"Hey, I have an idea.", Malou said, after they had sat on the cross for a while and waited for some news on Pope.
"Let's tie the tow ropes around the cross and pull it out with the Twinkie. At least then we can hide it somewhere, until we come up with a plan.", Malou suggested and John B thought about it for a moment, before he nodded.
"Doesn't sound too bad. Wait here, I'll get the ropes.", he said and watched how Malou nodded in agreement. John B left the church and walked down the path, where they had parked the Twinkie earlier. He climbed inside the van and grabbed the ropes they had used to pull it out of the marsh. He walked back, only to see, that Malou wasn't alone anymore. The girl stood right in front of the church, looking at John B with fear in her eyes. Renfield stood right next to her. His left hand kept the arms of his sister behind her back and with his right hand, he pointed a gun at her head. Rafe stood a few feet away from them with crossed arms and a smirk playing on his lips. Disappointed, but not surprised, John B thought to himself and let his arms fall to his sides.
"Let her go.", John B snapped and watched how Rafe exchanged a look with Renfield.
"Give us the ropes.", Renfield said and lifted his chin as he gestured to whatever John B held in his hands. John B knew, that they didn't have a chance. They didn't have a weapon and he couldn't fight them alone. Also, this was Rafe and Renfield in front of him. They both were capable of things that John B wouldn't even do in his worst nightmares. If Limbrey had been there, John B had tried to think of a plan, maybe even to make a deal, but this was hopeless. If they wouldn't play after their rules, they would easily kill Malou and him. In silence, John B surrendered. He walked over and handed Renfield the ropes. Once he held them in his own hands, he let go off Malou and shoved her forward, so that John B had to catch her from falling.
"Get the others and take care of the cross.", Renfield said and threw one of the Ropes at Rafe who easily caught it. While Rafe waved over some men armed with bows and arrows and walked inside the church, Renfield walked up to the twins. With the gun pointing at their heads, Renfield told them to sit down. He knelt down and pulled and teared on them aggressively, until their backs faced each other and he could tie their hands together with the second rope.
"Seriously? What do you think we're going to do?", Malou muttered and winced, when the man pulled the rope tighter.
"Do you kids ever stay quiet?", he asked in return, before he stood up again and left. In hopeless silence, Malou and John B couldn't do anything but to watch how they stole the cross right in front of their eyes. Once they had left, Malou exhaled deeply and let her head fall back, accidently hitting the head of her brother.
"Ouch.", he complained and shuffled around awkwardly.
"Well, this is just great.", Malou muttered and looked around, hoping to find anything or anyone that could help them.
"It was your stupid idea to stay here.", John B reminded her and Malou quickly turned her head to her side and wiggled her hands around.
"Ok, so what? I didn't know, that they followed us right from the start! Who could have known, that they had waited already.", Malou defended herself and tried to free herself from her muttering and complaining brother. As slowly, a very sibling likely argument broke out and they both just wanted to fight each other, Malou suddenly froze.
"Wait, I have an idea. I think I can slip my hands out, if we stand up."
"Ok. On three. One, two... three!" With that, the both of them pressed their backs against each other and tried to stand up. On their third try, they made it, only to realize, that their hands were still tied.
"Can you like – lean forward?", Malou asked, after she had noticed, that she could move her around more freely, if John B moved away from her a little.
"What?", he asked confused and felt how Malou pushed herself against him.
"Just lean forward and wiggle around."
"Malou I swear, if someone will see us –", he started but did what she asked for anyway. He leant forward as much as he could and suddenly felt how Malou leant herself on his back.
"What are you doing?!"
"Stretch your arms and wiggle around.", Malou ordered again, as she tried to make John B hold the ropes steady, so she could pull out of them. John B sighed and followed her orders once again, when he suddenly felt the pressure around his wrists loosen.
"Got it!", Malou cheered and stood up straight again. She turned around and freed John Bs wrists from the rope.
"What are we going to do now?", John B asked and again, Malou looked around again. They had lost the cross. Once again, a Cameron had taken what belonged to them right in front of their eyes. For a moment, Malou thought, that she should be glad. That the cross was gone and that it wasn't their problem anymore. It was finally over and they could finally go back to their normal lives. Without any treasure hunts. But even though Malou wanted to feel exactly that, she felt the exact opposite.
"We're gonna get it back. Let's go to Tanny Hill and see if they brought it there.", Malou said and already started to walk down the path, where the Twinkie stood. John B didn't say anything. He didn't quite know, why his sister suddenly had changed her mind. Why she suddenly wanted to help them, but he also didn't want to ask about it. He feared, that his questions would lead to something he wasn't ready for. That Malou would tell him all the things, that JJ had already told him. John B thought, that there were a lot of things to talk about. That he wanted to talk about. And he wondered, if Malou felt the same.
