𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐬𝐨 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐥𝐲

thirty-five: Phantom.

   

     THE van pulls up to the side of a building. "John B, what are we doing at the police station?" JJ asked the boy who was driving. "Somebody's gotta tell them what happened." John B says and Pope starts coughing loudly suddenly.

"Easy there, chief. Damn." JJ says and Kai snorts, glancing over at Pope. "Alright. I'm just gonna be real with you right now." JJ said as he looked at John B. "You might end up in the lion's den, but you don't go there on purpose. It's fundamental. Just like my old man always told me, you should never ever trust cops, no matter what the circumstance is." JJ said to the brunette boy.

"Your old man's an abusive liar." Kie says and Kai looked at her with a warning look. "I agree with JJ." Pope said and Kai looks at him. "Fuck the police." He says, sounding serious.

"You goin' to the dark side now?" Kie asked and Pope leans over. "When's the last time the police ever helped us?" He asked and John B spoke up, "Peterkin looked out for me, alright? Tried to, at least." He says and it got quiet.

"They need to know." John B adds and Kie nods softly before the boy got out of the car, heading into the police station. "Kie! Start the car!" The girl quickly looked around to see John B rushing towards the car. "Start the car, Kie!" He said before he opens the door to get in.

"What? John B, what did you do?" She asked, starting up the car right away. "Go! Kie, just drive, go!" All of them are shouting over one another as one of the deputies had a whole of the car, "what did you do?" Kie asked John B.

"Open it." Pope said and John B did so, hitting the deputy with the car door. And then it was just quiet, all of them were in shock by what had just happened and they didn't talk for a while.

The next morning, there was a search going on for John B. Even a reward was out, a $25,000 reward to be exact. Well, they didn't technically know that because they've been hiding, all night and all day since Peterkins got shot.

The group were parked, John B in the back with JJ and Kai. "Good news for residents of Outer Banks. Dominion Power says their underwater transmission line, which will restore power to 90% of the area... should be functional within 24 hours. And still no arrest in the shooting death of Sheriff Susan Peterkin. The state police have issued a statement regarding a local person of interest, a juvenile from—" the audio cut off because Kie had reached over to turn it off.

"Let's game this out. Maybe you guys can help, being the smart ones and all, but... who are the cops going to believe? Ward Cameron or us?" JJ said and he had a point. "So the accuser is a bigshot developer, kind of lord of the island, got the governor on speed dial kind of person, and the accused... is John B, who is... pretty much a homeless 16-year-old boy at the moment." He concluded. "Thanks." John B says.

"Shit." Pope says, sighing as he shakes his head. "Okay, man. Yucatan, alright? I'm saying that's the only option. What other option do you have?" JJ asked as he looks at John B.

"JJ... Enough with the Mexico bullshit. Sarah's gonna bail me out." He says as he looks at JJ. "She did witness the whole thing..." Kai stared at the roof of the car and both JJ and John B look at him. "Thank you." John B said.

"And she's gonna snitch on her brother?" Pope asked as he glanced back and JJ raised the cigarette he was smoking, looking at John B. "Not happening, bro. Okay? We've gotta get you off the island." JJ said to John B on the other side off Kai.

"The ferry. It's the only way." Pope says and JJ nods. "Yeah. Exit stage left while you still can. Before the entire island is on lockdown." JJ said, gesturing to the front. "Guys, just get down." Kie said and they did so as a cop car passes by.

"Sarah's not a Pogue, John B." Pope says as he looked in the back of the car. "Yeah. You can't stay here, man..." Kai looked over to his best friend who was staring out the car window.

As Pope went to check which ferry ride John B can hop onto until he walked back over with a paper in hand. "Okay." He says, getting closer. "Okay. Alright, no." He says, going to the other side. "Pope, can you act normal?" Kie asked him.

"So, um... okay, so, bad news. The ferry's closed, and there is this." Pope said before holding out a paper with John B's picture on it which Kie quickly took. "What is that? What is it?" John B asked as Kie hands the paper out to them in the back, "shit." She says as Kai took it from her.

"Oh..." Kai said in shock as he and JJ look at the paper. "Well, John B, uh... this is a good framer of you." JJ says before holding up the paper to show John B who just looks away.

"Okay, so the whole island's lookin' for John B right now." Pope says as Kie looks at him. "That's a lot of money." She says to the boys. "Congratulations, John B. You're now famous." JJ says, holding out the paper to him. "JJ..." Kai looks at him and the blond just stared back at him.

"Okay, guys. We got to get to the HMS. We need small, no running lights—" "It's at the Château, Kie." John B cut off the girl in the front. "And I wonder if the cops got the entire place staked out. Let me think. Oh, yeah. No. They definitely have that place locked down." JJ says as Kie rolls her eyes, turning to face the front of the car.

"Yeah, copy that."

"Let me think. Let me think. Just give me a second." Pope said to the other four teens in the car. It wasn't long after, "JJ." He says before turning in the car seat to face the two sitting side by side in the back. "What?" The blond boy says.

"Does your dad still have that boat? The cigarette boat, the Phantom. The one he used to race." Pope says and JJ glanced away. "Maybe." He looks back at the boy in the driver's seat. "You could get right up the coast, no problem." Pope says before turning back around. "Okay, look." Kie said but JJ glanced up at the two in the front.

"It's not going to be easy, Pope."

"The surf's running from three to four."

"I don't know where the keys are."

"Well, find them."

"I'm thinking."

"Why is nobody moving?" Pope said as he looked to the front of the car, at the car ahead of them. "Can you relax? JJ, how much weed did you give him?" Kie asked as John B whispers. "Guys. Your car's on here. It's on the poster."

Pope began honking the horn, "can we move it please?!" He exclaimed. "Pope! It's going to help!" Kie said. "Come on!" Pope says as he kept honking. "Dude, stop honking the horn!" Kai whispered in a harsh tone. "Shit." Kie says when she hears some kid talking and sees him pointing their way. "We got a snitch. Pope, turn the car on." JJ says. "Hey! He's right there!" A man was now at the side of the car in the back and Kai scoffs.

John B covers himself and Kie ushered Pope into turning the car on. "Go, go, go, go!" JJ shouts and Pope drives forward only to hit the car in the front. "Pope! Jeez!" JJ shouts as he looked to Kai right away to make sure he was okay.

"Dude, back up!"

Pope kept going forward beforr driving off the road and driving down a road. "Watch out! Pope, watch out!" Kie shouted but the boy hits a mailbox, which is clearly on purpose. "What the fuck?!" Kie exclaimed loudly. "I'm living my best life now." Pope says, sounding excited.

"My mom's going to kill me."

"I should be the last one to tell you this, but you are not okay to drive, dude. Stop!" JJ says and Pope looks over. "John B, get out." He said and JJ nods. "He's right. We'll draw the cops and you run." He says and Kai looked at John B.

"Shit." The boy says and got up, opening the back door. "I'll get the rig, and I'll meet you in the dump, tomorrow, okay? Three o'clock, okay?" JJ tells John B who nods. "Yeah." He says as he hops out of the car. "Three o'clock tomorrow at the dump!" JJ exclaimed before John B shut the door quickly and ran off into the woods.

authors note rafe sucks 😀👍