𝐽𝑈𝑆𝑇 𝑁𝑂𝑇 𝑌𝐸𝑇 / JJ MAYBANK

𝟻𝟸

"you sure he got everything?" Kie asks my brother.

We sit on a dock by the water. John B is lying on the ground, Kie, JJ and I are sitting on the railing. Pope is doing his interview right now, I really hope he makes it.

Anyway, John b just found out that Ward Cameron bought the Crain house. And he is getting all the gold.

"Every bar." mumbles john b. "The whole enchilada."

My brother pulls off his cast. "Look, it's not like I expected a happy ending or some shit." he throws his cast away.

"John b" sighs Kie.

"What, Kie? It's a hairline fracture. Who cares?"

"You should care," I say. "Your arm's gonna be messed up for life."

"It's fine. See?" he moves his fingers slightly.

Then all of a sudden I hear someone running up the gangplank. "Guys!" someone yells. I turn around and see Pope standing in front of us, wet with sweat and out of breath. "Oh, God. I ran all the way here."

"You all right?" my brother asks.

"How was the interview, Pope?" JJ turns to his friend.

"Shouldn't you still be there?" i add.

"Don't ask." he mutters. "JB-" Pope takes a deep breath. "Look, I'm sorry, dude. About everything."

"It's fine." grumbles John b.

"But- but I dont have a lot of time, and- and I have information that is tactically relevant. So, before I had my interview, my dad said he was going down to the private airstrip to cut palms for Cameron's big plane. Because it was too heavy, it needed a longer landing strip to take off. So, I'm there sitting in my interview, thinking to myself, "Hm. Why would Cameron need a longer airstrip to take off? What could be so heavy to weigh it down?"

I look in shock at JJ, who has his hand on my thigh.

"Gold." mumbles JJ then.

Pope is waving his hands around excitedly. "Exactly! Guys, this is our chance, but it leaves tonight, and we have to go."

"Guys, we can't give up now." smiles Kiara.

"What's the plan, big man?" JJ smiles and looks at my brother.

"We're gonna steal that shit back." my brother explains.

"Hell, yeah." i mutter.

————————

We're on the bus, on the way to the airstrip.

"We go in there, guns a-blazin', make Ward Cameron beg for mercy, abscond with as much gold as possible and vamonos, get the hell out of there." says JJ, loading the gun.

"Send that shit right down the intracoastal." adds John b.

"Wait for the weather." says Kie.

"Exit to Cuba." finishes Pope.

"Cuba?" questions JJ.

"You know where this is going." I laugh.

"No, man, Xcalak, Jewel of the Yucatan. Lobsters so thick, mangoes, and no word for money." JJ unlocks the gun and smiles at me.

"Let's do this shit," I say with a smile. "Let's kick Ward Cameron's ass."

JJ laughs and looks at me. "I love you." he mumbles with a smile.

He- what now? What did he just say?

His smile disappears as he realizes what he just said, and the awkwardness is unbearable as everyone heard it.

John b coughs and clears his throat. "Here we are." he says to break the silence and stops the bus.

God, I'm so stupid. Why didn't I say anything? I mean obviously it wasn't the right time to tell me he loved me either, but.... oh screw it.

Everyone gets off the bus. "What's the plan? Broad strokes." says Kie.

We stand at the fence. "I don't think we got that far." John b mumbles.

Pope gets out his binoculars. "They're loading up the gold."

And John b peers through the binoculars as well. "There's Ward."

But then he slowly takes them down and looks in shock at the plane.

"what?" i ask.

"It's Sarah." sighs John b.

Pope looks confused at my brother. "She's with him?"

"Wait a minute..." says John b, peering through the binoculars. "He's hurting her."

"What?" ask JJ and me at the same time.

"They're fighting." mumbles John b. "Holy shit."

"John b. Where are you going?" asks Pope as my brother gets on the bus.

"No, no, no, John b, don't do anything stupid, remember?" i say to him.

But then he starts the engine.

"Hey! Hey! John b!" we all just yell but he drives full speed through the fence onto the airfield.

"What are you doing?" yells JJ. "Come back!"

"Fuck!" i yell.

I can barely watch as my brother drives in front of a plane that is about to take off. But he made it. Ward has stopped the plane.

But then I hear sirens.

"Guys, I can't get arrested." Pope makes clear.

"I'm on probation," JJ adds.

"Look" Kiara looks at us. "We're no good if we're all in jail."

JJ and I wait a moment while the others leave.

"Come on." says Pope to us.

"No, no, JJ, we have to help him," I say, tears in my eyes.

"You're not helping him if you end up in jail, Mia, come on now." JJ takes my hand and pulls me with him as we run away.