𝑺𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆 // 𝑱𝑱 𝑴𝒂𝒚𝒃𝒂𝒏𝒌 \\

Chapter Twenty Nine

The first stop was JJ's house. JJ still needed to find the keys for the Phantom. "Home, sweet home." JJ stared at the house. "Do you want me to come? 'Cause I'll come." Valerie looked at JJ. JJ shook his head. "Nah, nah. It'll only take a second." JJ grabbed his backpack and got out from the back of the car. He walked around the car and headed inside. JJ looked back at the two girls. Valerie nodded encouragingly as Kiara held a sad smile. JJ trudged up the stairs and disappeared behind the door. "I'm worried for him. Luke might be home." Valerie told Kiara, not taking her eyes off the door. "Me too." Kiara responded quietly. After a few minutes, Valerie squirmed in her seat. "He's taking a while." She whispered. Before Kiara could answer, JJ walked back down the stairs, looking at the ground. He got into the backseat with Valerie again.

"How'd it go?" Kiara asked him. JJ held up the keys. Kiara smiled at him before backing up and driving away from JJ's house. Valerie looked at him sympathetically. JJ nodded at her, letting her know he was okay. JJ twirled the key around in his hand. The car was filled with silence. Kiara kept looking around wanting to ask a question. JJ answered before she could even ask. "It'll be fine. It'll be fine with the Phantom. She'll get out quick."

Sirens blared loudly as police cars quickly passed Kiara's car. "Whoa, whoa, whoa." JJ ducked down in his seat. The cops knew Kiara's car was the one that once held John B. Valerie sunk down in her seat aswell while Kiara lowered herself a bit so she could still see the road. Once all the cop cars passed, Kiara sighed in relief as she spoke up, "They're still looking."

"It's a good sign." Valerie mumbled. Kiara continued driving to where JJ said the Phantom was. Valerie looked to the right of the car to see two men on their motorcycles. She sat up in her seat, turning around to get a closer look at them when Kiara passed. "You alright?" JJ asked her. Valerie nodded before answering, "Yeah. They just looked familiar."

Valerie shrugged off what she had noticed and stayed quiet the rest of the car ride. "Okay, turn left." JJ pointed to a dirt path. "The dirt path?" Kiara asked, making sure JJ knew what he was talking about. "Yes, Kie, the dirt path." JJ repeated. Kiara listened as she turned left and stopped the car in front of a warehouse. JJ opened the sliding door to reveal the Phantom. "There she be." JJ announced. "Hey, girl. A 1983 Formula 402 SR1. The Phantom." JJ added as he took off the remaining tarp on the front of the boat. JJ turned his head to the girls, clicking his tongue. "Mm-hm." Kiara shrugged. Valerie stared at the boat expecting better with how JJ and Pope had explained it.

"The first boat to make the run to Bermuda in under 16 hours, Kie and Val." JJ placed his hand on the side of the boat before continuing, "Forty years old! Forty. It's still the fastest thing that Kildare's ever seen."

"It's kind of a junker." Kiara gestured to the boat. "Really? She's right there, Kie. She can hear you." JJ muttered under his breath. "Let's just put it this way. You would not be smoking weed right now if she never existed. okay?" Kiara nodded her head in amusement. "Just hope it runs." Valerie stepped closer to the Phantom. "Oh, no, she'll run alright. She's faster than any cutters the boys in blue got." JJ answered. Kiara rolled her eyes after hearing a motorcycle tire screech. "Pope. Finally." Kiara ran around the side of the boat, but immediately stopped in her tracks.

"Hey, there. What's goin' on?" Rafe stepped into the warehouse from the side door. "JJ? Val?" Rafe said causing both of them to look up to see Rafe climbing the boat. "How you guys doing?" Rafe asked. Kiara turned around starting to walk back when Valerie and JJ heard whistling. Barry cleared his throat as he stepped around Kiara's car. Rafe jumped down behind the three pogues who were now looking at Barry.

JJ pulled Valerie further away from Barry and closer to Kiara. Barry cocked his gun, pointing it at JJ's chest. JJ immediately raised his hands. "See, don't think I forgot about me and you on the side of the road. I'm here because I want my motherfucking money." Barry demanded, punching the side of JJ's throat, sending him to the ground. "JJ! JJ!" Valerie stepped forward to grab him, but Rafe grabbed her by the waist and pulled her away. "Rafe!" Valerie exclaimed as she tried to get out of his grasp. "JJ!" Kiara pushed Barry backwards. Rafe threw Valerie into a table, sending her to the ground in pain.

