hurricane
noun. a storm with a violent wind, in particular a tropical cyclone in the Caribbean.
⚓⚓⚓⚓⚓
It was lonely in the holding cell. Lee periodically shouted at the officers outside, begging them to let her go to the hospital and see her mom or pleading with them to believe her. She hated that they were taking Ward Cameron's word over her own. She hated that her friends were still in huge trouble because of it. She hated that they were out there without her, Barry chasing them down, John B needing to find an escape. She hoped they knew that she was okay and not to worry about her—but she was sure they would worry no matter what.
After what felt like hours, sitting alone in the cell, her vocal chords slowly going numb with her frustrated screams at the police officers, the door opened. In walked Officer Shoupe and an unfamiliar man, wearing a vest that said SBI across it.
State Bureau of Investigation? Lee wondered. So they haven't caught John B yet.
"Lena Carter?" The SBI agent asked, stepping forward as Shoupe shut the door behind them. Lee nodded in affirmation, her hands wrapping around the bars of her cell. "I'm Agent Bratcher. Officer Shoupe here tells me that you have an interesting perspective on what happened. I'd like to hear it, if you don't mind."
Lee exhaled sharply and her shoulders slumped with relief. Someone was going to listen to her. Someone was going to give her a chance. "Yes, of course," she agreed.
She turned around as Shoupe unlocked the cell door and handcuffed her. Allowing him to lead her through the police station, Lee kept her head bowed, avoiding the sharp glares of the other officers. They were right to be angry about the murder of Sheriff Peterkin, and Lee certainly felt somewhat guilty for it—she only hoped that she could convince Shoupe and Bratcher of the true killer.
Shoupe led her to a police car, where Landry was waiting with the back door open. Landry sent Lee an unfriendly sneer as she sat down in the back of the cruiser. Lee was unsure of where she was being taken and peered through the back window as they drove. The car ride across the island was quiet, the only noises being the occasional crackle of Landry's radio. When Landry finally parked, Agent Bratcher and Officer Shoupe pulling up on either side of him, Lee recognized her location immediately.
"Why are we at the Point?" Lee asked Landry as he pulled her out of the car. "What is all this?" she continued, noting the huge white tents that had been erected on the small peninsula.
Landry ignored her questions, pushing her ahead of him into one of the largest tents. Bratcher was just behind them, instructing Lee to take a seat at the long white table in front of her.
"So, Lena," Bratcher began, his voice much kinder than Shoupe's or Landry's had been, "tell me what happened at the airport."
Lee cleared her throat. "Before I went to the airport, Rafe Cameron stole my father's gun from me. I chased him and he led me to the airport. There, I saw Sheriff Peterkin arresting Ward Cameron. Rafe shot her before she could arrest Ward and then he threatened to shoot John B and I, so we ran."
The words poured out of her like a waterfall. Agent Bratcher sat quietly as she explained, occasionally glancing at Officer Shoupe, his eyebrow raised.
"Well, Lena," Bratcher said, taking a seat across from her, "Your story matches up with that of Sarah Cameron."
Lee's eyebrows furrowed, not expecting them to have heard from Sarah.
"However," Bratcher continued, folding his arms across his chest, "You also have a history of getting into trouble—as does John B. That gives each of you a motive to want the Sheriff gone. What motive would Rafe Cameron have? Or his father, for that matter?"
"The Royal Merchant," Lee said, sending Shoupe a pleading glance. "We found it. But Ward Cameron was after it, too—that's why he killed Big John and tried to kill John B! Ward stole the gold from us and was flying it to the Bahamas—that's why he and John B were at the airport," she explained. "Please, you have to believe me."
Shoupe shook his head slowly, looking to Agent Bratcher. "Look, people have been searching for the Royal Merchant for hundreds of years and never found the gold. How could a bunch of teenagers do it?"
Lee grimaced. It was a difficult question to answer, especially considering the sheer number of illegal things they had done in order to find the gold. "I can show you," she finally decided. "John B's dad's research is still at his house. There's a piece of gold from the Merchant there!"
The men sent each other skeptical looks.
"Please," Lee begged. "Even if you don't believe me, wouldn't it be good to go to his house anyways?"
