hello, uncle.

JJ paced.

Otto hadn't come back. For hours they pushed it off as her taking time to be with her father, then they pushed it off as her taking time to sort out her head. And then they got concerned, the group got into the Twinkie and drove to her house, rolling up JJ got out of the drivers seat.

It was easier for him to drive because John B didn't know where she lived. And JJ was shit at directions.

Once out of the car he walked through the side entrance and down to the flat, the lights were off but sometimes Otto sat in the dark. So he checked, he yelled for her and in the flat he would've heard her, but he still looked in each room.

She wasn't there.

He walked back through the house and asked Laura if Otto had come back, she shook her head. Trying not to worry her he brushed it off as a miscommunication and checked she was still okay with taking Freddie for the night to which she happily agreed to.

When he got back into the car everyone saw how tense he was, "We should go to the graveyard JJ." Kie said gently.

It wasn't likely that she'd still be there hours later, but nevertheless they drove there.

Everyone spread out, walking in different directions shouting for Otto.

John B and Pope searched the path that lead back to the Chateau. Sitting on the grass walkway was her phone.

It was obviously hers due to the phone case having a polaroid picture of Freddie when he stuck up his middle finger.

They still held out hope, that was why she hadn't contacted them.

"We found her phone, that'll be why she hasn't answered." Pope said confidently, despite not entirely believing himself.

JJ looked blank faced, just like Otto looked most of the time. Maybe she was rubbing off on him.

"Let's go back to the Chateau to check one last time and then we'll go to the police." Kie said grabbing JJ's forearm and gently pulling him toward the car.

He wasn't talking, or making an decisions.

He was borderline catatonic.

John B drove, knowing the way back to the Chateau from the graveyard well.

The drive was silent, the type of silent that you could cut with a knife and eat. Every teenager in that car had similar things going through their mind.

John B worried about how JJ would react, because if he flew off the handle they wouldn't be able to help Otto.

Kie worried about where her friend was, she was terrified at the thought someone had taken her and hurt her, or if she was dead in a ditch somewhere.

Sarah worried about if the people that followed John B and her, and they're the group was behind this. Because she'd hate herself if they were, because that meant if she hadn't come back this wouldn't have happened.

Pope worried about how he could fix the situation, running through every possible scenario he could think of in his head and how he'd go about fixing it.

JJ wasn't really worried, he was just imagining what his life would be like without Otto. How it would destroy him, blow up his life, he wondered if he'd be able to stay on the rails if that happened. Even for Freddie he wondered if he'd it would be possible.

The fact she didn't have her phone on her made things a lot more complicated, her phone was also turned off which meant she didn't want people contacting her.

Despite them trying to dissect what that may have meant it really wasn't the thing to focus on, it didn't mean anything beyond her wanting time free from people.

When the Twinkie parked up they all tumbled out the car and walked around the corner to back patio.

And sat on the doormat was a envelope.

JJ rushed over to it, picking it up his eyes were first drawn to the emblem printed on the front. It was the same emblem John B had shittly drawn.

Then his eyes shifted over to the words printed on the front.

The Harringtons.

His face paled, his heart sunk and he almost threw up on the spot.

Kie snatched the envelope from his hands, she needed to open it, it was obviously important and JJ was too blinded to see that.

Ripping open the top she pulled out the thick paper, it was stupid expensive rich people paper that they buy because they have nothing better to spend their money on. It didn't have much printed onto the paper, just a set of very simple instructions.

Leave everything that is not the clothes on your back at the house, do not bring phones or any weapons. You will not enjoy the consequences.

Do not bring anyone but the following people: John B Routlage, Kiara Carrera, Sarah Cameron and JJ Maybank. Once again the repercussions of not strictly flowing these instructions will have dire consequences.

Any attempts to contact any law enforcement agencies will, as stated above, have consequences that result in things I shall not name.

And finally, make your way to the Harrington Manor as quickly as reasonably possible, leave your car outside the gates, and remember what is at stake.

That's all it took to snap JJ from his haze, he now wasn't helpless and aimlessly looking for Otto without anything real to go from. Now he had information and explicit instructions, he knew what to do.

