*TW for this chapter- slight blood and abuse* (Scene marked with stars, if you wish to skip)
⁕⁕⁕
SINCE FINDING her mother's necklace, Scarlett had secured it around her neck, refusing to ever take it off and let it out of her sight. Wearing it just made her feel closer to her mom and the hope of seeing her again slowly increased the longer she wore it. As girls night with Kiara had been cancelled that evening, Scarlett decided against staying at John B's. And so she braved another night at home with her dad.
She stepped through the front door, not expecting him to be awake. However, he was. And he was completely wasted. Scarlett tried to walk past him without being noticed. Unfortunately for her, he managed to corner her in the kitchen as she began to make herself some dinner. "You actually went food shopping?" She asked, putting a couple of slices of bacon in the frying pan.
"Nah, some posh Kooks dropped off a food parcel." Steven slurred, opening another bottle of beer. "As if we need charity." He scoffed.
Scarlett shook her head, reaching up to the top cupboard and grabbing two slices of bread. "Should have figured." She mumbled. "But yes, we do need charity. Because no one does shit around here."
"That's new." Steven said, pointing to the necklace.
"I'm surprised you noticed." Scarlett muttered, reaching for the butter.
Steven grabbed her left wrist, his grip so tight that his fingers dug into Scarlett's skin. "Where'd you get it? You stealing my money, bitch?" He snarled, spit flying off his lips.
Scarlett raised her other hand, gripping his wrist and trying to pull away from him. "No! I haven't!" She yelled. "Besides, it's not even your money, you don't work two separate jobs just to pay for food and rent."
"Liar!" Steven screamed, tightening his grip on Scarlett's arm. She yelped, using all her remaining strength to try and pull his arm off of her. "You've been stealing my money! Admit it!" He shoved the frying pan off the stove and moved her hand so it was over the gas ring.
"I didn't do anything with your money!" Scarlett screamed, squirming as she tried to get away from him.
Steven turned up the gas, forcefully holding his daughter's hand over the flame. "You must have brought that necklace somehow, it looks very expensive!"
Scarlett screamed as her palm began to burn. Tears streamed down her face. "I didn't buy it!" She stammered out. "I found it. At the bottom of the marsh. It was Mom's!" Steven froze, his grip on Scarlett's wrist slacking. She took that opportunity to pull away from him, cradling her now bright red hand. "It's a sign." Scarlett told him, stepping back. "She's alive. I know it."
Steven shook his head, his body tensing. "She's dead. You watched me sign the papers." He turned around, quickly becoming angry again.
"There wasn't a body! Nothing to prove that she's gone!" Scarlett yelled. "I know she's not dead! I just know she isn't! I can feel it!"
Steven stepped forward, towering over her. His hands grabbed her shoulders and he shoved her backwards into the wall. "She's never coming back!" He roared. "When will you get that into your head?! She's gone!" Spat flew at her as he yelled. Scarlett couldn't help but let out a small cry as she watched him storm out of the house.
⁕⁕⁕
❤❤❤
Scarlett awoke the next morning, lying on the couch with a blanket pulled over her body. She frowned in confusion, pushing herself into a sitting position. She didn't remember moving herself from the kitchen, in fact she was pretty sure she had fallen asleep on the kitchen floor. Scarlett raised her hands to her face, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. And that's when she noticed it. The bandage wrapped around her left hand. Someone had tended to her wounds while she was asleep. "What the-"
"Good morning, Sunshine." JJ greeted, walking into the living room and seeing that she was awake. "Sleep well?"
"Morning." Scarlett greeted back, her face frowning in confusion. "How long have you been here? And secondly, how the hell did you get in?"
"Front door was open." JJ shrugged, walking into the kitchen and putting two plates of egg and bacon on the table. "I thought something had happened. Seems like I was right." He turned around, eyes fixed on her hand. "What the fuck happened last night?"
Scarlett stood up, straightening out her clothes. "I came home, started making some dinner and he began accusing me of stealing his money."
"Here's a suggestion," JJ said, sitting at the table and leaning his head on his hand. "Maybe just don't ever come back home. Leave this place, for good."
Scarlett sat opposite him, picking up her fork. "Where would I go? Big John isn't here to be my second father, so I can't exactly seek shelter at JB's."
"What about Kie?" JJ asked between mouthfuls on breakfast. "You could move in with her. I mean, Maisie has basically moved in there already."
She shook her head. "I couldn't take up their space like that."
"Lottie, you need to get out of here." JJ said, his voice serious. "If not, one of these days he might actually kill you. You need to leave before it's too late."
She shook her head. "All that matters is that Maisie is safe." She pushed back her chair and stood up. "Thanks for the food, JJ." She turned around walking towards her room to get changed.
