COMFORT CROWD [3] , jj maybank

18. he finally beat me

   

☆ ★ ✮ ★ ☆

  A BLAST HAD ECHOED through the jungle in the middle of a debate about whether or not we'd survive an apocalypse.

  Consensus was—Pope would survive the longest because he'd find a way to make explosives and just fuck zombies and people up.

  Now, we're hiking up a hill, slicing through branches and shrubbery. As we get closer, I hear a very familiar voice that makes me sick with anger. It's in my bones. The image of punching Ward until he pleads for forgiveness. He tells me he wishes it was him and not an innocent teenage girl.

   "That's Ward," JJ says. I can feel his blue eyes on me. I can feel everyone's eyes on me.

   "Sam, nothing drastic, okay?" Cleo whispers, hand resting on my back. Nothing drastic? He deserves all the hell he can get. Sarah deserves to be the one to take him out even though she'd never do it. She's better than me.

   I glance at Cleo. Big brown eyes full of concern look back at me. Cleo and I barely know each other but very quickly we've come to trust each other. Whether it's our impulsive tendencies or just genuine connection from being stuck on the island. Over her shoulder, Pope stares at me. That promise on the boat coming back to me. Kie and Bailey staring at me, only one knowing what my anger could make me capable of.

   "Look at me," JJ spins me around, "We gotta move. You gotta promise me you won't do anything until needed, okay?"

   "I promise," I quickly say before I can stop myself from saying I can't promise. A quick lie to get us through this.

My body moves away from JJ and closer to the voice. I gulp at the scene before me. Ward has a gun pointed at Sarah, John B and Big John. Tears in Sarah's eyes cause the fire to burn me from the inside. The others join me, crouching down behind a tree.

   I unholster the machete from my belt, knuckles white as I grip the weapon. "Alright, so, what are we gonna do?" Pope whispers. "Is this ride or die?" JJ asks. "He shoots one of you and I'm blowing this shit to all hell," I grit my teeth.

   "Or we just stab him from the back," Bailey suggests. "But when I suggest it...." I trail off. It's a smart idea though. A quick one, two in the abdomen. "P4L," Cleo says, blade clanking.

  We all repeat after her. For once, I'm not the only one having homicidal tendencies. They've all realized the situation at hand. The only way out of this is if Ward dies.

   "You're supposed to be dead," Ward says, gun pointed on Big John now, "I think I liked you better that way." He cocks the gun. "Go!" Kie yells and we all run in screaming, charging and pointing our weapons at Ward.

  "Put it down!" JJ yells.

  "Put the fuckin' gun down!" I yell as well. We all surround Ward. He's got nowhere to go as we all yell at him. Ward panics, "Stay back, stay back!" He wiggles the gun, pointing it at each of us now. I'm not fearful. Ward is. We can take him and he knows it. If he shoots even one of us, he's fucked.