𝐒𝐮𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐞 - JJ Maybank

Chapter 63: Family

"Hey, boy, come!" Cleo shouted making the Pogues stop in their tracks.

"That way. That way!" JJ pivoted quickly to backtrack after running past Cleo's hiding spot. The rest of the lost teens followed after him until they were hidden securely in the tack room of the stables they had been running through. 

"They coming?" Cleo asked as Sarah and John B peered out into the street outside.

"I don't see anything," John B answered.

"So what's the plan now?" JJ asked, frustration burning once more, "What's our plan B?" He began to pace. "We just kicked the hornet's nest. Who knows what that means for Grace and Kie. We gotta think of something quick."

Pope's eyes stayed glued to his friend as he wandered back and forth. "JJ, calm down."

"Calm down, Pope?" JJ scoffed, stopping his pacing directly in front of him, "We do something to their guys they're gonna do something to ours."

"That was your idea!" Sarah defended Pope.

JJ whipped around to her. "Yeah, I know that was my idea, okay?" That was exactly why he was freaking out so much.

Cleo shushed him.

"My bad! That one's on me!" JJ started up his pacing again while muttering under his breath, "Why did we leave that island?"

He froze once more. "Oh, wait, wait. I got something. What if I offer myself up as a hostage?" All eyes turned to him sceptically. "No. Hear me out, hear me out. What if I got inside the walls, did the Trojan horse type thing?"

Pope shook his head harshly. "No, no!"

"That's how wars are won!" JJ continued.

"That's not how a Trojan horse even works!"

JJ sighed. "Okay. Fine. What do you got? This is usually where you got the moves, bro, alright? Remember Spock? We could really use him right now."

"JJ, she's going to be fine. They both will be. We'll figure something out. Just... let me think." Pope placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

JJ shrugged it off and began pacing again, placing a hand over his chest. "Dude, you saw them right? They have fucking AKs. He was willing to let his men get killed. His own men! Gracie could-"

"Hey, no, she's not," Pope cut him off sternly but JJ was still wandering back and forth, hands yanking wildly at his blond locks.

"She could be dead, Pope!" JJ plopped himself down on a hay bale and buried his head in his hands. "We need to get her out of there."

Pope frowned at his friend's distressed state. "We will."

___________

The brakes hissed as the truck pulled to a stop. Grace grabbed Kie's hand. She was still trying to maintain her calmness but Rafe's freakout knocked the wind out of her and she needed some sort of outlet to channel her emotions. If it wasn't going to be her expressions it would have to be Kie's hand.

Grace could feel Rafe's eyes on her. She squeezed hers shut. This was it. If the guards checked under the tarp they were done for. It all came down to this.

A couple minutes felt like hours as they waited.

Then the engine hummed and the truck pulled away.

They were in the clear.

Grace's eyes flew open and her hand detached from Kie's. Rafe was looking back at her while grinning smugly. She hated the man but couldn't help but return the look.