Eventually, the officers caved. Bratcher convinced Shoupe to take Lee with him to the Chateau, despite his protests that she should remain behind. They compromised that Deputy Thomas would join them at John B's house, just in case Lee decided to try anything stupid—which was likely, considering her reputation for doing stupid things. On the way, Lee asked Shoupe a question that had been eating at her.
"Is my mom okay?" Lee questioned from the back seat, leaning forward to make sure that Shoupe heard her over his crackling radio.
Shoupe shot a quick glance over his shoulder before nodding. "Yeah, it's like I said before. Kidney failure. She's gonna be alright." He hesitated before continuing, "She's a good woman, your mother. Your dad was a good man, too. You were lucky to grow up with those two as parents."
Lee leaned back in her seat, smiling gently. "Yeah, I was," she whispered.
At the Chateau, Deputy Thomas brought Lee out of the police pick-up and led her inside.
"So, where's this research, Carter?" Shoupe asked, sending Lee a skeptical look.
"Back room," Lee answered. "Big John always kept it locked."
Shoupe led her to the back with him, telling Thomas to investigate the living room. The officers chatted between each other as they scanned for evidence, but Lee noticed that Shoupe was struggling to find anything.
"You know, Shoupe," Lee said slowly, "I'd be a lot more useful if I could help you search for things."
Shoupe scoffed. "Yeah, good try, kid," he muttered.
"You know that I'm right!" Lee protested. "I know exactly where things are, but you're standing here looking in all the wrong places."
Clenching his jaw, Shoupe stepped towards her. "Fine. But if you run, best remember that Thomas and I both have guns—and we won't hesitate to use 'em if we need."
Lee nodded, twisting her fingers together behind her back. "Understood," she said.
Shoupe walked behind her, unlocking her handcuffs. Lee rubbed her wrists, smiling slightly.
"All right, then," she said, immediately walking to a stack of papers that lay on top of John B's map. "Let's get started."
She handed the map to Shoupe before gesturing to the living room. "The real prize is in there," she explained.
Shoupe raised an eyebrow, following Lee into the living room. Thomas reached for his gun when he saw Lee walking free, but Shoupe waved him off. Lee smiled to herself, grabbing JJ's backpack from beneath the futon. The officers watched suspiciously as she unzipped it, their hands hovering over their weapons.
"Okay," Lee said, stepping away from the backpack at the officers' obvious nerves. "How 'bout you look inside?"
Thomas stepped forward, peering into the backpack carefully. When he noticed what was inside, his nervousness dropped. "Shoupe, you're gonna want to take a look at this," he muttered, reaching inside.
When he pulled out his hand again, he was holding the chunk of gold that the Pogues had melted down.
"What you got?" Shoupe said, narrowing his eyes. When he saw the familiar glint of gold, he looked to Lee in shock. "Is that what I think it is?"
Lee nodded as Shoupe took the gold from Thomas. "Yeah," she said affirmatively.
Shoupe tossed the gold between his hands, testing its weight.
"Don't drop that on your foot," she warned. "It's real gold."
"This kid actually finished what his old man started," Shoupe said in slight disbelief, "which means..." he trailed off, glancing between Thomas and Lee. "Tag that as evidence," he said to Thomas. "From now on, we tag everything."
"Yes sir, Sheriff," Thomas agreed.
Lee stepped towards the officers eagerly. "So, do you believe me now? We found the Royal Merchant. I was telling the truth."
Shoupe grimaced slightly. "About this. I don't know that you were telling the truth about everything. However, I do think that we're looking at somethin' bigger. Somethin' a lot bigger."
Lee frowned. "How can you still not believe me?" she asked, growing impatient. "I mean, seriously? You see that I was telling the truth here, why don't you believe that I'm telling the truth about the airport?"
"Listen, Carter, it's a lot harder to understand why Rafe Cameron would shoot the Sheriff than why John B would," Shoupe explained. "Thomas, why don't you take her out to the cruiser. I think you and I can handle it from here."
Lee didn't protest as Thomas put the handcuffs back around her wrists, but she mentally cursed herself for not running while she had the chance. Thomas led her out to the pick-up truck, sitting her down in the backseat and shutting the door on her.
"Don't try to make a run for it, Carter," Thomas warned through the open driver's window. "You don't wanna get shot."
