Audacious//JJ Maybank (Outerbanks)

Chapter 82

{Getting Home}

John B and I pushed open the creaky old doors of the church, the heavy wood groaning on its hinges as we stepped inside. The musty smell of dust and decay hit us first, the air thick and stale, like the building had been holding its breath for years. The light filtered in through cracked stained-glass windows, casting strange colours across the worn pews and crumbling stone walls.

We didn't say anything. The silence between us was louder than any words could've been, and both of us were too afraid to break it. Instead, we moved forward, slowly, our footsteps echoing through the empty space. Every creak of the floorboards under our feet sent a shiver through me, but I kept going, matching John B's pace as we walked deeper into the church.

The bell tower loomed ahead, the spiral staircase narrow and winding. Without a word, we began the climb, the wooden steps creaking beneath us. Each step felt heavier than the last like we were climbing not just into the tower but back into our past, into the memories that had kept us going all this time.

As we reached the top, the bell room stretched out before us, dust coating the floor and beams of light cutting through the cracks in the wooden walls. My heart pounded in my chest, a mix of anticipation and dread coursing through me as we held our breath, hoping—praying—to see him.

But the room was empty. There was no one there. No sign of anyone. John B exhaled slowly, his shoulders slumping as the weight of the moment crashed down on him. He looked at me, his eyes filled with the same disappointment I felt sinking into my stomach.

"Let's just go back to the others," he muttered, his voice quiet, defeated. I nodded silently, the hope we'd held onto slipping away with every second. We turned and made our way back down the spiral staircase, our footsteps heavier now, the creaks beneath us louder.

When we reached the bottom, I was about to push open the door to leave when John B stopped suddenly, his hand gripping my arm.  "Jackie... look."

I followed his gaze, my breath catching in my throat. At the far end of the room, standing by the old stone altar was a man with his back to us. His figure was tall, broad-shouldered, just like— "Dad?" John B's voice was barely above a whisper, but it rang out in the silent church, filled with disbelief.

The man turned slowly, and when his face came into view, the world seemed to stop. It was him. Big John.  Our father.

I felt my heart stutter, my breath caught in my throat. My mind couldn't process what I was seeing. It didn't make sense. We had searched, we had grieved, we had accepted the possibility that he was gone... and yet, here he was. Alive.

His eyes locked onto us, wide with shock. He looked older, more worn, but it was him."John B?" he croaked, his voice rough and disbelieving. His gaze flickered between us as if he couldn't believe we were standing there either. "Jackie?"

I felt my knees almost buckle beneath me, the overwhelming flood of emotions crashing through me like a tidal wave—joy, confusion, anger, relief, all tangled together. For a moment, none of us moved, frozen in that impossible moment of reunion.

John B took a tentative step forward, his voice trembling. "Dad... it's really you." Big John nodded slowly, his voice breaking. "Yeah, it's me, son."

And just like that, the world shifted again. Everything we thought we knew, everything we had gone through, was upended in an instant. Our father was alive, standing before us, and nothing would ever be the same again.

"What took you so long? I've been ringing for hours. Big John says, and it was John B that moved first, rushing down the stairs and tacking our father in a hug. I wasn't far behind, wedging myself into the hug like I did when we were little. "We thought you were dead." John B sniffles. "I'm sorry for the Houdini act. It's a long story." Big John mutters as he glances between John B and me.

"For another time." We separate from our hug as we hear the ATV engine revving outside. "What?" I sob wiping the tears from my eyes. "We gotta vanish." Big John turns around and leads the way out of the church. "Keep your heads down." Big John orders us as John B glances at me with furrowed brows.

We all ducked down and our father cursed once the engine sounded nearer. "Shit, well, we ain't going that way." Big John says peering around the corner and turning back quickly. "The Pogues, the marina, they've got a boat. Come on. Follow me." John B states as we rush to the bottom of the steps.

We make it to the bottom of the wide land in front of us. "I think we're good. That was a close one." Big John sighs in relief. "Okay, Dad, so start talking," I order glancing at him. "So you've been alive this whole time and didn't think to call?" I scoff crossing my arms. "You think I didn't want to? It would've put you in danger."  Big John states and I roll my eyes.

"We were in danger the entire time you were gone." I point out. "We've been shot at, chased, arrested and almost killed." I snap glaring at him, my anger boiling. "Look, we're here now, right?" Big John sighs. He stops walking and turns to face us, putting a hand on each of our shoulders. "And I'm not going anywhere. I just had to vanish for my safety. And for yours."

"Look, it wasn't my first choice." He shakes his head. "Let's just find your friends." Big John nods towards the marina and we start walking again.

The sunlight filtered through the trees, illuminating the path ahead, but the joy of reuniting with him quickly turned to dread as we reached the docks. My heart sank as I scanned the area.

"No..." I breathed, panic rising in my chest. John B was already shaking his head, disbelief etched across his features. "Where's the boat?"  Big John looked between us, his brow furrowed. "It was right here. They wouldn't have taken it without us knowing."

I could see it in their faces—the familiar mix of frustration and anxiety. Singh's men had already caused so much chaos, and now it felt like we were running out of time.

Big John took a deep breath, looking determined. "Listen, I have a boat back at my place. We can take that. We need to pick something up anyway."

"Hang on," I said suddenly, remembering my phone. "I need to call them."  I pulled the phone from my pocket, my fingers trembling as I dialled the number. The line rang, each tone echoing my growing worry.  "Jackie?" JJ's voice came through, relief flooding his tone. "Where are you? Are you okay?"

"We're fine," I said, glancing at John B and our dad. "But we're at the marina, and we need to leave. Where are you?"

"We had to leave," JJ replied, the urgency in his voice making my stomach drop. "Singh's men surrounded the marina. We had to get out before it got too hot."

"Too hot here too," I told him, anxiety lacing my words. "There are too many of Singh's men everywhere. You have to keep going, JJ. Just get back to the OBX. It's safer there."

"What happened?" he pressed, concern thick in his voice. "We found our dad," I said quickly, my heart racing. I couldn't dwell on the implications; I had to focus on getting everyone safe. "But things are really tense. Just... just go back home, okay? I'll meet you in Kildare."

"Jackie, wait—"  The call started to crackle, and the connection weakened. "JJ? Just get back home! I love you!" I shouted, desperation creeping into my voice.  "I love you too!" he called back, but the line went silent before I could respond.

I hung up, my heart racing as I tucked the phone away. I turned to John B and Big John, my eyes wide. "JJ and the others are getting out of here. We have to hurry."

Big John nodded, his expression serious. "Let's move. We'll take my boat and get to Kildare. We'll figure everything out from there."

As we hurried down the docks toward Big John's place, I could feel the weight of everything pressing down on me. All I wanted was to be in JJ's arms, to feel safe again. The thrill of reuniting with our father faded slightly as the reality of our situation loomed over us. We were still in danger, and the thought of losing anyone again was unbearable.

To be continued...