adrenaline rush
"YOU TOOK EMPTY TANKS?" Kiara questions John B as he sits down next to her. He tries to say something but he comes up short, his face grimacing with embarrassment.
"Okay, this one's a quarter full," Kie reassures as she checks the number. "It's enough for one of us."
"Love it when a plan comes together," Pope sarcastically mentions as the pogues and touron look at each other. JJ looks at Martha, but she's facing somewhere else —like something was more important than this.
He sighs his head back for a complete second, allowing his true mannerisms to be seen.
"Does anybody know how to dive?" Kiara asks the group.
JJ shrugs a 'no' and Pope looks the other way. John B points to Martha, suggestively, but JJ shakes his head 'no.'
"Anybody?"
"It's kinda a Kook sport," JJ replies, gaining the attention of Martha.
"I... read about it," Pope answers. Everyone, besides Marty, scoffs. She pats his shoulder.
"Great, Pope read about it, so someone's gonna die."
"Look, y-you put the thing in your mouth and breathe. How hard could it be?"
"Very hard," Martha speaks up for the first time.
"Care to share the information with the class?" JJ smirks, as Marty rolls her eyes.
"Nah, Pope's got it." She smiles a passive-aggressive smile. "Continue on."
"If you come up too fast, nitrogen gets into your blood, and you get the bends." Pope continues, grinning as he knows what he is talking about.
"Bends, like? Bend over and"-- JJ sticks his back out, making a crude joke.
"The bends kill you." Martha and Pope deadpan.
"Kie, I can do it," Marty replies, locking eyes with the worried brunette.
"No." John B and JJ say at the same time.
"What? What do you mean 'no'? This is gender discrimination!" Martha then dramatically turns to Kiara, who's laughing, "Kie? Do you approve of this?"
"No, I don't. But if no one else is gonna"--
"I can —I can dive." John B gives himself up.
"Yeah, you can dive. I'm cool with that. Better than Miss McFly, over here."
"I hate you," Martha says sarcastically. "You know, you love me." He replies, snarkily.
"Shut up, Gossip Girl," Kiara states, referring to JJ. "Since when can you dive?"
"I'll do it. It's fine."
"Lemme do some calculations real quick," Pope says, standing up and shuffling for some clear paper. "So, that boat's about 30 feet down, right? So it'll take 25 minutes at that depth. Which means you need to make your safety stop about..."
"Looks like the math team does come in handy," Marty jokes.
"...Ten feet. All right? For two minutes."
Suddenly, Kiara strips off her t-shirt and walks off the boat.
"Uh..." John B lets his mouth drop.
"What was that all about?" Pope asks, watching the girl swim below the depths.
"I don't know, but I liked it. A lot." JJ admits, side-eyeing Martha. She nods along with him, unbothered by his comment. He smiles at her, knowing that she is way too good for him.
"Alrighty, let's do it." John B clears his throat.
"Yeah. Uh, when you— uh, when you're down there, you look for the cargo hold." JJ begins, lifting up a makeshift key. "You stick this thing inside and twist and pull, okay?"
"Hey! I tied my t-shirt to the anchor chain about ten feet down." Kiara says as she pops her head back up above the waves. "It's where you need to do your safety stop."
John B nods as he is bombarded by information from Pope. Martha bites on her lip nervously as she watches him try to take in and remember everything.
"How much do I need?" He asks again.
"Unclear. Breathe as little as possible."
John B connects his eyes with Martha as she laughs at his face.
"Zen, man. Think Zen, you know?" JJ follows up, imitating short breathing patterns.
John B agrees and makes his way to the front of the bow. Marty can tell he's nervous.
"Hey, if we get caught out here in the marsh, we're basically screwed, so..." Pope begins, watching as a drenched Kiara makes her way up to John B and kisses him on the cheek. "...Better get a move on."