Everyone began pulling things from their pockets, lighters, cigarettes, gum, phones and other things got set on the table.

JJ followed suit, but then disappeared into the Chateay briefly.

Otto made it very clear what would happen to JJ's reproductive organs if he ever brought a gun into the flat, so he stored it at the Chateau.

Walking to where he kept it hidden and stashed it away in the back of his trousers, covering it up with a jacket.

The car ride there was filled with palpable adrenaline and nerves, everyone sat on the edge of their seat, bouncing their legs and picking at their fingernails.

The drive had never felt so long, they all thought about what was happening to Otto. When had she been taken? How long had she been there? What was happening to her? Was she injured? Was she even alive?

As said they left the car outside the gates and they anxiously made their way up to the iron wall that encased the grounds, swallowing back terror they walked through the lush garden and toward the door.

They didn't have to knock, it just opened as they neared.

On the other side stood Horris, only Sarah and JJ knew him. Sarah from various upper-class functions and JJ from the restaurant.

He gestured for them to come in and they did just that, all of the awkwardly walked inside and stood a few feet in. Their eyes scanned the room, the roof was impossibly tall, there were grand staircases the looped around either side, and the tiled floor held the obnoxious logo.

Who the fuck has a family crest?

"Where is she?" JJ asked with a clipped tone.

The door shut, the noise ricocheting around the vast room, the older man tutted and walked in front of the teenagers.

"All in good time." He smirked. "I'm sure most of you don't recognise me, but I know every single one of you, and I know everything that occurred last summer. Not the version the islanders know, the filtered, palatable version, I know the real version. I know every detail from the initial realisation the myth was true to when the boat sank that night. And the knowledge I have doesn't stop there, I know about what happened in the Bahamas and what happened in the Outer Banks. You see, if you have not guessed already, I was an integral part of the hunt for the gold."

The way he spoke so smugly, he held so much power and he was very aware of it.

"You're father came to me, John B. I not only have the most wealth on this island, but the most power. As soon as he came to me I gained control of more than the gold, my wealth and power was not the only reason he came to me. He came to me because his wife, your mother, John B was my sister. Which makes my your uncle and Wesley your cousin. Her death was unfortunate, something that so easily could have been avoided, but she always so nosey and had a big mouth. That got her into a lot of trouble, she was not stupid, she put together what was going on around her. She put together the money I procured through nefarious means, her knowing was not an issue, she was my sister. But when she began whispering about me, giving out tid bits of information, something she couldn't help but do, sadly something had to be done. Her death was unfortunate and unnecessary if only she had kept secrets secrets, but she didn't. Your father was also no idiot, he knew from the day she died he knew how she met her end. He went on the police, I believe I have already mentioned my power, and that power leeches I to the police force. When he threatened to go public, let everyone on the island know I told him that if he did you would meet the same fate, John B."

No one could speak, everyone was stunned silent.

But Horris continued, "And tonight I am extending an offer to you, my nephew, tell me where you hid the gold and you and your friends needless death will be stopped."

Sarah and John B had yet to tell the group that while they were on the run they not only found the gold but hid it. During a time were their stalkers weren't on their tails they stashed it.

Everyone continued to be silent.

"You can being her in now." That caught everyone's attention, bringing them back to the moment.

A few seconds later out walked Otto, they looked at her, a bloody gash that had streams down her face and neck, socking into the shirt. A shirt JJ recognised as his. The blood had long since dried but it looked painful to say the least.

When JJ re-met Otto at the start of the term he quickly realised how impossible it was to get a read on her, but as he got closer to her he began to figure it out. But know it was back further than square one, she stared straight through the group like she had no clue who they were. Like they were nothing but strangers.

JJ's rage built with each passing second, and when he saw her he had to use everything within him to stop himself acting on the urge to start shooting.

What stopped him was that not only did Wes have a handful of Otto's shirt, in the other he had a gun. A gun that was pressed against her jaw.

While Otto hid everything she was feeling, Wes was not, he wore his expressions proudly. Glee. Confidence. Elation. Smugness.

"Sarah, come here." Horris said sternly.

Sarah stepped forward, her heart beating painfully against her chest. John B wanted so badly to pull her back, but he couldn't.

They were well and truly fucked.

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