Storm Chaser // JJ Maybank

59

We follow the path into the forest. We find John B. He's with Sarah and Big John. Ward is painting a gun at them.

"So sweet, you know? One big happy family, huh?" Ward says.

"Dad, what are you doing?" Sarah asks.

"I'm too tired to hold my hands up, Ward," Big John tells him. "So, if you're not good with that, you can just shoot me now."

"Well, watch what you wish for, my old friend," Ward warns. "We might come to that."

"Put the gun down," Sarah tells her dad.

"Shut up, Sarah," Ward tells her. "You have it all, don't you, John? Now you get everything, huh?" Ward takes what looks like gold from Sarah's hand. "Thank you, sweetheart. You get to go home, back to Kildare. Live happily ever after. With your son that loves you. And my daughter... who hates me. I'm sorry, John. I don't think I can allow that."

"All right, so, what are we gonna do?" Pope asks.

"Is this ride or die?" JJ asks.

"P4L," Cleo, Pope, Kie, and I say.

"Fricking P4L," JJ says.

We all pull out our machetes and charge at Ward. We surround him.

"Stay back!" Ward shouts. "Stop right now!"

"Put it down!" Pope shouts.

Were at a standstill Ward shouts at all of us to stay still and not move.

"Come on! You're outnumbered, Ward," JJ states.

"What are you gonna do, shoot us all?" JJ asks.

"If you gotta shoot somebody, Ward, shoot me," Big John tells him.

Ward turns the gun on Big John.

John B steps in front of him. "Or me."

Sarah steps in front of John B. "Stop. Enough."

"Don't!" Ward shouts.

"You're not gonna kill all of us. I know you won't. I know you," Sarah says. "You forget that I know you." Sarah puts her hand on the gun over her fathers. "You can't."

Ward sobs. "I couldn't. I couldn't do it."

One of Singh's men shows up. Yeah? Well, I can."

John B points the gun at him, and the man points his gun at Big John.

"Toss it," the guy instructs.

"Take it easy, bud," Big John tells him. "Your boss is dead. You got no reason to do this."

"I can think of a few reasons. Toss it!"

John B tosses the gun and holds his hands up.

"Thought you'd end up with the gold, eh? All right, nobody move. My mate back there is dead. Because of you."

I look at JJ not wanting him to do anything stupid. "JJ."

"You go first." The guy points the gun at Sarah.

Ward takes one look at Sarah before running at the guy with the gun. Even as he's being shot Ward runs forward and tackles the guy off the edge of the cliff. Sarah lets out a sob. Even though Ward was a dick he was her dad.

Pope turns to Big John. "Hey. Hey. Big John? Big John? Hey. John B!"

John B rushes over to his dad. I can see Big John bleeding.

"Okay, Dad, we gotta get you out of here," John B tells him. "It's all right."

Pope and John B each put an arm around Big John to help him back to the boat. Kie and I make sure Sarah gets back to the boat.