CHAPTER THIRTY: ALL THAT MATTERS
( episode ten: the phantom )

✲*'。

In the end, like the day before, it didn't actually take Arden that long to find Pope Heyward. This time Arden could happily report that he did not in fact run her over; thankfully.

When Arden has seen the bike speeding along the road, she didn't hesitate in jumping out into the middle of the road. Like she had predicted, Pope slowed down at the sight of her. The frustration was evident on his face as he just slowed the bike down enough for her to quickly jump on.

"Why aren't you with the others?" Pope shouted over the blur of the wind. He was intent on getting them back to their friends.

"Family thing!" Arden shouted back as Pope rounded the sharp bend.

"You got everything we need?"

"Yes, I did."

No more was said between the two of them as Pope continued the short journey to the garage. As they approached the building, Arden blaunched as Pope pulled her back roughly, pointing harshly to where they could see the outline of Rafe fucking Cameron.

"Fuck!" Arden hissed under her breath as anger lit up Pope's face.

"Here's what we do."

Just follow Pope's plan, that's all she needed the do. When Arden finally found a good enough wooden slate that would do some damage, she sprinted through the door behind Barry. She swung the slate at his ankles with as much strength as she could muster, cackling to himself as he howled in pain and JJ stumbled to his feet looking worse for wear. Behind her, Pope barrelled in through the other door, a metal pipe in his grasp that he used to swing at Rafe's back. He immediately released Kie, his other hand instinctively pressing down on the trigger of his gun.

Once she knew her friends were safe, Arden had snatched the gun out of Barry's hands and was screaming at him for touching the father of her baby. JJ, using his girlfriend's anger as a distraction, had pinned the drop-kick to the floor and was returning every bruise Barry had left him. Pope, running on the fumes of seeing his girlfriend almost shot, his friends constantly tortured by Rafe fucking Cameron, and the stress of life in general, was beating Rafe black and blue with the help of Kie. Haven sat frozen, Rafe's gun sitting at her feet with one less bullet than before.

"Pope," Kie suddenly cried, catching everyone else's attention. She'd backed away from the boy pretty quickly and was standing next to Haven. But Pope was still hitting, and he had no intention of stopping so long as Rafe's heart was beating. "Pope, stop!"

Arden and JJ rushed over, the former kneeling in front of Haven and snatching up the other gun too. No body could her friends again.

From the corner of her eyes, Arden saw Kie quickly searched for injuries before looking back at Barry to make sure he couldn't come up behind them. But she needn't have worried about him. He was out cold, and Rafe was almost the same way.

"Pope, snap out of it, dude," JJ screamed

Pope was trying to choke Rafe and it was only for his friends did he stop.

With their arrival to safe their friends, a new monster had been awoken in Pope Heyward, and for a moment it stared back at them like they were nothing but strangers. He stepped towards Rafe as Kie rushed off to help JJ hook up the boat to her car and get them out of there as quickly as possible. Only Haven and Arden heard his warning for the boy, but it would stick with them in the months to follow. Like everyone here, Pope had been changed, and neither of them were sure if it was for the better.

"Stay off The Cut."

And with thunder rumbling on the horizon as the last beads of sand began to slip away, the pogues were off to find John B again.

✲*'。

Blood stained Pope's shirt as they waited for John B to show up. It was Rafe's blood, the blood a killer. Arden couldn't help but wish they had done more damange to fucker; Rafe had fucking killed someone.

Arden barely noticed as Kie got up to pace in front of her and Haven as Pope and JJ finished rigging up the boat. For now, they needed John B to get there. He needed to be safe.

"Dude, where is he?" Kie sighed for the third time in the past ten minutes. He was late, but not late enough that it was too concerning.

"Just give him a second," Pope reasoned with her. "He'll be here."

"He's coming," JJ added firmly. "He's fine."

Was that faith or reassurance to fight off rising doubts? Haven couldn't tell anymore.

