Azlia

The three of us listen to the radio about a storm as we make our way to where the Phantom was.

I look at with concern.

"It's fine. It'll be fine with the Phantom." He assures.

"Shit." Ki mumbles.

Four police cars drive right for us and we all try to hide our face as they drive by.

"They're still looking. It's a good sign." Ki sighs.

I let out a dee breath and continue driving.

JJ tells me to turn right and we pull up to a garage house.

We get out the car and follow JJ.

He walks up to the door and slides it open revealing a big boat.

"There she is." He says walking in as Ki and I follow.

"A 1983 Formula 402 SR1. The Phantom." JJ says giving it a little pat.

He looks back at us and we give him an unsure look.

"First boat to make the run to Bremuda in under 16 hours, guys. Forty years old. Forty!" He exaggerates.

"It's kind of a junket." Ki says. "Mhm." I agree shaking my head.

"Really, she's right there." Ki says pointing to the boat. "She can hear you. Let's just put it this way. You would not be smoking weed right now is she never existed, okay?"

"I just hope it runs." I say. "Oh no, shell run alright. She's after then any cutters the boys in blue got." JJ says untangle objects from the boat.

We hear a motorcycle approach and Ki walks towards it.

"Pope, finally!" She says.

"Hey there. What's going on?" A voice that's not Pope says.

I stop what i'm doing and look up to see Rafe.

"JJ, Azi, how you guys doing?" He ask.

Someone whistles and I turn around to see Barry staring right at me.

"Well, well." Barry says as him and Rafe close us in.

Barry pulls out a gun and aims it right at JJ. JJ looks at me and Barry follows his gaze.

"Oh yeah." He chuckles.

He laughs and points the gun at me.

"No." JJ snaps.

Barry looks at him and points it back at JJ. Then he points it back at me laughing going back and forth with his gun aimed at JJ and I.

He finally points his gun at JJ and walks towards him.

"See, don't think I forgot about me and you on the side of the road." He says. "I'm here because I want my motherfucking money, and your girl." He looks back at me.

Barry pushes JJ to the ground and I try to run to him but get picked up by Rafe.

"Rafe!" I yells trying to get out of his grip.

Ki tries to go for JJ but Barry points his gun at her.

"Don't fucking move!" He yells at her.

Rafe puts me down and turns me towards him. "It's it you we want, Azi. Where's John B." He ask.

"I don't know!" I slap him across the face.

"I really wish you didn't do that." He says walking towards me.

"I know what you did." I say breathing heavily.

"What? What did I do?" He ask.

"You murdered Peterkin!" I yell.

He grabs me by the throat and I whimper in pain.

"Don't you ever say those fucking words again." He squeezes.

"You murdered Peterkin." I force my words out.

I see Ki charge at Rafe and he grabs her hair holding her down.

"I could do this all day." Rafe spits with the both of us in his grasp.

"Do you understand? Where is John B?" He ask gripping my throat tighter.

"I don't know!"

"Where's John B!"

"I don't know!" I cry.

All of a sudden Rafe falls and releases Ki and I.

"Don't touch them!" Pope yells hitting Rafe with a medal rod.

Pope swings are him again but Rafe gets up and hits him. The who of them start fighting.

I stumble over to the boat catching my breath.

I tone out all the noise and lean against the boat.

Then Barry's gun slides right towards me.

I slowly pick up the gun. I look over at see Barry Blowing punches at JJ.

I slowly stand up and hold the gun with both my hands and aim it to Barry and JJ.

Hey!" I cry out. Everyone stops and Barry looks up at me.

"I'll do it. I'll fucking shoot you right now!" I say all the tears rolling down my face.

"No you won't, princess." Barry laughs.

I take a shakeup deep breath and cock the gun back and it makes a click noise.

"Shoot me, bitch!" Barry yells still on top of JJ.

I rest my finger on the trigger and blink away my last tears.

JJ kicks Barry in his stomach and pushes him off of him.

JJ runs to me and I drop the gun to my side.

JJ reaches me and holds me in his embrace.

"I can't do it! I can't do it!" I say in his arms.

"It's okay, it's okay. Shh, I got you." He holds me kissing the top of my head. He slowly grabs the gun from my hands.

Barry pushes himself off the ground and looks at JJ and I.

"Look at me, look at me." He grabs my face. "I'm coming right back, okay, i'll be right back you stay right here, okay." He says.

I nod my head and slow my breathing.

Ki runs over to me as JJ leaves. She stands next to me and breaths heavily.

Ki and I look over and see Pope punching Rafe over and over again.

"Pope!" Ki yells.

"Pope, okay!" I yells.

JJ pushes Barry to the ground and runs towards Pope. "He's had enough, dude." JJ says.

Pope grabs Rafe and starts chocking him with a rope.

"Stop, dude!" JJ yells.

"Pope that too much!" Ki yells.

"Pope, get off!" I yell.

"Dude, come on stop!" JJ says trying to get Pope off of Rafe.

"Look at me!" Ki yells and Pope immediately lets go of Rafe.

We all stand there in shock as Rafe coughs on the floor.

"Okay, we gotta go, come on." I say stepping over Rafe.

I hook the boat up to the wagon and hop in the front seat.

