I finished season 3 a week ago and rewatched it and I am in love... I was so excited for this season to come out and it didn't disappoint.
I thought of this story while watching it and thought about the direction I wanted it to go. There are points that I know i want to happen but i am struggling with changing the Kie JJ story because they did such a good job this season with them.
That being said... I hope it doesn't feel too forced putting Rowyn in here.
I own all my own errors and my OC but none of the Outer Banks characters.
Paradise on Earth. That's what we used to call the Outerbanks, it's what I loved about where I lived, but standing on an island, in the middle of the Caribbean... There was nothing else like it. I wasn't sure what I expected, being on a deserted island, cast away from reality, but feeling calm and at peace for the first time in what felt like forever, I wasn't ready for how at home I actually felt.
We had been stranded for a month, but everything just seemed right, seemed natural. Waking up on the beach, watching the sunrise in the morning and the sunset each night, being surrounded by the only people that mattered, when I looked around at everyone, they all seemed... happy.
Smiling to myself I walked through the forest of trees behind the beach, my eyes on the uneven ground, every now and then seeing a whisp of blonde hair through the branches as JJ walked a few paces ahead of me pushing away branches and raving about the fish he had tried to catch earlier. I couldn't help but smile to myself as I listened to how enthusiastic he was about it. He was in his element here, JJ and I had talked about our adventure, into the unknown, and here in this place it felt like we were on that adventure.
"Rowyn." My name was a whisper in the wind, but I heard it. I stopped where I was and turned around in a circle looking for the owner of it. The voice sounded familiar, but it wasn't one of the Pogues.
"JJ hold up!" I called turning back towards where the blonde had been only moments before, only there was no sign of him. "JJ!" I called again as panic seeped in.
"Rowyn." There it was again, and this time it sounded closer, and I felt my face drain as my brain finally recognized the voice. There was an audible click behind me and as I turned around again, this time a man stood in front of me. A man I was sure I had left on the Coastal Ventures, the man I had shot, that I had ran from my entire life. "I told you Rowyn you will learn to do as you're told and do what I tell you... there is no other way out for you." My dad gave me a smirk gun raised pointed directly at me.
"You aren't supposed to be here. How are you here?" I asked, my voice shaky as I tried to take a step away, but the trees around me seemed to close in.
"And you weren't supposed to leave the boat." His voice was like ice as he stepped towards me. "I won't let you ruin me, not this time." I watched frozen in place as his finger went to the trigger of the gun pulling it, without hesitation his cold stare holding mine.
I shot up from my spot in the sand just as the gun shot would have gone off. I gasped for air and looked around me wildly. I was sitting in the sand around a fire that had long since dwindled to hot embers, around me were six other bodies all sleeping peacefully. Leaning forward I let my head fall in my hand as I tried to calm my breathing and gather my composure from the nightmare. JJ slept beside me, his arm outstretched from where my head had been only moments before. Running a hand through my sand coated hair I looked at him, my free hand lightly brushing over his head as a smile crept across my lips.
Pulling my gaze away from him I stared out at the darkness that was the ocean at night. The sun was still a few hours from rising and in the dark all that could be heard was the crashing of waves against the sand. It was a calming and refreshing sound, in the silence you couldn't hear cars or boats, couldn't hear yelling or cursing, it was just the waves and the breeze. With a sigh I stood up and quietly stepped away from the sleeping group, careful to step over everyone as I exited the sleeping area and started walking down the beach.
There had been a rule put into place early on that no one was to go wandering off alone, or without telling anyone. Cleo and I had taken to exploring when we first arrived and got lost in the thickets of the trees. We had both been up early and rather than waiting for everyone to finally rollover and wake up we walked. I wanted to get to know the girl, she had saved my life. It had taken us until sunset the next day to get back, hungry, thirsty and exhausted... and to say JJ was pissed was an understatement.
It was probably the one real fight we had had on this island; all other ones were about firewood or climbing trees, catching fish, but the fight about getting lost and never seeing each other on a deserted island had forced all of us to realize that we truly were on our own, and we had to stick together.
