Chapter Three

After that exciting adventure with the pogues, I had decided to go back to my family and the next day had rolled around. I walked onto my Druthers' boat knowing that John B was coming in sometime today to drop them off, so I decided I'd hang out here for a while.

I lay on the couch, looking up at the white roof. Sarah had grilled me yesterday, asking where I had been, but I didn't tell her anything. It wasn't worth sharing if I'm honest. All we had found was his Dad's old compass.

I scroll through my TikTok feed on my phone. We had service back due to the backup generators and I'm so grateful. I giggled at some relatable content before going on Snapchat and replying to my friends.

Sarah and I had a 1,000+ day streak. We haven't broken it yet. We constantly snap at each other of random things during our day.

Suddenly, someone had stepped into the boat as I was lying on the couch. It was John B; clearly, he hadn't seen me as he puts away the scuba tank.

I sat up slowly, trying not to make a sound. Once he turns around, I stand there now, with my arms crossed. "Gotcha."

"Oh, my God, you scared me." John B sighed. "It's only you."

"Yeah, it's only me, don't worry." I smiled at him. "Hey, because you let me in on your thing... Whatever it may be, I promise I won't tell Daddy dearest that you stole our scuba gear."

He smiled gratefully. "Thank you. What are you doing here?"
"It's our boat." I pointed out. "And the only place with air condition. So, I think I'm gonna have to sleep here a few nights. Plus, Sarah snores."

John B chuckled. "You won't tell Sarah about this... Right?"

"Course not. She may be my twin and knows everything about me, but she doesn't need to know everything about me." I had rambled. "I love to her to bits, but, sometimes she can be super annoying, ya know?"

John B had smiled. "I guess. Um, I'll get going now. Thanks for helping me."

"You're welcome," I responded. "Not that I did much." John B made his way to the sliding door before I stopped him, again. "Hey, John B. Ignore everyone saying that your Dad's dead. That compass that made its way back to you proves he's not."

John B nods. "Thanks, Stormy."

"No problem." I checked the time. "It's 5.00 AM and I'm going back to sleep. Lemme know if anything interesting happens, or if you need help with anything."

John B salutes me. "Will do. JJ and I are gonna be going to Ms Lana and asking if she knows anything. I'll keep you updated."

"Hmhmm," I nodded. John B had left and I fall back onto the couch amongst the blankets and fell back asleep.

✫✫✫

A few hours had gone by later and a no caller ID calls my cellphone. "John B, give me back my phone—"

"Kie, she's already picked up," I rolled my eyes at the idiots. I was still on my Yacht, relaxing.

"Morning to you too," I responded sarcastically. "What can I help ya with?"

"Listen, how fast can you be here?" John B had quickly asked.

I looked at the time. "Half hour."

"Okay. Be here." John B had hung up and I sighed. I had gotten ready. I chose a plaid skirt and a crop top with a bikini suit underneath.

I had walked off my Yacht with my Jeep Wrangler keys in my hand.

Within 15 minutes I had made it to John B's place. I had arrived and John B and JJ were freaking out over something. I came up to them on their porch.

"And then we were right outside, like this." JJ leans on the wall. "And then all we hear is 'bam! Bam! Bam!'." I had sat down on the couch next to Pope. Kie was sitting on a chair and John B was standing. "Knocking paint off the wall, G! From the inside. All right? And I'm just looking at him, like—wait, first of all, look at this shit."

JJ shakes his head and 'paint' comes off his head. "That's dandruff, disgusting." Kie rolled her eyes.

"Look at all that." JJ points to the ground. "That's paint. At that point, I was just like, I'm waiting for death."

"Okay, what's going on? Am I in the middle of a ted talk? What's going on here?" I questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh, okay, so you saw the guys that shot us, right?" Pope had asked and my eyes widen as it all clicked. This must've happened at Lana's.

"Yeah." JJ had said.

"Um, did you get a good description of them?" Pope had quizzed. "What did they look like?"

"Anything?" Kie chimes. "Anything helpful?"

"Anything that we can bring to a police report?" I had asked as well.

"Burly," JJ had responded.

"Burly?" Pope looked dumbfounded.

"Yeah." JJ nods. "You know, like—"

"That's not very helpful." Kie shakes her head. The rooster keeps squawking its head off and it's getting very annoying.

"Okay, well, no, like the type of guy at my Dad's garage." JJ continued. "I mean, you guys know he made cargo hides for drugs smugglers."

