BEING STICKY AND covered with sweat wasn't exactly new to the Pogues. Many of them didn't have central air and even if they did, it was broken half of the time due to hurricanes and power outages. However, the level of heat that Jo felt in that moment was unlike anything she had ever experienced. She was drenched in sweat and her hair stuck to her face and neck, despite being tied up in a messy bun. The shipping container the group of friends found themselves in seemed to be getting smaller by the second and Jo was starting to get anxious.
"Nice work, John B," JJ said, lifting his eyes to look at the boy. "You know these things lock from the outside, right?"
"I was just trying to get us on the boat, JJ," John B groaned. He leaned his head against one of the ropes dangling nearby, pushing his sweaty hair out of his face. "I wasn't thinking that far ahead."
"Okay, well now we're stuck in here like rats," JJ retorted. Jo closed her eyes and ran her hands through her hair. "You know you agreed to come, right?" She asked in annoyance. "You didn't have to."
"I wasn't just gonna let you three idiots do this yourselves!" JJ retorted. "Oh, like any of your ideas have ever been thought through," Jo huffed.
"It's hot," Kie groaned. She brushed her hair out of her face and shrugged her jacket off.
"JJ, you're not helping," Pope sighed. He leaned against one of the boxes and closed his eyes. Everyone was exhausted due to the sticky heat, and they were trying their best not to think about it.
"You don't have a whole lot of room to talk right now," JJ muttered. "You said you had a plan, but what happened to thinking ahead?"
"I find your lack of self-knowledge disturbing," Pope fired back, opening his eyes to glare at the blonde.
JJ scoffed out a laugh and rolled his eyes. "Last I checked, you literally shot an oil container with the gat," he retorted. "Remember that?"
"Oh my god, shut up!" Jo cried. She began to pace nervously as her hands wound into her hair. "It is too hot and this container is too small to listen to your shit!"
Kie stuck her foot between the two bickering boys, glaring at them in irritation as they stared at each other. "Jo's right," she stated. "Pull it together."
"Okay," Pope finally said. "Let's try to find a way out of here."
Jo sighed as Kie lowered her foot. JJ glanced over at her, but she turned her back on him and moved to the far corner of the container. She was starting to panic as the realization that there was no way out of this set in, and she didn't want to spiral in front of all her friends.
John B moved over to the small vent in the wall and peered out of it, trying to scope out the situation on the boat. Jo planted herself in the corner, pressing her back against the wall as she rested her elbows on her knees.
"Hey Pope?" JJ called. "How do you kill a snake?"
"Please shut up," Jo groaned quietly, closing her eyes. Pope lifted his head to look at the boy and rolled his eyes. "You go for the head."
"Exactly," JJ nodded. "But the head, in this instance, is the bridge. To take the bridge, we need maximum firepower. And I happen to know there's an armory on this ship in case of pirate attacks."
"Pirate attacks," Kie scoffed, pushing herself to her feet. "Alright, you lost me," she huffed. "Killing everyone here is not a plan."
"Okay, we lost her," JJ shrugged. "I'm serious, if we get to the armory, I'm talking AK's, pistols..."
Jo tilted her head back and stared at the ceiling, tuning the rest of whatever JJ was rambling about out of her head. She was too hot and tired to conjure up some whack ass plan right now.
Her brows furrowed when she saw a slim beam of light shining through into the container. She lifted her head and turned, locking her eyes on the grate John B had been looking through. She pushed herself up and wandered over as Kie joined her, seeming to have the same thought process. They grinned at each other as they looked away from the grate.
"Hey, nimrods," Jo snapped, effectively silencing the boys' argument and waving them over. She pointed to the grate as Kie smirked. "We can fit through that, yeah?"
"Yeah," John B said with a smile. "Nice one, guys."
"What was that about a Swiss Army knife not coming in handy?" JJ sassed as he pulled the weapon out of his pocket.
"Just stop it," John B hissed. "We get it, JJ. You have a fuckin' knife," Jo chuckled. She snatched the small object from him and twirled it around between her fingers. JJ pouted as he snatched it back and worked on getting the grate off of the container so they could sneak through the opening.
