ruthless; jj m.

39

JJ and I headed back up to Kie, John B, and Pope at the fire pit.

"I've had more black eyes in the last month than I've ever had," Pope said and JJ and I chuckled as we approached the group. "That was building up for years. Rumble in the jungle." JJ joked with the group.

"Everything good?" Pope asked me when he noticed the smile on my face and I nodded. "Yeah, really good," I admitted and he smiled back at me. "Hey, did you really stick up for Sarah?" John B asked Kie. "Of course I did." She responded.

She shrugged before continuing. "She's not a real Kook," Kie added. "And neither are you," Kie said as she looked at me. "You're a fuckin' fighter, Scar," Kie said with a laugh and I joined in. "That was bound to happen at some point," I confessed, referring to the fight between me and Cassie.

Pope laughed. "The Kook Queen and her wanna-be." He said. "I thought she wasn't a Kook?" John B asked as he looked over at Pope. "She isn't, but she'll always be the Kook Queen. A fact you cannot deny." Pope said as he ate his roasted marshmallow.

John B then jokingly took a bite of Kie's marshmallow which resulted in a playful fight. John B went to grab Kie's marshmallow that fell on the ground and he looked over at the chicken coop. I looked over at him, noticing that the chickens were acting up and making noise.

He shushed everyone and we all took note of the loud sounds the chickens were making, which usually meant that someone else was there. "Somebody's here." John B said and we all looked over at the coop. Kie immediately assumed it was Topper and JJ agreed, but I immediately shut the idea down.

"He wouldn't start a fight here. Trust me." I said as we all stood up. "Do you have your gun?" Kie asked JJ. "Oh, now she wants the gun," JJ said. "Please do not have the gun," I said to him. "Oh, now you don't have the gun?" Kie questioned the blond.

"Isn't that your 'secret' weapon?" Kie mocked JJ. "Hey, who's out there?" John B asked as we all followed behind him. "You Kooks better not try anything," Kie said and I rolled my eyes at the comment.

Soon enough, we saw Renfield, Limbrey's business partner appear from behind the shrubs with his hands in the air. "How y'all doin'?" He asked. "It's this piece of shit," Pope muttered under his breath just so our group could hear it.

It was quite clear what he was here for. They key. The real key. "You gotta be kidding me," JJ said under his breath. As soon as he made his way toward us, JJ stood in front of me, trying to protect me from Renfield.

"Lovely evening we're having." He said as he continued to approach us. "Look, I, uh... I don't hold a grudge with any of y'all, all right?" He said to us. It clearly did not comfort us at all. "But this can go hard, or this can go easy." He said as he patted himself down, proving he had no weapons on him.

"You know what I'm here for." He said as he stood in front of us. "Let me give you a little demonstration. You see that swing right there?" He asked as he pointed over at the swing on John B's tree. "I got the best bow hunters in the Army Rangers with me. Hidden." He said to us.

JJ stood in front of the man. "Mm-hmm," JJ said mockingly. Renfield whistled and an arrow shot right into the tree, proving that Renfield didn't come alone. "Now, they're out there. They'll stick you just as soon as I say so." He said as he stood in front of Pope.

JJ went behind him to injure him and Renfield whistled again, and there was now an arrow shot right next to JJ's foot. I pushed him away and gasped. "Jesus. Did you bring Hawkeye?" I asked but he ignored me. He put his hand on JJ's shoulder. "We clear?" He asked him.

Renfield looked back at Pope. "Now, I'm not gonna give you a countdown or any bullshit like that. I'm just gonna whistle." He said to Pope. Pope went into his pocket and grabbed the key. "This key belongs to my family," Pope said pridefully.