MY PURPOSE - JOHN B ROUTLEDGE

CHAPTER THIRTY SEVEN - THE PHANTOM

John B and Eleanor had spent quite a few hours paddling through the canal after having to sneak out the back door of Rose Cameron's listing house when the cops knocked on the front door.

"You okay?" John B asked as the two stopped paddling for a minute to rest.

Eleanor nodded "Yeah, I'm good. You think JJ's gonna get that boat?" She asked him.

"Well, JJ's involved, so...yeah"

"Yeah you're right now we better get going" She said before steering herself in the direction of the boat ramp but for some reason, John B paddled the complete other way.

"John B, where are you going? The boat ramp's this way" Eleanor reached out to grab John B's board.

"Look, El, I've gotta go home"

Eleanor was shocked to say the least "What? Are you shitting me? There'll be cops crawling all over there"

"Yeah, and that's okay. Look, the gold from Crain's house is back at the chateau. My dad's been looking for that for years. It's all I have left of him. I gotta get it. And we're gonna need the money"

"Okay, then you get caught and all of this will be for nothing! Is that what you want, John B? For all of this to just be for nothing?" Eleanor snapped.

"No, it's not. Listen to me, please" John B pleaded "I need you to go to the boat dock in an hour. If we don't have money, we can't go anywhere. And right now, we're losing time"

"Fine by me but I'm coming with you and that's final"

-----

When arriving at the chateau, Eleanor was very quick to throw herself into the drivers seat as John B climbed in next to her, throwing his backpack down.

It wasn't long before John B found the gold in the glove compartment. Now it was just getting out of there they had to worry about.

"I got it, let's go" John B said as he placed the gold in his backpack.

Eleanor pressed her finger on the 'Start engine' button a few times but nothing happened "Shit" She swore, running a hand through her now wet hair "We need him closer to the car to start the engine"

Eleanor sighed before reaching for the radio. The radio let out a static noise, the feedback squealed as Eleanor took a deep breath before speaking into the radio "Shoupe, you there, buddy? I think you know who it is. Why don't you come on out? Nice and easy"

Eleanor stayed calm maybe a bit too calm as the two officers came out of the chateau with their guns drawn. Her and John B quickly put their hands up to show they were no threat.

"Shoupe, don't shoot okay? We just wanna talk, all right. Take it easy"

"Eleanor, John B" Shoupe warned.

"We didn't do it, Shoupe" John B claimed nervously.

"All right, calm down. Keep your hands where I can see 'em, all right?" Shoupe and the other officer were slowly walking towards the vehicle.

The two teens nodded.

"Now, I'm gonna approach the vehicle, and you two don't run, and I won't chase. Okay?" Shoupe ordered.

"Okay" Eleanor said with a small nod.

"Stay right there, I'm comin' down"

"Shoupe, we didn't do this" Eleanor honestly claimed "Okay...hey! Take your hand off your gun. Both of you, please" But Deputy Thomas still had his hand resting on his gun "Tell him to take his hand off his weapon"

And that's exactly what Shoupe did as the two had their arms out at their sides, hands free.

"All right. So, we're gonna talk, right?" Shoupe nodded his head.

"Yeah" Eleanor's voice nearly cracked "We wanna tell you everything, okay? From the beginning" But as she was talking to them, John B's hand was getting closer to the button "Where it all started"

"Hey John B, I wanna see that hand" Shoupe said. John B pressed the button and the engine started causing the brunette to slam her foot on the gas, shooting the two forward.

Shoupe and Thomas were yelling behind them but not one shot was fired at them. 

John B couldn't believe it as he turned around to look out the back window seeing Shoupe talking into his radio as he laughed "You're crazy, you know that don't you?"

Eleanor chuckled as she reached over to grab his hand in hers "We're free John B" She smiled at the boy who squeezed her hand tight "Well at least for now we are"

The two pulled up to the boat ramp with sirens blaring as Kiara, Pope and JJ stood watching the SUV pull up. Eleanor smiled as she pushed open her door, the sirens turning off.

"Wait" She heard JJ say "No way" He said in disbelief.

"No f'ing way" Pope couldn't help but smile.