Marty, JJ, and Pope lock eyes with each other, as Kie and JB longingly look at each other. They all look away as she turns back around, "diver down." Martha watches as John B jumps off the boat, splashing into the water, and slowly submerges.
"Kie, what was that about?" Martha quietly asks the curly brunette as she makes her way over. The girl shrugs her off, "nothing, Martha."
"Okay.." Martha mumbles, walking back over to where JJ stood.
A siren whoops behind them, gaining the attention of everyone on board. "Shit, JJ," Pope announces.
The blond boy turns around to see the Sheriff. He feels Martha's body leaning into his, so he wraps an arm around her. "Guys, that's the police," he deems, tightening his hold around Marty's hips.
"Oh, you gotta be kidding me," Pope complains.
"Just act, frickin' normal," Kiara says, pushing her hair out of her face and straightening her posture.
The siren blares one more time before the incoming boat makes its way parallel to the HMS POGUE. "Evening, officers," Pope states out of nervousness.
"Evening, here." A woman officer hands Pope some rope, which is then thrown to JJ to tie it. He quickly does so before returning to Martha, and her obviously anxious state.
"How you kids doing? You know the marsh is closed?" The deputy asks.
An absorbent of "no"s comes from the teenagers, and Martha shakes her head. "I didn't know that," JJ lies, trying to get Martha to calm down. "Why— why is it closed?"
"Well, we're conducting a search out here. A boat went down." The Deputy answers. "See anything?"
"No, no boats," Marty replies softly.
"I've never seen you here little lady," he says, smirking as he visibly eyes her up and down. "Where's a doll like you from anyhow?"
From my mom's vagina, you fucking asshole.
Pope's and JJ's jaws tick as they watch the old man check the girl out. JJ sidesteps in front of her body, partially protecting it from the creep's gaze. He can feel her hands on his shirt, gripping him from doing anything rash. "Virginia, sir. Richmond, Virginia."
The man nods, "where's your friend you always with? He, here?"
"He's working," Kiara speaks up, tilting her head to play along with the lie.
"I'm gonna check your little boat out," Deputy Shoupe suggests, stepping onto the HMS POGUE.
"Actually, you can't do that," Martha speaks up, startling Deputy Shoupe. "We haven't given you cause for a search, and I don't see a warrant in your hand." She steps back around JJ to stand head-to-head with the man.
"Oh, Miss Virginia knows some police words."
"I suggest you and this," she glances at him in disgust, "insignificant power dynamic gets off this boat and leaves us alone."
He scoffs at her threat. The others, including Deputy Plumb, stare at her in awe.
"Or, if you'd like, I can go to Sheriff Peterkin and tell her that you were blatantly flirting with a minor. A child, whose parents are very well known." She smirks as he gulps nervously. Embarrassed, he stumbles on what to say next and gets back on the boat.
"We'll be gone soon, sir," Martha says triumphantly. JJ snickers as they watch the police drive away.
"I can't believe I just fucking did that," Martha laughs, turning to hug JJ.
"McFly! That was amazing!" JJ revels, picking her up and spinning her around. "I thought Pope was going to actually hit him," he confesses as he puts her back on the deck.
"I fucking hate that creep," Pope agrees as they look over the side of the gunwale. "Johnny's definitely out of air, though."
Immediately a second after that, John B resurfaces, breathing heavily.
"Jesus Christ! Don't scare us like that!" Martha yells, reaching out to pull him in.
"How'd it go down there? Did you find anything?"
John B sighs, taking his scuba mask off and placing it on the boat. "Did I find anything?" He smiles as he weakly holds up a black cargo bag.
"Yeah, there we go! That's my boy!" JJ yells, hyping up his best friend, taking the bag from him.
"You okay?"
"Yeah, just ran out of air," he pants, slowly climbing up the ladder.
"You scared the shit out of me," Kiara says, truthfully.
"Yeah, the cops were up here, but, uh... Martha took care of 'em. Isn't that right, Marty?" Pope replies, taking the tanks and scuba gear off John B's back.
