On Top//Topper Thornton

nineteen

"John B..." I start.

"What, Ashlynn? It's a hairline fracture. Who cares?" John B says.

"You should care. Your arm's gonna be messed up for life," I warn.

"It's fine. See?" John B says as he wiggles his finger.

I hear Pope shouting, "Guys!" I turn and see him running towards us. "Guys! Oh! Oh! Oh, God. I ran all the way here."

"You all right?" John B asks.

"How was the interview, Pope?" JJ asks.

"Don't ask," Pope tells us.

John B gives him a thumbs up. "Awesome."

"JB..." Pope keeps panting. "Look, I'm sorry, dude. About everything."

"It's fine," John B states.

"But... but I don't have a lot of time, and... and I have information that is tactically relevant. So, before I had my interview, my dad said he was going down to the private airstrip to cut palms for Cameron's big plane. Because it was too heavy, it needed a longer landing strip to take off. So, I'm there sitting in my interview, thinking to myself, 'Hm. Why would Cameron need a longer airstrip to take off? What could be so heavy to weigh it down?'" Pope says.

"Gold," JJ states.

John B sits up. "That's right."

"Exactly. Guys, this is our chance, but it leaves tonight, and we have to go," Pope tells us.

Kie hops off the railing. "Guys, we can't give up now."

"What's the plan, big man?" JJ asks.

"We're gonna steal that shit back," John B states.

I laugh. "Let's do this!"

"Come on, boys!" Kie shouts.

We all take off towards the van. Ready to get our gold back. We head off towards the air strip.

JJ is putting bullets in the gun. "We go in there, guns a-blazin', make Ward Cameron beg for mercy, abscond with as much gold as possible and vámonos, get the hell out of there."

"Send that shit right down the Intracoastal," John B states.

"Wait for the weather, "Kie adds.

"Exit to Cuba," Pope states.

"Cuba?" JJ shakes his head. "No, man, Xcalak, Jewel of the Yucatan. Lobsters so thick, mangoes, and no word for money," JJ adds with a smile.

"Let's do this shit," John B states.

We pull up to the airstrip and see Ward's plane on the tarmac. We stand behind the chain link fence around the airport.

"What's the plan? Broad strokes," Kie says.

"I don't think we got that far," John B states.

Pope pulls out his binoculars. "They're loading up the gold."

John B takes the binoculars. "There's Ward." He puts the binoculars down with a worried look on his face.

"What? What?" Kie asks.

"It's Sarah," John B states.

"She's with him?" I ask.

John B looks through the binoculars again. "Wait a minute. He's hurting her."

"What?" I ask.

JJ looks confused. "What?"

"They're fighting," John B states. "Holy shit." John B runs back towards the van.

"Wait, so she... What? I had no..." JJ starts.

Pope turns back to John B. "Hey! What are you doing?"

"John B. Where are you going?" Kie asks.

John B gets in the van and starts it.

"Hey! Hey!" I yell.

"John B!" Kie shouts.

"Hey!" Pope yells.

"Hold on!" JJ shouts.

John B drives right past us.

"Don't be a hero, dude! John B!" JJ yells.

John B drives right through the fence and towards the plane. We run after him.

"What are you doing?" JJ asks.

"John B!" Kie shouts.

"What are you doing, man? Come back!" JJ shouts.

"Hey! Hey!" Pope yells.

John B drives up along the plane. He speeds up past the plane before turning around and stopping right in front of it. I let out a sigh when the plane stops and it doesn't smash into the van. We hear sirens approaching.

"Guys, I can't get arrested," Pope states.

"I'm on probation," JJ reminds us.

"Look, we're no good if we're all in jail," Kie points out.

"Come on," Pope says. I don't move right away. "Ash you can't help Sarah the cops can. Let's go."

I take one last look at the plane before I take off running.