"It matters if you're safe, too." JJ muttered, watching her walk away.
❤❤❤
After changing into a pair of ripped jeans and a crop-top, Scarlett followed JJ across the grass to John B's house. Taped to the front porch was a Summons notice from the DCS. "Wow, they really are serious." Scarlett whispered, her fingers gliding over the words.
"Yeah." JJ hummed. "Watch this." He banged his hand against the door and yelled in a deep voice. "DCS! I know you're in there!"
Scarlett hit him in the arm. "Why the hell would you do that?" She whisper-yelled at him.
"Because it's funny." He shrugged. He jumped against the widow, slamming his body weight against it.
"Whoa!" John B yelled, sitting up on the couch completely startled.
"Gotcha, slick." JJ laughed. "You should have seen your face. Your face was like..." He trailed off, unable to speak through his laughter.
Scarlett rolled her eyes, pushing the front door open. "I don't know how I've survive around you two for this long." She mumbled. "I'm sorry that you had to wake up to a heart attack on this beautiful morning." She said to John B, running her hand through her hair. "He broke into my house this morning so it was your turn for the heart attack."
"Fair enough." John B's eyes landed on her bandaged hand. "Did your dad do that to you?" He asked, looking at her concerned.
"Does it matter if he did?" Scarlett shrugged. "I'd rather it be me than Maisie." She walked into the kitchen, beginning to make herself a cup of tea.
"And I'd rather it be neither of you." He looked over to JJ who walked through the front door. "Back me up here, man."
"What?" JJ asked, clueless as he hadn't been paying attention. "Oh, yeah. It shouldn't happen to either of you."
"Move in here for a bit." John B suggested.
"Your ass is going to foster care soon, if you're not careful." Scarlett told him as she poured the water into the cup. "I'm not getting myself involved with the DCS. No thankyou." She shook her head. She put the teabag into the hot water and leant her back against the counter as she let it sit for a moment.
"Maybe you should report him." John B suggested, standing up and heading down the hallway to his room. "Your dad." He clarified as Scarlett opened her mouth to ask.
"Yes, because that went down so well when my mom did it." She shook her head, grabbing the milk from the fridge. "I can't just report him. I mean, even if the police did take it seriously, Maisie and I would end up in the system. It would totally screw her up. I can't do that to her." She put a teaspoon of sugar in the cup and began to stir it. "Changing the subject," She added, taking out the teaspoon and putting it in the sink. "What's today's plan?" She lifted the cup to her lips, taking a small sip.
"We go visit Lana Grubbs." JJ said, resting his hands in his pockets. "Were you paying any attention to the plan last night?"
"Nope." Scarlett grinned, popping the 'p'.
"Right, let's go." John B said, leaving his room.
"But I haven't finished my tea!" Scarlett protested.
"I have an old travel flask you can use." John B said, reaching into a cupboard and handing it to her.
Sighing, Scarlett poured the remains of her tea into the blue flask. "I hope you know I'm sacrificing my sanity for you two." She told them, screwing up the lid and following the two boys to John B's van. "Not that I have much left at this point."
❤❤❤
Scarlett sat in the back of the van, sipping on her tea as she listened to the boy's conversation. She wished she had packed her earphones, finding the need to listen to her music and drown out her thoughts that were swimming around inside her head. Not that the music would have worked anyway due to the lack of phone signal.
"I'm just saying, I don't understand why you don't at least try with Kiara," JJ said to John B. "She clearly likes you." He turned back to face Scarlett. "Back me up on this, Red."
"Oh, yeah. She's got the hots for someone." Scarlett grinned, wiggling her eyebrows at John B, who glanced at her through the rear-view mirror.
JJ turned back to the front, tilting his head back and mocking a moan. "She's like, 'Oh, John B'."
"Is that what she does?" John B asked, turning to look at him.
"She's sketching about you diving, then she kissed you, bro." JJ added.
"She kissed me on the cheek." John B clarified, turning back to the road. "It's not like we were makin' out."
Scarlett shook her head slightly. "Boys are ridiculously clueless." She muttered, sipping on her tea.
"What was that, Red?" JJ asked, turning in his seat to face her.
"I said, boys are ridiculously clueless. And it's true." She shook her head at John B. "You can't even see when a girl actually fancies you." JJ opened his mouth to speak but Scarlett held her finger up at him and continued to talk. "I mean, when it's a party, sure, you're able to tell. But when a girl wants an actual relationship..." She shook her head and looked out the window. "You boys can be dumb as hell."
"Is that what Kie said to you?" John B asked, glancing at her through the mirror. "That she wants to date me?" Scarlett simply shrugged and continued sipping her tea.
