Hell or High Water | JJ Maybank [2]

twenty

THEY WAITED FOR Pope's signal before exiting the shipping container. He, Cleo, and Kie had gone out to take the bridge, and Jo honestly couldn't believe her ears when she heard the captain announce over the intercom that all of the crew was to meet at the hull. A small smile ghosted her lips as the remaining three friends grinned triumphantly.

"They did it," John B breathed. "They took the bridge."

"I'll be damned," Jo murmured, turning to smile at JJ.

"That's our boy," JJ hummed. He pulled the grate off the small window and hoisted Jo up so she could slip out onto the ship. "Okay, so once they're all in the hull, Jo and I will lock them inside. John B, you find Sarah and get the lifeboat. Then we'll meet you, load the cross, and get outta here." 

"Hey," John B called. He glanced between his best friend and his sister. "Be careful." The couple nodded their heads as they parted ways and JJ led Jo along the ship and towards the hull. She was surprisingly calm as she followed the blonde, but that was mainly because she was only thinking about keeping JJ safe.

"Alright, you ready?" JJ whispered. He paused just outside of the hull and turned to look at Jo. She swallowed thickly and nodded, pushing her hair out of her face. The wind was strong as the boat tugged along and it whipped her hair in every which direction. "Okay," JJ breathed. "Just stay close and follow my lead."

Jo nodded again and squeezed his hand. JJ pressed a quick kiss to her cheek before he ducked inside and showed her the way to the room where all the crew members were gathering. The pair pressed themselves against the wall on either side of the doorway, watching silently as the workers filed inside.

"Pst," JJ called softly. "How many?" Jo peered around the doorway, watching as all of the crew mates gathered. She held up 3 fingers and quickly ducked out of their view when she saw Rafe approaching, pressing her head against the wall again and squeezing her eyes shut. JJ furrowed his brows and peeked around the doorway curiously, quietly cursing and retracting his body as Rafe crept forward. The two teens held their breath as they waited and eventually, his footsteps faded.

"That's all of the crew," Jo whispered once the trickle of employees finally stopped. "Except Ward," JJ hissed. "We need Ward."

Jo winced at the mention of the man who had made her life a living hell. She was secretly glad he wasn't here and although she knew a big part of the plan was making sure he was locked in with the crew, she knew that they wouldn't wait long before getting suspicious.

"We can't wait," Jo replied quietly. She kept her body pressed against the wall, terrified that if she moved even an inch then their cover would be blown.

JJ sighed heavily and shut his eyes as he thought over the situation. He opened them a few seconds later and nodded, then gestured his head towards the door. Jo took a deep breath and forced it out through her lips, mentally preparing her antsy body for what they were about to do. She darted forward quickly and grabbed the door, pushing it closed as quietly but efficiently as possible.