Someone to stay || JJ Maybank

12

"We're going to die."

"What?" JJ comes to the window too, looking outside with clear panic in his eyes. I didn't think he was seriously as scared of them as he made it seem back in the porch but his expression now makes me think about it again.

Kie and Pope are standing behind us trying to reach up so they'd see what's happening outside.

"Is that them?" Kie asks standing on her tiptoes and pushing herself up against my shoulders to see better.

"No", JJ sighs in disbelief. He walks away and around the room while his hands repeatedly run through his hair.

I can feel the moment Kie sees the men outside, her arms falling from my back and her eyes following JJ around. Her voice falls apart as she asks more demanding now. "Is that them?"

"This is suboptimal", Pope starts his panicked march too. I can only watch as the men disappear around the corner before the seriousness of the situation finally hits me. I'm sure JJ made this morning sound much worse than it actually was but it doesn't change the fact that those men are dangerous. They tried to shoot us and I'm just standing here doing nothing, basically waiting for them to come and kill me while the others actually try to do something to help us here.

"John B I told you", JJ's voice makes me react, the panic rising inside me like it did with everyone else too. "Why does it always-"

"JJ! Hey", John B cuts him off, grabbing him by his shoulders and pushing him against the back wall, shushing him with his finger. "Where's the gun?" He asks slowly, making sure JJ really hears him.

"Gun? I, uhh-" JJ looks around the room uncomfortable with this whole situation while trying to think where he left it.

"Now you don't have the gun, the one time we need it?" Kie asks frustrated, but also her voice cracking like she's about to cry. Which I can identify with easily.

"Okay JJ, think. Tell me where the gun is and I'll go get it", I look at him, trying my best not to sound scared.

"It was in my backpack", JJ thinks aloud. "And then I-"

"Yep, backpack, where is it?" I ask already at the door. It probably isn't too smart to run straight to the smugglers but the gun is our best change here. And I need to do something, get out of this damn room. It's so hot in here all of sudden too.

"On the porch?" Kie suggests.

"It's on the porch", JJ clarifies it and I don't wait another moment before opening the door and stepping out.

I hear JJ calling back to me but John B stops him and just tells me to go. I run through the hallway towards the porch. I'm surprised if I don't die due to heart failure before getting shot, that's how fast my heart is beating. I come to the corner of the living room but turn back as quickly as I went around it.

"John Routledge!" One of them shouts as they step up to the porch. I run back towards the office now panicing even more. We don't have the gun and we're stuck on the most interesting room of the whole house.

"Kate?" Kie's worried voice whisper-shouts from the office and a moment later I push the door open and throw myself back to the room, shutting the door after.

"Come on out now!" The other voice yells and I press my back against the door. Like it would stop them from getting in here but at least it gives me a moment to catch my breath.

"Where's the compass?" Kie whispers as she keeps pacing around the room, her eyes filled with fear.

"Where's the gun?" John B asks.