"You've got to be kidding me" Kiara laughed "Uh..."

"Shoupe let us take it for a quick spin" Eleanor shrugged as her and John B made their way over to the Pogues.

"Okay. That's believable. I'll buy that for now" Kiara said, hugging John B tight.

"You guys okay?" Pope asked Eleanor as he walked towards her.

"Yeah, we're good" She said with a small, sad smile. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and his went around her waist, pulling her into him softly. It did feel unusual to hug Pope but not in a bad way.

"It wasn't easy, bro, but I got the Phantom for you, and she runs like she was made yesterday" JJ said, climbing off the boat.

"El" Kiara smiled, spotting the girl and engulfing her into a secure hug as Eleanor's head rested on her shoulder.

"Oh, El" JJ's voice said as her and Kiara finally pulled away from each other "Your uncles are here, with the FBI" He smiled sadly at her "Just thought you'd wanna know"

The girl nodded, meeting the blonde halfway before he pulled her into a hug and held her close "Thanks, JJ" She whispered into his shoulder before they too pulled away.

"Tell them I'm sorry won't you? And my parents, t-they'll understand" JJ nodded to everything she was saying as his hands came up to rest on her cheeks whilst Pope was hugging John B goodbye.

"You stay safe out there, all right?" He told her, his eyes welling up with tears "And then when you come back, I'll buy you all the corona's you want as long as you let me go for a spin in that a beast of car you've got"

Eleanor chuckled as her vision started to get blurry "You got yourself a deal, blondie"

JJ smiled and let her go as she hopped onto the boat "I guess this is it" She smiled at Kiara, Pope and JJ "I love you guys"

"We love you too" Kie smiled.

John B then grabbed Eleanor's hand as he spoke "Hey, hey. I'm sorry for basically...throwing us off a cliff with this whole treasure hunt thing"

"Hey, John B, yo...we were bound to run off a cliff at some point, right?" JJ said, making them all laugh. He wrapped his arm around Kie who copied his actions, snaking her other arm around Pope. The three stood together with teary eyes "At least we did it together, though. Pogue style"

"Pogue style" John B whispered, bittersweetly smiling at them before looking down at Eleanor and their entwined hands.

"Get out of here! Please" Kiara said in a worried tone.

"Now. We'll see you in two months, down in Mexico" Pope said, reminding them that this wasn't goodbye.

"Love you!" JJ shouted to the both of them.

"Hey, wait a sec" Eleanor paused, her eyes getting glossier "Tell Sarah I said goodbye and make sure she's got someone looking out for her, okay? She isn't like her dad or her brother"

"I will" Kie nodded her head.

"Don't forget. Cross the border at Brownsville, okay?" JJ reminded them again.

"We got it" John B said and just like that, they were on their own.

-----

The sun was now starting to set and it was almost dark out, you could hear the thunder in the distance as the storm got closer. Only a few more miles and it would be right on top of them.

"We've gotta go dark and let the tide pull us out" John B said, shutting off the monitor whilst Eleanor flipped off a couple switches above them.

Now it was nothing but darkness and the sound of the waves slamming against the boat. John B put his arms around her and brought her into his chest "I think we're in the all clear"

"We're gonna make it, John B. We just gotta go North through the swamp, then we just follow the North Star" Eleanor looked up at him as he kissed her forehead "What everything spins around"

John B then started flipping on some controls for a bit of power to keep moving while Eleanor kept her eye on the shoreline. The island seemed to be asleep even with everything going on.

Until suddenly, a whole block of houses lit up with radiant yellow lights and it soon clicked in Eleanor's head what her uncles and the rest of the officers were trying to do.

"Shit, John B" She breathed "The lights"

John B's eyes widened in horror "No, no, no"

The lighthouse was the last to turn on, but was most defiantly the one that lit them up like a Christmas tree. John B quickly tried to start the engine back up as he turned the key dozens of times but it wasn't working.

"Stay here, let me check the engine" Eleanor ordered as she jogged down the aisle of the boat to the engine. There was a few clicks before she shouted to John B to try and turn the boat over again. It worked.

Eleanor hurried back up to the front of the boat as John B pushed the lever down causing the boat to jolt as it tore its way through the choppy waters.

