JJ
I tried calling Liv but she never answered and so after we went to Kiara's we stopped at Olivia's house to get her since Limbrey specifically asked for her and Pope to meet with them.
I walked up to the door and ranged the doorbell, Robbie opened the door "Hello, JJ." "Robbie. Where's your sister?" I questioned and he shrugged. "I don't know..." "you don't... you don't know?" Robbie nodded then sighed "She was here last night with Rafe and this morning she was gone. Left a note saying she was going to be gone for a few days with a friend." Robbie said and i frowned "Rafe as in Rafe Cameron? He was here?" "Yeah."
"What.. uh what was he doing here?" I asked and he shrugged "I don't know talking with Liv. Something there doing today..." Robbie told me and I nodded. "Okay... uh if Liv calls tell her to call me it's important." I told him and Julian came to the door "Robbie, my homework's not gonna do itself." He told him which made me smirk "My man." I fist bumped him then sighed.
"You two are unbelievable." Robbie rolled his eyes and went back inside.
"Alright, see ya later." I told them then went back to Pope's dads truck.
"Where's Liv?" "Ah so get this, she left with Rafe... Robbie said he was here last night and they were doing something today." I told them and Kiara frowned "There's no way Liv is hanging with Rafe. After what he done to her." I looked down at my phone and looked at her number. "I'm just gonna text her. Maybe she actually went to her friends." I muttered and the little dots popped up.
"She's typing."
"Staying with Scarlett, had to get out of the house for a few days. Talk to you soon." I read.
"Okay. She's at Scarlett's. Besides it's good for her, she needs normalcy. Not treasure finding." Pope said and I nodded "Sure... yeah, you're probably right." I muttered then we drove to the ferry and made our way to Charleston.
"My parents are so paranoid of me being a Pogue, like it's the worst thing that could ever happen." Kiara told us and I shrugged "Hey, I hear they got good weed at boarding school, though." I told her as I rolled up some weed and she scoffed "I'm not going to boarding school. They're gonna have to kidnap me, tie me up, and throw me in a van." She said and I nodded lighting the joint and putting it in my mouth.
"Well, I say... we just crumble some herb right now." I said passing it to Kiara and she sighed "Hey, Kie, have you tried to hit John B back on that number yet?" Pope asked looking at the letter. "Like, twenty million times." "That's quite a few times." I chuckled putting my hat on and she frowned "Some random lady at a hotel keeps answering." "Well, until we hear from them again, we gotta try and clear his name." Pope said and he held the letter up "Right now, this letter's our best bet." He told us and I nodded "Right. Stay on task. That's why I love ya, Pope." I muttered then Kiara stood up and looked to Pope "What Pope are you gonna be today?" She asked handing him the joint and he passed. "I'm good. I'm gonna try to focus." He said and Kiara sat next to me. "Good Pope. Boring Pope." She sighed and i chuckled "I'll take that. Um, do tricks now! Roll over, boy!" I laughed and Kiara held the Joint up and we joked around, me and Liv weren't really jokesters. Liv focuses on our love but we do have our moments.
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"Guys, I've read this thing like a thousand times. It makes no sense. I mean, the Limbreys own, like, half of Charleston." Kiara said looking at the letter and i frowned "What do the Kook kings of Charleston know about a murder on Kildare Island?" "Why you and Olivia specifically? That's the other creepy thing. You know?" I told Pope and he sighed ""Please come alone." That's hella sus..." Kiara said and I nodded "I was thinking the same thing. I think it's because-" Pope started but the truck started hissing and smoking.
"Oh, come on."
"What's that?"
"Pull over."
"That's a lot of smoke, even for your dad's truck." "Pope, I got sensitive lungs, man!" I started coughing and we all got out, I inspected the truck and I saw the hubcap behind us.
"You probably unhooked the radiator, Pope. I haven't seen this before. You knocked the entire hubcap off!" I laughed and clapped my hands. "You might wanna reschedule your meeting tonight, Pope." "Plan B? We could, um... public transportation. We could hitchhike. We could rent bikes." Kiara said and I sighed looking under the hood "Yeah, it's the radiator." "My dad's gonna kill me." Pope said and I nodded "Yeah, he might. He might." I nodded and called a tow truck.
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Me and Kie waited for Pope and the Mechanic "We're in the middle of nowhere." I told Kie and leaned up against a old truck.
"Dude's in heaven right now. 'Gotta know the calibration point before you do anything with the intake valve, JJ. You do the--' " I imitated Pope and I noticed something bothering Kiara.
"Hey. You all right?"
"My mom is so worried that I'm gonna be a Pogue that she's willing to send me to boarding school."
I took a sip from my flask and sighed "Well, I guess that's what you get for hanging out with the wrong crowd, Kie." I told her and she frowned.