"Low-hanging fruit, bro." JJ said, resting his feet on the dashboard. "Don't pretend you don't notice. I see it in your eyes. You're like, 'I kinda like that,' and you start blushing and shit."
"I blush?"
"Oh, totally." Scarlett laughed, leaning forward in her seat.
"See, even Scar notices it. And she's pretty clueless." JJ grinned.
Scarlett frowned, gently hitting his shoulder. "I am not!" She sat back in her seat, her fingers absent-mindedly fiddling with her mother's necklace. She watched as JJ reached forward, his fingers picking up John B's compass.
"Hey, don't-" John B yelled, leaning over and trying to take it from him.
"I was just looking at it." JJ said, turning it over in his hands. "I gotta admit, your father's compass and, Red's mom's necklace in Scooter's boat, that's freaky."
Scarlett lowered her hand from her necklace, letting it fall against her skin. "I, uh... I guess it is."
"Yeah. That's why we're going to talk to Ms. Lana, figure this whole thing out." John B said.
"You know, I didn't actually think about why Scooter had them in his boat." Scarlett said, leaning her elbows on the two seats in front of her. "I mean, it does seem a little shady. My mom never let anyone touch this necklace, and somehow, Scooter has it?"
"That's why we're going to talk to Lana." John B repeated.
"I'm sure she would just love to talk to us." JJ's voice was full of sarcasm. "It's not like her husband just drowned or anything."
Scarlett nodded. "Yeah. I want answers too, but it feels a little insensitive to ask about her recently deceased husband."
"You can sit this one out if you want to, Lottie." John B told her.
She raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, and who'll keep you two in check if I do?"
The van pulled up just outside the Grubb's household and John B switched off the engine. "You coming with?" JJ asked, sliding open the door and climbing out.
"Well, its not like there's anyone else to supervise you two." Scarlett shrugged, opening the back door and hopping out onto the grass. "Besides, I'd also like some answers."
"Know what this house looks like?" JJ asked as they walked towards it. "Whoever lives here smokes too much weed."
Scarlett nodded. "You got that right." She began skipping, catching up with the boys and linking her arms with them. As they approached the house, the louder the sound of glass smashing and yelling became. The three of them stopped walking, John B unlinking his arm from Scarlett as he held a finger up to them, signalling them to be quiet.
"Maybe we should come back." JJ suggested, letting go of Scarlett's arm and holding onto her hand. "It's a little too soon."
"But what if Ms. Lana isn't okay?" Scarlett asked, looking up at him. "We should see if she's alright."
"No, no, shut up." John B said, holding his hand out to them as he was a couple of steps in front. "Shut up, both of you."
Scarlett frowned. "Rude." She mumbled.
"Tell me where it is, or I'll fuck you up." A man yelled. The yelling startled Scarlett, who jumped backwards slightly.
"Can we maybe, I dunno, not do this today?" Scarlett asked, a fear stricken expression on her face. She was met with silence from the boys as they listened to the sounds of Lana struggling.
The man's voice rang out again, the words scaring Scarlett. "I'll sink you in the fucking-" The sound of something crashing cut him off. Scarlett let out a scream and JJ quickly covered her mouth with his hand to muffle the noise.
They heard Lana scream as they stayed as still as possible outside the house. "You're hurting me!" Lana screamed, her voice muffled by the walls of her home.
Scarlett pulled JJ's hand away from her face. "We have to do something." She said, looking between them. "We can't just let this happen."
"Come on." John B whispered, walking over to the house and ducking under the open window. He waved the other two over as Scarlett stared at the house with fear in her eyes.
"Where the fuck is it, you bitch?" The man yelled once again.
Fearful for Lana, Scarlett's grip on JJ's hand tightened. "I don't know!" Lana answered, sobbing. The closer she got to the house, the more terrified Scarlett became. The voices also became somewhat louder.
"Is it here in this house?" The man yelled again and the sound of crashing could once again be heard. Scarlett's heart broke as she heard Lana sobbing. "Is it somewhere else?"
JJ and Scarlett caught up to John B, crouching down next to him under the window. "We have to do something." Scarlett whispered urgently. John B signalled for her to be quiet, not wanting the three of them to be discovered.
"Still think we should stay?" JJ asked, his voice as quiet as possible. There was a loud thump against the wall, which caused Scarlett to jump in fright. She screwed her eyes shut and buried her face in JJ's shoulder.
"Neither the compass nor the necklace were in the boat!" The man yelled. Scarlett's eyes shot open and she stared at her friends in shock. What would the man want with them. Suddenly even more fearful, Scarlett tucked her mother's jewellery under her top, hiding it from view. "Where is it, Lana?!"
