Breathless | JJ Maybank

9. TO GOING FULL KOOK

Outer Banks, the Chateau
July 13th, 2020
11:01 pm

We arrived at the chateau and rushed inside so that we'd finally get a glimpse of whatever was inside the envelope. I had to admit that I had been stupid this whole time, not believing John B, and I regretted doubting in him. Whatever was in this package had to be for him, and it wasn't by chance there had been graved Redfield behind that compass. We all gathered around the table, except for JJ who decided to make himself a moldy sandwich which he ended up spitting out, making all of us cringe.

"Ew," I left out. "Here, have some water"

I handed him a glass I had filled with water for myself earlier and he thanked me with a small head nod. John B opened the envelope and took a map out of it, unfolded it, as all of our eyes focused on the paper. "X marks the spot," Pope said pointing at the cross on the map.

"Longitude, latitude," John B began. "Wait there's something else in there"

He pulled a tape recorder out, and I had this very bad feeling. "What's this?" JJ asked.

"It's a tape recorder. Dumbass," Kiara snapped.

John B pressed on a button and a voice I had never heard before began to speak in the tape recorder. "Dear Bird," he said.

"Who's bird?" I asked, half-whispering.

"That's what my dad called me," he responded.

"I hate to say, "I told you so," but I told you so. And you doubted your old man. I suspect at this moment, you're filled with guilt and self-loathing over our last fight, but don't kill yourself just yet, kid. I didn't expect to find the Merchant either. You were probably right to call me out. Wasn't exactly Father of the decade. What can I say, kid? I could smell the barn. And hopefully, we're listenin' to this in our brand new sugar-shack down in Costa Rica, livin' off passive investments and pulling on permits. If not, and you find this for less than optimal reasons, well, that's what the map is for. There she is, the wreck of the Merchant," he explained his son, as my eyes filled up with so many tears that my vision was blurred.

JJ placed his hand on mine and we kept listening to the recording, not saying a word. I loved how no matter how much he despised me, JJ knew when comfort was more important than hate. His hand brought me warmth and consolation, even though it wasn't much help as the heartbreaking words John B's dad was voicing kept reaching our ears. "If somethin' happens to me, finish what I started. Go for the gold, kid. I love you, Bird, even if I didn't always act like it. I'll see you on the other side," he concluded.

John B walked away and sobbed against the door frame, as JJ took his hand off mine and placed his arms in the air. "Holy shit! He did it! He found the merchant!" he celebrated.

"Can you-please?" Kiara cut off JJ's enthusiasm.

I walked outside and rubbed John B's back as I came near him. He kept sobbing and Kiara hugged him from behind, as we all stayed quiet. So that was it. His dad was gone, and nothing would ever bring him back. I couldn't even imagine how John B was feeling in this moment but as I sat outside, on a chair that was installed in the grass, I took my face in my hands and cried. It was all just too much and I had not cried when we had gotten shot, or in the chicken coop, or each time Rafe's name popped up on my screen, but this time it was too much.

I sobbed a little, and maybe it was selfish but it wasn't only Big John dying that made me sad. It was everything, including his death of course, but even the other events that had happened. I couldn't take it no more. I felt something caressing my back gently and I looked up to see Pope, opening his arms for me. I got up and slowly wrapped my arms around him as he did so, until our sobs subsided. I could tell it was painful for him and so I took a step back on the situation and realised how stupid it was for me to cry. They were going through shit. I wasn't, and I hated to cry in public anyways.