Let me out! Kie! Kiara! I can't—"

Her head whipped around, looking for something, some other exit but found no luck. She placed her forehead against the door, hitting it softly. "Not again."

When no one answered she let out a sigh. She turned around, looking about the room. It was a decent size with an ensuite bathroom and a huge canopy bed in the middle, white sheets already on it. The walls were painted a beautiful blue, almost the same colour as a waterfall. Painting and old drawings littered the walls in frames and the curtains were an old green pattern. Athena walked around the bedroom, noticing the wardrobe open.

She made her way over to it, her eyebrows furrowed. Inside was four blue dresses, all various sizes. She picked up the note, it reading 'pick your size'. The girl let out another sigh, closing her eyes for a moment before falling onto the bed dramatically.

After a few lazy minutes, Athena decided to get up. She walked into the bathroom, noticing make-up on the counter and a hair-dryer. She shrugged slightly. "At least they were prepared."

She let out a soft chuckle at her own remark before she put the shower on, all the needed stuff already laid out for her. Athena got into the shower, washing all the grime and dirt from her hair and scrubbing it off of her body. She got out of the shower, humming Harry Styles 'Kiwi' under her breath and wrapped the towel around her body. She looked at herself in the mirror with a soft smile, glad to see herself clean and her hair finally healthy and natural once more. The blonde grabbed the hair dryer, blow drying her hair before putting on some blush and mascara from the selection of makeup on the counter.

She put her necklace back on, the paper rings dangling from it. Do not ask her how it hadn't disintegrated once more from the water, she truly didn't know. She then placed her rings back on, the three she had all being ones she had stolen from JJ before she put back on her pogue friendship bracelets as well as her matching bracelet with Wheezie. The blonde then parted her hair, plaiting each part before using the pins from the counter to pin then at the back of her head.

Athena pulled out a few pieces at the front to frame her face before she stood up, making her way over to the wardrobe. She pulled out the dress that was her size and put it on before looking at herself in the mirror. The dress was pretty, she had to say whoever she was about to meet had good taste.

It was a light blue satin dress, that had a lace cowl neck corset top. It had a slit up the side and was floor length. They had also given her a pair of silver open toed heels, which she slipped on before sitting patiently on her bed.

"Creepy house, creepy house, oh how I hate a creepy house." Athena sang quietly, making the song up as she went along. "Too long I've been in creepy houses. I hate the rich and their bosses. I miss my friends—"

A sudden knock at the door cut her off. The door opened to reveal a housekeeper. "He's ready."

Athena nodded, following after the woman. They met Kie at the top of the stairs. Athena let out a breath of relief, bringing the curly haired girl in for a hug. Athena then pulled away, looking Kie up and down.

"Damn Kie, sexy." Athena told her with a smile.

Kiara let out a small laugh, glad she had a friend like Athena that could diffuse any situation. "Me? What about you, Thena? Smoking."

The two were led down the stairs before the housekeepers pointed them towards a room they had to go into. The two walked into the room to see a man with a buzz cut in a blue suit inspecting an old artefact sat on the counter.

"Uh, excuse me?" Kie called out.

The person turned around to reveal none other than Rafe Cameron. He immediately clocked onto his sister standing next to Kie. "Thena, you're alive."

"Rafe, hi." Athena smiled weakly. She stepped forward slowly, Rafe wrapping his arms around his younger sister. Athena hugged him back tightly.

"I'm glad you're okay."

"Me too." Athena then stepped back so she was stood in the middle of Rafe and Kie.

"No, I knew you and Ward were behind this shit." Kie accused, moving forward.

"What are you talking about? You trying to weasel in on my deal? Is that what's going on." Rafe retorted, also walking forward so him and Kie were only a few feet apart, Athena stood between them.

"I wondered if your little reunion would cause sparks, you know." A voice suddenly spoke up, causing their attentions to snap towards the window, where a man stood. He let out a chuckle, walking over to the trio.

"Who are you?" Rafe questioned.

"Me?" He pointed to himself. "My name is Carlos Singh. It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr Cameron. And Ms Carrera, I do apologize for the rough tactics in bringing you here. And you as well Ms Cameron."

"That's not my name." Athena told the man. "Technically I was disowned."

"Well what would you like me to call you?" Singh asked her politely.

"Athena's fine." She shrugged.

"I prefer a more formal name Ms Cam—"

"Maybank." Athena cut him off with a firm look. "Mrs Maybank if you must."

Athena ignored the blatant glare from Rafe and the proud look that crossed Kie's face. Carlos' eyebrows raised but he nodded nonetheless. "Ms Maybank, I apologise. But please, come. Sit down. Come now, I don't bite."

Athena watched as Rafe and Kie glared at each other for a moment before she grabbed Kiara's hand, letting out a sigh and walking into the other part of the room after Singh. The two girls sat on the chairs that Carlos gestured to.

"Rough tactics, what about me?" Rafe asked, following after them.

"Yes, Mr Cameron, false pretences." Carlos stated, pouring a glass of whiskey for himself. "But the ends justify the means, I'm afraid. Sit down. We have a lot to talk about."

"Why are we here?" Kie questioned when Rafe had sat down in the chair next to Athena.

"Well, Ms Carrera, Mr Cameron, Mrs Maybank, we share certain interests, you know." Carlos told them. "Objectives."

"Is this not about the cross?" Rafe asked.

