Low Tide \\ JJ Maybank

Ch 39

"Dude, where is he?" Kie yells.

"Give him a second. He'll be here." Pope yells her.

"He's coming." JJ says from the Phantom. "He'll be fine."

A siren wails as a police car pulls up next to the Jeep. Pope steps in front of me.

"JJ!" I say nervously, my voice wavers.

"Hey, yeah. Get back in the boat." JJ tells us. "Get back in the boat. Untie it!" I move to untie the boat. "Wait."

I turn around. My brother had been the one in the car. This was my first time seeing my brother in days.

"No way!" JJ says in disbelief.

"No f'ing way." Pope chimes in.

"Im sorry, uhh..." Kie agrees, shocked.

"JB!" I yell. I run over to my brother, wrapping my arms around his neck. He lifts me up, pulling me close to him.

"Shoupe let me take it for a spin." He says talking about the car. He sets me on the ground, but keeps an arm around my shoulders.

"Okay, that's believable!" Kie says sarcastically. "I'll buy that for now." She walks toward my brother with he arms open. I move so she can hug him.

"It wasn't easy, bro, but I got the Phantom for you, and she runs like she was made yesterday." JJ walks to the front of the boat, tossing my brother the keys.

John B looks at the boat. A worried look crosses his face. "Where's Sarah?"

"We thought she was with you." I say.

"No, we got separated in the swamp. She said she'd meet me here."

"No, we haven't seen her, man." Pope informs him.

"Okay, well I'm not leaving without her." JB says frantically.

JJ walks toward my brother. "John B, look at me. I know you feel bad for leaving, but there's no time, man. You've got plenty of gas, plenty of food."

"Would you leave without Kat?" John B asks cutting him off.

JJ hesitates, he doesn't say anything.

"JB, you have to go. You can't stay here." I plead. "Please just go."

"Once you get around that point, it's a straight shot across the sound to Dismal Swamp, okay? Once you get there, lay low, alright? Hangout for a couple weeks and then go overland. Cross the border at Brownsville, you got that? Brownsville." John B just stares into space while JJ talks to him. "Hey! You got that?"

"Yeah, yeah, Brownsville."

"All right, saddle her up, saltwater cowboy. Let's do this."

John B climbs onto the boat as JJ steps onto the dock. "Hey, hey. I'm sorry for basically throwing us off a cliff with this whole treasure hunt thing."

"Hey, John B, we were bound to run off a cliff at some point, right?" We all laugh at JJ's comment.

"Yeah." My brother had tears rolling down his cheeks.

"At least we did it together, though." JJ wraps an arm around my shoulder, then Pope. I wrap my other arm around Kie. "Pogue style."

"Pogue style." John B cries.

"Get out of here, please." Kie speaks up.

"Now," Pope agrees. "We'll see you in two months,  down in Mexico."

"Love you!" JJ calls out.

John B begins to walk around to the back of the boat. He stops again. "Hey, wait. Tell Sarah I say goodbye, okay?"

"Of course, John B." I say. He looks at me, a sad look crossing his face all over again. He steps off the boat, moving toward me. He wraps his arms across my shoulders, pulling me close to him. I wrap my arms around his torso. "Bye, big brother."

"Goodbye, Kat."

He releases me, giving me a small smile. He gets back on the boat.

"Don't forget. Cross the border at Brownsville, okay?" JJ reminds him.

"Got it."

I wipe a tear that had begun to travel down my face. We push the boat away from the dock as John B walks to the steering wheel.

I wrap an arm around around my boyfriend, pulling him against me and laying my head against his shoulder. JJ starts to walk us away from the dock.

"Hey, you okay?" I say looking at him.

"Yeah, yeah. I just- I couldn't watch."

I nod, understanding. I pull him against me in a hug.

"We'll figure everything out, okay?"

"I know. I still have you and that's all I need."

"I lo-" My thought stops as I watch Kiara and Pope kiss over JJ's shoulder. "Um.."

JJ let's go, turning around to see what I was looking at. "Huh." Sirens echo in the distance. "Hey, guys, sorry to ruin the party, but, uh, we gotta go right now. Come on!" He pulls me towards the car.

We freeze as several cop cars pull up. I put my hands up, stepping behind JJ.

"Pope!" Kie warns. "Pope, hands!"

"We're too late!" Shoupe notices. "God damn it! Bratcher have your guys stand down. Let me talk to these kids. All right, where the hell is he?" We stay silent. "JJ, I see you're living up to your name."

"Hey, watch it!" I yell. "Criticizing children is not your job, keeping the island safe is. So do that."

"This isn't a fucking game! You can do the right thing, right now. Where'd he go?"

Another cop lifts a walkie talkie to his mouth. "Suspect has just left Station 26 in a small boat. Need marine patrol to respond."

Shoupe has the four of us put into two separate police cars. I'm put in a car with Pope before the police takes off, following the car with JJ and Kie in front of us.