"I don't know!" Lana answered, her terror evident in her voice. They heard glass smashing, like something had been thrown at the wall. The house shook and paint chips rained down on them.
"Is that paint?" JJ asked, looking up at the house.
"Yes, it's paint." John B answered.
Lana continued to wail in the background as the man spoke up again. "Let's get the hell outta here, man."
Scarlett stared at JJ. "There's two of them?" She whispered. John B leaned up, glancing through the open window. He began to creep past Scarlett and JJ. Scarlett reached out for the back of his shirt, trying to stop him. "No, JB. You'll be seen."
JJ nodded his head, grabbing on tightly to Scarlett's other hand. "We should just go. He's got smuggler..."
John B continued sneaking round to the corner of the wall. "Shut up. Both of you."
"... Smuggler written all over him." JJ finished. He pulled Scarlett along behind him as they caught up to John B. They peered around the corner for a brief moment before pushing their backs against the wall. The two men had just walked out of the house, and they looked extremely familiar.
"Shut up. Shut up." John B whispered, holding his finger up to JJ. Scarlett shook her head, her heart breaking as she listened to sounds of Lana's sobbing. They peeked around the corner for a second time, watching as the men climbed into their boat.
"Dude, those were the guys that shot at us." JJ whispered as they watched the men start to drive off. John B ushered them back behind the corner of the wall, hiding them from view. Once the coast was clear, John B led them back around the house and up the porch steps. JJ interlocked his fingers with Scarlett's as she fearfully watched the boat in the distance.
They walked through the front door, which had been busted open. Scarlett tore her gaze away from the men on the horizon, gasping at how trashed they had made Lana's house. "Ms. Lana?" John B called out, stepping through the mess as he followed the sounds of sobbing.
"Ms. Lana?" Scarlett called out, finding her voice. "Are you okay? It's me, Scarlett."
"She knows you by name?" JJ asked, glancing behind him to look at her.
Scarlett nodded. "She was close friends with my mom." They walked into the master bedroom, finding Lana Grubbs crying on the bathroom floor. "Ms. Lana?" Scarlett asked, concerned for the kind lady.
"Hey. Hey!" John B said, rushing forward and crouching next to her. Scarlett stepped in front of JJ, gently pulling him along behind her as she walked closer to Lana. "Hey, are you okay?" John B asked, placing a hand on her shoulder. "It's okay." She turned towards them, still sobbing as she sat amongst the mess of her once tidy bathroom. The sink on the wall next to her looked like it was one moment away from smashing onto the floor.
"Dude, she's tweaking." JJ said, leaning down slightly.
"Do you need a doctor?" John B asked her. Lana didn't answer, unable to speak as she continued to sob.
"We should definitely call the police." Scarlett said. "That's the least we could do. I mean, these men are lunatics."
"Yeah, let's call the sheriff's department." John B agreed, looking over to Scarlett. She nodded, pulling her phone out her back pocket.
"No cops, please." Lana sobbed.
Scarlett put her phone back in her pocket, crouching down next to John B. "Ms. Lana, these men are dangerous. Who knows what else they'll do. They could seriously hurt someone. They could seriously injure you."
"Please, no cops." Lana repeated, her eyes wide as she reached out for Scarlett's hand, stopping her from taking her phone out again.
"Mm. That's not good." JJ hummed. "Come on, dude. Let's just go." He patted John B's shoulder. "Come on, Lottie."
Scarlett shook her head. "Ms. Lana, please let me help you. At least let me help tidy everything. It's the least we could do."
Lana shook her head at them. "You shouldn't be here." She said, through her tears.
JJ reached out for Scarlett, his hand wrapping around her upper arm. "That's enough for me. Come on."
"Wait, wait." John B said. "What do you know about these guys?" He asked Lana.
"They were looking for something." Lana told them, tears still streaming down her face.
John B reached into his pocket, pulling out his dad's compass. "Does it have anything to do with this?" He asked, holding it out to her. "Or, Lottie's necklace?"
"Oh, yeah." Scarlett nodded, she shook herself out of JJ's grip as her hands reached around her neck. She removed the piece of jewellery from around her neck and held it out to Lana. Lana turned to face the two, her face dropping when she saw the two items.
"Do you know anything about these?" John B asked. "This is my father's, and the necklace was Lottie's mother's." He tilted his head at Scarlett.
"They were on Scooter's ship." Scarlett added. "Do you have any clue as to why?" She asked, her voice quiet and soft so she didn't scare the woman.
Lana shook her head. "Scooter didn't have it, okay? Don't tell anyone that you have it." She warned.
"But, why?" Scarlett asked as JJ pulled her up from the floor.
"Come on." He urged, gently pushing her behind him as he reached for John B.
