Audacious//JJ Maybank (Outerbanks)

Chapter 76

{Vaux Hall}

"Pope, are you sure you got the right address?" JJ asks, and I have to say I'm starting to get worried Pope doesn't know either. We've been walking for hours now. "I know you're not talking to me about having the right address," Pope says sarcastically. "That's exactly what I'm seeking." JJ bites back, sending a glare his way.

"Look the address says Vaux Hall, and there it is on the map," Pope states, pointing at the map tacked to the bus stop sign. "Okay, but we don't know if that's where we are," JJ argues. "Well, we're in the general vicinity." Pope snaps. "Why don't we just ask someone?" I groan getting a headache from their bickering, just as Cleo waves down a farmer walking down the road in a tractor. "Pardon me, you know where we can find Vaux Hall?" Cleo asks.

"You're kidding, right?" the man laughs at her. "Everything you can see, all around you, is Vaux Hall." the man states pointing his hand around the land. "Okay, so who lives up there?" Pope points to a house on the horizon. "Carlos Singh," the man replies. "He loves just on the other side of that wall. But take it from me, he's no one you want to get to know."

"Okay, thank you," Pope mutters as I glance at JJ. He looks at me with a worried expression glancing down at my stomach for a moment. I grab his hand as we walk down the field towards the house.

When we finally reached the wall, it looked much taller up closer and I mentally prepared myself. Before I could speak, JJ made a sprint as he jumped on the wall and climbed. He reaches his hand back to help John B. up then Sarah. "Come on, Jackie," JJ reassures me reaching his hand down for me. I make a run for it and jump, grabbing his hand as he hauls me up. "Thanks," I whisper as he places a kiss on my forehead.

We all jump down on the ground at the other side. Once Pope and Cleo join us, we slowly crawl closer to the house. "Okay. Portis wasn't kidding." Pope mutters. "No, that's a fortress. This is much bigger than Ward." John B aggressor. "We got two towers, patrollers, ATVs, possibly snipers."  JJ lists off everything he can see ahead of us. "There's no way we're getting past that," Sarah says in disbelief. "We're not leaving Kie. We gotta help her." I state. I wasn't going to leave my best friend in there, possibly in danger because of fear.

"We can take them if we stay towards to tree line,"  Cleo whispers as she gets up to go, but we all whisper her name to come back. But it was too late. She made up her mind and nothing was going to get in that girl's way. Muttering a string of curse words, the rest of us had no choice but to go with her.

"We're going to die," I mutter as we rush over behind tall grass. JJ peers over the grass to get a better look and begins trying to use charades to tell us. I roll my eyes at him. "Words," John B hisses. "Use your words."

"They're right there," JJ whispers. "Then just say that." Pope snaps at him. "JJ, get down," I warn grabbing his hand and pulling him down beside me. "There's an opening that way," Cleo speaks up. "As soon as the guards turn around, we sneak in that way. Come on." she urges s she stands up and runs in a crouched position along the hill.

"We could sneak in from the sewers?" JJ cuts in between John B and me. "What sewers?" Sarah asks, turning around with her hands out on either side of her. Everyone started bickering but it was silenced once we heard a beeping sound. We all froze, I straightened ever so slightly with panic in my eyes. "What was that?" Sarah whispers nervously. When no one answers. "What was that?" she asks again.

"I know that sound."  JJ breathes as he gets on all fours and searches through the grass, picking up a larger pick from the ground. "It's a game can." my eyes widen. "Stomp on it." Cleo hisses. She grabs it off JJ and throws it on the ground. Pope stops her at the last second. "We have to take the batteries out before it transmits!" Pope warns. "We're gonna die!" I mumble to myself more than the others as I run my hands through my greasy hair.