Sunshine in the Rain

66. Bring It On Home John B

I scream and break a glass in the bathroom. Rafe yells and then we both shut up. I lay in the bathtub with my feet hanging out.

"Hey you two. What'd you do?" The guard asks. I try not to laugh at his accent. I'm a terrible person. He walks in to the bathroom and Rafe slams the door on him. I get up and beat up the guard with Rafe. I grab the guards gun and I aim it at him.

I grab the bed curtains and tie the guard up.

"How'd you learn how to tie people up?" Rafe asks.

"Trust me, and you know, you would do anything to have your dad approve of you." I say. Rafe sends me a sad and understanding look. Then we both walk out of the room and run down the stairs.

"Rafe, let me see the phone." I say.

"Why?" He asks.

"Just give it to me." I say. I trade him the gun for the phone. Rafe looks around the corner.

"Shit." He says. He walks and I follow him and then take a picture of a picture in the room. I send it to my number and then get back to following Rafe. We sneak out the back door. We see a hay truck.

"I have an idea." I say. "Follow me." I start running the other direction so then we aren't seen. We run around some bushes and then Rafe jumps into the hay truck. I can't catch up.

"Ash! Come on!" Rafe says. He sticks out his hand and I trust him. He pulls me me up into the truck but there's already someone in there. Rafe starts fighting him and then he throws him out of the truck. We both hide under the tarp.

We lay under the tarp and I just listen to the air blowing. Then I hear a bell. A church bell. It keeps going the same pattern. The same one that my dad would ring to get John B and I back home.

Flashback:

"Bring it on home John B! Come on home bird!" Big John yells.

"Coming dad!" JB yells. I'm sitting in the boat next to him. My dad only calls John B's name. Not mine.

Present:

Rafe and I lay under the tarp and look at each other as we approach the gate to get off of the property. We're both kinda scared.

After a few turns, we get the tarp off of us and we sit up.

"It worked." I say.

"Yeah." Rafe says. "Listen, I'm headed out to my boat and you can come if you want. But I'm not picking up your friends." Rafe says. "I can't trust your friends." Rafe says. "I trust you, okay?"

"Yeah." I say. "I'll go with. I just want to get off of this island."

"Smart." Rafe says. A few minutes later, we hop off of the hay truck and go to Rafe's boat.

"Are you gonna pull something?" I ask.

"No, Ash." Rafe says. "Do you want to be with Singh, or somewhere safe?" He asks. Safe. That word again. No where is safe. I'll always be in danger. "Can you help me with the bowline?" He asks.

"Yeah, sure." I say. I go over to the line. There's no way I'm leaving without my boyfriend and my brother. I'm not leaving my family here. "Rafe! Can you help me out?" I ask.

Rafe sighs. "God damn, do I have to do everything by myself?" Rafe asks. He walks over to me and goes to the outside of the boat.

I stick my hand out to him. "Friends?" I ask.

"That's progress." Rafe says, cracking a smile. He shakes my hand.

"Hey Rafe, remember when you said that you would do anything to make up for what you did to me?" I ask.

"Yeah." He says.

"I'm sorry." I say. I push him off and starts driving away. I look back and see Rafe with disbelief on his face. He gives me the middle finger. I drive away and text to Pogues to me at the dock. I add P4L at the end so they know it's me.

I drive the boat to the dock and wait for the Pogues to arrive. I listen to those church bells. It has to be my dad. He's dead though.

I hear cars driving around and I see guards in them. I get down and watch a group of people walking on the dock. I see a dude with cut off sleeves with blond hair. JJ.

I stand up. JJ turns around and looks at me. "Oh my god, Ash." JJ says. He runs to me and hugs me. I hugs him back. "Ash, I'm so glad your safe." JJ says.

"JJ, I fucking missed you so much." I say. "I didn't think I'd ever see you again." I say. I hug him tight and he hugs me back. Then he kisses me on the lips and I kiss him back.

"Yeah, but I'm here now. It's all right, princess." JJ says, still hugging me.

"I can't believe you're here." I say.

"Ash, you have a black eye." JJ says.

"I know, I'm fine." I say. JB comes and hugs me, then we all have a group hug.

"How did you get this boat?" Sarah asks.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you." I say.

"Who's is it?" Kie asks.

"Rafe Cameron's." I say. JJ looks at me with a bit of concern. "It's okay, I shoved him off the boat and stole it, he didn't lay a finger on me." I say.

"Ash, do you hear the bells?" JB asks.

"Yeah." I say. "The same pattern."

We all get on the boat and then John B runs off. "John B!" I yell.

"I'll be back, Ash!" He yells.

Sarah walks over to me. "Big John and bells." She says. I nod. "Now come on, tell us what the hell happened."