UNTOLD | JJ Maybank

Chapter 18

For the rest of the night, the pogues had thought of a new plan to clear John Bs name. While JJ suggested to kidnap Rafe or Ward, Kiara was sure, that all they had to do was find Gavins body, which didn't seem as easy as she made it sound like. Never disappointing as the brain of the group, Pope had an idea though. They had all seen how Ward had dropped the gun and instead of getting it back, he had taken care of Gavins body. Pope was sure, that the gun had fallen into the drain and that they would find it there. So, after the sun had risen the next morning, the pogues went to the north drain to search for the gun.

"Why did nobody remind me to not wear my favourite bikini today?", Malou complained, when she picked up some of the dirt that swam around her, as she looked around the water for the gun.

"I can't believe how much plastic people just throw into the ocean.", Kiara muttered and looked at JJ in disappointment, when he commented on how much he loved plastic. Pope on the other hand, had thought along and had brought trash bags to collect some of the waste. After they had fished out a whole bag of waste, the gun was still nowhere in sight.

"Maybe the gun hasn't washed out with the trash.", Kiara commented and Malou sighed, while Pope and JJ seemed to have the same thought as they stared into the drain. Kiara and Malou were quick to hop on their idea and they all exchanged a look on who would crawl into the drain.

"I think one of you should go, you're the smallest.", JJ stated and looked at the both girls. Again, Kiara tilted her head and looked at him in disappointment, while Malou just rolled her eyes.

"Fucking babies. Here, take care of that, I'll go.", Malou said and pulled her phone out of her pocket to hand it over to JJ. He took it from her and put it in his own pocket, before he cleared his throat.

"Alright. Be careful. Don't die.", he said in an unusual deep voice and Malou frowned at him. What kind of motivational speech was that?

"Just scream, if you need our help.", Pope said and Malou just shook her head at the boys poor tries to encourage her and just crawled into the drain.

"Damn, I really liked that bikini.", she muttered again, when the smell of trash and dirty water crawled into her nose and she felt her clothes getting wet. As her eyes scanned every corner for the gun, her hands searched in the water. Every now and then, her feet or hands would touch something and she couldn't hide the fact, that it freaked her out.

"Are you still there?!", she heard JJ shout from outside and Malou squeezed her eyes shut, when something cold touched her leg.

"Yeah, all good!", she shouted back, trying to sound as convincing as possible. Crawling in further, she suddenly heard a squeaky noise. Turning her head to the left side, she stared right into the eyes of a rat. She startled, when the small animal suddenly moved quickly and screamed in fear as her body tried to get away from the animal.

"What's going on?! Malou?!", Kiara screamed and Malou squealed some incomprehensible words as she still tried to get further away from the rat, even though she couldn't see it anymore.

"What?! What's going on?!", JJ screamed and Malou took a deep breath, before she managed to calm down.

"There was a freaking rat! Ew!"

"Did you find anything yet?!", Pope shouted and even though Malou knew, that he couldn't see her, she shook her head.

"No! Getting further in!", she called back and quickly moved forward, wanting to get over with this as soon as possible. As she got in further, a sudden noise echoed trough the drain. Frowning, Malou stayed still and tried to figure out, where it came from.

"Guys? Do you hear that?!", she shouted back and before she could wait for an answer, the noise got louder and clearer. The girl didn't even have time to curse, when a massive surge of water suddenly hit her. As she tried to hold onto something, she suddenly could hear the pogues yell for her to get out. When she realized, that the water wouldn't stop and flood the drain, panic rose inside of her. The water rose incredibly fast and she knew, that she wouldn't make it back to the exit, before the water would completely fill the drain. Thinking of what to do, she could still hear her friends call for her in fear. Suddenly, Malou spotted a manhole above her. She held onto some bricks, so she wouldn't lose her spot, hoping, that the manhole was high enough, that it wouldn't get flooded completely.

"Guys! Please!", she screamed for help, when she suddenly couldn't hear her friends anymore. Her heart was racing in fear and her muscles started to hurt from holding on against the strong flow. As the girl rose with the water level, she suddenly felt something touch her leg. She didn't know how, but she knew, that it was the gun. Trying to grab for it in the water, she missed it a few times and accidently pushed it down in the water again. Taking a deep breath, she dived into the water and searched with her hands for it, until her fingertips touched the weapon. Grabbing it with a tight grip, she pulled herself back up above the water and coughed out some water. Just when she looked above, she noticed how little space was left between her and the manhole.

"Guys!", she shouted again and suddenly heard the pogues again. A few seconds later, she could see them above her, trying to lift the heavy cap. Malou kept crying for help as she felt the water rising to her shoulders. Pushing the gun down into the back of her pants, Malou reached up to hold onto the cap.

"JJ!", she screamed, when she heard him curse under his breath.

"Malou! We're gonna get you out!", Kiara shouted back, trying to calm the girl down, who was close to drown in the water around her.

"JJ, please!", she cried out again and took a deep breath, when she felt the water coming close to her face. Squeezing her eyes shut, she felt the water cover her mouth and nose, when suddenly, the cap opened and someone pulled her out. With her hands and knees on the ground, Malou coughed out some water, before she gasped for air.

"Fucking hell.", Malou heard JJ curse and looked up to see him pace around nervously with his hands grabbing for his red hat. Kiara and Pope looked down on her in worry, unable to say something.

"Are you ok?", Kiara eventually asked and Malou nodded.

"Yeah. Never been better.", Malou answered, as she still breathed in and out deeply. When her lungs seemed to work just fine again, she sat up on her knees and reached for her back to pull out the gun from her jeans.

"Is that what we were looking for?", she asked and held up the weapon.

"Holy shit!", Pope exclaimed happily and JJ eventually pulled the red hat off his head to throw his fist into the air as he cheered.

"You did it!", he said in excitement and was the first to walk up to Malou and get down on her level to hug her. Kiara and Pope joined the group hug right after, as they celebrated their victory. Now all they had to do, was give it to Shoupe and let him do his work. Hopefully, the gun was proof enough.