One Stupid Thing

They Have Back-Up

I squint my eyes in the morning sun and sit up from the booth I had claimed last night. My back aches with discomfort. To my surprise, JJ is already awake. He is standing over at the windows, looking out over the marsh. I stand up and make my way over to him.

"Hey," I greet him, I place a hand on his shoulder and squeeze it gently.

"Hey." JJ snakes his arm around my waist and rests it on my hip. He sighs and shakes his head slightly.

"Why are you up so early?" I ask him, resting my chin on his shoulder.

"Couldn't sleep."

Suddenly I hear movement coming from behind us. He quickly unwraps his arm from around me and I pull away from him. I turn my head and see Pope approaching. Hopefully he didn't see us.

JJ clears his throat. "He's pinched for sure, man." Sirens wail out in the distance.

"No. They wouldn't still be patrolling if they caught him." Pope leans against the inside of the open window frame.

"You know, we were in that car. They're probably looking for us, too." Kiara is sitting in her booth, clearly just having woken up.

"Well, if we're gonna be outlaws, we might as well help John B," Pope points out. He walks over to our things and pulls out a pair of keys.

"So, find him before they do?" JJ asks. He doesn't respond. "Pope?"

"I'm gonna get gas for the boat," he says, heading for the exit.

"Hey, you be careful. Okay?" Kiara advises him. Pope stops in his tracks and gives her a strange look before turning to JJ and I.

"Meet me at the dock at three. Don't be late," Pope says flatly and walks out the door without a second thought. You can practically feel the tension hanging in the air. Kiara sighs and walks out after him.

"Okay, what is your problem?" she asks him. JJ and I share a confused look and follow them out.

"No problem, Officer. I'm just doing my job." Pope gets on JJ's bike and turns the key.

"Look, I'm sorry that I hurt your feelings," Kiara apologizes. I'm not totally sure what this is all about, but I am betting that it has something to do with why Pope was upset last night. He revs the engine.

"What was that?" he asks rudely.

"Look, I didn't mean to," Kiara shouts over the continuous revving.

"Sorry, I can't hear you. What was that?"

"Pope, I'm being serious—" he cuts her off, revving the engine so loud that it completely drowns her out. "I'm trying to talk to you!"

Pope ignores her pleas, taking off down the street and leaving a crestfallen Kiara behind. She turns and walks back to us. JJ and I are leaning on the railing of the front entryway. As Kiara walks, the distant sound of a helicopter stops her in her tracks. We all look up and watch it fly overhead.

"Who the hell is that?" JJ asks, avoiding the situation that we just witnessed.

"Shit," Kiara curses.

"The SBI. They called in the SBI for John B," I announce. "Fuck." I rub my forehead in disbelief.

"What do we do now?" JJ asks.

"We help John B, like Pope said. We have food in the kitchen. We can prep meals for him and Sarah to survive on until they get wherever they need to go." Kiara walks up the stairs and walks past us inside. JJ and I follow her to the back kitchen of her parents' restaurant and scour through the cabinets. Anything that won't go bad too quickly we set out to bag.

"Kie... what was that. With Pope?" I pry.

"I sort of rejected him last night. He professed his love for me and when I told him that it will never happen, he took it harder than I expected." She explained it like it was simple.

"You sure he wasn't just being weird Pope?" JJ asks Kiara after a few moments of silence.

"It wasn't really the kind of thing that needed interpretation." Kie examines the food in front of us. From various fruits and vegetables, to bread, cheese, and lunchmeat that can be assembled into sandwiches. "Is that enough food for them?"

"I mean, for a couple of weeks, and that's all they need, so..." JJ says. I start packing it all into plastic bags.

"Look, I think I actually hurt his feelings," Kiara confides in us.

"Look, don't beat yourself up too much. He's completely changed his feels. The past 24 hours have been like Jekyll and Hyde," JJ advises. He grabs the keys and we head out the back door.

"Yeah, Kie, I'm sure he'll move on and come around. None of has have really been able to think straight or process anything with everything going on. He's probably just stressed and this pushed him over the edge," I tell her.

"I hate to admit it, but I miss the old Pope. At least I knew what to expect from him," Kiara says.

JJ is loading the box of food into the trunk of the car when Kiara's mother, Anna Carrera, appears from around the corner.

"Where you been?" Mrs. Carrera asks. Her eyebrows are narrowed sternly.

"Uh— I'm fine. I slept here," Kiara tells her mom.

"Well, we were up half of the night, scared to death, lookin' for you. Were you even gonna tell us?" Her voice raises in frustration and rightfully so.

"Well, I'm telling you right now," Kiara brushes her off.

"Alright, what the hell are you three up to?" Mrs. Carrera puts her hands on her hips and stares us down. For a woman who is shorter than all of us, she is quite intimidating.

"I'm sorry, Miss Anna, we gotta go," JJ says politely.

"Mrs. Carrera, we will be safe, I promise," I assure her. 'Sorry' is all Kiara can muster.

"No. I'm sorry. Absolutely not," she protests. "Have you heard what's going on? Have you seen the storm coming in?" Kiara walks away from her mother to the driver's door. Mrs. Carrera tries to stop her, but her daughter doesn't falter.

"Mom, I'll explain later," Kiara says. JJ shuts the trunk and we both hurry into the car.

"This is not safe for you to do. These cops are armed, Kiara! You're gonna get shot!" she protests.

"I'm sorry, Mom. I have to go!" Kiara gets into the car despite her mother's wishes.

"I am not letting you do this!"

"Mom, John B needs me!" Kiara cries.

"Kiara, you need to stay here—"

"I understand, Mom! I'll be careful!" Kiara rolls up the window and turns on the car. "I'm sorry!"

Mrs. Carrera bangs on the window. "Kiara! Open this door! Right now. Right now, Kiara! This is not safe! Stop!" Kiara eases on the gas and pulls her car out of the parking lot, leaving her mom behind in a cloud of dust. Kiara sniffles, but pushes her tears away with determination.

One thing I've learned about her is that she is as stubborn as a mule. Once she has her mind made up about something, she will stick it through, however dangerous it may be. John B is worth that risk to Kiara, to Sarah, to JJ, to Pope, and to me.

——
Finally! The last episode of season one is finally here! Buckle up and get ready for a wild ride.

Edited: 3/31/26