SEASON THREE,
CHAPTER 15:
BARRACUDA MIKE
"You sent her to that stupid wildness
camp, didn't you?"
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AFTER THE HOUSE suddenly went up in flames, the teenagers had no choice but to hang out together on the wooden docks. They have all refused to leave one another's side, not wanting to be left alone after the events that occurred from last night to early this morning. None of them can figure out how the fire even started — was it man-made, or was it really just a faulty electrical wire like Pope said? But they don't have the time to stand around and discuss the issue when they need to leave for South America today.
"When did you say the pilot was getting in?" John B asks the blonde girl.
"Probably like an hour?" Sarah replies. "Once he's here, my dad says we can leave whenever we want."
"As much as I would love to ghost my parents again, I can't. I need to tell them." Pope states.
"We're talking about El Dorado here, Pope. Can't you just slip out the back?" JJ suggests.
"Great advice." Kie comments with a mutter.
"Works for me." JJ replies, shrugging. "How to avoid unpleasant circumstances 101. If there's a problem and you don't want to face it, turn around and walk the other way."
"I'm not doing that." Pope refuses. "I'll try to speak to them. Meet you guys at the airstrip in an hour?"
Delilah nods. "Yeah, sure. See you there."
"Think you should let me talk, Pope. Your mom kind of likes me." Cleo tells him.
"I honestly don't think it's going to be pleasant for either of us." Pope admits.
Kie sighs. "I guess I'll go pack some stuff and break the news to my parents. We'll see how that goes."
"Good luck." Delilah whispers. "Call us if you need anything."
"Thank you, Lila. It's okay." Kie assures.
The three teenagers then turn around and walk away to head back to their houses, needing to talk to their parents as soon as possible. However, John B's gaze quickly drifts away from the trio and over to Delilah and JJ instead, silently wondering if the two will also leave soon — not that he minds whether they stay or not. But John B gets his answer as soon as JJ sighs, pushing himself off of the wooden railing that he was previously leaning against.
"I'm guessing you're heading out too?" John B says.
"Yeah, I'm going to take a stroll back to my house for old times sake." JJ informs. "Do you want to come with me, Ly?"
"Yeah, sure." Delilah replies. "I need to go to mine and pack a bag anyway."
"Are you guys definitely going to be at the airstrip in an hour?" John B asks.
"Do you think so little of us?" Delilah questions in a playful tone.
"No, but I just know that you're both the worst at keeping track of time." John B tells her.
"Okay, rude." Delilah fires back. "But we'll be there, don't worry, JB."
"I've always wanted to go to South America. Great surf, cheap weed." JJ states.
Delilah smiles. "Sounds like a dream to me."
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Within JJ's house, which still has an eviction notice plastered on the door outside, Delilah can be found standing in the living room; she refuses to sit down on the couch since JJ's father used to pass out while laying on it many times before. Delilah watches as JJ currently rummages through the crowded mess with a backpack held in his hand. Like Delilah had done minutes ago, JJ is packing a couple of his belongings into the bag, preparing for the trip to South America.
"I don't know what to bring." JJ complains.
"Just pack some clothes and anything else you might need." Delilah tells him. "You literally sat on my bed and watched me pack earlier."
"I know, but I wasn't paying attention." JJ admits.
"Yeah, because you were trying to get my attention instead." Delilah states with a smile.
"I was bored, and I wanted my gorgeous girlfriend in my arms. What can I say?" JJ reasons, shrugging.
Delilah laughs. "Shut up and pack your stuff, J."
"Aren't you going to offer me any help?" JJ asks.
"Nope." Delilah simply replies.
Suddenly, the sound of a car's engine can be heard as it pulls up outside, revving loudly. Delilah is quick to snap her head towards the sound that disturbs their peace, catching sight of a black car parking on top of the lawn. Her eyes widen, knowing that neither her nor JJ has invited anyone to come over — besides, none of their friends drive that car. JJ, on the other hand, doesn't seem to notice due to the fact he's just talking to himself, too lost in his own thoughts.
"J?" Delilah quickly calls.
"Yeah, angel?" JJ replies with a hum.
