AURORA DROWNED in her own thoughts, as she gripped onto her seatbelt in worry. She was completely zoned out for the duration of the journey to save Sarah and win back the cross. How could she be so stupid? Rory thought over and over again, She didn't even say I love you back to the one person she loved most.
JJ, John B, and Aurora crouched down behind some old mechanical parts of a ship within the Harbour, as they watched the crew aboard the boat containing the cross and Sarah.
JJ tapped JB's shoulder continuously, "Wait, wait. The Coastal Venture. I know that ship. Our dad did legs on her last summer. It's a total tramp steamer."
John B nodded, before pointing at a wooden crate being lifted by machines, "There's the cross. Right there, look."
Aurora's eyes darted around the setting, until she spotted Rose's car. The same anxious feeling knotted in her chest, as she breathed it away, before Rose and Wheezie helped Sarah out of the vehicle.
"There's Sarah." Rory spoke worriedly, as she intensively watched the girl from afar and scanned her body for any signs of harm. Rory looked at her brother, "We need a plan."
JJ nodded, "If we get over to the barge, we go over. We'll have to get into the water, though. Then we're gonna be sitting ducks-"
"Hey." The familiar voice of Kiara came from behind the group, as they flinched around.
"Whoa!" JJ jumped, "I was about to stab your eyes out."
Rory hugged the girl, before her eyes drifted over to the boy covered in mud and dirt. John B patted Pope's shoulder, "You okay? What happened?"
"Rafe, round three." Pope replied, "It was a tie."
Rory muttered, "That motherfucker."
"We have to get on that boat." Kie added, as the group started quietly moving towards it.
John B stopped when he realised Pope wasn't following, "Pope. Hey, come on."
"No, trust me." Pope pleaded, as he backed away from the group, "There's something I have to do."
As Pope sprinted away from the group, the other Pogues crouched down behind a large container, watching the crowded area in defeat. Aurora watched Pope from the distance, as he retrieved a gun from his pocket and aimed for the crate in front of him, knowing it was filled with flammable oils. Suddenly, the crate blew up as the amber flames reflected in Rory's brown eyes. Fire Alarms echoed through the harbour as the crew ran to safety in panic, before Pope ran back to the group.
JJ's jaw dropped open, "Pope, what was that?"
"Look." Pope pointed to another crate in the distance, "That containers going on the ship. We can get in that way."
"You're a genius." John B smiled, as the group started running towards the open container.
"Did you think this through?" JJ worried, "That's a trap right there. We can't get out once we get in."
"Look, you don't have to come, alright?" John B reassured.
"Right." Pope agreed, as he climbed inside, "This is our fight."
JJ sighed, before turning to the two girls beside him, "Nothing to lose?"
"Nothing to lose." Rory nodded, as they all climbed inside.
Kiara added, "It's better than boarding school, I guess."
The Pogues rushed to the back of the container as they sat down amongst the boxes of materials and small machines. The temperature grew hotter, as they were transported onto the ship in silence.
"Nice work, John B." JJ remarked sarcastically, "Do you know these things lock from the outside, right?"
"I was trying to get us onto the boat, JJ." John B replied, "I wasn't thinking that far ahead."
"Well, now we're stuck in here like rats." JJ complained, "In this death cage!"
Pope panted, "Okay, JJ, you're not helping."
"You don't have a whole lot of room to talk right now, Pope." JJ replied, "You said you had a plan, but what happened to the thinking ahead?"
"I find your lack of self-knowledge disturbing." Pope deadpanned.
JJ chuckled in disbelief, as he argued, "Last I checked, you literally shot an oil container. Remember that-"
"Oh my God! Shut up." Kiara raised her voice, "Shut up! Pull it together."
The boys fell silent, as they both sat down in defeat, trying to think of a plan to escape. Kiara sat down next to Rory, who had been in silence ever since they boarded the boat.
Kie breathed, "You okay?"
"Yeah." Rory replied, as she stared into the distance, but it wasn't very convincing. She added, "Just thinking."
Kiara frowned, "About what?"
Rory hesitated, "Sarah."
"She's gonna be okay." Kiara comforted, then she smirked to herself as she remembered Rory's crush on her. She whispered, "Any luck with... you know?"
