Tʜᴇ Bᴇʟʟs (4)

______________________________________

The teens watch as another truck passes. Cleo looks back to them, "Psst, psst, psst!"

They then follow her around a corner and through a gate. They then run past a bunch of horses missing how Cleo crossed the street, "Go, go, go, go, go, go!

"Bloody rasshole!" She mumbles, "Hey, boy, come!"

They stop and turn back around, "That way. That way!"

"She know where she's going?" JJ asks

"No clue." John B pants as they follow her. They run into a corner full of barrels of hay.

"They coming?" Cleo asks

"I don't see anything." John B says

"So what's the plan now? What's our plan B?" JJ says, "We just kicked the hornet's nest. We gotta think of something quick."

"JJ, calm down." Pope tries

"Calm down, Pope?"JJ exclaims, "We do something to their guys, they're gonna do something to Estrella and probably Kie too."

"That was your idea!" Sarah says

"Yeah, I know that was my idea, okay?"

"Shh!" Cleo shushes

"My bad! That one's on me!" JJ says, "Why did we leave that island? Ooh, ooh, wait, wait. I got something. What if I offer myself up as a hostage?" Pope looks up with a raised brow, "No. Hear me out, hear me out. What if I got inside the walls, did the Trojan horse type thing?"

"No, no." Pope says

"That's how wars are won!"

"That's not how a Trojan horse even works!"

"Okay. Fine. What do you got? This is usually where you got the moves, bro, all right?" JJ says, "Remember Spock? We could really use him right now."

Charlotte plops down onto the ground leaning back against the hay. Her hands coming up and covering her face as JJ continued to pace.

______________________________________

Estrella's heart raced as the three teens hid under covers sitting in the back of the trunk. The hay surrounding giving them more coverage as the truck came to a stop.

"Yeah. All clear."

"Let them through!"

"Watch that. Yeah."

Seconds later, the engine revs and the truck starts moving again. The teens let the truck ride for a few more minutes before Kie lifts the cover off of them. Estrella grunts as they all sit up and lean against the truck.

"I told you we just had to work together." Rafe says, "All right. Listen, I'm headed out to my boat, okay? I can give you two a ride out, drop you wherever, somewhere safe. One thing though. Look at me." He says. The two girls turn to him, "I know your friends are on the island and my sister. I'm not helping them. All right? I can't trust them, okay? I'll give you two a ride out, not them. Okay?"

"I just want to get off the island." Kie says. Estrella turns forward and shuts her eyes.

"That's smart." Rafe says, "You know, I never thought of you as a Pogue."

"What did you think of me as?"

"I mean, I always liked you, Kie. You're at least half Kook." He says. Kie chuckles clearly uncomfortable, but Rafe just laughs along with her before turning away.

Kie turns to Estrella nudging her arm. Estrella turns to her as Kie nods with raised brows. Estrella nods before eyeing Rafe. The boys eyes on the trees as they flew by them. She looks back to Kie before facing forward again.

•••

"Yo, move it, man, what?"

As soon as the truck stops in the middle of town, the three teens jump off.

"Come on. My boat's down here." Rafe says. The girls follow him down the street and eventually come up on a dock and a huge boat, "Make sure your shoes are off."

Estrella eyes the boat as Rafe climbs on. Kie standing beside her as she watched Rafe move around the boat, "Okay, we should have enough juice to get us to Saint Lucia, no problem." He throws the rope back to the dock noticing the girls hadn't got on yet, "Hey, get in the boat."

He continues on prepping the boat before turning to them, "Kie!"

"You're not gonna pull anything if we get in?" She says

"No, I'm not gonna pull anything, okay? I'm trying to do you a solid here." He says, "You really wanna be back there with Singh, or do you wanna be somewhere safe?"

Kie turns to Estrella before looking back at Rafe, "Can you help me with the bowline?" Kie climbs on, "Thank you."

