P4L, carpe diem (JJ Maybank)

046

As the rain began coming down, we stayed beside the corner of a building, crouching behind a wooden fence.

Pope was using this old, long-distance camera thingy Pope has had for a while. We all peeked up from behind it.

"Nice camera," JJ began, "where'd you dig up that relic? Why don't you just use your phone?"

Pope looked back at JJ, sighing. "Well, first of all, I like my antique electronics. Second of all, this is a telephoto. It allows me to get a close image from far away," he explained.

"Lord of the dorks," Kie chuckled.

"For definitive proof of witness payoff we're gonna need quality glass," he added, holding up the camera in Kie's face.

"Guys!" I muttered. "There's Ward."

We watched as Ward began running towards the building they were meeting in, with a bag, probably of money, in hand.

"Yo, get down," JJ whispered, grabbing my shoulder and pulling me down a bit more. "Gavin, too," I said, watching as the other man ran towards Ward.

They began running into a building, and up the stairs, where we couldn't see. "Where're you going, you son of a bitch?" Pope asked.

"We can't see em," I revolutionarily realized.

"Where's he going?"

I shrugged. "If he's going up, we gotta go up too," I explained, backing away from the fence and walking down the alleyway. JJ followed right after me.

I looked at an old, metal ladder and began softly tapping it with my foot, making sure it won't fall.

I looked at JJ, who turned his head towards the others. He whistled. "Yo! Dylan and I found something! Come here!" He whispered.

I scoffed. It was mostly me doing the finding. Pope and Kie ran back to us, as I pointed towards the ladder.

JJ went up first. "Hurry! I don't wanna miss anything!" Kie exclaimed.

I went up after him. After I got to the top, J extended his hand up to me, and onto the roof.

"Thanks," I said.

"Yep," he answered, as we all rushed towards the other side of the roof.

Thunder boomed and the lightning cracked.

"You rolling, Pope?" I asked him.

"Yeah. Yeah, I see em," Pope answered, with his camera set up and everything.

From afar, I could faintly see Ward and Gavin reach the top of their building. It was under construction, so there were no walls present except 2x4's.

...

"Ward just handed Gavin something," Pope told us, since we couldn't see all that well. "I think it's a duffel bag."

"Guys, I think this is a payoff," JJ explained, and I nodded my head. "Totally."

After a pause, Pope spoke. "Gavin doesn't look happy about something. It looks like he's yelling at Ward."

"Why?" Kie asked.

"I don't know and I can't see very well, but he looks pissed," I shrugged. I shivered at the temperature a small bit in just my t-shirt and shorts, and JJ nudged me.

"Want my jacket, babe?"

I smiled. "No, thanks—"

He was already taking it off. He wrapped it around my shoulders, helping me put my arms through. "Thanks," I sighed.