Audacious//JJ Maybank (Outerbanks)

Chapter 112

It's been hours now. JJ is asleep beside me, and I can't stop glancing out the window, my thoughts racing. I spot a man walking down the hall—he looks familiar. I don't know where I've seen him before, but he gives me the chills. My heart starts to pound in my chest as I watch him pass by the room. He catches my eye, and I freeze. There's something about him, something unsettling.

Then I see it—right on his arm, a fresh wound. The same one where I hit him with the speargun. It's him. The guy from the wreck.

"JJ," I whisper urgently, shaking him awake. "It's him. The guy. From the wreck. He's the one who attacked us."

JJ stirs, blinking at me with confusion, but when he sees the panic in my eyes, his expression hardens. "Did he see you?" he asks, his voice low, tense.

I nod quickly. "Yeah. He saw me."

"We've got to get out," JJ says, his voice filled with urgency as he sits up and starts banging on the window, trying to get the nurse's attention. I start frantically pulling at the door, panic rising in my chest. "She's not letting us out, JJ! Help me!" I can't breathe, can't think, I'm starting to lose control.

JJ stays calm, grabbing me by the shoulders. "Take deep breaths, Jackie. We'll get out of here," he says, his tone steady as he tries to reassure me. He lays down again, his feet hitting the window with force, kicking repeatedly until finally, the glass shatters. The alarm blares instantly, and panic sets in.

JJ helps me climb out of the tank, and we race down the hallway. "I'm going to buy you some time. Meet me outside," he says, already turning toward the nurses' station. I watch him go, knowing he's putting himself at risk for us, but I can't afford to think about it right now. I need to move.

I rush toward the reception area, my heart thumping wildly. When no one's looking, I slip behind the counter and begin rifling through the patient files. I find what I'm looking for—the man's file. My hands are shaking as I grab it, shove it under my arm, and dash for the exit.

"Jesus Christ, how do you climb a tree in a hospital?" I hear Cleo's voice as I burst through the door, and I look up to see her and Pope parked outside.

"Guys!" I pant, rushing over to the truck and hopping into the back.

"Where's JJ?" Pope asks, glancing around.

"He's coming. Drive, go!" I urge, and Pope doesn't hesitate. The truck roars to life, and he speeds off, just as I spot JJ running from the side of the hospital. I reach my hand out and help him into the back, relief flooding me when he slides in beside me.

"We're out," JJ mutters, taking a deep breath as he settles next to me. "So, you know that guy who was at the wreck, who tried to kill us?"

I nod quickly, my voice breathless. "Yeah. He was there."

"At the hospital with you?" Pope asks, glancing between us.

"He was getting stitched up where I hit him with the harpoon gun," JJ says, grimacing as he remembers the encounter.

"I got this," I say, holding up the file, feeling a surge of determination. "I swiped his file. I got an address."

"Where?" Pope asks, his eyes on the road.

"Downtown Pelican," I say, scanning the address on the paper.

"Okay, so now what? What do we do with this?" Pope asks, sounding doubtful.

"We pay him a visit," I say, my voice firm. "Find out who this guy is, figure out what he's doing."

"Exactly," JJ agrees, a dark grin crossing his face. "We find out what's really going on. Four against one? I think we could take him."