CHAPTER FIFTY FOUR
Wanted
‿︵‿︵‿︵
(PRESENT)
The feeling of JJ's embrace was enough to break her.
"It's okay, Flower, I've got you" His lips were next to her ear but sounded miles away.
The sound of sirens caused the teens to duck for cover. Avery was tucked under JJ's arm, her head buried in his chest as they crouched and waited for the sirens to pass. Once silence fell again, all eyes were on John B and Avery. The others had no idea what had happened, and at that moment, they didn't know if they wanted to know. JJ couldn't stop looking at the blood on her hands.
Before Avery knew it, they were sitting in the Twinkie, listening to JJ give some speech about the law, that they couldn't trust them or rely on them. John B told them everything they needed to know, Avery was still shaken and only could nod in agreement every now and then. The image of Peterkin's face was seen every time she blinked. One of the only people that cared for her, gone, just like that. She was an innocent, she knew the truth and was on their side, always. Now, she was gone.
"Fuck the police!" Pope exclaimed, his eyes wide. A cigarette between his fingers, the smell was engulfing them all even though the window was open.
"You goin' to the dark side now?" Kira deadpanned, looking totally unimpressed at Pope. She wasn't overly happy about how he was handling things right now, they needed to make some sense of everything and usually he was the one to make it.
"When was the last time the police helped us?" Pope snapped back, trying to prove a point. He immediately regretted speaking when Avery finally spoke up.
"Peterkin is the only reason I could come back. She looked out for me, and John B" Her voice rose and shocked her friends. She had been withdrawn since their return. She ignored JJ's gaze, knowing he had conflicting thoughts about the law, but he could admit that he was grateful for what they did for her.
"Tried to, at least. They need to know," John B agreed with Avery. No one argued against them, unsure what to say.
Avery's eyes snapped up at the sound of a car opening, she quickly acted. Too quick for JJ to react, he failed to reach out for her hand. She followed John B out the van. John B hoped that he wouldn't follow him, yet deep down he knew she would, so he wasn't surprised to hear her copy his lead.
Twirling around and accidentally startling her, John B shook his head at her. When she ignored him, trying to step around him, he gently pushed her back. He quietly told her, "you aren't doing this. This is all my fault, not yours"
"No, no, no," She trembled, raising her hands. "We are doing this. I'm your witness"
He pushed her hands down and held her gaze, "Avery, get back in the car. Please"
Sitting back next to JJ, Avery stared intently at the station, anticipating. There was no way either of them could imagine this confession going. All they could do it wait and hope. Her slumped position immediately straightened at the sight of John B sprinting from the building. His shouts where muffled until he swung open the door and jumped in. Suddenly, a officer was at the window, struggling against John B as he held to shut and told Kie to drive. She listened and floored the gas, the vehicle coming straight to life.
Now, John B's poster sat between her fingertips. Things got had to get worse. Avery was trying her best to not whack her boyfriend, listening to his dry humour about the situation. If it wasn't so serious, she would have laughed or said something too but she couldn't this time. Kira suggested to get the HMS, using the boat as an escape but the idea was shut down. The boat was at the Château and probably wasn't accessible, there was a high possibility that the police had the home on lockdown, waiting and searching for anything they could get.
The group started to bicker, Pope eager to follow through with a plan that involvedJJ's Dad's old racing boat Avery wasn't a huge fan of that plan but if it was what they had to do, they had to do it. The atmosphere thickened and Pope was growing impatient, honking and unintentionally catching unwanted attention. Suddenly a kid was yelling, telling his Mom he found the boy on the wanted poster. This only caused more attention to turn to them, a man knocking on the window and people arguing outside the vehicle about who found him first. John B tried his best to cover his face with his hood in the back of the car.
Avery's grip tightened on JJ as Pope drove like a manic. He managed to get them away from the crowds but that wasn't enough now the police had a sighting of him. It wouldn't be long until they start the chase. It didn't help that Pope was far over the limit and was definitely not sober enough to drive. Although he didn't seem bothered, claiming his living his best life and laughing at the damage he was making.
"Three o'clock tomorrow at the dump!" JJ shouted at John B before the car door slammed and they saw him sprint off. They were going to have to draw the police off him by leading them the wrong way.