"Shit" She shouted, seeing four boats coming towards them with their sirens on and their lights flashing. They were surrounded, their only way out being towards the storm.

"They're coming from around the cut! We've gotta go south" John B yelled "We have to go into the storm. Hold on, baby, hold on"

In response, Eleanor grabbed the railing next to her tightly and wrapped her other arm around John B to keep him stable. They had now crossed over the threshold and into the storm when a familiar voice came out of the radio. It was Ward Cameron.

"John B? John B, I know you are there, son. I know you can hear me. You and Eleanor are going into a storm that you cannot survive. John B, please, I will make it right. I promise you. Come back. John B, please, I am begging you. Think of that girl next to you and turn around"

Eleanor could see the anger bubbling inside him as she handed him the radio.

"Ward cameron, do you hear me?"

"Yes. Yes, son, I'm right here. I'm right here. Please bring her back to her family, okay? W'ell work it all out when you get home"

"You killed my father, and you framed me for a murder I didn't commit. You took everything from me!" He yelled into the radio "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"

And with that, John B went to click off the radio when a new voice came through. It was her mother.

"El, baby, we're begging you to just turn that boat around, please. Me, your dad and all your uncles just want you to be safe and how can we do that when you're out there? Please, baby, I'm begging you. Come home"

It was a couple minutes later when Eleanor's voice came onto the radio.

"It's never goodbye, mom. Okay, I will always be with you, all of you and I'm sorry but I have to do this..." Her voice was starting to crack as John B held her waist tighter "I love you...I love all of you so much and I am so sorry" She cried into the radio as the waves were starting to get worse "I'm sorry for everything..." And that was it before the radio went silent.

Eleanor had made her choice. Just like her Uncle Han once said "Life's simple. You make choices and you don't look back"

"Eleanor, I'm so sorry for everything. You should be at home with your family right now but-" He took a breath before continuing "I'd rather die than go to jail"

"I'd rather die than be without you. I love you, John B. You're my purpose, I need you, and I'm not going back"

Tears began building up in both of their eyes as John B muttered "I love you too" He pressed a loving kiss to her forehead before whispering "Hold on and don't let go of me"

And that was the last thing Eleanor heard as a wave overtook the boat and the world went completely dark.

-----

Dom felt like he was going to explode if he didn't get any answers soon. And that's when Shoupe came walking into the tent, with his hood up to cover him from the rain, as Dom looked over in his direction.

"Did you find them? Did you find my daughter?!" JJ winced at the tone of Dom's voice. It was angry and desperate.

"I'm sorry sir but we, uh...we lost them" Shoupe looked down at his feet.

"I'm sorry. You lost them?!" Letty looked at Shoupe in disbelief as she took a step towards the Deputy but not before Dom put an arm around his wife's waist to keep her from doing something she'd regret.

Pope felt his breath hitch in his throat "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 shook his head.

"So, they're dead?" Kiara asked bluntly.

"We don't know" Shoupe replied causing JJ to start shouting "You drove them straight through the storm, man! Are you kidding me?! Come here! I'm gonna kill you!"

"JJ, stop!" Kiara cried helplessly as tears ran down her face.

"I'm going to kill you, you bastard!" The blonde continued "Hey! You killed them!" JJ went to shove Shoupe again before Leon came rushing in and hauled the boy away from the Deputy and brought him into his chest instead. JJ gripped onto the man's shirt like it was his lifeline as he finally broke.

"They didn't kill anyone, and you know it!" Pope was the one yelling at Shoupe this time.

"We're still looking for them, all right?" Shoupe said.

"Well you better hope they made it out of that storm alive because if they didn't, I'm coming back looking for you" Dom threatened, pointing at Shoupe who gulped and looked back down at the floor in fear.

"And you" Dom turned around to look at Ward as he pushed through Brian and Deckard and grabbed the man by his shirt "You're lucky you're still breathing because if I had it my way, you'd be six feet under" Dom then threw Ward onto the ground and it looked like he was going to walk away but that just wasn't in Dominic Toretto's nature.

"This is for my daughter" Was the last thing Ward heard before a punch to the face knocked him out.