I made sure to keep the campsite in my peripheral as I walked towards an overhanging palm tree. My eyes had adjusted enough to see the waves as they splashed the shore. Sighing, I sat with my back against the tree and closed my eyes, relishing the ocean breeze as it softly wisped my hair across my face. Movement behind me forced me from my tranquil thoughts, and the cursing that followed as someone stepped on something made me giggle. Looking over my shoulder I saw JJ stumbling out of the tree line grumbling at the rock he had tripped over before dropping down beside me.
"Hey." I smiled, pulling my legs up to wrap my arms around them and lay my head on my knees to look at him.
"Whatchya doing way over here?" he asked leaning back on his forearms, his head up against the rock next to me.
"Waiting for the sunrise?" I offered.
"You're a few hours to early don't you think?" he challenged, and I rolled my eyes turning my head back towards the ocean. Leave it to JJ to see through my bluff. "So, what's up?"
"Nothing." I answered softly shaking my head.
"Hey." His voice was quiet, and he nudged my arm. I kept my eyes set to the blackness in front of me, but a second nudge, a little more forceful than the first one, had me bowing my head.
"How is it, we are on a vacant island, in the middle of nowhere and I still feel like I have to look over my shoulder, that he's gonna just show up?" I questioned quietly.
"Nightmare about your dad again?" JJ asked and I groaned in confirmation before shaking my head.
"This place, it's perfect and I'm happy and I guess..." I paused before looking at him and suddenly I was embarrassed about the whole thing, the nightmare, the panic attack... "I'm just waiting for it to be ripped out from under me... it's stupid."
"Whoa... hold on." JJ shuffled beside me, so he was now sitting, his back against the rock he had been leaning on earlier. He reached for my arm and gave it a gentle tug, pulling me so I would move to sit between his legs, my back pressed against his chest. I leaned my head back, so it was resting on his shoulder, and I felt him lean his head down into the crook of my neck placing a soft kiss to my shoulder. "Your dad had you kidnapped, beat you, and then basically tried to kill you all within a few hours. It's not stupid, the man's crazy." I let out a small chuckle in agreement, closing my eyes relaxing into his hold. "And even if this gets taken away, I'm not gonna let him hurt you again Roe... I promise."
I smiled at his words, feeling all the warmth and comfort I needed in the promise. We sat quietly together eventually watching the sunrise over the ocean. JJ never let his arm around me drop, and his head remained on my shoulder ever now and then placing a small kiss to my ear, neck, jaw, shoulder, to make sure I knew he was there.
As each of the Pogues started to wake up everyone went about their morning 'jobs'. Pope and Cleo went off in search of berries for breakfast, while John B gathered firewood and Sarah worked on palm leaf beds. Kie and I walked around the beach gathering a few pointed rocks and started to grind them against a boulder to sharpen them. The goal today was to catch something other than coconuts to eat. Across the beach I watched as JJ carried a white tarp, he had found in the small rescue boat we had beached on shore and leaned over it.
"What's he doing?" Kie asked following my line of sight.
"No idea." I shook my head. We eventually discarded our current chore and followed JJ as he made his way, now his finished art product, to the tree I had been at the night before. Grinning at us he proceeded to climb the tree until he was close to the top and tied the tarp to it. The cloth rolled in the wind and the image of a relaxed chicken, in a coconut bra, crocs taking a drag appeared for all to see. At the bottom it read POGUELANDIA. The name we had deemed our little island paradise the day we arrived.
Cupping my hands to my mouth and yelled in approval, "Poguelandia baby!"
"Whoo!" JJ called out from the tree releasing one of his hand from its trunk to lift it in triumph.
"It's perfect!" Kie yelled.
"Do you guys wonder what's going to happen if we're ever rescued?" Kie asked an hour later as we sat around tying the sharpened rocks to sticks we had found.
"Rescue... from what, from Paradise?" JJ scoffed holding his hand out to the area around us. "I'm not going back, ever. I mean look around; we've got everything we need right here."
"I guess... I mean what would we be going back to anyway?" I asked my eyes trained on the spear I was making. After tying the final knot, I sighed and looked up squinting against the sun as I looked at them. "We'd still go back to the same kook bull shit that we left... only with the added bonus that we disappeared for a month. I'd rather just keep to the adventure I'm on." JJ's lips quirked into a smile as he nodded.
"Adventure baby." He laughed and I nodded remembering our conversation so many nights ago.
