Storm Chaser // JJ Maybank

38

We get back into the truck and head back to save the twinkie. John B, Sarah, and Pope are all sitting on top of the van.

"Where the hell were you guys?" Pope shouts.

"Paternal complications," I tell him.

"Luke was at the Chateau," JJ explains.

"Oh, great! While you were having family time with your pops, John B got bit by a gator," Pope tells us.

"Like, for real?" JJ asks.

"Does it look like we're joking?" Sarah asks.

I realize John B's lower leg is covered in blood.

"Okay, what the hell happened?" Kie asks.

"What happened? I got bit by a gator!" John B shouts.

"He got bit by a gator!" Pope shouts.

"I don't know why I'm being yelled at because  I put my ass on the line," Kie tells them.

"You're being yelled at because it was 20 minutes," Pope tells her.

"Okay well we got here as fast as we could," Kie insists.

Pope, John B, Sarah, and Kie start to argue with each other. JJ looks like he is about to burst.

"Shut up!" JJ shouts. Everyone stops talking. "Seriously, guys, I can't take it anymore, all right? Everyone just cut it out for a second." JJ laughs. "Look, I just helped my dad leave this island for good. Like, he's not ever coming back. He's straight up like the Spanish. Just, "Bon voyage.""

"That's not the right language," Sarah says.

"All we got... And I know for a fact all I got is you guys, okay? You're it. And I've come too close to losing you, all of you. I mean, shit, like you almost drowned. Pope, you were kidnapped. Sarah, you've been shot. John B, you were almost dinner for a freaking gator, bro. So, this blaming each other is some Kook-ass bullshit, all right? We don't do that. Okay? We're Pogues. Sorry, that was a lot right now. I didn't mean to..." Everyone starts to clap. "Yeah. All right."

"Well-done," Pope tells him.

"I gotta be honest. That was the best freaking speech you have ever given," John B says. "Also, you should think about, like, a Rosetta Stone because your Spanish and French are flip-flopped."

"We should bon voyage out of here," I offer.

"All right, let's get this damn twinkie out of here," JJ says.

JJ gets the winch hooked up to the truck and the twinkie. JJ stands in the bed of the truck directing Sarah who is driving the twinkie.

"Keep it coming. Keep her coming. She's almost out. Keep it going. Easy! Easy! Easy! Sarah, to the right. Straighten out," JJ instructs.

"I am!" Sarah tells him.

The twinkie emerges from the gator infested water.

"Whoo! The Twinkie lives!" JJ shouts.

"Whoo!" Sarah cheers.

"The twinkie lives! Let's go, boy!" JJ shouts.

We head to the Freedman's church to find this damn cross. The church has been abandoned for a long time and it has fallen into disrepair.

"Okay, you're telling me Denmark Tanny decided to hide the cross here?" JJ asks.

Pope nods. "Mm-hmm."

"Everybody, just spread out," Kie tells us.

"Okay, well, if I was a cross and wanted to be hidden in an old church, where would I hide?" John B remarks.