"Yeah. Yes, we know." Kie nods and my eyes widen in surprise. Well, shit...

"I can tell you with full confidence, these boys, these killers..." JJ puffs on an electronic cigarette. "They're square groupers."

"They're square groupers, like narco square grouper?" Pope asked and I had no idea what they're on about. "Like Pablo Escobar square grouper?"

JJ nods. "Yeah, man."

"You guys, not everything is a kingpin movie." Kie had told them. Oh, it's a movie reference.

"Okay, so what does this grouper look like specifically?" Pope continued to ask.

"You weren't there, bro!" JJ had yelled.

"Because apparently, you don't know what to look for!" Pope had snapped.

"Dude!" JJ snapped back. "I wasn't taking little mental Polaroids the entire time. I was under duress, okay? But I can tell you... I can tell you by the way Ms. Lana was screaming that these guys are serious, serious hombre, man." John B opens the compass. "It's a heavy vibe right now, okay? I'm not liking this very much."

"Okay, why would they want a compass?" I then questioned.

"It's a piece of shit," Pope had said immediately after me. "You couldn't pawn it off for five bucks if you wanted to. No offence, John B, I know it's in your family—"

"The office." John B had cut him off and I frowned. The office? "My Dad. My Dad's office." John B walked into the house. "He always kept the office locked because he was worried about his competitors stealing his Royal Merchant research." We followed him inside the house. "We used to laugh at him all the time about it like he was going to find it." We followed him down the hallway and stopped at a closed door. "But now that he's gone, I've just kinda... I just left it as he kept it."

"Yeah, for when he gets back," Kie says confidently.

"Yeah." John B murmured as John B unlocked the door. We walked into a cluttered office.

"I've slept over here 600 times, and I've never seen this door open," Pope confessed.

"Here, look." John B had grabbed a board that displays a family tree. "This is the original owner here."

"Okay. Robert Q. Routledge, 1880 – 1920. There's the lucky compass right there." Kie had read out and pointed at the compass that held in Robert's hand.

"Actually, um... He was shot right after he brought it." John B informed. The rooster hollers. "Then the compass was shipped back to Henry. Henry was killed in the crop-dusting accident when he had the compass. After he died, the compass was given to Stephen. Stephen had the compass with him when he died in Vietnam."

"Let me guess, he died in action, right?" JJ smirked.

"Sort of." John B said. "Uh, a-actually he was killed by a banana truck. In—in country," I couldn't help but snicker and Kie shoots me a look. "Anyways, after that, Stephen had passed down to him, my dad."

"Hm." I hummed. "Sounds like there's a reoccurring theme here."

"Yeah, um, you have a death compass." Pope nods.

"No, I do not have a death compass." John B denied.

"You have a death compass, John B."

"Seriously, dude, just get rid of it." JJ had said. "It's cursed and it's made its way back to you."

"Look, my Dad used to talk to me about this compartment in here." John B began explained. "Soldiers used to hide secret notes." John B the back panel of the compass.

"What's that?" Kie points to some writing on the compass.

"That wasn't there before." John B had frowned. John B looked at us. "This is my Dad's handwriting."

"How can you know that?" I questioned, folding my arms.

"Because he does these weird R's with the—" He showed me. "See it?" And I do see it. How unique.

"Can I see it?" JJ asked, coming up behind me. I felt his close presence. JJ reads the edged letters.

"Red—Rout—" JJ tried to spell out the words. "No, I think there's an A."

"It says, Redfield." I had corrected JJ and I could feel his eyes on me.

"Right," JJ murmured.

"Okay, well, what's Redfield?" Kie had asked.

"Besides the most common name in the county," Pope comments.

"Oh, maybe—maybe it's a clue." John B had said and the rooster hollers again. My God, that rooster is annoying. "Maybe it's a clue and to where he's hiding, ya know?"

"A clue?" Pope scoffed. "Come on, that's—" Kie glares at Pope and the rooster hollers again. "But if it is a clue, maybe it's an anagram?"

"Yes." John B nods. "Perfect. Anagram. You need paper." John B pulled out a piece of paper and placed it down on the desk. "Here you go."

"How can you concentrate with that thing crowing at you?" I frowned, absolutely frustrated with the rooster.

"JJ loves the rooster." John B had said and JJ looks over Pope's shoulder.

"I love the rooster." Kie had agreed.

