I'm here // JJ Maybank

8

Once we got back to the chateau Pope and Kie were already waiting for us on the porch. The three of us walked in obviously on edge and JJ went immediately into story telling mode. Kie looked at me like he was insane and I just shrugged my shoulders. I sat down on the couch and listen to JJ go into full detail about our trip to Ms.Lana's house.
"And we were right outside like this" JJ continues his story and leans against the wall to give some added visuals. I stare at the ground playing with my bracelets trying to process everything that just happened.
"And all we hear is just, bam! Bam! Bam!" JJs sudden tone makes me jump a little and removed me from my little trance.
"Knocking paint off the wall, G! From the inside. All right? And I'm just looking at them like- wait first off, look at this shit" JJ walks over to Pope and shakes his hair letting the paint chips fall onto the ground.
"That's dandruff, disgusting" Kie says unamused. Me and John B fully just letting JJ take over this story.
"Ok thank you" pope says pushing JJ away. I grab JJs arm and pull him to sit down on the couch between me and Pope hoping he will chill out a bit because he's starting to stress me out.
"Look at that" he says in disbelief. "That's paint."
"At that point I was just like, I'm waiting for death" JJ says leaning forward. I put my hand on JJs back and rub circles into it trying to get this boy to calm down even a little. His blood pressure has to be wayy to high right now.
"Okay, so you saw the guys that shot at us, right?" Pope asks. I nod and JJ says a quick yeah.
"Did you get a good description of them?" He follows up. JJ rises from his seat abruptly obviously still tense.
"Yeah anything's helpful" kie adds.
"Anything we could bring to a police report"
JJ stares outside thinking and shakes his head a little. I would hate to be in that kids brain.
"Burly." Is all JJ says. I run my hands over my face starting to pick up JJs stress.
"Burly?" Pope stares at JJ dumbfounded.
"Yeah, you know like-"
"That's not very helpful. Mel?" Kie says looking over at me. I look at her and am about to answer but rudely get cut off.
"Okay well no, like the type of guy at my dads garage. I mean you guys know he made cargo hides for drug smugglers." He says.
"Yeah. Yes. No, we know." Kie says giving the boy a little sympathy credit.
"I can tell you will full confidence guys. These boys, these killers. They're square groupers" he says taking a hit from his juul. He passes the stick to me and I do the same leaning back and hoping for a least a 5 second head high from this thing.
"They're square groupers, like narco square grouper? Like Pablo Escobar square grouper?" Pope is trying so hard to get anything out out of JJ. I take it another hit from the Juul and pass it back to the Boy who seemingly needs it more. He takes another hit and confirms to pope that he's is dead serious.
"You guys. Not everything is a kingpin movie" kie says obviously not finding any of this helpful, which same.
"Okay so what does this square grouper look like?" Pope continues to press. I look at JJ to see what he will muster up now, this is actually becoming slightly entertaining.
"You weren't there bro!" JJ shouts.
"You don't know what to look for! Mel a little help here!" Pope says turning his attention to me now. I huff and look at him, really not wanting to go back into that memory ever again.
"I wasn't taking little mental Polaroids the entire time man! I was under duress, okay!" JJ shouts. I stand up and put my hands on both of his shoulders.
"You did great sweetie. Now sit down before you have a heart attack please" I lead him down to the couch and sit his ass down. Now I'm the one standing and all eyes are on me.
"Okay it was two like I don't know, 30 40 year old men. Brown hair, uhh medium builds. I don't know! God I'm sorry this is very frustrating. Sorry JJ" I say sitting my ass on the arm of the couch and snatching the juul out of JJs hand. He puts his hand on my leg and give it a little tap.
"You two are something else" kie says rolling her eyes and slumping back in her chair. I glare at her now being all worked up and angry.
"I can't tell you by the way Ms.Alana was screaming..." I start
"These guys are serious, serious hombres man" JJ finishes. Not exactly was I was going to say but the point is made. John B stands there silently staring at the compass 
"It's a heavy vibe right now, okay?"
"Why do they want the compass?" Kie asks. I lean my head back still worked up and wanting this convo to be over.
"It's a piece of shit. You couldn't pawn it off for 5 bucks if you wanted to. No offense John B. I know it in your family-" pope says.
"The office." John B says. The man finally speaks, with no detail added.
"What about the office JB?" I say leaning my elbows on my knees.
"My dads. My dads office." He makes his way into the office
"He always kept his office locked because he was worried his competitors stealing his royal merchant research. Mel remember we used to laugh at him all the time like he was gonna find it." He says. I quickly get up finally following where JB was going with this. We make our way through the house and to the locked office.
"But now that he's fine I've just kinda..  I just left it as he kept it."
"Yeah for when he gets back" kie says looking at me with wide eyes. I return it and watch JB unlock the office. We all make our way inside and it's like a freaking time capsule in here.
"I haven't been in here since we were kids" I say looking around at all the old books.
"I've slept over jere like 600 times and I've never seen this door opened." Pope says taking the room in also. John B looks at all the open books and loose papers scatters around trying to find something, anything. He grabs a a board with different snips of paper pinned all over it.
