It was as if Harley had attracted all of the sun's rays and magnetised them to glow around her. This morning she couldn't stop smiling when a certain blonde had stayed by her side. Her beautiful smile remained as she slipped out of her car and waved at Billie, who was bent over tinkering with an engine.
Her closing door echoed another. She swivelled on the spot to join her gaze to JJ who already had eyes on her over the hood of her car. She folded her arms on the warm metal roof and rested her chin on top.
"You didn't have to drive with me to work."
Unbeknownst to Harley, her eyes dazzled JJ. Smooth, golden honey pooling in her irises adding another layer of sweetness to Harley Rain Routledge.
"You were pretty anxious about that guy yesterday."
Instinctively, Harley's eyes roamed their surroundings. All the usual cars were parked out front, Billie's silver convertible, and some cars belonging to clients. The birds still harmonised a morning song, so nobody wandered the aisles of the shop yet.
The warmth of Harley's blood beneath her skin felt itchy, but she refused to let the anxiety win. Instead she settled her big grin to an amused half smile. "Aw. So, you were thinking of my feelings."
"Something like that." JJ played it off with an easy shrug.
Harley hummed seeing through his cheeky arrogance. He had been thinking of her and that left her elated. "Thank you for thinking of me or something like that."
"Your welcome. It's not like I think about you any other time."
"I bet you do." Harley egged him on.
"You might be right but I can neither confirm nor deny. In fact all I can do is deny. Deny, deny, deny."
"Charming," Harley said leaning up from the car. She pushed against her car with the heel of her hands to teeter on the heels of her dusty, white converses.
"Yeah, I have been likened to Prince Charming in the past."
Harley scoffed and pulled herself back in. She hopped up slightly to knock the front of JJ's cap over his eyes. She laughed as he eyed her over her car. He pushed his tongue against the inside of his cheek and nodded taking in her actions. He began to round the car, but that didn't stop Harley.
"Who ever told you that must be blind, JJ. It's okay though, I'm here to be honest with you." Harley turned to her right to face JJ. "You're the furthest from Prince charming."
"Yet you still have a soft spot for me."
"That I can confirm. Confirm. Confirm. Confirm."
JJ fake gagged. "That made me cringe. Nerd." He playfully pushed her face away as they both laughed.
"Rude."
"Yeah. Yeah. Now, let's get serious."
Harley put on her best serious face sobering up. She folded her arms to refrain from reaching for JJ and getting distracted.
"I was thinking we tell John B and the others about this mystery, kidnapper guy when you get back from your shift."
Oh, so JJ actually meant they were going to get serious.
"John B, will be back from returning the diving gear and Kie and Pope are supposed to be coming over in the afternoon."
It made sense, but Harley felt herself wanting to stall. She didn't feel like now was the right time to dump all of this on John B. Then there was Pope, any more stress and anxiety and he might burst his network of veins. He had an interview not too far in the future and Harley really wanted him to do well with nothing clouding his mind. He had spoken about it so much, she felt like if he got the scholarship than she would have to. Stress free, happy Pope was the best thing.
"Okay. Hear me out..." Harley's hazel, honey eyes grew to hypnotic pools in an attempt to soften and persuade JJ. "Maybeee we can tell him tomorrow."
JJ shut her down immediately. "No."
"JJ," she whined prepared to string together a nonsensical speech.
"Nope."
Harley placed her hands on his solid chest. Gliding her hands up around his neck and pulling him close would have been easy. "Not even if I..."
"No." JJ's dissent seemed like a struggle but he pushed through. "We have to tell them. I'll be right there with you."
"Fine."
"Also."
Harley tipped her head back looking at the sky. "There's more?"
JJ nodded. "I think you should do some digging and see if Billie knows anything. You said Billie and kidnapper guy looked pretty cosy..."
"I didn't say that," Harley butted in to try and correct JJ, but he disregarded her comment.
"...and she'd given him a brown envelope. If a shady envelope exchange doesn't scream secret, I don't know what does."