Rafe then ran over to Kiara pulled her away and dealing with her. "It's not you two we want, Kie and Val." Rafe told the girls. Barry grabbed JJ's head, throwing him back on the ground. JJ groaned in pain. "Where's John B?" Rafe questioned. "I don't know!" Kiara blurted as she slapped the side of Rafe's face. "Stay down, boy." Barry kicked JJ onto his back as he chuckled. "I really wish you didn't do that." Rafe complained as he turned to Kiara. "Look, we know what you did." Valerie stood up from the ground, grabbing the table behind her to steady herself. "What? What did I do?" Rafe turned to Valerie. "You murdered Peterkin." Valerie hissed. "Yeah and you framed John B. You and Ward." Kiara added.

This caused Barry to look up from JJ for a split second. Apparently, he had no clue what Rafe had done. Barry continued to kick JJ who continued grunting on the floor. Rafe wrapped his hands around Kiara's throat. "Don't you ever say those fucking words again." Rafe scolded. JJ had managed to stand up from the floor, but he was still weak. Barry had the upper hand. Valerie didn't know who to help. Barry punched JJ in the face while Rafe continued to choke Kiara. JJ, once again, was thrown to the ground.

"Stay down, boy!" Barry shouted. "Where's John B?" Rafe asked again. "I don't know! I don't know!" Kiara repeated. When Valerie went to step forward to hit Rafe, Pope beat her to it. "Don't touch her!" Pope shouted at Rafe. He let go of Kiara and doubled down in pain. Valerie didn't pay attention to what went on between Pope, Kiara, and Rafe. She had to help JJ. "Hey!" Barry hollered, cocking his gun. JJ grabbed his foot from the ground, causing him to fall over. "Val! Kick it!" JJ shouted at the girl when the gun landed in front of her. Instead of kicking it, she picked it up. JJ didn't seem to notice it at the time. He picked Barry up, slamming him into the Phantom before kneeing him in the stomach. Barry hunched over and landed on the table next to Valerie.

He turned his head, in clear pain, to see Valerie staring down at him. She hid the gun for the time being. Barry grabbed the girl's wrist, that didn't have the gun in it, and held it tight. "Let go of her." JJ demanded, stepping forward. Barry kicked JJ's stomach, sending him back into the Phantom. JJ landed on the floor with a grunt. Barry grabbed Valerie bringing her closer to him.

"Fuck you." She whispered, ducking his punch. She kneed his stomach just like JJ had done earlier and pinned him, face first, on the table. She cocked the gun and held it straight at his head. Her actions moved faster than her brain had. "You stay down, bitch." She looked at him with anger in her eyes. Pope repeatedly punched Rafe, leaving him almost unconscious. "He's had enough, dude." JJ groaned, slowly standing up. Pope didn't stop. Instead, he wrapped a wire around his neck, choking him. JJ went to walk up to the two, but he noticed his girlfriend and Barry. He didn't think twice about slowly approaching the two, leaving Kiara to handle Pope.

"Valerie. Give me the gun." JJ held his hand out. Valerie looked into his eyes, not responding. "Give me the gun, Val." JJ repeated, softer. Valerie moved the gun into JJ's hands. She slowly let go of Barry, but not without punching him in the face and kicking him a few times on the ground. JJ gently grabbed her hand. "You're good, Val. He's not worth it, alright?" JJ looked into her eyes. "I know." Valerie whispered. JJ turned to see Pope still choking Rafe. "Snap out of it, dude!" JJ placed the gun on a table before wrapping his arms around Pope, trying to get him to stop. "Look at me!" Kiara shouted at Pope. Pope finally let go of Rafe, causing him to fall to the ground.

"Shit. Oh, shit." JJ huffed. Rafe coughed on the ground while Pope breathed loudly. "It's okay." Kiara said to Pope. "Okay, we gotta go. We gotta go." Kiara grabbed Valerie's hand, pulling her away from the two bodies that were laying on the ground in pain. JJ grabbed the gun, throwing it further into the warehouse before following Kiara and Valerie. JJ had already tied the Phantom to Kiara's car before Rafe and Barry had gotten there, so that was all set. "Stay off the cut." Pope scoffed at Rafe before following JJ. The pogue's next stop was with John B and Sarah. They had to get John B off the island. It was not safe for him to be in Outer Banks.