Finding the compass lit a new fire in John B. He was convinced that his dad was alive and out there. My heart hurt for him knowing he didn't have the answers he needed. After finding the compass John B sat shocked for a while until we convinced him to come with us inside. Kie and Pope eventually went home, and JJ and I stayed for a little while to make sure he was okay but eventually he pushed us out, just wanting to be alone. We decided to go talk to Ms. Lana tomorrow, Scooter's wife, and see if she knew anything about the compass or why Scooter had it. Reluctantly JJ and I left and went to my house. JJ parked his motorbike out front and we silently climbed the steps to my house.
My front door was already unlocked, and we walked in to finding my dad passed out drunk on the couch. JJ and I quietly raided my kitchen and came up with some 'Cheez its' and left-over pizza. We took our unimpressive haul back to my room and shut ourselves in.
"You think your dad will wake up", JJ asked as we took seats on my bed.
"Nah, I don't think so. Pretty sure he chased something with the beer", I said taking a bite of pizza.
"So, you really think John B's dad is still alive?", JJ asked doing the same.
"Honestly, I don't know. Finding this compass sure does give him hope though. I just hope this doesn't end in disappointment for him", I sighed.
"It'll work out. Some way, some how, it will", he assured me and reached over to take my hand.
I raised an eyebrow at him, "That's very positive of you", I stated skeptically.
He shrugged off my statemen and kept eating. We ate and talked about today and realized that it was completely insane. I mean being shot at? Who shoots at kids? There must be something more to all this than we realize if people are willing to shoot at a group of teenagers. JJ and I finished eating and got ready for bed. We were drained from today and were completely ready to crash.
***
The next morning JJ and I got up early. We laid in bed for a while though.
"JJ?", I asked.
"Hmm", he hummed and I felt it as I laid on his chest.
"Shouldn't we get up and over to John B's?", I asked.
"In a minute", he sighed and tightened his grip on me.
I looked up at him and he smiled down at me, "I'm really glad you told how you felt the other night."
"It wasn't easy", he chuckled.
"You know you can let me in, right?", I assured him as I reached up and brushed his check with the back of my hand.
"I know. You probably know me better than anyone", he admitted.
"Does that bother you?"
He sat us both up and looked at me. He took my face in his hands and looked me in the eyes, "No. Not in the least bit. It's nice having someone in my corner for a change"
"What about the others? They're in you corner", I assured him
"It's not the same", he smiled and leaned down to kiss me.
The feel of JJ's lips was something I would never get tired of. There were so many emotions every time we touched and what I felt, I can't even explain it.
Our moment was cut short by my dad busting through my door. He stood in my door way and looked at us, "Well this is new."
"Dad... I thought you would be at work", I said quietly.
"Got fired. Davids a prick", he said, his words slightly slurred.
Great he's drunk at 10 in the morning.
"JJ and I were just leaving", I told him in hopes he would just take it and leave.
"Sure as hell looks like. I don't give a damn", he shrugged, "JJ tell your pops that he needs to meet me at Barry's later."
"Barry's, sir?", JJ asked confused.
"Yeah, he'll know what I mean", my dad explained and then turned and left
I looked at JJ confused, and he held the same expression, "What the hell just happened?"
"I honestly don't know. Maybe because he was drunk?", I offered up my theory, because we both expected my dad to be angry.
"Isn't Barry that drug dealer?", he asked.
"The one that came to your house?"
"Yeah, the one looking for my dad that one time", he said while getting up and putting his shirt on.
I followed his lead and I nodded, "That can't be anything good."
We shook the thoughts of our father's not only being drunks, but now drug users and left my house rather quickly. JJ wore his usual cut off shirt and shorts with his boots and I wore jean shorts and an army shirt that tied at the waist and had buttons down the front of it and let my hair down in its wavy mess. We decided to take my car today. I drove an old beat up two door jeep wrangler my dad managed to find. He was tired of having to give me rides places like school and Kiara's house and work. Usually JJ would come get me from one of those places and bring me home.
We climbed in my jeep and headed to John B's. The top of my jeep was down, and JJ and I had music playing. The ride to John's was short when you were driving. As I pulled in the driveway JJ turned the music down.
"You think he's up yet?", he asked.
"I think he would be. It's almost 11:30."
I threw the jeep in park and we hopped out and walked to the porch. JJ held the screen door for me like he always did and when I got to the front door, I was faced with a DCS notice. I tugged on the slip of paper and pulled it from the door and looked to JJ who was reading over my shoulder. We both exchanged a look. I reached for the doorknob when JJ stopped me. He put a finger to lips and smiled. We peaked into the open window and saw John sleeping on the couch. JJ went back to the door and began to man on it hard.
