TWENTY FOUR

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Chapter Twenty Four✯¸

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Chapter Twenty Four
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Forgetting everything else, the Pogue's had to get Pope help.

"Hey, Ricky! Good to see you again," Avery flashed a smile at the man. She was a familiar face to him, probably the only reason he listened to JJ's begging to let them in. "Sorry about the ambulance"

"What's wrong with him?" Ricky asked. Pope laid on the table, heaving as he struggled to breathe.

"Wasps!" Sarah blurted out.

"Is he allergic to wasps?" Ricky continued to question, needing more information before he could make any medical decision.

"Clearly" Kie frowned.

"A beehive worth of wasps" John B added.

"What's his name?" Ricky asked, looking over at Avery as she was the only one keeping her composure in that very moment.

"Pope. His name's Pope" She spluttered.

"Hey, Pope?" Ricky calmly said, hoping for a response. He didn't get one, making him shake his head. "Hang tight. I gotta get my kit"

After moments of frantic searching and bickering, Ricky found his kit. He returned back to the table, unzipping the duffle bag to expose all the contents. He prepared a needle, "here's the thing. This is a paediatric dose of epinephrine. It's ten times the normal dose. So if- if it doesn't stop his heart, it'll help him. But I gotta use the whole thing or it won't work. And I'm not going down if he dies"

Thinking for a second before speaking, JJ yelled out, "okay, fine! Do it! Hit it! Come on, hurry up! Hit him with it!"

"Okay, Pope, hang in there, buddy" Ricky nervously said, positioning the needle before releasing the epinephrine into Pope's system. "Um, okay, that's it"

"Now what?" Sarah asked him.

"Now we wait" Ricky simply replied.

After a long moment, the Pogue's started to panic. Pope hadn't given them any sign, nothing to tell them he was okay and healing. Avery stared down at him, silently praying to every higher power that the shot would work and he will come around. She was overly aware of her rapid heartbeat, hearing it in her ears. Her fingernails grinding between her teeth, she needed to do something before she caved to the urge to puke.

Suddenly, Pope let out a gasp. His chest rising and falling again, grasping for as much air as possible. Avery's lips formed a small smile, she stepped back from the table and ran her hands through her hair. Choking on his strangled breaths, Pope sat up on the surface, claiming to be overheating as he wiggled out his jacket.

"Take your time. Take a second!" Kie begged him, watching him stumble outside almost immediately after waking up.

Stopping in the doorway, Avery turned to Ricky, "thank you, Rick. Thank you. Is there anything we need to be worried about now? Like side effects or something?"

"He'll have a rocket up his ass for about half an hour, then he'll be fine" He explained. The distant yelling from outside confirmed that Pope had exploded with energy, ignoring his friends as they attempted to rope him in to calm down.

"Let's go get that cross! Whoo!" Pope's voice screamed. The boy was leaping around the yard, throwing his arms around before sprinting off, making his friends run after him again.



"Pope! You idiot!" Avery called from the back. Everyone ignored her, making sure that no one was seriously injured. "My dad's going to kill me"

"He definitely is," JJ groaned. The boy pushed the door open, stumbling out. "That is the last time you drive, Pope"

"No, no" Avery whimpered, rushing out of the truck to witness the damage. She groaned at the aching pain running through her body.

"We're gonna have to walk the rest of the way" Pope voiced, ready to continue their journey.

John B stepped in his way, gently grabbing his shoulder. "Hey, just relax for one second"

"Get off of me" Pope bitterly told him, shaking his head.

"No, I'm trying to help. We just crashed the truck" John B tried to get him to hold on, to regather the plan together.

"I'm getting my cross. Get off of me" Pope pushed John B off. He didn't let that stop him, hobbling after him.

"Pope!" Avery yelped at the sight of a lorry cruising down the road, heading straight towards Pope. Luckily John B also saw it, yanking his friend off the road in time.

The realisation didn't settle until Pope demanded they had to get back to the church. Sitting in the vehicle was Renfield and Rafe Cameron, meaning that they were on their tail. It was only a matter of time before they ended up head to head for the treasure once again. If they hadn't got it already while they had their backs turned. The Pogue's set off, running down the empty road. Avery hesitated, staring at the crashed truck, mentally noting everything she knew about the location.

The darkness made the Church even more eerie. As soon as they stepped into the building, they knew. The cross was gone. It was in the hands of their competitors. Avery silently sat down, being joined by Kie. She listened to JJ freak out, getting angry at himself for not doing a good enough job at hiding it. Like it was easy hiding it in the first place.

"We need a plan. We need a plan. What's the plan?" JJ panted, pacing back and forth. "All right, here's what we do. We'll grab some kerosene tanks from the Chat, and then we- we go to my dad's shop and grab some dynamite. And then we drive down to Charleston and tell this lady who's she's messing with! Because this is some bullshit, y'all!"

"That's not going to help, JJ" Avery muttered.

He turned on his heels and looked over at her, "well, what is Avery? You tell me, then, huh?"

"I'm thinking, okay?" John B butted in before Avery could snap back. "We can't just go blow shit up, JJ"

"Denmark would've stood right here- preaching to everyone he set free. A slave, the sole survivor of the Royal Merchant, he got the gold and the cross, and he brought them both to shore and used it to free every person who walked through those doors. He made a church, a family, a congregation- a home. And the Limbrey's took everything from him. They sicced dogs on his wife and his kids, and when he tried to get her remains, they hung him. Well, I'm done. I'm tired of that shit. That is not how this is gonna end. We need a freaking win, guys. I'm going to get my family's cross" Pope emotional spoke. He headed towards the door, pausing to ask, "you guys coming?"

"Well, if you put it that way," John B fought a smile.

"Maybe we should think about it, you know?" JJ teased, acting along with a frown.

"Pros and cons?" John B suggested.

"Yeah, pros and cons list," Avery nodded, unable to contain her smile. "All right, a pro, um-"

"Hell yeah, we're coming, Pope!" JJ yelled, making her laugh as she stood up with Kie, ready to continue the adventure.

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