"You don't happen to know anyone who owns a kind of nice-looking black car, do you?" Delilah questions.
"Shit." JJ curses under his breath.
In one swift movement, the blonde shoves a handful of his belongings inside his backpack before zipping it shut. He swings the bag over one of his shoulders and slips his other arm through the second strap in order to secure it onto his back. JJ then crosses the room to meet Delilah's side.
"JJ!" Barracuda Mike calls from outside. "It's your old buddy, Mike. You lost my load, so it's time to pay up!"
JJ latches onto Delilah's hand, wanting to make sure that she stays by his side. Delilah says nothing about JJ's sudden actions, simply clutching onto his hand just as tightly. She allows the boy to quickly pull her into the hallway so that they can avoid the windows and get away from the door, not wanting Barracuda Mike to spot them inside of the house — if they do pass any windows, they duck down.
"I know you're in there!" Barracuda Mike shouts, angrily. "I'm coming in, JJ! We're gonna do this your way!"
The front door then bursts open, causing the handle to slam against the nearest wall and create a dent in it. Delilah jumps at the sudden loud sound, but she remains silent, listening to the heavy footsteps that echo through the tense air. JJ's heart starts to pound against his ribcage, fearing that Mike is going to find both of them. His grip on Delilah's hand tightens as they continue to walk through the narrow hallway.
"Stay close to me, okay?" JJ whispers.
As quietly as possible, JJ crouches towards the back door, slowly twisting the handle and pushing it open. He pulls Delilah's hand forward, directing her out of the door first so that he can closely follow after her and make sure that she's safe. The pair quickly step out of the house and onto the fresh grass, taking off running towards the line of trees in the far distance, hand in hand.
However, once he thinks that it's safe enough to do so, JJ slows down to a stop. He turns around to face the house that he's lived in for as long as he's known, watching as a figure angrily strides past the windows and creates even more of a mess inside of the house. Mike can be heard faintly calling out for JJ, wanting to find the teenage boy and make him pay for being the reason why he lost so much money when the van with drugs inside was discovered by police.
"JJ..." Delilah begins, trailing off as she grows unsure of what to say.
JJ remains silent, not having anything to say either. He stares at the house and listens as it gets trashed even more. Then, he retracts his hand from Delilah's and puts his middle fingers up in the air, directing it at Mike. A smirk spreads across JJ's face, happy that he (and Delilah) managed to slip away unnoticed, almost like they were never there to begin with.
"Come on. Let's go." Delilah tells him.
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At the airstrip, Delilah can be found standing next to her boyfriend and their two friends (Sarah and John B). The Twinkie rests nearby on the concrete after it was used by Sarah and John B to pick Delilah and JJ up since Pope currently has the boys bike. The plane still hasn't arrived (and neither have the rest of their friends), but they can only hope that they won't have to wait too long — they're running short on time and anything could happen to Big John.
"Sarah, I love this private jet that your dad gave us out of the kindness of his heart." Delilah comments, sarcasm laced in her voice.
"You're so impatient." Sarah states with a laugh. "My dad promised that it will be here to pick us up today. Just give it some a bit more time. Besides, the others aren't here either."
"Where is everyone?" JJ asks, frowning.
John B sighs. "I don't know, man."
"We should get in the Twinkie and get them." JJ suggests.
"Just give them five more minutes." John B insists.
"Guys, it's okay! Pope and Cleo are here now." Sarah informs.
The sound of a motorcycle's engine travels closer to where the four stand, quickly rolling to a stop beside them all. Delilah turns around to see Pope and Cleo climbing off of the bike and making their way over to their friends. Backpacks are strapped to their backs, containing everything that they need for this trip.
"You guys waiting for us?" Cleo questions.
"Yes, we were." JJ replies, still frustrated. "You're late."
"Did you actually manage to convince your dad this time or no?" Delilah asks.
"Cleo convinced him." Pope states.
"That's what I'm talking about, Cleo!" JJ cheerfully exclaims. "I thank you for being a part of my crew."
Cleo grins. "Anytime."
"Hey, where's Kie?" Delilah worriedly asks.
"I don't know." Sarah quietly admits. "It's got to be her parents. They've been up her ass ever since she got back."