She huffed as Thomas walked back into the Chateau, sitting quietly in the pick-up. Running was tempting, but she knew that she wouldn't get far before the officers realized she was gone. That, and she also had no idea where the key to the handcuffs were. There weren't many good hiding spots that she could get to with her hands tied behind her back. After several minutes of pondering an escape route, Shoupe and Thomas came outside again.
"Historical fact," Shoupe explained, "it was four hundred million in British government gold bars. They got a little, uh, replica down at the museum."
Thomas nodded in affirmation. "I heard about that."
"You ought to check it out, if you get a chance," Shoupe continued as he opened the driver's door, throwing an evidence bag into the glove compartment.
Lee recognized the glint of gold in the evidence bag. Thomas placed another box of evidence in the truck bed, but Lee remained focused on the glove compartment. Along with the gold, she saw the glimmer of keys in Shoupe's hands.
"They got all kinds of cool nautical shit in there," Shoupe added as he told Thomas about a local museum with a Royal Merchant exhibit.
Shoupe and Thomas walked back towards the house. Lee slowly leaned forward, wondering if there was a way for her to access the glove compartment. It felt like a test from Shoupe—no police officer was stupid enough to leave keys in front of someone handcuffed unless they wanted them to uncuff themselves, right? She was certainly up for the challenge.
She watched as the officers wandered back into the Chateau before cautiously throwing one leg into the passenger seat, followed by the other. She almost fell backwards into the back seat several times as she attempted to maneuver into the front, but eventually, she made it. Slightly out of breath, Lee began to turn around, her fingers searching wildly for the handle of the glove compartment. Just as she grabbed it, the driver-side door flew open.
John B jumped into the truck as Lee flinched, trying to act natural. As her brain processed the boy in front of her, she narrowed her eyes.
"John B?"
"Lee," John B sighed with relief, pulling Lee into a desperate embrace.
Lee coughed slightly, unable to return the embrace. "Hey, buddy," she whispered. "It's good to see you, but you really gotta go before they get back out here," she said. "Okay? Run!"
"What? I'm not just leaving you!" he protested.
Lee groaned, nodding quickly. "Okay, okay, fine—uh, check the glove compartment," she said, falling into the passenger seat. John B did as instructed and smiled when he saw the gold, ripping it out of the evidence bag. "As pretty as that is, grab those keys," Lee said, interrupting John B's moment of triumph.
John B did as told, grabbing the keys that were in the glove compartment. Lee turned around, holding her wrists out towards John B. "Uh, Lee," he said hesitantly, "There's a lot of keys here."
"Well, get to trying," Lee stated matter-of-factly. There was a quiet jingle of keys as John B began to test each one. Lee shook her head at how long it was taking, feeling the quiver in John B's fingers each time he reached for her. Suddenly, they could hear the mumble of radios. "Shit, John B," Lee muttered. "You need to go, okay? Forget about me, just go."
"I'm not leaving you!" John B hissed. "We'll just—we'll take the truck," he decided.
Lee's eyes widened in surprise. "Take the truck? Are you kidding?"
John B shrugged. "It's worth a shot," he argued. He pressed the start button for the engine and they both cursed when it didn't work.
"Shoupe must have the keys," Lee explained. "If he just gets close enough to the truck..."
"I can start it," John B finished. "Good plan. Get in back." Without hesitating, he grabbed the radio microphone. "Shoupe, you there, buddy?"
Lee's eyes widened slightly as the sound echoed around the yard. Shoupe and Thomas would need to be deaf to have not heard John B. This would certainly get them outside. She quickly began to maneuver herself to the backseat, not wanting to be in front when John B sped out of the driveway.
"I think you know who it is," John B continued. "Come on out. Nice and easy."
Shoupe appeared at the doorway, his hand on his gun. He slowly walked down the stairs, glaring at John B. Lee struggled to right herself as she tumbled into the backseat, cursing under her breath.
"Wait, wait, wait! Don't shoot!" John B yelled as he saw the officer.
Lee cursed. "Good, yeah, anger the guy who already hates you. Good plan."
John B ignored her. "I just want to talk," he said to Shoupe as Thomas appeared next to his superior.
"All right, take it easy," Shoupe said, holding a hand out towards John B.
"I want to talk," John B stated. "I didn't do it, Shoupe."
