WE WAITED at JJ's place until the sun started to set and even then there was no sign of John B or Kie. I let JJ take the wheel of the minivan and we drove back to John B's place where I left the boys to their devises and headed home. I'd had enough for one day and all I wanted to do was try and get some sleep.

But that was not what my dad had planned for me.

As soon as I walked into the house he appeared, telling me that my mom wanted to see me. I was far from impressed but apparently she was accusing him of corrupting me into not wanting to see her.

It wasn't that it was just that I didn't particularly like the woman after what she did to my dad.

I got on my shabby dirt bike and started my drive to Figure Eight, ignoring JJ and Pope as they shouted after me from John B's porch. If they were still there when I returned home I'd tell them then where I'd been.

I wasn't looking forward to seeing my mom and Topper especially after he'd dobbed me in for smoking weed, clearly his life was boring he had to get a thrill off snitching me in to my mother.

I also wasn't looking forward to whatever argument my mom and I were about to get into. I'd had a rough day and I couldn't be arsed to deal with whatever shit she was going to throw my way.

I drove through the Cut to get to Figure Eight without thinking. I knew the route from the amount of times I'd driven it, it was implemented into my head. I sometimes drove on the faster side and because of that I sometimes found it harder to stop.

So when someone ran out in front of me I swerved them heavily, squeezing the break so hard I nearly flipped over the handle bars. I turned behind me to see John B stood in the middle of the road looking at me and I cocked my head to the side in confusion, "John B?"

He didn't reply, instead he ran towards me and hopped on the back of my bike, "Go."

"What?"

"Christ, Mal, just drive!" He yelled in a rush.

"John B!" A man yelled and I saw one of the square groupers from this morning running out of someone's back garden, "Get your ass back here, boy!"

"Oh you've got to be kidding me." I groaned, revving the throttle and driving away. John B wrapped his arms around my waist tightly and I drove significantly faster than I was before, "Where we going?" I yelled back to him, zipping past people in the street as they yelled at me.

"I don't care!" He yelled over the wind, "Just get me away from them!"

"Rodger that, Routledge." I replied, pushing the bike to go faster.

This was where people would call me a daredevil, when I got too much adrenaline from a rush and the actions I did became borderline dangerous. I was an adrenaline junky, I was addicted to the feeling of freedom I got whenever I did something that kick started my adrenaline. Yeah, I was running from people who were trying to kill us and it was terrifying but the adrenaline pumping through my body made me forget all about it.

I turned a sharp left and sped down a road but before I could even notice a black truck pulled out from a side street, driving straight into the side of my bike. I lost control pretty quickly and the bike skidded out from underneath me, John B and I hitting the gravel. I landed on my side, rolling from the speed I had been flung and hit my head off the road.

I opened my eyes to see John B above me, grabbing my hands and pulling me to my feet, "C'mon, we gotta go!"

I groaned in response as he ran, pulling me away from the square groupers by my hand. I followed him as we ran down to a dead end, an eight foot fence at the bottom of it.

"Shit!" I swore, hearing the square groupers shouting behind us.

"Jump it!" John B yelled to me, letting go of my hand and jumping on to the fence. He clung on before I followed him but I saw the backfire of the wires and he fell back. The gate buzzed after the shock, the electricity crackling.

I dropped to my knees on the stones and shook John B's shoulders after he was electrocuted, "John B, c'mon. C'mon get up!"

"Run." He groaned to me but I shook him quickly.

"You gotta watch those live wires after a storm." The man I saw before said to us as he walked over and I tensed, shaking John B harder.

I felt a hand in my hair as he walked past us and I was pulled up to my feet roughly, "John B!" I yelled, reaching up and grabbing at the hand in my hair.

"Shut it, girl." The second man snarled in my ear and I heard the safety of a gun click, the cool barrel pointing to my temple.