"They must've said she couldn't come. We're going to have to do this without her." Pope tells them.
"What? No! We're not leaving her behind!" Delilah protests. "I'm going after her."
"Red, this doesn't seem like a good idea." John B says.
Delilah shakes her head. "I don't care. She wants to help as much as we do. Besides, her parents already hate me."
"We don't have time." John B informs.
"Del—" Pope begins.
"I'm going whether you guys are coming with me or not." Delilah states, swiftly interrupting him. "We've always helped each other. I'm going."
"I'm coming with you." JJ quickly says. "John B, give me the keys. We'll be an hour. It'll be like a black ops mission, in and out."
"Fine. Here's the keys." John B gives in. "You have an hour, okay? Or we're leaving without you guys."
"Hurry." Sarah urges.
Taking the keys out of John B's hands, JJ turns and runs over to where the Twinkie is parked nearby. He then dives through the open window, ignoring John B's loud shouts for him not to do that. Delilah shakes her head with a faint laugh leaving her mouth before she makes her way over to the Twinkie. JJ leans over the passenger seat and pushes open the door so that the girl can slide into the vehicle and sit next to him.
"Nice to know you can open the door after jumping through the window." John B comments.
"I've got to be a gentleman to my girl." JJ reasons.
"He's keeping romance alive, JB." Delilah adds.
"Yeah. Why don't you do that for me, John B?" Sarah jokes. "Huh?"
Delilah laughs at Sarah, watching as John B playfully rolls his eyes in response to his girlfriends comment. However, Delilah doesn't miss the way that Pope's eyes sparkle slightly as his gaze subtly slides over to Cleo for a split second. The redhead grins at Pope as soon as he meets her gaze, a knowing look twinkling in her green eyes. A slight crease then forms between Pope's brows as he stares at her, but Delilah simply taps her nose — she knows when one of her friends has a crush.
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Outside of the Carrera household, Mike and Anna sit on the steps of their front porch. Mike has an arm wrapped around Anna, comforting her as tears slide down her cheeks and soft sobs fill the air. Anna rests her head against her husband's shoulder, welcoming his warm comfort. A look of sadness is also plastered over Mike's face, but he doesn't feel nearly as upset as Anna does.
However, at the sight of the Twinkie parking outside of the house, that sadness is soon replaced by anger. Mike and Anna watch as two teenagers climb out of the vehicle, and Anna instantly wipes her tears away. But despite her desperate attempts, Delilah and JJ are quick to notice the tears as their gazes settle onto the married couple. It's clear to the two that they are not welcome here, but neither of them seem to care.
"Howdy, y'all." JJ greets.
"Do not come on my property." Mike warns. "Not even a little bit."
"Oh, I feel very welcome here. Thank you." Delilah comments, sarcastically. "Anyway, where's Kie?"
"We were supposed to hear from her, but we haven't yet." JJ adds.
"She's not here." Anna states, sadly.
"Then where is she?" Delilah pushes, demanding for an answer.
"Let's just say that you're not going to be seeing her for awhile." Mike informs.
A deafening silence fills the thick air. Delilah can feel her blood start to boil with anger as her eyes narrow at them. JJ shifts his body to stand closer to the girl, his fingers subtly brushing against her hand to help soothe her and ease the tension that's building in her body. JJ, too, is angered by Mike and Anna's actions because one of their best friends is being effected, so he can understand why Delilah's reacting this way.
"You sent her to that stupid wildness camp, didn't you?" Delilah questions.
"It's not stupid, Delilah." Anna argues. "That camp will help her try to rebuild what you and your friends destroyed."
"Destroyed?" Delilah exclaims, her voice rising by the second. "Do you even know your own daughter? We never 'destroyed' her."
"Yes, you did!" Mike insists.
"She told you herself that she was miserable without us. But you don't believe her!" Delilah shouts.
"You gooned your own daughter." JJ states.
"Un-fucking-believable." Delilah comments. "Wipe those fucking crocodile tears because this was your own doing, assholes!"
