𝐇𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬: 𝐀𝐬𝐩𝐲𝐧 𝐂𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐨𝐧 ~ 𝐎𝐮𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐁𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐬

𝐇𝐞 𝐃𝐨𝐞𝐬𝐧'𝐭 𝐓𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐔𝐬

Sarah and I gathered as many bottle rockets as possible and positioned ourselves in some bushes outside of an opened window, which led to a room Singh and one of his men Ryan, whom I had recognized from the mansion, were in. John B waited aside with a ladder he had found until we began firing the bottle rockets.

Sarah and I lit the first few bottle rockets, causing Singh and Ryan to duck down. "Whose shooting at us?!" Ryan yelled.

I gave John B a thumbs up, letting him know that it was okay to go. With the ladder, he rushed to the side of the building as Sarah and I set off more of the fireworks. We lit them one after another, making the room fill with sparks.

Despite the chaos, Singh managed to reach the window. "It's just fireworks!" He yelled to Ryan and another man who had joined them. "Ryan, go check it out now! Rod, keep your eye on Routledge!"

As Ryan exited the building, Sarah and I fired several more bottle rockets directly at him. He dodged them, trying to better understand who was setting them off, but he eventually gave up and retreated inside.

I exchanged a glance with John B who set the ladder against the building.

I nudged Sarah. "Come on,"

We hurried over to John B's side. Sarah steadied the ladder. "I got you," She assured.

As John B made the climb up the ladder, I kept watch, making sure none of Singh's men were around. John B reached the roof just as a gunshot rang out. Instinctively, Sarah and I jumped at the noise. John B swiftly descended a few rungs before leaping off the ladder to the ground. He guided Sarah and me under the awning. "You guys okay?" He asked.

Sarah nodded. "Yeah. Are you okay? You good?"

"Yeah, I'm good," He panted. "That was my dad,"

"We need another way to get to him. What if-" My words were abruptly cut off by the sound of glass shattering, followed by one of Singh's men tumbling off the roof, landing hard in front of us.

Gasps escaped all three of us, my hands shooting over my mouth.

John B gazed upward at a faint noise coming from the roof. "Sarah, Aspyn..."

Big John suddenly jumped down from the roof. His breath was labored, probably from whatever fight had just ensued, but other than that he was completely fine.

John B looked at his father utterly bewildered. "Oh my god. Dad!"

"Good to see you, kid," Big John greeted with a casual smile.

"Hi," Sarah said as I gave a smile and a wave.

Big John's expression shifted upon seeing Sarah and me. "Hi, Sarah. Hi, Aspyn," He acknowledged. His tone had changed from speaking to John B to speaking to us though, it became more serious than it had once been, even almost...darker.

Signh's voice pierced through the air, interrupting the reunion.

"Hey, we've gotta go," I urged.

Big John grabbed the gun from Singh's accomplice, who was unconscious from the fall, and then he followed behind John B, Sarah, and I. We rushed down some stairs, the echoes of indistinct yelling coming from behind us.

"Oh, God..." Sarah panted, glancing back.

-

As we approached a more crowded area we slowed our pace but remained on high alert.

"I can't believe you just fell out of a window, dad," John B said, his tone a mix of disbelief and astonishment.

"Yeah, if I never see Singh again, it'll be too soon," Big John responded. "Let's collect our bearings, get the lay of the land,"