One Stupid Thing

1:2:9

I can feel my heartbeat begin to quicken with fear and anxiety. These guys, whoever they are, have tried to kill us once and there is a good chance that they will try again.

"John B, I told you. Why does it always—" JJ starts, but John B rushes up to him and stops him from saying another word.

"JJ! Hey, look at me." He pushes JJ up against the wall and silences him with a finger. "Where's the gun?"

"Gun? I, uh, I can't," JJ stutters as he tries to recall the weapon's whereabouts.

"Now you don't have the gun, the one time we need the gun?" Kie is on the verge of loosing it.

"Guys, we all need to stay calm," I remind them. "Getting all worked up is only going to make matters worse. JJ, retrace your steps."

JJ raises a hand to his head and rubs it as if he thought that it would magically get his memories to come flooding back. "It was in my backpack, and then I—"

"Backpack?" John B repeats as he backs away from JJ. "On the porch."

"It's on the porch. It's—" Immediately, JJ heads towards the door.

"Go, go," John B encourages.

The moment that JJ disappears into the hallway one of the men yells out John B's name. Seconds later, JJ stumbles back into the office and locks the door behind him.

"Where's the gun?" John B asks him.

"They're on the front porch, guys."

"Get out here, boy!" shouts one of them, threateningly. I flinch. I suddenly hear the clear sounds of John B's house being torn apart by these guys.

"Okay, forget the gun. We need to get out of here." I tell them. Although the others probably can't tell, I am freaking out. It takes all of my self-control to push my fear aside.

"Guys, window. Window!" Kie urges. "Hurry!"

Pope and JJ rush over to it and attempt to pry it open, but they aren't having much luck.

"What's— what's happening? Why is it taking so long?" she asks them.

"It's painted shut, okay?" JJ tells her impatiently.

The anticipation is killing me. With every sound coming from outside that door, my façade is breaking bit by bit. While JJ, Pope, and Kie try to open the window, John B is pressed against the door and I pace around the room, trying to keep my cool for as long as possible.

The next moments are a blur to me. Kie manages to find a sharp object that she can remove the paint with. JJ helps her while Pope joins John B at the door. The sound of the doorknob rattling snaps me out of my trance. Pope and John B push all of their body weight against the door to keep this guy out, but their barricade didn't last long. The guy began kicking at the door, and as it began to break, the two are forced to move out of the way. If they didn't get that window open soon the whole group was just sitting ducks.

Thankfully, the window pries open just in time.

"Stella!" JJ whispers and beckons me over. I rush over to the open window and climb through it with JJ's help. After I was safely outside, the rest follow. Just as the last person, JJ, is coming through the window, a gunshot rings out. At first, I think that he is a goner, but to everyone's relief it is only the doorknob that has been shot.

"To the chicken coop, now!" John B instructs. The whole group begins to run towards it, but I am frozen in fear. It is only until I feel someone grab my hand, that I snap out of it.

"Stella, c'mon! We have to run!" It's JJ. He turns away and, without letting go of my hand, we sprint after the group. By now the men must have gotten into the office, and it is only a matter of time before they realize that we escaped.