Almost like fate was toying with them, a siren pierced the air as one of the dreaded Kildare police vehicles screeched to a stop behind them. Haven and Arden immediately clambered to their feet, clutching each other's arms as the others came running towards them.

"Get back on the boat," JJ demanded and attempted to usher them on board The Phantom.

Alas, there was no reason for them to worry. For the driver of the police van was none other than John B Routledge. Of course John B stole a fucking police car to get away. If he was going down, he might as well go down in style. Soon, Arden couldn't help but join in on Haven's laughter, the two sharing a tired smile as he ambled up to them with a backpack slung over his shoulder like this was nothing more than a group of friends taking the boat out for fishing.

"Shoupe let me take it for a spin," he smirked, pausing to hug Kie close before doing the same for Haven and Arden. Arden couldn't help but cling to his arms, trying her best to remember the security they provided her. The warmth in his arms as he clung back to her. Despite all their fights, despite all their teasing, Arden and John B had been like brother and sister.

Arden would really fucking miss her brother.

"It wasn't easy, bro, but I got The Phantom for you," JJ proudly declared as John B pulled away. "And she runs like she was made yesterday."

"Surprisingly," Haven drawled, mustering a smirk as JJ glared at her.

"Haven likes to doubt it, but I know she'll get you outta here," he insisted. "So, are you ready to go?"

John B looked around for a moment, a confused frown tugging at his brows. "Where's Sarah?"

"She's not with you?"

"No, we got separated in the swamp," he exclaimed in a panic. "She said she was gonna meet me here."

"Well, we haven't seen her, man," Pope said, only to be cut off by the boy stubbornly shaking his head, "Okay, well, I'm not leaving without her."

Awkward silence followed as the group exchanged an uncomfortable glance. John B couldn't pass up this opportunity. They didn't know if they'd ever find him another one. It sucked that Sarah wasn't there, but he couldn't wait for her anymore. She made her choice, and he had to make his.

"John B, look at me," JJ sighed. "I know you feel bad for leaving, but there's no time, man. You've got plenty of gas, you've got plenty of food. Once you get around that point, it's a straight shot across the sound to Dismal Swamp, okay? Once you get there, just lay low, alright? Hang out for a couple of weeks and then go overland, cross the border at Brownsville, you got that? Brownsville." For a moment, John B said nothing, just staring wistfully over JJ's shoulder like he expected Sarah to come running out of nowhere. "Hey! Brownsville, you got that?"

"Yeah, yeah," he repeated shakily. "Brownsville."

It was time. Pope, Kie and JJ prepared to push the boat out into the marsh for him. This was their goodbye. The best friend they wouldn't get to see for a long time. John B stood at the front with tearful eyes, and he quickly reached for JJ's shirt to stop them for one last moment.

"Hey," he said. "I'm sorry for basically throwing us off a cliff with this whole treasure hunt thing."

In the chaos of the past few days, it was easy to forget that above the mystery of the Royal Merchant and everything that followed, the pogues were best friends. They'd never have those moments again, where the pogues were all together. This hug was the last, this smile was the last.

"John B, we were bound to run off a cliff at some point, right?"

"Knowing our luck, I'm surprised it didn't happen sooner," Arden added, to which everyone laughed.

"And at least we did it together," the blonde boy said, throwing one arm around Arden and the other around Haven. The girls drew Pope and Kie in close, staring back at John B as he openly began to cry.

"Pogue style."

He began to prep the boat again, Arden barely listening as the others gave instructions on where they'd meet up with John B in the coming months. Instead Arden committed to memorising his face to her memory. She hated goodbyes and didn't want this to be the last time she saw her brother. It was really only when John B mentioned Sarah that she paid attention again, heart hammering in her chest.

"Tell her I said goodbye, okay?" he pleaded.

"Of course, JB," Arden was quick to say.

As he drifted away, out of their lives and she was escorted into the back of Shoupe' car the knowledge that her best friend was enough to force away the lingering fear of the unknown.

He was safe. That was all that mattered.

✲*'。