RIVER | JJ MAYBANK

THIRTEEN

JJ lent against the wall and River leant against him. His arms wrapped around her waist tightly as he looked down at her with a smile.

"The office." John B thought aloud.

"What?" River questioned confused.

"My dad. My dads office. He always kept the office locked because he was worried about his competitors stealing his Royal Merchant research." John B walked into the house, the others following closely behind him. "We used to laugh at him like he was actually gonna find it. But now that he's gone, I've just kinda," John B stopped outside of his dad's office. "I just left it as he kept it."

"Yeah for when he gets back." Kie nodded understandingly. John B still believed that his father was alive somewhere out there. No matter how much someone told him that wasn't possible he refused to believe.

"Yeah." John B nodded as he unlocked the door.

"I've slept over here like 600 times, and I've never seen this door open." Pope mumbled as the five walked into the office. River was familiar with the place. She used to be fascinated by Big John telling her stories of the Royal Merchant.

"Here look," John B pulled out a big pinboard. "This is the original owner right here." River gathered around and JJ wrapped his arms around her shoulders and pulled her closer to him.

"Robert Q. Routledge." River said, she didn't have to even read it, she remember it from Big John. "1880 to 1920." She glances down at the photo and saw the compass.

"There's the lucky compass, right there." Kie said pointing at it.

"Actually, um, he was shot after he bought it. Then the compass was shipped back to Henry." John B glanced to River, who was still listening, even though she probably knew the story better than he did. "Henry was killed in a crop-dishing accident when he had the compass. After he fixed, the compass was given to Stephen." John B pointed to the army soldier. "Stephen has the compass with him when he died in Vietnam."

"Let me guess, he died in action right?" JJ questioned.

"No, he was killed by a banana truck, in country." River corrected. JJ, Pope and Kie all looked at her confused. "Big John used to tell me all the stories when I'd stay over." She smiled, JJ gave her a light kiss on her cheek.

"Anyways, after that, Stephen passed the compass down to him, my dad." John B said pointing to the photo of his dad and himself.

"Hm, sounds like there's a reoccurring theme here." JJ perked up.

"Yeah, you have a death compass." Pope shrugged.

"He does not." River said at the same times as John B said,

"I do not." John B smiled up to River.

"You have a death compass." Pope continued, ignoring both River and John B.

"Get rid of it." JJ instructed. "It's cursed and it's made it's way back to you."

"He's not getting rid of it." River said turning to face JJ, her mouth parted slightly. JJ's hair fell in front of his eyes slightly, making River smile. She wanted to reach but and move it so that she could see his blue eyes clearly, but she was scared he'd think it was weird.

"Look, my dad used to talk about this compartment in here. Soldiers used to hide secret notes." John B said as he twisted the bottom of the compass open.

"What's that?" Kie questioned about the engravings.

"That wasn't there before." John B said. "This is my dad's handwriting." He smiled up to everyone from his spot on the chair.

"How can you know that?" Pope questioned with a small scoff.

"It's the R's." River mumbled, she used to love when it was her birthday and Big John write her card. She loved the way that he wrote his R's.

"Because he does these weird R's with the—see it?" John B questioned showing it to Pope.

"Can I see it?" JJ questioned, unwrapping his arms from around the blonde and making his way beside John B. "Red-Rout. No I think that's an A."

"It says Redfield." Kie interrupted.

"Right." JJ nodded as if he knew that. River smiled at the boy a shook her her slightly.

"Okay. Well, what's Redfield?" Kie questioned.

"Beside the most common name in the county?" Pope shrugged.

"Oh, maybe, maybe it's a clue. Maybe it's a clue to where he's hiding." John B said happily, River smiled at the excited boy.

"Okay."

"A clue, one on, that's-" Pope caught River glaring at him and he quickly changed what he was going to say. "But if it is a clue, maybe it's an anagram?" He suggested.

"Yes! Perfect. Anagram. You need paper." John B agreed. River patted Pope's back with a grateful smile. "Here you go." John B handed Pope some paper.

"How can you concentrate with that thing crowing at you?" Pope questioned as he tried to figure it out.

"River and JJ love the rooster." John B shrugged.

River smiled and nodded. Whenever she stayed here, she loved going to see him and feed him.

"We love the rooster." River agreed, JJ smiled at the girl before, throwing his arm around her shoulders.

"Okay let me think." Pope said.

"Seriously, think." Kie agreeed.

"Dedfiel. Colours. That's stupid." Pope mumbled.

"What about Ritalin?" JJ suggested.

River looked up to John B confused, he wasn't helping the others. He looked out the window. River slowly made her way beside him and saw the black car that had just pulled up,

THEY WERE IN TROUBLE.