P4L, carpe diem (JJ Maybank)

033

When we all found John B the next morning, he was lying on the deck from the Chateau.

He told us about how Ward stole all of our gold and explained how Lana Grubbs knew that Ward killed my father, but was threatened to not tell anyone.

Pope had already went to his interview, leaving me, J, Kie and John B. I strummed my guitar strings, tuning my guitar.

"You sure he got everything?" Kie asked my brother, who lied on the floor.

"Every bar," he sighed. "The whole enchilada."

"Shit," I muttered. He began pulling off his cast, though it hadn't been that long since he had it on. He grunted, since it was hard to take it off. "It's not like I expected a happy ending or some shit."

"John B," I said with a warning tone.

"What, Dylan? It's a hairline fracture. Who cares?"

"You should, dumbass. Your arms gonna be fucked up for life," I explained, strumming a chord.

"It's fine, wiseass. See?" He asked, wiggling his fingers.

I rolled my eyes.

"Guys!!"

I turned around, watching as Pope ran towards us. I squinted, confused.

"Oh, God," he wheezed, out of breath, "I ran all the way here." He hunched over, taking deep breaths.

"You all right?" John B asked.

"How was your interview?" I questioned, confused.

"Don't ask," he said.

He looked at me and my brother. "JB, I'm sorry, dude. About everything."

"It's fine," he muttered. "But— but I don't have a lot of time, and— and I have information that is tactically relevant."

"Pope, I don't think JJ knows what that means. Clarify?" I joked, as my boyfriend threw his hat as me, which I placed on my head.

"Ha-ha, Princess. Ha-ha," he scoffed.

I pointed a finger gun at him, clicking my tongue. "Anyway, before I had my interview, my dad said he was going down to the private airstrip to cut palms for Cameron's big plane."

He continued to go on, and I started to piece together what he was saying. "Because it was too heavy, it needed a longer airstrip 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?'"

"Gold," JJ added.

Pope clapped his hands together. "Yes! Exactly."

He looked at all of us, all with smirks on our faces. "Guys, this is our chance, but it leaves tonight, and we have to go."

"We can't give it up now, guys," I said, putting my guitar down and putting it in its case.

"What's the plan, Twins," JJ asked, as me and my brother looked at each other.

"We're gonna steal that shit back."

-|-

We sat in the Twinkie, driving towards the airstrip.

"We go in there, guns a'blazing, make Ward Cameron beg for mercy, abscond with as much girl as possible and vamonos, get the hell out of the there," my boyfriend explained, loading the gun. He sat on the floor, as I sat in the backseat.

"Send that shit right down the Intercoastal."

"Wait for weather," I added.

"Exit to Cuba," Pope explained.

JJ scoffed. "No, man, Xcalak, Jewel of the Yucatán. Lobsters so thick, mangoes and no word for money," he said, cocking the gun. I laughed, rolling my eyes.

"Let's do this shit," I exclaimed.

-|-

We all got out of the Twinkie, right outside of the airstrip. In front of us was a fence, with barbed wire at the top.

"What's the plan? Broad strokes," Kie said, running towards the fence.

"I don't think we got that far," my brother added, as Pope looked at the plane on the airstrip with the binoculars.

"They're loading up the gold."

I grabbed the binoculars, watching as a truck pulled in. "There's Ward," I said, keeping my eyes glued to the truck. I watched as Ward got out, talking to one of his workers.

Then someone else got out of the truck. A blonde with a white shirt and pink jean shorts. Sarah.

I pulled the binoculars down, passing them to my brother.

"What?" Kie asked me.

"It's Sarah."

My brother immediately grabbed the binoculars, looking through them. "She's with him?" I questioned. I watched from a far, as she turned around, back to the truck, but was stopped by her dad, who picked her up.

"Wait a minute. He's hurting her," John B explained.

"What? What?!" JJ asked.

"They're fighting."

My brother turned around, walking the other way, towards the Twinkie. "JB?" I asked, suspiciously. He got inside of the Twinkie, slamming the door behind him.

"What are you doing?" Pope asked, watching as the Twinkie turned on. He began pulling forward. "Hey! Hey!" I shouted, as he began gaining speed. I waved my arms, walking forward.

"Dylan, move!" JJ shouted, grabbing my waist and pulling me away from my brother's line of drive.

"Don't be a hero, dude! John B!" JJ shouted, holding my waist. "John B!"

The Twinkie crashed through the fence, driving towards the airstrip.

"What are you doing?!" JJ shouted, running forward and stopped at where the fence used to be.

"Come back!" Kie shouted.

JJ looked down at me, surprised and worried. "You okay, babe?"

I nodded. "I'm fine. What's gotten into him?" I asked, watching as the Twinkie approached the tarmac. The plane began to turn around, getting ready for takeoff.

We watched as my brother drove in front of the plane, which stopped just in time.

Eventually, we began hearing a cop siren. I looked at JJ, suddenly worried.

"Guys, I can't get arrested," Pope said.

"I'm on probation," my boyfriend added.

I looked at Kie. I took my hands from off my head, taking a deep breath. "Look, we're no good if we're all in jail. Let's go."

I grabbed JJ's wrist, giving him his hat. I turned around, running the other direction.