Shoupe nodded. "Calm down. Just—just keep your hands where I can see 'em, all right?" he said calmly. "Now, I'm gonna approach the vehicle, and you don't run and I won't chase, okay?"
"Okay," John B agreed, working up some fake tears.
"I wanna talk to you, kid," Shoupe said, descending the stairs and slowly walking towards the truck. "I'm comin' down."
"Listen," John B continued as the officers neared the truck. "I didn't do it. It's not what you think, okay?"
Shoupe's hand remained hovering over his gun. "I'm listening," he stated.
John B shook his head. "Take your hand off your gun," he told the officers. "Both of you, please." When Thomas refused, John B continued, "Tell him to take his hand off his gun."
Shoupe sent Thomas a sharp look. "Get your hand off your weapon."
Thomas did as instructed, clenching his jaw.
"All right, so we're gonna talk, right?" Shoupe said, turning back to face John B. "Carter told me what she thinks happened," Shoupe explained. "I'm happy to hear your side of the story, too."
Lee watched as Shoupe neared the car. In a voice that was barely audible, she whispered, "Now!" to John B. He punched the engine start button and the truck roared to life. "Go, go, go!" Lee shouted as John B slammed his foot on the gas.
The truck tore down the street. John B immediately flipped on the sirens, despite Lee's protests. Her shoulder hit the right window as John B took a sharp turn and she knew that it was going to bruise.
"You wanna let them hear us coming, too?" she shouted, but it was too late.
"All units be advised, the suspect is on the north end of the island, headed to the Point. Lena Carter has escaped and is traveling with him," the radio crackled.
"John B, where are we going?" Lee asked as John B took a sharp turn, throwing her body into the opposite door.
John B glanced over his shoulder quickly. "Shouldn't you buckle up?"
Lee sent him a sharp glare. "Are you kidding me right now, Routledge?" she asked. "What hands am I supposed to use to buckle up? Where are we going?"
"The dump," John B explained. "JJ got his dad's old cigarette boat for Sarah and I to leave in."
"Sarah?" Lee repeated. "Why is Sarah going with you?"
John B shrugged. "I dunno, because she wants to? Because her dad and brother are both murderers and no one believes her?"
Lee pursed her lips. "Fair enough," she mumbled. At the sound of sirens from nearby, Lee frowned. "Think you can drive any faster?"
"Do you think I'm trying to drive slowly?"
"Well, I think you could be going faster!"
"God, you are such a backseat driver!"
Lee scoffed. "You know what, if someone had unlocked these cuffs faster, I might not be complaining so much!"
"When did you get so annoying?" John B asked.
"When did you get so douchey?" Lee shot back.
"Here's the keys," John B suddenly muttered, reaching back to place the key ring in Lee's hands. "See if you can unlock yourself."
Lee gripped it in her fingers, trying to sort out a single key. "Jesus, this won't be difficult at all," she groaned, struggling to insert a key into the cuffs.
John B rolled his eyes, glancing back as Lee struggled to free herself. Suddenly, after what felt like 40 different keys, the cuffs unlatched. Lee sighed as one of her wrists came free. "I'm unstoppable," Lee whispered, smiling as she rubbed the free wrist.
"You still have one to go, Houdini," John B pointed out.
Lee stuck her tongue out, ready to retort angrily as she fully unlocked herself. Luckily, their banter was cut short as they pulled up to the dump.
"JJ better be here," John B muttered quietly.
Lee nodded. "He'll be here. He always comes through."
They drove around a corner to see their three friends standing on the dock, JJ's dad's old racing boat behind them. Panic filled their eyes as they watched the police cruiser come to a stop in front of them and began racing to get onto the boat. John B slammed on the brakes, sending Lee flying into the center console.
"Fuck," she groaned as her ribs hit the hard plastic.
John B was already out of the car as Lee stumbled after him, cursing his driving.
"No way," JJ mumbled, glancing between John B and Lee.
"No effing way," Pope muttered in agreement.
Kiara was cut off from saying anything as Lee threw her arms around her tightly.
JJ climbed down from the boat quickly. "You've gotta be kidding me," he said.
"Shoupe let us take it for a spin," John B explained.
Lee slowly released Kiara, pulling Pope into a hug next. He reciprocated it slowly, sending Lee a strange look as he did so.
