MY PURPOSE - JOHN B ROUTLEDGE

CHAPTER THIRTY FIVE - THE FIRE

"I'm sorry Leon" Was the only message Eleanor sent to Leon before her and John B were running once again. They ended up hiding in some kook's garage when they heard a static noise and then a female's voice.

"All units, reports of a white male and female running through backyards in the 100 block of Church Street"

"Repeat, all units, neighbours reported a white male and female running through backyards in the 100 block of Church Street"

The two kept quiet until they heard two pairs of heavy footsteps coming closer to the garage door "John B we gotta go" Eleanor whispered to him as they crawled out from underneath the table they were hiding under and opened the door that led into the house as they kept their hands clasped together.

Eleanor kept her eyes peeled for anyone that might be in the house when a boy's voice called out "John B?"

Eleanor couldn't believe their luck when she saw Kelce, who she had learned was one of Topper's friends, sitting at his kitchen island eating some cereal when he dropped the spoon in shock.

"Hey, man" John B let out a shaky breath.

"John B" Kelce slowly stood from his stool with his eyes wide.

"Just listen to me for a second. Relax" John B was trying to stay calm but Eleanor could see right through him.

Kelce quickly shook his head "Man, what are you doing here?"

"I...I'm sorry. I didn't mean to..." John B went on until she grabbed the boys hand and made a run for it down the hall and into the first room she saw. The laundry room.

Once John B shut the door behind them, Kelce continued to bang on the door before he stopped and let out a gasp. He had them trapped with no way out.

"Kelce?" John B asked while twisting the door knob but it was stuck "Hey, man. Hey, hey, hey"

"You're in the house of pain now, bro" Kelce said as they heard the sirens from outside "You hear that? I got you. I got you, man"

"Fuck" John B hit the door a few times out of pure anger.

"He's not gonna let us out so you hitting that door isn't doing anything for us" Eleanor told him as she tried to find a way out while John B tried to pick the lock on the door.

It was until ten minutes later when they heard footsteps coming back but this time there was more than one person "Knock, knock!" Kelce shouted through the door.

"Hey! Hey, Kelce. Hey, buddy" John B tried to rattle the door handle again "Please just...just let us out"

"I don't think so, bitch" Kelce shouted "Word on the street is that you got a bounty on your head, bro"

"It's not...no" John B denied "It's not what it seems"

"25K cash money, dead or alive" Kelce laughed "Isn't that right, John B?"

John B put his head in his hands as Kelce whispered to someone outside the door before a pair of footsteps ran off.

"Look, Kelce, just...just let us out, man" John B pleaded.

"Yeah, Kelce isn't here, bro. It's Topper" His muffled voice came through the door "And who's us? Who you got in there, man?"

John B looked at Eleanor with a worried look on his face as she stood up from her position on the floor and walked over to the door "You might remember me from the golf course. You know after nearly beating up Pope and trying to steal beers that weren't yours"

"Yeah I remember you. You're Dom and Letty's kid aren't you?" Topper said as he chuckled "Apparently there's a warrant out for your arrest too, what a surprise"

Eleanor had to take a minute for that to sink in. A warrant out for arrest too? "Wait Topper what did you just say?" But she got no answer "Topper?!"

Then after a moment a leaflet slipped under the door and as Eleanor bent down to pick up it she saw her face on it. It was her arrest warrant.

"Shit" She mumbled and stood up to show John B who then started to bang on the door harder.

"Topper open the fucking door!" John B yelled.

"What you gonna try and talk your way out of it now? Look...just cut the bullshit, all right? Like, the...chickens are roosting, brother. Like, it's...it is over. You two are in some deep shit now, man"

"Listen to me! I didn't kill the sheriff " John B defended himself.

