eight - no power, no security cameras

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"Jesus," Mari mumbled as the HMS approached the motel. It looked horrible. Like, tripping over one rusty nail could give you tetanus horrible. 

JJ whistled. "I thought the Chateau looked bad," he said. 

"This place is a shit show," John B said. 

"Motel or meth lab?" Kiara asked. 

"You be the judge," Pope answered. 

"I don't wanna find out," Mari added. 

"Doesn't look like the type of place someone with a Grady White stays," said John B. 

"No, it looks like the type of place someone with a Grady White would get killed," Pope corrected. 

"This is your captain speaking, HMS Pogue coming in for landing," said JJ in a fake, radio announcer voice before jumping off the boat to tie it down. 

"We good?" John B asked as JJ fiddled with the rope. 

"Yeah," JJ said, "we good."

"Alright, let's do this," John B said. 

"Hey," Pope interrupted, "don't let him do anything stupid." He pointed at JJ.

"Oh we will," JJ said. 

"I'm not making promises," John B agreed. 

Pope sighed. "Fine," he said, "Marina, you have to go with them." 

"Huh?" Marina asked from her position on the other side of the boat.

"I don't trust either of them, you need to go with them," Pope said.

Marina looked to Kiara for help, but she just shrugged. 

"Why can't Kie go in my place?" Mari asked. 

Pope looked flustered. "I mean, I guess I just assumed the two of us would stay together."

"Whatever," Mari cut him off, "I don't think I should go." 

"Yeah, you for sure aren't coming with us," JJ said, with too much sass for Mari's liking. 

"Well now that you've made it a challenge, Maybank, I have decided I will come with y'all," Mari said.

"Really now-"

"Enough!" John B stopped JJ, "Let's go."

Mari stepped out of the HMS and awkwardly stood next to JJ as Kiara approached John B with the motel key. 

"Be careful," she said in an almost flirty, very un-Kiara way. 

"I mean it," she added as the two of them exchanged glances. 

It was hard to watch. Mari felt like she was intruding on something oddly personal. She shot a look at JJ, who was already looking at her with the same confused look on his face. At least they were on the same page about this. 

"Why are all these mattresses out here?" John B asked as the three of them walked across the motel grounds to the steps that led to the second floor.

"After a hurricane, they ditch 'em cause they're moldy," JJ answered.

"Are we not gonna address what just happened?" Mari asked. The boys just stared at her, totally lost. "I mean I know I was missing in action for two years, but when did Kie and John B become like a thing," she said.

"No, that's a new development," JJ said as they walked up the stairs.

"Its not a development," John B said quietly. 

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