The deafening sound of police sirens is what broke Devyn out of her stupor, rather than the fact that she was borderline bleeding out. The tears were still thick on her cheeks, salt on her tongue, and pain in her chest. John B was a part of her, a part of all of them, and she could feel the emptiness beginning to grow even after five seconds of him being gone.
JJ still had a firm grip on her, helping to keep her upright but also clinging to her to battle his sadness. The yearning looks Pope and Kiara were exchanging were not unfamiliar to the Keoka girl, a pained smirk playing at her lips as she watched.
"Help me back to the car," Devyn whispered, her hand making its way on top of JJ's, giving him a gentle squeeze.
"We need to get you to the hospital, doll," JJ shook his head, holding half of her weight up as she turned to get the other two's attention.
"Wait!" Devyn whisper-yelled, staggering to a stop. "Give them a minute, trust me."
"You're delusional," JJ chuckled, although his confidence didn't last long when Kie and Pope locked lips, his face falling slack in shock.
"Told you so," Devyn smirked proudly, though the smile dropped when the blare of police sirens began to get closer.
"Hey, guys, I'm sorry to ruin the party, but, uh, we gotta go right now," JJ spoke loudly, properly getting their attention.
Pope and Kie hopped down from the dock while JJ practically dragged Devyn along, although all four stopped short when two police cars sped in, blocking their exit.
The cars had barely stopped before armed SBI agents jumped out, guns aimed, although none of them could look away from Shoupe. Devyn's jaw clenched with burning hatred once more, her head lolling as she fought to stay conscious.
Kiara immediately put her hands up, yelling for Pope to do the same.
"Move. Hands up! Hands up!" One of the men yelled, a firm grip on his gun.
"I'm a bit preoccupied here!" JJ screamed back, one arm around Devyn's waist, and the other lightly slapping her cheek as her eyes fluttered open and closed.
"Were too late, he's gone. Goddammit!" Shoupe cursed angrily. "Bratcher, have your guys stand down. Let me talk to these kids. All right, where the hell is he?"
When none of them answered, the man continued screaming.
"JJ? I see you're livin' up to your name. Pope, how about you? This isn't a fucking game! You can do the right thing right now! Where'd he go?"
"Up yours, Shoupe," Devyn retorted weakly, the shirt Pope had tied around her wound now completely drenched as JJ struggled to keep her upright.
"Suspect has just left Station 26 in a small boat. Need marine patrol to respond," the SBI officer, Bratcher, as Shoupe had called him, informed his units over the radio.
"I hate to interrupt your moment, but Devyn is about to bleed out," Kiara spat, as Shoupe finally turned to look at her, eyes widening at her condition.
"Help her into the car," Shoupe instructed two officers, who stepped forward to do so, immediately sending Devyn into a panic.
"No, no. I wanna stay with JJ," she breathed out weakly, hands trembling horribly as she desperately tried to cling to her boyfriend.
"Hey, it's okay, I'll be right there with you," JJ did his best to soothe her, eyes full of fear at her deteriorating state.
After a little more arguing, two officers helped her into the backseat of a squad car, having to practically carry her. JJ got in with her, as promised, and Pope and Kie were taken in a different one.
"No hospitals," Devyn rasped, her head in the blonde's lap as he continually smoothed her hair, tears welling in his beautiful eyes.
"We have an ambulance and infirmary where we set up our base, we can take her there," Shoupe nodded to Bratcher, who obliged with a huff.
"You gotta stay awake for me, sunshine," JJ pleaded, his hand once again putting pressure on her wound. His eyes grew dark when he pulled his hand away, seeing that it had begun to bleed heavily once more, although he tried not to let her see his worry.
Devyn grunted in response as she lightly shook her head, her eyelids growing heavier with each breath she took.
The last thing she remembered was JJ's panicked pleas and trembling hands before the darkness took over entirely.
++++++++++++++
Everything was loud. Too loud. The overlapping plethora of voices is the first thing Devyn noticed, along with the heaviness in her chest. Her eyes slowly fluttered open, although they quickly clenched shut when she was met with a fluorescent light.
