Life on the cut (JJxReader) OuterBanks Fanfic

The Near Miss.

John B reached for Sarah's hand and they clasped one another tightly. Sarah looked over at Kie, and planted her palm firmly in hers, intertwining their fingers. The three of them stared into the endless ocean, and then down to the lifeboat they were going to navigate it in. Ward's glossy eyes watched them standing on the edge of the boat's platform. The ladder was almost all tossed into the sea, but all of them agreed that they wouldn't risk being on the boat for much longer.

"Alright.." Breathed John B. "Ready?"
"Yeah." Replied Sarah. "On three."
"One." Said Kie.
"Two." Continued John B
Sarah hesitated, "...Three."
And they jumped. Holding their breath as the water quickly approached them. They fell for a few seconds, feeling the weight of gravity yanking them down, and landed with a splash. The water was cold... Just cold. I can't think of any other word to describe it really. It wasn't bone breaking, but it would make a superhero shiver.
"Come on!" Kie said, having reached the boat first.
John B and Sarah's heads burst from the water.
"Come on Sarah." John B reached for her hand. She took it, and let him guide her to the lifeboat.
"I hope they got the cross." Kie commented, reaching to the water with both hands and pulling Sarah and John B up beside her.

"Jay! Jay! Jay stay with me!" Y/N shook his head frantically. The weight of their clothes were already starting to drag on her, and she felt her energy depleting slowly. "Stay with me, please!" She begged him. This can't be happening. The water had started to seep through her skin, and she felt it's chill become a part of her.
"Please!" She grimaced, feeling her shoulders drag under the waves. "Please! I can't do this without you!"

Bang! Another shot. Pope threw his hands over his head and cried out "Oh shit!".
"Hey!" Cleo shouted up at him. "Get out of there!" She was pulling on the rope attached to the cross, her feet planted somewhat firmly.
"This is your last chance!" Macias shouted up the ladder. "Come down."
Pope scrunched his face up, and wrapped a hand around one of the levers. "Drop the line!" He called down.
"What!?" Cleo shouted back, confused. "Why!?"
"We're pinched! Just do it!" He ordered. 
Hollow footsteps hit the ground behind Cleo. Their origin- Rafe. Ducking behind a half-wall menacingly.
"Are you sure!?" Cleo asked Pope, oblivious.
He nodded, "Yes. Drop it."
"Okay, fine!" She sighed, feeling defeated. Were they surrendering?
Rafe eyed the cross. No way was he letting it drop into the ocean. He prayed that wasn't Pope's plan.
"...Gah!" Cleo shouted as she let the tensed rope slip through her fingers, whipping out behind her.
Rafe's eyes widened, "No, no, no, no, no!" He ran for the rope and snatched it up, skidding along the floor.
Pope didn't see him. He was taking in his family heirloom for the last time. So close, but so far. "If we can't have it. No one can." Pope held a finger above a small, red button. 
An alert gave a swift buzz for a warning, and the hook split in two. Flipping back on a hinge. The cross, which was obviously very heavy, fell down instantaneously. Rafe, still attached.

"Shit shit shit!" He shouted in panic as he began to get dragged to the edge of the boat. His legs were scrambling for any kind of friction, but there was none. Luckily for him, Rafe managed to slide down into a banister. And stacked in front of this banister were piles and piles of rope. He used this to pad his landing and stop the cross from falling into the sea. Bubbles flew off of the golden relic. As if it had breathed out deeply upon it's plunge into the cold waters. Even with the help of the rope, the water resistance made the cross heavier still. Rafe tossed his head back and grunted, "Come on!" As he pulled on the rope. His hands were no longer as soft as they once were, but even then this rope was still cutting into his skin. 

"Get down here!" Cleo shouted up to Pope. "Come on!"
Bang!
Pope was panicking, there was no way out but down. But Macias was down. And very soon, he would be up. climbing the crane, each rung being one step closer to Pope's demise. Pope burst out of the cab, eyeing up a yellow banister that perhaps he could climb over.
"Help, help! Come on!" Shouted Rafe. Pope finally saw him, and his face twisted in alarm.
"We gotta go!" Ordered Cleo.
Pope snapped back to life and hurried over the banister. He grabbed it tightly with both hands and lowered himself as low down as he could, before dropping to the floor. 
"Let's go!" He hollered over at Cleo.
She nodded, "Let's go P!"
Macias reached the top of the crane, and eyed up Pope instantly. He cocked his gun once again.
"God how much ammo does he have!?" Pope complained. The crew was emerging from within the ship, blocking off entrance to the other side.
"We gotta jump!" Cleo shouted, legging it away from the bridge. She turned to port and sprinted to the edge as fast as she could.
Pope followed her lead, each step over the hull echoing in his skull. He was sure the adrenaline was seconds away from bursting his veins, and welcomed the cool embrace of the water. For about one second, then a small wave came and filled his lungs with salt, and he was much more... well.. salty. 
Macias shot into the water twice, missing each time. "Shit!" By this time all the other workers were rushing to help Rafe.
"Help! Come on help!" He bellowed.
"Somebody help him!"
"Let's go!"
"All hands!"
"Grab it!"
"Come on! Pull! Pull! Pull!"
Together, the men began to make slow, chaotic progress.

Pope paddled up to Cleo, wobblily guided by the waves. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah." She replied quickly, looking past him to an approaching lifeboat. Pope turned to look at what Cleo was staring at, and caught sight of the cross being lifted from her watery grave. "What!? NO! No, no, no!" He exclaimed.
Cleo felt her heart drop. Welcome to the pogue life. "No...!"
Pope slammed a hand on the water, "Damn it!"
"Pope! Cleo!" John B shouted, trying to guide the clunky boat towards his friends without running them over.
"Cleo, grab my hand!" Kie shouted, reaching an arm out to her. 
"Pope!" Sarah shouted out, reaching out for him. Cleo recognized it as the one that got shot before... A small scar branded on her shoulder plate.
Pope and Cleo swam towards the pogues, trying to get on board as soon as possible.

"Pull! Pull! Pull!" Rafe ordered. They were making good progress now. 
"Let's go!"
"Just a bit further!"

"Oh my god..." Sarah gasped. 
"Come here Cleo." Kie sighed, heaving her panting friend onto the life boat.
Sarah pulled Pope up, and he crumpled down beside her, spitting up saltwater.
"We got you we got you." Sarah assured them. "Cleo!" She exclaimed.
"Long time no see Sarah!" Cleo smiled up at her.
Sarah chuckled at her casual attitude, "What are you doing here!?"
They embraced one another in a watery hug.
John B's brow furrowed, "Where's JJ and Y/N?"
No one spoke.
"I thought, they were with you?" Pope said slowly.
John B shook his head.
Kie's eyes opened wide in shock, "Eberhimi. They met Eberhimi. Y/N pushed me out the way before he saw me and I totally forgot to mention it!"
"Eberhimi!?" Cleo said in alarm. "That man is a killer!"
"Shit..." Sarah hissed. "We gotta find them!"
"Yeah!" John B agreed, "Where did they run into Eberhimi?"
"Oh the way to find you." Cleo said.
Kie nodded, "Yeah... Yeah the other side of the ship."
John B instantly started to drive around the venture, as speeds that made a droplet of water feel like a cat scratch.

"Come on! Pull harder!" Grunted Rafe. The sailors behind him all yanking on the rope as hard as they could. The cross was almost safe again. If Rafe could keep a solid gold cross from dropping into the sea with just a rope... surely he could keep Y/N from the pogues.