"They can't know!" Lana yelled. JJ grabbed John B's shoulder, trying to pull him off the floor. "You've gotta get out of here!"
"What do you know about the compass?" John B asked, shaking away JJ's hand. "What do you know about Lottie's necklace?"
"JB, leave it." Scarlett whispered, becoming increasingly worried.
"We gotta go." JJ said, pulling John B away from Lana. "Let's go."
"Go! Get out!" Lana yelled at them, waving them out of her house.
❤❤❤
Back at the Château, the group watched as JJ paced up and down the porch, retelling the morning's events to Kiara and Pope. Scarlett sat on the armchair, her feet curled up to her chest and her flingers clenched over the rose on her necklace as she stared out at the water- completely lost in her thoughts. "And we were right outside like this." JJ said, pressing his back against the brick wall on John B's porch. "And all we hear is just, 'Bam! Bam! Bam!' Knocking paint off the wall, G! From the inside. All right? And I'm just looking at him, like-" He stepped away from the wall, walking over to the middle of the porch, in between where Kiara and Pope sat. He tilted his head forward and ran his fingers through his hair. "Wait, first off, look at this shit." Small paint chips fell from his blonde hair as messed up his hair. "Tell 'em, Red." He said, turning round to look at Scarlett.
She turned her face towards them, looking confused. "What? Oh, yeah. Very scary." She mumbled.
"The house-" Pope started, leaning away from JJ.
"That's dandruff, disgusting." Kiara said, not looking impressed with JJ.
"Okay, thank you." Pope said, pushing JJ's head away from him.
"Look at all that. All right?" JJ said, gesturing to the paint chips that now littered the area around his feet. "That's paint. Ain't that right, Scar?" He looked over at her again, concern covering his features.
"Yeah, that's right." Scarlett muttered, still lost in her worries about Lana Grubbs, those two mysterious men, her mother's necklace and John B's dad's compass.
"You okay?" Kiara asked her. "You seem a little off today."
Scarlett shook her head. "I'm fine. Just tired, that's all."
"At that point," JJ continued, turning back around to face the others, "I was just, like... I'm waiting for death."
"Oh, okay, so you saw the guys that shot at us, right?" Pope asked.
"Yeah."
"Did you get a good description of them?" Pope asked them.
"Scary." Scarlett said, resting her chin on her knees. "They were definitely scary."
"I meant more on what they looked like." Pope clarified.
"Yeah, anything?" Kiara added.
"Anything we can bring to a police report?" Pope asked JJ, who began pacing again.
JJ was quiet for a few moments before he answered. "Burly."
"Burly?" Pope questioned. "So, they were scary and burly?" He said, looking between JJ and Scarlett.
"Yeah." JJ said as Scarlett nodded her head slightly. "You know, like-"
"That's not very helpful." Kiara sighed.
"Sorry." Scarlett said. "I mean, I didn't have a clear view of them."
"Okay, well, no," JJ continued as he paced. "Like the type of guy at my dad's garage. I mean, you guys know he made cargo hides for drug smugglers."
"Yeah. Yes. No, we know." Kiara told him.
"I can tell you with full confidence guys, these boys, these killers..." Scarlett flinched at the word. JJ leaned back against the wall, bringing out his Juul and taking a puff. He exhaled, the smoke leaving his lips. "They're square groupers."
"They're square groupers," Pope repeated, leaning his head in his hands. "Like narco square grouper? Like Pablo Escobar square grouper?"
JJ took another puff of his Juul. "Yeah, man."
"You guys, not everything is a kingpin movie." Kiara told them.
"She has a point." Scarlett agreed.
Pope turned back to JJ. "Okay, so, what does this square grouper look like? Specifically?"
"You weren't there, bro." JJ told him, the sudden raise of his voice causing Scarlett to flinch.
"Because apparently, you don't know what to look for." Pope yelled back.
"Dude!" JJ yelled, taking another hit from his Juul. "I wasn't taking little mental Polaroids the entire time, man." He gestured. "I was busy trying to stop Lottie over there from having a panic attack! I was under duress, okay?" Pope sat back against the arm of the couch, his arms folded across his chest as he stared at JJ, his facial expression suddenly very hard. "But I can tell you... I can tell you by the way that Ms. Lana was screaming..." JJ continued. "That these guys are serious, serious hombres, man."
Scarlett nodded, her eyes flickering down to her necklace. "They were- They were fucking terrifying, man." She said.
JJ nodded. "If you don't believe me, just look at Red. Take her word for it. It's a heavy vibe right now, okay?" He walked over to the armchair that Scarlett occupied and sat down on the arm. "I'm not liking this very much."
"Ditto." Scarlett muttered.
