The Least Favorite Cameron

Chapter 36

As we make our way around the ship, John B. has been filling me in on the plan he made with the pogues. I can't believe Cleo is even here too, small world. We have yet to find JJ and Kie or Pope and Cleo.

"Okay this is gonna sound crazy stupid but I need you to trust me, okay?" I can see the concern in his face when I ask him but I don't know what else to do.

"Okay we need to make sure the others okay but I have to find Sarah, John B. I think we need to split up so that we can cover more ground and then we can meet up at the lifeboat." I can't read the expression on his face when I finish talking. It's a mixture between confusion and concern.

"Gracie, I just got you back, we can't split up," He says, running his hand through his wavy hair as it blows in the wind.

"John B, we don't have a lot of time. I promise you I will find Sarah and meet you at the lifeboat," I get up on my tippy toes and kiss him quickly.

"Be safe okay?" He says,

"I'll be so safe," I say laughing and turn down the hallway away from him. I open door after door looking for Sarah but I can't find her or any sign of our dad anywhere. I've searched two levels of the ship by now and still nothing. Just as I'm about to go up to the upper deck I hear yelling. It's Sarah and dad. I can hear them going back and forth and when I turn the corner I see that Sarah must have been trying to escape on the lifeboat when he found her.

"What am I supposed to do now? Huh? Let you girls go back and tell everyone Rafe is alive and tell them where we are and what we're doing?" He asks her and his voice is raspy and it sounds like he's crying. Sarah is just standing there with tears streaming down her face unable to answer. I hadn't noticed that listening, I started crying too.

"Gracie, we lost her to this life a long time ago, I just never knew how much of a traitor she'd become but you, Sarah? I thought we could count on you, I thought I could count on you!" He was screaming now and I watched as he got closer to her forcing her against the edge of the ship. As his back was turned I quietly approached him from behind but nothing prepared me for watching him as he began to slowly choke Sarah.

"Get the fuck off of her!" I lunged at him and clung to his back and he immediately released her. He backed us up until I hit the wall of the ship hard and hit the ground, I stood trying to find my balance but was sent back to the ground when I felt a hard blow to the right side of my face, making me see stars.

"What is wrong with you? I am your father!" I could feel a cut on my cheek from where his ring had hit me and as I lean against the wall he continues screaming about how disrespectful and ungrateful we are.

"I can't let you girls leave. If you think I wouldn't do whatever it takes to keep this family together, well you haven't been paying attention,"

"We don't want to be together! We don't want to stay with you! You're a murderer and liar!" I screamed at him and he turned to me with a similar look that Rafe had before he strangled me. He marched over to me but before he could reach me, John B. came out of nowhere and tackled him. They began throwing punches back and forth and I ran to Sarah and we both sat there watching them. Dad threw John B. back into a wall and I got up to help him but Sarah pulled me back down. He was up again and throwing punch after punch at dad and then he was on the ground holding his head where it hit the edge of the boat. With each punch, John B. was getting revenge for what he did to his father. John B. reached down and picked up dad by his shirt and I think he's about to throw him overboard in similar fashion to how Big John was killed. He hesitates though and looks at me, angry tears streaming down his face, looking at me for permission to do it. The man I knew was gone, and the man before us, the murderer and the compulsive liar was all that was left. I looked at Sarah and she had tears running down her face, same as me. I shook my head yes, John B. could end it.