The Bell Tower: Enchilada

"You sure Ward got all the gold?" Kie's face is defeated while she looks at John B from across the dock. 

I keep my eyes off of JJ while he sulks across from me, his face red from crying all night, that makes two of us, I'm sure I look like shit too. I guess he thought he could show up today and say another measly little sorry to get me back after everything he said and did to me. I want him back if he truly loves me, but he can't just get away with his scary behavior. Especially when I can't trust that he's not playing some sick game to pull me back in, fuck me and then hurt me when he's ready to leave again. 

"The whole enchilada." John B pries his cast off his wrist, "Every bar, gone."

"John B!" Kie frowns, watching him flex his hand.

"Bro, that shit stinks." My fingers plug my nose while my foot nudges his nasty cast away from me, "Go wash your wrinkly arm before we all catch a staph infection."

JJ chuckles, I quickly look away after we lock eyes. I miss looking into those beautiful ocean blue eyes of his. Shoot, I miss everything about him, well the sweet side of him anyways. 

"What Kie? It's just a hairline fracture."

"You'll make it worse." She tries to argue with my hard headed brother. 

Before he could answer Pope comes bounding down the dock, still in his suit from his scholarship interview; sweat coating his shirt.

"Guys! Guys!" He breathlessly calls out, stopping to bend over with his hands on his knees trying to get air into his lungs once he reaches us. 

"How was your interview?"

"Don't ask." He waves his hand at JJ, "Willow, John B, I'm sorry about everything. But... but I don't have a lot of time, and... and I have information that is tactically relevant, so, before I had my interview, my dad said he was going down to the private airstrip to cut palms for the Cameron's big plane. Because it was too heavy, it needed a longer landing strip to take off. So, I'm there sitting in my interview, thinking to myself, Hm. Why would the Cameron's need a longer airstrip to take off? What could be so heavy to weigh it down?"

"Gold." JJ smiles when he looks around at everyone, his eyes soften when they land on mine. 

Which makes me feel mad, why is he doing this to me? It was easier when he was avoiding us, because at least I knew he didn't want me. Now he's acting like his old self, acting like he actually cares about me. 

"Exactly." Pope confirms our thoughts, "Guys, this is our chance, but it leaves tonight, so we have to go now."

"What's the plan, big man?" JJ looks towards John B, since he makes all the decisions around here. 

"We're gonna steal that shit back." He has a huge smile plastered over his face. 

"Let's do this!" Pope pumps his fist in the air while everyone laughs and runs to the Twinkie.

My arms wrap around my belly while I slowly follow after them, a smile crosses my face when Pope runs back and walks along side of me, "I'm fine."

"I know." He smiles back at me, his hand gently rests on my upper back when I go to climb into the back of the van. 

"Hurry up slow poke." John B flashes a cheesy grin at me while driving us down the driveway.

"I'm slower than usual these days, Johnny, my body is growing a tiny human at the moment."

Kie twists in her seat so she can look at me, "Your belly is so cute."

"Thank you." My eyes lower to my baby bump after I catch JJ staring at me, "It feels weird but I already love my baby."

"I do too." She smiles when I snap my head up, feeling weird about how nice she's being to me right now, "How long until you're due?"

"Like six months I think."

"Well hopefully we'll have some of the gold to be able to lean on." John B turns down the long road that leads to the private airstrip, "Then we can get everything you and the baby need, six months is plenty of time to prepare ourselves." 

"We go in there, gun a-blazin', make Ward Cameron beg for mercy, abscond with as much gold as possible and vámonos, get the hell out of there." JJ smiles while loading his gun, "We need to go far though so he doesn't try to get back at us. I don't want Willow and our baby anywhere near Ward anymore." 

Fuck he's so attractive. Stop.

John B nods in agreement, "Send that shit straight down the Intracoastal."

Kie smiles when she looks back at JJ, "Wait for weather."

"Exit to Cuba."

JJ looks up at Pope, "Cuba? No, man, Xcalak, Jewel of the Yucatan. Lobsters so thick, mangoes, and no word for money."

