Forbidden // OBX - JJ Maybank

Enough 4

Before I could even sit down, JJ was off with this crazy reenactment of a house invasion. He was jumping around like a crazy person, swiping his hands through his hair putting god knows what all over Pope.

"Okay, okay, so you saw the guys that shot at us, right?" Pope asked,

I looked a JB, "Did you get a good look at them, like, could you describe them to the police?"

"Yeah, anything is helpful guys," Kie added

"Burly," JJ announced proudly

"Burly?" Kie, Pope and I asked simultaneously.

"Yeah, you know like-" JJ continued,

"Not helpful," Kie cut him off.

"No, no, I mean like the type of guys who make cargo hides for drug smugglers. I mean that with full confidence guys. These killers are square groupers." He continued,

"Like what? Pablo Escobar square grouper?" Pope questioned. Kie and I looked at each other in disbelief.

"We're not in some narco movie JJ, what did these 'groupers' look like? we need details to take to the police." I added.

Pope continued to question him as I turned my attention to John B. He was fiddling with dads compass, looking very concerned.

"JB, are you alright?" I asked in a hushed voice.

"I just don't understand why it's all so important to them..." He began to pace back and forth to either side of the porch.

The others continued to try and get any information from JJ they could as JB walked inside.

"Dad's office, he was always so worried someone would try and take his research," he said walking towards the room that's always locked.

"Come on," I said to the others as I followed him. "JB what are you looking for?" I asked.

"I've slept over a hundred times and I've never seen this door open," Pope announced as john B unlocked the door.

"Here look, this is the original owner. Robert Q. Routledge." John B announced, pulling down a board of pictures.

"1880-1920, and there's the lucky compass right there," Kie said pointing to a dated photograph.

"He was shot right after he bought it, and then the compass was shipped back to Henry." He pointed to another picture, "Henry was then killed in a crop dusting accident when he had the compass. After he died, the compass was handed down to Stephen,"

the others all looked at each other in disbelief. "Who had the compass when he died in Vietnam. He was hit by a banana truck... anyways, after he died it was handed down to my dad." John B explained.

"Sounds like there's a reoccurring theme here," JJ remarked.

"You have a death compass," Pope added.

"No, I do not," JB defended holding dads compass with a worried look on his face.

"John B, the compartment in the back, dad would always say the soldiers hid secret messages in there... maybe that's what they're looking for?" I questioned, after the mention of Stephen who went to war.

Everyone went silent as he nodded and turned the golden compass over. John B unscrewed the back, revealing the compartment. He flipped it over hoping something would fall from the cracks in the back to no success.

"Wait what's that?" Kie pointed to the lid of the compartment.

"That wasn't there before," JB said in complete shock.

I moved closer to see what it said: Redfield, "That's dad's handwriting!" I said holding it closer to myself.

"The "R" is exactly how he always does it. Oh my god JB." I said holding back tears.

"You're a genius Lucy! How did you even think of that." He smiled and examined the compass in my hands.

"What's Redfield?" Kie asked innocently.

They continued to talk about what it could be, franticly writing down possible anagrams and arguing the meaning. I was just frozen, my body was completely numb and my mind was foggy. Why would Scooter have had my dad's compass? Why are these people trying to find it so desperately? Did this mean my dad was alive or was this a clue to find out what really happened to him? so many questions.

"Guys," JB said, being ignored by everyone except me, "Guys somebody's here. Guys!" He yelled.

Everyone turned and walked towards the window.

"Is- Is that them?" Kies's voice broke in fear.

We all began to panic. Pope and I started trying to find a way out, as John B argued with JJ since he didn't have the gun the one time we needed him to. He had left it in his bag on the front porch.

"ROUTLEDGE!" One of the men yelled as JJ made a run for it to grab the gun and nearly face-planted turning back to the office.

"Guys we need to get out of here," I whispered as the boys closed the door.

The men were making their way through the house, turning over every little thing and yelling at the top of their lungs.

"Window, window JJ," Kie said to JJ, who followed Pope's lead as he struggled to open it.

"What's wrong? why can't you open it?" I asked still with a hushed voice.

"I think It's painted shut," Pope replied stressfully.

Kie grabbed a random antique knife and started carving at the paint. John B and Pope stood at the door listening to the men outside walk around our house.

Suddenly one of the men started turning the door nob and we all froze. "You better not be in there!" He shouted and started pushing the door.

Kie nearly had the window free as he started kicking the door. Pope and John B had to move out of the way in order to not have wood fall on top of them. The man pulled out a gun and shot at the lock.

We all hurried out the window as JJ finally got it open just before the men burst through the door. Pope sprinted towards the chicken coop and we all followed seeking cover from possible gunfire.

-

After what felt like hours, the men finally started leaving. Taking all of my dad's research with them. We had found refuge in the chicken coop, crammed up against each other and barely moving a muscle. I had my back against the wall next to Pope well JJ laid on his stomach by our feet, Kie and JB were on the opposite side of the coop. all of us trying to avoid the doorways, in fear of being seen.

They were packing the back of their trunk when the rooster started freaking out. Flapping its wings and causing all of the other chickens to start clucking like crazy. I looked through the doorway slightly across from me and saw that one of the two men had started walking toward the coop.

"Do something, they're coming," I whispered to JJ.

He looked up at me with the most heart-wrenching pain in his eyes, "Don't look," He warned me quietly.

I closed my eyes as he grabbed the rooster, two seconds later the sounds of crunching bones filled my ears. A single tear rolled down my face as I opened my eyes, either from fear or the fact that an animal just got murdered in front of me.

We all stayed frozen. JJ was still holding the rooster as we waited for one of the men to uncover our hiding spot. I glanced over and saw Kie was crying, John b was tightly holding her hand on her thigh. The fear was flowing through the air at this point, like a cloud of grey fog, slowly suffocating each one of us.

I looked at Pope who was shaking from panic. "It's gonna be okay," I mouthed silently.

His eyes lifted to my gaze, barely making a noise he spoke, "Are. they. gone?"

Then suddenly we heard shouting. I peered to see what was happening and both the men got into their truck, eventually driving away.