𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐁𝐎𝐀𝐓 𝐆𝐋𝐈𝐃𝐄𝐃 easily through the water as we arrived at the motel that was labeled on the key. The hurricane had destroyed the place, but the sad thing is, that it was barely a change from its usual appearance. "This place is a shit show," I muttered as I stared at the damaged motel.
"Motel or meth lab?" Kie commented and everyone agreed.
"Doesn't look like a place where somebody with a Grady-White stays," John B said as he slowly pulled up to the small incline where the water met the grass.
"No. Looks like a place someone with a Grady-White would get killed," Pope commented and I could get a better look at the motel. Signs were on the ground, mattresses lined the grass and walls and everything was in pretty rough shape.
JJ faked a radio static, "This is your captain speaking. HMS Pogue comin' in for a landing," He hopped off the boat and tied it off. Pope and Kie said that they would be the lookout while JJ, John B, and I would check out the room. I walked towards the front of the boat and JJ offered me a hand, helping onto the solid ground.
"Hey, y/n," Pope said to John B before he got off the boat, "Don't let them do anything stupid,"
I rolled my eyes, "Oh come on,"
"I'm not making promises," John B said and Pope sighed, knowing that was going to be the answer.
"Uh... be careful," Kie said as she handed the key to John B, "I mean it," He nodded quickly before hopping off the boat and joining JJ and me. Both of us exchanged looks, knowing we were going to ride his ass about him and Kie in a few seconds.
We got up to the second floor and JJ grabbed John B's face and started caressing it as he pushed him off. "Just be so careful, John," He mocked and I laughed lightly, "What was that about?"
"I don't know. Maybe she wants us to be careful, right y/n," John B said, trying to get me on his side but instead I rolled my eyes.
"That's some bullshit," I replied as we walked along the hallway and JJ knocked shoulders with me. "Honestly, you two would look good together,"
"And, since she heard you're being threatened with exile, she's just been, like, 'Oh! Be so careful, John B,'" JJ joked and John B pushed him again, "'Oh, give me that John D already.' When are you gonna swoop on that, man?" He asked as he wrapped an arm around my shoulders playfully.
I agreed with JJ, but John B popped both of our bubbled quicky. "Guys, you know the rule. No Pogue-on-Pogue macking. You're the one always hitting on her," John B said to JJ, which was true, "On both of them," He finished, acknowledging that I was there.
"Of course I'm hitting on them. Kie's a super-hot, rich, hippie chick slumming with us," I rolled my eyes as JJ went on, "And y/n, she's a super hot surfer with a temper, best of both worlds," I pushed his arm off my shoulder and he looked at me with fake hurt in his eyes. "Why? I can't figure it out either, but who cares?"
"You're invested in this, aren't you?" I joked lightly and John B agreed.
"I know that door's locked because I've tried it. Have you?" JJ continued, and I know that he's tried to hit on me, but I also knew that it was just JJ being JJ. "Unless, y/n, you wanna reconsider?"
"You need help," I told him, "And not just a little bit of help, like a lot of help," JJ objected but John B backed me up.
"She's right. It's like every girl who just has a heartbeat, you're like... 'Uhh!'" He moaned, pretending to be a zombie and touching my shoulder playfully.
"This is it," I said as we stopped at the door, with the number 229 on it.
JJ knocked on the door a few times and said, in a high-pitched voice, "Housekeeping," I chuckled softly as he moved to knock on the glass.
"Just use the key," I told John B and he slipped the key inside the lock and pushed open the door.
"No power. No security cameras. No one's gonna know," JJ said as he walked into the dark motel room, while John B shined the flashlight around.
"Well, this was anti-climactic," I replied as I walked over to the bag and unzipped it, "Maybe there's something in here that'll tell us who stayed here?"