"Okay, my bad!" I throw my hands up in defence. Didn't realise the rooster was loved.

"Okay, let me think." Pope had cut us off from our small argument. "Redfield. Colours—That's stupid."

"What about Ritalin?" JJ asked as we try to come up with some ideas. I now stand on the other side of Pope.

"Dreidel? Fiddler?"

"Let's stick with that we're... Defile. Does that mean anything to you?" Pope had questioned.

"Guys." John B had spoken with a hint of worry in his tone. I looked over at him. "Guys! Somebody's here."

I looked out the window. A black pickup truck parks outside. The two men we had seen on the speedboat approaches the shack and my heart pounds.

"Guys, guys, is that them?" Kie asked in a panic.

"No," JJ speaks in disbelief.

"Is that them?"

"This is suboptimal," Pope muttered.

"That is them." I nodded, recognising them. "I swear that's them. Oh, man, we're gonna die."

JJ places a hand on my shoulder. "Hey, we're not gonna die." JJ turned to John B. "John B, I told you, why does it always have to be—"

"JJ!" John B looked at JJ. "Hey, look at me. Where's the gun?"

"Gun?" JJ frowned. "I, uh, I can't—"

"Now you don't have the gun, the one time we need the gun?" Kie panics and I felt my hands go all sweaty.

"It was in my backpack, and then I—"

"On the porch." John B realised and I groaned. "Go, go, go."

"JJ!" I hissed. That's so stupid of him! JJ had ignored my calls and Kie tells me to be quiet. JJ opens the door and exits the office. "Oh, my God, he's dead."

"John Routledge!" A loud voice had yelled from outside. "Come on out, now!"

I placed my hands on top of my head, my mind spinning. Oh, my God, oh, my god. "Guys!" I whimpered. JJ was quick to come back in and closed the door behind him.

"Where's the compass?!" The men demanded.

"Where's the gun?" Pope had whispered.

"They're out on the front porch, guys." JJ had whispered.

"We gotta leave!" I whispered.

"Guys, window." Kie had pointed to the window. JJ and Pope ran to the window and I pressed my back against the door, in case they tried to come in. The window was locked shut.

"What's happening?" I had asked. "Why is it taking so long?"

"It's painted shut, okay?" JJ snapped. John B had joined me and pressed his back against the door. He had glanced down at me.

"Okay, guys, guys, guys." Kie had grabbed a blade.

"Where the hell is that compass?" I flinched at the loud voice. Kie quickly moved the blade across the window.

"Come on, come on." JJ had hissed.

"I'm going as fast as I can." Kie had snapped quietly.

"Shh..." John B and I raised a finger to our mouths, telling them to be quiet.

Suddenly, the door handle rattles and my eyes widen. I pressed my entire weight against the door and so does John B. "Shit." I cursed.

"You better not be in there!" A man yelled from the other side.

The man kicks the door. John B had grabbed my hand and pulled me over to the window where the others were. The window had opened and all five of us tumbled out of the window quickly.

"Where do we go now?" Kie asked in panics as we all stand outside. 

JJ had grabbed my hand. "Follow me."

We had somehow made it into the chicken pen, all crouching. There wasn't enough room for all five human beings. So, I was pressed against JJ and he had wrapped his arms around me, pulling me close to him and it's safe to say I didn't mind.

We watched from inside the chicken pen as they carried crates of documents outside. The rooster starts crowing.

"Do something, Pope. Shut him up." JJ whispered.

"What do you want me to do?" Pope hisses back.

"Pet it, talk to it. I don't know." Kie throws some suggestions. The rooster continues to holler it's ass off and this is what's going to kill us.

JJ and I pressed ourselves against the wall, noticing that one of the men was looking at the pen suspiciously.

"You do something." Pope hisses. JJ had grabbed the rooster pins it to the ground and then snapped its neck. My mouth widened and a hand covers my mouth. JJ had fallen back next to me quietly, running a hand through his hair.

JJ takes my hand carefully, my hands were trembling. "Ratter! What the hell are you doing? Let's go." I heard a voice from outside.

Kie's face crumbles as she lets out a small sob. The pickup truck had left.

✫✫✫

"I mean, it's obvious." John B had begun as I sat in John B's brown van with the others. "A family heirloom. What better place to hide a message? He had to know it was gonna come back to me."

The sun was setting and I worry that my family is worried about where I am. I have to try and make up some excuse. I sighed tiredly and covered my face with my hands as I sit on the couch.

