𝑺𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆 // 𝑱𝑱 𝑴𝒂𝒚𝒃𝒂𝒏𝒌 \\

Chapter Twenty Six

The pogues, minus Pope who was at his scholarship interview, were out on the dock at the Château. John B had just gotten back from the Crain house and told them that all the gold was gone. Ward had found out and gotten to it before them. "You're sure he got it all?" Kiara asked. "Every bar. The whole enchilada." John B spoke lazily. "Not like I expected a happy ending or some shit." John B took off his arm cast and threw it in Kiara's direction. "John B." Kiara spoke softly, looking up at the boy. "What, Kie?" John B shouted at her, anger hinted in his tone. "It's a hairline fracture, who cares?" John B added causing JJ to look between him and Kiara. "You should care. Your arm's gonna be messed up for life." Kiara said.

"It's fine. See?" John B moved his arm. Kiara rolled her eyes in response. "Guys, guys!" Pope shouted, running at the pogues at full speed. Pope panted once he got to everyone. "Oh god, I ran all the way here." Pope hunched over, his hands on his knees. "You alright?" Valerie asked when she noticed Pope breathing hard. "How was the interview, Pope?" JJ asked.

"Don't ask." Pope panted out. "Awesome." John B whispered. "JB... Look, I'm sorry, dude. About everything." Pope said to the boy laying down. "It's fine." John B kept his head looking up. "But-- but I don't have a lot of time and I have information that is tactically relevant." Pope explained. Kiara's head went to the side with raised eyebrows. She was still somewhat mad at Pope from last night's blowout. "So, before I had my interview, my dad said he was going down to the private airstrip to cut palms for Cameron's big plane." Pope said. Valerie and John B looked at Pope, intrigued. "Because it was too heavy and needed a longer landing strip to take off. So, I'm there, sitting in my interview, thinking to myself. "Hm, why would Cameron need a longer airstrip to take off? What could be so heavy to weigh it down?"" Pope hand gestured as he explained. John B sat up from his laying position.

"Gold." JJ turned his head to the group. "That's right." John B nodded. Pope moved his hands around in the air before pointing at JJ. "Exactly! Guys, this is our chance, but it leaves tonight and we have to go." Pope shouted. "Well, we can't give up now." Kiara finally spoke since Pope's been here. "What's the plan, big man?" JJ looked to John B. "We're gonna steal that shit back." John B stood up from his spot. Valerie, Pope, and Kiara's faces formed a smile. JJ hopped off from his spot on the fence and started to run up the dock. "Come on, Val and boys!" Kiara shouted, running after JJ. "Let's do this!" Pope shouted. The pogues made it to the twinkie.

"We go in there, guns a-blazin', make Ward Cameron beg for mercy, abscond with as much gold as possible and vámonos, get the hell out of there." JJ loaded a gun. Pope nodded along. JJ sat on the twinkie floor while Valerie was next to Pope on a chair in the back. "Send that shit right down the Intracoastal." John B added. "Wait for the weather." Valerie said. "Exit to Cuba." Pope said while Kiara nodded.

"Cuba? Nah, man, Xcalak, Jewel of the Yucatan." JJ said. Valerie looked up at Kiara with a smile. Kiara smiled back. "Lobsters so thick, mangoes, and no word for money." JJ finished loading the gun. "Let's do this shit." John B spoke to the pogues. The pogues smiled back at him. John B stopped the twinkie in front of a fence that was a little further away from the airstrip. Pope held the binoculars as the pogues ran to the fence. "What's the plan? Broad strokes." Kiara put her hands on the fence. "I don't think we got that far." John B replied "They're loading up the gold." Pope looked through the binoculars. John B grabbed them from Pope so he could see. "There's Ward." John B said to the pogues who couldn't see anything as clear. After a few seconds, John B slowly pulled the binoculars away from his face. Valerie noticed the face he held.