"We heard that you were arrested," Pope said slowly. "How did you—"
"I lied," Lee said, smiling gently. "And got John B some sick new wheels. But Shoupe hates me a lot more than he did before."
"That's believable," Kiara said, moving around Lee to hug John B. "I'll buy that for now."
Lee looked to JJ, who beamed at her. She slowly wrapped her arms around him, inhaling deeply as he embraced her in return. JJ pressed a kiss to her temple, laughing gently into her hair. They might have recently had their biggest ever argument, but that didn't matter now. All that mattered was that Lee and JJ were both alive and standing in front of each other. The hug was cut short as John B stepped onto the dock, looking at the boat expectantly.
"It wasn't easy, bro, but I got the Phantom for you," JJ said, releasing Lee from his embrace and looking to John B. "She runs like she was made yesterday. You ready to go?"
"Where's Sarah?" John B asked, glancing around nervously.
Kiara glanced between her friends. "She's not with you?"
"No," John B explained, "we got separated in the swamp. She said she'd meet me here."
"We haven't seen her," Pope said apologetically.
John B shrugged hopelessly. "Well, I'm not leaving without her."
"John B, look at me," JJ said. "I know you feel bad for leaving, but there's no time, man. You've got plenty of gas, plenty of food. Once you get across that point, it's a straight shot across the sound to Dismal Swamp okay?" he explained. "Once you get there, lay low, all right? Hang out for a couple of weeks and then go overland, cross the border at Brownsville, you got that? Brownsville. Hey—you got that?!"
"Yeah, yeah, Brownsville," John B agreed, clearly distracted.
Lee stepped forward. "John B, you have to go. I told the police the truth, but they wouldn't listen. The SBI are involved now, Johnny Boy, you can't stay here. When you reach the Point, they've got this whole setup going. You need to be careful around there."
Thunder rumbled overhead as John B nodded to Lee, blinking slowly.
"All right," JJ said, throwing an arm over Lee's shoulders. "Saddle her up, saltwater cowboy. Let's do this."
John B climbed onto the boat. "Hey, hey," he said as his friends began to push the boat. "Lee, you should come with me. I mean, you're in trouble, too."
Lee shook her head slowly. "I can't go," she said, frowning. "If I run it'll look worse for you. Besides, I'm not on trial for murder, just... aiding and abetting in one. And my mom's in the hospital. I can't leave her."
John B nodded slowly, grabbing Lee's hand as she held onto the boat. "I'm sorry," he said softly. "For everything."
"What are you talking about?"
"I know that I turned your life upside down this summer—more than it was already. I'm sorry," John B explained.
Lee barked out a laugh. "John B, stop apologizing," she said. "I don't know what I'd do without you guys. Now, get going!"
"Okay, just, wait a sec," he said, standing up straight to look at all of his friends. "I'm sorry for basically throwing us off a cliff with this whole treasure hunt thing."
"Hey, John B," JJ said, shrugging slightly, "we were bound to run off a cliff at some point, right?" The group laughed, Lee nodding in agreement with JJ's statement. "At least we did it together, though," JJ continued, tightening his arm around Lee's shoulders and grabbing Pope with his other. Lee followed his lead, looping her free arm around Kiara's waist. "Pogue style."
"Pogue style," John B repeated, pressing his lips together. Lee could see the sadness eating at him.
Kiara nodded to John B. "Get out of here! Please!"
"We'll see you in two months, down in Mexico," Pope said in agreement, gesturing for John B to leave.
"Love you," JJ said as John B hopped into the boat, headed for the helm.
John B turned just before grabbing the wheel. "Hey, wait—wait a second. Tell Sarah I said goodbye, okay?"
Lee nodded alongside her friends, grimacing slightly.
"Don't forget, cross the border at Brownsville, okay?" JJ said, raising an eyebrow at John B.
"Got it," John B agreed, saluting JJ.
The friends all saluted John B in return before stepping up to the boat and shoving it away from the dock.
"Hey, John B!" Lee called as the boat pushed away in the water. He looked at her through the windshield. "Diver down."
John B nodded. "Diver down," he replied, turning the boat and driving away.
The remaining four stood quietly as he drove away, unsure of what to say.
"Uh, listen, guys," Lee finally muttered, biting her lip. "They're definitely going to arrest me, and, um... yeah, probably all of you."