"To adventure." I said lifting my spear up and Kie lifted hers so the tips of the now pointed rocks touched. We both looked at JJ who did the same with a nod of satisfaction.
"Alright, so we ready to go provide?" He asked standing up and Kie looked at me with a grimace.
"You know, I think I'll leave the killing to you two, I'm gonna go help Cleo and Pope." Kie said handing me her makeshift spear and I gave her a disapproving look.
"Why'd you say it like that?" I asked, scrunching my nose.
"I mean, that's what you're gonna do." she shrugged with a laugh before walking in the direction of our camp.
"All right, ready to go kill something?" JJ asked standing and holding out his hand to help me up.
"Why do we have to say it like barbarians," I groaned rolling my eyes as I took his hand and brushed sand from my legs.
"Unless you want to eat coconuts forever..." JJ laughed.
"I never thought I would start to hate coconuts, but after a month I think I'm about over it." I said following him down the beach watching as he pulled his shirt off and dropped it on the sand before wading into the water up to his knees.
"You ready?" he asked looking up at me.
"You are aware that my whole 'fishing' experience was watching you off the dock, or casting a net off the Pogue, right?"
"It's easy, look just remember to watch your shadow," he said, he had walked a few steps away in an effort to box whatever we saw in. "If they see your shadow then they're gone, all right?"
"All right." I said unconvinced.
"Okay... All right, just like we practiced." He was in the 'zone' focused on the water as I stood nervously in the water not sure what I was supposed to be doing. "Shit, Roe, right there, it's a Skate... right there you see him?" The next few moments were pure chaos as the small aquatic animal saw JJ and fled directly towards me. Adrenaline and panic consumed me as I debated dropping the spear and letting JJ handle it or if I stabbed blindly into the water. I mumbled to myself shaking my head and cringing as JJ tried to stab at the Skate only to miss. "Shit, where is it?" While he was turning in circles in the water looking for the animal, I saw it stop only a step away and without any hesitation I shoved the spear into the sand and closed my eyes.
Slowly I opened my eyes to see JJ looking at me wide eyed and curious. Lifting the spear, there on the end was the Skate still moving slightly. "Oh my God!" I exclaimed before laughing.
"You did it!" JJ splashed towards me wrapping his hands around me in excitement before lifting the spear high in the air. "We're having skate tonight!"
"Holy shit!" I continued laughing and JJ leaned down placing his lips on mine before letting another exclamation of excitement exit in a loud Whoop!
"To going full Pogue baby." he said his arm still draped over my shoulder as we made our way towards the beach to share our success with the others. The smile remained on my face as we walked towards the shelter and once, we were close enough JJ took the dead skate and showed it to John B with a yell of excitement. The two cheered but I watched as Sarah stared at the horizon.
"Hey you good?" I asked walking towards her.
"I thought… I could have sworn I saw a boat." She said quietly and I squinted out over the waves putting a hand over my eyes. The ocean seemed to go on for miles, nothing but whitecaps. Sarah had gone silent, but I could hear her as she let out a shaky breath. "He's out there I know it, I just… I don't know where or…"
"You know, I keep having this recurring dream." I sighed, taking a seat in the sand, waiting for her to sit beside me. "It's always the same, I'm walking through the trees, sometimes following JJ, sometimes Cleo, or Pope, you and John B… but it always ends the same. Me standing in front of my dad, a gun pointed at me. He tells me I should have listened to him, done what he said, and then he gives me this…this sadistic smile before bang." I put my hands out in the motion of a gun as I spoke. "I know it's a dream, but… I am just waiting for all this..." I lifted my hand to the island, "… for this to disappear."
"You think it will ever go away?" Sarah asked softly, laying her head on my shoulder.
"No…" I shook my head putting my head on hers. "But I do think it will get easier." Eventually Pope, Cleo and Kie made it back with handfuls of berries. As the sun beat overhead, we all sat around in the shade of our shelter passing around a palm leaf hat snacking on berries and coconuts. JJ sat beside me looking out at the ocean, but he was leaning back so his shoulder rested on my leg.
"John B. you're turn." Sarah said, taking off the makeshift hat. "Truth or dare?"
"All right. All right." John B sighed and stood from his spot as Sarah tossed the hat to him. "Truth."
"Truth?" Sarah verified with a smile.
