Audacious//JJ Maybank (Outerbanks)

Chapter 78

{Church Bells}

The wind hit my face like a slap as I burst through the back exit, the air sharp and biting. My legs were trembling, my body aching with the weight of exhaustion, but there was no time to think about it. I kept moving, kept running, every instinct telling me that stopping wasn't an option.

I glance back hopping the others were behind me. But then, John b appears, he was the first out, his breath coming in ragged gasps as he charged ahead. Pope followed right behind him, his face slick with sweat and dirt. They didn't look back—none of us could afford to.

And then, JJ was at my side. His hand gripped mine, pulling me into a sprint. "Come on, Jackie!" he shouted, his voice thick with urgency. "We have to go—now!"

I stumbled for half a second, my body protesting with every step, but JJ's hand was firm, steady. His fingers tightened around mine, like an anchor keeping me grounded. With him pulling me, I found the strength to push forward, my feet slapping against the cracked pavement as we sprinted down the road.

Behind us, the gunfire was fading, the sounds of Singh's men growing more distant. But I knew better than to let myself hope just yet. They weren't giving up. They never did.

"Faster!" John B called from ahead, his voice tight with fear. He wasn't wrong. If we didn't make it to town soon, they'd catch up. And this time, we might not be so lucky.

JJ squeezed my hand harder, his pace quickening as we flew down the dark, empty road. The town wasn't far, just a few more miles, but every step felt like a marathon. My lungs burned, my legs ached, and the weight of the baby inside me made everything harder. But I didn't slow down. I couldn't.

"We're almost there," JJ said, his voice rough, more for himself than for me, I think. I could hear the desperation in his words, the raw need for us to make it through this. I glanced over at him, his face streaked with dirt and sweat, his jaw clenched in that determined way that made my heart ache.

I knew he was scared. We all were. But he wouldn't stop. Not as long as I was with him. Not as long as I was carrying our child.

My breath came in short, labored gasps, and I could feel the strain of the run in every part of me. My legs were screaming for me to stop, my heart pounding so hard I thought it might burst. But JJ kept me moving, his hand never letting go of mine.

Pope's voice broke through my thoughts, sharp and panicked. "We have to move faster, they're right behind us!" I glanced back, my heart leaping into my throat. I could just make out the faint shapes of Singh's men in the distance. They weren't slowing down.

Fear surged through me, and I gripped JJ's hand tighter, trying to find some reserve of strength, something that would get me to the finish line. The baby kicked inside me, as if sensing the fear pulsing through my veins. It made my heart stutter, a wave of protective instinct flooding through me.

JJ tugged on my arm, pulling me closer to him as we ran. "Jackie, you okay?" he asked, his breath ragged. "I'm fine," I lied, my voice barely above a whisper. My body was screaming at me to stop, but I wouldn't let it. I couldn't. Not when we were so close.

JJ looked at me, his eyes filled with a mix of fear and determination. "We're gonna make it," he said, his voice low, but there was something fierce in his tone. A promise. "I swear."

We kept running, the town getting closer with each step. The road stretched endlessly ahead, but at least there was a glimmer of hope now.
But even as we neared the edge of town, I could feel the danger closing in behind us. Singh's men weren't far, and they wouldn't stop until they had us.

Until they had whatever it was they thought we knew, or had. And we weren't ready for another fight. Not yet. "Pope, John B!" JJ shouted ahead. "We need a place to hide. We can't keep running like this."

John B slowed slightly, his eyes darting around as he took in the deserted streets. There wasn't much in this small town—just a few run-down buildings, a gas station, and maybe an old diner if we were lucky.

"There," Pope said, pointing toward a narrow alley between two buildings. "We can cut through there, lose them in the backstreets."

John B nodded, leading the way, and we followed, ducking into the alley just as another round of gunfire echoed in the distance. My heart leaped again, fear tightening around my chest like a vice. We had seconds, maybe less, before they were on us.

JJ pulled me in close, his arm wrapping around me protectively as we darted through the alley. "Stay with me," he whispered, his breath hot against my ear. "I'm not letting anything happen to you. Or the baby."

I nodded, too breathless to speak, but his words grounded me. I pressed closer to him as we hurried through the winding backstreets, hoping against hope that we could lose Singh's men in the maze of alleys and abandoned storefronts.

We kept moving, the town's narrow, empty streets closing in around us like a labyrinth. The gunfire was growing distant again, but I knew it wouldn't last. We were only buying time, and it wouldn't be long before they found us.

We rounded a corner, and John B stopped, breathing hard. Pope pointed toward a small, boarded-up shop just ahead. The windows were broken, the door hanging crooked on its hinges. "There," he said. "We can hole up in there for a while. Wait until they pass."

JJ looked at me, his hand still wrapped tightly around mine. "You ready?" I nodded, even though my legs were trembling, even though every part of me wanted to collapse. "Let's go."

Together, we slipped into the old shop. The sounds of Singh's men were still out there, searching, hunting. But for now, we were safe. For now, we had made it.

"They coming?" Cleo asks breathlessly. "I don't see anything." John B states glancing out the window. "So what's the plan now? What's our Plan B?" JJ asks glancing at all of us. "We just kicked the hornet's nest. We gotta think of something quick." He begins to pace back and forth in the room. "JJ, calm down." Pope tries to easy him to calm down. "Calm down, Pope? They almost had us, man. They could killed us—the baby." JJ snaps getting up in Pope's face. I rush over to him and pull him away from pope.

"Hey," I say calmly grabbing his hand and placing it on my stomach. He takes a deep breath, as the baby kicks against my stomach. "The baby is fine." I reassure him and he nods his head. "Why did we leave that island?" He shakes his head. "Oh, ooh, wait. I got something. What if I offer myself up as a hostage?" JJ turns around the Pope and John.

I was going to speak up and stop him when I hear the familiar sound of bells again. I walk over to John B at the window and glance up at the church in the distance. "What happened to you back there?" Sarah asks John B. "I heard something." He mutters. "Me too." I glance at him with wide eyes.

"What?" Sarah asks. "That." John b states. "Like that, you hear it, right?" John B and I say in unison glancing at Sarah. "The church bells?" I question. "Bells?" She asks in disbelief. "Our dad used to use them to call us home." John B says to her and I take a deep breath, holding back tears.

To be continued...