"DCS, open up. I know you're in there!", he shouted, and I smacked his chest.
We heard the couch creek and then JJ jumped by the window and yelled, "Got ya!", and began to laugh hysterically.
"JJ, that's not funny", I snapped at him as John B opened the door.
We walked in and could tell JB hadn't slept well last night. I put a hand on his arm and gave him a reassuring smile and he smiled lightly back.
"You ready to go to Ms. Lana's?", I asked him.
"Yeah. Let me change and we'll go", he said and went off to his room to change.
JJ managed to find the keys to the twinkie and sat on the arm of the couch tossing them in the arm as we waited. John B came out quickly and we all headed outside and to the van. JJ and John B were upfront, and I was just chilling in the back listening to them as they talked.
"I'm just sayin man. I don't get why you don't just at least try with Kiara. She clearly likes you", JJ pressed, and I rolled my eyes, "She's like, "Oh, John B", he said doing a terrible impression of a woman.
"Is that what she does?", John B said clearly annoyed.
"She's sketching about you diving, then she kissed you", JJ pointed out.
"JJ you know they're just close", I told him.
He looked over his shoulder back at me and said, "Yeah so were you and I. Look how we turned out darlin", then winked at me.
"Okay. I'm out of this conversation. Go back to harassing JB", I said and they both let out a chuckle.
"Dude don't pretend you don't notice it", JJ told him and tapped his arm with the back of his hand, "You all get this look, then you start blushing."
"I blush?", John B asked skeptically.
"Yes", JJ and I said together.
"I thought you were out of this y/n/n?", John B asked giving me look through the rearview mirror.
I threw my hands up in surrender, "Just sayin."
JJ reached up and grabbed the compass off the dash and John B reached for it causing the van to swerve and me to get thrown into the door, "Hey don't-"
"I was looking it at it", I heard JJ say. I couldn't see them because the only think I could see was the door.
"Hey, watch it! I'm still back here!", I yelled as I rolled away from the door and managed to set up between the two seats
"Yeah man, precious cargo back there", JJ said as he pushed John off and held out the compass continuing, "I gotta admit man. Finding your dad's compass on Scooter's boat is a little freaky."
I looked from JJ to John B and he nodded, "Yeah, that's why we're going to go talk to Ms. Lana, maybe figure this whole thing out."
"Yeah I'm sure she would love to talk to us, not like her husband just died or anything", JJ said tone and I reached up and smacked his arm, "What?!"
"Really, JJ?", I asked, and he gave me a confused look I just rolled my eyes and sat back.
We drove the rest of the way in silence. JJ eventually put the compass back on the dash and then soon John was putting the van in park. I sat up and looked around. We made it to Ms. Lana's house. John B grabbed the compass and then we all got out. We looked around at the house. It was very...hippie.
"Know what this house looks like?", JJ asked, "Whoever lives here smokes to much weed", he said answering his own question.
Just then we hear glass smashing. We all looked up alarmed. JJ reached back and took my hand and pulled me close behind him. We began to hear yelling from inside. We slowed our pace and eventually stopped.
"Y/n go back to the van", JJ told me.
"No. I'm not leaving you", I told him and squeezed his hand.
"SHH", John B said to us as we began to slowly move towards the house.
"Where is it Lana?!", we heard the deep voice of a man call out.
"You're hurting me", she yelled back.
We all exchanged a look, "Come on", John B whispered.
I went to move but JJ stuck an arm out. His hand pressed flat against my stomach. I looked up him, "Stay behind me okay?"
I nodded and we followed John B to under the windowsill of an open window. There was crashing and loud banging. We were all flush against the house, JJ's hand still in mine, and we listened to yelling.
"Could it be somewhere else?", a different but deep male voice asked.
"I don't know. I don't know what you're talking about", Ms. Lana cried.
My heart broke for her and I wanted to rush in help her but I knew the odds wouldn't be good. I tried to tune out Ms. Lana's screams and put my head on JJ's shoulder and closed my eyes. There was another crash and I felt something on my face. I opened my eyes and touched my face and looked at JJ. It was paint chips. From the house. They actually managed to chip the paint on the outside of the house from the force they were using.
"We should go. It's not here", one of them said and threw something.
We heard heavy footsteps heading towards the front of the house. John B and JJ tried to peer around the corner of the house, but quickly pulled back.
"It's the guys from the boat", John whispered.
We stayed quiet until we heard their boat start up and them speed away. We waited an extra moment then rounded the corner and quickly made our way into the house, the front door was kicked in and the place was trashed, to find Ms. Lana.
