Inside the Outer Banks || JJ

34. Cops

"Sheriff Peterkin... She..." John B stuttered out and I nodded.
"She was shot, by Rafe." I stated, staring down at my shoes.
"Wait, what?" Kie asked, I glanced up at the shocked faces of my friends, all staring at me and John B. He nodded back at me, unable to say anything further.
"Is she okay?" Pope asked, my eyes shifting between him and John B, who simply shook his head.
"Come on." He ordered, making us follow him as we walked along the road until we reached the van. John B and Kie climbed in the front, with JJ, Pope and I in the back.

We climbed into the van, I sat at the back, resting my head against the window. The days events running through my mind. The plane, the Sheriff, Rafe.
"You look like you need this." JJ whispered, handing me a joint that he had freshly rolled. I nodded as I carefully grabbed it from his fingers, watching as he rolled another one, but he handed that one to Pope. 
"Thanks." I whispered, taking a long drag, closing my eyes into the high. "So what's the plan?" I asked, glancing out the window, noticing that we were at the police station.
"John B, what are we doing at the police station?" JJ asked, leaning forward in his seat.
"Somebody's gotta tell them what happened." John B exhaled, staring straight ahead of himself. Pope started coughing from his first inhale of the joint, so I leaned forward, placing my hand on his shoulder.
"Easy there chief, damn." JJ said to him, his eyes flicking to me in amusement before returning to their previous, serious state. "Look John B, I'm just going to 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, just like my old man always told me; you should never, ever trust cops, no matter what the circumstance is."
"Your old man's an abusive liar." Kie retorted, glancing between JJ and John B.
"I agree with JJ, fuck the police." Pope stated, making a smile crawl on my face.
"What are you, going to the dark side now?" Kie asked him, furrowing her brow.
"When was the last time the police ever helped us?" I asked her, knowing that there was no possible way I could tell the police what I saw, especially after the car-incident with Rafe.
"Look Peterkin looked out for me, alright. Or tried to, at least. They need to know." John B protested, the rest of us going quiet.
"Okay, Allie should go with you." Kie insisted and I shook my head.
"No I can't." I protested a little to quickly.
"What? Why not, you were the only other one of us who witnessed it." Kie shot back at me, my breath hitched in my chest as I found myself lost for words.
"No, Allie's right. The only other people who know she was there, were the Cameron's, she was out of the runway by the time the police got there." John B shook his head, thankfully getting me off the hook. I took a drag of my joint as John B left the van, making his way into the station. 

"Even if they don't know you were there you can still make a statement, if it comes down to it." Kie retorted to me.
"Look, I can't. I can't get into it right now but I..." I started but was cut off by John B racing out of the station.
"KIE START THE CAR!" He screamed, causing me to leap forward in my seat.
"What? John B?" She asked back in a worried tone, jumping into the driver's seat. "What did you do!?"
"KIE, DRIVE GO!" I screamed at her, making her snap into gear.
"I'M GOING! I'M SORRY!" She yelled back in fear as John B jumped into the car, the van screeching to a start. I grabbed onto JJ's arm, fear rushing through my body over what had happened to John B in the police station. "What did you do!?" She asked again as we left reach of the two officers who I had just noticed were chasing John B. Silence filled the van, as we continued driving, a puffing John B unable to speak. 
"John B, what happened?" I asked calmly, JJ's hand grazing over my thigh before resting just above my knee.
"They think I did it. I guess Ward told them... I..."

---
The next day we were sitting in Kie's mom's SUV, JJ and John B in the front with their seat reclined as far as they could without making us uncomfortable. And Kie, Pope and I huddled in the back. The radio was playing the local news, and every few minutes cop cars would go past, I guess they're on patrol.
"Good news for the residents of Outer Banks." The radio spoke, "Dominion Power says their underwater transmission line, which will restore power to 90% of the area should be functional within 24 hours." A cop car with the siren's blaring sped past behind us, making JJ sit up to watch it. "And still, no arrest in the shooting death of Sheriff Susan Peterkin. The state police have issued a statement regarding a local person of interest, a juvenile from..." The noise stopped when Kie sat forward to mute it, Pope and I glancing over to her.
"Let's game this out. Maybe you guys can help, being the smart ones and all, but... Who are the cops going to believe? Ward Cameron, or us?" JJ started, seemingly ranting to calm his nerves. "So, the accuser is a bigshot developer, kind of lord of the island, got the governor on speed dial kind of person, and the accused... Is John B... Who is, pretty much a homeless 16 year old boy at the moment."
"Thanks." John B groaned, his voice rough like he hadn't slept all night. Which I guess was probably true. 
"Shit." Pope exhaled, rubbing his forehead as his head rested back in despair.
"Okay man. Yucatan, all right? I'm saying that's the only option. What other option do you have?" JJ panted, knowing he was right but regretting the feeling.
"JJ, enough with the Mexico bullshit, alright, Sarah's gonna bail me out." John B answered and I nodded.
"She did witness the whole thing." Kie agreed, knowing that the police saw her leave the scene. 
"Thank you." John B nodded.
"And she's gonna snitch on her brother?" Pope asked, goosebumps growing on my arms at just the thought of Rafe Cameron.
"Not happening, bro. Okay?" JJ stated, perching himself up on one arm. "We've gotta get you off the island."
"The ferry, it's the only way." Pope nodded.
"Yeah, leave while you still can." I agreed, taking a deep breath.
"Before the entire island is on lockdown." JJ nodded, a cop car siren from the distance gradually getting louder.
"Guys, just get down." Kie ordered, JJ lying back down before the car drove past us.
"Sarah's not a Pogue, John B." Pope stated, JJ quickly glancing back at me.
"Yeah, you can't stay here, man." He agreed, I closed my eyes and rolled my head back. 
"So what? We go see when the next ferry out of here is and... Hope there's no cops around?" I asked, waiting for someone to fill the silence that followed.
"I guess that's the only way." John B answered, my chest tightened and I squeezed my eyes shut, clenching my fists as I imagined all the ways this could go wrong. I felt a hand on my knee, opening my eyes to John B sending me a sympathetic smile. "Hey, it's going to be okay." I knew he didn't truly believe it himself but we all needed a lie today. I nodded back at him, forcing a smile as I took a deep breath in.
"Sure." I nodded. 
"Before we go, John B, you and JJ cannot be in the front seat. It's too obvious." Kie ordered, pushing herself and Pope out of the car. "Pope you drive, I'll take the front passenger. John B, get in the back and lie down." I pushed the seat on the edge forward so John B could fully lie down without being noticed, before moving to the middle seat. The door opened and JJ climbed in, sending me a small smile. My arm snaked around his, pulling me closer into his side.