With rage flooding through his bones, Mike rises to his feet as his eyes narrow at the redhead. Anna tries to pull her husband back, but he ignores her actions as he takes a few strides towards the teenagers, still separated by a good distance. JJ, however, doesn't like the way that Mike is acting on his anger, which causes him to become more protective over Delilah; he latches a gentle hand onto her arm and guides her back into the Twinkie, shutting the door behind her before walking around to the driver's side.
"You gave us no choice, Delilah!" Mike snaps. "I have already told you that I don't want to see either of you around my family again."
"Don't worry, Mike, you won't." JJ bluntly assures.
With nothing else to say to the man, JJ slips into the drivers seat and starts the engine. He then drives the Twinkie far away from the Carrera's, travelling along the long, narrow roads. Neither of them know where to go, but they know that they need to save Kie from that camp — she never even wanted to be sent there to begin with. So, needing help figuring out where to go, JJ fumbles through his pocket and pulls out his phone, passing it over to Delilah.
"Can you call Ricky for me?" JJ asks.
Delilah simply nods in response, not questioning his sudden request. She puts on his passcode and scrolls through his list of contacts before clicking on Ricky's contact. Delilah then calls his number and puts it on speaker, holding the phone in between her and JJ so that they can both hear what he has to say.
"Yo! What's up, JJ?" Ricky greets.
"Ricky, what was the name of that wilderness camp that Uncle Larry sent you to?" JJ asks.
"It's kind of my day-off, dude. I have a whole to-do list to get ready for Cluckingham Palace." Ricky tells him.
"Well, add 'helping JJ and Delilah by answering the question' to that to-do list of yours or shove it up your ass." Delilah tells him.
"JJ, I don't appreciate how your girl is talking to me." Ricky says.
"I'm still here, dumbass." Delilah reminds.
"Screw your chickens! I'm on her side." JJ states. "Just tell us the name of the wilderness camp you got sent to in ninth grade cause you got booted for being a perv?"
Delilah's eyes widen. "What? Why would let us near this freak?"
"No, no! I wasn't being a perv! That shit was taken out of context." Ricky argues to defend himself.
"Alright, my bad." JJ apologises. "All I need to know is the name."
"Kitty Hawk. There's a girls half and a boys half. It's like a reeducation camp run by the Moonies outside the city near the coastal swamp." Ricky explains before pausing. "That's not where they're sending you, is it?"
"Funny." JJ bluntly replies. "That's all I need to know. Thanks for the information."
"You owe me one for—" Ricky begins.
Quickly, JJ lifts a hand off of the steering wheel and ends the phone call before his cousin can finish what he was beginning to say. Delilah then scrolls through the rest of the contacts and clicks on John B's name; she wants to call the brunet to inform him about the turn of events and how they will definitely take more than an hour (whether he likes it or not).
"Hello?" John B greets once he picks up the call.
"Hey, JB. So there's actually been a slight change of plans." Delilah informs.
"Red? What's going on?" John B asks.
"They've sent Kie to the wilderness camp." Delilah states, keeping it brief and simple.
"Shit." John B mutters.
"John B, we're going to need about eight hours for liberation." JJ tells him.
"Eight hours?" John B repeats. "I don't have eight hours! The jet is already here. We're all waiting."
"I know, man! Just hold out as long as you can." JJ pleads. "If you need to go, we'll meet you there."
"What? No, no! We can't wait for you." John B argues.
"Well, we can't just leave Kie behind either." Delilah counters.
"Luckily, I'm a problem solver, so I'm figuring this shit out." JJ tells him.
All of a sudden, out of nowhere, a loud bang echoes through the air. JJ yelps, which only causes Delilah to jump out of her skin, reacting to both him and the loud sound. Then, a few seconds after this happens, the Twinkie's movement becomes less smooth along the roads before finally rolling to a slow stop. Delilah turns her attention to JJ, who looks visibly stressed and frustrated because they now have to deal with a flat tyre — yet another thing to add to their list of problems.
"Damn it!" JJ shouts.
"Guys?" John B worriedly says through the phone.
"Fuck sake." Delilah mutters, ignoring the boy.
"Is everything okay? What's going on?" John B asks.
"Hey, JB, I'll call you back later, okay?" Delilah tells him.
"No! No, Red, listen—" John B begins.