"I mean, I'm not gonna go. It's too late anyway. I already am who I am." She said and I shrugged "Ain't all that bad." I told her lookin over at Pope and mechanic speaking together "Just look at that guy over there. He would do anything for us. That's a Pogue if I've ever seen one. Bone-deep." I said and Kiara nodded "That's just one man's opinion, though." I added and sighed.
I laid down in the truck bed and I looked through the pictures on my phone of me and Liv, after everything that has happened she's lost the light in her eyes. I fear that it won't ever come back but eventually it will right? Even if it's not with me?
"Goodnight everyone." I heard Pope say and I turned off my phone "Night." Kie muttered and she kissed Popes cheek.
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We got to Charleston in the morning and I looked out the window.
"I wonder where John B and Sarah are right now?" I questioned and looked at Pope and Kie and they sighed, finally we made it to the address.
"They're fancy people. They've had three governors in the family. They've run Charleston for, like, 300 years." Kiara explained and i frowned as we pulled up to the house. "These Kooks make our Kooks look like Pogues. You sure this is the place, Pope?" I asked and he sighed.
"Pretty sure."
"All right." I muttered and got out of the truck.
"Fat City, for sure."
"Twenty-seven King Street." Pope said.
"Talk about home security. Are those spikes to keep people out?" I asked and they both frowned "No."
"The slave quarters are over there. These spikes were to keep people in." Pope said and i frowned.
Pope knocked on the door loudly I might add and I sighed "You think that was too much?" "It echoed the entire house. That's for sure. So they definitely heard it." I told him and Kiara shrugged "Maybe nobody's home." Kiara said and Pope knocked again and this time some guy opened the door, looking at us then smirked at Pope.
"You must be Pope." He said.
"Um... Are you Mr. Limbrey?" Pope asked and he looked offended
"Ms. Limbrey was expecting you yesterday." He told him and Pope being Pope looked sorry.
"Oh. I'm... I'm sorry. My car broke down on the way up here." "Carburetor blew up in the middle of Nowheresville. Sorry about that." I told him and he sighed "Yeah, she was, uh, real upset when you didn't show up." He looked to Pope and I glared at him.
"We tried to call, but there's no number on the invitation. We got here as fast as we could." "She also expected you to come alone with Olivia Bradley... and I know for a fact that you ain't her." The guy said pointed to Kiara and i frowned, how does he know Olivia?
"Olivia was preoccupied... and I mean, these are my friends. They helped find the Royal Merchant too. I..." Pope started and he smiled "The instructions were explicit. Your friends can stay outside." "We're kind of a package deal, man." I told him but Pope held his arm out.
"JJ. It's okay. I got this... I'll be good." He said looking at Kie and she nodded "Yeah. We'll be right here." She said.
"Keep the car running."
Me and Kiara went back to the truck and I was deep in thought. What does Limbrey want with Olivia?
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Pope
I went inside and waited in a room, I looked at all the art work and pictures in the room on in particular was of Olivia from a newspaper article. I remember that photo was taken because she won multiple art shows back to back.
I heard clanking and I turned to see a blonde lady with crutches come in "Mr. Heyward. I'm Carla Limbrey." She introduced and I cleared my throat.
"Uh, Pope... People call me Pope." I muttered.
"Have a seat." "Thank you so much for everything. This really means a lot to me. I have one question... How do you know Olivia Bradley?" I asked and she smiled. "I know her father. Her real father Nathan Wilcox. He's my brother..." she told me and i frowned.
"Can I offer you something?"
She poured tea into a cup and I shook my head "I'm okay. Thank you." "Well, you look thirsty." She muttered then handed me a tea cup. "I think a toast is in order. To finding the unfindable. Against all odds, you, my niece and your friends managed to beat everyone to the Royal Merchant, including me, and Lord knows I tried. I also know that you've since lost the gold to Ward Cameron." She said.
"How do you know that?" "Ward Cameron and I have a long and tortured history. I funded his first development project." I frowned "But he wouldn't tell you..." I started and she shrugged "He didn't need to. Ward and I were partners in the search for the Royal Merchant, and I'm afraid that Big John Routledge was not the only one that Ward double-crossed." She told me and I nodded. "Okay. What else do you know?" "I know that Rafe Cameron killed
Sheriff Peterkin. I have proof of it." She said and I looked at her "So you can clear John B's name?" I asked and she smiled "Easily, at any time..." she said then took out a recorder and pressed play.
-the gun. He's protecting his son. It was Rafe Cameron who killed Sheriff Peterkin. Gotta be honest
"Gavin."
"I know exactly what happened on that tarmac." Mrs. Limbrey said and I nodded "So you have the evidence, and you know he's innocent. Why don't you just go clear his name? It's the right thing to do." I told her and she smirked. "My friend, the Limbreys did not maintain their position in the Lowcountry for these past years by giving away something of value for free." She said and sighed "Yes, I can exonerate your friend, but first, there is something that I want. It's a little thing, really. I think you know what it is. I want the key." She said and i frowned in confusion.