"Ms. Lana?", I called out quietly.
We heard a whimper and turned in its direction. Ms. Lana was in the bathroom floor close to the door. She was beaten and just laying there. I gasped and put a hand over my mouth as I looked at her. JJ came up behind me and placed a hand on my waist as he moved past me. Him and John B rushed to her while I stood there shocked.
"Ms Lana?", John B said and slowly reached out to touch her. She jumped clearly scared.
"Are you okay? Do you need a doctor?", John B asked her softly.
"Let's call the sheriff's department", I suggested as the shock wore off.
"No! No cops, please", she cried.
"Mm. That's not good. Come on, dude. Let's go", JJ said to John B said as he turned back to and grabbed a hold of me, like he was fixing to haul me out of there.
"You shouldn't be here", she cried to JB.
"That's enough for me. Let's go", JJ said as he pushed on hips trying to turn me around towards the busted in front door.
"Wait, wait", John B called, and I pushed JJ's hands off and took his previous spot next to John.
"What do you know about these guys?", John B asked her.
"They were looking for something", she cried out.
John B hurried and pulled the compass from his pocket and held it out for her to see, "Does it have anything to do with this?"
Her eyes got wide, "You shouldn't have that! Don't tell anyone you have that!"
"Why?", John B asked her as JJ came over and began to tug on our arms.
"They can't know", she cried, "You have to get out of here."
JJ let go of our arms and wrapped an arm around my waist and picked me up and placed me behind him then went back for John B pulling him up as Ms. Lana yelled at us to 'Go' and 'Get out'.
We reluctantly left her and ran out of the house and back to the van. We were all shaken from the scene at Ms. Lana's. John B drove to pick up and Kie and Pope. They questioned as to what happened and we gave them a small run down on the way back to the chateau. They were having trouble following as we all were talking at once. Eventaully we got back, and we all piled out of the van and onto the porch. Pop and Kie took seats and I went to set in my usual chair that I shared with JJ. JJ paced and John B leaned against the porch door frame.
JJ was explaining what happened at Ms. Lana's house, even shaking more paint from his hair. They both looked disgusted as he did so.
"JJ's not kidding and that's not dandruff, it's paint", I said backing him up.
"Oh, okay, so you saw the guys that shot at us, right?", Pope asked.
"Yeah", JJ nodded, still pacing.
"Did you get a good description of them?", Pope asked as he pressed his hands together, "Anything we could like bring to a police report."
JJ thought for a minute, "Burley."
"Burley?", Pope asked, clearly not accepting that as an answer.
"Yeah, you know like the type of guy at my dad's garage. You know he use to make cargo hides for drug smugglers", JJ said. He was clearly in distress about this, more so than John B and I. I wanted to just hug him until he calmed down, but now wasn't the time.
JJ reached into his pocket and pulled out his jewel and took a hit off of it, "They're square groupers."
"Like Pablo Escobar square groupers", Pope asked for clarification.
"Guys, not everything is a kingpin movie", Kiara told them.
"JJ we need a description. What does a square grouper look like?", Pope turned to him, "You clearly don't know what to look for."
"Dude! You weren't there. You don't know! I wasn't taking little mental polaroid's the whole time", he said acting like he was taking a picture, "I was under duress! But I can tell you. By the away Ms. Lana was screaming that these guys are serious, serious hombres, man."
"What do they want with the compass?", I asked I as stood and walked over to JJ casually and placed a hand on his upper arm.
"It's crap. You couldn't pawn it for 5 bucks", Pope scoffed then turned to John B, "No offense John."
"The office", John B mumbled.
"What?", I asked.
"My dad's office. He always kept it locked because he was worried about his competitors trying to steal his Royal Merchant research", he said as he walked past all of us, "We used to laugh at him like he was gonna find it."
We followed him into the house, and to his dad's locked office. He pulled out his keys as he continued, "But now that he's gone, I've kinda... I just kept it as he left it."
Kie reached out and put a hand on his arm and he nodded to her. John B unlocked the pad lock and opened the door. No one had ever stepped foot in there, except John B on rare occasions. We all stepped in and looked around.
"I've stayed over like 600 times and I've never seen this door open", he said in wonder as he looked around the room.
John B put his keys back in his pocket and looked around the room and then pulled a small cork board from it's leaning position against a wall and brough it over to us, "Here, look. This is the original owner, right here."
"Robert Q Routledge", I read off, "1880 to 1920", I looked over the picture that was next to the name and found the compass, "There's the lucky compass right there", I said and pointed at it.