Harley watched Billie out of the corner of her eyes. JJ did love to dream up scenarios inspired by the countless action and mafia movies he loved to watched, however Harley couldn't see a flaw in his thought process this time. It was weird to exchange an envelope like that. Harley had never seen Billie do something like that with any other clients, not to mention their hurry to wrap up whatever conversation they had been having.
"Okay." Harley focused back on JJ. "I can do that."
JJ smirked, he kind of looked like he was proud. "That's my girl."
Harley rolled her eyes but let JJ plant his hands on her waist and draw her in.
"If anything happens, use that landline in the office to call the Chateau. We'll be around."
"I thought phones didn't work because the power was out." It was easy for Harley to forget that they couldn't use their mobiles, she often slipped hers into her bag or pocket just to realise she couldn't do much without service and internet.
"That landline should. It's old as shit, but it's corded."
Harley didn't even know there was a landline in the chateau, so she couldn't help but look at JJ in amazement. "Right. I'm not even going to ask how they still work."
"Don't want your mind to explode in awe or anything," JJ joked.
"Or explode because of how much you suck at explaining."
Harley giggled at JJ's dropped jaw. He completely wound his arms around her and brought her flush against him. Heat rushed up her neck to her cheeks as she glanced Billie's way. Her boss wasn't looking their way too engrossed with her task. "That wasn't very nice. You're getting pretty quick-witted."
"You have Kie and Billie to thank for that." Harley bit back her grin, JJ's lips brushing oh so close to Harley's.
"Noted." JJ's eyes travelled left, before murmuring. "Have a good shift."
JJ laid a sweet kiss upon Harley's lips. So sweet, she almost pouted at how short it was. She was in love with JJ's kisses.
"See you later."
"See you later, " Harley chimed although she missed JJ's hold as he pulled himself back. She waved at his retreating figure, then spun and skipped to the garage.
Billie had been working on a green Honda. It looked like a car straight out of a Transformers movie which made Harley question who in Kildare would be driving it.
"Nice car. Who does it belong to?"
"Hey Harley, I'm good thanks. How are you? That's great." Billie pulled herself away from the engine, sarcastic playfulness dancing in her eyes and over her half smile.
Harley huffed unable to cover her chuckle. "Hi Billie, how are you?"
"Peachy, now that my favourite little worker is here." Billie wiped a thin rod across a blue cloth getting all the oil off. Her eyes found the spot Harley and JJ had just been before remarking, "You and the blonde looked extremely cosy. Dare I ask?"
Harley's cheeks flooded pink again in embarrassment, her boss and older sister figure had seen her kiss JJ. Her mouth opened and closed a couple times until she sheepishly replied. "I may have... kind of... taken your advice."
Billie hummed in intrigue. "I'm not surprised. You two are like lovesick puppies. It's cute and sickening."
"We are not lovesick puppies." Harley laughed. Billie was odd. She loved love and yet hated it all at once. She liked the feeling, yet Harley noted Billie didn't like the commitment.
"I dunno. You've got that whole Romeo and Juliet thing going on. Forbidden love and all that mushy shit. Although realistically, the whole Pogue rule is still very stupid. Just tell John B you like JJ and that you're gonna fuck if you want. Of course, I am the adult here, so make sure you use protection. And, maybe, don't phrase it like that, he's supposed to be your brother."
"I am not saying that to John B." Harley tied her hair up into a ponytail and slipped into her blue overalls.
"That's probably a good idea."
Harley was not at all surprised by Billie's bluntness. Billie was only twenty-four, so maybe her attitude towards love came with some immaturity, not that Harley was one to talk. Maybe that's why they got on so well. They were both young and whilst Billie was always up for spewing advice and helpful tips, she didn't have enough years of life under her belt to know everything either.
Harley's eyebrows crinkled unnoticeably. She always thought about Billie's earlier years before coming to the Outer Banks. Whenever Harley asked about it, Billie's responses were usually pretty dry, detailing a few things like schooling and a tiny amount of family on the mainland, but never anything too detailed. She didn't go to college and started babysitting once she'd finished high school. Apparently, she always liked cars so when she wasn't babysitting she used to work in a garage owned by somebody else.
