Rage fueled in your veins at the injustice of the system your brother had fallen victim to. John B was charged with murder in the first degree with aggravated circumstances and the possible death penalty. You sat throughout his trial, silently praying for the downfall of everyone sitting in the courtroom staring and whispering ill wishes his way.
Everything leading up to this moment had formed a deep pit that your heart just wanted to scream into. This didn't make any sense, this wasn't fair and the true cause of this was sitting a few feet away from you playing the part of the distraught victim. You didn't realize you were staring and that they were taking John B away already.
There were no words of comfort that you could give him, there was no use, you would visit him as soon as he was processed into the system. Sarah called out to him and reached with her hand but was quickly pulled back by two officers standing in her path.
People filed out of the courtroom with praise to the judge and jury, grateful that 'that criminal is finally off the streets'. Each word spoken in disrespect to your brother shortened the very short leash that your patience was on.
'Justice is served' 'He had it coming' Murmurs that were not made to be subtle were heard all around you. Each phrase made to jab at your brother was a tick in the timer of a bomb waiting to explode- you were going to explode. It wouldn't do any good, of that you were sure, that was why you kept your mouth shut throughout the trial and as you walked outside with your friends.
Sarah's eyes and face were puffy from crying, you were sure she cried enough for the both of you, as soon as you got home you would be right next to her with tissues with matching tear streaks. "I should have never come home," She stated.
"They're gonna kill him, I know it" JJ commented.
"I am so sorry for what you and your family have gone through," You heard an older kook say to Ward. "Thank God the system works."
You turned from the direction you were walking in to face the voice that ignorantly spoke, "Can you shut up?" You walked their way and made your voice strong, "Of course, you think the system worked because it was made to protect you and people like you."
"He'll have his day in court and a jury will decide," The man with peppered hair and fancy suit replied.
"He shouldn't even be in court!" You exclaimed.
Kiara walked up from behind you a bitter look on her face, facing Ward and pointing directly at him as she spoke. "You should, 'Cause you're a murderer."
You placed a hand on her shoulder and stepped forward, "You have a lot of nerve showing up to court. Showing your face while my brother is in jail with the possibility of the death penalty, because of you!"
Ward held out a hand like he was trying to calm a dog from attacking, "I know you're upset. I understand you're upset-"
"Upset?" You seethed. A couple of police officers had made their way to where the group that formed was standing. Against your better judgment, all the pent-up emotion came out as you lunged for Sarah's father. "No, I'm not just upset!"
Shoupe from your left had gotten a hold of your elbow, Officer Thomas grabbed your right. They forcefully backed you up, Pope was behind you steadying you by your biceps warning Officer Thomas to get off of you. JJ, Sarah, and Kie blocked their way to you as soon as you were released.
"Why don't you take the kooks down for a change Shoupe?" JJ asked the officer.
"You wanna get arrested?" Shoupe stared you down, He pointed at your group "Get out! You need to go."
You saw red, you didn't care if you went to jail or got the death penalty so long as Ward was dead. Whatever awaited him in the afterlife had better be something worse than hell for everything you and your friends had to go through. You inhaled hoping it would help the ongoing anger.
Sarah put her arm around your shoulders, "C'mon. It's not worth it."
"I'm so sorry, you shouldn't be going through this," Deputy Plumb's voice was heard consoling the Camerons. You shook your head and rolled your eyes refusing to look over, thankfully Kie spoke up for you.
"It's not a coincidence that your daughter's sitting with us!"
~~~
By the time the pogues were settled in the Chateau, the weather had matched everyone's mood. It seems like everyone had gone through the five stages of grief within the hour. On the way to your house, furious comments were made by Kie and JJ in your defense, in John B's, and on the audacity of the people who had no fucking clue what was actually going on. Silence took over for a good twenty minutes, surprisingly not a word from JJ, the only sound coming from the rain pattering on top of the roof.
"I'm gonna testify under oath, I was there" Sarah announced. "I just need to get a hold of my sister."
"Sister?" JJ muttered under his breath.
"I was there too," You said. "His sister and his girlfriend, they'll discredit us without a thought Sarah."
"We would be under oath, they can't just arrest us if they think we're lying. We have to try," She responded. "Kie, Do you have your phone? Wheezie is the only other person that knows Rafe wasn't home that day."