My breath hitched in my throat and I froze as the first square grouper climbed over John B, pulling him up by his shirt and turning him to face me. He leaned down into his ear, "Now you're gonna give me what I want, boy." He said, "Or we might just have to use your girlfriend here to convince you."

As much as I wanted John B to get rid of the compass I didn't want it in the hands of these men. If John B couldn't have it no one should have and, we should just throw it into the sea or bury it somewhere on the outskirts.

I trembled with fear, a tear rolling down my cheek as I locked eyes with John B. He looked conflicted, worried, like didn't want to hand the compass over but he didn't want me to get hurt either.

I shook my head, "Don't." I said to him, "John B don't."

"I said shut it!" The man holding me at gunpoint yelled at me and he used the butt of the gun to hit me in the side of my head. I yelled out in pain, trying to get away but I only tightened his grip on my hair.

"Yeah, she's gonna get a lot worse than that if you don't give us that compass." The other man said to John B.

He didn't reply and I watched as the man nod in my direction at the man behind me, "All right, let's take her."

My blood ran so cold in my body and I forgot how to breathe. I felt him dragging me backwards, away from John B and screamed, I kicked the back of his legs, I dug my heels into the ground and I tried to get away from him but he lowered the gun from my head and used his free arm to pick me up while wrapping his hand around my mouth.

I pulled on his arms as he pulled me towards his car crying, I yelled for John B, I yelled for help. I yelled for him to get off me but my pleas were inaudible. I tried everything to escape, I was scared — I'd never been this scared in my entire life.

Then I heard a police siren, loud and clear.

I opened my eyes to see a cop car on the other side of the electric fence and Sheriff Peterkin got out of the car. The square grouper by John B stood up, looking to Peterkin before back at the man holding me and he dropped me to the floor. I hit the gravel and scrambled sideways away from him in fear, my chest heaving as I tried to breathe. The man behind John B stopped beside me and he sneered down at me, "You got lucky, sweetheart." He sneered at me before walking away and getting into the truck.

I just laid there on the floor in a heap, crying to myself. I wanted to get up and crawl to my friend but I couldn't, I was frozen in fear.

• • •

Peterkin ushered us into her car, claiming the only reason she landed there in the first place was because she'd caught me speeding. I was sat in the backseat with John B as he hugged me comfortingly. I was shaking like a leaf and the tears may have stopped for now but I felt like I could burst again at any given moment.

The both of us looked a mess. My arms, legs and stomach were littered with scrapes. I took the bandana off my head to find blood against it, stuck in my hairline from where the square grouper had hit me with the butt of his gun.

I was scarred and I was absolutely terrified. I couldn't even begin to imagine where I'd be now if Sheriff Peterkin hadn't shown up when she did.

I shivered in John B's arms and he tightened his grip around me comfortingly. Peterkin turned in the drivers seat to face us, "So, how's it working out for you kid?" She asked John B, "It's a whole lot safer if you give it to me than anybody else."

"How—" I caught on my words, "—how do we know we can trust you?" I asked her meekly, my voice was barley just above a whisper but I wanted to ask the question.

Peterkin eyed me softly, "I want what's best for you and John B. I want to keep you both safe and I can do it this way."

I pressed my lips together and nodded before looking up to John B. Peterkin was right, it was better for us if we got rid of that compass and sooner rather than later too. John B met my eyes and I saw the same confliction I had twenty minutes ago. I nodded once, letting him know I thought this was the best way. It was our best bet of getting our hands off that compass quickly and safely and at least this way the square groupers wouldn't come after us again.

He removed an arm from around me and pulled the compass out of his pocket, handing it over apprehensively to Peterkin. She took it out of his hands — our hands — and looked at it before back up to him, "This thing probably saved your life." She told him, "Concentrated the shock... lucky, both of you."

John B nodded and he opened the door climbing out before waiting for me and silently he closed the door after me. Peterkin drove away and we watched her go before walking over to my bike and inspecting the damage.

"I'm so sorry." He told me.