"Where's JJ?" She mumbled bewilderedly, trying to force her eyes open.
"I'm almost done," A female voice answered in return.
Devyn's head lolled forward as she was finally able to squint her eyes open, quickly realizing she was inside of a parked ambulance. Her gaze fluttered down, watching with slight nausea as the woman continued stitching her chest and shoulder closed. She was suddenly aware of all of it; the needle in her chest, the IV in her left arm, and the bag of blood that was hooked up to her right. Her head quickly snapped back against the gurney she was laying on, her jaw clenching as she returned to reality.
"I know, I know," the woman spoke, her raspy voice somewhat soothing. "Last one."
It was a few more moments before she was finished, and as soon as she declared she was done, Devyn bolted upright, trying to stand on her shaky legs.
"Woah, woah, woah," the woman put a soft hand on her good shoulder, stopping her movement. "You just got 42 stitches and you lost a lot of blood. You need to take it easy-"
"I don't care," Devyn grunted, slapping the woman's hand away as she managed to unsteadily stand. She ripped both needles out of her arms before the woman could protest, stepping down and out of the ambulance with a grunt, almost collapsing in the process.
She stumbled heavily as she walked, although the further she got, the more steady she became. She heard the annoying tone of Shoupe's voice and followed it, pausing in front of a large white tent. When she ripped the entrance open, all eyes were on her, Pope, Kiara, and JJ all quickly jumping to their feet.
"Woah!"
"What are you doing here?" JJ question frantically, both hands sliding around her waist to balance her as her knees momentarily gave out.
"Get back to the infirmary, Keoka," Shoupe ordered, although she just gave him a defiant glare.
"No Pogue left behind," she chuckled weakly, the three friends shaking their heads in disbelief.
"They had a feeling you'd say something like that," Shoupe jerked his head to her friends with a reluctant sigh, then to a wheelchair sitting beside their seats.
Devyn simply chuckled as JJ helped her sit, taking the chair next to her, his hands never leaving hers all the while.
"You scared the shit out of me," JJ spoke breathlessly, his forehead pressed against her temple, face screwed up with indescribable emotion.
"Scared the shit out of all of us," Kiara corrected, reaching over to squeeze her hand as Pope nodded fervently in agreement.
"You know I love being dramatic," Devyn chuckled dryly, watching warily as Bratcher looked at the coast through his binoculars. "How long was I out?"
"Not too long, you haven't missed much," JJ assured her, rubbing her knuckles soothingly with his thumb.
"Still haven't found anything," Pope gave her a quick nod, which immediately brought a grin to her face.
The smile quickly dropped as lights began to flicker distantly, the island slowly but surely regaining power.
"Oh, fuck," Pope mumbled as the lighthouse beam powered on, pointing directly at the Phantom.
"That's them! There they are!" An SBI agent screamed, people beginning to frantically move about.
"Shit," Devyn cursed, leaning forward in her seat to try and get a view of John B, watching as agents, officers, and reporters all fled to the edge of the cliff to get a better view.
"Bogey spotted off the lighthouse, running lights out. I think it's them."
Two sheriff's boat immediately sped their way, causing all four pogues to break into a panic.
"What do we do!?" Kiara seethed, groaning in frustration as two agents closed the tent, blocking the view from the four.
"There's nothing we can do," JJ fisted his hair in his hands, his leg shaking up and down nervously.
"He's made it this far," Devyn murmured, glancing warily down at the bandage covering her entire chest. "He can do it."
The Pogues felt completely and utterly helpless. There were armed agents guarding both sides of the tent, ensuring they couldn't leave. They had absolutely no way to know what was going on, other than overhearing staticky police radios and the frantic shouts of bystanders.
JJ and Pope jumped to their feet as Bratcher, Shoupe, and other deputies filed back in, tuning into the radio the police boats were connected to.
"Our attempts to contact the vessel were unsuccessful. We're gettin' hammered here," the voice brokenly came through.
"Hold your position, Captain," Bratcher ordered.
"Roger that."
"I got one more card I think we can play."
