❝i've shared my life with you, brother
since i recall, you've been my friend
you say we're not like the others
still we must die, all things must end❞
-brother, lord huron
✿
chapter thirty two, SURPRISE GUESTS
"We gotta get going," Sarah said, looking at the plane and back to the others. "he's gonna call the cops again, I know it"
"yeah, wouldn't put it past him" AJ shook her head.
"Has he called?" Sarah asked John B, referring to JJ.
"Have you heard from him?" Pope added.
"No, nothing." John B shook his head, looking down at his phone.
"We have to go. We don't have eight hours. And Topper probably already called the police" Sarah walked to AJ, letting the girl use her arm to put her weight on. AJ let out a small thank you before the blonde pair walked to the plane.
AJ was at the top of the stairs when Cleo caught her attention.
"Wait, that might be JJ right there" She pointed at the bike that sped towards them, two passengers.
"well then who's that?" Sarah questioned when a second bike turned onto the tarmac.
"guys, I don't think that's JJ" AJ said, panic settling in her stomach. The first motorcycle screeched to a stop in front of them and Rafe Cameron pulled his helmet off. Ward slumped on the bike behind him,
"Hey. You're okay, Dad. Come on, you're good" He got off the bike first and Ward fell. The second bike came to a stop and AJ shouldn't have been surprised to find Logan removing his helmet and resting it on the bike.
"no" AJ shook her head, a living nightmare playing out in front of her.
"Hey, hey Dad, Hey come on. You're okay" Rafe assured the man and the pogues stared in disbelief at the scene in front of them.
"come on, help! help!" Rafe yelled and then looked at Sarah. "Don't just stand there I need some help, please, come on" he turned back to helping his injured father up and AJ could feel Logan's eyes on her.
Sarah gave in at the same time Logan walked to the plane. She went to help her dad and Logan couldn't pull his eyes from his big sister's bandaged leg.
"What happened?" Logan and Sarah asked the same question at the same time, their voices melding together in AJ's head. She moved back into the plane to allow Sarah and Rafe to help Ward in.
"You're good," Rafe said to Ward. "A fisherman spotted him all right? They know he's alive. We gotta get him off the island right now"
"Shit this cannot be happening" Sarah shook her head.
"Amelia, what happened?" Logan stepped into the plane, trying to meet her eyes.
"why are you here?" She got out, finally turning to him.
"I'm helping Ward. We won't get in your way, we're leaving. We're getting you to Orinoco and we're leaving." He tried to assure her but she shook her head and moved to the top of the steps.
"no no Sarah, I don't think you understand. I don't know if I can get on a plane with that guy" John B shook his head and AJ knew she was entering into the middle of their conversation.
"Just listen John B, this is his plane. I can't stop him from leaving. but he will still give us a ride Orinoco, so if you don't want to get on the plane, I get it. We'll find another way" Sarah said.
"Okay, but there isn't another way. We don't have time. And believe me John B, I don't want to be in a plane with my mother's murderer either, but this is the only way to save your dad" AJ looked to her cousin and he sighed. The words sank in.
"Let's go." He breathed out. "Let's get on the plane. Come on, we're getting on the plane. We gotta go"
"With them?" Pope questioned.
"We don't have another choice," AJ said and he met her eyes.
"Just stick to the plan. Come on" Cleo nodded, stepping forward.
Rafe stepped out of the plane and his eyes met Pope's. The two stared at each other as he walked down the steps. As he began to pass, Pope placed a hand on his shoulder. "We're not done" He spoke.
"Don't let the devil tempt you" Cleo warned as they got on. AJ moved, picking a seat furthest from where Rafe had put Ward down and where Logan was sitting, across from Ward.
Ward stood and the girl tipped her head back as he made it to the steps. The urge to push him out and make the plane take off without him was almost too much to control.
She watched from the window, a small interaction between Rafe and Ward until shining lights caught her attention. The police lights lit up the tarmac.
"We gotta go" She shouted, looking outside at the father and son.
By the time Ward was back in the plane and they were taking off the cops were stopping and getting out of their vehicles. AJ let out a sigh as she looked at the ground, getting further away from them as they entered the clouds.
Sarah took a spot by her father, cleaning his wounds. AJ thought back to earlier when she referred to her as Doctor Cameron and tipped her head back. Pope sank into the seat next to her but she kept her eyes on the ceiling of the plane.