"A key?" I questioned and Limbrey scoffed
"Like truck keys? I have house keys. I'm... I'm sorry. I don't know-- A key?" I questioned, I looked at the guy then back to Limbrey. "I'm afraid our relationship won't be very productive if we aren't honest with each other. Denmark's key." She demanded and i frowned "As in Denmark Tanny?" I asked and she nodded. "Yes." She answered and I sighed "Ms. Limbrey, I'm sorry, but I have no idea what you're talking about. But for my friend, I'll... I'll go find it." I told her getting up.
"I'll... I'll do what I need to do. I'll go find one if you need it. But I don't know what you're talking about, and I don't have it on me." Limbrey stood up.
"Come now." She made her way to the other side of the room into a study as I followed "Do you recognize this?" She asked showing me a drawing of a key and a pattern behind it and i frowned. "Ring any bells?" She asked and I shook my head "No. I'm sorry. It doesn't." I told her and she smiled softly "Hmm. You can keep that." She chuckled and I folded it up then put it in my pocket.
"Come with me. I'd like to show you something. I think you'll find it interesting." Mrs Limbrey said and I followed her outside and turning towards the back of the house.
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JJ
"Why do you think they wanted Olivia here?" Kiara asked me and I shrugged "I don't know but it's not good." I told her then she sighed. "Look, if Limbrey is legit, then Ward gets arrested, and maybe Sarah gets the gold." She said and I shrugged, I saw Pope come out with the guy from earlier and now a blonde lady.
"Does that look voluntary?" Kiara questioned and Pope looked back at us and i had a gut feeling "That would be a negative... woah hold on, hold on. They're going into the alley." "Go around back?" Kiara asked and I nodded "Yeah. We'll meet them on the other side." I told her and I put the truck in drive then drove down the street "Okay. Hey, be chill. Be chill." "Yeah, sure."
We got to the other side and I sighed "Look, where did they go?" "What if they went underground? Because in C.H.U.D., when they took people down into the sewers, it would turn the humans into humanoids 'cause of the radiation. And then all of a sudden..." I started and Kiara held her hand up. "Focus. That doesn't make any sense." "Right. Sorry. Did you see him?" I told her and she sighed "No."
We went back around to limbrey's and I got out of the truck to see if I could find them myself, I was right and saw Pope almost get tased and my eyes widened "Pope!" I yelled and I kicked the taser to Kiara "Pope, come on!" "Come on!" Me and Kiara yelled and Pope kicked the guy.
"Go! Just leave him! Leave him!" I yelled and we jumped over the wall and into the truck "Go, go, go! Scoot over." "Ow! Who were those people?" Kiara yelled as I turned on the car "We're getting out of here." "There crazy as shit. Let's get out of here." Pope said and I nodded "Here we go now!" I yelled and drove down the street "I think he's following us." Kiara said and I turned down a street "This is a one-way." Pope yelled and I sighed "Go left." "Go that way." Kiara and Pope yelled and I nodded "I know." I told them as I kept driving.
"This is a one-way!" Kiara and Pope both yelled at me and I saw a car up ahead. "He's following us." "Hey! There's another car! Turn now!" Pope yelled. I heard them honk and my eyes widened "Turn! Turn right!" They both yelled at me and I took a sharp right, making the tires screech.
"Jesus, look out!"
"Oh my God!"
"Get out of the road!" I yelled as two people crossed the street and Kiara sighed "Those were people! Jesus Christ!" Pope yelled and we zoomed down the road. "That was evasive driving technique
right there, y'all." I yelled and they frowned.
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Sarah
We almost got hit by a truck and I sighed in relief "Maniac... Wait. Is that..." I muttered and John B nodded "Heyward?" "Heyward's truck." I smiled and looked up at John B "Hey, come here! Hey, come back! Hey!" The guy that we stole money from began chasing us again and John B picked the gas tanks and I nodded "Okay." "Come on." John B grunted and we ran down the street.
JJ
I kept driving down the road "Where we going?" "I'll lose him." I told them and I saw a small street to turn onto quickly "JJ!" "Dude!" They yelled and the truck started hissing and smoking. "You said he fixed the carburetor. You said he fixed it!" I yelled and we all got out of the truck "Shit! Damn it! Okay, what now, Mario?" Kiara said and I sighed "Number one rule. Never trust mechanics!" I yelled as we grabbed our backpacks and I saw the guys car approaching us "We gotta go around!" I told them and we started running "Go!" "Come on!" Kiara and Pope yelled and I nodded "Go, go, go, go, go!" "Guys, I think he has a gun." Kiara yelled and I looked back at them "Get to the alleyway. Come on!" I yelled and Pope groaned "Let's go. Come on! I think I'm cramping." Pope complained but we just kept running.