"It is." Singh pointed at him. "Tangentially, it is about the cross, but it's also about something much, much bigger than the cross. By orders of magnitude... the completion of a grand quest."

Athena's eyebrows kit in confusion when Singh stopped in front of a painting. One of a soldier on his knees in front of a... volcano? She wasn't exactly sure what it was but it was clearly important. She turned to share a look with Kie, who held the same expression on her face.

"You see," Singh continued. Athena pursed her lips, she was already tired of him speaking. "the story goes that 450 years ago, a Spanish soldier came out of the Orinoco Basin with a few gold beads. And when they asked the Spanish soldier, 'Where the beads came from', the Spanish soldier replied he got them from a peaceful Indigenous tribe who lived in a city of gold. El Dorado. And for the next 450 years, people tried to find that gold, you know. They tried. Conquistadors, knights, captains of ships, tribes, entire nations."

Carlos picked up an old knife as he spoke, pacing around the room to face them once again. "All fighting each other in a race for the end of the rainbow. Thousands of lives laid on the pyre of gold fever. And it falls to me, you know. It falls to me to complete the task. To bring full circle a quest that has gone on for almost 500 years. Perhaps... Perhaps the greatest quest in the history of the western hemisphere, you know. And you three... you three are going to play a part in that. What about you Ms Carrera, Ms Maybank. Are you interested in history?"

"I'm more of a future person." Kie answered, looking anywhere but the man, who had sat on the chair opposite them.

"I'm more of life in the moment kind of gal, the future sucks, the past sucks, sometimes the present even sucks." Athena shrugged, leaning back in the chair with an eye roll.

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

Singh chuckled. "You are direct, aren't you, Mr Cameron?"

"What do you want?" Athena asked tiredly. God she was bored. "Really? What do you want from us?"

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

"Which is?" Kie wondered.

"An old manuscript." Singh answered. "A diary, actually."

Those words make Athena sit up slightly. It wasn't a movement that Singh noticed but Rafe did. The boy furrowed his eyebrows as he looked in his sister's direction. Carlos was focused on Kiara, thinking that Athena was still bored and wouldn't make any indication that she knew anything.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Rafe told the man.

"This is ridiculous." Kie shook her head. "I don't know anything about a diary."

"What diary are we talking about? Because like, I have my own one but I don't think you reading about how much I love Taylor Swift would be very helpful for your search." Athena raised her eyebrows, catching sight of Kie stifling a laugh in the corner of her eye.

"But how else could you have learned that the cross was on the Royal Merchant?" Singh retorted, ignoring Athena's comment.

"Look, I want to help you, but we can't." Kie sighed.

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

"He's not my friend." Kie stated quickly.

"Yeah, not my friend either. Kind of got stuck with him. It's how family works you know." Athena made a face as she shrugged once more.

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

"Look, this is ridiculous. Okay? I'm out." Rafe sighed, standing up and beginning to walk towards the exit. "I don't know anything about a diary, okay? So—"

He was cut off when he turned to face a guard holding a huge gun.

"Do I look like a fool to you, Mr Cameron?" Carlos asked, standing up as Rafe turned around again. "Do I look like a fool to you? You have the cross. Them and their friends had the cross at one point. So one of you has the diary. And if you really don't know, then I suggest you convince your friend and sister to tell me. Once I have the diary... you'll be free to leave."

Carlos turned to look at the two girls, who had subtly entwined their hands between the chairs. He then told them to get up, leading them back upstairs towards the room that Kiara was in earlier. Athena and Kie held hands as Singh gestured around the room.

"Enjoy the grounds during your stay." He told them. "I 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."

Carlos then patted Rafe on the shoulder before walking out of the room. The guard then closed and locked the door.

"Hey! Hey!" Rafe went to the door, trying to open it. "You're just done talking? Hey!"

"It's locked." Kie told him, walking over to the window.

"Now you know how Sarah and I feel." Athena tilted her head at him with a sarcastic smile before she walked over to Kie, mimicking Singh's voice. "I think you'll really enjoy it, you know. God, he's annoying."

Athena heard a vehicle approach the house as she looked out the window next to Kie. Rafe walked over to them, standing next to Athena. The blonde's eyes widened slightly when she heard Portis' voice, two guards dragging him onto the patio below the window.

"Who the hell is that guy?" Rafe asked them.

"We know him. It's Jimmy Portis." Kie answered.

"He was trying to help us. He got us off the island, we saved his life." Athena stated, glancing at Rafe quickly before looking out the window once more. Singh looked up at them at the window, taking a gun out the back of his trousers before walking out of sight in the direction Portis was taken.

"Woah, woah, woah." Rafe spoke.

"This can not be happening." Athena breathed out. Suddenly a gun shot was heard making all three of them jump. Athena's eyes widened, her breathing growing erratic as she covered her mouth in shock. Her eyes watered slightly as she shook her head. Kie grabbed her hand, entwining it for comfort. "Oh my god."

"This diary." Rafe stated, panting slightly in shock. "Hey, no bullshit. Don't bullshit me. Okay? Do you two have it? Kie? Athena?"

Athena and Kie looked over to Rafe, staring at him for a few moments before they shook their head, speaking one word in unison.

"No."

( 💌 ) isobel's notes
athena was just over singh this
chapter which i adore
she was giving phoebe buffay
with that made up song tho
and some rafe for my gal anisa 🤭
although next chapter she will
not be nice to him but also some
athena kidnapping trauma in this subtly too :( 
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