"What? What?" Valerie asked, looking at John B who stared straight ahead. "Sarah." John B replied. "She's with him?" Pope asked in disbelief. John B held the binoculars in front of his eyes once again. "Wait. He's hurting her." John B said. "What?" Kiara and JJ looked at John B. "They're fighting." John B pulled the binoculars away again. Kiara took them. "Holy shit." John B turned around while Kiara tried to get a look. "Hey, what are you doing?" Pope asked. "John b!" Kiara turned around to see John B got in the twinkie and had turned it on. "Hey, wait, hold on!" JJ shouted. "This isn't smart!" Valerie was still close to the fence. "John b, stop!" Kiara shouted, running to the side. Pope followed. John B started to drive the twinkie right into the fence. JJ grabbed Valerie's arm, pulling her into him and out of the way. "Don't be a hero, man!" JJ shouted, but John B had already broken the fence. "What are you doing?" JJ shouted, running to the broken fence.

"John B!" Valerie shouted knowing John B was already too far to hear any of them. "Hey, hey!" Pope shouted loudly. "What are you doing, man. Come back!" JJ shouted after Pope. Everyone was now on the other side of the fence. John B was driving right onto the airstrip. "Holy shit, he's going to die." Valerie squinted her eyes. The pogues saw the plane stop right in front of the twinkie. JJ hand's were in his air. All of a sudden, they heard cop sirens. "Guys, I can't get arrested." Pope said turning to his friends. "I'm on probation." JJ said, looking down.

"Look, we're no good if we're all in jail." Kiara grabbed the binoculars out of JJ's hands and started to walk backwards. "Come on." Valerie said to JJ. JJ picked his hat off the ground. The pogues quickly ran the other way. They couldn't afford getting caught. JJ, Valerie, Kiara, and Pope ran to an open shack with spare parts. The pogues walked out to see the plane flying by them. "There goes the gold. Shit!" JJ grunted a she kicked a cardboard box. "Fuck!" Pope grabbed random objects and started throwing them around. Valerie flinched as she has never seen Pope like this before. "Pope!" Kiara called to him, but he continued. Pope grabbed a bat and started to hit anything he could. Valerie stepped back into JJ's arms. "God damn it!" Pope screamed as he destroyed what he could. "Pope!" Kiara shouted again. Kiara shared a looked with JJ and Valerie who were just as surprised as she was. Pope grabbed a trash can and threw it out of an empty window. "Pope!" Kiara shouted once the boy stopped moving. Pope sat down on a bench, breathing heavily.

"Pope." Valerie said softer. "Yeah, dude. I was wondering when this was going to happen." JJ walked in front of the boy. Kiara looked at him with confusion. "Here you go, chief." JJ held out a blunt. "A little weed never hurt no one."

"JJ."

"Relax, Kie." JJ turned his head to look at the girl who didn't know what to say. Normally, Pope would immediately decline this, but Pope didn't seem to be himself right now. "You know he doesn't smoke." Kiara said. Pope grabbed the blunt from JJ's hands. "Well, maybe not until today." JJ sat down beside Pope. JJ slid his hat back on. "Pope... It's not gonna help anything." Valerie said to the boy who just stared at it. Pope looked up at her with tears in his eyes. "I lost my scholarship. Walked out in the middle of the interview. It's gone. It's not gonna happen."

"You did that for us?" Kiara asked gently. "No, not for us. For nothing." Pope stood up and stepped in front of Kiara. JJ stood up too, throwing his arm around Pope's shoulder and patting his chest. "I'm here for you, Pope. Welcome to my world, okay?"

"JJ." Kiara looked at the boys' exchange. "What, Kie? He's right. It doesn't matter anymore."

Kiara rolled her eyes at JJ. She turned to Pope to see him staring at the blunt again. "You don't have to do that." Kiara said, but Pope already held it up to his mouth. "Why do you care?" Pope exhaled. Valerie looked up to see John B come into view. "John B!" Valerie ran to him. "Dude!" JJ followed her. "This yours?" JJ gestured to the blood on John B's hands. "Whose blood is that?" Kiara asked. The pogues heard more sirens. "John B, are you okay?" Valerie asked. "Shit." John B ducked behind a table once he saw the police turn the corner. Valerie, Kiara, Pope, and JJ followed. JJ peered over the table to see if the coast was clear. The pogues turned to John B with questioning looks. He had some explaining to do.