Chapter Twenty-One

Pope, Kie, JJ, and I all climbed out of the police car to a white tent. It looked like chaos here and this was all for John B. A man who was accused of murder.

It was dark and thunder roars above us which made me grow concern for John B. He will make it. I do believe in him.

"Follow Plumb to that tent." Shoupe told us. We followed a man, Plumb and we walked inside the tent. "Right to your left here." Shoupe points to a bench and we all sat down on it.

I sat next in between JJ and Kie. JJ holds my hand tightly, casting me a look of worry.

"Sit down. Don't move." Shoupe told us sternly. "We got a lot to talk about. Keep an eye on these kids."

A few metres away from us there were people at computers typing away frantically. "Blockade is up at the marsh and Masonboro and all other inlets from Shem Creek to Breach Inlet." I overheard an officer say. "I want eyes on all coastal access points, people. Let's get this guy."

Not only is the entire sheriff's department here, but some FBI people are here from a different state.

I wait nervously, my leg bouncing up and down. JJ placed a hand on my thigh, doing circle emotions on it, trying to calm me down. It was working, kind of.

"Suspect is attempting to escape to the south." My heart drops as I heard that from the radio. Rain from outside could be seen. "Our attempts to contact the vessel were unsuccessful. We're getting hammered here."

"Hold your position, captain." The FBI guy said.

"Roger that."

"I got one more card I think we can play,"

A few moments later, my Dad had stormed in, looking frantic. "Stormy, honey!" His face relaxed when he saw me and he approached. He pulled me into a hug and I don't hug him back, frowning. "I'm so glad you're okay. Where's your sister?"

"I—I don't know." I admit, pulling away from him. I shake my head at him, running a hand through my hair. "Don't touch me." I told him gently, taking a step back from him.

There's a high chance that John B has Sarah right now, and I'm trying desperately hard not to think about it. 

"Sir, would you please come this way?" The FBI guy asked my Dad.

"Can I bring my daughter, Stormy?" Dad questioned, motioning towards me.

I looked back at my friends and they all stare at me, they weren't sure what to do, either. "Yeah, of course." The FBI guy nods his head. I made eye contact with JJ as my father pulls me into the other room.

Dad had grabbed a hold of the radio. "John B?" Dad questioned and I stand behind him with my arms crossed. "John B? I know you're there, son." I scowled at him when he said the word '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."

"John B, please, I will make it right." Dad had continued to lie. I shake my head, knowing he wasn't going to. I placed a hand over my mouth, my face crumbling up. "I promise you. Come back." There's no response. "John B, I am begging you. Think of her and turn around."

"Ward Cameron, can you hear me?" I gap, surprised to hear John B's voice.

"Yes." Dad responded. "Yes, son, I am right here. I'm right here. Please bring her back, okay?" Sarah's with John B. "We'll work it all out when you get home."

"You killed my father," John B's voice cracked. "And you framed me for a murder I didn't commit. You took everything from me! You took everything from me! 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."

Dad lowered his gaze. "Wait, wait." I had grabbed onto the radio. "Sarah? Sissy, are you there?"

"Sissy?" I heard her voice crack.

"Sarah." I breath out, tears forming in my eyes. "Oh, my God, sissy. Sarah, listen to me, okay?"

"Okay," she responded.

Dad looked at me, Shoupe looked at me, that FBI Agent guy looked at me, everyone was looking at me. They all think I'm gonna beg and convince her to come back.

"Keep going," I told her sternly, my gaze burning into the radio. "Don't turn back, Sarah. Remember that charm bracelet I gave you?" I looked down at my wrist, I have the same charm bracelet on.

"Yes. I'm still wearing it."

"That's what's gonna bring us back together." I promised. "You and John B both. That's our good luck charm, remember? Remember our plan. Stick to it and I'll see you on the flip side, sissy,"

"Okay," her voice trembles over the radio. "I love you, Stormy,"

"I love you, Sarah," I felt a tear slip down my face and I had placed the radio down on the white table.

"We've lost their radio signal, sir," an officer said. Tears filled Dad's eyes.

