Exhale, Outer Banks [ 1 ]

024. UNKNOWN TEXT

"I mean, Shoupe said that they didn't make it. He said that." Kie says.

"Okay, but I... I think we're overreacting right now, cause we can't rule out the possibility that this could all be some kind of weird, cruel hoax." Pope says.

"I'm just gonna ask." Kie says, sitting on a picnic table.

"What if it's actually him, though?" JJ asks, leaning against a wall.

"Then I don't know." Pope says, sitting on a short stone wall. Cordelia stays standing and she starts biting her thumb nail, anxiously staring at the phone, seeing Kie's message go through.

"Has he responded?" Pope asks.

"He's typing. He's typing." Kie states.

Is JJ there?

Cordelia's head snaps to her brother who is looking at his phone.

I'm here Bree

Did you pimp my short board?

JJ lets out a snort, it quickly being followed by the girls laughing out of relief.

"It's him." JJ says, a grin on his face.

"It's him." Kie seconds.

"It's definitely him." JJ says, hugging Pope, both of them laughing with relief. JJ goes to Kie and hugs her. JJ goes over to Cordelia and tightly hugs her, lifting her off the ground for a few moments before putting her back on her feet. She tightly hugs him back, hiding her face in his shoulder when she feels tears prick her eyes.

The two pull away after a bit and JJ still has a grin on his face.

"Yeah!" JJ yells out before sitting down.

""laying super low in Nassau."" Kie reads. "How the hell did they get to the Bahamas?"

"You can't kill a pogue, dude." JJ says.

"Especially John B." Pope says.

Can you clear my name? Wanna come home

"Hell yeah, we'll clear your name, boy." JJ says.

""Be in touch. P4L."" Kie reads.

"P4L, man. That's what I'm talking about. P4L, baby!" JJ cheers.

The four embrace in a group hug.

+++

The four pile out of The Wreck, heading for the dock.

"I never doubted them." JJ states.

"I owe you five bucks." Kie says.

"Betting on possible dead friends. That's always fun." Cordelia says.

"Hey, Kiara, I need those setups done by five!" Anna yells out.

"There are other people that work here." Kie calls to her mother.

"But ain't none of them my children!"

"I feel that." Pope says. "On a deep, emotional level, I understand that."

"So we going to the Bahamas or what?" JJ asks as they sit on the dock.

"Dude, there's no way we're getting to the Bahamas." Pope says.

"John B's gonna get nabbed sooner or later. So if we're gonna clear his name, we need to have done it, like, yesterday." Kie states.

"I'll tell you how we do it." JJ says.

"Oh, so you have it all planned out?" Pope asks.

"As a matter of fact, I do." JJ says.

"I have a feeling we're not gonna like this." Cordelia says.

"We kidnap Rafe." JJ states.

"What?!" Cordelia exclaims.

"I'm sorry, what?" Pope asks.

"We kidnap Rafe, tie him up, and stick the gun in his mouth and just wait until he starts squawking." JJ says.

"How much alcohol and/or weed have you had today?" Cordelia asks.

"You know, torture's a war crime." Kie says.

"I thought it was a good idea." JJ says.

"It's the worst idea you've ever had." Cordelia argues.

"So how exactly do you plan on clearing John B's name from a prison cell? Because that's a felony." Pope states.

"All right, well, what do you got, Pope?" JJ asks. "I was just trying to keep it simple. You know, one stop, and we're done." He says, sitting next to Cordelia.

"What part of any of that is simple? Kidnap a psychopath and out-psycho or something? That's literally something Rafe is crazy enough to do. Except he'd shoot you the minute we pissed him off. Which I don't put past you either." Cordelia says.

"It's a simple plan. There's nothing simpler. It's so easy." JJ says.

"It is not easy. It's not legal. Not to mention he'd probably freaking kill you." Cordelia argues.

"He can't kill me if he's tied up." JJ says.

"He can if he gets out of the restraints."

"He won't get out. It's foolproof."

"Nothing is foolproof. Seriously, how high are you right now?"

"I'm not high."

"I really wish you were cause that's an incredibly idiotic idea."

"It's not, you're just not taking risks."

"Dude, are you serious? Nobody needs to take that risk. It's like you're asking to get in trouble."

"I am not asking to get in trouble, okay? We just need--"

"How about you two fight later?" Kie suggests.

"Guys, all we need is a material witness." Pope says, cutting the siblings' off protesting to Kie. "We saw Ward's plane fly right over our heads with the gold inside of it. He didn't fly it. If somebody else was flying it, they were there on the tarmac. They saw Peterkin get murdered. We just have to find whoever that was and get them to confess on record."

"How do we do that?" Kie asks.

"A little light espionage." Pope says.

"A little ghost recon." JJ smiles.

"Woogity-woogity." Pope says, wiggling his fingers.

"Woogity-woogity, baby!" JJ exclaims, all of them wiggling their fingers together.