MY PURPOSE - JOHN B ROUTLEDGE

CHAPTER FOUR - THE HEIST

Terrance and Eleanor spent all morning going over the plan of how the gold was going to be moved and where they needed to be to intercept the truck all thanks to Sarah.

After that it was the afternoon, Terrance drove them to the spot where John B and Eleanor would be hiding, which direction the truck would be coming from and how him and Cleo would make the truck vulnerable enough for them to take the gold.

John B had been quiet that morning but Eleanor wasn't that bothered. She was still angry at him and she needed this plan to go well.

The last part of the plan was for Cleo to round up some distraction to put Ward on their desired path.

"You mind if I tag along?"

Cleo shook her head and Eleanor was grateful for that. She needed to get her mind off John B for a few hours. Heading towards the door, they started down a dirt road.

"How you go from living in Paradise Island to living in the street dodging coppers?"

Eleanor chuckled quietly to herself "I've been dodging the coppers since I could walk. I guess some things never change" She looked up at Cleo with a smile "And I fell in love"

"Big mistake" Cleo sighed "Only got yourself to blame for that one"

Eleanor nodded in reply.

"It's better not to care"

Eleanor sighed "That's funny because I used to say the exact same thing" She soon collected herself "Anyway, what about you? How did you hook up with Captain T?"

"Father left. Granny died. Was kicked out on the street" Cleo stated shortly "I had to find a way to take care of myself. So I was sleeping on a local dinghy when the morning broke. I wake up, and I hear someone yelling, "You know how to tie a bowl line?" It was Captain Terrance. I go on deck. I've been with him ever since. It's not the best of times, but I gotta do what I gotta do, right?"

Cleo reminded Eleanor so much of her old self. But she still was that girl sometimes. Some habits just die hard.

Cleo then broke the silence, pointing at Stubbs being used as a human jungle gym by some children that lived on the island "Stubby's security. Not the brightest bulb, but you ain't gotta watch your back with him. Terrance, on the other hand...he's a ram goat. Anything that's in his way, ram it over. Always stay two steps ahead of him and never really trust him"

Eleanor nodded "I know"

"Wait here"

Cleo left Eleanor and walked over to the group of kids as she asked "Who wanna make some money?"

They all cheered as they shouted "Me!" all at once causing the smallest smile to form on Eleanor's face.

"But wait. I need a favour first so listen up"

-----

"Ready, Sancho?" Eleanor came up behind John B as she asked.

"Let's do this, lovebirds" Cleo smirked, waving her stop sign at them which was being used for their distraction.

Eleanor was now helping to load the truck. She was wearing a jacket to go over her tank top curtsy of Cleo and a bandana to go over her mouth and nose to shield her from the potential of being recognised.

John B was wearing the same. 

They were now stationed where they were meant to be to take the truck from Ward after being dropped off by Cleo. The two teens weren't talking at all and when John B was about to open his mouth, Eleanor's phone rang. Saved by the bell.

It was Stubbs on the other end of the phone "They got a truck and two defenders"

"But it's just Ward in the truck with the gold, right?"

"I-it's two in the truck"

John B looked at her "Two?"

Eleanor could feel her anger boiling "Rafe fucking Cameron"

"Two defenders, front and back" You could hear the engines of the trucks starting up.

"Are they armed?"

"To the teeth"

Terrance started to speak "Pistols?"

"AKs"

"Shit's about to be hot"

John B began to load the gun that Terrance had given them whilst Eleanor had her gun in her ankle holster just in case. Maybe just a minute later and she received a text from one of the kids on the island, confirming the trucks were on their way after passing the first checkpoint. Not much longer after Eleanor received a short call from Terrance. The escort was gone.

"Showtime" Eleanor smiled. Any minute now, the truck would be approaching Cleo and Terrance. She pulled up her bandana from around her neck so it covered her face all the way up to her nose. John B did the same.

Now, it was time for part two. Cleo lifted her stop sign in the air and the truck slowly came to a stop. The two were trying to reason with Cleo and Terrance but soon listened when Terrance silenced the two with his gun. Terrance now holding Ward at gunpoint, and Cleo holding the tip of her knife on the back of her Rafe's neck.

They commanded them to move the signs and the barrels that was blocking the road only a few minutes ago. Ward and Rafe followed their orders with their hands up in the air anytime they weren't carrying something.

Eleanor couldn't help but admit that she was enjoying this sight very much. They were finally getting what they deserved.

"Get on your knees!" Terrance shouted "Hands up"

"Who are you?" Ward demanded. He needed to feel like he was still in control.

"Kiss the ground"

"Who are you?!"

"I am the Royal Commission for the redistribution of wealth" He jammed his gun into the back of Ward's head "Kiss the ground"

He finally obeyed.

"You guys are idiots. Are escorts are right behind us" Rafe was pissed.

"A wise guy, huh?" Cleo watched as he sunk to his knees, the knife not moving an inch from his throat.

"Go time" John B said as he saw the look Cleo gave him subtly.

"Go! Go! Hurry!" Terrance called out to the two.

Doing a quick check of the bandana around her mouth and nose, she ran to the truck with John B close behind her. They were almost there when Ward had managed to sneak a look at them.

"No! No, that's John B and Eleanor!"

"Hey! Hey! Don't talk to them, get down!"

"John B! No!" Ward was back on his feet "How are you two alive?! You should be dead! That gold is mine, Routledge!"

Eleanor ended up behind John B who raising his gun to stop Ward but he kept coming. Terrance grabbed him and Cleo was trying to get Rafe's weapon when someone's gun went off.

