Kook by Birth, Pogue by Association // JJ

9. the one where we go to parcel 9

They keep John B in the hospital so they can run some tests and make sure everything is okay. Overall, it seems like he got out pretty lucky — a hairline fracture in his wrist and a concussion. I half expected him to be paralyzed for the rest of his life, but he managed to fall just right and made it out with no lasting damage.

After an R and R day for everyone, we meet up one afternoon at The Wreck. Mr. C is pleased when we show up with cash to actually pay for our food. John B is telling us about his hospital stay and how DCS is no longer after him. Ward Cameron has offered to become JB's legal guardian, and he helped him move into Tannyhill while the rest of us were oblivious to the fact for an entire day.

"I'm sorry. You're staying where?" I ask for clarification.

"Tannyhill," John B says.

"So you're living with Sarah Cameron," Pope says.

"Okay, look, the only reason I'm living there is because her dad bailed me out, right? And it's way better than foster care, which, by the way, is where I was about to go if Ward didn't--"

"Hey, so do you have a membership to the clubs now?" Pope asks, cutting him off.

"I don't know, Pope," John B says, annoyed.

"What about those golf carts they drive around? You get one of them?" JJ asks.

"Does it come with a sweater-vest, or do you have to buy one on your own?" I ask.

"Look, you promised. You said you weren't with her," Kie whines.

"Bro, just own it. She got you," JJ says.

"Look, if you wanna hang out with her, that's fine. But I'm letting you know now that I'm not doing anything with Sarah," Kie says, crossing her arms.

"Do you guys see her here? No, right. Okay. A little focus would be fantastic," John B says. "Now, lets go see what we can find."

********************************

"We've got the map, right?" John B asks over his shoulder as he drives. We're out in the more abandoned part of the island. It's mostly trees and brush everywhere; almost no sign of civilization.

"It's out of whack 'cause the guy was ganja'd when he drew it," JJ says, glancing at the map.

"It's 'cause the coast has changed," I remind him, looking over his shoulder.

"So we just have to look for landmarks that haven't changed," Pope says.

"What about the old forts? Battery Jasper," Kie says.

"We're in Battery, right here. So if this is parcel nine,
then it's somewhere northeast of here." Pope looks around the scenery of the van, then back down at the map.

"Somewhere there," Kie says, pointing at a spot on the map.

"Right," Pope confirms.

"Over there?" I ask, looking at the map again. "Guys, that's not Tannyhill, that's a subdivision."

"Tannyhill Plantation was the entire island. It got sold into smaller pieces over time," John B says.

"So we're just looking for an old stone wall." Pope looks ahead at the road. "Okay, so the road should split up here."

"Okay," John B says, eyeing the split in the road up ahead.

"All right. You're gonna take a left," Pope instructs. John B turns the van and we head down a short side road.

"That looks like a stone wall to me," JJ says as we roll up beside an old stone wall.

"This is it," I say. I open the sliding door and jump out of the van. I look up through the trees and overgrown brush and see an old Victorian style home. It's unkempt and ominous looking, even in broad daylight.