But before John B can continue his protest, Delilah hangs up on the phone without thinking twice about it. Then, copying JJ's actions, the redhead climbs out of the Twinkie and walks around to meet JJ's side as he pulls open the back doors. Delilah watches as the boy desperately rummages around through the mess that everyone's created, looking the correct tools and a spare tyre.
However, without any warning, Delilah feels the cold metal barrel of a gun kiss the back of her head. Panic and fear flood through the teenage girl's body as her heart pounds against her chest and her mind begins to race with overwhelming thoughts. A hand latches onto Delilah's arm and forces her to take a few steps back, moving away from JJ's side. In her peripheral vision, Delilah can see Barracuda Mike step forward to now stand next to her. The man silently motions his head towards JJ, wanting her to get his attention.
"JJ." Delilah calls.
At the sound of her shaky voice calling out his name, JJ immediately drops everything and turns around to look at Delilah. JJ's eyes widen at the sight of two men standing in front of him, and his heart sinks to his stomach upon seeing a gun being pointed at his girl's head. Anger boils in his blood. JJ can see the panic painted across Delilah's face, wanting nothing more than to pull her into his arms and protect her from ever being threatened.
"Do anything and she gets it." The man with the gun threatens.
Guilt seeps into JJ's body, which causes his stomach to churn. They are after him, not her; it's not fair for Delilah to be used as leverage just because she's his girlfriend. Blue eyes meet green, and he can see the way that she's trying her best to silently reassure him that she will be okay.
"I just wanna talk, JJ." Barracuda Mike states.
"We can talk once you let her go." JJ tells him.
Barracuda Mike glances over at the man holding the gun and gives him a simple nod, silently telling him to listen. Reluctantly, the man removes the gun from where it was directed at Delilah's head, allowing her to swiftly move forward and join JJ's side. The boy is quick to protectively step in front of Delilah while he subconsciously reaches a hand backwards, feeling his fingers thread through hers to remind himself that she's okay.
"Okay, fine. Let's talk." JJ finally agrees. "I'll start; after everything you put me through, did you really have to shoot out my friend's tire? That's not even mine!"
"You lost the load." Barracuda Mike bluntly states, wasting no time in diving right into the topic. "Now, instead of me getting paid, I owe them. I guess that means you owe me, right?"
"I know—" JJ begins.
"Get in the car." Barracuda Mike demands.
"As much as I would like to, we kind of have a date. We have a reservation soon." JJ swiftly lies.
"Yeah. We wouldn't want to be late and lose our deposit." Delilah adds.
"Get in the car, JJ." Barracuda Mike repeats.
"Look, I know you've heard the stories about us and our friends going after the Royal Merchant in search for gold." JJ tells him. "Does that ring any bells?"
"I heard some bullshit." Barracuda Mike corrects.
"Well, that's bullshit's real." JJ states, keeping his steady gaze on the man. "And yeah, we found it."
"I saw. Thats why you got a bunch of dudes throwing your furniture in the dumpster around the back of your house." Barracuda Mike comments with a loud scoff. "You're living high off the hog."
"Oh! You're talking about the house that's currently being foreclosed, right? The cover? The one to throw off the scent?" JJ continues, lying through his teeth. "Rule number one: don't do flashy shit, like pay off a mortgage when you're cashing in."
"Let me guess. You've got the Merchant gold buried somewhere in a barn? And if I let you go right now, you'll run right there, you'll get it, and we will split it, right?" Barracuda Mike questions.
"Not exactly." JJ replies. "Let's just forget about the gold for a second, because that's only the tip of the iceberg. We're going after the motherlode right now. And that's the truth of why we need to get down to South America."
Mike remains silent. He carefully eyes them, trying to figure out if he's currently being lied to about the group of teenagers finding the Royal Merchant and the gold. However, Delilah and JJ have both grown up lying to adults in order to escape trouble, so their facial expressions and body language will not show any signs of them lying.
"You know, he's trying to help you by giving you the opportunity to make ten times more." Delilah states.
"You can either get the pleasure of beating my ass right here, or you can get a pile of gold sitting and waiting for you." JJ tells him. "All you need is a little bit of patience. And a flight to South America."