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ɪ ᴜɴғᴏʀᴛᴜɴᴀᴛᴇʟʏ ᴄᴏᴜʟᴅɴ'ᴛ ғɪɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ɢɪғ ᴡɪᴛʜᴏᴜᴛ ᴡᴏʀᴅs sᴏ, ᴘʟᴇᴀsᴇ ɪɢɴᴏʀᴇ
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Sarah, Kiara, and Estrella all sat in the back of John B's van. The door was open as the boys sat outside trying to put the pulley system together.
"He said it looked something like this." Kie says as she holds out the paper. Pope drew a picture of what the system should look like.
"So..."
"That's 50 feet down, and they're using 100-feet rope. So I guess this little wagon will go..." Sarah laughs as Kie points to the drawing. "Straight to the gold room." Kie chuckles
"Who drew this ?" Sarah laughs
"Who do you think ?" Estrella says as Kie looks over and smiles at Pope.
"Kie ! This better work." JJ says walking over. He drops the bars of gold John B got onto the car floor. "We can't pawn this if there's a giant wheat symbol on it."
"It's gonna work." Kie says holding up a blow torch.
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Kie was able to melt the gold down. Although it looked like a giant blob, it was melted down enough for the wheat symbol to not be visible.
John B stops in front of the pawn shop. JJ opens the door and gets out first.
"Hell of a job melting it down, Dr. Frankenstein." He says as the others get out behind him.
"Like you could've done better." Kie scoffs
"I could have done much better actually. I took a welding class."
"You-"
"Whoa, whoa. Hey. Sh !"
"When ?"
"Chill out, okay ?" John B says
"Easy for you to say. You're not the one that has to pawn this piece of shit off." JJ snaps, "How did I get this job anyway ?"
"Cause you're the best liar." Estrella shrugs. JJ rolls his eyes before entering the shop.
"Afternoon, ma'am." JJ says. The others spread out around the store, but they stay close enough to hear the conversation.
"Afternoon."
"I see you buy gold."
"That's what the sign say, don't it ?" She says. Estrella frowns at her attitude.
"Well, I sure hope you buy a lot of it, because I'm about to blow your mind."
"I ain't got much mind left to blow, so have at it."
JJ opens his bag and sets the gold on the counter. "How about them gold apples ?"
"That ain't real." She chuckles
"That ain't real ?"
"It can't be." She laughs
"Feel how heavy it is."
The lady tries to lift the gold, but struggles to do so.
"Mm-hm. Mm-hm !" JJ says as she finally lifts it, "Let's get some light on that."
She turns her light on and shines it on the gold. "Spray-painted tungsten."
"Spray-painted tungsten ? Really ? Okay." JJ nods, "Why don't you see how, uh, soft it is ?"
"You mind ?"
"No, go for it."
The pawnbroker hits it to try and chip it off, but it doesn't work.
"Wow. Would you look at that ?" JJ says
"Hold your horses. We ain't got to the acid test yet."
"Ooh ! The acid test." JJ says looking around at the other teens, "My favorite, guys."
Estrella shakes her head with a smile on her face.
The lady uses a dropper to pour the acid on the gold. She realizes it is in fact real. "Well, it ain't plated, and it ain't painted."
"Ma'am, I'm telling ya, this is as real as the day is long."
"It looks like somebody tried to melt it down."
She looks to him for an answer and JJ is quick with his response, "My mom. She had all this jewelry laying around the house, and she thought it was best to... to melt it down. To "consolidate" it."
She sets it on the scale, "Seven pounds ? That's a lot of earrings."
"Okay, to be honest, ma'am," JJ clears his throat, "it's really hard to see my mom fall apart with Alzheimer's."
"Mm-hm."
Estrella looks to Pope with a confused look, "Alzheimer's ?" She whispers
"Give me a minute."
"Take your time, ma'am." JJ says as she goes to the back.
Pope and Kie go over to JJ. Estrella couldn't make out what they were saying, but she could tell the lady came back out when they ran back toward her.
"So, I, uh," She clears her throat, "I talked to my boss."
"And ?"
"And, uh, this is what I can do." She says setting a paper down
"Fifty thousand ?" JJ says, "You think I walked in here not knowin' the spot price ? Ma'am, I know for a fact this is worth 140, at least."
"Well, sweetie, you in a pawnshop. This ain't Zurich. Do I look Swiss to you ?"
"Ninety, or I walk."
"Seventy. Half price... and, um..." She gets closer and lowers her voice. "I don't ask questions about where you got this."
JJ looks to John B who gives him the go ahead. "I'm gonna need that in large denominations, please."
"Well, here's the snag. I don't have that much denominated, not here anyway. I can write you a cashier's check."