"Billie?"
"Yeah?"
"How did you manage to buy this place?"
"With money." Billie replied witfully.
Harley groaned. Sometimes being surrounded by sarcastic and witty people grew to be annoying. "You know that's not what I meant."
"My parents are good friends with the person that owned the shop I used to work at. Last summer he planned to open another garage and asked if I wanted to run it, I obviously said yes. Then, he let me pick the location. I chose here, because who wouldn't want to live on a sunny island."
"That's cool. Does this guy open up shops in lots of locations?"
"Not really."
"Oh." Harley kept her eyes down continuing with what she was doing. She didn't want to look too keen or come across as if she were prying. "What's his name?"
"You won't know him."
"But I wanna know the name of my, like, ultimate boss." Harley forced a chuckle to cover her grimace. That was so not casual. She'd slap a hand to her forehead but she held a wrench in one hand and a tiny pool of grime in the other. "The boss of my boss."
"I thought we were friends."
"We are, but you're still my boss."
"He's called Mr Wayne."
Wayne. That name had cropped up on documents Harley had spotted.
"Does he have a first name?"
"Frank."
"Sounds... plain." Harley's eyes widened at what she'd blurted out. Now she smacked a hand to her head, uncaring of the grease smeared on her skin. "I mean. Um. Nice. Sounds nice. Great guy."
"You need any help out of that hole you're digging?" Harley snickered. "I guess it is kind of a plain name. But you're right he's a nice guy."
"Wil-"
"Nope. No more questions. We've got a lot of cars to get through this week and you're only here for the morning. I need all the help I can get right now, so let's focus."
Harley clamped her mouth shut and nodded obediently.
Of course, the quiet didn't last long between them. Billie pushed a button on the old radio at the back of the garage and turned up the volume. Cool music tumbled into the air and filled the garage. Billie and Harley sang along as they detached, reattached, removed old and added new parts to cars.
Soon enough the minutes blurred into hours and Harley was left alone. Billie had to leave the garage for a short while to collect some parcel stuck at the mailroom downtown.
After the first five minutes Harley had determined that Billie wouldn't be turning back, so she had concluded that had been the time to snoop. Everything about her office had remained the same which was how it had been before she even came to the island. Harley had always thought it was weird that Billie never felt the need to decorate her office and really make it her own. The only thing that had any sort of character was the odd, colourful plant that sat in a small pot, Billie's oily handprint on the side of the white pot.
Despite Harley's best attempt at snooping there hadn't been a tremendous amount to find. The majority of the stacks of paper had been order and customer invoices and receipts. The only thing out of the ordinary was a document with a wheat symbol stamped in the corner. She had stopped on it because of the familiar sign, the rest of the document was in a bunch of finance jargon Harley didn't quite understand.
She sifted through more papers and only found sheets stamped with an insignia. They were odd documents because they repeated the same things, just different order number and invoices numbers, but she could tell that whatever these payments had gone to hadn't shown up at the garage at any point despite the dates detailing all the way back to last year. Maybe this Wayne guy did dodgy dealings and was into money laundering or something. It made sense. Half the cars sat outside the garage were imported and owned by the garage. They were for show and sometimes were rotated and swapped for some new car Billie drove in.
"Well damn. I work for a business that probably money launders," Harley thought aloud with a light laugh as she moved back to Billie's metal desk. "Maybe if I told Peterkin she'd keep DCS of mine and John B's back."
Harley said it out loud, but she knew she wouldn't do such a thing. She loved Billie, she was great and had conveniently been there for Harley from the start. She wouldn't ruin her livelihood. Also, Harley wasn't a snitch. As long as she wasn't forced into doing anything illegally, it was technically none of her business. Then there was the selfish reason of her needing a job.
Harley yanked open drawer after drawer until she stumbled upon a stack in a blue file. No other files in the office were this colour so it must have been important. She dropped into Billie's comfy chair and pulled out the file onto her lap. She flicked through not understanding anything at the start. Some words jumped out because Billie mentioned and taught her small things occasionally about running your own business.
