We run to the junkyard by the airstrip. Looking up we can see Ward's plane taking off.
"There goes the gold," Pope states.
JJ kicks a plastic chair.
"Shit!" Pope starts to throw things around. "Fuck!"
Kie calls out to him. "Pope!"
"God damn it!" Pope picks up a baseball bat and starts to smash things with it. "Shit! Fuck!" He smashes an old tv. "Shit! Damn it!" He smashes things lining the shelves on the wall. He yells as he swings the bat around.
Kie looks at JJ and I, but neither of us know what to do.
"Pope!" Kie shouts. He doesn't stop smashing things. "Pope!" He yells as he throws a garbage can. "Pope!"
Pope stops smashing things as he sits down on a couch.
Kie looks around at what Pope did. "Pope."
"Yeah, dude." JJ starts walking towards Pope. "I was wondering when this was gonna happen." He holds his vape out to Pope. "Here you go, chief. A little weed never hurt no one."
"JJ," Kie starts.
JJ looks over his shoulder. "Relax, Kie."
"You know he doesn't smoke," Kie states.
Pope takes the vape from JJ.
"Well, maybe not until today," JJ counters. He sits down next to Pope and watches him.
"Pope. Yeah, what is that gonna help?" Kie questions.
"I lost my scholarship. Walked out in the middle of the interview. Every..." Pope starts to get choked up. "It's gone. It's not gonna happen."
"You did that for us?" Kie asks.
"No, not for us." Pope gets up and stands face to face with Kiara. "For nothing."
"I'm here for you, Pope." JJ grabs Pope in a half hug. "Welcome to my world, okay?"
"JJ," Kie starts.
"What, Kie? He's right," JJ states. Pope walks away from the two. "It doesn't matter anymore."
Pope leans against a support beam and takes a hit.
"You don't have to do that," Kie states.
"What do you care?" Pope asks.
I hear someone behind us and turn to see John B. I rush towards him. "Dude! Dude, you good?"
"Oh, my God! John B!" Kie shouts.
JJ looks at his blood covered hands. "Is this yours?"
"Whose blood is that?" Kie asks.
"Hey, you okay, man?" Pope asks.
"John B, are you okay?" I question. "Where's Sarah?"
We hear sirens and a police car is coming our way. We all duck down behind some junk out of sight.
John B explains to us what happened after we ran. Sheriff Peterkin tried to arrest Ward Cameron for the murder of Big John. In the process Rafe showed up out of nowhere and shot her in the chest. He doesn't know where Sarah is, but he can only assume she's back at Tannyhill.
Since John B's van is at the airstrip we take my SUV to the police station. It's dark by the time we get there.
"John B, what are we doing at the police station?" JJ asks.
"Somebody's gotta tell them what happened," John B explains.
Pope takes another hit and starts to cough.
"Easy there, chief," JJ tells him. Pope keeps coughing. "Damn."
"All right. I'm just gonna be real with you right now. You might end up in the lion's den, but you don't go there on purpose. It's fundamental. Just like my old man always told me, you should never ever trust cops, no matter what the circumstance is," JJ states.
"Your old man's an abusive liar," Kie says.
"I agree with JJ. Fuck the police," Pope states.
"You goin' to the dark side now?" Kie questions.
"When's the last time the police helped us?" Pope asks.
"Peterkin looked out for me, all right? Tried to, at least," John B tells us. "They need to know."
No one argues with him as he gets out of the car. We wait outside in the car. When he comes back out he's going to need us.
Suddenly John B comes running out of the police station. "Ash! Start the car!" He runs around to the other side of the car. "Start the car, Ashlynn!"
"What? John B? What did you do?" I ask.
"The cops!" John B shouts.
"Shit!" JJ yells.
I can see a cop running towards the car as I fumble with the keys.
"Ash, drive! Go!" John B yells.
"I'm going! I'm sorry!" I start the car.
"Go, Ash Go!" John B shouts.
I drive off as the cops chase the car. "Stop the car! Right now!"
"What did you do?" Kiara asks.
"Pull over!" the cop yells before she is knocked from the car door.
We spend the rest of the night parked off the road under an old awning. None of us can really go back home at this point. We also don't want to leave John B on his own. Whatever happens we're in this together.
The radio is on, "Good news for residents of Outer Banks. Dominion Power says their underwater transmission line, which will restore power to 90% of the area..."
I sit up when I hear sirens.
"...should be functional within 24 hours."
I hear another police car go by with sirens on as well.
"And still, no arrest in the shooting death of Sheriff Susan Peterkin. The state police have issued a statement regarding a local person of interest, a juvenile from..."
I switch off the radio not needing to hear them talk about John B like he's a murderer.
"Let's game this out. Maybe you guys can help, being the smart ones and all, but..." JJ sighs. "...who are the cops going to believe? Ward Cameron or us? So the accuser is a big shot developer, kind of lord of the island, got the governor on speed dial kind of person, and the accused... is John B, who is... pretty much a homeless 16-year-old boy at the moment."
"Thanks," John B remarks.
Pope rubs his head. "Shit."
"Okay, man. Yucatan, all right? I'm saying that's the only option. What other option do you have?" JJ asks.
"Enough with the Mexico bullshit. Sarah's gonna bail me out," John B assures.
"She did witness the whole thing," Kie offers.
"Thank you," John B says.
"And she's gonna snitch on her dad? Not happening, bro. Okay? We've gotta get you off the island," JJ explains.
"The ferry. It's the only way," Pope states.
"Exit stage left while you still can, man. Before the entire island is on lockdown," I advise.
More sirens approach.
"Guys, just get down," Kie tells us.
"Sarah's not a Pogue, John B," Pope states.
"Yeah. You can't stay here, man," JJ agrees.
