𝐒𝐮𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐞 - JJ Maybank

Chapter 99: Priorities

When darkness fell over the marsh, the Pogues gathered on the porch. None of them wanted to hang out in their usual spot in the living room. The sharp sting of the scent of bleach and the bits of blood stuck in the cracks of the floorboards were too painful to look at.

Save for thunder rumbling in the distance, they sat in absolute silence.

No one knew what to say, and everyone was lost in thought.

Cleo was twirling her knife around in the air, the same absent look from earlier glued to her face.

Pope's eyes were diligently trained on his girlfriend's face, arm wrapped around her shoulders.

Sarah was sitting on the couch, looking completely and utterly drained.

Kie and John B were standing, unable to sit still after the day's events.

And JJ and Grace were still holding onto each other tightly. She was mentally and physically exhausted, but whenever she closed her eyes, flashes of blood dotted her vision. JJ didn't know what to do to make any of it better. He didn't know how to erase the memory from her brain, and he felt useless. He knew everyone was traumatized, but Grace had never been good around death and gore. This was like her nightmares that he was awoken to almost every night had seeped into reality.

Cleo jabbing her knife into the side table harshly broke the silence and brought all eyes to her.

"First things first. Gotta take care of Terrance."

Sarah nodded slightly. "Of course."

His lifeless body was still behind the couch; no one wanted to accept what they had to do, but the truth lingered in the air. They needed to do something with his body, even though they hadn't killed him.

"Can't just leave him here," Cleo continued. "It won't sit right on my conscience."

John B, who had been pacing, spoke up, "Cleo's right. We gotta do something about Terrance. And then we have to get the hell out of here. All right? Road trip."

During his pacing, John B made his way towards Grace and JJ. Both of them looked slightly out of it, not focusing on the discussion. Grace was staring straight ahead at the marsh, eyes empty and foggy, and JJ was staring at the side of her head, clasping her hands tightly between his.

"What?" JJ blurted, snapping out of it.

"Road trip to where?" asked Kie, who was unbothered by the couple's lack of focus.

"John B and I were talking. We think the North Star and the Half Moon Battery is referring to Charleston," answered Pope.

"If we get to Charleston before them, we have a fighting chance," added John B.

"What?" Kie breathed out, not believing he was still after the treasure.

"We have no other option. What... what are we doing?"

Grace tore her eyes from the water to look up at John B, not quite processing what was being said.

"What do you mean we don't have any other option?" argued Kie.

John B paced back towards the girl. "The zoning notice, Kie! We're gonna lose Poguelandia!" 

"John B, they killed Terrance!" she exclaimed. "We're in way, way over our heads."

"We're pushing out luck," said Grace, drawing all eyes to her. She hadn't spoken since JJ had returned from his interrogation. "We can't keep doing this shit, guys," she continued, voice slightly shaky. "One day, we're gonna push it too far, and something terrible is going to happen. Something... something we can't go back from."