P4L | Outer Banks | JJ Maybank

Stranded

The pair crept through the ship as silently as they could, making their way up to the deck.

"How'd you guys do all this?" Cory asked.

JJ shrugged with a smirk. "A magician never reveals his secrets."

Cory rolled her eyes, chuckling softly.

"So what's the plan?" Cory asked.

"Well," JJ sighed. "We get the cross on a lifeboat, and get out of here."

"Won't a lifeboat sink?" Cory asked.

JJ thought for a moment. "I'm not sure."

"I think it would."

"We'll find out when we get there."

The two pushed up into the sunlight. They were around the back end of the ship. They turned to run down the side, toward the front, where they were keeping the cross. But as they moved, they found a man standing in their way. He had an angry face, and looked about ready to fight someone. In his hand was a machete.

"JJ," Cory said nervously, gripping his hand tighter.

JJ squeezed her hand comfortingly, but then he was pulling away, in preparation for the upcoming fight.

"Of course," the man said. "There's more of you. Get down on your knees."

"Yeah, that's not gonna happen," JJ sassed.

Then the man was slicing the machete at him. He was barely able to duck as the man came at him.

"Cory, go!" JJ yelled, but the girl didn't budge. "Find John B!"

Cory wanted to go, to listen to his orders, but she couldn't just leave him like that.

JJ pushed the man, knocking him back into the wall.

Cory ran forward, throwing a punch at the man's face. He was knocked back.
"Good one!" JJ cried out.

Cory moved to the edge of the level. "John B!" She began to call out, looking down below. "John B!"

Behind her, she could hear the sounds of fighting resume as the man righted himself, slicing his machete at JJ. JJ fought back valiantly, of course, and Cory could hear the man losing his composure.

But then there was a slam, and a grunt of pain from JJ.

Cory looked over with wide eyes, seeing him against the wall, his face screwed up in pain.

But then his eyes widened.

"Cory!" he cried out, attempting to get to his feet as quickly as possible.

Cory turned around quickly, noticing the man attempting to slice at her with his machete.

She cried out, ducking just enough to not get hit.

"Cory!" JJ was crying out.

Everything in him was screaming. Small bursts of pain were shooting across his body, and his logical brain (Pope would be so proud) was urging him to help with the cross. But just seeing Cory so vulnerable killed him. If he was able to do something to save her from this man, he would do it.

Just as he got to his feet, the man was slicing his machete again.

Cory ducked quickly, only to watch as the man knocked the blunt end of the machete into JJ's face.

JJ's eyes rolled back, and he tumbled back, falling right over the edge of the boat.

A splash came from down below.