Bratcher quickly left the tent, coming back moments later with none other than Ward Cameron, causing all four Pogues to loudly protest.
"Are you kidding me?"
"This psycho is the reason John B is even in this position in the first place!"
"Shut it!" Shoupe screamed hoarsely, looking at the four teens with pure exhaustion. "I don't think you guys understand just how damn serious this is."
Devyn screwed her mouth shut tightly as JJ, Pope, and Kiara all exchanged furious glances with one another.
Ward shakily picked up the police radio, slowly bringing it a few inches away from his mouth.
"John B?"
Nothing.
"John B, I know you are there, son. I know you can hear me, and if you love my daughter like I think you love my daughter, then you will turn that boat around and come back."
Devyn and Kiara quickly looked at one another in shock, JJ and Pope looking just as equally confused. They didn't know Sarah was with John B— as far as they knew, he left without her, and this new information raised their nerves even higher.
"You are going into a storm that you cannot survive," Ward continued. "John B, please, I will make it right. I promise you. Come back."
Silence.
"John B, I am begging you. Think of her and turn around."
Not a single sound.
After a solid thirty seconds, the radio began to crackle, and John B's broken voice came through.
"Ward Cameron, do you hear me?"
Devyn smiled proudly when she heard him speak.
"Yes," Ward responded instantly. "Yes, son, I'm right here. I'm right here. Please bring her back, okay? We'll work it all out when you get home."
"You killed my father," John B's voice rang through the air. "and you framed me for a murder I didn't commit. You took everything from me! You took everything from me! But I'm still here."
Devyn's eyes welled with tears at his words, her lower lip trembling as she fought to remain her composure. She didn't even need to turn and look to know the other Pogues were feeling the same heavy emotions, JJ grabbing her hand softly in his.
"And I swear to God, Ward, I will come back one day and take what's mine. So, you listen to me, alright?" John B continued, his voice border-lining a sob. "I'm comin' for you. I'm coming for you-"
Static.
Devyn let out a shaky sigh once she could no longer hear his voice, giving JJ's hand a gentle squeeze.
"We've lost their radio signal, sir," an agent announced, Shoupe leaning down toward a microphone to talk to those on the water.
"Those are kids out there. Don't stop lookin'."
"Understood."
"You don't go anywhere," Shoupe leaned down toward Ward, who had his back to the Pogues. "We're gonna need to talk to you."
Shoupe and his deputies quickly suited up into rain jackets, leaving quickly as Bratcher escorted Ward to a different tent.
The four friends were left alone, only armed men guarding the exits as company.
"He's gonna be okay, right?" Kiara sniffled, tears brimming in her eyes.
"Yeah, yeah, of course," JJ answered meekly, eyes trained at the ground, never leaving the edge of his boot.
"What if he's not?" Devyn whispered, her voice cracking as tears streamed down her cheeks.
"Come on, guys," Pope said lightly, nudging Kiara's elbow with his as Devyn scooted the wheelchair she was in closer to JJ. "It's John B and Sarah. He's practically invincible."
They all nodded silently, although you could tell none of them truly believed it, not even Pope.
The next five minutes was spent in a thick, solemn silence, anxiety filling up the very air they were breathing.
When Shoupe and two deputies came back into the tent, Pope jumped to his feet, Kiara and JJ gently helping Devyn stand.
Shoupe slowly removed the hood to his raincoat, a look plastered on his face that Devyn was entirely too familiar with as he tried to find his words.
"No," she murmured as JJ wrapped his arm around her, helping her remain balanced. "No, no, no."
That was the same look he had when he told Devyn her mom had died.
"Did you find them?" Pope questioned anxiously.
Shoupe lightly shook his head.
"No."
"So, they got away?" Kiara asked confusedly.
Devyn was using all of her energy not to collapse into a heap of sorrow.
It wasn't true, it couldn't be. She needed to hear it before she could believe what her brain was telling her.
"We, uh... we lost them," Shoupe spoke after a heavy silence. "I'm sorry."