I sit back and rest my hand on my belly, listening in to everyone's excited conversations about the Gold. It doesn't take long for us to get to the private airstrip where Wards plane is, John B pulls us into the tree line at the end of the tarmac so that we're hidden. We all jump out to look through the chain link fence and of course Pope conveniently has his binoculars so were able to see what's happening.

I don't know how Pope is always so prepared for things, it's like he knows ahead of time what we need for these adventures we go on. Makes me laugh when he pulls odd objects from his backpack that works perfectly in the moment, usually JJ or John B will tease him about it, but I love it. 

"It's Sarah." John B breathes out.

"What? She helped him?" Kie asks in disbelief.

"No, I heard Ward say he was taking her away so she can't be with John B." I state, they all look at me with wide eyes, "He didn't like that she was on the dirty pogues side of things." 

He looks through the binoculars again, "Shit, he's hurting her!" 

I know John B always leaves the keys in the ignition in moments like this for a quick getaway, so I quickly run off for the Twinkie before anyone can stop me. They all turn when I start the van and hit the gas, sending me flying towards the fence. 

"Princess, no! Stay here!" JJ screams, fear across his face, "Baby please!"

"WILLOW!" John B bellows. 

"Willow, don't try to be a hero!" Pope yells over my brother. 

But it's too late, I ran the Twinkie through the fence and took off down the tarmac.

My eyes search the plane when I get even with the cockpit, seeing Sarah arguing with Ward through the window, my heart drops when I realize he's grabbing her while she cries in fear. God, I know what that feels like, I can't let him hurt her. My foot pushes the gas pedal to the floor, the van lurching forward as I put the van to it's limits; gaining on the a lot more speed now. 

Once I get out ahead of the plane I yank on the e-brake, jerking the van sideways as I skid to a stop, the side of the Twinkie now facing head on with the the plane as it barrels towards me. 

"SHIT."  I scream while the plane tires screech, ducking my head down, waiting for the impact.

Am I dead already? 

After a few seconds of silence I look up, with inches to spare, the plane had came to a stop.

"That was close." I whisper to myself, scrambling out of the van and around the back to the plane door.

Ward barrels towards me with a red face, "You trying to kill us? You could have killed your best friend!" He points at Sarah after she stumbles down the steps, dodging his hands when he tries to grab her, but I pull her away and stand in front of her.

"Don't touch me!" Sarah warns while clutching my arm. 

I narrow my eyes, "I need the gold." 

He chuckles, "Not gonna happen."

The three of us turn our heads when police sirens blare behind us, moments later Sheriff Peterkin exits her patrol truck and slowly approaches us.

"I told you these Routledge kids are out of their goddamn minds!" Ward jabs his thumb my way, "She almost killed us." 

"Put your hands behind your head." Sheriff Peterkin demands.

"I'd listen to her, kid." Ward warns me, "Do as she says or things will get worse for you." 

"Nah, she's not talking to me."

"Ward Cameron, you're under arrest for the murder of Big John Routledge." Peterkin steps towards him when he whips around to stare at her.

"Are you kidding me?"

"Turn around!" Peterkin demands, "Hands on your head!"

Ward just stands in his spot staring at her, clearly shocked by the sudden change of events. 

"You really thought you'd get away with it?" I ask, humor in my tone, "You thought it wouldn't catch up to you? Being wealthy doesn't make you invisible."

Ward finally turns around; facing us, his arms slowly moving when he brings his hands behind his head. It feels like the world slows down when my ears start to ring from a gun shot, the sound piercing the air around us. 

My eyes widen when I see Sheriff Peterkin gasp and drop to the ground, revealing Rafe standing behind her with his gun drawn. 

My breath hitches when he flashes a wicked smile at me; he looks unhinged if I'm being completely honest. 

"Willow, run."

I ignore the whispering in my ears while goosebumps scatter across my skin. The air feels foreign to me, eerie and something else, it's too quiet, until it isn't anymore. 

"No." Sarah's sob disrupts my trance.

My gaze shifts away from Rafe and over to my terrified best friend, "I know, I know." I grab onto Sarah and rub her arms to calm her down, "We're okay." 

"Rafe, what did you do?" Ward asks, his voice an octave higher than normal, his eyes darting between Peterkin gasping for air, the blood around her and his gun wielding son.

