• Time Out • outer banks

The Runway

"We go in there, guns a-blazin'," he meant it quite literally as he loaded the magazine of the gun.

"Make Ward Cameron beg for mercy." I added.

JJ nodded continuing. "Abscond with as much gold as possible and vámonos! Get the hell out of there."

"Send that shit straight down the intracoastal." John B agrees, pushing on the accelerator.

Kie smiled, "Wait for weather."

"Exit to Cuba." Pope finished.

"Cuba?" JJ demaned unimpressed. "No, man, Xcalak, Jewel of the Yucatan."

"Lobsters so thick," I mused playfully, earning a grin from the blonde boy.

"Mangoes," He nodded, eyes then shooting to Pope.

"Let's do this shit."

I watched as JJ cocked the gun, and for the first time, none of us protested.

We jumped out of the van, barely ten minutes later, all of us scrambiling towards the tall wire fence. I halted, eyeing the runway and realising we didn't have that much of a strategy. Not to mention the tarmac seemed busy with men. They surrounded the plane like seagulls on bread.

"What's the plan? Broad strokes?" Kie suggests.

Our eyes collectively flash to John B.

He shook his head, eyes still glued to the huge plan. It was stationed, down the end of the runway. "I don't think we got that far."

"They're loading up the gold." Pope told us.

I turned to him, nearing his side taking a peak through the binoculars too. A car horn sounded as a familiar glossy range, rolled onto the tarmac.

I narrowed my eyes spotting Sarah's dad getting out. "There's Ward." I watched as he climbed out the car. JB tapped my arm and I stepped back giving him his turn.

He so suddenly stiffened up, a small gasp slipping from his lips. I watched him lower the binoculars.

"What?" Kie asked him.

He shook his head. "It's Sarah."

"She's with him?" Pope frowned and I looked across again and sure enough, her blonde hair was flapping in the wind.

Maybe Kie was right after all, we never should have trusted her with this. The Camerons would take off with the gold. I sighed clutching the cool wire, my eyes dropping to my feet.

"We need to do somethin man." JJ said bouncing impatiently then clinging to the fence.

"Wait a minute," John B mutters, still staring through the binoculars. "He's hurting her."

"What?!" I snapped looking up unable to see anything.

"They're fighting." John B confirmed I could hear his breath hitch, in panic. He passed Pope the binoculars stepping back. I took one side while Pope took the other and I watched as Ward shoved Sarah into the plain despite her kicking and screaming.

"Wait, so she... What?" JJ rushed out stuttering.
"John B?!" I called out. "We need to- Hey!" I watched as he was rushing to the van.

"Hey! What are you doing?!" Pope yelled.

"Hey! Hey -no!" JJ slammed against the bonnet

"John B. Where are you going?!" Kie wailed as he started the engine making us back away as he reversed the car backwards.

He was gonna ram the fence in.

"John B!
"Stop!"
"Hold on!"
"Dude, stop!"

Dispite all our screams of protest he was doing it and the car wheels spun viciously us as he drove forward all of us dashing out his way.

"Don't be a hero, dude! John B!" Pope chased after him first. Then, the van crashed through the fence -dragging half of it with him as he did. A plume of dirt in sprays up for us; and we sprinted through the cloud of dust, desperate to see the rest of Thai mess unfold.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" JJ screamed after him.
My ears could hear his brakes screeching as he swerved unsteadily through the grass and finally reached onto the runway. Despite colliding through the fence, the van hadn't lost any velocity as it was easily gaining on Ward's jet. I panted, eyes wide as he matched the plane's speed disappearing from view as he aligned with the huge thing.

The van emerged into view again, speeding up, John B surpassed the plane, then before reaching the end of the runway he manuvered and came to a halt in front of the plane blocking the take off.

"NO!" I shrieked, for some reason my legs began moving but JJ's arms grabbed me and he yanked me backwards pleading me to stop. "He'll kill John B too!" I cried. Suddenly I could only see him as the little thirteen year old he was, when I first met him.

"Trinity." He begged me.

I gasped seeing his falling face and I pulled him into me, both of us turning away from the inevitable crash. And I waited but there was no sound and no sound of the plane's engine either.

I felt JJ lift his head from mine and I did the same, looking to Pope and Kie who were still clung to one another. I gasped looking over my shoulder seeing the plane hadn't demolished the van, or John B.

Barley an inch from the old VW, Ward had pulled the breaks and no one died.

I sighed in defeat turning back to JJ he laughed slightly a smile covering his face as he pulled me into a hug. I rubbed his back feeling his heartbeat pounding through his shirt. I almost relaxed for a minute but then sirens ripped though our moment of silence.

I sighed pulling back from JJ's tall frame.

Pope turned to us. "Guys, I can't get arrested."

Clenching his jaw, "I'm on probation..." JJ muttered.

"Look -we're no good if we're all in jail." Kie decided stepping backwards already.

I looked back to the runway one last time, if he wasn't gonna crash the plane into him he wasn't gonna kill him right?

"Agreed." I finally mumble looking up at JJ. "We have to go." I whispered to him.

He didn't say a word. He wouldn't even meet my eyes as he stared onto the runway deciding which way to go. "JJ please." I beg his hand pulling him after the other two. He gave in and followed me as we disappeared into the green.