𝐁𝐄𝐒𝐓 𝐅𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐍𝐃𝐒 𝐒𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑, 𝗃𝗃 𝗆𝖺𝗒𝖻𝖺𝗇𝗄

34: "𝚠𝚎 𝚕𝚘𝚜𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚖."

The storm was coming closer and closer to the island, the sun now fully gone and the moon out as it hid behind the dark clouds, the wind getting rougher and rougher each second that passed. The four Pogues had been shoved into the back of a police car by Shoupe and a few other officers, soon stopping at a place where a tent laid out, full of officers as they tried to find John B. Civilians stood all around as they tried to get news, hoping the teenager was caught.

As the group was being led inside a tent by Shoupe and Deputy Plumb, some citizens attention had gone onto the group. More specifically, the youngest Routledge sibling that walked along side her troublemaker boyfriend. The sound of the people yelling and some of the news reporters click of cameras could be heard from the Routledge girl, making her conclude that most people didn't seem to trust her after what her brother supposedly did to Sheriff Peterkin. JJ held his girlfriend's hand tight in his as they all sat down in chairs that laid by the side of the tent.

"Sit down. Don't move." Shoupe demands in a stern voice. "We got a lot to talk about. Keep an eye on these kids."

And with that, the deputy walked off, stopping right beside a long table just a few feet away from them, many officers sitting around the table as computers sat in front of them while they continued to try and track down John B Routledge. A guard stood right in front of the group of four, a gun in his hands and a blank expression that added to his intimidating demeanor.

"Blockade is up at the marsh and Masonboro and all other inlets from Shem Creek to Breach Inlet. I want eyes on all coastal access points, people. Let's get this guy." A man calls out.

Sitting with a slightly hunched back as he pursed his lips, JJ took notice of his girlfriend's leg bouncing up and down. He knew she was nervous. Nervous for her brother, nervous about the storm as he was riding along the water. Gently, the blonde grabs her hand in his, interlacing their fingers together as he leans down and presses a soft kiss to her head, soon feeling her rest her head on his shoulder.

Y/n soon looks up at her boyfriend, seeing him staring down at their conjoined hands with a little smile on his lips. Soon noticing her eyes on him, his blue eyes look into her e/c ones as he raises their hands, pressing a delicate kiss to the back of her soft hand, the pad of his thumb rubbing the back of her hand. The Routledge girl smiles as her hand tightened just a little on his to give a little squeeze, feeling him squeeze her hand back immediately.

What caught the groups attention was the deep voices of yelling, the words of 'there they are' and 'we found them' and 'that's them' being shouted throughout the heavy wind and the rain that had began to fall down from the black sky. The four all share glances as someone stated that both John B and Sarah were spotted on the Phantom on the ocean while a storm was rolling in.

Eventually, after a little while of them sitting there, Shoupe, Deputy Plumb and Deputy Thomas were entering inside the town, placing the hood of their jackets down, water dripping off of them from the pouring rain outside. The four exchange glances when they see the officers looking at them with slight frowns on their faces, to which the teenagers rise to their feet, walking over to them as they wait to hear the news of John B and Sarah.

"Did you find them?" Pope asks.

Shoupe shakes his head. "No."

"So, they got away?" Kie questions, but it sounded more like a conclusion as hope was laced in her tone.

"We, uh..." Shoupe starts, gulping as he glances between all of them. "We lost them. I'm sorry."

"You lost them? What do you mean you lost them? Like, they're gone? What are you talking about?" Y/n asks in a frantic voice, wondering what happened to her brother.

"They took an open boat into a tropical depression, Y/n." Shoupe states.

"So, they're dead?" Kie questions, voice cracking.

"We don't know." Shoupe replies.

Almost instantly, the youngest Routledge sibling felt tears prick her eyes at his words as she looks down at her feet. Her brother couldn't be dead. Sarah couldn't be dead. The other three also felt tears in their eyes at the news, neither of the four wanting to believe that John B and Sarah could be dead.

"You drove them straight through the storm, man!" JJ shouts. "Are you kidding me? Come here! I'm gonna kill you, you bastard!"

The next thing they all knew, the Maybank boy was lunging at Shoupe, to which loud shouts of everyone inside could be heard as Deputy Thomas grabbed ahold of the blonde, pulling him away from Shoupe as he tried lunging at the older officer. While all her friends, the officers and her boyfriend were yelling, Y/n was stepping back and away from them, leaning against the table just a little as tears fell down her cheeks.

JJ soon calmed down once he noticed his girlfriend's state. Shrugging Deputy Thomas' hands off him, he walks forward and pulls the girl instantly to his chest, hearing her muffled sobs against him as they held one another tightly in each other's arms. The sight of Pope and Kiara's parents were seen as the adults made their way inside the tent, slightly trying to dust off the rain that had poured down on them.

Once catching sight of her parents, Kie had walked towards them, the mother, father and daughter all hugging one another. Mrs. Heyward was rushing to her son who hugged her immediately while Heyward trailed behind his wife. The older man placed a hand on JJ's shoulder, making the blonde glance at him while Y/n did the same before Heyward was hugging both his son and his wife.

"They didn't make it, Mom." Kie sobs while her mother held her face.

As the couple continued to hold each other as they were the only family they had left, the small Heyward family turned to them, Heyward holding out his arm and patting the Routledge girl's shoulder. The couple walked towards them, being pulled in with the small family and into their group hug. Pope, JJ and Y/n kept their heads close by one another's, Pope resting his forehead on Y/n's shoulder while she rested her forehead on one of his shoulders as JJ did the same to the other shoulder, all while Pope's parents held them.

Eventually, they had pulled away while Pope was turned around when feeling a hand on his shoulder, seeing Kie standing there after she had pulled away from her parents. The two teenagers wrapped their arms around each other as the Carrera girl sobbed against his shoulder. Looking back at her boyfriend, Y/n wrapped her arms around the blonde's torso, feeling him hug back instantly as they grieved.

John B Routledge and Sarah Cameron were gone.