Haven, Maine, Tuesday (Fandom time)

[betterthanaplan]

"An FBI agent left this," Duke said, looking down at the map spread across the table. Specifically at the design in the upper lefthand corner. Which matched the one that was meant to be on the arm of the person who killed him.

"It's a treasure map," Evi said brightly. She hadn't been hard to find; she had, in fact, been standing on the docks waiting for him when Duke and Octavia arrived. "Could be fun, right?"

Duke looked up at her. "Why were you talking to an FBI agent?"

"I wasn't," Evi said. "Your friend was. The blonde. Apparently they have the same name or something."

"So . . . the FBI agent didn't so much leave this as have it get stolen from her bag."

Evi shrugged. Entirely unrepentant. "Are you in?"

Duke looked at the map again. Stealing from the Guard seemed like exactly the sort of thing that might get them to bump 'murder Duke' up on their to-do lists.

It also seemed like a nice 'fuck you'.

"This is a bad idea," he said.

Evi smiled. "All the best ones are."

[NFB due to distance. For the one who came with him. Will be VERY loosely adapted from 2x04, "Sparks and Recreation"]

Comments

[okteiviakom]

Octavia hadn't said too many words to Evi since they'd found her waiting. And that didn't really change, just now, as she stood back with her arms crossed, letting them pore over the map.

"Not a particularly smart idea, either," she drawled. She'd noticed the Guard symbol on there, too.

[seaoftroubles]

"It's a treasure map," Evi said. "X marks the spot! Who cares about smart?"

This was the Evidence Ryan Duke had fallen for. The devil-may-care, fun-for-fun's-sake woman who'd swept him off his feet back in Cape Town years ago.

"What else was in the file?" he asked. Because this was all looking extremely calculated right now.

Evi shrugged. "Something about a guy on the run from some secret society."

"The Guard?"

"Sure. Sounds about right."

[okteiviakom]

If Octavia had been asked right now how Duke had been attracted to both of them, she would not have been able to say. But she'd also prefer no one to ask her, because she really didn't want to think about it.

"We shouldn't, Duke," she said.

[betterthanaplan]

Duke liked variety. Men and women, fun-loving and serious, quiet and loud. . . .

Don't make him choose, Octavia.

"What if it's a weapon?" he asked softly. "What if it's something I can use to protect myself?"

What if it was something that would mean she wouldn't have to follow him up here and put herself in the line of fire anymore?

[okteiviakom]

"What if it's something that draws more people to you?" Octavia retorted, but her voice was taking on more of a hushed quality, at least. As if they could have a private conversation with Evi right there. "Or what if just trying to get it does that?"

[betterthanaplan]

"Hang on," Evi said. "Is this secret society after you?"

Duke barely glanced up at her. "You can go now."

"No! Tell me what's going on, Duke!"

[okteiviakom]

"Not your business, Evi."

[betterthanaplan]

"Excuse me? He's my husband."

"Stay or go," Duke said, staring down at the map. "I don't really care. I'm finding this thing." He looked at Octavia. "Good or bad, I don't care. I can't have this . . . thing hanging over me anymore."

[okteiviakom]

Octavia let go of a small sigh, but nodded. "Okay," she said. "Taim yu get em klin, jaka."

It was the same reasoning why they'd come here in the first place, anyway.

[betterthanaplan]

Evi looked between the two of them. "What the hell language is that?"

"This strip of land," Duke said, ignoring her. "I know this. It's out by Kick'Em Jenny Neck. We can take the Sanguine Moon."

[okteiviakom]

Octavia was definitely not going to be the one to explain anything to Evi. Her attention was firmly on Duke.

"Anything else I should know before we go?"

[betterthanaplan]

Duke shook his head. "It's just woods. Really remote, like the preserve on Fandom."

Evi shrugged. "It may have driven the FBI agent insane."

Duke jerked his head up. "What?"

"I heard she went out there looking for something. Came back with amnesia."

"And you didn't think that was worth mentioning?!"

[okteiviakom]

Octavia gave Evi a sharp look.

"And nothing else happened to her, except that she went to the woods?"

[betterthanaplan]

"How should I know? I didn't go with her." Evi shook her head. "I heard Audrey and Nathan saying something about a barn. So we'll just. Avoid barns, right?"

Duke looked from her to the map again. "This is so stupid." He folded the map up. "Daylight's wasting. Let's go."

[okteiviakom]

Octavia hadn't taken her eyes off Evi, though.

"He might not care if you come with or not, but I do," she rasped. "And we don't need you."

[seaoftroubles]

"I don't give a shit what you need," Evi said. "It's my map. I found it. You're not leaving without me."

"Evi," Duke said on a sigh.

Evi met his eyes and then rolled hers. "Fine. Go. Have your adventure with your side piece." She gave Octavia an assessing look, then turned on her heel and stalked off.

She was perfectly capable to finding her way to the X on the map on her own.

[okteiviakom]

"Not gonna ask what that means," Octavia rasped, very dryly, and definitely only after Evi was out of earshot. "Let's just go."

[betterthanaplan]

“Doesn’t matter. Everything she says is a lie anyway.”

Kick’Em Jenny Neck was an easy half-hour sail from the port where the Rouge was docked. They were anchored and climbing up the steep, wild bank in no time.

“Spot we’re looking should be right up heEEERE!”

Oh hey. That was a big old sink hole Duke just fell into. The joys of treasure hunting.

[okteiviakom]

That was just a wonderful start to things.

Octavia gasped.

"Duke! You okay?"

[betterthanaplan]

"Fine." Duke pushed himself up and looked up at her. "Dirty. Disgusting. But fine."

"Look at that," Evi said, from the other side of the hole. "Karma is real."

[okteiviakom]

Octavia gave her a look like she'd been the one who'd put the sink hole there.

"Of course you're here."

[betterthanaplan]

"You're learning," Evi said. She crouched down and offered Duke her hand. "You need help there, lover?"

Duke handed her his shovel. "Yeah. You can get down here and start digging."

[okteiviakom]

"Is this really just something out of a pirate story?" Octavia asked. "Just -- go to a place and dig?"

It seemed way too simple to her.

[betterthanaplan]

"Most people don't set elaborate traps around their treasure," Duke said.

"More's the shame," Evi said with a sigh. "Remember Tikal?"

Duke couldn't help a small chuckle at that. "The saw blade."

"Rusted right through." Evi grinned and slammed the shovel into the ground at the edge of the sinkhole. "Never set up metal traps in a rainforest."

[okteiviakom]

Octavia's expression stayed mild, but turned a little sour.

"Gonna go look around and see if there's anything else we're missing."