Perfect Storm | JJ Maybank [3]

two

IT WAS ALMOST ironic how quickly things went to shit once the pogues left their island paradise. Jo wanted to laugh at the way the universe was so obviously trying to tell them to go back there. Maybe it was the world's way of saying they didn't belong in the real world with civilization. Maybe they didn't belong anywhere. That island was where everything felt right. Now they were gone, Kie was god-knows-where, and nothing felt right at all.

"What the hell was that? Why would they kidnap Kiara? It doesn't make any sense!" Pope cried. He paced around in the sand as he talked, obviously stressed and confused.

The remaining group members waited out the onslaught of guards that took Kie and once the coast was clear they made a break for a remote part of the island. Now everyone was buzzing with anxiety and desperately trying to come up with a plan.

"It's called bait," JJ deadpanned. He was leaned against a metal shack to try and shade himself from the sun, his head tilted back as he stared up at the sky. Jo sat beside him, her head resting on his shoulder. She was exhausted and it took everything in her to keep her eyes open.

"I am so sick of this," Sarah groaned. She closed her eyes for a moment before peering up at her friends. "Is there any way we can trust the cops?"

"The cops? You're joking right?" JJ scoffed and clambered to his feet, making Jo whimper as her headrest walked away. "You seriously think your daddy hasn't called them already?"

Jo groaned and leaned her head back against the slab of metal behind her, closing her eyes. She tuned out the rest of the conversation as Pope and John B bantered back and forth.

"Is Jo okay?" Sarah asked, glancing over at the girl. She was uncharacteristically quiet and Sarah was worried about her after the incident from earlier.

"She needs to rest," Pope stated. He looked over towards Jo and frowned.

"We can't," John B sighed. "We don't have time."

It killed him that she was hurting and especially that he couldn't help her. But it was true that they didn't have time to wait. If there was any way he could give her time to rest, he'd do it in a heartbeat.

"I'm fine," Jo mumbled. She sat up straight and pried her eyes open, sleepily staring at the rest of the group. "What's the plan?"

"101 Cattle Walsh," JJ said, holding up a wallet. "I bet that's where they got Kiara."

"Of course you stole his frickin wallet." Jo rolled her eyes; she expected nothing less. "Can we use his money to buy food? I'm starving."

JJ grinned over at Jo and reached down to tug her to her feet. He loved how she went long with his stupid ideas — most of the time.

"Anything you want," he hummed.

"That's conceivable, but can we at least think this through?" Pope sighed.