"Why would they want the compass? Or the necklace?" Kiara asked, looking round at them all. Scarlett just shrugged. The question had been plaguing her ever since that morning. Along with others about her mother and where she was now. With the possibility that she was still alive, came questions about where she had disappeared to. And why she hadn't been in contact with her and Maisie.
"It's a piece of shit." Pope said. "I mean, the necklace is still intact and wearable. And it's still pretty nice. But the compass? You couldn't pawn it off for five bucks if you wanted to. No offence John B. I know it's in your family-" He shrugged. "The necklace would probably be worth like twenty."
Scarlett sent him a glare. "I think you'll find it's worth a lot more than just twenty bucks." She told him. "It's been in my family since my great-great-Grandfather bought it for my great-great-Grandmother. It's a family heirloom. Besides, dad took it to an antique shop once and found out it's real price. Mom wouldn't let him sell it though, it's too precious."
"That still doesn't explain why Scooter had it." Pope said. "Why he had either of them."
"The office." John B said.
"What?" Pope asked as they all turned to look at John B.
"My dad. My dad's office." John B said, walking down the porch towards the front door. "He always kept the office locked because he was worried about his competitors stealing his Royal Merchant research." The others stood up and followed him down the porch. "Him and Charlotte always shared research, but they would keep it separated in case some of it got stolen and so the thieves never had the whole thing. They would even make copies just in case something happened to either of them." He looked over his shoulder. "Right, Lottie?"
"Yeah." She said, standing up from the chair and following the others. "Mom never let me in her office. No one ever stepped foot in there except her and Big John. I mean, it's been locked ever since..."
John B stepped through the back door as the others followed him into the house. "Lottie and I used to laugh at them like they were gonna find it." He led them down the hallway, coming to a stop outside the locked office door. "But now that dad's gone, like Lottie said, I've just kinda... I just left it as he kept it." Scarlett came to a stop next to him, placing her hand on his shoulder to comfort him.
"Yeah, for when they get back." Kiara said, standing on Scarlett's other side.
John B dug into his pocket, bringing out the key that would unlock the office. "Yeah." He breathed, hesitating as he brought the key up to the lock. After a moment or two, he unlocked the padlock and pushed the door open, revealing the small office. It was quite messy, filled with all sorts of books and maps.
"I've slept over here like six-hundred times," Pope said as he stepped through the door, "and I've never seen this door opened."
"I second that." Scarlett breathed, running her fingers over the spines of the books that sat, dusty, on the shelves. "All this research, just think..." She looked over at John B. "There are exact copies of all these papers less than five minutes away at mine."
"I know." John B said. He picked up a corkboard that was resting on top of a pile of books and placed it on the table the others stood around. "Here, look. This is the original owner, right here." He pointed to a black and white photo that was pinned to the board.
"Okay. Robert Q. Routledge, 1880 to 1920." Kiara read out. "There's the lucky compass, right there." She pointed it out to the others.
"Actually, um... he was shot after he bought it." John B told her, clearing his throat. "Then the compass was shipped back to Henry." He pointed to the photograph. "He was killed in a crop-dusting accident when he had the compass."
"How lovely." Scarlett commented, a sarcastic smile on her face. "Guess I have the luckier heirloom."
"Guess you do." John B said, glancing up at her. "Anyway, after Henry died, the compass was given to Stephen." His finger moved to another photo. "Stephen had the compass with him when he died in Vietnam."
"Let me guess, he died in action, right?" JJ asked, resting his arm on Scarlett's shoulder.
"Sort of." John B told him. "Uh, a-actually, he was killed by a banana truck. In- in country. Anyways, after that, Stephen passed the compass down to him, my dad." He pointed to the photograph of his father.
"Hm." JJ hummed. "Sounds like there's a reoccurring theme here."
"Yeah, um, you have a death compass." Pope told John B.
"I do not."
Scarlett laughed. "You totally have a death compass. I mean, just look at this..." She gestured to the corkboard. "Anyone who has ever had the compass, dies. Tragically."
"Seriously dude, get rid of it." JJ suggested. "It's cursed, and made its way back to you."
"Look, my dad used to talk about this compartment in here." John B said, sitting down in the desk chair and flipping the compass over in his hand. "Soldiers used to hide secret notes." He unscrewed the back of the compass, shaking it until part of it came off.
"What's that?" Kiara asked, leaning on the back of his chair.
"That wasn't there before." John B said, staring at the word that had been scratched into the back of the compass. Scarlett leaned forward, her eyebrows furrowing in recognition. "This is my dad's handwriting." John B said, looking up at them.
"I thought I recognised it." Scarlett whispered.
"How can you know that?" Pope asked, looking slightly sceptical.