"Wheezie?" JJ breathed incredulously.
"I don't know what else to do," Kie hands Sarah her phone. "I got us into this mess, I'm gonna do my best to get us out."
Wheezie was a smart girl but if she was the only hope to get John B out of jail, you didn't know if you would put all your eggs in that particular basket.
"Yeah, that'll work." JJ scoffed. "Well, she's right about one thing. We gotta do something, Our boy is held captive by the enemy right now, maybe even scheduled for execution. Are we just gonna sit here?"
"What's the plan then?" Kiara stood from the armchair in the corner of the porch. "We start by kidnapping Shoupe?"
"That's not the worst idea actually." The scary part is, he looked deadly serious. You couldn't help but cackle, exhaustion and delirium were what kept you going.
You love him, in moments like this when everything was so utterly fucked, it scared you how much the feeling overwhelmed you. The way he kept fighting for your brother made you feel safe. Although it was the most outrageous idea but that was JJ.
Kie and JJ stopped their bickering to give you an odd look, the silence and a full minute of laughing like a crazy person to the point of tears falling out of the corners of your eyes, you stabilized yourself. You wiped the tears from the corner of your eyes.
"That is the worst idea you've ever had," You told the blue-eyed boy.
"It's pretty bad." Sarah agreed from inside the house as she typed away at Kie's phone.
"Just stay out of this, okay?" JJ's annoyance with Sarah was obvious.
"No, honestly though," Pope's features were stern. "What is the actual plan? You're gonna storm a jail, guns a-blazing?"
"All I'm trying to get you to understand is they got our boy," Pope and JJ are face to face now. "Are just gonna sit here and do nothing? No! We're gonna get his ass, we're gonna do something about it!"
The enthusiasm was encouraged but so was logical thinking. You watched as Pope tried to keep JJ from 'thinking' out his plans.
"We're not storming a jail, it's not happening."
"Fine, man. Sit in your comfy chair and do nothing." He looked you in the eye in full seriousness, an invitation to follow him in his plan yet his words trying to shame you all for not wanting to take immediate action. "I'm gonna see what I can do, make something happen. Even if I have to do it by myself."
JJ runs out of the front porch, straight for his bike.
"Should we be worried?" Pope asks.
"Yes," Kie sighs and shrugs. "I'm gonna git up my parents and see if I can get money for a lawyer."
You decide to let Kie and Pope talk amongst themselves about the logistics and go after JJ was sitting on his bike, almost like he was waiting for you.
"Change your mind, Princess?" He takes off his cap and places it on your head to shield you from the rain even though it's pointless now.
You swing your leg over the bike to straddle it and wrap your arms around his waist. "Just go before I change it again."
~~~
"Now where exactly are you taking us?" You say in his ear as he whips past all his cars on his bike.
"We're going to visit a certain jailbird!"
You weren't sure if it was even allowed considering it had only been hours since he was sentenced but you knew that JJ would find a way.
Turns out his plan was fucking stupid, not reckless for once, and for that, you were thankful but definitely stupid. He parked by a tree in front of the Kildare County detention center, and two officers walked down the steps and right past the both of you. JJ being extra, stood at attention and saluted them as they walked. You look at him annoyed and he simply smiles, you push him in front to follow his lead.
JJ did some thoughtless acts but Jesus he looked good doing them. He stopped by his house to change from his wet clothes that were soaked from the rain to a pair of dry jeans and a clean white shirt. He also grabbed his headphones and mp3 player. He fixed his hair, put on a pair of sunglasses and suddenly he was giving James Dean. It was bad timing for your heart to stutter the way it did when you saw him change his shirt in front of you as if you hadn't seen him shirtless before.
It was over when he pulled out a shirt- your shirt- from deep within his messy closet. It was from when you slept over that one time, you must have left it here and forgot to pack it. The moment felt so domestic, too domestic, it messed with your emotions and you already have too many with everything going on.
You trained yourself to focus on the task at hand, ignoring the wrongness you felt from the sleepover with JJ and then actually having sex with Rafe (with some feelings that you'd rather not get into), the treasure, John B in jail... it was all too much.
"We're here to see John B Routledge," JJ said loudly. He had his headphones on with the volume to his music all the way up.