Pope drove us to the docks, before getting out himself and walking over to the timetable. He stood there for a moment before he started shaking his head, I saw him pull something off of the notice board before starting to rush back.
"Okay. Okay. All right, no." He hufffed as he made his way around to the driver's side.
"Pope, can you act normal?" Kie asked, making me chuckle slightly.
"So, um... okay, so, bad news. The ferry's closed, and there is this." He replied as he got in the car, holding up the piece of paper he had tore off. 
"What is that? What is this?" John B asked as it was passed to the back. A WANTED photo with John B's face on it.
"Fuck." I groaned, squeezing on JJ's arm. 
"Shit." Kie agreed, as JJ took hold of the picture.
"Well, John B, uh... this is a good framer of you." He nodded, me shooting him a look.
"Okay, so the whole island's lookin' for John B right now." Pope nodded.
"That's a lot of money." Kie exclaimed.
"Congratulations, John B. You're now famous." JJ agreed.
"Guys, we got to get to the HMS. We need small, no running lights..." Kie suggested but I shook my head.
"It's at the Château, Kie." I stated, closing my eyes again.
"And I wonder if the cops got the entire place staked out. Let me think. Oh, yeah. No. They definitely have that place locked down." JJ finished.
"Yeah, copy that." Kie answered, defeated, staring out the window.
"Let me think. Just give me a second... JJ." Pope shot up with an idea, JJ's brow furrowing.
"What?" He asked, curious.
"Does your dad still have that boat? The cigarette boat, the Phantom. The one he used to race." Pope asked, JJ paused for a moment. I could tell he didn't want to agree.
"Maybe." He answered, and Pope shot back around.
"You could get right up the coast, no problem." Pope spitballed.
"It won't be easy, Pope." He shook his head. "I don't know where the keys are."
"Well, find them." Pope nodded, turning to the cars in front of him.
"Okay, I'm thinking." JJ closed his eyes as well, squeezing my hand.
"Why is nobody moving forward?" Pope exclaimed, hitting the steering wheel.
"Can you relax? JJ, how much weed did you give him?" Kie groaned.
"Guys, guys. Your car's on the poster." John B growled as Pope beeped the horn.
"Can we move it?" He groaned again.
"Pope! It won't help." She shook her head. "Don't honk the horn." 

I noticed a kid starting to walk over to the car, furrowing my brow.
"It's that guy. Right there." The kid yelled, point to John B.
"Shit. We got a snitch." I stated, JJ's head shooting over.
"Pope, turn the car on." He ordered.
"We get $25,000 if we find him." The kid yelled again.
"Hey! He's right there!" Someone else exclaimed.
"Hey! We gotta go!" Kie yelled.
"Turn the car on man!" JJ repeated.
"Pope, turn the fuckin' car on!" I yelled.
"I am trying!" He replied.
"Dude... Turn the car on! Go, go, go, go, go!" Kie continued, as the car shot back into the car behind us.
"Fuck. Pope." I groaned.
"The other way. Maybe." Kie shook her head.
"It's okay! Pope, just go!" JJ ordered as the car moved forward into the car infront of us.
"Hey! What are you doing!?" She screamed.
"Sorry!" Pope shook his head.
"Watch out! Pope! Whoa, whoa, whoa, watch out! Watch out!" JJ laughed as Pope tried to navigate all of the cars and people that were trying stop us. Pope laughing back at him.
"Oh, my God! Pope!" Kie groaned. "My mom'll kill me. Oh, my God."
"I'm livin' my best life now." Pope laughed, his eyes wider than I had ever seen them.
"I should be the last to say this, but you are not okay to drive." JJ shook his head.
"Stop!" I yelled, the tries screeching to a halt. "John B, get out."
"She's right. We'll draw the cops, you run. shit." JJ agreed. "I'll get the rig, and I'll meet you in the dump tomorrow, okay? Three o'clock, okay?"
"Yeah." John B nodded, standing in the doorway.
"Three tomorrow at the dump." JJ repeated, John nodding again.
"Yeah." John B closed the door behind him.
"Come on, go, go, go!" JJ yelled as the car took off.