"Because he does these weird Rs with the-" John B told him, holding up the compass. "See it?"
"Can I see it?" JJ asked, leaning over John B's shoulder and staring at the writing. "Red- Rout- No, I think that's an A."
"It says Redfield." Kiara said.
"Right." JJ said, taking a step back.
"What the hell is Redfield?" Scarlett asked, her gaze flickering between John B and the compass.
"Besides the most common name in the county." Pope added as John B rested his head in his hands.
"Oh, maybe- maybe it's a clue." John B suggested.
"To where?" Scarlett asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Maybe it's a clue to where he's hiding." He faced Scarlett. "To where him and Charlotte are hiding."
"Okay..." JJ said, unsure of what to say.
"My interest is peaked." Scarlett said. "Maybe this death compass will lead us to them."
John B sighed. "It's not- it's not a death compass, Lottie."
"I beg to differ." She grinned, sticking her tongue out at him.
"Very mature." Pope muttered, rolling his eyes at her. "A clue? Come on, that's-" Kiara sent him a look, silently challenging him about what he was going to say. He cleared his throat, "But if it is a clue, maybe it's an anagram?" He suggested.
Scarlett sighed. "I hate those."
"Perfect." John B said, grabbing a piece of paper. "Anagram. You need paper." He placed the paper down in front of Pope. "Here you go."
"How can you concentrate with that thing crowing at you?" Pope asked, referring to the rooster that continued to make a ridiculous amount of background noise.
"Because JJ and Lottie love the rooster." John B told him.
"I love the rooster." Kiara added.
"He's like my child." Scarlett muttered. "Don't you dare disrespect my baby." She threatened, pointing her finger at Pope. "I named him Hugo."
"Jeez, I'm sorry." Pope said, his attention turning back to the potential anagram. "Let me think."
Scarlett shook her head. "I need a drink." She mumbled. "Anyone down for a cuppa?" She asked, putting on a fake British accent.
"That accent is terrible." John B laughed.
"Thanks. But the question still stands, does anyone want some tea or coffee while Pope figures this shit out?" They all shook their heads and Scarlett crossed the room to the door. "Okay, well, don't come crying to me when you change your mind." She said, walking out of the room and into the kitchen. She hummed to herself as she filled the kettle up with water and turned it on. Scarlett opened the fridge, picking up the last of the milk as also grabbed a teabag from the cupboard. She turned around, seeing JJ run through the living room, skidding to a stop as he ducked down. "JJ, what the hell?" She asked.
He motioned for her to be quiet as the porch door slammed. "John Routledge!" A familiar voice yelled out, and Scarlett felt herself stiffen with fear. JJ ran over to her, grabbing her hand and pushing her body in front of his as they made a run for it back to the office. JJ pushed her into the room, closing the door and keeping his back pressed to it. Scarlett felt her breathing start to get heavy as she sank to the floor, holding her knees to her chest. "Holy shit." She muttered.
"Where's the compass?" JJ whispered.
"Where's the gun?" John B asked, his voice as quiet as possible.
"They're on the front porch, guys." JJ informed them. He knelt down next to Scarlett taking hold of her hands and pulling her to her feet. "Come on." He whispered, moving her away from the door. Scarlett began to shake with fear as the men became louder, the sound of them wrecking the Château very prominent.
"We gotta leave!" Kiara whispered urgently as the sound of glass smashing met their ears. "Guys, window. Window." JJ let go of Scarlett's hands, sending her to Kiara who tried to help ease off the panic attack. Pope and JJ raced to the window, the two of them trying and failing to pull it open. "What- what's happening?" Kiara asked them, looking at the two over Scarlett's shoulder. "Why is it taking so long?"
"It's painted shut, okay?" JJ hissed. Scarlett screwed her eyes shut, going over the lyrics to 'My Favourite Things' from The Sound of Music. It was a technique that her mother had taught her, and she needed to use it now more then ever.
Kiara sat Scarlett in the desk chair and looked over to John B, who had his back pressed to the door, blocking the men from busting it open. "Keep an eye on her." She said, gesturing to Scarlett before turning around and searching for something to help the boys open the window. She rifled through the papers, finding a letter opener. "Okay, guys." She turned around. "Guys. Here, I got it." JJ and Pope moved out of her way as she desperately tried to slice through the paint.
"Come on." JJ urged, rocking on the balls of his feet.
"I'm going as fast as I can."
They all 'sshed' each other as they heard footsteps come to a stop right outside the office door. The door handled rattled as one of the men tried to open it. "You better not be in there!" He yelled, startling Scarlett, who jumped slightly at the noise. He began to kick the door, pieces of wood falling to the floor. Pope and John B ran across the room, standing by the window. Scarlett jumped up from the chair, still panicking but was by now in control of her breathing. There was a gunshot as the man began to shoot at the lock. Between them, they managed to pull open the window, one by one climbing out of it and running away from the house.