She felt a hand rest on top of hers and she took a breath in before turning her hand and closing it around his.
"John thank you. I know you won't believe it, but you have nothing to worry about from me. Not anymore. I'm just here to help you" AJ's jaw clenched at Ward's voice. His empty apology. The fact she didn't also receive one. She could feel Pope squeeze her hand.
"For what it's worth, I'm glad your father's alive" Ward spoke.
AJ knew the flight would be long. And she had planned to spend the majority of it catching up on some much-needed sleep. She rested against her seat, her eyes fluttering shut.
"hey," Pope's voice was soft, soothing. He rested his hand on her arm. She opened her eyes, finding him in the artificially lit cabin of the plane. He moved the armrest up before opening his arm so she could lean against his body. A smile ghosted the girl's lips before she moved closer.
His body was warm and it lulled her to sleep. The rhythmic feeling of his heartbeat and breaths like white noise to her. She drowned out the small conversations around them as she drifted off.
The girl's eyes opened and she was met with the familiar feeling of her own bed. The smell of bacon wafting in from the kitchen. She smiled. She was home.
Her newly renovated room laid out around her. The smell of saltwater lacing her hair. She had come in from swimming a few hours before and she was taking a nap. It was the afternoon.
"Melly, brunch is ready" Her mother's voice was like a song she could play on repeat. Amelia rolled over on the sun-warmed bed, a smile spread wide on her face.
"Mel" A boy's voice met her ears and she let out a sigh. Her door was opened and the sight of her younger brother brought annoyance to her.
"What did I say about coming into my room without knocking asshole" Amelia pushed Logan away and the boy frowned.
"Mom! Mel is calling me names again" He ran from her room and to their mother in the kitchen. The woman looked at her fourteen-year-old daughter with a frown.
"Amelia, what did I say about calling Logan names?" Her mother scolded.
"Okay okay, I'm sorry I called you an asshole" She walked over to him, waiting for their mother to turn back to the stove. "tattletale" She huffed, watching the boy frown.
She warned him with her eyes about tattling again and he rolled his eyes as he sat down, dramatics coating his actions. "did you want eggs or pancakes Melly?" Her mother's loving tone invaded her words again.
"Pancakes Mom" She answered, smiling as the woman plated two pancakes and added a few slices of bacon. "I have to do that project for class" She reminded her mother.
"what project?"
"the one about our family trees" Amelia answered and as she took a large bite of her food she missed the way her mother's face fell.
"Well, sweetie, we don't really have that much information. Remember?" Brianne pulled her chair out and sat, trying to think of her words carefully.
"Well, I don't need all of that, just names and pictures if we can find them. I could probably find some on the internet" Amelia thought she was being helpful.
"Logan, can you go eat in the living room?" Brianne turned to her youngest and he huffed. "please" She eyed her son and he tipped his head back before standing and disappearing behind the kitchen doors.
"you remember how I told you I got in that fight with my parents?" Brianne said.
"yeah, but I just need the names for the project Mom" Amelia furrowed her brows at her mother. She didn't understand why she was being so complicated.
"Okay, my mother's name was Caroline Whitlock, and my father Donald Whitlock. Grandma's name was Luella, didn't know my grandpa. Didn't have any siblings, I don't know what else to tell you" Brianne lied. At the time, Amelia didn't know the woman in front of her lied about everything other than her grandma Luella's name.
"Why don't we get to see Grandma and Grandpa?" Logan appeared in the doorway and Brianne scolded him with her eyes for eavesdropping.
"We don't see them because we got into a fight when I was younger and we never made up. I don't know what else to tell you" Brianne shrugged.
"can you go help your brother with the dvd player please" Brianne turned, changing the topic as she watched her son struggle.
"fine" Amelia pushed the chair out from the table and walked into the living room, shoving her brother over and taking the remote from his hands.
"nicely please" Brianne got out through gritted teeth and Amelia rolled her eyes. "and take him to the beach with you later"
"mom" Amelia whined out, frustration coursing through her body.
Amelia could feel a drowsiness overtake her body and the light sound of the airplane engine invaded her dream. Sounds from around her body came back to her as she peeled her eyes open. No longer in her kitchen.
