PAPER RINGS | jj maybank

027. code grey

"No, sweetheart, I told you, he is not himself right now, all right?" Ward stated. "This isn't forever. It's just until they're able to find him and get him the help he needs. Trust me, all right?"

"Why do I need to come to the Bahamas?" Athena piped up, sitting forward so she was in between the front seats.

"Well I thought you wouldn't want to leave your sister." Ward shrugged. "And if John B's unstable then what's to say that the rest of them aren't unstable too, including your boyfriend, JJ."

"How did you—?"

"Wheezie talks a lot. Turns out you guys aren't as stealthy as you think." Ward laughed. Athena and Sarah forced to let out their own laughs, trying to ease the tension that had settled over them. When they arrived at the airstrip, Sarah and Athena got out of the car, linking hands as they stared at the plane. They walked towards the crew, seeing them lifting boxes into the plane.

"What's in the boxes?" Sarah asked.

"Uh, just some, uh... decorative marble pieces that Rose found for properties down there. Antiques I think." Ward stated, however it was clear he was lying. Sarah then tried to ask another person what was in the boxes, the twins now suspicion that maybe Ward had found the gold however the man interrupted the girl before pushing the twins towards the plane.

"I changed my mind, I'm going home." Sarah grabbed Athena's hand once more. "Come on A."

The two began to walk away when Ward caught up to them. The girls ignored them, continuing as best they could to walk off of the airstrip. "Sarah. Sarah! Athena! Do not cause a scene."

"No! Stop! Stop!" Sarah began to scream with Ward dragged them both. He quickly let go of Athena to fully grab Sarah and pick her up, trying to silence her shouts. Athena wanted to run, to find help and the pogues, but with one look over her shoulder at the scene her father was creating she knew she couldn't leave Sarah. She spun around, a group of figured in the distance catching her attention. She smiled slightly, making out roughly who they were. "Hey Athena! Come on."

Ward grabbed her hand as he continued to carry a struggling Sarah, taking the two towards the plane once more. "No! I don't wanna go!" Sarah screamed.

"Get off!" Athena resisted, trying to get her father to let go of either of them. She managed to turn around in his grip, trying to shout at the group she recognised before. "Help! Help! Get of me! Code grey! Code grey!"

Code grey was something she came up with, with Kie during her kook year. They had a whole system of what to shout or text when they were in different situations. Code red was always too recognisable to most people so when they were in trouble they would shout code grey instead. She prayed Kie had heard and understood what she meant.

"Get in!" Ward shouted, shoving the girls in the plane before strapping them in. Sarah and Athena were practically sat on top of each other in the small seat. "You listen to me!"

Sarah sobbed quietly, holding onto Athena's hand like a lifeline while Ward powered up the plane. The plane began to drive down the runway when a van suddenly appeared next to it. Sarah noticed it first, letting out a gasp that made Athena turn her head. She smiled in relief when she noticed John B.

"Get off the runway!" Ward screamed at the boy yet he didn't listen. Reaching forward, Ward tried to pull the lever to make the plan take off. Sarah and Athena immediately grabbed his hand to stop him. "Get off!"

He shoved the two back, Sarah hitting her head off the metal while Athena headbutted the back of the seat. 

"No!"

John B suddenly stopped driving, turning the van so it was directly in front of the oncoming plane. Ward however didn't slow down or stop. The two girls' eyes widened, their fear for John B's life increasing.