"Truth!" he nodded.
"This is exciting," Cleo laughed beside me.
"If you could do it all over again…, what would you do different?" Sarah asked.
"Wow, deep question." I mumbled looking to John B. as he thought about the answer.
"Uh… get the gold out before Ward did." JJ answered and I smiled.
"Maybe hide the cross a little better." Pope added.
"Not yell murderer at Ward… Maybe." Kie said.
"Not let Pope drive my car while high…" I shrugged.
"Or mine." Kie nodded and I laughed while Pope nodded in agreement.
"Uh, steal a couple bottles of rum before we jumped off the boat." John B finally answered.
"Yeah, why didn't you do that actually?" JJ asked.
"I don't know, maybe 'cause I was in a fight to the death?" he shrugged.
"I would look both ways before crossing the street." Cleo said and I laughed as John B looked shyly away.
"Yeah, my bad." He said apologetically.
"Your turn chief." Cleo said, nodding to Kie.
"All right Kie, truth or dare?" John B asked, placing the hat on Kie's head.
"Truth." Kie answered after a few moments of thought.
"All right. If you could go home to your parents' house on Figure Eight this instant, would you do it?" John B asked and I watched as she thought about the answer.
"No chance." She smirked, shaking her head.
"Seconded." Sarah raised her hand in agreement.
"No chance!" Pope repeated.
"Here, here… to no chances." JJ said beside me smiling up at me. I couldn't help it, at that moment I pulled my hair behind my ear and leaned down placing my lips on his. I could feel him smile against me and when I pulled away, I bit my lower lip.
"The shower's tempting though," Kie added, and I looked back up at the group.
"A working bathroom." I said and Sarah pointed at me nodding vigorously.
"Rowyn you're up." Kie said and the hat dropped at my feet. Picking it up and spun in in my hands looking up at the girl.
"Truth." I shrugged.
"Do you regret it? Any of it knowing you would end up here." She asked and I looked down at the sand. The last few months seemed like they were so long ago, almost a lifetime ago. Losing John B and Sarah, the chase for the cross, kidnapped and deserted on an island… JJ nudged my leg, and I looked up to see everyone staring at me.
"None of it." I smiled looking back down at the hat before clearing my throat. "Regret is for Kooks." I got a round of cheers as everyone agreed before I placed the hat on JJ beside me. "Alright hot shot, you're up."
"I mean do you even need to ask?" JJ asked. I looked from him to Kie who pointed to the cliff beside us.
"All right." I nodded. "You know we've been here a month, and that cliff there has gone untouched…"
"Big jump…" Kie agreed, "Dare." JJ jumped up and started walking towards the cliff a smile on his face. Walking to the edge of the water I looked up as he made it to the top.
"There he is." John B said next to me. "There he is."
"There he goes." Pope added and we all yelled loudly up encouraging him to continue. "Send it!"
"He's not gonna do it." Cleo shook her head in disbelief.
"Oh, I won't huh!" JJ yelled at the challenge.
"Faith Cleo." I laughed, squinting up at him.
"He's gonna do it." Pope agreed. "It's highly dangerous, zero reward… yeah, he's doing it." JJ started to take a few steps back and I watched as he hesitated before he yelled and ran jumping from the cliff, flipping in the air before he landed in the water. I felt the air leave my lungs as I watched him impact the waves and for a brief moment, while we cheered, I started to worry about if he didn't come up. But before the worry could consume any more of my thoughts he burst through the surface. I was already running into the water and into his open arms as the others followed. The rest of the night consisted of eating fish, and sitting with the people that mattered the most to me, to us. This was family, this was everything.
I wasn't sure when I fell asleep, but the thrum of an airplane pulled me from the sound slumber. The airplane and Pope yelling as he ran away. As I sat up blinking sleep and sand from my eyes and scowled trying to understand what was going on. That was until I heard the airplane more clearly and looked to the sky to see the object just above the island. Looking around Cleo was following after Pope. Smacking JJ in the chest he grunted.
"Jay, wake up." I said, shaking him a bit more until he rolled to his side. Standing I brushed my hair from my face and walked towards the water. "Jay." I called again and when I looked over my shoulder, I saw JJ staring at the plane and getting up, waking John B as he passed him. Slowly John B, Sarah and Kie made their way beside JJ and I.
