how could a heart like yours, ever love a heart like mine?

come close my dear, you don't have to fear

JJ woke that morning with his legs tangled with Kie's and her head so close to his shoulder he could feel her breath. She was still sleeping soundly, even as the sun shone brightly though the sheer curtains and the sounds of Sarah and John B in the kitchen drifted through the house. Lying next to her, he felt safe.

Right now, as he and Pope ran through a creepy warehouse, he missed that feeling. He was kicking himself internally for having ever gotten out of that bed.

Sarah and John B had discovered the gold was being kept in this warehouse and had enacted a plan to retrieve it. This involved splitting up first. All was going as well as could be expected until JJ and Pope heard screams. Now they were running all over the warehouse trying to find Sarah, John B, and Kie.

Suddenly, Pope reached his arm out, hitting JJ in the chest and stopping him dead.

"What the-", JJ started.

"Shhhhh! Do you hear that?", Pope whispered.

Somewhere nearby, JJ could hear a struggle and what sounded like four voices. They were arguing.

The two boys moved wordlessly towards the sound but before they had the group in sight, two of the voices abruptly stopped and were followed by heavy thuds.

The two boys picked up their pace and turned a corner, where at the end of the hall, Sarah and John B were standing over two men.

The four friends made eye contact.

"They're not dead," John B said quickly.

"Alright."

The couple's hands were tied behind their backs.

"What the hell happened? Where's Kie?," JJ said, moving towards them and beginning to untie John B's knots as Pope did the same to Sarah.

"Well we got caught," Sarah explained, "and they tied us up. Then they seemed to recognize John B and I and were whispering to each other, and then they dragged us away and left Kie locked in the room."

"She's alone?"

JJ's heart was racing.

Sarah nodded sombrely while Pope freed her, just as JJ did the same for John B.

"We have to go back for her," John B said.

"No," Pope said bluntly.

Everyone turned to look at him. JJ wouldn't have been surprised if you good see flames in his eyes.

"I mean, there are people coming after you two. You have to get out of here."

"He's right," JJ agreed, dousing his flaming eyes, "and you should go with them Pope. They're gonna need someone to make sure they can get out safely. I'll go get Kie."

"Are you sure?" Pope asked sincerely.

"'Course. I'm better at picking locks anyways."

"Alright. Let's go then you two."

"Wait, where should I be going?"

Sarah and John B gave JJ directions to the room where Kie was and then ran off after Pope, JJ running in the opposite direction.

He was moving frantically. Visions of Kie, tied up, unconscious, bleeding, dead. The way his friends had described the situation, she was most likely fine, but JJ's learned to expect the worst.

As he began to near where John B and Sarah had said the room was, he began to hear crying.

Actually, more like sobbing.