I was crouched down on by the bike, my hand on the floor the only thing keeping me from falling and I sniffled, "It's fine." I replied hoarsely, "I can fix it."

"I'm not talking about your bike, Mal." I nodded, squeezing my eyes shut and dropping my head. I felt John B grab my arms and he pulled me up to my feet, hugging me tightly. I tried not to cry but some tears forced themselves out. I exhaled shakily and stepped away from John B's embrace and I picked my bike up.

"I should probably get home."

He nodded, "I'll walk with you."

• • •

I had to sneak in the house. I wasn't prepared to answer any of my dads prying questions about where the blood on my face had come from or about why I wasn't at my moms house. I'd go and see her later but for now I just wanted to curl up in bed.

I was trying to process everything. First our encounter this morning and near miss with the square groupers, hiding in the chicken coop to escape them. Then evading the cops at the lighthouse after we bailed on John B and Kie. Then John B told me Shoupe had arrested him for assaulting the man who worked up at the lighthouse and Kie's dad had bailed him out so we had that to worry about. And then mine and John B's experience with the square groupers again.

I was still shaking now, just the thought of it.. that they were actually going to..

I was staring at my ceiling when my bedroom door opened and I jumped in shock, sitting up to see John B stood there.

"Don't you know how to knock?" I fired incredulously, collapsing back against my bed, my heart racing.

"I'm sorry." He apologised, "Your dad let me in."

"It's okay." I told him, "What's up?"

"We're going on a mission." He told me, "And we'd kind of like it if you could come."

"We?" I asked, "Who's we?"

John B shrugged, "Our friends." Right, so they were going to go without me. He must've read my expression because he stepped forwards, "I honestly thought coming with us would be the last thing you wanted right now but they're insisting I should at least ask you to come."

I pressed my lips together, "Did you tell them?"

John B shook his head, "I understand if you say no but they weren't — JJ wasn't going to let me leave without at least asking you."

I arched a brow, "So it's JJ who wants me to come?"

"Yeah." He nodded, "He said we were too boring to handle alone."

I chuckled lightly under my breath, that sounded a lot like JJ to me. I thought about it before nodding, "I'll come." I said to him, "But where am I coming to?"

"The graveyard." He told me.

I nodded, getting up off my bed and grabbing a sweatshirt. I sometimes got cold in the night and I didn't want my friends to see the state of my scratched and grazed arms. I pulled the jumped over my head and slipped into my over worn converse before pulling my hair out of my ponytail and following John B out of my house.

"Dad, I'll be back later!" I called back, "I might stop out."

"Alright sweetheart!" He called back from a different room and I found myself shuddering. I immediately thought back to that man calling me sweetheart and I don't think I'd ever hear that word again without thinking of that memory.

John B noticed and on my porch he turned back to me, "All right?"

I exhaled and followed him out, nodding while I shut the door behind me. It was dark outside and the only thing lighting up the yard was the lights of John B's minivan that we walked over to.

He opened the side door for me and I climbed in to my friends cheers. John B closed the door after me and I tried to smile through my emotions as best as I could as I sat down in the van.

"See." JJ said to John B as reversed out of my driveway, "I told you she'd come."

"Yeah well I couldn't let you guys have all the fun without me." I told my friends through a breath.

JJ nodded and he grabbed my hand to pull me over to the seat he was lounging across. I sat down next to him and he held up an already lit joint, asking me silently if I wanted some. I met his blue gaze and I was almost positive everything I was trying not to portray was showing. I was trying to push my fear away but looking at JJ I just wanted to pour my heart to him.

With a sigh I took the joint off him, puffing on it and inhaling the weed into my lungs. I was met with a familiar feeling of satisfaction and with my eyes closed I exhaled heavily before taking a second drag.

I opened my eyes to see JJ watching me closely, he didn't always show it but he was good at reading people... very good. His eyes moved as he looked over me and even to the jumper I was wearing. He grabbed the sleeve of it with his lips pulled down in confusion as I took a third drag. He looked up to me again, about to ask me why I was wearing a jumper when he saw something else instead.