JJ grabbed onto Scarlett's hand, keeping her close to him as they ran towards the chicken coop. They crawled inside after the others, praying that they wouldn't be found. Through the small window in the coop, they watched as the men carried out boxes of Big John's research and loaded up the car. Hugo started crowing, and Scarlett pulled him towards her. She began stroking his feathers, hoping that it would keep him quiet. Unfortunately, it only made him crow louder, and more frequently.
"Good going, Red." JJ sighed.
"Well, no one else was doing anything!" Scarlett whisper-yelled at him. "I thought, that maybe he would sit quietly because I'm his favourite." She shrugged, letting the rooster go and watched as it crossed over towards Pope. "It usually works."
"Do something, Pope." JJ whispered, gesturing to Hugo who was now wandering around next to him. "Shut him up."
"What do you want me to do?" Pope whispered back, obviously uncomfortable around the animal.
"Pet it, or talk to it." Kiara suggested. "I don't know." She began to shake in fear, the fear of being found settling in.
"Yeah, because that worked so well when Lottie did it." Pope retorted. Hugo began to make even more of a racket and Pope looked over to Scarlett. "Why don't you try to calm him down, again. You said yourself, he's basically your child."
Scarlett huffed, scooting forward so she could grab the rooster in her arms. "Come on." She whispered, stroking his feathers. "It's just me. Please be quiet for a few minutes. Don't be the reason the five of us die in a goddamn chicken coop." For a moment, she seemed to have quietened the bird, but then he flapped his wings and flew from her arms, crowing as he did so. "For fucks sake." Scarlett whispered. She looked around at her friends. "Anyone got any better ideas?"
"You do something." Pope whispered, sitting back against the wall and looking over to JJ, who was now the closest to the bird.
"What are you going to do?" Scarlett asked, shaking from fear.
"Just, look away." JJ told her, reaching out to grab the rooster, who had began to flap his wings excessively. "Sit back against the wall and look away. Just," He began to struggle with the bird, "close your eyes and think happy thoughts." Scarlett did as he said. She turned her back to him, bringing her knees up to her chest as she tried to block out the noise around her. JJ grabbed Hugo's neck, struggling with the bird slightly. In a flash, the sounds of crowing stopped, and Hugo lay unmoving on the floor. Scarlett stayed quiet, her eyes not opening as she silently cried. She didn't dare move, terrified that they were to be found. Thoughts raced through her head as she sat there, ones of death and fear. JJ let go off the now dead bird and took a hold of her hand, his thumb rubbing circles over her skin.
"Ratter!" One of the men yelled out. Scarlett's breath caught in her throat. This was it. They were gonna be found. She was going to get murdered in a chicken coop. "What the hell are you doin'? Let's go."
The sounds of footsteps faded, and the sound of an engine revving replaced the noise. The group sat there, not daring to move until the sound of the engine had faded into the distance. Scarlett's eyes snapped open, tears still streaming down her face. She looked over to John B, her eyes wide. "What if they took my mother's stuff, too?" She asked, her voice still no louder than a whisper. She didn't wait for an answer before beginning to crawl to the coop entrance.
JJ reached out for her, grabbing her arm. "Stop. It's not safe."
She shook her head at him. "I need to know." She climbed out of the chicken coop, keeping an eye out for the two men. Not seeing any sign of them, she raced through the grass and over to her house. She ran up the porch steps and through the front door, ignoring her father who was sat on the couch. Scarlett raced down the hall, letting out a gasp as she saw her mother's study. It was in a similar state to the office over at the Château. Papers were strewn everywhere, books thrown all over the floor and the table had been shoved against the window. Scarlett whirled around and stormed towards the living room. Hands firmly placed on her hips, she glared at her father. "Tell me, did two men stop by here earlier?"
Steven looked up at her, finally noticing her. "What?" He asked, taking another sip of beer. "Oh, yeah. They said they were friends of your mom's, so I let them in."
"Did they take particular interest in her study?" Scarlett asked, snatching the bottle from his hands and chucking it in the over-filled bin.
"Yeah." Scarlett sighed, running a hand through her hair. "What about it?"
"Those two men? They shot at me and my friends!" Scarlett told him, her voice raised considerably. "They threatened Aunty Lana! And they just broke into my friend's house!" She began pacing, waving her arms around. "And you let them steal from mom's office? How could you?" She whirled around, storming out of the house. She ran back down the porch steps, muttering obscenities about her father.
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Edited: 22/11/2020