Chapter 60: Vaux Hall

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"Pope, are you sure you got the right address?" JJ grumbled.

"I know you aren't talking to me about having the right address," Pope sassed back.

"That's exactly what I'm asking," JJ doubled down.

"Look, the place says Vaux Hall. Vaux Hall, it's on the map," Pope pointed to a map attached to a sign on the side of the road.

"Yeah, well, we don't even know if that's where we are," JJ complained. He felt a twinge of guilt for being so snappy at his friends all day but who could blame him?

"Okay, well, It's in the general vicinity," Pope continued.

"Why don't we just ask someone?" Cleo suggested as a tractor chugged down the dirt road. "Hey!" she called to the driver. The engine stopped as it pulled to a halt. "Pardon I. You know where we can find Vaux Hall?"

The driver seemed amused by her question. "You kidding me, right? Everything you can see all around you is Vaux Hall."

"Wait, what do you mean? Like..."

"All of this, al this, all this," the man gestured around him, cutting JJ off.

"Oh, everywhere," JJ repeated, shocked that the man meant literally everything.

"Okay, so who lives up there," Pope pointed to a mansion in the distance.

"Carlos Singh," the man answered. "Just on the other side of that wall. But take it from me, he's no one you want to get to know."

The teens shared nervous looks.

"Okay, thank you," Pope said before the engine started up again and the Pogues wandered through a field towards the massive brick wall.

___________

Kie and Grace sat up abruptly at a knocking at the door. The girls had taken turns using the shower and getting changed into the dresses. Neither of them wanted to. They wanted to defy whoever was holding them captive as long as possible but their salt water saturated hair and sandy bodies had made them give in.

Kie was wearing one of the red dresses and Grace the black. Neither girl bothered to sort out their hair or do anything else to make themselves presentable, only willing to give in so much.

The door creaked open and the housekeeper wandered in. "He's ready."

The girls followed the housekeeper down the stairs. Grace knew Kie wasn't big on physical touch so when her friend reached out and grabbed her twiddling fingers she was all the more grateful. 

Grace shot Kie a weak but grateful smile before they turned the corner into what looked to be a dining room.

A man with a shaved head, wearing a suit was hunched over something at the other end of the room.

"Uh, excuse me?" Kie was first to speak.

The man turned around and Grace's heart sank to the pit of her stomach. Rafe.

Kie let go of Grace's hand and hurried towards him while Grace stayed stock still. 

"No, I knew you and Ward were behind this shit." 

Rafe made his way away from the artifact he was admiring and towards Kie. "What are you talking about? You trying to weasel in on my deal? Is that what's going on?"

Grace, getting uncomfortable with the limited distance between her psycho half brother and friend, hurried over to Kie's side. "Back up."

"Grace-" Rafe started

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