"Actually, umm...He was shot after he bought it. It was then passed on to Henry", he said and pointed to the next picture, "He was killed in a crop-dusting accident when he had the compass. Then after he died, the compass was given to Stephen. He had the compass with him when he died in Vietnam."
"Let me guess, he died in action, right?", JJ said putting his hand on my lower back.
"No...He was actually killed by a banana trunk...in...in country", John said nervously.
"You have a death compass", Pope said unamused.
"It's not a death compass", John B pushed off, "Then after him it was passed to my dad."
"It's a death compass", Pope said again.
"Get rid of it", JJ told him.
"No. Look, there's a compartment in there where solider use to hide secret messages", he said as he unscrewed the back of the compass and pulled the back off.
There was no note, but there was something carved into the back of it
"That's my dad's handwriting", John B said surprised.
"How do you know that", Pope asked.
"My dad does these weird R's", he said showing Pope the carving.
"Can I see it?", JJ asked.
John B held it up to JJ to look at, "Red—Rout—", JJ started to sound out.
"It says Redfield", Kie told him.
"Right", he played off like he knew. I grabbed into his arm and rubbed it, reassuring him.
"That's the most popular name in the county", Pope stated.
"Maybe it's a clue where he's hiding", John B said hopefully.
"A clue? Come on, that's- ", Pope started and then Kiara and I gave him a look and he changed his statement, "But if I is a clue, maybe it's an anagram?"
"Right!", John B said jumping up, "Paper. You need paper!"
He grabbed paper and pencil and slapped it on the table in front of Pope. There was talking and Pope was trying to get an anagram from the word 'Redfield'. The Rooster crowed loudly in the background and Pope made a face.
"How can concentrate with that thing crowing at you?", Pope snapped.
"JJ loves the rooster", I told him.
"I love the rooster", Kiara added.
"Shhh, let me think", Pope shushed us.
JJ and Pope talked about the anagram while Kie and I looked around at the things in Big John's office.
"Guys", I heard John B say. No one really reacted until he said it again and added, "Guys! Somebody's here."
We all froze and heard the slamming of heavy doors. We all exchanged looks. Fear on all of our faces. We all moved to the windows and looked out to see a large black truck that was parked behind the van. Those were the same guys from the boat and Ms. Lana's house.
"Is that them?", Kiara asked.
"No", JJ said shaking his head and walking away from the window in a panicked denial, "Why does it always-"
"JJ!", John B snapped, "Look at me", he snapped as he turned JJ around and pushed him against the wall to hold his attention, "The gun. Where is the gun?"
"The gun?", JJ responded really thinking about where it was.
"Now you don't have the gun?! The one time you need it!", Kie yelled in a hushed tone.
"It was in my backpack, and then I-", he thought.
"Your backpack...Where's your backpack", John stressed.
"Porch", he said, "On the porch."
"Go, GO", John said and pushed him out the door.
Kie and were huddled together across the room as JJ ran out the door. We heard the men start yelling for John B and JJ came straight back into he office, "They're on the porch."
"Routledge! Where you at boy", one of them yelled as we shut the door.
Pope and Kiara were working on the window and it was painted shut. I looked around for something to open it and came across a old letter opener and grabbed it, "Here use this", I said passing it to Kie.
"You better not be in here!", a man yelled.
John B and JJ stood against the office door as the guy kicked it and they both moved back from it, "Hurry Kie!", I pushed.
"I'm trying!"
She finally got it open and we all climbed out and had just shut the window as a gunshot went off. John B lead us over the small chicken coop, and we all crawled inside. We all hunkered down and got quiet. JJ held me close and buried my face in his chest. He was breathing heavy and his heart was beating rapidly. Kiara was crying. John B and Pope were both still.
The rooster kept crowing and making noises. We watched as they carried crates of things from John B's house and loaded it in their truck. The rooster wouldn't stop, and Kiara began to get concerned.
"Pope, shut it up", she begged.
"How?"
"I don't know. Pet it? Talk to it?", she cried.
Pope reached out and it flapped it's wings and squawked. We saw that one of them was heading towards the coop. JJ let go of me and grabbed the rooster and snapped it neck. We all looked at him mortified, yet relieved.
"Ratter! What are you doing? Come on", the other guy shouted, and the guy turned and went back to the truck.
JJ threw down the rooster and once they were gone, we all climbed out. JJ pulled me to him and just hugged me.
A/N: Sorry if this chapter seems rushed. I had some computer difficulties the past couple of days, but I promised an update this weekend :) I will update again most likely on Wednesday and I swear it will be better! I'm also working on the Rudy/Reader story now too so the first chapter might be up soon. Thank you guys for all the love!
XOXO,
-A