Estrella follows her on as Kie walks to the bowline. She looks back to Estrella nodding before turning back, "Hey, uh, I... I can't get it."

"What?"

"I need some help!"

"Goddamn, do I have to do everything?" He mumbles climbing down to her, "Okay. Move."

The girls watch as he swings his leg over the railing. Estrella quickly climbs up toward the wheel as Kie watches Rafe. She looks up to Estrella and as soon as she gets the nod from her, Rafe tosses the rope from the bowline onto the dock. She then rushes forward and pushes Rafe into the water. As Kie runs up toward Estrella, the girl starts the boat and steers away from the dock.

"Kie! Hey!" Rafe yells, "Kie! Where are you going?"

"We've gotta help our friends!"

"You don't know what you're doing! Hey!" He yells, but the boat just gets further and further away, "Shit! I'll find you, Kie! I'll find both of you! Kie, you're gonna regret this shit. Estrella! You're done!"

The boat continues on further into the water. Kie lets out a sigh as Kie turns to her, "Here. Grab this."

Kie grabs the wheel as Estrella pulls out the phone.

______________________________________

JJ's eyes open as the phone in his pocket buzzes. He digs it out and as the screen lights up, he reads the text. He sits up, "Hey, guys. Wake up. Wake up! Guys! I got something!"

The others look over as he reads the text out loud, "Meet me at the pin at 6:15. P4L."

John B takes the phone from him as Sarah sits up, "We're supposed to believe that's them?"

"I don't know. This all could be a trap. It's exactly how he set us up last time." John B says

"He knows we got the phone, and he knows he can't track it so..." JJ mumbles

"We go out there, and bam, he's got us."

"Sometimes you guys can be so stupid." Cleo scoffs

"I'm sorry?" Pope says

"You get beat so bad you flinch even when someone's trying to help." Cleo says, "P4L. It's them, man! No way they sent that as bait. They'd have to kill them. We gotta help them. Come on, man. You're all just sitting there, just flinching. Let's go."

As Cleo walks out, Pope turns to them, "I don't know, man. It could still be a trap."

"It's the only option we got." JJ says before following them

"We gotta check, right?" Charlotte says

"Let's go." John B says before they follow them

•••

"Get down." John B says as they make it to the pinned location, "You got the boats?"

"Yeah. You got windows?" JJ says

"Yeah."

"Guys." Pope says, "Singh's men could be posted up literally anywhere."

"No shit." JJ says. He looks over toward a dock noticing a hispanic girl with short, dark hair, "Guys, is that her?"

"I don't think so."

"Gimme the phone. I'll take care of this." Cleo says. She brings up the pinned location, "That boat, that's the pin. The white one right there."

The teens turn as they hear a gun cock. JJ puts the gun in his waistband.

"What are you doing?" Charlotte asks

"There's one way to find out." He says placing his hat back on his head

"JJ, JJ!"

"Dude!" John B calls out grabbing his arm. JJ pulls away.

"Stay there!" He points

"JJ!" Pope says

"Hey!" Cleo says, but JJ continues walking toward the boat, "Better to stay hidden in case he needs help."

•••

"Where are they?" Estrella says

"You sent them the location right?"

"Yeah." She mumbles walking toward the edge of the boat near the dock. She turns looking for any sign of her friends when her heart drops, "JJ?" The boy turns and his face falls as Estrella stares back at him. He slides his hat off, "JJ."

As the girl rushes off of the boat, JJ makes quick steps toward her. She steps onto the dock before running to him and instantly bringing him into a hug. Her arms go around his neck as she lets out a sigh of relief, "Jay."

JJ sighs holding her tighter, "I'm so glad you're safe."

The teens stand up happily as soon as they notice the two hugging. Kiara comes out and jumps down onto the dock.

Estrella pulls away with tears in her eyes, "Wow! I didn't think I'd see you ever again."