Rory looked at Kie, as she smiled slightly, "Yeah, we're kind of girlfriends now."
"What!" Kiara shouted in shock, before she quietened her voice and shook Rory's arm, "That's great! I mean, I'm so happy for you! Wait, hang on, since when?"
Rory explained, as she blushed just thinking about it, "Last night. We kissed at the station."
"Very romantic." Kie cooed, as she held Rory's hand. She paused for a moment, as she smiled at Rory, "I'm really happy for you."
"Hey, Pope?" JJ's voice caused the girl's to rejoin the boys' conversation. They walked over to the group, as he asked, "How'd you kill a snake?"
"You go for the head." Pope replied in exhaustion, as he wiped the sweat from his forehead.
JJ explained, "Exactly. But the head, in this instance, is the bridge. To take the bridge we need maximum firepower, and I happen to know there's an armoury on this ship in case of pirate attacks."
"Pirate attacks?" Kie scoffed, "You lost me."
"I'm not just talking pistols." JJ added, "I'm talking knives-"
"Killing everybody here is not the plan." Kie disagreed, as she walked away from the group.
"Alright, we lost her." JJ continued, "Im serious. If we get to the armoury, I'm talking AK's, pistols, knives, double-barrels.."
"JJ!" John B interrupted, "We gotta get out of here. We can't do anything if we're still stuck in here."
"If I get enough pressure, I can Spartan kick that thing open." JJ exclaimed.
"You're not kicking shit." Rory deadpanned.
"Stop it, stop it." Pope insisted, as JJ took a step back from the locked door to try and get a run up, "Stop it!"
"Guys." Kie spoke from the other side of the container, "Guys!" The Pogues rushed towards her, as she stared up at the vent, "Can we fit through that?"
"Hell yeah." JB replied, "Nice one, Kie."
JJ asked sarcastically, "What was that about a Swiss Army knife not coming in handy?"
"Just stop it." John B insisted.
JJ used his knife to unscrew the vent, as he explained, "Okay, we raid the armoury, get weapons, roll back here, and plot our next move. The armoury is on the third deck, near the laundry room. Let's roll-"
"JJ, hold up." Pope interrupted, "I don't think we should all go out there. It's too risky."
John B agreed, "I think you should stay here."
"What?" JJ took offence, "Why?"
"Pope has the cross to go after." John B explained, "And I'm gonna go after Sarah-"
Rory frowned, "No- What? I am."
"I'm not having you get shot out there." John B replied.
"Are you saying I'm not capable because I'm a girl?" Rory argued, "Oh my God, you're such a man."
"What? No!" John B defended, "What does that even mean?"
Kiara replied, "Men are douches."
"Men are douches." Rory nodded, high-fiving the girl.
John B stared blankly, speechless by what the girl's had said, before turning to JJ, "Also, if you go out there, there's 100% probability that you're gonna do something stupid."
"Okay, first of all, I think the correct terminology is ballsy. Not stupid." JJ argued smartly, "Dude, I'm a field player!"
John B shushed JJ, "If we go out there, and we get in the bind, we need somebody to look out for us. That's what we need."
"Okay, I get it. I get it." JJ huffed, "I'll be on the B team."
John B frowned, "I never said B team."
"Im sorry are you calling us the B Team?" Kiara asked, as she folded her arms across her chest.
"Men are douches." Rory repeated, "The case is settled."
"Didn't mean to offend you." JJ replied sarcastically, as Rory smacked him around the back of the head.
"Oi!" JJ raised his voice, as he attempted to run after her, but Pope held him back, but Rory had already hidden behind Kie.
"Did B Team not just find our way out, it am just totally tripping?" Kiara questioned sarcastically.
"Just hang back." Pope instructed, "Hold down the fort."
"Great. Looking forward to it." JJ replied sarcastically, "You guys have fun. It's your funeral. Ill be here, on the bench, chillin'..."
"Hey..." Kiara held Pope and JB's shoulders, "Don't get shot. That's all I got."
Pope paused, "That's disheartening and scary."
"Positive affirmations, Kie." John B added, as they made their way up to the vent.
a/n:
sorry for the late publish i was busy with my GCSEs!!
ALSO i thought i got logged out of my account and cried for hours😘