"Cash." JJ shakes his head, "No, ma'am. I want the cold hard. That's what that sign says. Cash for gold. And that's what I expect. I'm gonna get it in cold hard."
"Well, I have to send you to the warehouse. I have the money there. Is that all right ?"
JJ narrows his eyes, "Where's this warehouse ?"
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After the lady gave them the directions to the warehouse, Estrella was kind of skeptical along with a few of the other teens. John B took them anyway, but they couldn't even tell where they were going.
"So they keep money out here ?" Pope says
"That's what she said." JJ says before he chuckles, "That's what she said."
"Stop."
"I've never even heard of Resurrection Drive." Sarah says
"Cause you're rich." JJ says
"You've never heard of it either." Estrella says
"Thank you."
"There's nothing but weeds back here." Kie says
"All right, just 'cause it's just weeds, doesn't mean it's, like-" JJ starts. They turn as they hear sirens behind them.
"Cops ? Out here ?" Kie says
"God ! Are you kidding me ?"
"What did we do ?" Sarah says
"Why are we getting pulled over ?" Pope says
"Stash that." John B says as JJ starts to hide the gold.
"Chill, guys."
"Put it-"
"I hate cops."
"Did you bring the gun ?"
"No. Okay ? Everybody told me to leave it back at the place."
"Thank God. Okay... Please, everything else in your bag."
"I am ! I am, all right ?"
"Oh, oh..."
"How much weed do you have on you, bro ?"
"He's walking up."
"Nothing better to do..."
"Sir-"
Everyone stops as the "cop" cocks his gun in John B's face.
"Why don't I go ahead and see them hands in the air ? All y'all's hands up in the air right now !"
Everyone does as he says. "You, out of the car ! Let's go !" He says to John B, "Out of the car ! Let's go ! Hurry !"
John B gets out as he leads him to the other side. "Let them out ! What are you waitin' on ? What are you waitin' on ? Let them out !"
"All of y'all !" He yells as John B opens the back door. "Go on ! Go on ! Let's get out the car ! Let's go ! There you go, pretty girl. Here we go ! Get out the car, let's go ! Hurry up ! There you go !"
JJ gets out last and stands in front of everyone, "We're broke-"
"Shut the hell up !" He yells as he points the gun at JJ's chest.
"All right ! Just relax !"
"Shut the hell up ! Shut up !"
"Chill !"
"Blow your damn head off ! Lay down in the ditch ! Lay down in the ditch ! On your goddamn hands and knees ! Down !"
Everyone slowly gets down. Hands shaking as he keeps yelling at them. "Put your face on the ground ! Stay here just like that ! Put your head down ! Don't let me see you look up ! All right ? That's all y'all gotta do."
He jumps into the back of the van and starts ransacking it.
"It's a setup, guys." Kie says
"That old bat shanked us." JJ punches the ground, "Fuck ! Goddamn it !"
Estrella lets out a shaky breath as she closes her eyes.
"Wait. No, no, no, no. John B. No." Sarah whimpers. Estrella looks up and sees John B slowly getting up.
"John B. Don't be a hero, man." Pope whispers
"Sh." He says before he retreats to the other car. John B quickly gets in the backseat.
"All right, y'all stay like that. Unless you want your brains blown out all over this road, don't move your goddamn heads, okay ?" The guy yells as he comes out of the van and runs back to his car.
Soon after, they hearing grunting as John B starts to fight him off.
"Guys, I got the gun !" John B yells. JJ jumps up and runs over. Everyone else follows him.
JJ hits him first followed by Kie as Pope digs around the car.
"I got the gold !"
Sarah and Estrella kick him down and use the car door to hit him. Kie and Pope kick him in his stomach before he leans back against the car.
"You son of a bitch !"
John B snatches his mask down to reveal his face.
"Barry." Estrella says breathing heavily.
"I know this piece of shit ! He's a basehead !"
"Probably knows my brother." Sarah says
"He sells coke to my dad." JJ spits
"Listen, I couldn't hurt any single one of y'all.." He's cut off by JJ hitting him with the butt of the gun.
"JJ !"
"Dude, chill, man. Come on." Pope says holding him back. JJ pushes him away and starts digging through Barry's pockets.
"Come on, let's get outta here." Pope says
JJ takes his wallet and pulls out Barry's ID. "We got one last stop."
"Hey !"
"Let's go see where this son of a bitch lives." JJ says storming off to the van.
"I'm gonna remember this shit !" Barry yells as the others go off toward the van. "You can't hide from me ! I know exactly who y'all are !"
John B takes his keys and throws it into the bushes before getting in the passenger seat. JJ drives off as Barry still yells at them.
"I'mma see you again !"
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