Kiara nodded in understanding. "It's okay. We'll tell them the truth."
Lee smiled, walking away from the dock with JJ behind her, going to wait for Officer Shoupe. "You were right about Rafe," Lee told JJ, turning to face him. "I shouldn't have trusted him."
"I'm right about a lot of things," JJ said cockily, grabbing Lee's hips.
She smiled, looping her arms around his neck and hugging him tightly. Over his shoulder, she saw Kiara and Pope kissing.
"Yeah, well, I was right about that," she mumbled, letting go of JJ so that he could turn to see their friends.
JJ's eyes widened as he saw Kiara and Pope. "When did you say anything about that?"
"I dunno, but I probably did," she joked.
JJ rolled his eyes, glancing at the road as sirens approached them. "Hey, guys," he called to Pope and Kiara, "I'm sorry to ruin the party, but, uh, we gotta go right now. Come on!"
Kiara and Pope jogged up to meet JJ and Lee just as several police cars pulled up. Her friends put their hands in the air immediately, hissing at Lee to do the same—but she walked calmly up to the SBI SUV.
"Bratcher!" Lee greeted warmly as the SBI agent got out of the car. He pointed a gun directly at her. "Listen, I know we've kinda gotten off on the wrong foot, but I promise that I don't usually try to escape. It was a one-time thing and, really, you can trust me." Bratcher ignored what Lee was saying, jogging past her to the dock. Another SBI agent came up to Lee, forcing her hands behind her back and cuffing her. "Man, I just got those off!" Lee groaned. "Can't a girl catch a break?"
"We're too late, goddammit!" Shoupe cursed. "Bratcher, have your guys stand down. Let me talk to these kids."
Lee pulled at the handcuffs around her wrists angrily. "Shoupe, do you mind?"
Shoupe sent her a sharp glare. "Carter, don't test me right now. Where is he? Where the hell is he?" he continued, turning to all of her friends.
None of them said a word.
"JJ?" Shoupe demanded, approaching him. "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 now! Where'd he go?"
"Suspect has just left Station Twenty-Six in a small boat," Bratcher said into his radio. "Need marine patrol to respond."
Eventually, Shoupe and Bratcher corralled the teens into cars to take them to the setup at the Point. Lee had the pleasure of sitting in a car with Landry, who sneered at her again.
"Landry, I was starting to miss you," she stated, smirking.
Landry scoffed. "Can't say the same for you, Carter."
The rest of the car ride was silent, but Lee wished that she was with her friends. When the police car finally came to a stop, Lee was shocked to see reporters everywhere. Landry escorted her past the reporters, who shouted questions at both him and Lee. She was led into the nearest tent and seated by her friends, though she remained the only one handcuffed.
"Sit down, don't move," Shoupe commanded, standing in front of them. "We got a lot to talk about. Keep an eye on these kids," he instructed an SBI agent.
"Wait, Shoupe!" Lee called, standing up. She ignored the way that the SBI agent reached for his gun and took a small step towards Shoupe. "Please let me go see my mom. I'm begging."
Shoupe shook his head. "Carter, I told you, she's gonna be fine. You'll see her soon."
Lee let the SBI agent push her back down into the chair, bowing her head in defeat. She was relieved to have her friends with her, but she was nervous for her mother. As much as she wanted to believe Officer Shoupe, she needed to see her mom to truly know how she was doing. She zoned out as Shoupe headed to a command table where an unfamiliar SBI agent was directing the search for John B.
JJ nudged Lee with his elbow as he saw her zoning out. She sent him a small smile, but it was unconvincing. "You good?" he asked softly.
Instead of replying, Lee rested her head on JJ's shoulder, letting her eyes close. It had been almost 36 hours since she had last gotten any sleep, and exhaustion was beginning to catch up to her—no matter how badly her nerves wanted to keep her awake. Just as she began to fall asleep, there was a loud yell from outside.
"Hey, we got power!"
Lee's eyes immediately widened, glancing at her friends nervously. "The lighthouse," she whispered.
JJ pressed his lips together. "They'll be fine. John B can do this."
"JJ, there's a tropical storm," Kiara hissed. "Even John B can't drive a boat in a tropical storm."
"Kie, have some faith," JJ protested. "He can do this."