It felt weird to him. All of his life, he thought, that he knew his sister in and out, and that she knew him just as well. But since the fight with JJ, John B questioned that. Did Malou really change that much? Did she really think of John B as a bad brother? Had she really been on bad terms with her dad, before he went missing? And why did she talk about all of that with JJ, but never with him? Did she even tell him, or did JJ tell him all of that, just to get under his skin? To find a reason to make John B look as the bad guy, so JJ could wrap Malou around his fingers.
John B did care about his sister and he had always been sure, that he would do anything for her, but he had to admit, that JJ had been right with one thing. John B hadn't been there for her in the last few months. And he wanted to apologize, to make it up. But he didn't know how to do that without bringing anything else into this. Was this the right moment for this talk? Probably not. So, the way to Tanny Hill was quiet. Not silent. They did talk, of course. But the things they really wanted to say, never left their lips. They were locked in their hearts, fearing of what they would cause.
Malou had texted the pogues what had happened and where they went and had got a short text back, saying that Pope was ok. While the twins waited for their friends to meet them at Tanny Hill, they both observed the house.
"He's there. Should we look for the truck?", Malou whispered, when she saw how Rafe entered the room that Rose had paced around in.
"Yeah, stay here and text me, when he leaves. I will go and have a look.", John B whispered back and Malou nodded in agreement. John B quietly sneaked around the wall they had hidden behind. Maloues eyes followed him, until he disappeared behind a corner. She turned her head back around to watch Rose and Rafe. Her interest in the situation suddenly grew, when the scene inside the house changed. It seemed, like Rafe and Rose were arguing. Malou pulled out her phone and opened the chat with John B. They are fighting about something. I will get closer to hear what they say. She typed in and sent the text. Climbing over the fence quickly, Malou sneaked through the big garden, until she reached the house. She made herself small and crawled underneath the window of the kitchen that Rose and Rafe were in. Trying to ignore the branches and thorns that pinched her arms and face, Malou focussed on the voices echoing through the air.
"...Rafe, I don't care. All I care about is, that all of you will be on that boat tonight. Do you understand me?", Malou heard Rose say in a strict voice and quickly pulled out her phone from her pocket. She opened the group chat of the pogues and started to type a text. Rose and Rafe are going on a boat tonight.
"Fine, ok? I will be there. Just tell me which one we take so I can take it with me. It's ours now and I want him to see it." Who? What? Did he talk about the cross? Who does he want to see it?
"Rafe, please think this through. If you're gonna let us bust, just because you're greedy, your dad will be furious. If any of those men will follow you, if Limbrey will find out, we're busted, alright? We will lose anything then, anything your dad worked for. We only have this one chance, do you understand?" What? His dad? One chance? Ward is alive? Malou felt a shiver run down her spine and her heartbeat increased drastically. With shaking hands, she continued the text. They want to flee. Rafe is taking the cross. I think Ward is alive and will be on the boat. Suddenly, a loud noise echoed through the air, like glass shattering. Malou jumped a little and her shaking hands let the phone drop. It landed on the ground with a thud and Malou squeezed her eyes shut. She didn't have the time to see if Rafe and Rose had heard her, she just gabbed the phone, pressed send and jumped out of the bush. In the background, she heard Rose and Rafe arguing loudly. They definitely had seen her now. Malou looked back for a second, only to see Rafe jump out of the window.
"Shit.", Malou hissed and started to run faster. She made it back the wall, but before she could pull herself over it, Rafe had caught up to her. He grabbed her ankle and pulled on it, making it impossible for Malou to move forward.
"John B! Help!", she screamed as loud as she could while she kicked her feet, in tries to shake Rafe off. Eventually, Malous strength left her and Rafe pulled her off the wall. He covered her mouth with his hand to stifle her screams while his other arm kept her from running away. It scared Malou how strong he was and how all of her strength wasn't enough to get away from him. Rafe eventually pushed her inside the house, where Rose already awaited them with a shocked expression.
"Let go off her, Rafe! You're hurting her!", Rose demanded and Rafe looked at her angrily.
"So, what? Do you want to let her run away? She knows about dad now, she will call the cops!", Rafe yelled and Rose turned around in distress, running her hands through her hair nervously.
"This is a disaster. Alright, just... We'll take her to your father, he will find a way. Without hurting her.", Rose decided and suddenly left the room. Rafe followed her with pushing Malou in front of him.
"Sweetie, this is just to calm you down, alright? Nothing is gonna happen to you. No one will hurt you, I promise.", Rose said with a very gentle and calm voice, that instantly set Malou into panic. Her eyes went wide, when Rose lifted her arm to reveal a syringe in her right hand. Mentally, Malou started to freak out. She shook her head aggressively and tensed up badly as she tried to get away somehow. Her muscles already started to burn from working against the tight grip of Rafe, when suddenly, she felt a small sting in her arm. The hazel eyes of the girl filled with tears and she felt her muscles loosening against her own will. Her eyes began to feel heavy and soon, everything went black.