"Oh, my bad," JB apologizes.
"No, it's all good baby brother," Martha reassures, patting him on the shoulder.
Kiara looks off to watch the sunset for a split second, but another boat catches her eye instead. "Hey, guys? Guys, bogey, two o'clock."
"What?" JJ questions. The rest turn to look in that direction.
"Do you recognize that boat?" Pope inquests. "I've never seen it," Kiara answers back, "what are they doing back here? The marsh is closed."
"I don't know, But let's not stick around to find out," Marty says, walking over to where the anchor and JJ are. "J, help me get the bowline." He nods, picking up the line and telling her to pull.
"Are we gonna wait for them?" Pope asks, confused.
"No, we're not gonna wait for them. Go get the stern," John B orders as he watches the mysterious boat begin to speed up.
"Guys, don't wait for us. Go!" JJ yells, pulling up the line as fast as they could.
"John B! Get this ship going!" Martha yells, eyeing the suspicious boat coming straight for them. "Go into the marsh!"
"I'm going. Act natural," he reassures, trying to keep the group's emotions under control.
"Act natural?" Martha repeats. "At a time like this? Do you not hear them revving?"
"Yes, and now they're following us," Kiara yells to the boys.
"Dude, you gotta go faster!" JJ yells at his best friend. "Gun it!"
The HMS POGUE picks up the pace but the boat is still on its tail. John B weaves it through the marsh's grassland, trying to lose them.
Suddenly, a gunshot can be heard as a bullet misses them. Kiara screams and Pope cries, ducking their heads.
"Holy shit!" Martha yells, barely dodging another.
"Martha! John B, get down!" JJ yells at the pair.
Another shot is fired, and another, and another. There's no escape. JJ grunts as he watches Kie and Martha crawl over to the fishnets piled in the front of the boat.
The two girls grab a net, standing up quickly, and throw the net into the water. "I hope that works!"
As the guy in the rifle aims another shot at Marty, the engine gets caught in the smartly placed net; halting them from following the kids.
Kiara and Marty chuckle nervously, before hugging each other tightly. "Oh my God! That was insane."
"Booyah! Pogue God, man!" JJ excitingly cheers on.
➵ ➵ ➵
THE SUN HAD GONE DOWN, and now the grey skies were cast over. John B quickly makes his way off the boat and under the old canopy. Kiara and Pope join him, and Martha waits for JJ to finish tying the boat to the railing.
"What do you guys think it is?" Kie asks the group, watching as John B swiftly opens the bag.
"Should be money or something right?" John B suggests, holding a smaller black bag.
"That or a couple of keys with a street value to the low-to mid-mils!" JJ yells, slapping John B on his shoulder. His face beaming with excitement.
"Can we please just open the bag?!" Pope says, surprisingly being impatient.
"Wow, Pope. That's a rare outburst of emotion, for you." John B states, going slower with his movements.
"Yeah, trying to set a new record?" JJ pesters on, teasing his friend more.
"Okay. You guys are literally killing me with anticipation," Pope sarcastically rebuttals. "Just, open the bag."
"Alright, alright," John B stops the teasing.
"Jeez, someone didn't read his comic books this morning," JJ replies snarkily, as Martha playfully backhands him in the stomach.
"We almost died for this."
John B rummages the tiny black bag, pulling out a metal, water-pressured, canister. He forcefully turns the cap open, letting it fall on the old wooden deck. He turns it over, allowing the special item to drop in his hands.
His smile drops from his face as he looks at it... it's a compass. A compass with a Celtic knot on it.
"Oh, wow. Yup, that's about right. Good job, everybody. We found a compass." Pope speaks, obviously disappointed.
"A compass? That's what we got shot at for?" JJ complains, taking off his snapback angrily.
"JB, what is it? It's not worth anything," Marty states, squatting down to John B's level.
He shakes his head, turning to her and smiling a little. "This was my father's."