𝙏𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙪𝙧𝙚 𝙄𝙨𝙡𝙖𝙣𝙙 | 𝙅𝙅 𝙈𝙖𝙮𝙗𝙖𝙣𝙠

𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘦𝘦

     THE MOTEL was as dirty as it was scruffy as we neared it. The entire place looked like it was barely standing. Trees and bushes had been uplifted from the hurricane and were scattered all over the place, roof slats were missing and some windows had been boarded over with wood. The place looked a mess and even without the storm I couldn't imagine it being in a good condition then. It was definitely suspicious, why would someone have a room at such a dump.

JJ whistled lowly, "I thought the chateau looked bad." He muttered.

I nodded in agreement, "Tell me about it.. this place is a shithole."

"Motel or meth lab?" Kie asked.

"You be the judge." Pope replied.

"Doesn't look like the type of place somebody with a Grady-White stays." John B said and I nodded in agreement.

JJ pickled up the mooring line as we neared the shore. 

"No. It looks like a place someone with a Grady-White would get killed." Pope retorted.

"It looks like a place anyone would get killed." I said.

JJ nodded in agreement with me, "All right. Here we go." He said before pretending to talk into an intercom, "This is your captain speaking. HMS Pogue comin' in for landing." He said as he jumped off the boat and on to the shore, tying the mooring line down to stop the boat from moving.

"We good?" John B asked.

"Yeah, we good." JJ replied.

"All right. Here goes nothing." John B said.

Pope stood behind the wheel of the boat and leaned over the metal bar, "Hey."

"Yeah?" John B turned to him.

He pointed at JJ, "Don't let him do anything stupid."

"Oh, we will." JJ replied immediately.

"I'm not making promises." John B replied.

"Yeah I know." Pope sighed.

Kie turned to John B, "Be careful." She told him.

I looked away from them both and anywhere else as JJ called me. I turned to him with a raised brow, "Hey, you comin' with?"

I contemplated before nodding, "If I'm gonna be an accomplice I mays well get involved." I replied, standing up on to the cargo hold at the bow of the boat. JJ held his hand out for me to take while I jumped off and my feet hit the grass. I turned to him with a smile, "Why thank you, kind sir."

JJ grinned at me, "You're welcome m'lady."

"Christ." Pope muttered, "Mally you're in charge, all right?"

I laughed as John B jumped off the boat, hitting JJ's arm lightly, "Big mistake, Pope." I replied, walking backwards away from them as JJ and John B were in front of me. JJ grabbed my arm lightly and pulled me to face forwards and I walked in between the two of them, my hands in my pockets.

"Why are all these mattresses out here?" John B asked.

"After a hurricane they ditch 'em 'cause they're moldy." JJ replied.