growing in love - jj maybank

Ch 20. Epilogue.

Dani's dead.

Dani's dead

Dani Burton is dead, was the only thought running through Sarah Cameron's brain. The blonde girl had heard the unmistakable sounds of Dani screaming, followed by a gunshot over the horizon. It was a logical conclusion, scream + gunshot = death.

The pogues were crowded together, tensely waiting on the lifeboat. Kiara was focused entirely on JJ, who sat unconscious against the side of the boat, blood streaming down his face from a nasty cut on his scalp. Cleo watched the ship, ready to jump at any second. Pope, John B, and Sarah avoided each other's eyes, knowing that it was time to go. There was no more room to stall, no more time to wait on Dani.

Sarah looked down at her knees, her voice quiet as she said the words she dreaded, "Guys. We have to go."

Pope and John B looked at Sarah, disbelief and acceptance contorting their faces.

Sarah could feel tears begin to stream down her cheeks, a sob catching in her throat, "We can't wait for her... We're sitting ducks out here and I don't even know if Dani's still..."

Sarah's sentence fell flat.

It was a tragedy. After all the pogues had been through, Dani Burton was dead, at the mercy of Rafe Cameron.

No one wanted to assume what had happened to Dani, but John B had seen the way Rafe had manhandled her when they were running throughout the boiler room. John B had also watched the way Ward had put his hands on his own daughter, so willing to kill her. The Cameron family was quite literally capable of anything, e.g., Rafe killing Peterkin in cold blood, Ward killing Gavin, Rose drugging and kidnapping her daughter... the list goes on.

The pogues glanced at each other, weighing the pros and cons of staying or going.

It was unfair. Dani was kind and selfless, likely the only one in the group who actually deserved to survive, to make it on the lifeboat.

But time was running out.

And no one actually knew if Dani was alive.

JJ was in a bad state, still unconscious and bleeding profusely, and in the time the teens had wasted weighing the pros and cons, Rafe had directed a shotgun straight at them.

The only pro the teens could determine was that waiting around may get Dani back.

But even still, waiting would only leave them with another rescue mission, another fight. They could not guarantee successfully finding another escape, or even saving the lost member of their crew.

Pope dropped his shoulders, "Sarah's right. He's pointing at us. We gotta go."

Kiara had yet to even notice the drama happening within the lifeboat, her gaze focused entirely on JJ, "JJ. Wake up, please."

John B nodded, incapable of saying anything as he pulled the string attached to the outboard motor, starting the engine of the lifeboat. The boy was completely devastated by the decision, yet hurrying, the stress of Rafe pulling the trigger momentarily blocking out the guilt.

John B directed the boat out to sea, cruising away as fast as possible.

Kie shook JJ, "J! Please! Please!" The girl was still oblivious to what was occurring on the lifeboat, the missing passenger on their adventures.

Once far enough away from Rafe and his loaded gun, John B steadied the boat, leveraging the steering function so that he could focus his attention on JJ.

"Hey, buddy. Wake up."

A part of John B didn't want JJ to wake up for a while, hoping to avoid the chaos that was to ensue when both Kie and JJ realized that Dani was missing, and most possibly dead.