"Hey!" John B started yelling, waving his arm. "Hey! We're over here!"
I looked at JJ as the others started yelling at the plane and I could see the conflict behind his eyes. Being deserted on the island the thought of rescue was always on our minds, but now that it was in front of us, I wasn't sure how I felt. If we left this here… what happens after, when we are back in our old lives. John B continued to yell as the plane seemed to be going in the other direction before it turned towards us.
"He sees us." Kie said a hint of relief in her voice as she turned to John B and Sarah. "Guys, guys he sees us."
"He's gonna go to the pond." John B said running back to our camp and grabbing the small number of items he had before running towards the hillside behind us where there was a small pond of water. I watched as Sarah hesitated before following her boyfriend. JJ and I followed but I stopped just as we got to the top of the hillside.
"JJ, wait." I said, looking out at the group as the plane landed. I grabbed JJ's wrist and held him back. "JJ promise me."
"What?" he asked scowling at me looking at the plane before back at me.
"Promise me this wont change anything." I said quietly still looking at them but my grip on his wrist tightening. "Promise me, we'll still be… us."
"Hey." He said quietly and his hand came to the side of my face pulling it away from the awaiting rescue and towards him. I was staring into his soft blue eyes and could feel his thumb brush my cheek as he leaned his forehead to mine. "Me and you, nothing changes… I promise." He said and I reached my hand up to lay on top of his resting on my cheek and closed my eyes. Taking a deep breath I nodded.
"Come on." He said softly nodding his head to the pond. Taking my hand he led us down to the group just as the door to the plane opened and a man with a ponytail came out regarding us curiously.
"Hello, hello." John B said waiving to the man.
"Hey there." The man nodded to us pulling his sunglasses now the bridge of his nose. My hand squeeze JJ's as I tried to evaluate the threat level of the man in front of us.
"Whoo." Pope exclaimed excitedly. "We're getting out of here, we're finally getting out of here." My eyes fell to Sarah as she stood ridged behind John B. seemingly nervous.
"Well, what do we got here?" the man asked.
"Uh, you know…" John B shrugged looking over his shoulder at all of us. "Just some castaways?"
"Well, I'll cross that off the grocery lists." He chuckled finally taking the glasses off. "Uh, hand on, I got just the thing for y'all. Just one second." The man disappeared back into the plane and I swallowed the lump in my throat.
"Jay… what if…"
"No." he shook his head. "don't go there, this isn't him coming for you… I wont let him." Before I could respond the man came back out.
"Two things." The man reappeared. "you need on a deserted island… first aid and rum." He said revealing the two items. He tossed the first aid kit to Pope and the rum to Sarah who just watched it splash into the water at her feet. "So what's the story?" he asked, "you guys sink a boat?"
"Uh… jumped off one." John B answered and I scowled at him in disbelief. "Her dads."
"What the hell is he doing?" I mumbled. We had no idea who this man is, and now John B was telling this stranger everything like we were friends.
"In-laws man, they're tough." The guy nodded in understanding before standing up and opening his arm to us. "Well, have no fear, Jimmy's here. I got you."
"Well all hail Jimmy guys!" Cleo exclaimed. "Lets go." She was first to the steps up to the steps and Jimmy stepped aside letter her in as Pope followed close behind.
"Welcome aboard the flying fish. I'm Jimmy Portis and I'll be your captain today." Jimmy said I watched as John B, Sarah and Kie all made there way to the ship and JJ turned to look behind him at the island paradise we were about to leave. "Now is this all, seven of you?"
"Uh, yeah… that to heavy?" John B asked looking back at us.
"Nah…" Jimmy shook his head before shrugging and nodding, "Uh, technically maybe. But I think old fish here'll probably be okay. I mean we could always throw somebody overboard, right." I felt uneasy as the man laughed. I felt my legs rooted to the ground until I there was a tug on my hand as JJ pulled me towards the plan.
"Come on." He gave me a half hearted smiled.
"Come on." Jimmy encouraged and JJ stepped up into the plane and I followed behind him Jimmy holding his hand out. "It's okay."
