𝐎𝐃𝐄𝐓𝐓𝐄 ➺ 𝐉𝐉 𝐌𝐀𝐘𝐁𝐀𝐍𝐊

𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐄𝐓𝐘 𝐓𝐖𝐎「𝐃𝐑𝐀𝐆𝐎𝐍'𝐒 𝐁𝐔𝐁𝐁𝐋𝐄 𝐁𝐀𝐓𝐇」

𝐎𝐝𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞'𝐬 𝐏𝐎𝐕

After Kiara got a call from her mother asking her to head home, JJ and I decided to wait at the chateau for my brother and father to get home. We waited and waited, eventually curling up on the sofa bed to get some sleep and still waking up to no one.

Cleo and Pope arrive first, followed by the girls and we all gather in the shack out back to conjure up a game plan.

"When I went back to Tannyhill Rafe was on the phone with Ward, and he just kept saying 'My thing, this is my thing'" Sarah starts as I sit down on JJ's lap, the boy wrapping his arms around me "He had to be talking about the cross"

"Absolutely" Pope agrees.

"And he's coming into Wilmington tonight at eight o'clock. It's being shipped by train
to Raleigh from there, but this is our chance to get it back" Sarah tells us in determination.

"You get any other information?" Pope asks curiously

"Uh, Sarah got the cargo number" Kiara answers, lifting up a slip of paper with the number on it.

"Okay, well, that's a start" Pope hums.

"Yeah" Kiara nods.

"They're definitely fencing that shit off as we speak" JJ speaks up "So we should probably get a move on"

"Has anyone heard from my brother?" I question in concern.

"No, I mean, he's probably off somewhere with your dad" Sarah hesitantly answers me before adding "But the problem is they have the Twinkie"

"Our transportation" Pope realises.

The Pogues all ponder a viable alternative for transport while I slip from JJ's hold and wander over to the large oak tree, pulling out my new phone. I click on my brother's contact information and lift the phone to my ear, listening as it rings.

"This is John Booker Routledge! Leave a message after the beep, or don't, whatever" John B's voice laugh rings through my ears and I end the call, slipping my phone back into my pocket.

My gaze falls on the words burned into the tree's bark and I let out a sigh, shaking my head to try and rid it of my anxious worries. I head back over to the Pogues and perch myself on the arm of Kiara's chair, wrapping my arm across the back of it.

"I could ask Heyward for the truck" Pope suggests and we all look at him in surprise.

"Uh, what?" JJ scoffs at him "Yeah, that's gonna go well"

"I know, but we have no other options" Pope shrugs in response.

"I'll have to talk my parents into letting me go" Kiara sighs heavily and I give her shoulder a reassuring squeeze.

"You got this" I encourage her and she smiles up at me gratefully.

"We'll have to speak to Lia and Alek" JJ reminds me.

"Fuck" I mutter out.

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