"Yeah. It's possible." Kie had agreed.

"It could also be possible that you're coming up with theories to help, you know, with your sad feelings." Pope had commented.

"Bro, you know how I process my sad feels." JJ smuggled told them. "Dank nugs and the stickiest of ickies, that's how I do it."

"When I get sad all you need is One Direction and boom, I'm happy again," I confessed and JJ sent me a small smile.

"That's cute, Hollywood," JJ had said. "Do you dance around in your PJs in your bedroom, too?"

I hit him. "Shut the fuck up."

"I'm not concocting, okay?" John B cuts us off. "My Dad's trying to give me a message."

"If it helps you believe, John B." Kie had said carefully.

"Look, I—I don't need a therapy session, okay?" John B had snapped. "Look, I'm not trippin' out."

"It's okay to trip, bro, but—"

"Look," John B cuts JJ off. "My Dad is missing, okay? Missing. You don't know what its like to have the person closest to you vanish and then have no idea what happened. Just wake up every morning wondering."

"I do," I muttered, pulling my knees closer to my chest, biting the inside of my cheek. I expected no one to hear that. But, JJ apparently had and casts me a sad look.

"It's been almost a year." Kie had pointed out.

"Hey, he could have been kidnapped." JJ had suggested. "That's definitely a possibility."

"Yeah, it could be in a Soviet sub getting interrogated by the KGB somewhere." Pope continued.

"Absolutely." JJ nodded his head. "Uh... Or Atlantis."

"You guys are ridiculous." I rolled my eyes.

"JJ." Kie had huffed. "Look, what do you think the message is?"

"Redfield." I looked over at the sign and read; Redfield lighthouse. "Redfield lighthouse. That's my Dad's favourite place."

We had eventually parked in front of the lighthouse. We all exited the van. We looked up at the lighthouse, a large crack was in the side of it.

John B turns to JJ. "Right. Here's what's gonna happen. You're gonna post up and look out for bogeys, okay?"

"Wait... Why me?" JJ had frowned.

"Because you're not coming." Pope had said.

"Why?" JJ demanded.

"There are independent and dependant variables." Pope began. "You're an independent variable."

"Shut up!" JJ had yelled. "Just shut up—"

"Would you just listen to me for a second?" John B had cut off Pope and JJ's arguing. Kie and I gave each other a glance. "Pope and Stormy, you stand and look out with JJ. Okay? If we split up, we meet back at JJ's house."

"Great." Kie had said and John B walked over to the fence and climbed it, Kie follows.

"I'm gonna work on my merit scholarship, anyways." Pope had dismissed and walked back into the van, leaving me and JJ alone. "And I'm trying to keep felonies to a minimum."

I bite the inside of my cheek and walked over to the tree. I sat down, leaning against it. "Wow. How did my life turn crazy." I muttered.

"Hey, Hollywood." JJ had sat down next to me. I'm not entirely sure why JJ calls me Hollywood. Sarah was the princess Kook and I'm Hollywood. Expect, only JJ calls me Hollywood, I've never heard anyone else call me that. "What'd you mean back in the van?"

"About what?" I asked, pretending to be clueless and pick at my nails.

"You know when John B was talkin' about his Dad vanishing."

I turned my head to him. "Why would a Pogue care?"

"Well," JJ began. "You're the only Kook—other than Kie—that's willing to hang out with us. No one seems to know anything about you."

"Everyone seems to know everything about me, so," I state, shrugging. "Not much more too it, if you ask me."

JJ stares at me for a good few seconds. "You interest me and I'm not sure why. You're not like most Kook's."

"Heard that one before," I smirked.

"Come on, Hollywood." JJ had said gently. "You can tell me."

I bite my lower lip. "My Mum. She... She had just vanished. I wouldn't say vanished because she died, but, it felt like she vanished into thin air. She left her four kids, without thinking the possibility of how it would affect all of us in the future."

"Uh... How did she die?" JJ quietly asked.

"Suicide," I muttered. "Wanna know the worst part?" JJ doesn't say anything. "I was the one that found her in the bathroom." I let out a shaky breath. "Wow. I have never told anyone that expects family."

"I'm sorry," JJ told me gently. "No one should have to go through that. Especially not you."

"It's whatever, you know." I looked out at the lighthouse. "I hope they're smart enough to not get caught."

"Yeah, they'll be fine," JJ assured me.