"Okay, we raid the armory, get the weapons, roll back here, and plot the next move," JJ explained as he pulled the grate cover off. "The armory is on the third deck, aft, near the laundry room."
Jo scrunched her face up as she stared at the boy. "How do you know all of that?"
JJ shrugged. "My dad," he said simply. "Okay, let's roll."
"JJ, hold up," Pope called. "I don't think all of us should go out there. It's too risky."
"Why?" JJ queried.
John B frowned. "Okay, I gotta be honest. I think you should stay here."
"What?" The hurt was evident in JJ's voice as he peered down at them.
"I have Sarah that I'm gonna go after and Pope has his cross," the brunette boy explained. "And also, if you go out there, there's 100% probability that you're gonna do something stupid."
"Okay, I think the correct terminology is ballsy," JJ huffed. "Okay, get down from there," Pope whisper-yelled. He reached up and yanked JJ's arm, making the boy pull away as he hopped back down to the floor.
"Guys, is this seriously the plan?" Jo asked. "We're gonna go steal guns and then what? They have an entire crew!"
"That's why I said come back here and make a plan," JJ emphasized. "Look, if we have the firepower, we got it in the bag."
"Listen," John B spoke up. He grabbed JJ's shoulders so the boys were looking at each other. "If we go out there and we get in a bind, we need someone to look out for us. That's what we need."
"Okay, I get it. I get it," JJ muttered. "I'll be on the B team. "I never said B team," John B stated slowly.
"I'm sorry, are you calling us B team?" Jo scoffed. "Did B team just not like find our way out or are we like, totally trippin'?" Kie chorused.
"Sorry, didn't mean to offend y'all," JJ grumbled.
"JJ, just stay here," Pope groaned. "Hold down the fort." Kie sighed as she sat back on one of the boxes. "Guess I'll babysit."
"Alright, you guys have fun," JJ muttered. "Your funeral. Your game. I'll be here, on the bench."
"Oh, suck it up, buttercup," Jo chirped, patting his shoulder. "You'll be with me." She flashed a sarcastic smile as she moved over to Pope and John B. "And you two... be careful. Okay? Seriously. We've come too far to only get this far."
"Oohh, stealing my line, huh?" JJ hummed teasingly.
Kie moved to stand beside them as well and pulled the boys into a hug. "Don't get shot. That's all I got."
"Alright," John B breathed. "Let's do this."
Jo sighed and wrapped her arms around herself as she watched Pope and John B slither out of the container. Kie put the cover back on after them and glanced between JJ and Jo awkwardly. "Okay, well, I'll just be over there." She pointed to the far corner and sauntered away, leaving the couple standing side by side.
"And then there were two," Jo hummed, plopping down on the floor. "And then there were two," JJ whispered.
Jo couldn't help but chuckle as she reflected on everything that had happened since last summer. JJ peered down at her, quirking a single brow in question. "What?"
"I just can't believe how we always manage to get ourselves in the weirdest, most dangerous situations," she said with a small smile. "Like, it never ends."
A smile ghosted JJ's lips as he sat down next to her and let his shoulder brush against hers. "Yeah," he breathed. "What can I say? Pogue style."
"All time Pogue hall of fame," Jo chorused, laughing lightly as she looked at JJ. Sometimes it still shocked the hell out of her just how much love she possessed for the crazy blonde boy. But every time she looked at him, she still got butterflies in her stomach. She couldn't get over how strikingly handsome he looked, even though he was covered in sweat and they were stuck in a sticky container.
"Hey, can I ask you a question?" JJ whispered. Jo's smile faltered slightly, but she nodded regardless of the weight that settled on her chest. She had a feeling she knew what he was going to ask her. She had seen the look of betrayal on his face at the church and she knew he'd been wanting to talk to her about it ever since. "What was Tommy talking about when he said you asked him for help?"
Jo sighed at the question and chewed the inside of her cheek. "After you left to go try that ridiculous plan of yours busting John B out of jail, I went to Tommy's house," she explained quietly. "I don't know what I was hoping would happen," the girl admitted with a shrug. "But I knew his aunt had the tape that could free John B. So me and Sarah went there and I asked him for it."