"Here, look, this is the original owner. Right here"
"Robert Q. Routledge 1880 to 1920" I read out loud "there's the compass" I say pointing to the picture.
"Actually um. He was shot after he bought it. My smile immediately drops.
"Then the compass was shipped back to Henry. He was killed in a crop dusting accident when he had the compass. After he died the compass was given to Stephen. Stephen has the compass when he died in Vietnam." I listen trying to gather anything but all I'm getting is bad energy from this compass.
"Let me guess he died in action, right?" JJ asks.
"Sort of. Uh a-actually he was killed by a banana truck. In country. Anyways after that. Stephen passed the compass down to him. My dad."
"Hmm sounds like there's a reoccurring theme here."
"Yeah, you have a death compass." Pope says
"I do not" John B denies too casually.
"I think you do JB" I say concerned.
"Seriously dude get rid of it" JJ says.
"Look my dad used to talk about this compartment in here. Soldiers used to hide secret notes." He says taking a seat and screwing off the top of the compass showing no notes.
"What's that? Kie asks pointing to something on the lid.
"That wasn't there before. This is my dads handwriting." He looks around at us. All of us stare back confused.
"How can you know that?" Pope says
"Because he does these weird ads with the- see it?" He says holding it up for us to look at.
"Can I see?" JJ says grabbing the lid and holding it so I can look too.
"Red— rout—-" he tries.
"Redfield. It says redfield babe" I say clapping him on the shoulder. He nods as if he knew that.
"Okay well, what's redfield?" Kie asks
"Besides the most common name in the county" I say feeling like this isn't going anywhere.
"Maybe, maybe it's a clue. Maybe it's a clue to where he's hiding." JB Says and I just look at him sympathetically. This is awful to watch him continuously gain hope when I know it's nothing.
"A clue cmon that's-" pope starts but is cut off by a motherly glare from kie.
"But if it is a clue maybe it's an anagram?" He tries.
"Yes perfect. Anagram. You need paper." I shake my head and wander around looking at all the papers. Some I've seen, some are new. John B gets pope some paper and places it down in front of him.
"How do you concentrate with that thing crowing at you?" Pope says frustrated by the rooster outside who weirdly got loud all the sudden.
"Mel and JJ love the rooster. They named it and everything."
"I love the rooster" kie adds offended.
"Don't be rude to Phil pope. He means well" I say defending the poor thing. They all start working on the anagram, but I just sit back and let them do it, not wanting to partake in this.
"Guys somebody's here!" John B shouts making us all draw our attention to the window.
"Guys guys. Is that them?" Kie says panicked. My heart rate immediately picks up. This is it. We have the death compass.
"No" JJ says in a tone that immediately causes panic to rush through my body. JB pushes JJ into the wall and asks him where's the gun.
"Gun? I, uh, I can't" he starts trying to remember where he put it.
"Now you don't have the gun the one time we need the gun?" Kie says in borderline hysterics.
"It was in my backpack and then I-"
"Backpack! On the porch" I say. JJ immediately pushes his way outside the office, me following. We barely make it out of the hallway before one of the men shout John Bs name making both of us stop in our tracks and JJ push me back into the office.
"What were you doing?" JJ scream shouts at me holding me by the shoulders.
"Coming to get the gun!" I scream shout back. He takes a very angry inhale which I don't appreciate at the moment.
"No Amelia no you don't do that" he says in a low tone. I'm about to respond before kie snaps us out of our convo
"Guys help" JJ and pope rush over to the window to try and pry it open. I stand with John B with our backs against the door as the other three rush to find something to open the painted sealed window. I can hear things being smashed and thrown around, just like we did at Ms.Lana's. The sound once again sending alarms throughout my entire body. The door pushes against us and we all run across the room almost getting hit by wood pieces as the guy kicks the door. I join JJs side and try to help as much as I can in getting this window open. I hear kie slightly sobbing beside me, causing my emotions to rise as well. Once we get the window open a gunshot fires causing me to jump. JJ pushes me outside the window and I wait helping kie come out as well. She grabs my hand and we run to the roosters pen. I look back to make sure the boys are following and usher them all to go inside too. We all sit breathing heavy and shaking, JJ to my left and kie to my right. Kie has a death grip on my hand as she tries to control her sobs. I squeeze her hand back as i take deep breaths. JJ grabs my other shaky hand and runs his thumb over the back of it bringing me semi comfort. The rooster is being zero percent helpful as it jumps around and screams.
"Do something pope!" JJ whisper shouts.
"What do you want me to do?" He says back
"Pet it, or talk to it. I don't know" kie says.
JJ looks at me with a sympathetic look then says "please don't look" he chases the rooster down, grabbing it harshly while it cries out and pushes on its neck until it snaps. My eyes are screwed shut, but I can hear the screams, then the snap and then the deafening silence that came after. I can't help the streams of tears that fall From my eyes. I feel JJ return next to me, I open my eyes to see him staring back at me.
"It's okay." I say, my voice cracking as I do. I grab his hand and bring it to my lap, rubbing my thumb as he did to mine before. I lay my head on his shoulder as we wait for the men to leave. I can hear kie quietly cry next to me, but I don't dare to look because I will fully break. We finally hear the truck drive away, but no one makes the first move to leave.