Grace was filled with dread as she peeled off her goggles and stared out towards Agapenta. It was perched on a hill, buildings and sand the exact same hue as if the city had sprung from the earth.
At the peak of the mound was a large statue, too far away to make out any details other than how it peered over the community, watching diligently.
Unlike their past hunts, Grace didn't feel excited at the progress; no, she was verging on feeling sick to her stomach.
The closer they got, the more vicious the competition.
"Here it is. Agapenta," Pope announced rather dramatically.
"I'll be damned," John B breathed, unable to peel his eyes from the finish line.
Eyes on the prize, Pope spouted off directions, and John B stepped on the gas, concluding their short-lived sightseeing.
"We gotta do the rest on foot," John B told them after reaching the end of the road. Perhaps there had once been a proper street into the city, but it was now covered in debris. "Careful, we don't know what we're walking into."
"You ready?" Grace asked, receiving a series of nods from the group. Some were more hesitant than others; Sarah looked about as nervous as Grace felt, but John B and Cleo remained confident.
Leading the way, the Pogues followed after John B.
Despite the clearer path a bit to their left, they opted for pushing through twiggy bushes in favour of keeping their cover. The element of surprise was an asset they didn't want to throw away just yet.
As JJ held back a branch, letting Kie and Grace pass by, a loud bang rang out.
Grace flinched and instinctively crouched down further, the Pogues following suit.
If they hadn't had so much experience with the sound of gunshots, they could write it off as an engine backfiring or a fire popping, but they all knew that noise like the back of their hands.
Other than a renewed sense of cautiousness, the group continued on undeterred.
Grace shot JJ a wary look.
"We've got this, baby. Stick together and we'll be alright," he told her, smiling comfortingly.
"Stick together," she echoed before linking her fingers with his.
He squeezed her hand three times before they hurried off to catch up with the Pogues.
"Okay, just take it easy, okay?!" shouted a familiar voice.
Peering through the tall grass only confirmed who they already knew it was.
Standing on a broken-down stone wall, arms raised, one hand holding the map and the other holding the pendant, was Rafe.
JJ sucked in a sharp breath, annoyance sewn into his brow. "Damn it."
"You keep your hands where we can see them, and we won't have to blast them off, yeah?" came the British voice belonging to the leader of the Corsairs.
Grace hadn't noticed them at first, but three buggies similar to the one they'd ridden in lay just beyond Rafe.
The Corsairs leader was flanked by a group of men, all armed with automatic rifles and pistols.
"You want to put it down," she instructed.
The Pogues watched, weighing their odds.
Should they get involved? Should they blow their cover?
Not for the sake of Rafe's life, definitely not. But then there was the question of who would be an easier foe.
Sure, they had all witnessed Rafe's psychopathy, but he wasn't the one with a group of soldiers armed to the teeth.
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𝐒𝐮𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐞 - JJ Maybank
FanfictionGrace Cameron was a Pogue. Always has been. Sure her dad and half-siblings were the Kookiest a Kook could get but her mom had grown up on the Cut so she did too. Her friend group vowed to have a good time all the time but when a boat goes down in th...