"I saved you dad." Rafe lets out a shaky laugh while tears come to his eyes, "I.. I saved you."

"Stay here." I whisper to Sarah, she nods and lets my arm go, so I run over and drop to the ground pressing my hands to Sheriff Peterkin's chest.

Rafe looks over and shifts the gun to point at me, "You're coming with me, Willow."

"Rafe, no no no." Ward pleads with him when he starts to walk towards me, "Hey, calm down son."

I tune out Rafe's meltdown and continue to help Peterkin, tears running down my face after she coughs up blood, "Call," She mutters to me while her hand weakly tugs at her radio hooked onto her shirt, "Call for help." 

"No, leave, Willow. It's too late for her, go now." 

My fingers grip the radio, my breath heavy when I hear Rafe panicking over me telling on him, before I can make the call, Ward grabs the device from me, "Rafe, I got it, I got it, it's okay." He holds the radio up so he backs up away from me, the gun still pointing my way. 

"This is safe."

Peterkin grabs my hands, "Run, honey." She gasps in pain, "Run." I glance up to see Rafe talking to himself like he's having some sort of psychotic breakdown and Ward still trying to calm him down. 

"Listen to her, go!"

"No." I sniffle, "I can't leave you like this." 

Blood. So much blood is coating my arms, my clothes, even my legs are soaked from kneeling in the puddle under her.

Rafe's hands start to shake while he stares at me, "Get up." 

I look down at Peterkin and cry, "I'm so sorry, I'm... I'm so sorry."

"RUN WILLOW."

My bloody hands raise into the air while I slowly get to my feet, backing up towards Sarah when Rafe starts to argue with Ward again. 

Do I really run? I'm scared he will shoot me if I do, I don't know what to do.

"Just go, you can do this."

Ward tries to block Rafe from looking at me but he shoves him to the side, "I've always liked you, Willow." He cries while my brows furrow, "I want you to be mine, not that dirty pogues." 

I take a step back when he steps towards me. I need JJ, I want him here so he can protect me, I think he would if he could, he wouldn't let someone hurt me or our child. 

"Rafe," I weakly respond, "we're friends, okay?" My hands shakily circle my belly when I slightly turn to show them, "I'm.. I'm pregnant with JJ's baby, so please don't hurt me." 

Sarah gasps and pulls me behind her, "Stay away from her, Rafe."

"If I can't have you then no one can." He yells while his eyes harden, "You're going with me. I.. I need you with me. I can keep you safe."

"Just calm down, son." Ward rests his hands on Rafe's shoulders, "We can talk this through."

"No, she's perfect dad, I want her to be with me." His eyes roll back a little every time he moves too fast, his voice full emotion as tears steadily run down his face, "She... she deserves more than that pogue can.. can give her, I.. I can help her raise her baby. Maybank can't do that for her." 

Where is this coming from? He's never acted like this before.

I look at Sarah with wide eyes, "I thought he didn't like me."

She nods, confusion in her eyes while we watch Rafe and Ward argue about me again.

"Son, you can't make her be with you." Ward tries to reason. "This isn't the way to go about this." 

"SHE'S MINE." Rafe screams, causing Sarah and I both to flinch in fear. 

"Willow, you need to leave right now!" 

How is this happening? Rafe has never shown this much interest in me. We've been friends for years and he never tried to be with me, why now?

"I have to get out of here." I whisper to Sarah.

Rafe snaps his head up to look at me, clearly having heard what I said. I start to panic as he stares me down with his glossy dilated eyes. 

"Run, Willow!" Sarah pushes me away after Rafe charges at me.

Ward grabs his arm to slow him down while I duck under the nose of the plane; my sole focus is running as fast I can. 

I take off down the tarmac towards the trees where I left all my friends and my brother, I can hear Rafe screaming my name, Sarah and Ward yelling at him to calm down. My heart pounds against my chest when gun shots fire off, bullets whizzing past me while I flee from the scene that'll haunt me for life. 

My friend just murdered someone and tried to kidnap me. Holy shit. 

"Run faster Willow. You're almost to your friends."

"Fuck!" I scream when I break through the trees, sobs racking my body as fear continues to race through me. There's a road up ahead, I can't stop, I have to keep-- my body flies through the air after I collide into a car, groaning when I roll to the side clutching my belly. 

