We all piled in the van and took off towards the air strip with no time to waist. JJ, Pope, and I were in the back and John B was in the front with Kie. JJ was loading his gun and throwing out his version of a game plan.
"We go in there, guns a blazin, make Ward Cameron beg for mercy, abscond with a much gold as possible and vamonos, get the hell out of there."
Pope was nodding along with it as he went on and then John B spoke up, "Down the intracoastal."
"Wait for weather", Kie added.
"Exit to Cuba", Pope smiled.
"Cuba?", JJ scoffed, "Nah man, Xcalak, Jewel of the Yucatan. Lobsters so thick, mangoes, and no word for money."
"Guys that can be practical?", I challenged, "Ward isn't just gonna hand over that money and it's gonna be a lot harder than sneaking in and taking it."
"Have some faith baby", JJ smirked at me.
"It's not faith I lack JJ", I told him.
"It'll be alright Y/n/n", John B assured me as he looked at me through the rear view mirror, "Let's just do this shit. We'll wing it", he winked.
"We're all gonna die, or end up in jail", I sighed and leaned back against the van door.
*****
Once we got to the air strip John B pulled up along the fence. Since it was a private air strip we couldn't just drive up in there without getting immediately caught. We all jumped out and ran up to the fence.
"What's the plan?", I asked.
"I don't think we actually got that far", Pope said.
"See that's exactly what I was talking about in the van", I huffed as I watched the boys pass binoculars back and forth.
"They're loading up the gold", JJ said as John B reached out and took the binoculars and looked for himself.
There was a horn that honked and we all looked over, "There's Ward", John B said as a black Range Rover came to stop.
We watched Ward get out and be greeted by a few air strip workers. John B kept watching through the binoculars a few minutes then he dropped them.
"John B?", I questioned, the look on his face was...devastation.
"It's Sarah", he mumbled.
I looked back over and saw familiar long blonde hair walking around the Range Rover.
"She's with him?", Pope asked.
I watched them walk around close to the plane as John B brought the binoculars back up. A few moments went by and the area started to clear. I looked back up at John B but then heard a faint yelp. I looked back through the fence and saw Sarah struggling against her dad.
"He's hurting her", John snapped.
"What?!", we all yelled.
"Holy shit!", Kie said taking the binoculars away from John B and looking for herself.
John B turned from the fence and went back to the van. I turned and watched him as he got in.
"John what are you doing?", I asked.
He didn't answer and the others turned to him as well. He started up the van and threw it in drive we all began to yell after him and beg him to stop but he just floored it and before we knew it he had crashed through the fence and onto the air strip.
"John B what are you doing?!", Pope yelled after him.
"Stop!", JJ yelled.
I knew exactly what he was doing, "Guys...John isn't gonna let Sarah go with Ward. He's trying to save her."
"He's suicidal!", Kie yelled.
"No, he's in love. You can't tell me that if we were in his shoes we wouldn't do the same?", I snapped at them.
JJ just nodded and grabbed my hand. We watched John B race Ward down the runway and force the plane to stop. He got in front of it. My heart stopped as the plane got closer to the van. In seconds it was to close, and I had to turn and burry my face in JJ's chest to avoid seeing my best friend get hit.
However, no crash came. No sound of colliding metal, no shattering glass, just the squeal of breaks. I looked up and the plan had stopped, and I let out a breath. He's okay. They're going to be okay. He was going to get Sarah off that plane and the gold and we all were gonna go home.
Those thoughts quickly came to a halt when we heard police sirens. We all exchanged looks about what to do.
"Guys, I can't get arrested", Pope stated.
"I'm on probation", JJ sighed.
"Look, we're no good if we're all in jail", Kie said and tugged on Pope's sleeve.
"We can't just leave them", I snapped at them.
"Babe, Kiara is right. We've got to go", JJ pressed, wrapped an arm around my waist.
"What if he needs us?", I asked looked up at him.
"He's got Sarah", he assured me.
I looked back to John B and Sarah. JJ was right. They had each other, just like I had JJ, but I still couldn't help feeling like I was abandoning him. John B and I have always been there for one another, but this time I couldn't be I couldn't be there for him and that devastated me.
"Fine", I sighed.
JJ pulled me back and we all took off towards the tree line. We all ran as fast as we could away from the air strip. No one said anything we just kept running until we got to a group of small sheds under an underpass most likely used for storage. They were wide open but had a roof. We all ducked into one of those and waited around for a few minutes. No one spoke, no one moved really. I held onto JJ's arm and just looked at the ground. Guilt still hitting me.
Suddenly, the roaring of a plane engine pulled me from my thoughts, and we all headed to the edge of the shed and looked up just in time to see the plane pass right over head. I felt my stomach drop. Ward got away with the gold, possibly Sarah, and I have no idea on where John B is or how he is.
"There goes the gold", JJ huffed and turned and kicked a plastic chair.
"Dammit!", Pope yelled, and we all turned to look at him.
He began to lash out, something Pope never did. To say we were all caught off guard was an understatement. Pope began throwing and smashing things. Yelling curse words as he blew through the back wall of the shed. I tightened my grip on JJ's arm as we watched. I was scared for Pope; I knew why he was upset. This wasn't only our last chance; it was his too. He gave up his only chance to get into school. He blew his interview to tell us about the airstrip and he just watched it fly away.