He leaned even closer to me and I felt my heart beating faster. JJ reached out to me with his hand and he ran his fingers into my hairline. He'd cracked it, probably found a bit of blood I'd missed when cleaning my face and scalp earlier and his fingers grazed ever so lightly across the wound. I winced fractionally in pain but he was close enough to see and notice it.

"What's this?" He asked me.

"I fell off my bike." I told him — omitting the truth.

"Huh." He muttered, "Really?"

"Yeah." I nodded, looking into his eyes. He didn't seem to be buying it but he didn't seem to be prying me any further either. I offered the joint back to him, trying to distract him away and he took it from me.

I lounged back into the seat as JJ put his arm over the back of the double seat we shared.

"So, do you mind if I just relax on this one?" He asked, "It's been a long day and a lot of weird stuff's gone down. I'm just gonna lay low— oh, did you want some of this?" He directed to Pope, holding the joint out to him.

Pope pushed his hand away gently, "I keep the signal clear."

"Dude, okay. Do you understand that your problem is that you don't get creative?" JJ asked Pope and I took the joint from his hand, puffing on it again, "If you get creative then—"

John B interrupted him, "—Look, I-I know I was wrong about the lighthouse, all right?" He said to us, "An-and pretty much wrong about everything else going on but I-I was right about one thing, okay? My dad is trying to tell me something."

"And we're going to find it here?" I asked as he slowed the van down to a stop.

He put the handbreak on and turned to me, "I hope so."

We got out the minivan, flashlights at the ready as John B directed us through the graveyard.

"This place is scary." Kie muttered.

I nodded in agreement from besides JJ as I looked around, pointing my flashlight, "Yeah tell me about it, it's giving me the heebie-jeebies." I said shuddering.

JJ smoothly put his arm around my shoulder and I turned to him smiling at me, "Don't worry sweetheart, I'm here if you get scared." He said in a mischievous tone but I found my breath hitching at the word he used.

"Could you not call me that anymore?" I asked him gently, "Please?"

He frowned, a look of confusion slipping over his face, "Why not?"

I shrugged trying to be as nonchalant as I could, "I just don't like it anymore."

"You were fine with it this morning."

"I know.. but I'm not a fan anymore."

He nodded but he didn't look convinced, "Yeah, okay." He told me, "Whatever you say darlin'."

Christ my knees nearly gave in.

"Please stop trying to flirt with each other." Pope said to us, "We don't want to hear it."

"What's wrong Popie?" JJ teased, "It's not like it's nothing new."

"No." Pope disagreed, ignoring JJ's nickname for him, "You're flirting more, it's gross."

I simply shook my head as Kie tried to keep up with John B, "What are we doing here?" She asked him.

"Okay so you know how you're trying to remember a song and you can't remember who sings it?" John B asked.

"Yeah."

"So, Redfield. This whole time I thought it was a place, right?" He asked, "But it's not a place.." He stopped before a mausoleum and held the light up to it and I saw the name Redfield engraved into it, "It's a person."

"Voi-effing-là." JJ mused.

"See my great-great-grandmother Olivia Redfield, that was her maiden name." John B told us.

We kind of just stood and stared at the mausoleum in silence, all shining our flashlights on it when John B walked towards, "Help me with the door, c'mon."

JJ, John B and Pope stood by the door, "All right, one, two, three."

They started pushing, or at least I think they started pushing by the expressions on their faces, but the door didn't budge one little bit. I guess it had been a long time since someone had visited this plot.

"Are you pushing?" Pope grunted.

"Yeah, I'm pushing." JJ replied, his voice was strained.

"C'mon!"

"Here I got it." JJ said.

"This door is like 700 pounds man. It's not gonna budge." Pope said.

"We didn't come this far to get this far, all right?" JJ told him.