When she was about to stop flicking through, Harley's eyes snapped on to some different types of forms. These papers were titled with the Hospital's emblem. They were addressed to Mr. Wayne and had details of medications and treatments. Harley thought the number codes for the medications looked somewhat familiar, but she couldn't properly place it. They may have been the same as the pain relief medication she took last year or even the medication she took for her post traumatic stress.
Harley sat pondering for a second longer until a car door made her jump ten feet in the air. Either Billie was back, or a customer had arrived. Either way she was about to be caught doing something she shouldn't have been. Hastily, Harley scooted forward to drop the files back where they belonged. With all her frantic actions, Harley caught sight of something that made her freeze. Her name was printed in bold on the next file. As her finger brushed over the smooth surface and flicked up the front cover, she saw herself beaming back at her. It was a bright picture of herself grinning at the camera. What threw her into stupefaction was that Harley had never given Billie a photo of herself, not to mention the picture looked like it had been taken somewhere that wasn't this island.
"Harley!" Billie's voice rang out and jumpstarted Harley back into action.
She dumped all of the files back and stood up from the desk. She took a step toward the door but thought against it. She swivelled back to the desk and grabbed a bright pink stick note and pen. She scrawled down a random number and a fake name.
"Harley! You still here?"
"In here," Harley called out. She stood up and dropped the pen as Billie showed up. Harley smiled and gestured to the landline on the desk. "Some lady just rang about possibly getting he alloys on her car changed and something about her car making a growling noise. I told her to swing by."
Billie placed two medium sized boxes down in the corner of the office and turned to give Harley her attention again. "Okay. Did she say when she'd swing by?
"No, but I told her our opening times. I also got a name and number if you wanted it," Harley held up the post it note between her fingers.
Billie seemed to think about it for a second before letting out a tired sigh. "Nah. It's fine. We are inundated here, so if she swings by, she swings by."
Harley breathed easy. "Alright then."
"Five minutes, until your shift is up. You can head out now if you want and I'll see you later."
Harley peered around worried about the workload, though nodded, nonetheless. The Pogues would be expecting her, and the extra few minutes would Give Harley time to work out what she was going to say to the group about her kidnapper, with JJ. As well as the fact Harley was pretty creeped out by what she had found in Billie's draw. Why would she have a file on her?
"Okie dokie. Enjoy your afternoon."
Harley slipped out of her overalls and made sure she packed away what didn't need to be out. She said one last goodbye to Billie and got into her car.
🌊
"I need to pee. I need to pee. I need to pee." Harley recited in a sing song voice. Distraction was the aim and yet her words were a reminder that her bladder would burst any minute.
Her foot pushed closer and closer to the floor of the car as she accelerated down the dirt road to the Chateau.
"Please nobody be in the toilet or I'll cry. I don't think I can pee in a bush."
Harley slowed to a stop behind the shack and leapt out of her car. Going around the front was too long. Hurdling through her window however and sprinting to the bathroom seemed much quicker. Yes her leg almost got caught on the window pane and yes the belt loop of her shorts caught on the door handle. But the mini Olympics she had gone through was worth it as she sighed at the release of pressure around her pelvis.
With all the noise she had made she was surprised none of the Pogues had called out to her. She had heard the door shut a moment ago.
Harley flushed behind her and moved to wash her hands. "John B!" She called out. She shut the tap off and listened for any movement. She could have sworn the group were walking and shuffling around a moment ago. Now everything was still. "John B!"
Harley pulled her hair tie out and turned for the exit. She stepped into the hallway and properly observed the area. There was a picture smashed on the floor. The door to the office was ajar. John B always had that room locked. He didn't want any of their dad's stuff disturbed for when he got back.
"JB! Why is a picture broken?" She picked it up and shook the glass off John and JB's printed faces. Their smiles were the brightest she had ever seen. Her feet carried her to the office whilst she stared at the photo. "I thought we were keeping this door locked..."
No answer. Were they purposely ignoring her? There was no way they couldn't hear her.