"And he said no," JJ concluded, since they had given Limbrey a fake key in exchange for the tape. "Yeah," Jo murmured. "He was an asshole, nothing new. But I didn't beg him for sex. That was all him."
"I know," JJ whispered. "I was just hoping you hadn't gone over there. I just - you've already had so much shit happen to you, you know?"
Jo smiled and leaned her head on his shoulder. "I know," she whispered. "But I had to try."
"Well, he won't be bothering you anymore," JJ stated confidently. "Me and JB will make sure of that."
Jo giggled and lifted her head, pressing a kiss to his cheek. "I love you, JJ. I hope you know that."
"I do, Princess," JJ murmured back. "I love you, too."
It was one of those rare moments where, despite everything happening around them, Jo was completely content. Even though she was worried for John B and Pope and had absolutely no idea how they were going to accomplish the goals they had set, she didn't mind. She was locked in a container with JJ, but just being next to him was enough for her in that instance. Nothing else mattered.
"So, if we do pull this off, what're you gonna do?" Jo shifted so that she was laying down with her head in JJ's lap. His hands immediately went to her hair, pulling it out of her bun and running his fingers through the tangles. "Surf trip," JJ replied without hesitation. "I don't know where, but the world's calling. Name a place."
"Hmmm. Greece," Jo hummed, smiling up at the blonde boy. "You wanna go to Greece?" JJ asked, smiling down at the girl as she nodded. "Alright, so we hit Greece, and we just surf all day. Rippin jungle breaks. Bamboo hut, cookin' fish on a fire, and after that, you go back out and you just hit the waves again."
Jo was completely enamored with JJ. She loved the way his eyes lit up as he talked about his dream, about getting off the island and seeing the world. She had to be honest, it was a pretty nice dream. They had been talking about getting away from the outer banks and all the drama that came with it for as long as they could remember.
"That sounds perfect," Jo whispered. "Absolutely perfect. Where would you go?" JJ grinned as he wrapped a strand of Jo's hair around his finger and twirled it. "After Greece? Yucatan."
Jo couldn't help but laugh as she reflected on the many times JJ had insisted they dip and leave for Yucatan. She should've known that's where he'd go. "Of course," she giggled. "Sounds like fun."
"So, you in, Princess?" JJ whispered. He lowered his head and grazed his lips against hers, making the girl smile goofily up at her boyfriend. "Hell yeah I'm in. There's nowhere else I'd rather be than with you."
The two teens lifted their heads at the sound of a whistle. Kie jumped up from her seat in the corner and darted over to the vent with JJ hot on her heels. He quickly used his knife to pry the grate off so that John B and Pope could sneak back in. Jo let out a sigh of relief at the sight of them, silently thanking the universe that they were okay.
"I thought Rafe got you guys for sure," Kie said as they climbed back in. "Nah, we're chill," Pope assured her. "Alright, let's put the grate back on."
"No, wait," Pope objected. "What? No, put it back," Kie argued, trying to push past the boy and shut the opening in the container. Jo remained silent and watched from afar as another figure appeared and slid inside. Her eyes widened as Kie and JJ gasped in shock.
"Cleo?" Jo cried. "Oh my god! What're you doing here?"
"Hey," Cleo whooped. "I should be asking you that! This is my boat! I work here."
"No frickin way," Jo breathed. She pulled the girl into a hug as JJ and Kie gaped at the newcomer. Kie immediately started spewing protests, her eyes wide as they darted between Cleo and John B.
"Kie, hey!" John B whisper shouted. "You remember the girl I told you about that helped us in the Bahamas?" Kie hesitated, but nodded her head momentarily. "Uh... Cleo, yeah?" John B smiled over at the girl and gestured towards her with his hand. "Cleo. She's gonna help us."
Cleo gave the boy a deadpanned look and folded her arms over her chest. "Next time, ask me." Jo giggled at the girl. She hadn't realized just how much she missed Cleo until now.