"No music, and get rid of the toothpick." The man at the front desk enunciated his words.
"I can't hear what you're saying man, these things are on full blast." JJ tapped on his headphones, not caring at all what the officer had to say. "We're here to see John B Routledge."
The officer looked to you, "Can you get your friend to take his headphones off? There's no music allowed and you both need to clear your pockets if you wanna see the inmate."
"Can do, sir." You place your empty wallet that only had a couple of bucks and your permit, and your phone (that was dead). "He, unfortunately, has a mind of his own."
He took a breath and mimed what he wanted JJ to do, taking off the headphones and toothpick.
JJ glanced at you then at the man and took off the headphones hanging them around his neck, "I mean, I thought it was a free country and all but I guess you don't like freedom very much. Now do you, cupcake?" He smiled slyly, leaning on the desk with his forearm.
Now you supposed you shouldn't be surprised by what he had the balls to say but your jaw fell open anyway, you covered your mouth and looked around to see if anyone else had heard that.
Turns out the Officer had enough of JJ toying with him and took JJ by his biceps and pinned him to the wall. You picked at your nail nervously, until the Deputy came and told the front desk guy that it wasn't worth it.
JJ kept a wide smile as he saw her, "Good to see you Plumb. Nice to have something in your mouth, you know."
"Take off your hat and empty your pockets."
"Yes, ma'am." JJ finally did what was told and placed his things next to yours winking at you when Plumb led the way to where you can see John B.
You flinched as you passed by a prisoner who slammed a fist on the window of his cell. He called out to you, "Why don't you come in here?"
Next to you, JJ guided you to go in front of him through the threshold of the visitation area, Plumb told you both that you only had five minutes.
There he was, in an orange jumpsuit, wrists in cuffs. You wanted to hug him, tell him it was gonna be okay and that you were gonna get him out of this. The only one of those things you were gonna be able to do is the latter and only if you were able to figure out a plan which you didn't have.
You sat to John B's right, getting a good look at him now, his eye was still bruised from the beating they gave him when he was first arrested. The anger came bubbling back that formed in tears until you all looked at each other and burst out laughing.
"I thought it was gonna be me," JJ chuckled.
"I think we all did," You sniffed.
"Welcome to my humble abode."
"When you said you had a new apartment, I had no idea," JJ fidgeted with the visitation card they handed you both as you were officially signed in to visit.
You patted the top of the metal table, "It's cozy. A little aluminum theme."
"Yeah, I like to go for the cold, dark..."
"Alone, kind of theme?" JJ continued John B's description for him, they nodded in sync. "Look, I would love to sit and chitchat but I'm on the clock and I'm here for one reason only, okay?"
Your eyes widened as you thought about the jailbreak idea JJ was playing with earlier. Was this it?
"Operation liberation, baby." You facepalmed once the words came out of his mouth.
"Hear me out though, step one; piss off the cops so badly they don't see what's coming." He waved at an officer that walked by the window looking in. "Check."
"Was that what that whole thing was?" You slapped his arm, "A warning would have been nice."
"Your right, I could've used some backup but your reaction was hilarious so it's fine," JJ was delusional. You ignored the fact that he really thought he was gonna pull this off as he laid out his plan. "Step two; at exactly 11 p.m. this evening, you're going to have an attack of acute appendicitis."
John B looked like he was doing the same thing you were, "Do you even know what appendicitis is?"
JJ's pupils were dilated as he explained, "Remember eighth grade, algebra final?"
"Jesus Christ," John B breathed. JJ faked appendicitis once before a test in eighth grade and was able to get away with it and this was the plan he was going with. You were glad you knew how it worked to visit JB in jail now since you were gonna have to get used to the process.
"It worked like a charm, to sell it, you gotta actually look sick though okay?" Not an ounce of a joke was heard in his voice. "You got some of that ghost face sunblock in here?"
"Be so fucking for real right now," You kept your face in your hands stressfully, your head shaking in disbelief.
"JJ, I'm in jail. I have a block of soap, that's it."
"Is it white?"
Hesitantly John B replied "Yes-"
"Perfect, that'll work. Take some of that, rub it into your face well, got it? You don't want that shit rubbing off when they check your vitals." JJ added. "After that, run your hands under cold water for five minutes. After that, you're ready. Showtime baby, stumble out and collapse. Once you're down on the ground squealing, they'll rush you to the infirmary. There, you just have to convince the nurse that that sucker's about to burst."
