CRUEL SUMMER
006 | tickle the wire
" CAN WE JUST TALK?"
━━ Renee whispered to JJ who was sat next to her yet he felt a thousand miles away. He was leant to the side, looking out of the window with his hands in his lap. Ignoring her, his body language shut off — meaning he wasn't ready to talk yet.
She huffed at the silence he gave her. The cold shoulder was even more bitter after the summer, JJ continued to fixate his gaze anywhere but his girlfriend who was losing momentum in trying to both reconcile and also explain herself properly.
It had been an hour or two since Pope had planted one of his earphones in Gavins car. The sun had fully set and they were still sat in Kiara's car waiting for further instructions -- despite those instructions being delayed due to half of their team being on non-speaking terms.
"Ok," pope turned around to face the blondes in the back, the slight frustration in his voice was enough to even reel in JJ's longing gaze directed towards the lamppost. " I understand that you two are currently experiencing marital issues...but are you willing to put that aside to bring John B and Sarah home?"
Renee nodded, although knowing she had nothing to feel guilty for and complied instead of stemming another argument for the night. There was too much at stake: John B and Sarah's survival and innocent foremost but also the guartentee that Ward Cameron would have to pay for his many crimes. The death of Vincent Lowe being one of the countless he had spent using threats and money to try and cover up.
JJ gave a disgruntled groan and simple nod before putting his hand out to retrieve the phone that Pope was passing from behind the console of the front of the car. JJ letting out yet another disgruntled sound when Pope handed it to Renee instead of him.
"Now hold on." JJ looked to Pope who didn't look in the mood for anymore of his whining tonight " Why does Ren get to tickle?"
Pope shrugged his shoulder " she's the best tickler." he replied nonchalantly giving no other reason for JJ to complain for the night.
Renee looked up to Pope for guidance , slightly confused on what she should do " So should I do like an accent or something?"
"Yeah," he hummed " definitely try and disguise your voice."
She faked a cough, conjuring up a false British accent as she spoke " like this?"
" no, definitely not like that." pope told her, and Kiara's comment followed the same reference lines — Renee nodded her head,
" I think I'm just going to use my normal voice, this man doesn't know who I am." she huffed, shushing her friends who continued to speak and pressed the dial button on the phone.
She shuddered slightly, even after her escapades the previous month that made threatening someone over the phone look like child's play — Renee still felt nervous.
" hello." he spoke casually, obviously not having expected to be answering a call made from his front garden.
"Is Gavin there?" Renee asked, clearing her throat and looking up to Kiara showing her thumbs up in encouragement.
"This is Gavin, who is this?" Renee didn't know what to say, her mouth open yet no words came out "hello?"
" I know what happened on the tarmac!" she told him, out of anger. Anger conjured up from the fact that her friend had been falsely accused of this crime when everyone in that car, including gavin on the phone knew was a lie.
" who's this?" he faked laughter, an obvious attempt to fool who else was in the room with him.
" it was Rafe Cameron who shot peterkin." she spoke with confidence " but you already knew that."
" and you lied about it, sending an innocent boy to a lifetime of running away because nobody will see the truth!" her words growing more powerful with each syllable.
"Ok, who is this." his voice blunt, yet still skimming with concern on who he was dealing with.
" we're gonna prove it? do you know how much time you get with obstructing the course of justice asshole?" Renee spat, her eyes narrowed and eyebrows furrowed.
" you're gonna tell me who this is right now." Renee ignored his command, shaking her head.
" you could have saved her, you called have called the ambulance." Renee said " Peterkins blood is on your hands as much as it is the Cameron's."
He began to cut in, mumbles of panick that someone knew the truth " let me finish asshole, you're not getting away with this. You may not know who I am but I certainly know who you are."
He began to shout, Renee signed and ended the call. putting the phone back in the side console of the passenger seat. Her head falling back to the headrest.
" how did I do?" he asked, eyes closed as everyone mumbled in.
" I would have been scared." Kiara said " good job Ren."
The placement of a hand on her thigh made her eyes open, meeting JJ's soft smile that was his own way of reassuring her.
IT COULDNT HAVE BEEN LONGER THAN A MINUTE OR TWO.
━━ when Gavins car pulled out of the drive way, all four of them leaning back to remain undiscovered, JJ assured that they weren't spotted and Kiara pulling out of their incognito position all whilst they bucketed about Pope's need for car safety at that current moment.
" it's ward." Pope told them, his headphones sat in his ears — listening into the conversation " he's talking to ward."
Renee and JJ both peered over into the front of the car. Awaiting further news on the conversation.
" hey kie-get closer I can't hear." he asked Kiara who nodded, responding with a simple ok — sneakily closing up the space between the two vehicles.
" he's talking about negotiating something." Pope continued, " something, re-renegotiating."
Nobody dared to speak, yet the silence was violent— the sound of the car engine was aborigine all of Renee's attention. It was haunting.
" Gavins got the gun that Rafe used to kill peterkin." he stated, Renee feeling a gasp of air inhale from her mouth. That was it, the gun was they needed to put Rafe away for life. All they needed to bring John B and Sarah home.
" I think he's trying to use it as extortion, as leverage." Pope confirmed,
" as he should." Renee piped in.
" wait he's pulling over." Kiara spoke with panic, noticing the brake lights and gavins sudden stopping across the road.
" do I pull behind him, what do I do?" she asked, eagerly looking for some help.
" it's too risky, just loop around the block ok Kie ?" the brunette nodded, especially as the two boys promoted the idea also.
Renee and JJ both looked as they passed Gavins car, luckily he was too distracted to notice them as Kiara continued to drive around the neighbourhood that he lived in.
" we're gonna lose him!" she exclaimed, being egged on by the two blondes in the back to continue driving. Turning onto yet another street, further from ward and Gavin.
" I can't hear anything, shit!" Pope cursed, losing the signal from the car a few metres behind now " I'm losing signal, I can't hear him."
The car halted as it reached construction work, Kiara stopping on popes request.
" Kie, try and turn around." Renee contributed to the mayhem in the car, her idea soon being followed by JJ and Pope who encouraged it further.
It was a flawless plan, that being until a constitution vehicle pulled up behind Kiara's car — blocking them in fully. The four teenagers cursed at them, one by one getting out of the car.
" hey, could you move we need to back up!" Renee called out yet no one was listening " hey! it's an emergency."
" wait! Pope!" JJs voice forced the two girls to turn their head to face the other boy who had began to run away from the car.
" we gotta know where they're meeting!" Pope shouted out to his friends who began to copy his pace and follow behind him. Renee apologising briefly to the man who was reprimanding them for leaving the car behind.
It had to be countless counts of intrusion they could have faced if the police has caught them. Pushing back gates, jumping over fences — trying to catch up with pope which seemed slightly impossible.
When they finally caught up to him, whilst JJ joked with Sean a unsuspected kook classmate. Renee passed it by and crouched beside pope who was peering over the bush — although he stood up soon enough as JJ and Kiara approached soon enough.
" what's happening P?" Renee questioned as Pope swallowed,
" he's meeting ward like right now." he rushed, already beginning to walk away " we need to go!"
so, as you can already guess. That's exactly what they did.