All I can think about is my baby being okay and getting as far as I can from Rafe. 

"Hey!" A mans voice calls out, "Are you hurt?"

I'm quick to jump to my feet, ignoring the pain, and take off down the road, leaving the man from the car behind me. I dip back into the tree line when I see a dilapidated shed near a boat storage place. When I get close I hear the voices of my friends stressing out over me, so I slowly walk into view, watching in slow motion as everyone turns to me with shocked expressions. 

"Princess?" JJ timidly walks up to me, his eyes focused on the dried crimson red stains all over me, "Who.. who's blood is that, baby?"

"Are you hurt?" Pope grabs my arm to look for injuries. 

I stare at them, my mind stuck on replay of the events on the tarmac. 

"Willow, what happened?" John B cries out, "Is.. is that Sarah's blood.. or yours?"

"Talk to us." Kie squeaks, "Please, Willow, what happened?"

"Rafe killed Sheriff Peterkin and... and he tried to kidnap me." I cry, "I tried to save her, I tried--"

"Hey hey," JJ pulls me into his arms, rubbing my back while I breakdown, "You're safe now, we've got you, Princess."

"We have to get out of here, Rafe is having some kind of psychotic breakdown and thinks I'm his girl," I pull away and look into his worried eyes, "he wants to hide me away so I cant be with you, Jay, he said if he can't have me then no one can. He wants to help me raise our baby on the Kook side of the island." 

"What the fuck." Kie angrily exclaims, "But.. he said he still likes me." 

"Apparently not, he was being crazy, he held me at gun point," I sob, my hands stay on my belly, "I had to run while Ward and Sarah held him back as he shot at me. I was so.. so scared."

"We'll keep you safe, Willow." John B pats my shoulder, "But we need to get Sarah."

"She's on our side, Johnny. Wards lost his mind too, Peterkin was there to arrest him for murdering dad, but now she's DEAD. And.. and.. and I got hit by a stupid car running here."

"What?" JJ cups my face, "Does anything hurt? How's the baby?"

"Everything, Jay, everything hurts. I'm sad, I'm mad, I'm in pain, and I feel alone."

He squeezes me in a gentle hug, "You are not alone, baby. I'm right here, and I'm not going anywhere, you're stuck with me forever. And ever. And ever." 

"You have us too, Willow." Pope softly tells me, "Always." 

Police sirens blare past us, making me grab onto JJ and cling to him while Peterkin's dead body flickers in my mind. I knew something bad was going to happen because of this gold ordeal.