He began to visually show John B the details of where the nurse will check him, John B's acting skills would have to be absolutely flawless and without any doubt to pull all that off.
"I get it, I get it." John B glances behind his shoulder and leans in closer, "Then what?"
"No fucking way, John B," You stare at him in disbelief. "JJ he's not doing this."
JJ didn't acknowledge you, "They're gonna eject you to the hospital. Remember Cousin Ricky?"
"The weed dealer?" You questioned.
"He's an EMT."
"He sold us our first dime bag," John B mentions.
"So? You can do both. It's a gig economy, bro." JJ shrugs. "Now, step three is extraction."
"This is the dumbest freaking idea you've ever had." John B states, at least you weren't the only one thinking it.
"Yeah, you're probably right but you know what's even more dumb? You thinking you got any other way out of this."
"JJ, this is a fortress." John B explains, "They've got barbed wire, cinder blocks, guards on every corner-"
JJ stops John B from shutting him down further. "Don't, you're not the detail guy. Leave it to the professionals."
"If you think that we're the professionals in this you're so mistaken," You shake your head in disapproval.
Plumb was by the door telling you both that your time with your brother was up.
"You gotta trust me on this one," JJ says and moves out of his seat giving John B his last words. "Nothing to lose now, 11 P.M."
John B stares at you with a silent question, you squeeze his hand before leaving the visitation area behind JJ. Plumb led you down an unfamiliar path to the exit. She scans her badge before opening a metal door, JJ goes through first and goes towards another door to the right. It was an inmate basketball court, his dad was dribbling and blocking against another prisoner.
"Dad!" JJ pounds on the door trying to get Luke's attention. "Dad!"
"Let's go," Plumb shoves JJ away from the door. If you didn't know any better you would say she brought you both this way on purpose to get a rise of him. It was her way of giving him a sign that said 'You could just as easily end up here.'
Seems like JJ caught on as well, he clenched and unclenched his fists repeatedly as he noted, "I see what you did there Plumb."
Your jaw tightened as you saw the way she was handling JJ, forcing him out of the center. "I just have one question before we leave. How much are you splitting with Shoupe?"
She shoved you harshly into JJ, "You'll be back here one day, both of you. It's in your blood."
JJ started to walk away defeated but you wouldn't, you couldn't. This wasn't what your life would be, not yours, not JJ's. John B was wrongly accused and JJ was not his dad, "Fuck you, bi-"
"Y/n, come on." JJ put his hand on the small of your back to lead you away from the officer who was meant to 'protect and serve'.
"What a bitch!" You spat. The nerve of her, you had taunted her but deep down you knew that she was probably getting a major payday from Ward. Instead of letting you see your brother in peace, she just had to bring you down even further as if she wasn't breaking major laws. "She's a hypocrite JJ, she's not a fucking fortune teller to tell us what our future will look like."
He didn't say anything in response solely making sure you were ready before revving up the bike and driving away from the detention center.
~~~
You told him you weren't going to join him in his plans, he looked disappointed but since he was off from earlier he left you at the Chateau without a fight. You felt guilty knowing JJ definitely had a lack of support but you would only be a hindrance to the plan if you did go along with it. Instead, you found Sarah in one of John B's shirts already several feet away from the house.
You ran up to her and asked her if she got in contact with Wheezie to which she said she was on her way to meet her.
"We're here," She whispered to herself clutching her gunshot wound as she checked the other side of the dock.
Wheezie apparently had texted her to meet her at the harbor. You went straight and paused, Rafe came around the corner. "Sarah," You said in a small voice backing away slowly.
"Nah not wheezie."
"Where the hell is Wheezie?" Sarah questioned from behind you.
"Don't worry about it," Rafe stepped closer with his hands half up in surrender. "Listen, it's all good. I- I just needed to talk to you for a little bit."
The stutter in his voice concerned you, he was out of it and it was only you and Sarah out here on the docks at night with this psychopath. Every step he took to close the distance between the three of you, you and Sarah held hands and stepped away.
"Is that okay?" He asked looking at you and then at Sarah. He reached for you "Y/n-"
"Don't come near me," You held your hand out in front of you defensively.