I drive us to the ferry. Pope gets out to look at the schedule. I move to the backseat so I can stretch my legs. Kie sits in the passenger's seat.
Pope comes walking back to the car a paper in hand. "Okay. All right, no."
"Pope, can you act normal?" I question.
"So, um... okay, so, bad news. The ferry's closed, and there is this." Pope hands Kie a wanted poster with John B's face on it. Pope gets in the driver's seat.
"What is that? What is this?" John B asks.
"Shit," Kie says.
I take the poster from her and hand it to JJ. I let out a sigh.
"Well, John B, uh... this is a good framer of you." JJ shows him the poster.
"Okay, so the whole island's lookin' for John B right now," Pope states.
"That's a lot of money," Kie says.
"Congratulations, John B. You're now famous," I remark.
"Okay guys, we got to get to the HMS. We need small, no running lights..." Kie starts.
"It's at the Château, Kie," John B tells her.
"And I wonder if the cops got the entire place staked out. Let me think. Oh, yeah. No. They definitely have that place locked down," JJ warns.
"Yeah, copy that," Kie says.
"Let me think. Just give me a second," Pope tells us. "JJ."
"What?" JJ asks.
"Does your dad still have that boat? The cigarette boat, the Phantom. The one he used to race," Pope asks.
"Maybe," JJ answers.
"You could get right up the coast, no problem," Pope states.
"Okay, look," Kie starts.
"It won't be easy, Pope," JJ tells him.
"The surf's running from three to four," Kie says.
"I don't know where the keys are," JJ states.
Pope starts my car. "Well, find them."
"I'm thinking," JJ states.
"Why is nobody moving forward?" Pope asks. "Whats going on here."
"Can you relax?" I tell him.
"JJ, how much weed did you give him?" Kie asks.
"Guys. Your car's on here, it's on the poster," John B tells us.
Pope starts honking the horn. "Can we move it?"
"Pope! That's not going to help anything," I tell him.
"Come on!" Pope shouts.
I lean forward. "Don't honk the horn."
A young boy points at John B. "It's that guy. Right there."
"Shit," I say.
"We got a snitch. Pope, turn the car on," JJ instructs.
"We get $25,000 if we find him," the boy says.
"Hey!" A guy knocks on the window. "He's right there!"
"Pope! We gotta go!" I shout.
"Turn the car on!" JJ yells.
"I found him first!" the kid yells.
"Hell you did, you little bastard!" the guy yells.
"Pope, turn the frickin' car on!" Kie yells.
"I am trying!" Pope shouts.
"Turn the car on! Go, go, go, go, go!" JJ yells.
Pope turns the car on and slams on the gas. We hit the car in front of us. I jolt forward before slamming back into the seat.
"Pope! Jeez!" JJ says.
"Dude, back up!" Kie tells him.
Pope starts to drive the car forward instead of backing up.
"The other way," I tell him.
"It's okay! Pope, just go!" JJ tells him.
Pope turns the wheel and pulls the car onto the grass. A cop sees us and tries to stop us. "Hey!"
"What are you doing?" I ask.
"We'll bump out," JJ warns.
Pope takes the car back on to the road and I have no idea where he is taking us. He starts to veer all over the road.
"Watch out! Pope! Whoa, whoa, whoa, watch out!" I yell.
Pope hits a mailbox with my car. He laughs. "Oh, my God!"
"Pope!" John B shouts.
"What the fuck, Pope?" I ask.
"I'm livin' my best life now," Pope states.
I put my head in my hands. "Oh my poor car."
"I should be the last to say this, but you are not okay to drive, dude Stop!" JJ tells him. Pope slams on the brakes. "Oh, jeez."
"John B, get out," Pope states.
"He's right. We'll draw the cops, you run," I instruct.
"I'll get the rig, and I'll meet you in the dump tomorrow, okay? Three o'clock, okay?" JJ tells him.
"Yeah." John B gets out of the car.
"Three tomorrow at the dump," JJ repeats.
"Yeah," John B assures.
"Come on, go, go, go!" JJ yells at Pope.
Pope starts to drive again going nowhere in particular. It's starting to get dark.
JJ laughs. "Pope, you clocked that car, man. Like, that was so bad!"
Pope takes another hit of a blunt. "I'm just glad I'm not driving now."
I look at Pope. "Pull over."
Pope pulls the car over and I get out of the car. JJ keeps laughing.
"JJ, it's not funny. He shouldn't be driving," Kie states.
"Mama's mad," JJ states.
I walk around the front of the car as Pope climbs into the passenger's seat. "What are you..." I get into the driver's seat.
"Where are we goin'?" JJ asks.
I look at Kie. "The last place they're gonna look."
We head to Tannyhill. I get out and Kie does the same.
"Perfectly focused," Pope states.
"You sure this is a good idea?" JJ asks.
"Sarah is the only one who can clear John B," I reason.
"Last place they'll look because of how stupid it is," JJ states.
Kie gives him a look. "Stop complaining and let's go." Kie stops to face me when I don't follow her. "Aren't you coming?"
I shake my head. "I can't."
No one pushes me for more. Kie and Pope climb the wall to go get my sister. JJ and I stand beside the car waiting for them to bring Sarah back.
"I thought you would want to be the one to save your sister," JJ states.
I take a deep breath. "I just... I can't go back there. If my dad sees me it's game over. I can't be stuck in that house, JJ."
JJ wraps his arms around me. "We're not gonna let him touch you, Ash."
I nod my head. "Thank you."
JJ smiles sadly. "You're not the only one a shitty dad."
Kie and Pope come back to the car, but Sarah isn't with them.
"Where's Sarah?" I ask.
Kie shakes her head. "I couldn't get her the window wouldn't open."
"So what do we do now?" Pope asks.