John B went through the bag and pulled out a pair of New Balances, shoes someone who was fifty would wear. JJ didn't have any luck with the jacket and he moved towards the side table under the window, which was the only light source, other than the flashlight that we had. "Yo, guys, come here. Maybe this is where they were fishing?" JJ said as he leaned over a map. I walked up beside him and could see that the map had a sticky note with coordinates.
"No, that's off the continental shelf," John B commented as he walked to the other side of the room, "That's Big Swell. Nobody fishes there," JJ moved away from the map but I stayed next to it, trying to see if there was a name on the paper or anything. The boys talked quietly to each other and JJ went into the bathroom to look around.
"Standard. Tissues for when you get lonely..." JJ said as he walked away from John B.
"Did you find anything?" I asked the boys and JJ piped up.
"An awesome Dopp kit you won't let me steal," I rolled my eyes and stared at the map, moving my eyes towards a small piece of paper with five numbers on it.
"Yeah, cause we're not stealing shit," I replied as I held up the paper. The sound of numbers beeping made me look behind me, where John B was crouched down, punching numbers into a safe.
"One, one, one, one, two," He said under his breath and JJ came back out, giving John B a look.
"Punching shit at random. That will definitely work, JB," I looked between John B and the note in my hand.
"Wait," I said and I crouched beside him, "Six, one, six, six, six," I said punching the buttons while JJ talked to himself about his swordfish-catching cousin. The been unlocked and I opened the door, my jaw dropped from what was inside. "Holy shit,"
John B grabbed a stack of cash and held it in front of him, "Hey JJ... I think you might wanna see this," JJ turned around with a bright smile, and walked towards the safe, reaching past me. I stood up and sat on the bed closest to the door. JJ reached out of the safe and pulled out the gun and I quickly stood up.
"Dude, you grabbed the gun!" I said in a panicked whisper, as he pointed it up.
"This is a SIG Sauer," He said, checking the black gun out,
"JJ, put the gun back, now!" I said as John B went to take it from him, but JJ pulled away.
"This is a fucking spendy GATT, guys. Just..." He pointed the gun at me and pretended to shoot, "Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam!" He yelled excitedly, pretending like he was on some kind of shooting range.
"We are not stealing anything," John B said as he grabbed the back of his shirt.
"Just take a pic of me. Right here, come on, y/n, JB?" JJ said to us and I shook my head while John B shined a flashlight at him.
"You want me to take a picture of you?" John B said frustrated, "Make our own incriminating evidence? Is that what you're talking about?"
Suddenly we heard something tapping against the window and the three of us looked towards it. John B poked his head under the blinds, and I'm not sure what he saw but he told me to check the window quickly. I hopped over the bed and lifted up the blind, watching as two cops walked towards our room. "Shit, shit, shit! Cops!" I freaked out and I could hear the boys swear under their breaths as they looked for a hiding place.
"Window!" John B said as he opened it and climbed through, followed by JJ and me. The three of us were out on this tiny ledge and I shut the window as someone knocked on the door. JJ held out his hand and I grabbed it as he pulled me towards him.
John B peeked through the partly open blinds and I could see Pope waving in the back, trying to ask us what we were doing. I put my finger to my lip, trying to shush them while JJ laughed quietly beside me.
I looked through the window and I could see the two cops checking out the safe. The one cop held out an orange envelope and passed it to the lady he was working with. He reached into the safe again, and I could feel JJ peaking around me. This time, he pulled out one of the many wads of cash and held it towards the lady. "Everybody's gotta dip their beak," I could hear indirectly through the window and my eyes widened.
"What the f--" JJ mumbles to the two of us, "Do you believe this?' He said as he moved away, accidentally hitting the gun with his arm. The gun fell out of the waistband of his shorts, down the roof and onto the ground, loudly. JJ pulled me away from the window, just as the cop pulled up the blinds. He pulled me far enough away so that he wouldn't be able to see me or him.
John B held a finger to his lips, motioning for us to be quiet as I wrapped my own arm around JJ, making sure neither of us fell. I could hear the police officers leaving and I let out a small breath.