He finally wore himself out and flopped back onto an old whicker couch. He was breathing heavy and crying. I looked over to Kie and she looked to me then back to Pope and she took a step forward.
"Pope", she said lowly and moved closer to him.
"Yeah dude, I wondered when this was gonna happen", JJ added.
I couldn't tell if he was being serious or trying to defuse the tension, either way I wasn't amused by it. He pulled me up to where we were standing in front of Pope and reached into his pocket and pulled out his Juul and offered it to Pope.
"Here you go chief a little weed never hurt anyone."
"JJ", Kie and I both scolded at the same time.
"Relax. Both of you", JJ scoffed back still holding it out for Pope.
"You know he doesn't smoke", Kiara reminded him, her face upset.
I watched as Pope eyed the Juul and reached up and took it from JJ, "Well, maybe not until today."
JJ moved from me and took a seat next to Pope waiting for him to take a hit.
"Pope, yeah what is that gonna help?", Kie asked disapprovingly.
He sighed, his breath shaking, "I lost my scholarship today. I walked out in the middle of the interview. Every- It's gone. It's not gonna happen."
"You did that for us?", she asked him.
I looked over at JJ and he reached a handout for me. I took it and he pulled me over to set in his lap. My back was against the whicker arm, JJ's arm laying over it slightly resting it against my back. His other arm was draped over my lap and his head was leaning over against my upper arm.
"No, not for us", Pope said standing up to face Kie, "For nothing."
"I'm here for you Pope", JJ said.
"We all are", I added.
JJ then stood us up and walked over to Pope, "Welcome to my world, Pope!", JJ said and patted Pope's chest.
"JJ-", I began but he cut me off.
"What Y/N/N? He's right. It doesn't matter anymore!"
I sighed and we all looked over to Pope as he put the Juul to his lips, "You don't have to do that", Kie told him as he inhaled.
"To late. Already done", I said lowly.
"What do you care?", he said sharply at Kie.
In an instant his expression changed from angry to relieved and we all turned and there stood John B. My heart raced as I darted around all the junk and straight to John B. I threw myself at him and wrapped my arms around his neck, but he didn't return the hug, which I automatically found strange.
"You alright my dude?", JJ asked.
"What happened?", Kie asked as she patted me to move.
I pulled back and looked down and all I saw was red. I jumped back and into JJ who caught me and looked down to see what I saw.
"Is that blood?", I asked and now everyone was looking down.
John B looked in shock almost and didn't speak. I reached out and grabbed his wrists and began to look him over for injuries. I moved his sleeves up, checked his face and head, and even checked his abdomen over. He was injury free, but that still left the question of whose blood that was and where did it come from.
We heard sirens getting close as we all ducked, pulling John B with us. We all ducked behind a large pile of junk. I grabbed JB's hoodie and he fell back into me and I just held him close as the sirens passed. I rested my cheek on his head, and we all stayed frozen until the siren was completely gone.
We all slowly got up and John B explained what happened at the airstrip. Ward was trying to take Sarah and the gold. Peterkin showing up, her knowing about Ward killing Big John, Rafe showing up and that Rafe shot the sheriff. Sarah told John B to go so he did. The blood was Peterkin's, and John B tried to save her life.
John B loaded us all up in the van. Kie drove. Pope was to high now to drive and JJ and I needed to be with John B. I watched John B carefully as we rode. He wanted us to go to the police station. We didn't speak much. Pope coughed a lot from the weed and I was starting to worry about him too.
"John, why do you want to go to the police station?", JJ asked him as we pulled up right outside the door.
"Someone has to tell them what happened", he stated.
"John, you're still in shock. You think that's a good idea right now?", I asked him resting a hand on his knee.
JJ reached up and patted John B's shoulder, "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. Like my old man always told me, you should never ever trust cops in an circumstance."
"You dad is an abusive liar", I snapped at JJ.
"I agree with JJ", Pope piped up, "Fuck the police."
"Honestly Pope? Not you too", I sighed and reach over and took the Juul from him.
"You going to the dark side now?", Kie asked shaking her head at Pope.
"When is the last time the police ever helped up?", he snapped back at all of us.
"Peterkin looked out for me, alright. Tried to at least... They need to know", he sighed and just slipped out of the van.
"Keep the van running Kie", JJ said as we watched him go inside.
"Do you think he's gonna be okay? Maybe I should have gone with him?", I asked them.
"Babe, he's gonna be fine. It's John B. He'll be alright", he said, but it sounded like he was convincing himself more than he was trying to convince me.
After only a few minutes John B came darting out of the station yelling at Kie to drive. We all began to panic as she threw the van in drive and JJ opened the side door and I pulled him in. JJ shut the door as soon as John B was in. Kie had already began to pull out. Two officers were yelling for John B and for us to stop the car, but Kie just drove until they were in the rear view.
I don't know what happened inside that police station but whatever it was wasn't good and we all were now officially in way over our heads and I'm honestly not sure how this is all gonna end. Most likely not well...
A/N: SO SORRY for the long break. A lot has happened in the last bit and it's been a struggle to write. This is a short chapter but I am still going to finish all of season one! I'm going to update again most likely sometime this week. Thank you for all the messages and understanding!
-AH