"Yeah I'm good…" I shook my head and Jimmy held up his hands. The plane was small and cramped and I stumbled until I found a spot on the floor just at JJ's feet and in front of John B. I looked around and as excited as everyone was, there was a wave of uneasiness as they looked around the old plane. Jimmy came in shutting the door and walked towards the pilots seat stepping over me as he did so. I had to lean back and I felt JJ's hands on my shoulders holding me close to him, not trusting the man.
"You just tuck on in." Jimmy said behind him, putting the headphones. "Lets… uh, lets get this shit going!" The plane whirled to life and the whole thing shook. I closed my eyes tensing up in JJ's grasp.
"Jimmy." I called out opening my eyes again hoping to get the mans attention. He turned and looked down at me, "How'd you manage to be all the way out here?"
"I got a little guide outfit in Saint Vincent." He answered loudly to be heard over the engine. "I was spotting fish."
"What are you spotting?" JJ asked.
"You know the usual." He said. "Wahoo…" I scowled. I wasn't a huge fisherman, I only knew what I did from JJ and John B, and even that wasn't much, but I dealt with most of the shipments at the wreck and knew when certain fish were in season. I looked across at John B who was looking at JJ, and the look in his eyes told me I was right in my thinking. Before we could say anything or get off the plane shook violently as Jimmy started to turn it around for takeoff. "I'd hang on to something… Gets a little spicey on takeoff."
One of JJs arms let go of me and I looked up to see him grab on to a handle. Around the plane everyone seemed to be grabbing onto something and I grabbed one of the nets holding cargo to the floor cringing as the plane accelerated and lifted into the air. Once we were in the air and level JJ tapped my back and I moved forward so he could signal to others to lean in.
"Wahoo don't run in September... like Ever." JJ said his voice hard. "All right... so whoever this man is, he isn't a fisherman."
"Maybe the run just starts earlier out here?" Pope offered and I just looked at him and scowled.
"Are you sure about that? In the Caribbean?"
"No, I know what this is..." Sarah said from her spot next to John B. "He's working for my dad, and he's probably been looking for us the entire time."
"All right we gotta find out." JJ whispered and started looking around the plane. "Start looking for some sort of..." his eyes fell to the bag hanging just behind me on Jimmy's chair. "Clues." I met his eyes and nodded before turning around and getting onto my knees so I could place myself between the two seats in the front.
"Hey Jimmy." I said loud enough for him to hear. He glanced over at me smiling with a nod. "How hard is it to fly one of these things?"
"Not too hard," he answered his eyes still focused in front of him. I could feel JJ at my side, one of his hands was on my back and the other started opening Jimmy's bag. "Just a couple months really. Couple practice runs and badaboom badabing you have your license."
"So how long you been flying?" I continued looking from the corner of my eye as JJ sat back to look at the contents of the bag.
"Been flying all my life," he answered, "But been flying this bird for about ten years now."
"So, uh, who's that lovely lady right there?" John B jumped in and pointed over Jimmys shoulder to a picture taped to the window beside him. As Jimmy started to answer I moved back to look at the contents in JJ's hands. JJ's was flipping through a book labeled 'El Dorado' before a picture slipped out from one of the pages. I scowled picking it up before looking at JJ. Lifting the image up I nodded to Sarah before passing it to her and I could hear her breath hitch as she looked at the picture in her hands. John B came over beside her.
"The Coastal Venture." Sarah said quietly and Kie and Cleo looked at one another uneasily. "This is the boat we were on. With Eberhimi and the cross."
"So he was looking for us?" Cleo questioned keeping her voice low.
"Exactly." JJ nodded as the picture was passed back. I stared at the ship and images of jumping from it flashed in my head, seeing JJ unconscious face down in the water, Eberhimi wielding the machete... Shaking my head to clear it I passed the picture back to JJ.
"He's working for my dad." Sarah said confidentially. The plane made a sudden drop as it hit turbulance and I put my hands out, bracing it on a crate beside me and closing my eyes waiting for it to pass.
"Hey, y'all better hold something... we got some unexpected turbulence up here." Jimmy called from his seat.
"Guys whatever it is, it's happening fast." Kie commented, her eyes fixed on the front window. Pushing myself up I noticed lush green land coming into view.
"That looks like Barbados," Cleo said eyeing the island in front of us. "I've been there with Terrance."