Time slowed as Eleanor felt a sharp pain pierce through her side. She gasped, eyes wide with disbelief; Rafe had shot her. The world around her blurred; the blue sky faded into muted shades of grey.

She could feel herself crumbling to the ground, her hands instinctively clutching her injury as the warmth of her blood seeped through her fingers. John B was quick to break her fall, catching her torso in his arms before she could completely hit the ground.

It had been a long time since she had felt like this and maybe then, she wouldn't have cared less if she had succumbed to her injuries but it was different now. Everything she had fought for, everything the Pogues had fought for, the boy she fell so hard for all hung in the balance.

"Holy shit" John B breathed out "Okay, El, you need to stay with me. Please" He pleaded, his voice trembling as he took off his bandana from around his neck and pressed it down against her wound, desperately trying to stem the flow of blood but it felt like trying to hold back the ocean with bare hands.

"You're going to be okay. I just need you to press down, all right?"

Eleanor nodded, her jaw was clenched in pain as she took over from John B.

"Terrance!" John B yelled "Eleanor's been shot!"

"Cleo I've got them, go help her!"

With Ward and Rafe now lying on the ground with no weapons of their owns and Terrance's aimed before them, Cleo was able to run over to the couple.

"Looks like you're not as tough as you thought, huh, Toretto?" She could hear Rafe shouting as Cleo helped John B with getting her up from the floor but Terrance soon shut him up after hitting him over the head with the butt of the gun.

John B's fists clenched at his words, fire igniting in his eyes but he kept his calm. He had to, for her.

"I'm texting you an address to a doctor!" Cleo told the boy "You can take our truck and we'll take the gold to where it needs to be. You tell him that Terrance sent you, ya here?"

"And this is a hospital?" John B asked frantically.

"You kidding? You wanna get caught?"

"I really don't give a shit, Cleo. She needs help" John B continued as they got Eleanor to the truck.

She was able to walk but with a limp, finally planting herself in the seat of the truck as another pain seared through her gut.

"He's better than any of the doctors in that shitcan. He's got ya, I promise. We're gonna meet at the wharf in eight hours. No more. It is hot as hell out there" She nodded to Rafe and Ward "We'll handle them"

"Cleo" Her voice shook, her breathing shallow and quick "Thank you"

"Hey, hey. You're gonna need some money" Cleo gave John B the lump of gold back that they took from them "John B! You look after my girl, okay?" She reached over to grab her hand "Eleanor! You're a fighter, girl! Hold on! Hold on!" Cleo smacked the hood of the truck a few times "Go! Go! Go! Go!"

Fear was rising in him like a tidal wave, but he pushed it down, focusing on the road ahead as they sped through the winding paths of the island.

Eleanor's heart raced as the truck bounced over the uneven road, each jolt sending a fresh wave of pain through her. Thoughts of her family and the Pogues flooded her mind. Would she ever see them again? Just thinking about it made her throat tighten.

"The universe really must hate us, huh?" She gave him the biggest smile she could muster causing him to laugh slightly.

"Yeah it does" He squeezed her leg in comfort as the truck took another turn. It made her feel sick "We're nearly there now, just stay awake for me. Focus on my voice"

John B was right. It wasn't long before the truck came to a sudden stop, her body tossing forward. Throwing his door open, he rushed to her side. She slung one arm around his shoulders and his went around her waist as he guided her towards where some locals pointed to after asking them where the doctor was.

John B was doing all the work as he used his free hand to press the buzzer on the wall. Her leg wanted to go to sleep just as much as she did. He pressed the buzzer a few more times before someone finally answered.

"What do you want?"

"I'm looking for Dr. Nygard"

"Dr. Nygard's not here"

"Okay, well, do you know where I can find him?"

"Who are you?"

"I'm a friend of Terrance's. Okay, look, my girlfriend's been shot"

"Aw, man. There's a camera above to your left. Look at it and let me see your faces"

Eleanor weakly rose her head.

"All right, go through the bar. There's some stairs on the right"

"Okay. Thank you. Thank you" John B took most of her weight again. Eleanor winced every time they took a step, fresh blood dripping down her leg.

"Doc, where are you?!"

"Here! Right here!"

Rounding the corner, he started hoisting the girl's mostly dead weight up the stairs. The doctor soon came into their line of sight. He was an elderly man dressed in white with a pair of round glasses.

"It's not her head is it?" The doctor was quick to ask.

"No" John B panted "It's not her head"

"Good. I don't do heads"

That started to worry John B as his girlfriend's life was now in his hands.

The man showed them inside and where to lay her down. He lifted her up fully then, bridal style, to place her down properly on the bed.

And in that moment, as the world around her blurred into significance, all Eleanor could do was  focus on the warmth of John B's touch and the fear etched across his face whilst the doctor examined her wound. The beeping from the monitor that watched heartbeat and pulse was the only thing she could hear. She was trying to find the courage to fight, but the darkness was threatening to pull her under.

Memories flooded her mind. Dancing with the Pogues at the wreck. Meeting Sarah for the first time and eventually becoming her best friend. Finding the gold...losing the gold. Leaving the Pogues, her family.

She could feel herself slipping away, and with each heartbeat, doubt crept in. Would she see another sunrise? Would they ever get the gold? Would her parents know that their only daughter survived the storm?

As the beeping of the monitor started to get quieter, Eleanor's vision began to fade, but the sound of John B's voice clung to her like a lifeline "You're okay, El. I'm right here. I've got you"

"I love you, John B" Was the last thing she whispered before everything went dark.