vices/ obx

six. the marsh

"Be careful," Mer exclaimed.

"Yeah, you don't want to slip," Pope said as they followed Shoupe who stood on top of the hold and looked into the water. Everybody tried to see what he thought he saw. The teens hoping John B stayed put until they got rid of the cops and that he didn't run out of air.

Shoupe finally stepped off and onto his boat. He untied his rope from John B's boat. "Well, let us know if you see anything on your way out."

"Yes sir," Pope and Kie responded.

"Meredith, tell Owen I said hello," Shoupe smiled at the girl before taking off. Mer saulted to the man with squinted eyes and a fake smile.

After the cops turned their backs to them, they all ran to the side of the boat John B disappeared from. Mer tried to fight the glare from the sun off of the water to see where her friend was.

"He's definetly out of air," Pope said.

"Really?" Mer asked as she stared at Pope wishing he was joking. And at that time, John B rose out of the water and tried to take the scuba stuff off.

"There he is," JJ said as Mer laughed at the sight of her friend in the water. "How'd it go down there?"

John B mumbled as he tried to make his way to the side of the boat with the ladder. JJ rushed down to the same side to help John B up.

"Did you find anything down there?" JJ asked again as Mer came to stand behind JJ.

"Did I find anything?" John B breathlessly laughed as he brought up a wet bag onto the ladder.

"There we go, big boy."

"Woah," Mer laughed as JJ struggled to move the wet bag.

"You okay?" Kie asked John B who was still in the water.

"Yeah, I ran out of air," John B said as he tried to get the water out of his eye.

"You scared the shit out of me," Kie said as Mer watched the two talk.

"Yeah, me too, JB," Mer added as she moved to put her frizzy hair into a half assed low bun to get it out of her face.

"Yeah, the cops were out here but we took care of them," JJ said as he show cased his biceps in a "strong man" way. Mer looked at her friend and rolled her eyes at him, confused why anyone would think he was funny.

"My bad," John B said still out of breathe and struggling to catch it. Mer rubbed his back in a motherly way.

"It's okay, JB. As long as you're okay," Mer said trying to comfort not only John B but herself.

"Yeah, you kinda missed the show, brother," JJ said looking down at John B from beside Mer.

"Hey, guys?" Kie started while looking back towards the direction Deputy Shoupe left in. "Guys, boogey, two o'clock."

Mer looked back to the direction Kie was and saw a small boat with two men dressed in black speeding their way towards the teens.

"Do you even recognize the boat?" Pope asked as John B stood up beside Mer who was hugging her arms to herself.

"Nope."

"What are they even doing here? The marsh is closed," Mer said nervously wondering why the two strange men where making their way towards them.

"Let's not stick around to find out," JJ said as he got ready to get the boat ready to drive off.

"Yeah, JJ get the bowline." JJ followed his orders and Mer sat down on the side of the boat not wanting to be in the way of the frantic boys.