𝐟𝐚𝐯𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐦𝐞- 𝐣𝐣 𝐦𝐚𝐲𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐤

Pt. 11

    We quickly cleaned ourselves up and got changed the best we could. Right when we got outside there was a car door slamming shut. Sarah was already on alert checking around her for anyone to come out from the bush.

"The chickens?" JJ listened, clucking like a chicken. John B slapped his hand over his mouth to stop him.

"The car door." I whispered, scanning the area for a place to hide. "Up here."

They didn't argue with my idea of hiding up in the tree. John B put out the fire before we climbed as quickly as possible up to our own branch that was strong enough to hold us. A minute later we saw Rafe and Barry come out of the bushes with a gun in hand.

We stayed as quiet, watching Barry go inside to scope out the place. The smoke from the fire didn't help our case at all. Rafe waited, hearing glass shattering and doors slamming from inside.

"Anything?" Rafe asked.

"A wet suit." Barry replied. "No ones in there, though. They must be around here somewhere."

My eyes widened. I didn't think to hide my wet bikini anywhere when I changed into dry clothes. We were too panicked to get out before they showed up. My eyes met JJ's who looked just as panicked.

"They were obviously just here based off the smoke." Rafe pointed.

"Yeah, great observation, Boy Scout." Barry shot back.

"They're not far, you know?" Rafe refused to give up. "They gotta be around here somewhere."

"P4L." Barry read the carving in the tree. The two laughed. "So your sisters a Pogue for life? Your girlfriend, too? Well, shit."

Rafe's smile vanished from his face. "That shit isn't my girlfriend."

"Yeah, cause she picked a Pogue over you." Barry shoved the boys shoulder.

I gulped, pressing my forehead against the tree. I didn't want to look at JJ. I regretted doing anything with Rafe, not that it was voluntary.

Rafe pressed his tongue against the inside of his cheek rather calmly. But he was anything but. "Shit!" He screamed, going crazy once again. The four of us jumped, pressing ourselves tighter against the tree.

"All right, chill." Barry shushed him.

Rafe took the gun and shot at the heart carved into the tree. Barry pushed his arm away, causing the bullets to fly into the air. I nearly gasped when one hit the trunk JJ hid behind.

Barry grabbed onto Rafe and pulled him. "Come on!" The last thing they needed was to get busted.

We stayed up all night waiting for Kie and Pope's arrival. They took the boat which meant we wouldn't be able to go anywhere without being caught. None of us slept in fear they might come back and find us this time.

Finally once the sun came up we saw the two by the dock with the boat. Kie was about to tie it up, but JJ stopped them. "We're dipping." He pursed.

"Wait, why?" Pope dropped the rope.

"What happened last night?" John B asked, helping Sarah down the steps.

"We slept on the break. What's up?" Pope answered.

"Slept, right. Yeah." JJ patted the boys shoulder.

"Action packed?" I smirked at Kie, stepping into the boat.

"We were up all night."

"Rafe knows we're here, so we have to leave, like, now." Sarah summed up the whole trouble.

John B explained everything by the time we reached a small clearing for us to sit in. The trees covered it up nicely so we wouldn't be seen. I sat beside Sarah, pulling JJ's flannel I took last night tighter around me.

John B and JJ bickered about the whole thing. It was only a matter of time before the whole town knows they're back because we were careless and got caught by Rafe.

"I have an idea." Sarah thought. "With me back, my dads going to have to choose between me and Rafe. He's gonna choose me."

"Just please listen." John B wasn't as confident in her idea. "Ward keeps lying to you, Sarah."

Even Kiara and I thought it sounded stupid, but Sarah was confident it would work. Asking for two hours, she stood up and made her way back to the boat without anyone else giving their input.

We let her go hoping it wouldn't take two hours. JJ nervously paced the grass back and forth, giving me just as much anxiety. Eventually I had enough and tugged him down, tracing small shapes onto his arm with my finger. Pope and John B sat up front most likely talking about the recording Pope heard from Limbrey.

But in the end when Sarah returned, she admitted that we were right and it didn't work after all. At this point it was time to say goodbye again knowing that they'd be better off elsewhere until we cleared their name.

But it was too late, the cops were already called heading our way. Their sirens blared and the lights flickered back and forth. We swore under our breaths and panicked to find a way out of this. How did they even find us?

We panted, running through the water in the opposite direction. We ran through bush and forest and eventually nasty swamp water. But no matter how far we got the cops caught up. So we hid behind a tree knowing the cops would catch up to us either way.

"What do we do?"

Sarah and I huddled together, whimpering in fear. I shook my head at the blonde boy who wiped the dried off his gun. He wanted to stand against them. "JJ don't." I warned. He'd get himself shot or in prison. Both, even.

"Freeze!"

"Don't move!"

Everything felt like it was happening in slow motion. My body was shaking with fear, holding Sarah who was already crying. John B will be caught and put in prison for eternity because Ward and Rafe were too self centered.

"JJ! Don't!" I struggled to stand up as the boy started moving into view.

Thankfully John B had caught him in time. Trying again, John B took the gun from him and threw it to the ground. JJ gave in, covering the gun with dirt so the cops wouldn't see.

"John B! Step into the clearing! Put your hands up!" Shoupe held his gun up.

They ordered us up with our hands up as well. We did as asked hoping nothing else went south.

"I want to testify!" John B said.

"About time. Get down. Do not move a muscle. Everyone else, don't move." He kept his gun pointed.

All the cops pointed their guns at us as well. John B knelt down like asked, but that wasn't good enough. The cop who I recognized to be friends with Peterkin came up from behind and threw him to the ground.

"Hey, Thomas!" Shoupe yelled.

We all screamed at him. All we could do was watch in horror as Thomas beat John B. He couldn't fight either not with all the other cops watching with guns in hand.

"Let him go!"

"Sheriff, what is this? You're gonna let that happen?"

"Don't move!" Was our response.

I screamed at the top of my lungs. Thomas didn't stop, kicking John B in the gut over and over again. This was how he was treated after everything he went through. Lies and lies, being turned down after all our evidence.

Shoupe tried to stop Thomas, but was pushed aside. Thomas said something indistinctly to John B who couldn't do anything but take the beating. It was all in slow motion, Thomas pulling his arm back before colliding his fist to John B's jaw.