"You didn't the sheriff? Oh my bad, my bad" Topper scoffed "What about you Eleanor? Did you shoot the sheriff? Ya know partners in crime and all that shit"

"It was Rafe Cameron who shot Peterkin because he's a fucking psycho!" She yelled "And I know that you don't believe me because of who I am and I also know you that you hate me because of Sarah"

"She was fine before she met you and we...we were happy and then you came along and screwed everything up! You two ruined her and now she won't even speak to me!"

As Topper continued to yell Eleanor had spotted something behind the dryer. An air vent. Putting her finger to her lips she bent down and grabbed anything she could that might help to pry the vent off the wall.

Hearing the sirens getting closer made her work even faster "It's over for you, guys. This is it. Your little wild adventure. Your little movie. It's over, the cops are on their way. Hope you enjoyed it"

And that was it before Eleanor managed to pry the vent off to reveal a big enough hole that led right outside.

Being as quiet as possible, they crawled out of the air vent and was running through the backyard once more as cops started to surround the house.

----

The two ended up in the bell tower as they watched the commotion down below when they heard a thud from behind them.

They both turned their heads towards the trap door that was being pushed open by somebody. Eleanor and John B were quick to pick up an item that was laying on the floor to use as a weapon but when the person turned their head towards the couple, Eleanor dropped the metal pipe she was holding.

"Oh my god, Sarah!" Eleanor quietly screamed, moving past John B as Sarah flung herself into her arms and Eleanor was quick to hug her back.

"Hi" She whispered into her shoulder after a few minutes of them just hugging.

"Hi" Eleanor replied before looking up at the sky as she thanked God that Sarah was safe and alive.

"Are you two okay? I thought I'd never see you guys again" Sarah slowly pulled away from her and looked at John B behind her.

"Erm Kie, JJ and Pope came to my house and they told me that there are warrants out for your arrests and that you're on the run" She sniffed and wiped her already puffy eyes "And my...my dad, I'm so sorry John B...I'm sorry about everything"

She then walked over to him and wrapped her arms around his neck as she hugged him tightly.

"It's okay Sarah, it's not your fault" John B said softly as he hugged her back just as tight "None of it is"

"Ward he erm...he locked me in my room the day Rafe took me home from the airstrip" She was now stood in between John B and Eleanor as she breathed heavily "I-I tricked Wheezie into letting me out I had to see you both...make sure you were okay"

"Sarah you can't be here" Eleanor held the girls hands in hers "Rafe, your brother, is out there somewhere and if he sees you Sarah..."

"You need to go" John B urged her and that's when they heard the voices from outside that were getting closer to the church.

It was Topper, Kelce and Rafe.

Eleanor looked at John B "We need a distraction or something or we're not getting out of this alive John B"

"Yeah I got it okay there's this empty house down the road! It's one of Rose's and the passcode on the door is her birthday. It's the 15th of January, 1985" Sarah rushed out in a panicked voice "You got that?"

Eleanor nodded "Yeah got it but we need to figure out how to get out of here first"

It was silent for a moment as they all tried to rack their brains of some sort of plan when Sarah spoke up "John B I need your jacket"

"What?" He looked at her in confusion.

"Like right now" She ordered him to hurry up so he took off the pink jacket and handed it to her.

Sarah then told them the address of the house and how they were going to escape until Eleanor put her hand out to stop them from talking.

"Do you guys smell that? That's gasoline, we're on fucking fire" And Eleanor was right when the smell started to come up through the trap door.

"Oh shit" John B let out when he started smelling it too.

"Sarah you gotta go now!" Eleanor yelled over the sirens that were getting closer.

"You two go out the back all right?" Sarah told them as she opened the trap door and the room became hot in a second from the smoke and the flames.

"Sarah hold your breath" Eleanor shouted as she watched the girl climb down the ladder before she went after her and then came John B.

Eleanor looked to the side to see Sarah walking out the front entrance of the church with her head hung low and the hood of the jacket up so you couldn't see her face.

Once John B was down, they grabbed each other's hands and held their breaths as they rushed out the back of the church.

They could hear the officers shouting from behind them, the smell of the church burning and then Sarah shouted out her name before it all went quiet.