Sarah
"Hey! JJ! Pope! Kie!" "Guys!" We yelled to them but they didn't hear us, we turned to see the guy getting closer and i frowned "Shit!" "Come on. We gotta find them." John B said and we saw one of the bike taxi things and I got on the back while John B drove it "How do you work this thing?" "Go!" I yelled and the guy who owned it noticed us on it "Hey!" He yelled and my eyes widened "Go!" "That's my bike!" The bike guy yelled and we started down the street.
JJ
"Go, go, go, go, go, go, go!" "This way! We might have to split up. I don't know where to go, okay? We gotta lose them!" I yelled looking back and when I turned back around I saw a mailman. I crashed into him having all his mail fall to the floor and I groaned "Whoa! Jesus! Shit!" "Watch out!" Kiara yelled and I looked back "Sorry!" "Sorry about that!" We all yelled back at him then continued to turn in an alleyway "Right here! Here, here, here!" I yelled as we all turned then I turned back to see the guy still following us.
"He's right there. Go, go, go!" I yelled and Pope nodded "Go! Go! He's gaining. Let's go!" "I am going, Pope. I know, I know. You guys gotta keep up." I yelled at him as we got to the end of the alley and as we rounded the corner we were stopped by a bike and I couldn't believe my eyes.
John B and Sarah right before us, alive and well "Get in! Get in! Get in! Come on!" John B yelled for us to jump into the bike taxi and we all got on, me and Pope pushed the taxi to make it go faster. "Push! Push! Push!" "Pedal faster, John B!" Sarah yelled and I smiled "Go, John B! Go!" "Shit! Pedal, B! He's gaining!" Pope yelled and he nodded "I'm pedaling." "He's gaining, man." I yelled and Pope fell and we all looked back at him "Oh my God!" "Pope, get up! Let's go!" John B yelled at him and he got up quickly then I grabbed him and he climbed up on the taxi.
"Pedal, John B!" I yelled as the guy came closer and almost had us but the girls hit him making him fall tumbling to the ground making us cheer.
"See you later, alligator."
"See you later, asshole."
John B stopped and made his way to a boat and we all followed him "Is this you?" I questioned and he helped Sarah up and we gassed the boat and made our way far from Charleston, catching up on what happened with them and with us.
We stopped to find food and as the girls went to find we stayed at the boat and John B sighed "So, uh, what's up with this Kiara stuff there, big guy?" He asked as I fiddled with something on top sail.
"Uh, honestly, I don't know right now, man. I mean, I definitely like her. And I'm pretty sure she likes me." Pope said and John B nodded "Sure. Seems like it." "Right now, there's a lot of conflicting information going on. Like, I'm trying to gather all the data and put into a folder in my mind." Pope said and we frowned.
"Folder?"
"All right, man, look, women, all right, like, they're just not consistent." I told them and John B scoffed "All right, we're not gonna take female advice from JJ. Okay? What's going on with you and my cousin?" John B asked and I shrugged. "Well she friend zoned me and then we thought you guys were dead and so I was there for her... then there was the drug thing." "Wait what drug thing?" He asked and I sighed "Well I had found pills in her bag and when I questioned her she told me she was going to throw them but I didn't believe her and we had this big thing." I told him and he nodded.
"Okay, What's the deal with this Limbrey chick? You think she knew my pops?" John B asked and Pope shrugged "I don't know. But I do think that she has the information that could exonerate you. That'd be ideal." "Not to throw a monkey wrench in the entire thing, but she did just try to kidnap you and was also gonna kidnap Liv too." I interrupted and his eyes widened "Oh, Limbrey is Nathan Wilcox's sister. Liv's aunt." Pope said and I frowned
"What?"
"Uh come again?" John B and I said and Pope nodded. "They were very determined to have her there." Pope told us. "Alright where we going?" I asked and John B sighed "Home. To the Chateau."
"How many times do I gotta say this?" I added and John B sighed "Here we go." "Why are we going back? Why don't we go south? Why don't we go to Yucatán?" I told them and John B rolled his eyes "Coast of Broken Dreams, baby!" " "No, no, dude! I'm not running anymore. Look, OBX is my home. I have my cousins and Liv there... And besides, if I go back, I get another shot at Ward." John B said then looked at me.
"Speaking of Liv, uh she was in the Bahamas." "Wait what?" I questioned and he sighed "Yeah, she was with Rafe and Ward but she looked like she was not there on her own free will." He added and I looked to Pope. "So Rafe did kidnap her." I muttered and John B looked worried "And I have no idea how she's doing because, I think she got shot in the crossfire between me and Rafe." John B told me and I frowned, the girls came back with watermelons and we made our way to the Chateau.