Pope shook his head slowly. "I dunno, man, it's too risky. We gotta bring them to their senses before John B goes too far into open water."
Lee clenched her jaw, trying to think of a plan, but before she could there were more shouts from outside.
"There they are!"
Lee cursed. "Jeez, I tell him to avoid the Point and what does he do?"
"He didn't know power would be back on, okay?" Kiara pointed out.
"Oh, whose side are you on, Kie?" Lee mumbled, rolling her eyes.
"Maybe it's not really him," Pope suggested, shrugging.
"It's the Phantom!" someone shouted.
JJ grimaced. "Sounds like him to me."
Rain suddenly began pattering on the roof overhead, thunder rumbling dangerously. "John B better be a damn good captain," Lee whispered.
"He can do this," Kiara said. "He has to."
"Suspect is attempting to escape to the south," a voice crackled over the radio in the tent. "Our attempts to contact the vessel were unsuccessful. We're getting hammered here."
Bratcher shook his head in frustration. "Hold your position, Captain. I got one more card I think we can play."
Lee stood up from her chair immediately, glaring at Bratcher. "Agent Bratcher, no offense, but you heard what I told you, all right? You know that I was telling the truth! I mean, why do you think that you haven't seen Rafe Cameron since this investigation started? Because he disappeared," she said angrily, shrugging off the SBI agent who tried to push her back into her seat.
"Carter, I'm sorry," Bratcher said. "I don't have any other options."
"What do you mean 'options'?" Lee repeated. "Just tell him that you believe me!"
Bratcher looked at the SBI agent standing by Lee. "Keep her quiet, Simms."
Lee huffed as the agent, Simms, pushed her back into her seat. JJ placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, rubbing it gently. Lee clenched her jaw, unsure of what to do to convince Bratcher that she was telling the truth. The only other people who were at the airport and would back her up were either on a boat and heading into a tropical storm or entirely M.I.A.
When Ward Cameron entered the tent a few moments later, Lee was utterly confused and entirely afraid. She went to protest, but at Simms' warning glare, she said nothing. She didn't understand why they would allow someone who had been accused of murder into the tent. Maybe they hoped that Ward would be able to convince John B that it was okay to return.
"John B?" Ward said into the radio. "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. You are going into a storm that you cannot survive." Ward paused, glancing at the officers around him hesitantly.
Lee froze in her seat. Sarah was with John B. He must have found her somewhere before leaving. Her breath caught in her throat. If the Phantom capsized in the storm, it wasn't just John B that would be lost.
"John B, please, I will make it right," Ward said into the radio. "I promise you. Come back. John B, I am begging you. Think of her and turn around."
There was silence for a moment as they waited for John B's reply. Lee wanted John B to escape desperately, but she also knew that if he continued, he would likely die. Neither option sounded pleasant, but she would rather him come back and tell the truth than go out in a tropical storm. She leaned into JJ's shoulder again and his arms wrapped around her comfortingly.
"Ward Cameron, do you hear me?" John B's voice suddenly crackled through the radio.
"Yes," Ward quickly replied. "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." Ward sighed, squeezing his eyes shut as he waited for John B's reply.
"You killed my father," John B's voice echoed through the speaker. Bratcher looked up at Lee immediately, whose eyes widened as she sat up straight. "And you framed me for a murder I didn't commit. You took everything from me! You took everything from me." Ward looked between the officers nervously. Shoupe shot Lee a glance and she nodded in response. "But I'm still here. And I swear to God, Ward, I will come back one day and take what's mine. So, you listen to me, all right? I'm comin' for you. I'm coming for you."
Lee chuckled darkly as Ward set down the radio. "I told you," she muttered as Shoupe and Bratcher looked at her. "I told you."
"We've lost their radio signal, sir," the marine police captain's voice said through the radio.
Bratcher patted Ward's shoulder as Shoupe leaned into another microphone. "Those are kids out there," Shoupe said. "Don't stop lookin'."
"Understood."
"You don't go anywhere," Shoupe muttered to Ward, who still looked shocked. "We're gonna need to talk to you."
Lee clenched her jaw as Ward looked at her. "Happy now, Ward?" she asked bitterly. "Your daughter could drown because you refused to tell the truth."