She stretched as she sat up, the now sun-lit plane coming back to her senses. She looked to Pope who must've slept sitting up if at all. The others half asleep in different seats across the plane.
Her eyes found her brothers. The little brother she used to call an asshole and tattletale, the little brother who she and her mother protected from dirty family secrets. The little brother who barged into her room so she wouldn't sleep through brunch.
"Are you okay?" Pope's words made her turn, breaking the stare. She smiled and nodded, taking a breath in.
"just a weird dream," She told him, not technically a lie.
"Okay," He accepted the answer and looked around. Cleo took the hint and moved closer to them. John B shook Sarah's shoulders to wake the sleeping girl up.
Logan was fast asleep, AJ could tell. His nose scrunched in the same way it had since he was five. She didn't know why he did it but he could never fake being asleep around her.
Pope moved, waving his hand in front of Ward's face and snapping by his ear to see if the man was awake. "He's out" He whispered as he sat back down in his seat.
"All right. so Tres Rocas, that's where Neville said we would find the guy. Solana, that's the archaeological site. I think that's where they're taking my dad. Neville gave me this map. He said it should be here" John B flashed a map and AJ's face dropped at the sight of it.
"This? This is the map we're following?" Sarah voiced AJ's thoughts.
"He's the only guy who's been there" John B defended.
"Pretty janky, John B" Sarah shook her head. Cleo sat by the window, looking out of it. AJ leaned over to look out two, land coming into view.
"I've been in river towns like this. Major danger, you know?" Cleo stated.
"Don't worry. We're gonna get there, find Singh, boost your pops. And then we'll find El Dorado. It's a layup" Pope let out.
John B looked over to Ward and then to Sarah. "You sure he doesn't know anything?"
"Not from me" Sarah answered. And John B looked to Logan.
"Definitely nothing from me," AJ said bluntly before he could ask the question.
"Okay, first thing, we gotta find this guy named Jose and then head upriver," John B said.
After a few moments, AJ watched Logan start to stir, his nose un-scrunching slightly. "I gotta talk to him" AJ abruptly said before standing and attempting to walk over.
"what are you doing?" Sarah asked.
"I just, I have to" AJ answered. She winced as she walked, the pain spreading through her leg. Logan turned and looked over at the sound of footsteps.
AJ sat in the seat next to him, mostly because she couldn't stand on her leg any longer. "why are you here? You don't need to disappear from anything, right?" She turned to her brother and he sighed.
"no, I came to make sure you were safe" Logan answered and she shook her head.
"I'm fine, and you shouldn't have come. You should go with Ward to Guadeloupe because I don't want your help and we won't accept it." She told him.
"Mel, you're hurt. They might not like it but I'm your brother and I need to make sure your safe. I mean, hell, you can't even walk"
"I didn't ask for you to come, if I wanted you here, I would've"
"I'm coming with you"
"no, you aren't" AJ pressed further and he shook his head. "I want you to go with Ward, please, it'll be safer that way" AJ couldn't deny the protectiveness that washed over her. It wouldn't be safe, not for any of them and she sure as hell didn't want her little brother dragged into danger for it.
"Please." Her voice softened as she stood, biting back the pain as she pushed herself back to her seat. Almost falling into Pope's side as the plane began to descend.
As they landed AJ looked out the window, guards and their dogs roaming. She took a deep breath.
"I told you, it's the wild west out here," Cleo said as they got off the plane.
"Sarah!" Ward called out from the plane and Sarah turned around.
"Dad, what are you doing?" She questioned.
"I'm coming" He stated, trying to walk down the steps. Logan in the doorway behind him. He met AJ's eyes and she shook her head. Pleading with him to stay.
"No, you're not, you got us here like you said you would. Now go on to Guadeloupe." Sarah told him.
"You're in over your head"
"You need a doctor" Sarah tried to reason.
"Let me help please" Ward took another step.
"No! Get back on the plane. You promised you weren't a part of this. No." Sarah held her hand up.
"Okay," Ward gave in, retreating into the plane.
AJ still hadn't peeled her eyes from Logan's.
"Let's get the hell out of here," Sarah said and the plane doors shut. AJ let out the breath she was holding and turned back with the others.
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(NOTES)
thankyou so much for everyone reading
so much love for all of you <3