She took in a sharp breath as she stumbled slightly, the force of reality knocking her backwards, out of JJ's loving hands. Her bones were straining under the agony that was beginning to seep into every pore in her body, starting in her chest, and spreading everywhere, until it was all she could feel—until it was all she was—just a living depiction of anguish, not even a person anymore.
"What do you mean you lost them? Like, they're gone?" Pope asked, voice thick with denial. "What are you talking about?"
Devyn was choking silently now, choking on a sob that was begging to be released, but instead took residence in her throat.
"They took an open boat into a tropical depression, Pope," Shoupe shook his head.
"So, they're dead?" Kiara asked numbly.
"We don't know."
"You drove them straight through the storm, man!" JJ screamed, his voice on the verge of sobbing "Are you kidding me? Come here! I'm gonna kill you!"
At this point, Devyn wasn't even aware of the chaos erupting; the deputies restraining JJ, Pope screaming at Shoupe, Kiara beginning to break down.
The sound of heavy, labored breaths were filling her ears, and it took her several seconds to realize it was coming from her— that she was here, still alive, still breathing, as the worst thing that could possibly happen just happened and she had to go on living. She was full-blown hyperventilating by the time JJ crouched down in front of her, the tears on her cheeks matching his as he sobbed, and only then did she realize she was on the ground.
She couldn't even hear what he was saying to her, over the ringing in her ears and the sound of her own sobs she didn't even know we're leaving her.
Devyn stumbled to her feet, as JJ threw his entire body into her, grabbing at her tightly as she clung to him equally in sorrow. They held one another as tightly as they could manage, trying to keep the other from drowning in the heaviness they both felt. The sound of JJ's breathless, gasping sobs finally met her ears as another pair of arms wrapped around them. Through the tears in her eyes, Devyn could see Heyward bringing both her and JJ into a hug between him, Pope, and Pope's mother, whom Devyn didn't even realize were present in the first place.
Pope clung to both of them tightly, all three teenagers sandwiched between two loving adults, forcing both Devyn and JJ to realize another very ugly truth in the already very ugly moment; no one was here for them.
Devyn began to sob a little harder as this sunk in— that the only family she had left was gone. Her mother, her father, Big John, and now John B, her brother, a boy she shared half a soul with— all dead.
Heyward grabbed Devyn's face in his hands as Kiara began to sob into Pope's chest, JJ still wrapped in the arms of Mrs. Heyward. She had no idea what he was saying, the weight of her world burning was too much for her to focus on anything else.
She wasn't entirely sure if there was anything left inside her—any bones, blood, arteries— or if had all filled up with freezing water and left her completely and utterly paralyzed. This wasn't something she could survive, she knew that almost instantly, she would not make it out of this in any way that mattered.
JJ was now the one who had her face in his hands, his forehead resting against hers as he brought her to him like a prayer, like the only thing he'd ever known.
"I-I cant," Devyn sobbed, taking sharp breaths in with every cry as she finally found her voice. "I cant do this. I-I cant do this without him."
JJ said nothing as he pressed his forehead against hers harder, his grasp on her face tightening. Pope and Kiara were clinging to them suddenly, all four friends an emotional heap of grief and anger and misery and sorrow.
No words were being spoken, but none needed to be. They all knew.
That their world had just imploded.
That their two of their best friends were dead.
And within this silence, they all knew one thing:
There was no recovering from this.
———————
THE END
_____________
AUTHORS NOTE:
holy shit. i cannot believe this is actually over. i have been putting off writing this last chapter for so long bc i never wanted this book to end. but rest assured— IM PLANNING A SEQUEL FOR SEASON TWO. thank you so dearly to all of my supporters for this book, the love I have received is downright insane and I could not be more thankful for each and every one of you who has read, commented, and voted. i love you all so so so so so dearly, and you will be hearing from me soon ;)
PS: I am going to be editing and changing some minor things in this book, for example, Alex's face claim. (now jacob elordi)
ALSO: I HAVE A TIKTOK @ / hearteyespadfoot . I MAKE EDITS FOR THIS BOOK AND OTHERS ON THERE SO PLS FOLLOW AND WE CAN CONNECT EVEN FURTHER.
all my love and eternal gratitude,
ayden