God, it's overwhelming and exhausting. My body needs rest, my mind needs a break from the chaos, and I'm terrified of Rafe and Ward now. 

~~~~~

A few hours later we ended up in Kie's car; I made her drive us to the police station so I can tell them my side of what happened before Ward makes up a lie about who shot Peterkin.

"Why are we here, Princess?" JJ asks, his arms tightening around me when I slump into his side. 

I haven't forgiven him, but I will let him comfort me after witnessing a murder and almost getting kidnapped. 

"I saw too much." I explain, "Ward isn't going to let Rafe go down for this. Or Sarah. I might as well tell the cops my side before he lies about it." 

Pope cuts off the sullen moment when he starts coughing after inhaling too much from the blunt he has, making JJ bust out laughing at him, "Easy there, chief. Damn."

"I'm fucking pregnant, dude." I grumble, using my hand to waft the smoke away, "Smoke that shit outside." 

JJ stops laughing and helps me get the smoke away from us, muttering to Pope to put the blunt out, "Alright, baby, I'm just gonna be real with you right now. You might end up in the lion's den, but you don't go there on purpose, it's fundamental. Just like my old man always told me, you should never ever trust cops, no matter what the circumstance is."

"So I should just let Ward tell his own story? Pin shit on me?" 

JJ shakes his head, "No--"

"Your old man's an abusive liar."

I tense at Kie's comment, JJ senses my discomfort and pulls me closer into his side while his fingers run through my hair. My mind fights off the memories of him hurting me while I avoid looking up at his face. 

"I agree with JJ." Pope chimes in, "Fuck the police.""You goin' to the dark side now?" Kie asks in disbelief. "When's the last time the police helped us?"

I sigh in frustration, "I'm not saying I trust the cops, but I have to at least tell them my side. I can't hide away and make myself look guilty of something I didn't do." "Peterkin looked out for us," John B speaks up from the front passenger seat, "tried to, at least. I agree with Willow, they need to know her side of this."

I pull away from JJ and climb over him after opening the door with my shaky hand that's still covered in blood. God I need a shower, I want to throw up from having her blood on me. 

"I'll be back." I state in a monotone voice. 

"Okay, Princess." JJ watches me with a concerned expression while I close the door behind me. 

I slowly make my way into the police station, the dispatcher barely looks at me when I walk up to the counter,  "Uh... excuse me, ma'am."

"This is not a good time, kid." She dismisses me while talking into the dispatch radio. "Adam, advise if you need air-tran.""I know who shot the sheriff.""You stay put. I'll get a deputy." She looks at me, taking in my bloody body before running off down the hallway.

I clasp my shaky hands, nervously looking around the quiet room. 

"Willow, leave now." 

"Central, three Vick. We have a suspect in our 31." The dispatch radio cackles, "Willow Routledge." 

I scoff, they are already blaming me for this, they didn't even get my side of the story. "Copy that. All units, be on the lookout for Willow B Routledge." A woman's voice responds through the radio.

Fuck, what do I do?

"Leave, Willow, go hide.""Sixteen-year-old white female. Five foot two." Shoupe advices, um I'm five foot four idiot. "Last seen wearing jean shorts and a Bad Brains T-shirt.""Copy that."I shove my hands into my pockets and turn to leave but I stop short when Officer Thomas and Officer Plum walk through the door down the hall, they cautiously walk towards me with their hands on their guns at their waist.

I start to slowly back away as they approach me, shit I can't be here.

"Move slowly towards the door."

"Just... breathe. Alright?" Plum shakily tells me. "Let me see your hands." Thomas demands."Willow, do what he says." I take my bloody hands out of my pockets and hold them up while I back away again, "Look, I didn't... I didn't do it, okay? Wards lying." "Don't move." Thomas warns, but I don't listen and take off for the door, "Don't move!" He screams, "STOP."

I hear their guns cocking when I push through the door, "Shit!" Dashing for the car as fast as I can, "Kie! Start the car!" I whip the door open, JJ reaches out and pulls me in while the officers scream for me to stop, "Start the car, Kie! GO!"

"What did you do?" Kie frantically asks while she starts the car.

"The cops!" I yell. The Officers start banging on the windows as she starts to drive away, my breath heavy as I panic. "Fuck, I'm going to go to prison for this shit."

"Shit!" JJ yells when everyone panics around me, "Come here, baby." He pulls me into his lap, shakily holding me close to his chest, "I won't let them get to you." 

"Go! Kie, drive! Go!" I sob, "Don't let them get me, please."

 "I'm going!" Kie squeaks out as she drives, "I'm sorry!""Stop the car!" Officer Plumb  screams while holding on to the door handle. "Right now!"

"What did you do?" Kie asks me again, her voice high as she continues to panic. "Open it." Pope tells JJ, he shoves the door open making Officer Plumb fall to the ground. "Pull over!" The officers screams from behind us. "Holy shit." I pant, "That was close." 

"Why were they chasing you, Willow?" John B speaks up after we sat in silence driving through the night. 

I wipe my tears while shifting into my own seat, "I'm the main suspect, they think I killed Peterkin." 

"No." JJ breathes out, "No, I cant lose you."

"You already have." I bury my face in my hands and let out every emotion I've been holding in, "You'll get the.. the baby and I'll sit in prison... for life, probably get the... death penalty."

"No," He cries with me, "I haven't lost you, Princess, don't say that." 

"STOP." I yell, turning to him and roughly wiping my tears, "I can't handle our issues right now. I'm on the fucking run for murder right now, JJ. Focus on that." I shake my head, "I still love you so fucking much that it hurts, but I can not handle this on top of everything else, okay?"

He wipes his own tears, "I'm sorry, I'll stop. I, um, I love you too." 

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