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Chapter Twenty Six ✯¸.•'*¨'*•✿✿•*'¨*'•.¸✯
Climbing into a intermodal container, Avery doubted everything.
"That's a trap right there. We can't get out once we get in" JJ viably began to panic. Instinctively, he reached out and placed his hand on Avery's leg before she completely hosted herself up and into the container.
"Hey, hey. You guys don't have to come. Right?" John B reassured him. Even though he knew that they mostly likely would, he wanted them to know that they still had a choice.
"Right," Pope confirmed, "this is our fight"
"Yeah, well, it's also mine too now," Avery admitted. The girl slipped out of JJ's touch and stood up next to Pope, meeting the confused looks of her friends face. "I'll explain later"
Reluctantly, John B took her outstretched hand and jumped up. JJ and Kie mutually agreed on going with them, climbing in too. They rushed to hide before they were seen. Voices were surrounding them, double checking the cargo before the doors sealed shut. It wasn't long until the lorry jolted, the engine coming alive and rolling carefully away from the parking space. Avery stumbled a little, holding onto the crates near her.
"We gotta be on the dock now" JJ whispered, feeling the lorry come to a stop. The drive had felt like hours.
Suddenly the loud sound of mental clanging sent the group tumbling. Avery tightened her grip on the crates, her feet stumbling underneath her. She reached out to grab the closest thing to her which happened to be JJ. Unfortunately, her weight falling onto him made him fall down. Letting out a huff, Avery regained her balance, looking down at her ex boyfriend sitting in a pile of tires. He glanced up at her, silently asking if she was okay. She lightly nodded, reassuring him.
It wasn't long until they jolted again, making them sway and fumble. Avery whined, feeling the rubber digging into her bare knees. She almost toppled onto JJ, feeling his hand push against her stomach to help her balance. Muffled voices yelled from outside the crate. Avery flinched at the sound of metal clashing, unable to work out what was happening.
"We made it" JJ spoke out loud. He was immediately shushed by everyone, staring back at them with wide eyes. John B crept to the small vent. A hand smacked against it, causing him to cower under, hopefully in time to stay out of sight. JJ whispered loudly, "what? What was it?"
•✿•✿•
Pushing John B out the way, Avery tried her best to peer out the only gap they had. Heat was rising, the container had started to get stuffy. The group had shredded their jackets and whatever clothing they could, trying their best to cool down. The blonde whined as John B gently shoved her head out the way, getting squatted at.
Ignoring JJ's nonsense about armoury and pirates, Avery's eyes shifted to see Kie wondering off. She snaked her way through her best friend's bickering, slowly following. Watching Kie lift things out the way, she realised that she was onto something. The boys eventually shut up, shuffling over to where Avery and Kie stood, staring up at a vent. One that was larger enough for someone to squeeze out of.
"What was that about a Swiss Army knife not coming in handy?" JJ cockily said, waving his knife around.
"Just stop it" John B quietly hissed.
"Shut up" Avery rolled her eyes.
It took a while for JJ to get the vent broken open. He was quick to continue storming a plan that involved killing everyone else onboard and raiding the armoury. He was about to open the vent when Pope spoke up, suggesting some stayed. Avery hated to admit it but she agreed with him. It was a risky move for everyone to go, who knew what they were going to face from this point.
"I think you should stay here" John B told the blond. Avery shamefully nodded in agreement. He looked over at her, "you too"
"What?" JJ and Avery said in unison.
"I have Sarah that I'm gonna go after. And Pope has–" John B started, looking over at Pope who finished the sentence.
"The cross" He whispered.
"And also, if you go out there, there's hundred percent probability that you're gonna do something stupid. And Avery, you are the only one that he listens too" John B explained, not fully winning the pair over his logic thinking.
"Okay, first of all, I think the correct terminology is ballsy. That is it. And secondly, I don't just listen to her" JJ argued. The latter being a total lie and he knew it.
John B whispered, "if we go out there, and we get in a bind, we need somebody to look out for us. That's what we need"
Obviously aggravated by the idea, JJ placed his hands on John B shoulders, "okay. I get it. I get it. I get it. I'll be on the B team"
"I never said B team" John B corrected, noticing the glare Avery also gave JJ.
"You calling me the B team?" Avery scoffed, crossing her arms.
He turned to her and shrugged, "didn't mean to offend you"
Kie stepped in and frowned, "did B team not just find our way out, or am I totally tripping?"
•✿•✿•
"I was thinking," JJ voiced. His ex scoffed a laugh, blinking over at him besides her. His face was glistening with sweat and his hair weirdly still sat perfectly in formation. She couldn't look for too long, feeling a burst of emotions she didn't know what to do with.
She sarcastically said, "oh no"
He slowly turned to look over at her. She refused to meet his eye, feeling his gaze on her. "When all this is over, and we're just rolling in the dough, I'm gonna get my board, and I'm gonna go on a surf trip. I don't know where, but, like, the world's calling"
"Spain, then South America. Or South Africa. One of the South places, I can't remember. Then Micronesia" Avery softly spoke. She smiled gently at the memory of a conversation she and JJ had years ago, planning their dream surf trip. He caught onto what she was implying almost instantly, his lips tugging into a little smirk.
"Just ride. Wherever the wave takes you, you know?" He caught her gaze, smiling a little wider.
She titled her head to the side slightly, "so that's the plan, huh? Get a tone of cash and surf"
"That's the dream" He slowly blinked, his smile never leaving his lips.
"Sounds perfect," She mumbled, looking away. He noticed her smile falter. Avery hesitated before looking back at him, "got room for me?"
A laugh slipped through his lips. Then his face melted into a soft expression, one Avery always buckled under. He held her eye contact, "always"
Kie butted in, awkwardly telling them, "hey, guys. They are back"