Harley reached for the door handle when all of a sudden it swung open startling her. The instinctive shriek she let out got cut short by a large hand. Somebody latched their arm around her and hoisted her off her feet.
"Wondered when I'd see you again, Harley." His tone turned mocking when he said her name.
"What's going on, Cruz?" Another man rounded the corner. His brown hair was scraggly and messy as if he had walked through a cyclone to get here. His brown eyes, sat above his long, narrow nose, bored into Harley. He looked like a rat with a beard and moustache. Harley recognised him as the other man on the boat that had chased the Pogues out in the marsh. He had the same charcoal coloured hoodie and black t-shirt.
If Ratface stood in front of her then Cruz, her kidnapper, definitely had a hold of her. His thick arms, the size of her neck, crushing her to his body as best he could.
No. No. No. No no no no. Harley shook her head from side to side in denial whilst her body shook like a leaf. She screamed behind his huge hand and tried to kick Ratface who idled forward.
"Is this Routledge's kid? Where's your old man, girly?" He nudged his friend's arm so that she had to look him in his beady eyes.
Why were they looking for her dad? Didn't they know he had gone missing at the end of last summer. Everybody on the island knew, so they mustn't have been from Kildare.
"She ain't his kid, Ratter." Ratface was called Ratter, in other circumstances Harley would have giggled at the irony. "This is the kid I was telling you about."
"The Limbrey kid?" Ratface questioned. He didn't look too sure.
"She ain't a Limbrey. Do your ears not work?" Cruz's voice rumbled through his chest, Harley could feel it.
"She may as well be. They're all linked." Through Harley's panic and whirlwind confusion, she finally noticed the gun in Ratface's pocket. "I know my shit and I've heard stories. Kinda fucked what used to happen in that household. Surprised Limbrey hasn't caught a bullet or her half breed, psycho brother."
"Renfield."
Renfield. Harley stopped moving for a second, captivated by the name. She knew that name. She had remembered it yesterday, but thought maybe it was her imagination. It was always hard to decipher what was real or fake from any memory that flooded back to her and now these men who had broken into her home affirmed that Renfield was real. It wasn't a thing or a place, it was a person. Somebody she might have lived with.
Harley tried to speak behind the hand, instead his grip tightened effectively silencing her. She jerked back then tried to pull forward but it was all useless.
Harley viciously gnawed on the flesh in front of her mouth and grinned triumphantly when she stumbled free. Ratface hadn't been prepared for his friend to let go, so catching him off guard and pushing him aside became an easy task.
Harley darted for the living room and faltered at the wrecked living room. She gasped unable to comprehend the damage to the chateau. The dining table had been toppled over, any cutlery that had been on it now spread over the floor. Glass gleamed by the side door. All of the chairs were upturned, the cushions trampled on and one of the lamps smashed. Somehow clothes were flung about the place and torn paper littering the floor like snow. Pretty much everything in sight had been ruined, except the picture frames which hung dutifully on the walls.
A heavy body rammed into Harley sending her sprawling to the floor. Her body protested at the impact, sharp pain stamping along the right of her ribcage. Harley groaned unable to shift beneath Ratface.
"Don't fucking move!"
Harley wanted out and tried to scurry forward until a bullet pierced the wood by her head. Her ears rang as though a thousand wind chimes crashed together at once. She twisted away from the hole and the sound unable to hear her own scream. Dread drummed in her chest like a haywire funeral march. Anxiety lodged in her throat and sent needle to the backs of her eyes. In one laboured breath, tears flooded Harley's eyes.
"Where's Routledge and his boy?"
"I don't know." She choked out.
The man flipped her over and grabbed the front of her t-shirt. The barrel of his gun found her temple as he asked again.
Harley trembled, her hands shook as she held them close to her racing heart. "I don't know. I don't know." He shook more fear into her. "I'm not lying. I promise."
"We're wasting time." Cruz came into sight and she coiled away trying to mould into the floor. "Here take this. I'll take her."
"Wh-what?" Harley's words wavered as she stared in shook. "Take me?"