"Okay," JJ quickly turned towards the group eyeing Jimmy before continuing, "There's seven of us, one of him... you know my vote, we storm the cockpit."
"You're kidding right?" I scowled at him shaking my head.
"Who's gonna fly the plane dumbass?" John B asked and I nodded in agreement.
"I've seen Pop fly simulators." JJ said pointing to the boy next to him.
"JJ I've don't flight simulators, doesn't mean I know how to fly a plane that's currently in the air, and not crash it." I hissed.
"We don't have time to pretend that's a real option." Kie added the plane continued to bump in the air.
"Do you have an idea?" JJ asked frustrated.
"I don't know something safe." Kie said.
"Why don't we just wait until the plane lands somewhere safe." Pope suggested and I could see JJ rolling his eyes, "and then we sneak out, and when somebody comes to mess with us... we mad-dog them."
"I like the mad-dogging part," JJ agreed.
"Okay, just put that back," Kie pointed to the stuff in his lap and I went back to my spot between the two seats.
"So, Jimmy. You think I could learn to fly something like this?" I asked, trying to keep my nervousness out of my voice.
"Sure, it wouldn't be too hard." Jimmy nodded. "I mean here, take a look at this, see this here?" He pointed to a button in front of him. "That there is for the landing gear, of course when you're on the water you don't need the wheels down. The catch is to keep the wings even, you need to make sure your level with the water."
"Okay, and how do you do that, like if there's wind?" I asked, I wasn't really paying attention to his answers, too busy keeping an eye on JJ from the corner of my eye as he tried to return the items he had taken.
"Well, you see, it's important to keep an eye on this gage here and..." As he explained he looked over his shoulder at me, and although I had myself placed in front of JJ there was still a portion of him that could be seen and Jimmy quickly released the wheel. "Hey man! What the hell are you doing!" the plane started jerking violently as I tried to push him back and off of JJ. He was grabbing at the bag, and I had a grip on the strap trying to pull it back. One of his hands managed to grab my wrist and JJ was quick to pull me back, ripping me from his grasp. "That's mine! That's mine."
As John B and JJ continued to grapple with Jimmy the plane started to nosedive, and I grabbed onto the handle above my head.
"Fly the plane!" Sarah called.
"Who are you really?" JJ asked Jimmy as the man continued to try and take the bag from him. The Plane was accelerating at an increasing rate and everything in the cargo hold started shifting.
"JJ!" I called and he looked back at me and then up at the island as it started to get closer. Alarms all over the plane went off and Jimmy gave up his fight for his stuff and turned to the controls. JJ's quickly grabbed onto the handle I was holding onto and wrapped his free arm around me tightly.
"Shit. Come on. Come on Fish, come on fish..." Jimmy repeated, I watched as Jimmy pulled up on the controls just as the plane headed towards the water, pulling the nose up just in time only for the plane to bounce on top of the water tossing everyone around. JJ's grasp tightened just as the plane bounced one more time before the nose hit the water and everything flew forward.
The plane filled quickly with water. Coughing, I brushed water and hair from my eyes and listened as the metal from the plane started to creak under the pressure of the increasing water flow. Beside me JJ's head rested on the side of the plane, and I quickly pushed myself up ignoring the pain in my hip.
"JJ?" I called tapping his cheek.
"Everyone good?" Pope called and looked over at me and JJ. "JJ wake up man, we gotta get out of here."
"JJ!" I called again and he groaned. Relief shot through me as he started to shift and opened his eyes.
"Roe, are you..."
"I'm okay, but we gotta go," I smiled at him pulling him forward towards the door John B was workign to open at the back of the plane.
"Oh no... they don't look friendly," John B said, and I looked out one of the small windows to see several armed men starting to run towards us.
"No, they look very unfriendly." Pope confirmed.
"We gotta go, come on." John B said holding the door open for Cleo and Sarah to jump into the water followed by Pope. John B followed close behind and JJ after, he called to me as his head breached the surface of the water, but I looked back at Kie.
"Kie we gotta go." I called to her, and she nodded, but looked over her shoulder at the pilot unconscious in the front of the plane. "No..." I shook my head, but she looked back at me with big eyes. "No, you have got to be kidding me, he..."
"I know but we can't leave him." she insisted and I pursed my lips as she stared at me.
