Storm Chaser // JJ Maybank

39

Suddenly the cross falls from the beam narrowly missing Pope as he rolls away.

"Pope, are you okay?" Sarah asks.

JJ kneels down beside him. "Hey, you good?"

"Yeah, I'm good. Just give me, like, one second to, like, catch my breath," Pope tells us.

"You did it, Pope," John B tells him.

JJ touches the cross. "Pope, she's... she's beautiful."

"I've never seen anything like it," Sarah states.

I run my fingers along the cross. "Detail's insane."

John B points to a key hole in the cross. "Well, here's why Limbrey wanted that key so bad."

"Whoa. Good find. How much do you think she's worth?" JJ asks. "Like, if we melted her old bones down, dude, I'm talking like high billions."

"This belongs in a... No! This belongs in a museum," John B insists.

"What? So no one sees her?" JJ asks.

"In a museum where everyone sees it," John B argues.

"Are you kidding?" JJ asks.

"Hey! It's my ancestors' cross!" Pope reminds us.

"Right, okay. All right, all right. Well..." JJ says.

"This is bigger than money, and the world's gotta know the truth," Pope states.

"Yes. If we don't get this shit outta here before Limbrey gets here, nobody's gonna know. So saddle up," John B tells us.

"It's heavy like right here," JJ says.

"Wait. Hold on. John B, you're gonna pull, all right? Pull down," JJ instructs.

"I'm gonna pull down. You guys pull up," John B says. "Ready? One, two, three. JJ, watch your foot."

We start to tip the cross backwards.

"Oh my God!" Sarah groans.

We manage to get the cross off of the ground.

"Okay. I got it," JJ says. "Who's... who's not lifting right now? Sarah, are you seriously..."

"I'm lifting!" Sarah shouts.

"Move forward people," Kie tells us.

"It doesn't feel like it!" JJ tells Sarah.

"I am!" Sarah shouts.

"Okay, guys. I can't. I can't," Pope tells us.

"No, no, Pope! Hang on there!" JJ shouts. "No, no, no, no, no, no! No!"

Pope lets go and the cross falls to the floor. He falls back onto a pew.

"Damn it, yo! You almost dropped it on my foot!" JJ tells Sarah.

"'Cause I'm the only one lifting it!" Sarah argues.

"Oh, you sure..." JJ starts.

"Okay, okay, okay, okay! Listen, we'll make like a sling, like a little..." John B starts.

"Yeah, yeah, and then put it on the tail hitch," JJ says.

"Guys! Guys, guys, I'm not okay. I'm not okay," Pope tells us.

"Shit!" John B says.

"Your eye, it looks all puffy," Sarah says.

Pope's eye is starting to puff up.

"You good? You don't look too good, bro," JJ tells him.

"I can't..." Pope gasps.

"He's having an allergic reaction," Kie tells us.