Neither answered her. Instead switching positions. Harley tried to run when she was handed off to the man who caused her further PTSD and anxiety last summer. He caught her easily and lifted her up into a secure hold.
"I thought you got paid to leave her alone." Ratface pushed open the front door and held it open.
Harley struggled and tried to press her feet into the door frame so that they couldn't get through. The man grunted as he tried to manoeuvre her.
"Yeah. But, I didn't get paid for the first job. If I take her now Limbrey will have to pay up. Plus the four-hundred mil we're gonna find." Cruz explained whilst fighting with Harley in his arms. He had a hand over her mouth again.
"If we're gonna find the four-hundred, why does she matter?" A gun was pointed Harley's way as Ratface pushed her legs away from the walls.
"Routledge has gone AWOL. The money for her is a contingency in case we don't get the big bucks."
"For you."
The second they got Harley partially through the threshold of the front door she started screaming again even if it was muffled. She prayed someone was close by. Where were the Pogues? Where was JJ? He said the group would be here.
Harley spotted a stylish, shiny, black truck out front through the screen door. Twenty yards and she'd be gone, once they got her in that truck she probably wouldn't get back out. Her hysteria grew as flashes of last time stirred with brush stroked memories blinded her. She was being shoved into a SUV by Kelce's home then she was falling off the side of a boat. Harley thrashed violently trying everything to get herself free.
In a flurry of limbs, Cruz hit his arm and Harley smacked her head against the door frame. That second of sudden throbbing and pulsing that shot straight through her was enough to get her outside.
"Fuck. Get all the crap in the car." Cruz said to his friend now that he had an easier time with Harley.
Adrenaline stopped her senses from dropping immediately but ignoring the the thunder in her head was hard.
"Get off me." She started up screaming again and scratched at the man's arms. He hissed jostling her around.
"No one's here. You can quit your crying."
Harley only screamed louder and threw out her hands to grab a hold of the wooden beam by the stairs. Splintered wood dug into her palms but she'd rather have bloody hands than be taken again.
Cruz dropped Harley so suddenly, she had no time to catch herself. Her body collided with the wooden patio painfully. Her eyes caught a glint of a silver gun handle in JJ's fallen backpack.
"Hey!" A very pissed off JJ made an appearance. Pope wasn't too far behind. She didn't know where they had come from, but she was happy they showed up.
Cruz and Ratter glanced their way, giving Harley enough time to scramble for JJ's gun. She cried out when she grabbed it, but was dragged back by her ankle. She kicked out and rolled over pointing the gun in Cruz's face.
"Get the hell off me or I'll shoot you."
He laughed at her like he didn't believe she could even work the gun, so Harley cocked the gun and sent a warning shot passed his head.
He shut up real quick, though his smirk remained. "Like father, like daughter."
Whatever he thought he knew about Harley was wrong, she was adamant he had no clue about her or her relationship with John. He had to be wrong, because she couldn't handle him being right.
"You don't know anything about me."
"I know that the little life you've made here, playing dress up and slumming it, won't last forever. It's going to come crumbling down, because you aren't a Routledge. "
This man new Harley from her past life. He seemed to know things which tempted Harley. She wanted to crack his mind open like a safe and take his memories for herself to solve the puzzle that was her life before the Outer Banks. She hadn't been eager to find out about her past for a while, since it hurt to think back and all the dead ends left her feeling empty. Despite all of this and never quite coming this close to answers, the storm in her head clouded her wants and left her needing peace. She felt unstable and vulnerable, a seizure soon to hit.
"Get out of here." She finally bit out. "Don't... Don't come back unless you really do want a bullet in your chest."
The man didn't look phased by Harley's threat especially with how tight Harley's left hand held onto her right wrist to steady her hand. His friend, Ratface, urged his friend to leave Harley alone and get out of there before any more witnesses materialised.
"You heard what she said. And if you think she won't shoot, I most definitely will." JJ threatened.
Pope added on a white lie, " Plus we've called the cops. The Sheriff is on the way.
