"Gracie?" Sarah says and her voice cracks and I can hear her heavy breathing through the phone.
"Sarah, I'm alive, so is John B. We-I have so much I need to tell you and I'm sorry I couldn't call sooner, I just couldn't get a phone till now and I love you and I'm sorry I've been gone," I had so much I wanted to say to her it was like word vomit trying to talk to her.
"Gracie, I don't understand, what happened?" She asks and I can hear her crying and the confusion in her voice.
"I will explain everything. When can I see you?" I ask her desperate to be able to just be with my sister again.
"Tonight? Now!" She says back in a similar tone as me.
"I'll take John B's boat and be there in-" I stopped as I heard a car door shut and I turned to see JJ and John B. looking out towards the driveway as well and the confusion and fear on their faces scared me.
"Sarah I have to go, I'll text you, someone's here. I love you," I said quickly and hung up the phone before I could hear the response. I run out to the porch and JJ is dumping water onto the fire.
"What the hell is going on?" I whispered as John B. ran up to me.
"Someone's here. We gotta hide," He says back and I can hear the fear in his voice.
"Come on!" He says grabbing my hand and pulling me but I want to get Kie's phone to talk to Sarah. She just found out I'm alive and now I probably scared her with the way i hung up.
"Hang on, I'll be right there," I say as I run back inside and just as I grab Kie's phone I hear someone's voice. A familiar voice.
"You really think they're here man?" Barry asks the person with him. Barry, the asshole that not only got Rafe hooked on drugs but also held a gun up to all of us to try and rob us.
But the voice that responds makes my heart drop.
"That's what Kelce said dude. I know they're here," Rafe says back to him. I look outside and see JJ and John B. climbing up the big tree in the yard. John B. mouths the word "hide" to me. And I run back to his room and get under the bed. I hear the screen door creak open just as I get under and I feel like I was thrown into a horror movie, just waiting to get pulled out from under the bed like the girl in Taken. Either Rafe or Barry was throwing things around inside and looking around for us. Just as I think he's about to leave I see a pair of dirty and old black boots appear at the door.
"Come on out little Pogues, I know y'all are here somewhere," Barry says and I hold my breath not daring to make a single sound.
He's walking all around the room and then I hear Rafe call him from outside. A part of me wanted to see Rafe, talk to him without our dad around and see if there's any sign of the old Rafe that I knew there. As I hear the door open and close as Barry leaves, I pull myself out from under the bed and crawl over to the hall and peer out towards the yard to see what was going on. I can just barely hear their conversation, Rafe is mumbling something about how we must have just been there. Then he stops for a second and I see him staring at the tree and reading my name and John B's name where the others made a little memorial for us. He turns back and I can see his smile from here, it's not a happy smile, a smile like the Joker that shows no sign of happiness and more a breaking point.
"P4L," He laughs to Barry.
"Your sister's a Pogue for life apparently bro," Barry says back to him laughing. But then something changes in Rafe, his smile drops and he looks hurt and mad. Like Barry's words triggered something in him and flipped a switch.
"Shit!" He screams so loudly and it caught me by surprise I audibly yelped and then hid myself behind the door praying Barry didn't notice. Then I hear a gun go off and I look back and I'm shaking as I fear what he will do next. I see Barry grab the gun from Rafe and yell at him then they both run off. Rafe hesitates though and stares at the Chateau and looks around as if he's trying to understand it all. Trying to understand what's happened to us, our family, and our lives. Barry calls to him again and he runs off behind him. I don't dare move again until I hear their car start and the sound of the engine drift away. I run out to the yard and John B. and JJ are climbing down from the tree.
"OMG are you okay?" I ask as I cling to John B. and then grab JJ and pull him into the hug as well.
"Dude, your brother has lost it. Absolutely lost it. He shot at the tree and then when Barry grabbed him he shot another bullet into the air literally inches away from me. You can see the damn hole in the tree where it hit!" JJ is frantic and can't seem to relax.
"We've gotta get out of here guys, they could come back!" He says.
"How dude? Pope and Kie took the Pogue and none of us have a car," John B. says.
"I can ask Sarah to come get us. I-I called her just before Rafe got here," I said and they both stare at me dumbfounded.
"I used Kie's phone. I needed to talk to my sister." I said feeling like they were both mad at me.
"What if your dad heard her talking to you, Gracie?" John B. said in a concerned tone.
"She's not dumb. If a call came up as Kie she would leave the room," I said feeling defensive.
"No, you're right. I'm sorry, I'm just on edge right now," He responds.
"We can't call Sarah guys. If Rafe sees her going somewhere he could get suspicious and follow her," JJ says.
"Then what the hell do we do? We're sitting ducks here. I knew we shouldn't have gone with them to get the beer! Kelce saw us!" I said and I felt the panic rising in me. If Kelce and now Rafe knew we were back, anyone could tell Shoupe and they could find us and arrest John B.
"We'll figure it out, okay? Let's just stay in the house." John B. says trying to sooth me.
"Yeah, let's just hunker down and wait for the cops to find us. Great plan guys," JJ says as he reaches for his backpack and I already know what he's getting.
"I'm not letting Rafe fucking Cameron, hurt any of us again, so I'm staying strapped," JJ says as he puts the gun in the waistband of his shorts. I don't say anything. They all have the right to hate Rafe and my dad. They have every reason to want them dead, especially John B. I can't help that I still care about them though, I mean how could I not? A year ago everything was normal, my dad was just a dad, a great guy. My brother, while yes he could be a total douche, he was just a typical older brother for the most part. I want Rafe to get help, he needs it. Maybe if my dad had gotten him help sooner, there would only be one murderer in my family.
We sit in John B's room barely even talking because not only were we tired but we didn't want to fall asleep and risk getting ambushed by Rafe or the cops. It's about seven in the morning when we finally hear the distant sound of the Pogue approaching with Kiara and Pope. We grab our bags and run out.
"Yo don't dock it, we gotta peel. Rafe came here. He knows Gracie and John B. are back," JJ says as we hop into the boat. We head towards a vacant part of the island that's just woods and the shoreline and start discussing what we should do. I was texting Sarah and telling her what was happening before we left but now I don't have any service.
"What if I went and talked to my dad," I said and everyone looked at me like I have three heads.
"Yeah this is good, let's get all the bad ideas out of the way now," Pope says.
"No. I'm serious. If I'm back, he's forced to choose. He has to turn Rafe and himself in, I know the truth. I was on the tarmac that day, I'm your alibi John B. They won't be able to prove that I was "brainwashed" or something by you. John B. I can get us out of this." I said but no one looks convinced.
"I have to try something. We can't just sit around and wait for the cops to come." I said.
"Are you sure?" Kiara says looking worried, they all looked worried.
"Gracie, don't do this," JJ says.
"There are so many more ways that this could end badly rather than good," Pope says.
"Well thank you for the vote of confidence and the support but I have to try," I say as I get up and start walking towards the HMS Pogue.
"Gracie," John B. says as he grabs my hand, "Are you sure about this?" he says.
"Not really no, but I have to try," I say.
"Please be careful, I love you," He says.
"I love you too," I say and head off towards the place I once called home.