Sunflower || JJ Maybank/Cassandra Routledge

8. To The Unexpected

"Backpack?" The boy mumbles, trying to remember the last time saw JJ's backpack. He pictures the backpack in his head and less than a second later he knows where it is. "On the porch."

"Its on the porch." JJ repeats, his eyes now bouncing between the two siblings. Without saying another word, John B grabs Casey back, giving JJ just enough room to open the office door and run through the hallway, into the living room, and toward the side door. As he makes his way through the open space of the house, Casey grows increasingly nervous. There are countless windows in the kitchen and living room meaning if the Square Groupers look in from any point outside, they will see him.

"John Routledge!" One of the men yell, making JJ fall to the ground. Casey moves to go get him, but an arm wraps around her waist, pulling her back into the room. She doesn't fight to get out of the grip because one, she knows it's her brother keeping her from running out and two, JJ is back on his feet and making a b-line back to the office.

As soon as JJ is back in the room, he quietly slams the door and locks it. John B lets go of Casey, finally letting her run to the boy once the door is secure. She places her hand on the crease of the door, subconsciously confirming it's closed. "Where's the gun?"

JJ doesn't say anything as he listens through the door for a moment. "They're on the porch, guys." He whispers, slowly looking up at her. The men were feet away from him and if they didn't yell, he would have run right into them. The girl takes a deep breath in as she looks back at John B, Kiara, and Pope, hoping they'll have an answer, but the panic on their faces is telling her they don't. So, without thinking, she grabs the door handle. Before she can get the door unlocked and open, JJ grabs her wrist. "What the fuck are you gonna do?!"

Casey doesn't say anything at first, trying to come up with an answer that would convince him, as well as the Pogues, she has a plan, even though her mind is completely blank. Finally, something pops into her head, but as the words leave her mouth, the easier it is to realize her plan is bound to fail. "They want John B, so I'm gonna sneak out into the hallway." She whispers. "I can run around the front and get onto the porch. They didn't say..."

Before she can continue, the man yells again, this time from inside the house. "Cassandra Routledge! We know you're here! Come out, come out, wherever you are!" There's a moment of silence, making the fear-laced anticipation grow inside the office before a cynical laugh echoing through the house. "How's that arm of yours doing, Sweetheart?!"

"Fuck." Casey mumbles to herself as she takes a step away from the door. The men know their names, where they live, and that she got hit. It would be different if the siblings knew anything about the men, at least their names or something, then they would be able to find out who they are but they have nothing. Nothing to tell them who these guys are, which is making this ten times scarier. Two grown men, who are possibly murderers, have tracked John B and her down, broken into their house, and are seconds away from finding them.

"Routledge!" The man's voice travels through the house again, accompanied by the sound of something falling and shattering on the ground. The five try to think of something to do but every plan John B and JJ come up with consists of either fighting or making a run for it and with five people, it will not end well for the last two. Casey runs her hands through her hair as she turns to the group. She locks eyes with Kiara for a moment as tears start to pull in the girl's eyes. Casey knows she has to do something but everything is happening too fast for her mind to think straight. As she looks at Pope, her eyes drift past the boy to the window and like magic, a plan forms in her head. A plan that does not consist of anyone getting hurt.

She quickly grabs JJ's arm, pulling him up and away from the door, and points at the window.  It takes him a second, but he understands what she's getting at and quickly runs through the group. He immediately pulls the blinds up and soon Pope is at his side. The two try to push the window open but no matter how hard they push up, it doesn't budge.