Chasing Sunshine | JJ Maybank

41 // The Runway

It was pitch black outside by the time JJ had driven us through the marsh waterways to the line of docks sticking out into Figure Eight's marina. No one had spoken much on the ride over, all resigned to our own thoughts as we tried to come to terms with John B's out-of-the-blue discovery. JJ steered us alongside the My Druthers where she sat docked outside the Tannyhill mansion and I looked up the her spotless white hull rising impressively from the water, dwarfing the Pogue in her shadow. I shuddered to think what must have happened on those decks once Ward had sailed the pair of them from shore this morning.

"What now?" JJ spoke first, letting the engine idle as he addressed the rest of us, "We just go up to the front door and ask hey, have you seen John B?"

I glanced up at the house; it didn't look like anyone was up and about seeing as most of the windows were dark but a few cast a dim orange glow into the darkness. "Look, he lives at Tannyhill now. It's plausible," Kie countered, the worry shining in her eyes even in the dim glow from the dock lights, "W-we can play dumb."

"Play dumb?" JJ scoffed.

"It's pretty late," Pope said when she looked at him for back-up.

"Look, I've never seen John B like that. We should be going to the cops," Kie argued, undeterred by the boys' skepticisms. I nodded, pulling my knees to my chest after I stopped studying the mansion looming in front of us.

"I'm with Kie here. I mean, John B doesn't just stick a gun in his pocket and then go all Lone Ranger on us. I'm worried he's going to do something catastrophically stupid."

"All right, say we do go to the cops," JJ humored us, looking pointedly from Kie to myself, "And say what? We're worried about our friend because he's going off on a rampage because Ward Cameron killed Big John?"

"I wouldn't have phrased it exactly like that-" I muttered, watching Pope pull a set of binoculars from one of our bags and pointing them towards the house.

"The point is, they're not gonna believe us!" JJ disputed.

"Hey, I see Ward," Pope announced, causing all of our heads to turn.

Kie walked up behind him and held out her hands. "Let me see."

JJ and I stood behind them, eyes squinting against the darkness, and I could just make out a figure walking out to back patio from the sliding doors on the ground floor. "Doesn't look dead to me, let's go home," Pope urged, following a chorus of dissent from the rest of us at his flippant attitude.

"Pope, John B's still MIA, walking around the island, angry and wielding a gun," I said, turning around to where he was already settled against the captain's chair, "We can't just go home."

"Obviously, Mr. Cameron is fine, and even if John B was here, he isn't now, okay?" Pope appealed, sweeping an arm in the direction of the property, "Plus, I have the biggest, most important moment of my life in six hours."

I sighed, stuck between a rock and a hard place, because as much as I felt it was imperative we find John B before he did something he'd regret, I also knew Pope couldn't miss this interview. All he ever talked about from the minute I met him was going to college and he'd worked his ass off just to secure the opportunity. I proofread his application essays myself, and knew he had as good a chance of any of being selected for it. "Okay, we can spli-"

My suggestion to divide and conquer was interrupted when Kie began arguing incredulously back at him. "Yeah, well, our friend is in trouble!" she exclaimed, seemingly unable to understand how Pope could possibly need to leave now.

"I'm in trouble!" he said, voice rising. "Guys, I haven't been home in three days. My dad's probably put all my shit on the street by now."

I bit my lip, glancing up at JJ who looked like he wanted to get in between the two of them as much I wanted to. "So that's it? In the time of need, you're just gonna bail? You're just gonna walk away?" Kie accused, face scrunched up heatedly.