"Pope!" Ki yells out the window of the car.

Pope walks away from Rafe and gets in the car.

I start the car and drive to John B's house.

"Dude where is he?" Ki ask standing on the dock.

"Give him a second he'll be here." Pope says.

"He's coming. He'll be fine." JJ says.

All of a sudden a cop car pulls up to us. We all focus on the car as John B steps out.

"Wait." JJ says.

"No effing way." Pope chuckles.

"I'm sorry." I laugh.

"You've gotta be kidding me." JJ laughs.

"Uhh.." Ki giggles.

"Shoupe let me take it for a spin." John B jones as he walks to us.

"Okay, wow i'll believe that." I say holding out my arms and John B gives me a hug.

"It want easy bro, but I got you the Phantom and she runs like she was made yesterday." JJ throws John B the keys.

"Where Sarah?" He ask concerned.

"She's not with you?" Ki ask.

"No, we got separated in the swamp. She said she'd meet me here." He says.

"No, we haven't seen her, man." Pope says.

"Well, i'm not leaving with out her." John B snaps.

"John B, look at me. I know you feel bad for leaving but there's no time, man. You got plenty of gas and food. Once you get around the point, it's a straight shot across the sound to Dismal Swanp." JJ explains to him.

John B listens to JJ's words and climbs onto the boat.

We get ready to pus the boat when John B stops us.

"Hey, hey! I'm sorry for basically throwing us off a cliff with this while treasure hunt thing." He starts crying.

"B, we were bound to run off a cliff at some point, right?" I admit

We all laugh.

"At least we did it together, though." JJ adds bringing us into a hug. "Pogue style."

"Pogue style." John B whispers.

"Get out of here, please." I smile. "Please." Ki says. "Yeah, go." JJ adds. "We'll see you in two months, down in Mexico." He says.

John B laughs and walks into the boat but stops himself. He turns around and looks at us with watery eyes.

"Tell Sarah I said goodbye, okay?" He ask.

"Promise." I say.

John B gets in the boat and we push it giving him a start.

He turns the boat and drives off.

We stand there for a while, just looking.

I walk away and towards my car with JJ behind me.

I lean my back on the car and JJ hovers in front of me.

"He's gonna be okay." He says.

I nod my head and smile.

I look towards Pope and Ki and my jaw drops. JJ follows my gaze and does the same thing.

Ki and Pope we kissing!

The moment was ruined when we heard distant sirens.

"Hey guys, i'm sorry to ruin the party, but uh we gotta go right now." JJ says.

Before we can make it to my car, cop cars surround us.

Ki and I put our hands up but Pope starts walking towards the cops.

"Move, Hands up!" A cop says holding a gun.

"Pope hands." Ki says.

JJ and Pope both put their hands up.

"We're too late. He's gone. God damn it! Bratcher, have your guys stand down!" Shoupe yells.

"Where the hell is he?" Shoupe ask. "JJ, I see you living up to your name. Pope, how about you. This isn't a fucking game! Do the right thing now! Where'd he go?"

We don't answer them, so they put us in a car and take us to their base camp.

Shoupe opens the car door and leads us to the camp in a line.

"Right here." I lady says pointing a to a row of chairs.

"Sit down. Don't move. We got a lot to talk about." Shoupe says as we all take a seat. He bends down to my level and laughs. "Four years, four since your daddy died and this is where you got." He says.

I stare at him with a blank expression. We stare at each other for a while until he shakes his head and gets up.

A man in a black suit and gun watches us.

JJ puts his hand on my thigh and I grab it interlocking our fingers.

We've been sitting for 15 minutes waiting for nothing to happen.

All of a sudden people start yells and the police run to see what's going on.

"It's them." Pope stands up. The rest of us stand up beside him.

Cop boats start getting in the water and we all panic to ourselves.

The tent sways and sprinkles of water and wind. starts hitting my body.

"Shit." Pope huffs.

A cop come into the tint and order us to sit down and we do as he says.

"If they go into the storm they're not gonna make it." Ki panics.

10 minutes later Officer Shoupe and two other cops come into the tint. The four of us stand up waiting to hear what he says.

"Did you find them?" Pope ask as we walk up to them.

"No." He says.

"So, they got away?" Ki ask.

"We, uh, we lost them." Shoupe says. "I'm sorry."

My heart drops and I feel tears swell i'm my eyes.

"You lost them?" Pope ask. "What do you mean you lost them, like they're gone?"

"They took an open boat into a tropical depression, Pope." He answers.

"So, they're dead?" I ask.

"We don't know." He says.

"You drove them straight through the storm, man!" JJ yells. "Are you kidding me!" He grabs shoupe.

I look at my shoes and watch as a tear splashes right into my right shoe.

"I'm gonna kill you!" JJ yells as the cops hold him back.

"You killed him. He didn't kill anyone and you know it!" Pope yells at shoupe.

I look to my right and see my gramps running straight towards us.

I hold out my arms as I fell their embrace.

"Gramps, gramps, they're gone." I cry to them.

My grandpa grabs JJ from the officers and pulls him into our group hug.

"Oh, my babies. It's okay." My grandma says into our group hug.

Mom, Dad, Uncle John and John B, all taken away.

****

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