𝗛𝗜𝗚𝗛 𝗦𝗖𝗛𝗢𝗢𝗟 𝗟𝗢𝗩𝗘𝗥 (𝙅.𝙈.)

sixteen

JJ pulled away from the hug but he still had his arm around my waist, not letting go. "I can tell you by the way that Ms. Lana was screaming, these guys are serious" JJ states, still freaking out.

I looked over at John B who was looking down at the compass in his hands. He was so broken. Deep down, he knew that our dad wasn't alive, but he wanted to believe he was. I've tried to convince him many times that he wasn't coming home to give him permission to grieve, but he always declined.

"It's a heavy vibe right now, ok? I'm... not liking this very much" JJ says, letting go of me and waving his arms around. "What about the compass?" Kie asks. "That things a piece of shit, you couldn't pawn it off for five bucks if you wanted too" Pope states.

"No offense Lizzie and John B, I know it was your father's" He adds. "None taken, I totally agree" I reply as my brother was still deep in thought.

"The office" John B mumbles. We all look at him. "What?" Pope asks. John B starts heading for the office. "JB..." I say stepping in attempt to stop him. He pushed right past me.

"He always kept the office locked because he was worried about his competitors stealing his royal merchant research? Me and Liz used to laugh at him all the time about it but now that he's gone we've just kinda..." he pauses.

"We've just left it as he kept it" I finish the sentence. "Yeah for when he gets back" Kie states. "Yeah..... for when he gets back" I manage to say, trying to comfort my brother.

John B removes the lock from the door and opens it. Stale air hits my face as the door had been closed for so long. It brought back so many memories as I looked around at all the books stacked on shelves.

"I've slept over here like 600 times and I've never seen this door opened" Pope states from behind me. John B grabs one of the boards that were laying around. It held a bunch of pictures from our family tree.

"This is the original owner right here" John B says pointing at the picture at the top. "Robert Q. Routledge... 1880 to 1920" Kie read. I stayed silent as our dad had explained this to us before.

"And there's the lucky compass right there" she adds, pointing to the compass on the picture. JJ was now standing beside me, peering over at the board like everyone else. He grabbed my hand where none of our friends could see, not really sure why though.

"Actually he was shot after he bought it" I state. John B looks at me before slowly nodding at Kie. "Then the compass was shipped back to Henry-" John B adds before I cut him off "Henry had the compass when he was Killed in a crop dusting accident"

"After he died, the compass was given to Stephen-" I interrupt again "Stephen had the compass with him when he died in Vietnam" "Let me guess, he died in action right?" JJ asks. "He was actually hit by a banana truck" I say with a shrug.

" Uhh anyways, after that, Stephen passed the compass down to him... our dad" John points to a picture of us and our dad when we were little. I just stare at the picture until JJ rubs the back of my hand, which causes me to smile.

"Hmm sounds like there's a reoccurring theme here..." JJ says. "Yeah um you have a death compass" Pope chimes in. "I don't have a death compass-" John B states. I stay silent. "Yeah, you do" JJ says. "Get rid of it" Pope adds. "It's made it's way back to you"

John B walks over to the window, ignoring his friends. "My dad used to talk about this compartment, in here" John B starts to fiddle with the compass in his hands. "He used to tell us that soldiers would hide secret notes" I say, rolling my eyes. I never really believed him.

John B screws off the back of it, before searching for any hidden messages. "What's that?" Kie asks, referring to the engraving on the back of the cover. "Oh shit" I mumble, realizing exactly who's handwriting it was.

"That wasn't there before" John B states, shooting a look up at me. "This is dad's handwriting" He says to me. I grin, not having any words to say.

"How can you know that?" Pope asks in disbelief. "Because he used to do this weird thing with the R's" He replies. "Can I see?" JJ asks, taking the cover into his hands.

"Reddle... ru... no I think that's an A...?" JJ adds, trying to make out what it says. "It says Redfield" I say, helping him out a little. "Right" JJ agrees.

"K well what's Redfield?" Kie asks. "Besides the most common name in the county" Pope adds. "Maybe it's a clue to where he's hiding" John B says, looking around at us.

"A clue come on that's..." Pope shakes his head in disbelief, but stops when Kie shakes her head at him, telling him not to say anything else.

"But if it is a clue maybe it's an anagram?" Pope adds. John B shoots up in excitement. "Yes! An anagram! You need paper" John B places a piece of paper in front of Pope.

Pope starts writing and JJ peers over his shoulder. The rooster was crowing out in the chicken coop. "How can you concentrate with that thing constantly crowing at you?" Pope asks. "Liz loves the rooster" John B replies. "I love the rooster" Kie adds.

The group continues working on the anagram. I walk over to the window as I hear a vehicle pull up in the driveway. I look out the window to see a black pickup truck parking next to the van.

"Uh guys..." I say. No one responds. "Guys! Somebody's here" I yell. They all turn their attention to me and the window. They all walk over and stand beside me. The same two men who shot at us jump out of their truck.

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A/N

Happy Friday! An amazing end to an amazing week! I hope you're enjoying this!
I have so much in mind for this story, but comment some things you would like to see happen! Have an amazing day/night :)