"Yeah, but I'm here now. Okay? It's all right. It's all right." JJ says softly before hugging her again

"Guys!" Kie says as the others run over. JJ and Estrella pull away as they get closer. Kiara hugs Pope and Cleo before pulling away and pulling Charlotte into a tight hug.

"Oh my god." Charlotte sighs

Estrella sighs as Pope steps up to her. She immediately brings him into a hug before the others surround them forming a group hug.

"We thought you were dead." Pope says

"Are you kidding me? Estrella..." JJ says as they pull away

"Is this you guys?"

"What... what is..." Sarah chuckles

"You wouldn't believe it if we told you." Kie laughs, "Come on."

"Where'd you get this?" Cleo asks

"Holy shit." John B says following them

"That's right." Kie says as they climb onto the boat. She turns noticing John B had stopped, "John B, let's go!"

•••

"Yeah, so I have just a couple of questions." JJ asks as they untie the boat

"Go ahead." Estrella laughs

"A Lagoon 620 with twin 150 Volvos. You understand we can go anywhere with this thing, right?"

"I know, kind of a piece of shit." Estrella jokes

"Way to be discreet, by the way." He says grabbing the rope, "What did they want anyway? They didn't hurt you, did they?"

"No. No, I'm good. It just..." She says as JJ walks over to her, "I mean, you're not gonna guess what Singh wanted from us. Denmark's Diary."

"Why?"

"I don't know." She shrugs, "Said it leads to a treasure that's a lot bigger than the Merchant."

"You're saying there's a bigger treasure?" He says climbing onto the boat, "Then, sign me up."

Estrella laughs as she follows him to the others. As they climb up, John B passes by them. Pope sits up, "Hey! John B! What are you doing?"

"I'll be right back!" He calls out running onto the dock

"What are-" Estrella starts, "What?"

"Be right back!" He yells, "I love you, Sarah!"

Estrella turns to Pope whose jaw falls slack. He turns to her, "What the hell?"

______________________________________

The teens had been waiting for about an hour and were becoming extremely anxious. They hadn't gotten any texts from John B and he seemed to be nowhere around.

"I can't believe he just took off." Pope says

Kie sits up from beside Charlotte, "Guys, incoming!"

The teens look over as ATVs pass over the bridge. Cleo's eyes widen, "No, no, no. That's Singh's men!"

Pope turns to Sarah, "Where's John B?"

"I don't know. He said he'd be back by now."

"Well, he's not!" He exclaims, "JJ, what are we gonna do?"

"We gotta make a stand. That's what we gotta do." He says cocking his gun, "That's the only option."

"What?" Kie says

"Kiara, we're not splitting up again!"

"Guys, y'all didn't see what we saw! He killed Portis! We can't stay here!" Estrella says

"Okay, but we're not leaving John B!"

"No Pogue left behind!" Pope says

"What are you gonna do?" Charlotte says, "Guys, they're here!

"They're getting closer!" Kie says

"Damn it!" Sarah says

"We're not splitting up again!" JJ yells

"We don't have a choice anymore!" Kiara yells

"Go." Pope says as she starts the boat, "Shut up! Shut up!"

"John B! We need to get John B!" JJ says

"JJ, look at me." Estrella says, "I get what you're saying. Trust me, we get it, but we can't do anything for him, if they kill us. We'll find John B later."

"We can't just leave him like that!" He says looking between Estrella and Pope

"JJ, get down!" Kiara screams

Pope and Estrella push him down as the guards start shooting at them. Sarah tries her hardest to keep control over the boat as they shoot.

She eventually gets far enough for the gunshots to stop. Heavy breaths are heard as the boat leaves the dock. The teens stand up slowly looking back toward the island.

"Shit." Kie says running her hands through her hair, "Shit!"

Estrella falls back against the side of the boat. Breathing heavily as her eyes shut in exhaustion and her head falls back.

______________________________________

Bạn đang đọc truyện trên: AzTruyen.Top