I walked forwards, dropping the flashlight on the ground, "Budge up you sissys." I told them, slotting in between John B and JJ, "I swear if this door opens now."

"Just be quiet and push." JJ told me and I did just that. I pushed my entire weight into the door, groaning slightly under my breath as I did. I quickly started to sweat and I pushed the sleeves of my jumper up before trying again.

I heard hissing and JJ grabbed me by my arm quickly, pulling me back.

"Woah, woah!"

"It's a snake!" JJ yelled and the reptile slithered out from a gap in the wall. I grabbed at JJ's arm as it slithered towards us and we scattered backwards.

"Woah, woah, woah." Pope said panicked.

"That's a moccasin, all right." JJ told us.

I looked up to him in disbelief, "Of course you know what type of snake it is."

He shrugged his shoulders before pouncing forwards towards the snake and barking at it as it slithered away. I rose both my brows in seriousness as he barked at it and pulled him back by his shirt, "Dude, shut the fuck up."

"Shut up, JJ!" Kie yelled as he carried on, "Shut up."

"You're gonna wake the dead, man." Pope said to him.

"They're afraid of dogs." JJ told us, looking around with this head light on, "Everyone knows that... wait, hold on. Hold on, hold on, hold on."

"What?" We all chimed as he looked up the mausoleum.

"If there's one there's probably dozens." He replied.

Pope's jaw dropped, "What?"

"Can you stop? You're scaring me." Kie told JJ and he started barking again.

I growled in annoyance under my breath and pulled him back by his shoulder, "All right Underdog, calm your tits."

"Stop barking at the snakes." John B scolded.

Pope pulled on his shoulder, "Look John—"

"I'm just making sure it's clear." JJ tried to defend but Pope spoke over him.

"—shut up, shut up." Pope said to us all, "John look, we're not gonna get in there, all right? It's not budging... we should probably just go."

"Yeah before JJ starts barking at more snakes again." I said, crossing my arms over my chest and giving him a side eye.

JJ put his hands up defensively, "How many times do I have to tell you they're afraid of—"

"—I can get through." Kie interrupted. I looked past JJ and to her as she shone her flashlight up to the mausoleum.

"What?"

She nodded, "I can get through."

"Nah, nah, nah." Pope disagreed.

"You think you're gonna fit through that hole?" John B asked her and I looked to see the small hole they were talking about.

"Look, this is about your dad." Kie responded, "And honestly, I really don't believe in it but you deserve to know the truth." We were silent and she nodded, "I'll do it."

Kie walked towards the mausoleum and we sprung in to help her, pulling the old and dead weeds out of the way and holding it.

JJ leaned against the wall and clasped his hands together, "I'm gonna give you a boost. I've seen it in the movies several times, ready?"

"Remind me what we're looking for?" Kie asked.

"You'll know when you see it." John B replied.

I nodded to myself, "That's.. that's—"

"—Shut up." Pope told me quietly, "Shut up."

JJ hoisted Kie up and over into the mausoleum after a little arguing and she was on the other side of the wall, "Flashlight?"

Pope handed it over to her and we stepped back away from the mausoleum.

"You alive?" John B asked, "You got like, a— a heartbeat and everything?"

"She only jumped over a wall John B." I told him.

"So far." Kie called back to us, "I need some more light."

"Yeah, yeah. Here I gotcha." John B nodded, holding his lamp through the gap in the mausoleum.

"Did you find something?" JJ asked, "Is it gold?"

I looked at him as I stood with my arms crossed, "Why would it be gold?"

He shrugged, "I dunno I just—"

"—Oh my, god." Kie muttered and I looked at the mausoleum in anticipation.

"Kie?" I asked her, "Kie what is it?"

"Hang on." She told me and then she passed a white, rectangular envelope through a hole in the the old slabs. John B grabbed it from her and she started her climb back out of the mausoleum

"That's not gold." Pope said in disappointment.

"Holy shit." John B muttered, "This is from my dad."

• • •