"Roe, Kie get out before it sinks..." I heard JJ call and looked out the door and then back at Kie.
"Shit..." I sighed. "Okay, hurry." I nodded to her, and we both started to make our way over the scattered items in the plane towards Jimmy.
"Hang on!" Kie called and there was a chorus of shouts at us but neither of us paid any mind to them as we both struggled to stay above water.
"Kie get the door." I told her as I reached for Jimmy undoing his seatbelt. The man flopped to the side, and I had to push his head onto my shoulder to keep it from going under. "Here pull him out." Kie grabbed his shirt and I followed, making sure the rest of him got out.
"Grab a side." she said to me as I got out of the plane. It was a struggle as we swam with a still unconscious Jimmy Portis.
"We got to get him to shore." I said spitting water out as my head went under. Rolling to my back I wrapped my arm around his chest and started to paddle backwards to shore, Kie following suit on the other side of him. Once we were close enough, people were already making their way to us and grabbed onto Jimmy.
"Take him." I said out of breath and exhausted to someone who had showed up. Crawling onto shore beside Portis I coughed and spit salt water onto the sand, Jimmy groaning and coughing beside me.
"Thank you." he said quietly.
"You lied to us." Kie said through gritted teeth. "Who are you?"
"Oh God." Jimmy said lifting his head slightly. I followed his line of sight to the ATV's that were coming our way. "You should get out of here."
"Shit, Kie we gotta go." I said, pushing myself up and holding out my hand to her. She saw the armed men and I heard her curse under her breath as she took my hand, and we started running across the beach. "There's no way we're gonna out run them."
"This way, come on." Kie said and I followed her behind an old, beached boat. I took a few steps back to look out the other side of the boat, my heart pounding in my chest. I saw the plane still nose down in the water and at the other side underneath the pier I could make out five bobbing heads. I was about to tell Kie when I heard someone yell and then stumble. Kie started to crawl from under the boat but one of the men grabbed her.
Grabbing a piece of wood sitting beside the boat I quickly walked to the where then men held Kie and swung it as hard as I could.
"Get the fuck off her." I yelled. The man released Kie but another one came up behind her taking his place. Raising the wood again it was yanked from my hands, and someone grabbed me around my waist lifting me into the air. I kicked and yelled trying to hit anything that would get the man to let me go but it was no use. The man was twice my size and stronger than me, eventually he lifted me and dropped me into the back of a pick-up truck, Kie placed beside me. I looked around for an escape route, but the area was covered in armed men, and ATVs. There was no getting away and just running.
"We are so screwed..." I whispered. Kie looked at me and then sighed, nodding.
"We lost the others but keep searching." I heard a voice on one of the radios say as it passed, and relief washed over me. JJ and the others... they got away.
"We saved your life." Kie seethed at Jimmy as he came up beside the truck. He looked guilty, and scared as he eyed all the men.
"I know, I know I'm sorry." he said and watching him as he spoke, I actually felt like he meant it. "I'm gonna try and help you okay... I swear, I didn't know it was gonna be like this."
"You didn't know they had guns? Or that they would man handle us?" I asked raising and eyebrown.
"Look if you don't fight, if you just do what they say these guys prob... probably won't hurt you." He continued looking at me sympathetically.
"Wow, that fills me with so much hope." I mumbled rolling my eyes.
"What did Ward promise you?" Kie asked and Jimmy scowled at us confused.
"Who?" He asked before looking up as a man approached and quickly started to back away. "Just take my advice and do what they say... Good Luck."
"What kind of shit advice is that?" I asked, turning to Kie. She didn't answer but shook her head and quickly nudged my arm and nodded her head in the direction of another guard getting into the back of the truck with us. He regarded us for a second before tapping the top of the truck.
"All right. Let's go." he said, and the truck was put into gear and pulled away from the beach. Ongoing sunbathers and vacationers watched as we were driven away from the plane crash, none of them reaching out to help, all looking as terrified and scared as Jimmy. Whoever it was that took us... he had a hold over this island. I scooted closer to Kie and I felt her wrap her arm with mind, her fingers lacing with my own as we watched the beach slowly disappear.
Hope it wasn't too rough. I am excited to continue this and watch the season over again.
Any suggestions, thoughts, additions, likes, follows... i appreciate and accept all :)