"Okay, so you didn't grab nothing? Not one single gun?" JJ spoke up. He had noticed that John B and Pope returned empty handed and his frustration was growing at the failed attempt to gain the group some firepower.
"No, we tried, okay?" John B sighed. "I got attacked." Jo's eyes widened as she stared at her brother. "What? By who?"JJ sighed and raked his fingers through his hair. "This is why I should've come with." Kie rolled her eyes and shushed the blonde.
"So let me get this straight," Cleo mused in disbelief. "You five, with no weapons, decided you were gonna hijack this tramp steamer on your own?"
Jo curled her lips and weakly shrugged her shoulders. "We didn't say it was a good plan."
Cleo huffed and gave her a deadpanned look. "Do you have any idea who these people are? Eberhimi, if he catch you, he's gonna kill you. Dead. Cut off your fingers." She held up one of her hands and used the other to mimic a saw for dramatic effect. Jo gulped and took a step back so she was closer to JJ.
"Okay, what about waiting til we get to port?" Kie suggested. "At least then if something goes wrong, we have a place to run."
Jo idly wondered if she would ever be able to stop running. Even before the group started this treasure hunt, it seemed they were always running from someone. Security guards, Kooks, police - it never ended. She let out a sigh at the thought of running again, just the idea of it giving her anxiety.
"I think then we'd be even more screwed," Jo muttered. "There will be way more people at the port, namely the police. And let me tell you first hand, running from them isn't easy."
"She's right," Pope stated solemnly. "I've ran this scenario over a thousand times in my head and our best chances are on this ship. There's 15 crew members and six of us. About three to one odds, that's the best it's gonna get. We wait til we get there, they're gonna trap us."
"We have no choice," Kie cried, trying to stress how dangerous the situation was.
"There's something else," John B spoke up. His eyes moved over his friends and landed on Jo, causing her eyebrows to lift in question. "Ward's alive. He's alive, and he's on this boat."
The friends all chorused similar statements of shock, but Jo couldn't speak. She could barely move. Her eyes were wide as she stared at John B. In that single instance, her world came crashing down yet again. All it took was two words, and she could feel herself spiraling.
"It was all a setup," John B continued. "Blowing up the boat, the confession to Shoupe. Think about it. It was to what? Clear Rafe's name. And he does what? Goes to the Druthers. And what's on the Druthers?"
"Scuba," Kie scoffed, shaking her head in disbelief.
"So Ward's alive, huh?" JJ spoke up. "And he has the gold, and the cross, and Sarah."
"Thanks for rubbing that in," Kie deadpanned.
JJ continued talking, his voice even and steady as he gave the group a pep talk. But Jo wasn't listening. Her throat was closing up again and her head felt too heavy to hold up. She closed her eyes to prevent tears from escaping them and pushed past JJ, running her hands through her hair as she paced.
Ward was alive. She knew what that meant. She knew they would have to fight him again. He would probably try to kill them all. She hadn't thought he scared her as much as he did, but just knowing that he wasn't dead sent an indescribable panic coursing through her veins. She just wanted all of this to be over.
"Hey."
Jo inhaled sharply as JJ brushed his hand against her arm. She yelped in fright, quickly pushing him away and pressing her back into the wall. She let out a slight breath when she saw it was only JJ, the boy frowning as he held his hands up. "Hey, hey," he whispered. "It's okay. It's just me."
Jo let out a shuddering breath and shook her head. "I can't do this," she whimpered. "Not if Ward's out there."
JJ felt his heart cracking in two. He resented Ward just as much as she did. He had watched him break her and turn her into a shell of who she once was. He watched her become frail and vulnerable and jump at every little sound. "Listen to me," JJ said firmly. He gently grabbed her face in his hands so she was forced to look at him. "You can do this, alright? I know you're scared. I know you're tired. But we got this. Okay? We're doin' it. We're gonna bring these motherfuckers down once and for all, and we're gonna do it together."
Jo swallowed thickly and nodded her head. She could feel the panic slowly fading and it was replaced with determination. JJ was right. No more running. No more hiding. It was time to fight back.
"Together," she whispered.