𝙏𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙪𝙧𝙚 𝙄𝙨𝙡𝙖𝙣𝙙 | 𝙅𝙅 𝙈𝙖𝙮𝙗𝙖𝙣𝙠

𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘳𝘵𝘺 𝘧𝘪𝘷𝘦

      WALKING UP TO THE SHERIFF'S STATION WITH A GUN IN MY HAND WASN'T MY BRIGHTEST IDEA. Beside me, my friends and JJ were bouncing. They were to peel from the walls, overcome with excitement that for once we'd gained the upper hand. They loved that we'd been able to find the gun used to murder both Peterkin and Gavin and hand it in to the police so they could rub it in their faces. They couldn't wait to shout to the roof tops about how incompetent they were.. 

I was not feeling those emotions. I was apprehensive. I didn't understand Shoupe — I couldn't read him well enough to be able to predict him. I had no idea which way this would swing. I was beyond desperate to prove Shoupe and the rest of the police force wrong. This was the hard evidence that Bratcher had asked for those weeks ago .. and the only reason he'd said it in the first place was because he hand on heart one hundred percent believed that we wouldn't be able to deliver what he requested.

For a few weeks I didn't think we'd ever find a way to give him the hard evidence he wanted but now it was sitting in my palm. My fingers were curled around it so tightly I'd lost the feeling in my hand — my digits were numb. I was too afraid to loosen my grip. I didn't want it to disappear.

When the four of us barged into the station I was more than aware of the eyes on my person. They weren't looking at my friends, they were looking at me and they made it known that they were staring at me. I knew there were two reasons for it. The first was because I looked like shit and I smelt like sewerage. My clothes were ruined and dirt had dried on my bare legs and arms.

The second — and more important — reason was because I was still technically classed as an accomplice to murder in their eyes. It didn't matter that my account had been dismissed, they all still firmly believed that I had aided John B in murdering their beloved Sheriff.

For that reason, they looked at me in disgust. It was evident and it was intimidating.

As I walked to Shoupe's new office, which happened to be Peterkin's old one, we were intercepted by both Deputy Plumb and Deputy Thomas. The sight of them both made me want to scream, my hatred for them both was so intense. It was the fact that I knew Plumb was literally willing to shoot me with the intent of killing me a few weeks ago. I hated that she was still a police officer and still allowed to continue at work.

"What the hell do you four want?" Deputy Thomas asked us rudely. The look he was giving us was pure filth.

"We're here to speak to Shoupe." Kiara responded.

There wasn't even a second before he said, "He's busy."

"Not for this he isn't." I said to them shaking my head, "And even if you are telling the truth I'm sure he'll be keen to hear what we've got to say."

"It goes through us first." Deputy Plumb sneered, her eyes narrowed on me.

Beside me, I felt JJ tense in anger. He knew that Plumb had fired her weapon at me. He hated the woman and so did I, "Yeah, not happening." He said to her coldly.

Her eyes narrowed even further as she looked at him. They had a bad history regardless. Plumb could not abide JJ — everyone knew it. She was constantly looking for a good enough reason to arrest him.

"Well it looks like you won't be seeing him then, doesn't it?" She said to us, "Now make a move."

"What are you his personal body guards?" I scoffed, "God, get out of my way, please."

As I moved to pass between them, Plumb took my wrist in a vice grip and held me in place. She looked about ready to push me up against the wall and slot a pair of cuffs around my wrists.