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CHAPTER 18
"John Booker Routledge, pursuant to the North Carolina statute section 14, you are charged with murder in the first degree with aggravated circumstances. If convicted, the maximum sentence would be the death penalty."
Their faces dropped. "Your honor, he's seventeen!" JJ stood up. "John B! We're gonna figure it out!"
"John B!" Sarah sobbed and walked towards him. "Sarah stop!" Suzy put an arm around her shoulder. "Let's get out of here."
"Is this a joke? Are we in hell or?" Kiara walked down the steps.
"I should have never come home."
"They're gonna kill him guys. I know it."
"JJ shut up."
"Can you please shut up?" Juls walked towards Ward. "Of course you think the system worked because it was made to protect you, and people like you." She pointed at him and the people beside him.
"He'll have his day in court. A jury will decide."
"He shouldn't even be in court!" She pointed at Ward. "You should, cause you're a mudrerer! You have a lot of nerve showing up to court!"
"I know you're upset. I understand you're upset, okay?"
"Upset?!"
"I know he's got you fooled. He's got you all fooled." He motioned to them. "Suzy, I expected better from you. You're Rafe's girlfriend-"
"Are you fucking kidding me?! He murdered Peterkin!" Suzy tried to jump on him but got held back by Shoupe, who was restraining her arms from doing anything.
"Why don't you take the Kooks down for a change?" He pulled Suzy back.
"You guys wanna get arrested? Get out! You need to go."
"This is bullshit." Sarah grabbed Suzy's shoulders. "It's not worth it."
"It's not a coincidence that your daughter's sitting with us!" JJ yelled back at them.
. . .
"I'm gonna testify under oath. I was there! I just need to get a hold of my sister. Su do you have your phone?" She gave Sarah her phone. "I'll go with you."
"Wheezie is the only other person that knows Rafe wasn't home that day."
"Wheezie?"
"I got us into this mess. I'm gonna do my best to get us out." She walked in the Chateau.
JJ scoffed. "Wheezie? Yeah, that will work. She's right about one thing. We gotta do something. Our boy, is a PO-dub right now, okay? He's held captive by the enemy right now, maybe even scheduled for execution! Are we just gonna sit here?"