Now Cruz took charge and backed up to his truck, he nodded to Ratface and the two hopped back into the vehicle. Harley released tight breath whilst tyres screeched and kicked up dust as they left.
Albeit the danger speeding away from the chateau in an expensive looking truck, Harley's hands only shook more violently as she let go of her wrist. JJ's gun tumbled from her fingertips as she struggled to keep a hold of it.
"Harley! Harley. Hey." JJ was in front of Harley, but she was struggling to see him through her blurry vision.
A simple, "Hi." was all Harley could get out before the lightening in her head started and she faded away.
JJ acted swiftly, the rest of the Pogues racing over, he swiped a pillow from one of the chairs and slipped it under Harley's head.
"Is she seizing?" Kiara's small, concerned voice came.
"I think so," JJ responded not taking his eyes off Harley's stiff body. He scanned everywhere but couldn't see any bullet wounds. "Will somebody get me a blanket or something."
John B had already been getting one and handed him a soft red blanket to drape over her waist and legs. They both knew she would be embarrassed if her seizure caused her to lose control of her bladder in front of anybody.
"I told you we should have gone to help her sooner," JJ threw out to nobody in particular.
The Pogues had been hiding in the chicken coup watching Cruz and Ratter ransack John B's home. The two weren't messing around as they carried guns around the home. Kiara had been trying to silence her sobs. Pope had been frozen with anxiety, John B emotionless as he watched his home be wrecked in front of his eyes. JJ had been sat irritably running his hands through his hair, his choppy behaviour only grew when the group had heard a gun shot.
"Why are they shooting," Kiara cried.
JJ moved around to try and get a glimpse through the wooden slats of the coup. He kept moving around until he caught sight of a baby blue colour. He craned his neck. At the same time he realised Harley's car must have been parked just out of sight, a terrified scream came from the shack.
"Harley's here." JJ moved to the door of the coup only to have Pope stop him.
"What?" John B jolted up. "She's early."
Kiara had held onto John B's arm tightly to stop him. "They're here for you John B and they have guns."
"I have a gun," JJ stated. He wanted to go and help Harley. They may have already shot her and the Pogues were just sitting around.
"There's two of them. They both have guns JJ."
"And Harley is stuck in there with them."
The four jumped and chickens squawked around them as they heard a door bang open. One of the men came out.
"I'm going out there. John B can stay here." JJ shrugged Pope's hand away.
"JJ, please," Kiara begged. She wanted Harley to be safe, but she didn't want JJ to throw himself into the line of fire with no plan and get hurt, too. It seemed like a lose lose situation.
Harley's screams and cries played behind them. "They're going to take her, Kiara. Move."
"Wait, I'll come with you," Pope spoke up.
Harley's body relaxed which allowed John B to breathe easy. He had been counting the seconds in his head and they hadn't reached an alarming number.
"Help me get her in the recovery position," John B commanded.
The two boys worked together to roll Harley onto her side carefully and manoeuvre her arms and legs, Kiara sorted the blanket around Harley.
It took a little bit, but finally Harley started coming round. She hummed and shifted. JJ watched intently as Harley's eyes flickered open.
"Harls?" John B rested a hand on her back. "Can you hear me?"
She nodded but made no attempt at sitting up. JJ wanted to fire questions at the brunette to ensure she was okay, but he refrained knowing it wouldn't help her groggy state. Instead he left John B do the talking.
"How are you feeling?"
"My head." Her arm lazily lifted to touch her head, but John B eased her hand away.
"Did you hit your head?"
She nodded. "I... Ratface."
"Did she just say Ratface," Pope glanced around confused as if he had misheard.
John B asked, "Who's Ratface?"
"No... I drowned. I need water."
"You can't have water until you're fully conscious. Do you want to sit up?"
Harley nodded. John B and JJ guided her up.
"I feel sick."
"You're okay. Just breathe in for five and out for five," John B instructed.
That's how the Pogues stayed. Silently reflecting on the events that had just occurred whilst helping to ease Harley out of her postictal state.

Pretty long chapter. Hope you liked it :)