I sighed and leant back on the trees. "Dad and Sarah are gonna grill me when I get back home."

"You're 17. You should be allowed to go out and venture off into the world alone." JJ reminded me.

I bite my lower lip. "As far as they know, I'm friends with Kooks, not Pogues."

"Who said we're friends?" JJ smirked.

I shrugged, looking at the ground. I shuffled my feet into the dirt. "Dunno. I figured we'd be hanging around a lot more."

"I guess we can make room for one more Kook." JJ nudges me and I gave him a half-smile. "I wanna teach you a game." He had got up and dashed to the van, grabbing a happy sack and bringing it over to me. "Come here." He held out his hand and I take it, smiling as he pulled me up.

For ten minutes, we were tossing the happy sack between each other. I was bouncing the happy sack on my knees up and down, with one knee I had tossed it to JJ who catches it easily.

Suddenly, in the distance, a siren was heard. JJ and I looked behind us. The cops were coming, causing my heart to race. "Oh shit," I muttered. JJ had grabbed my hand and we ran towards John B's van.

JJ had climbed into the van and I climbed in the passenger side. "What is it?" Pope questioned.

"Cops," I answered as Pope shuts the van's door. "Shouldn't we wait for the others?"

"We'll meet them at mine." JJ speeds off.

I got a call. I picked it up as we drive down the road. "Hello?"

"It's me, Stormy," Sarah speaks. "Where the hell have you been? I've been looking everywhere for you!"

"I'm sorry," I apologised. "I've been out... I'm sorry I didn't say anything."

Sarah sighed. "How long are you gonna be?"

"I dunno, a few hours?"

"Dad will freak out if you don't show up in a few hours. What should I say?" Sarah began to panic, I could hear it in her voice. She didn't like lying to Dad.

"Literally anything." I had told her and she groaned. "Look, Sarah, I've gotta go. See you soon!"

"Stormy—"

I hung up on her and sigh, dropping the phone onto my lap. Thank God for Sarah.

✫✫✫

"Hey, John B." I had greeted as I walked past him on the way back at home down the street. Sarah was with me and she and I had decided to do a last-minute shopping. Okay. Was he salty that JJ, Pope, and I left him at the lighthouse or something? "I'm sorry, that's it?" I had turned to John B, frowning. "No, 'hey, how you doin'? Or 'kiss my ass?'."

John B turned to us, specifically, me. "Your secret's safe with me?"

I frowned. "What secret—Oh, that secret." I nodded. 

"I just got fired because of you." John B had glared at me. "And I know you can't imagine that, but some people need jobs so that they can eat." He smacks the bag of shopping gear from my hands, they land on the ground.

"John B!" I had yelled, extremely upset. "What the fuck!"

John B turns back to me, running close to me, getting up in my space. "You are exactly who I thought you were, Stormy Cameron."

"John B! Wait!" I had yelled, trying to get his attention.

"Stormy, what the hell is he on about?" Sarah questioned but I ignored her and sprinted towards John B.

I placed a hand on his shoulder, turning him around. "John B."

"Stormy, just leave us alone, okay?" John B had snapped. "We don't need kook's like you in our lives and stay away from JJ."

"What the fuck does that mean?" I questioned and he tried to turn away but I ran in front of him. "John B. I don't know what you're talking about but I didn't snitch, okay? I'm not a snitcher. Ask Sarah."

"I'm not gonna ask Sarah—"

I looked behind me, I could see Sarah waiting impatiently. "Look, I—" And then it hit me. I know who had snitched on John B. I scowled. It must've been Wheezie. She was supposed to come in that morning, but I guess she never did. "I didn't tell. It was my younger sister, Wheezie. She's a brat. I promise I didn't tell, John B. I fucking swear on Sarah's life. Look. I'll talk to my Dad, I'll tell him I helped you, I'll make up some excuse and I'll try and get your fucking job back, okay?"

John B simply stares at me for a moment, his eyes moving to my lips. I pursed my lips together. "Okay. One last chance Stormy Cameron, I swear to God."

I rolled my eyes. "Alright, whatever. But I didn't tell!"

John B sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "I'll see you tonight?"

He began walking away. I frowned and turned around, watching his back walk away from me. "What's tonight?!"

A/N

It's 3AM and this chapter is extra long for you guys. Tysm for all the love and support, it means a lot. My country has recently gone into lockdown again, and I've literally got one epsiode to go before I've finished the entire of season 1, yay!