"Those are kids out there, don't stop looking." Shoupe had spoken into the radio.

"Understood." The captain responded.

Shoupe bends down to Dad. "You don't go anywhere. We're gonna need to talk to you."

Dad had looked up at me, his mouth parted. "I despise you," I told him with venom in my voice before I turned on my heel and walked back over to my friends.

JJ quickly stood up and approached me. "Hey, hey, what happened? Are they okay?"

"They're okay," I nodded as he pulled me in for a hug. "I just told Sarah goodbye. My God, they were expecting me to convince Sarah to turn around, but you should've seen their faces when I told them to keep going and that I'll see them on the flip side."

JJ smiled at me lovingly and placed his lips on mine. I went for more and knowing that my Dad had seen me kiss JJ. JJ pulled back, a grin on his face.

"I love you, Stormy Jade Maybank," he whispered, intertwining our hands together.

"I love you, JJ I don't know your middle name Maybank." I smiled widely and he pulled me in for another hug.

I looked over at Kie, noticing tears filling in her eyes, glancing at Pope. Everything I felt before with JJ was gone—and reality struck in. I tried to be hopeful, but there's a chance we'll lose John B and Sarah tonight.

Shoupe, Plumb, and Thomas enter in raincoats. Kie and Pope stand up quickly and we all approached them.

"Did you find them?" Pope asked.

Shoupe shakes his head. "No."

"So, they got away?" Kie asked hopefully, glancing at me. Thunder clashes above us and I leant into JJ more.

"We, uh... We lost them." My eyes widen at Shoupe's words. "I'm sorry." I felt my heart shatter, my face crumbled up.

"You lost them?" Pope questioned. "What do you mean you lost them? Like, they're gone? What are you talking about?"

"They took an open boat into a tropical depression, Pope," Shoupe told us. Guilt consumed me instantly and my hands began to shake.

"So, they're dead?" Kie asked.

"We don't know," Shoupe answered.

"You drove them straight into the storm, man!" JJ had exclaimed. "Are you kidding me? Come here man, I'm gonna kill you!"

JJ had leapt onto Shoupe. "JJ!" I yelled, trying to get him back to me. JJ began to fight Shoupe but Thomas had pulled JJ away. "JJ, please stop!"

I stormed up to Shoupe. "John B didn't kill anyone, and you know it. You fucking know it!"

"We're still looking for him, all right?" Shoupe tried to calm us down but we were far too riled up.

"Oh, my God," I whispered, my hands are shaking and I felt myself collapsed to the ground, my legs giving up on me. I stumbled to the floor and curled up into a ball. "I did this," I whispered again, my eyes widening.

I could've prevented this. I'm the only person that can convince Sarah to do anything, but I let her go into that tropical depression.

I looked over and saw that Kie and Pope's parents entered the tent. They all ran and hug their kids.

"Let me go see my wife, man!" JJ had snapped at Thomas, shoving off him. He rushes towards me. "Stormy, Stormy. Honey, I'm here." JJ told me and I looked up at him, tears streaming down my face.

"JJ, I did this," I pointed to myself as he crouches in front of me, tears filled up in his own eyes.

"No, Storm, you didn't." JJ shakes his head and kisses my knuckles. "You didn't. They did."

"I had hoped they would make it." I continued to sob. "And now, because of me, I've lost my own twin sister." JJ was crying as well, he had picked me up and pulls me into a giant bear hug. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry,"

"Shh," JJ had cried. "You're hurting me even more saying that you did this when you didn't." I buried myself into his chest, crying even more.

Pope and his parents bring me into their embrace. "It's okay, it's okay," Mrs. Heyward kept telling us softly.

Pope breaks away and hugs Kie. I continued to hug JJ tightly, I was afraid to let him go, sobbing into him.

I killed my other half.

A/N

SEASON 1 IS FINALLY OVER!

Tysm to everyone who's been reading this so far. I'm gonna take a short break and make sure I have at least ten chapters for season 2, I already have like six. So you'll probably see me update in a few days <3