𝐒𝐔𝐌𝐌𝐄𝐑𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐄 𝐒𝐀𝐃𝐍𝐄𝐒𝐒, 𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐬

SIXTY-ONE| blunt end of a machete

AS the Pogues regroup, Eden can't help but call out the flaw within escaping the containers. 

Looking between John B., Pope, and Kiara, Eden is quick to notice that neither returned with any sort of weapon or item that could be used to their advantage. Which, while the Pogues have always had a thing for improving on the spot, makes the Bexley feels worse about their situation.

"You're telling me no one grabbed a single weapon or item?" Eden voices, looking between the three teens who had left the container. They've all re-positioned within the space, John B. and Pope having explained what they had done upon the boat. "Like....at all?" 

JJ seems to agree with Eden's point, "Not one single gun?"

"We tr—we tried." John B. defended himself, "I got attacked!" 

Eden can't help herself as she snarks, "That seems to happen a lot to you."

"What's that supposed to mean—"

JJ scoffs, "This is why I should have gone with."

Kiara and Pope try to shush their friends' voices, the entire friend group getting cut off by Cleo.

"Let me get this straight. You four, with no weapons, decided you were gonna hijack this tramp steamer on your own? Get your friend back?" Cleo's eyes scan over the group, resting on Eden as she says the word 'friend'. Her voice is firm and serious as she clips, "Do you have any idea who these people are? Eberhimi, if he catch you, he's gonna kill you. Dead." She pulls a knife out and mimics cutting her fingers, "Cut off your fingers."

Eden wraps her arms around herself, "That's comforting."

"Okay." Kiara huffs, trying to figure out what her and her friends could do to escape the fate of being caught. "What about waiting until we get to port? At least then, if something goes wrong, we have a place to run."

"No," Pope is quick to dismiss, "No, we can't do that." 

"Why?"

"Because I've run this scenario over a thousand times in my head, and our best chances are on this ship." Pope replies firmly, "There's fifteen crew members and six of us."

"Exactly—"

"Three-to-one odds. That's the best it's gonna get." The Heyward continues, "If we wait till we get there, they're gonna trap us."

"We have no chance—"

"No, Kie, there's something else." John B. interrupts, looking between his friends. There's a moment of silence as the Routledge boy tries to figure out how to admit what he'd discovered before he feebly states, "Ward's alive."

The entire container falls quiet, the Pogues taking in the information with sour expressions. Eden tenses at the name, thinking back to the conversation she'd had with her mother that morning—Ward had faked his death and was trying to start it all over in Guadeloupe. 

"It's, uh—it's true. Isla told me before I found you guys." Eden voices, all teens turning to face her. "He's alive and he's on this boat right now. On his way to somewhere near Guadeloupe—it's why Sarah's here." 

Kiara exclaims, "What?"

"Yeah," John B. nods. 

JJ looks at Eden with a scoff, "You gotta be kidding me."

Pope clenches his fists, "Are you serious?"

"Everything was a set-up. Blowing up the boat, his confession to Shoupe—all of it was to clear Rafe and my mom's name." Eden explains, voice firm. "He faked his suicide to get out of everything and probably would have gotten away with it if weren't for us meddling kids."