young blood | outer banks | JJ

seventy-seven | putting together

IT FELT LIKE putting together a puzzle. All of these random clues and they just had to piece them together for it to make sense. It didn't help they were somewhat working with a time crunch which was Big John's life but they just had to keep moving.

"The last thing Sowell said before he died was 'Neville.' Right there," John B pointed him out.

"Neville Persaud, expedition guide," JJ said.

"So Sowell said 'five people on the expedition', right? Three of those people died, which leaves us with two," he said.

"Sowell," JJ started.

"And Neville," Carson finished.

"He's the last one alive," he said.

"Yeah, I think Sowell was telling me to warn him," John B said.

"Well, we better get to him before he's unalive," Carson said. They wasted no time jumping back in the Twinkie, hoping they wouldn't be too late getting to Neville. With all of the rest of the expedition members already dead, he was basically their last chance at getting some answers.

"Okay, now, so let me get this straight. So, because you know a guy with the same last name as Neville, you think they've gotta be related? That's your master plan?" John B said.

"I hate to say this, but this is the best we've got," Carson reminded him. It wasn't much to go off of but it was a start and maybe it would lead somewhere.

"How many people do you know with the last name Persaud?" JJ said. "I met a guy here last summer with my cousin 'cause we were doing the growing business. Last name Persaud." He stopped and looked at the ground. "Or wait, was it Percett?"

"Really, JJ?" Carson said.

"Yeah, 'cause we're talking about my dad's life that we're talking about," John B said.

"No, no, no. No, I know. Mr. Persaud," JJ said. "Trust me. It's cool. Hey, uh, Mr. P, right?"

"Hey!" the man greeted JJ happily. Carson let out an internal sigh of relief that they got lucky with this one, hoping they would get lucky again by this man actually knowing Neville.

"Hey, so we're looking for Neville," JJ told him. "Is he still here?"

"Nah, nah, he's out there," the man said. "Been holding up near Doe Creek."

"Doe Creek."

"In his houseboat. Way, way back," he said. They thanked the man for the information then began their way back to Doe Creek in search of Neville and his houseboat.

"Why you ever doubt me, dude?" JJ said.

"The idea was a little far-fetched is all I'm saying," John B said.

"Let's not forget that most recently you also A) almost got arrested by the cops after throwing a rock at their windshield and then B) almost died after crashing your motorbike into the side of the overpass wall," Carson said. "Can't really blame us for a holding a little bit of doubt."

"Fine, I'll give you that one, but it was all in the name of saving the cross," JJ said. "Now this is all in the name of saving Big John."

"Whatever you say," she said.

"Glad we agree. So, what I say is that we're looking for a houseboat," he said. They looked over to their right to see a boat in the distance.

"That looks like a houseboat," John B said.

"Well, you think he's there?" JJ said. "Only one way to find out. Neville! Hey!" John B slapped his hand against JJ's mouth to shut him up. He swatted him off. "What?"

"What are you talking about, what? He thinks people are trying to kill him," John B said.

"And let's not forget that maybe people are," Carson said. "Maybe not the best idea to just be screaming when we don't know who else is around. Just a thought."

"Ah, it's a death trap," JJ said.

"Yeah, but unfortunately we don't have a choice," John B said. "He's the only guy alive who knows where my dad is."

"Well, let's see if he's still, in fact, alive then," Carson said. They started swimming out to the houseboat and John B led the way onto it. None of them knew what to expect when they got on there so they quietly snuck on to see what they were dealing with. At this point it was always better to just prepare for the worst.

"The stove's warm. He's still here," John B whispered.

"Maybe he split when he heard us coming," JJ said. All of a sudden, they heard a loud thump behind them and a machete was being swung at them.

"Neville, we just want to talk!" John B told him in an attempt to get him to stop. Carson frantically looked around for something to hit the man with while JJ and John B fought him. JJ grabbed him a chokehold while Neville tried attacking John B with the weapon. She was just about to grab a frying pan to knock him out when John B spoke again in another attempt to let him know they weren't his enemy. "Stop, stop! We know Professor Sowell."

"Who gave you that name?" Neville demanded.

"Let it go, dude!" JJ said.

"Listen to me, we're friends, okay?" John B said. "You were in Orinoco last year! With five other people. Right?"

"How did you know that?" he asked.

"Because we're not lying! We're not here to hurt you," Carson said. "We just need your help." He must not have been fully convinced because he wasn't necessarily stopping, not until JJ managed to get the machete out of his hand at least.

"We're on the same team, home dog, okay?" JJ said as he pointed the weapon at his throat.

"JJ, put it down," Carson advised. Pointing a machete at his throat wasn't going to convince him of their innocence, after all. She grabbed his wrist and lowered it until it was down and away from Neville's throat.

"Look, we were just with Sowell yesterday," John B explained. "He, uh... he didn't make it."

"He's dead?" Neville said.

"Yeah. I'm sorry."

"I'm the last one left," he realized out loud.

"Which is why we need your help," Carson said. She felt guilty that they were just laying this information on him and expecting him to just push past it to help them, but there were other lives on the line still. Besides, maybe it was better that Neville knew that he was actually the last one left so he could be prepared to save himself.

"We had to get to you before they did," JJ said. "If we found you, they can too."