He sighed and focused his attention on Sarah, "What you do affects me, you don't think of that, do you?"
"You shot me, Rafe."
"That's it, right?" He exasperated. "It's always my fault like you know, I wanna keep what's mine. That I got by my work and I'm the bad guy for trying to- to hold on to it?"
His pacing and waving of his hands while he talks make it clear that he's unhinged. In comparison to the way, you and Sarah are frozen in your spots waiting for Rafe to make one move.
"It's not yours," Sarah tries to express.
"Like I'm wrong to protect what's mine, huh?" His voice raises a couple more octaves. Chills run up your arms at his projection. Your mind takes you back to the night you spent together and you suddenly feel nauseous. His voice softens as he approaches Sarah, "Listen to me. The cops are going to talk to you and I need to make sure the story's straight."
Sarah speaks up, "You killed Peterkin. My story's straight, listen this would go so much better for you if you would-"
His eyes roll to the back of his head in a lazy drug hazed way, "Who are you trying to protect here?"
"I'm trying to do the right thing."
"You doing the right thing is the reason that you got shot because you were following John B."
"John B might get the death penalty because of you!" She snaps.
"That!" Rafe points as he backs away and sits on a barrel. "That right there is exactly what I'm talking about Sarah, you've always been against me!"
She shakes her head, no, A threatening tone takes over "Don't shake your head, you still are. You're not just against me, you're against us and you know, Dad always takes your side. Cause you're gonna cry in front of him like you cried in front of me, but you- both of you listen to me. I am a proactive type of person and we have a problem, and I gotta solve that problem tonight."
You glance at Sarah who's shaking where she stands, you inch to the right, and Rafe follows your movement with his eyes.
"Do you understand?" He asks then shouts it at the both of you again, "Do you understand!"
You and Sarah took that as the queue to run. He runs after you, you were faster as you got a headstart but that meant that Sarah got caught by Rafe. He slammed her against a large blue plastic container that held water.
"Rafe!" You screamed, "Rafe!"
"Back off Y/n, I don't want to do something I'll regret."
You heard Sarah begging Rafe to stop, you ran back and tried to push him off of her but with one hand he backhands you to the ground.
With a hand on your left cheek, he made you bleed with a ring he was wearing, "You're drowning your sister!"
"She's not my sister!" He shouted back at you with a harsh tone. "Not anymore."
Sarah's tears flowed freely, she let out a whimper as he tightened his grip on her throat. "Rafe, please." You begged.
"Y/n I swear to god!" His voice was close to a growl.
"You swear to God what?" You lifted yourself up from the ground and came closer to where Rafe was drowning Sarah. You were hoping to bait him into letting Sarah go and focus his attention on you. If he was distracted enough to taunt you or hurt you then maybe Sarah would have a chance to breathe. "You'd hurt me? Cause you already have, Rafe."
He screams as Sarah struggles, she gasps with two seconds of air before she is submerged again.
You try to pry him off of her but he releases her instead and grabs your wrists as he had many times before. "I would never hurt you, Y/n, she brought this on herself!"
His fingers were white and you felt your bones being compressed from his hold. His nails were digging into your skin making you want to kneel and clutch your arms but he was too strong. Sarah was free and coughing up the water in her lungs, exhausted from her fight. His right hand comes up and clutches your throat.
"I loved you," You whispered.
His forehead was on yours, stray fell from his eye and onto your cheek, "I love you too, Y/n."
You kept his eyes trained on yours without giving him doubt despite the fact that you were getting strangled by your former lover. You attempted to breathe air but the hold he had on your throat prevented your airways from being able to inhale properly.
Topper- who you had no idea where he came from- has a finger to his lips as he inches closer and whacks him in the head.
Rafe fell onto his back and you wheeze, able to breathe again, you go to Sarah who holds an arm out for you.
"Sarah, are you okay?" Topper rushes to her side and asks her, "Can you breathe?"
She nods and hugs him, your hands were on your knees, and you look at Rafe on the ground and sob. All your previous moments with him, your confession to him, his confession to you. What had just happened. He drowned Sarah and strangled you while confessing to being in love with you.
You felt nausea come back up again, you couldn't hold it. Your insides came up and out through your mouth, you vomited in the dark water at the edge of the dock.