Eventually, Lee and her friends were moved to another tent. The officers had complained that Lee's angry comments were distracting. The group was quiet as they sat in the tent, unsure what to say. There didn't seem to be anything to talk about unless they wanted to bring up the fact that John B and Sarah could be dead. Lee certainly didn't want to talk about that, so she let the silence be. Any of the sleep that she had neared before was long gone, replaced by new anxieties about John B and continued fretting over her mom.
After almost an hour, Shoupe walked in. Lee and her friends stood up, ignoring the SBI agent that placed a hand on his gun in warning.
"Did you find them?" Pope asked Shoupe.
Shoupe slowly shook his head, looking to the ground in shame. "No," he replied.
"So they got away?" Kiara asked hopefully.
"We, uh... we lost them," Shoupe explained. "I'm sorry."
Pope stepped forward slowly. "You lost them? What do you mean you lost them? Like, they're gone? What are you talking about?"
JJ paced nervously next to Lee. Tears pushed against her eyelids as she realized what Shoupe was saying. She wasn't sure if she wanted to be angry or be devastated. Perhaps both.
"They took an open boat into a tropical depression, Pope," Shoupe said.
"So, they're dead?" Kiara asked, her chin quivering.
Shoupe hesitated before answering, "We don't know."
"You drove 'em straight through the storm, man!" JJ suddenly shouted, stepping forward. "Are you kidding me? Come here!" he continued, lunging at Shoupe.
Kiara and Pope shouted at JJ to back off as he swiped at Shoupe before Thomas grabbed him, pushing him away.
"I told you the truth," Lee said softly, shaking her head at Shoupe. "And you knew it, all along you knew it. And you still let them chase him out there, and now he's dead—now they're both dead!"
"We're still looking for him, all right?" Shoupe said, placing his hands on Lee's shoulders. "Landry, uncuff her. She isn't going anywhere."
Landry came up behind Lee, slowly undoing her cuffs as she burst into tears. She tore her hands through her hair as soon as they were free. If not for that stupid gun—if she hadn't shown it to Rafe—he wouldn't have shot the Sheriff. John B wouldn't have been framed for murder. They could have the gold. Lee could be with her mom at the hospital. John B and Sarah would be safe on Kildare Island.
Kiara and Pope both stepped away as their parents walked into the tent. Lee bent over at the waist as sobs tore through her shoulders, without her mother there to comfort her. She squeezed her eyes shut, crouching near the ground as her balance wavered. The world was spinning around her.
A hand suddenly grabbed her shoulder and Lee glanced up, expecting to see Shoupe standing above her. Instead, she saw Mrs. Morgan waiting beside a wheelchair, where her mother sat. Lee choked on a sob as she flung her arms around her mother, relief spreading through her as she held her mom close. She didn't know if her mom was allowed out of the hospital, but for a moment she didn't care. She just needed her mother.
"Honeybee, I'm so sorry," her mom whispered. "I'm so sorry."
Lee clutched her mother tighter as her heart ripped itself in two. If only she had tried harder to convince Shoupe of John B's innocence, if she had told them about the gold sooner, maybe John B would've been okay. He would be alive. Lee's mother reached away from Lee with one arm and Lee suddenly felt JJ join her, crouching over her mother in the wheelchair. Mrs. Morgan slowly came up next to the teenagers, wrapping them in her own embrace.
"It's okay, it's okay," Lee's mother whispered as JJ's shoulders shook with quiet sobs. "You're both okay."
Lee remained in the group hug for what seemed like hours, all of her guilt and grief pouring slowly out of her. She desperately wanted to go back in time and fix what she had done. She wanted to go all the way back to the day that they had found Scooter's boat underwater and erase what had happened, keep them from ever looking for the gold. It felt unreal that things had been so good and then, suddenly, were so bad. Lee wasn't sure who to trust and who to avoid. All that she knew, in that moment, was that she was the reason that the Sheriff had been murdered. She was the reason that John B and Sarah had drowned. She was the reason that her father had been killed in a car wreck.
Before, her anger gave her strength. Now, it was guilt that fueled her. Lee was going to fix everything that she had done, no matter the price.
⚓⚓⚓⚓⚓
Updated 8/17/22. If you see this note and realize this book has been updating as you have been reading, I recommend going back to the beginning to reread the changes. Otherwise, please look at the pinned message on my profile for more information on updates to "The Deep End."