On Top//Topper Thornton

forty two

"I like it. It could work," Pope states.

"Are you with us, then?" JJ asks Cleo.

"No." Cleo turns to look at John B. "This is stupid."

"All right, let's open these things up!"

"They're checking the containers," Topper warns.

Cleo jumps up and takes the vent out from the window.

"Wait. No. Cleo," John B says.

"What are you doing?" Kie asks.

Cleo shushes her before climbing out the window.

I can hear Cleo outside the container. "Macias!"

"She's gonna tell them. Shit!" Pope says.

"Hold up!" Cleo shouts. "This one's clear, sir."

"Are you sure?"

"Went through it inch by inch," Cleo assures. "Nothing but tubing and plastics in there."

"What if the stowaway had been in there?"

"Well, he wasn't, so..." Cleo trails off. "Come on, man. We have work to do. Move your bumper, man."

"Okay, she's on our side. That's good," Pope says.

"Pope, you're up. We'll wait for your signal, okay?" JJ tells him.

Pope climbs out of the container.

It's a few minutes before we can hear Eberhimi over the PA. "Attention, all passengers and crew. Report to the tween forward hull. Attention, all passengers, all crew, report to the tween forward hull. That's an order. Repeat. All hands and all passengers report to the tween forward hull immediately."

"They took the bridge," John B states.

"That's our boy," JJ says. "Once they're all in the hull, Kie and I will lock them inside.

"Ash, Topper, and I'll find Sarah and get the lifeboat," John B states.

"We'll meet you, load the cross and get outta here," Kie says.

"Let's roll," JJ says.

I stop and look at John B. "You go up. Topper and I will go down."

John B nods. "Got it. Meet you at the lifeboat."

"Meet you at the lifeboat," Topper says.

Topper and I head down below deck. We wind up in the engine room.

Topper and I are making our way through the pipes when suddenly a hook almost hits me in the face. I realize it's Rafe trying to stab me with it.

I gasp. "Rafe."

"Watch your head. What the hell are you doing here, Ashlynn?" Rafe asks.

"Just put that thing down, all right?" I tell him.

"Why would I do that? Huh?" Rafe says.

"This isn't about you, all right?" I tell him.

"It's not about me?" Rafe asks.

I shake my head. "No.  This is about Sarah, okay?"

"I don't know. I think it is," Rafe says.

As he turns his back, Topper and I take off running. Rafe chases after us. Rafe tries to hit me with the hook and I duck. He manages to hit Topper once in the stomach before hitting him in the cheek. Topper loses his footing and falls on his back.

"Same old shit," Rafe remarks.

"You don't have to do this, all right?" I tell him.

"It's the same old shit, Ashlynn. You're not one of us. Not anymore. And you never will be. You're one of them. But now the problem is this... what do I do now?" Rafe taunts.

He goes to stab Topper but Topper is quicker and kicks Rafe in the stomach. Topper scrambles to his feet and we start running again.

"Hey! Come here!" Rafe shouts.

Topper and I rush towards the stairs.

"Where are you going, huh?" Rafe taunts.

Rafe grabs Topper by the leg and tries to pull him down the stairs. He lets go when fire suddenly shoots out from the engine. I grab Topper and we rush up the stairs.

I practically run into John B.

"Did you find Sarah?" John B asks.

I shake my head. "No."

"We found Rafe," Topper tells him.

"Let's go," John B tells us.

We take off running again trying to find Sarah. After a moment we spot her by the lifeboat. Ward is there, choking her. Sarah is clawing at his arms trying to get him to let go.

"Don't call me that! You don't mean it!" Ward shouts.

"Get off her!" John B shouts.

He pulls Ward off of Sarah. I rush to my sister's slide. She's gasping for air, choking slightly. John B punches Ward in the face causing Ward to fall on his back.

"Sarah!" I shout.

John B rushes towards us. "Sarah. Hey. Hey. Hey. Look at me. Look at me. I got you, okay? Hi. Hi."

Sarah puts her hands on John B's face. "John B."

"I told you I wasn't gonna leave you, right? I got you. I got you," John B tells her. "It's okay."

Ward grabs John B from behind and wraps his arm around John B's neck, choking him.

"No! No!" Sarah shouts.

"Stop!" I scream. "Stop it!"

"It's your fault!" Ward shouts. He starts to drag John B towards the edge of the boat. "Your fault!"

John B elbows Ward. Ward throws John B into the wall.

"No!" Sarah pleads.

Ward tries to grab John B again and Topper shoves him aside. Ward and John B start to grapple with one another. John B pouches Ward in the face. He grabs the front of Ward's shirt.

"Come on, Ward," John B taunts.

John B punches Ward three more times in quick succession. Ward stumbles before falling back and hitting his head on the metal edge of the ship. He pulls his hand back from his head and it's covered in blood.

John B kneels down beside Ward. "Is this how you did it, huh? Is this how you killed my father? You just threw him in the ocean?" John B sniffles as he grabs Ward's face forcing him to look at him. "I never got to say goodbye." John B starts to cry. "Because of you. This is all your fault."

For a moment it looks like John B is going to throw Ward overboard. But he doesn't. He gets up and walks towards Sarah, Topper, and I.

"Hey, we gotta go, okay?" John B tells Sarah. "I got you." He wipes a tear from Sarah's cheek. "Come on. We gotta pick up the others." John B helps Sarah to her feet. "All right." John B and Sarah stand on the edge of the ship. "Ready?" They grab hands. "One, two, three."

I watch as they jump off the ship. I look down at my father still on the floor.

"We gotta go, Ash," Topper tells me. He holds his hand out to me and I take it. "One, two, three."