CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR:
FAMILIAR FACES
(episode four: homecoming)

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"YEAH, THEY'RE A BUNCH of fancy people," Kie declared the next morning.

Just after sunrise, an alarm set by Kie had woken up the four in the back. Haven could barely keep her eyes open in the early morning sun, but unlike JJ and Arden who snored away in the front, she was up and semi-conscious. It took Kie and Pope fifteen minutes to convince JJ and Arden to move to the back. Eventually, after a series of curses and grumbles, they settled down on either side of Haven and Brec, JJ with his feet on his cousin's lap as he snoozed against the window pane.

But fortunately for her, the address Pope had been given was only four blocks away. Kie took this as another opportunity to tell them more about what she'd discovered in her research on the Limbreys, but Haven could've guessed just by how nice the neighbourhood looked that these were no ordinary kooks. "They've had three governors in the family, and they've run Charleston for, like, three hundred years."

"Governors," Arden gasped in surprise, delirious enough that it was obvious she was still half-asleep. "Wow, Pope, you're about to be in the presence of royalty."

Pope sighed and shook his head, but didn't have the chance to retort as the GPS beeped and he pulled the van to a stop outside an elaborate house. Well, more of a mansion than a house, from the looks of it. It was triple the size of Haven's old home in Figure Eight, with a large yard fenced off by brick and an electronic gate. There was even a balcony on the freaking roof, allowing the Limbreys a clear view of the surrounding streets. It was nice, but it left Haven with a sinking feeling of resentment. So many people were suffering everyday, and these people probably had furniture made out of hundred dollar bills.

"These kooks make our kooks look like pogues," JJ breathed out in amazement.

"That's not a good thing," Arden scowled, eyes sharpening at the sight. "If our kooks are shitty, these ones are probably tyrants."

"Well, that's reassuring," Pope muttered.

Arden just smiled and shrugged. "I aim to please, Pope."

"Are we sure this is the place?" Brec asked. "There's no one waiting for you or anything."

"I mean, I'm pretty sure," Pope stammered, but glanced down at the letter just to double check. "Yeah. It's the same address."

"Alright..."

One by one, they filed out of the van. Haven sighed in relief as she stretched her arms over her back, spine cracking and popping from a night on an uncomfortable floor. She took a minute to observe the house as JJ dragged Arden out of the van, eyes lingering on the spikes that ran along the top of the giant fence. Her stomach sank, gaze finding Pope's when he noticed the same thing.

"There's no way you'd be able to jump over that if shit goes wrong," she said, gesturing to the spikes as JJ made his way over to her side.

"Oh, jeez," he winced. "Talk about home security. Are those spikes to keep people out?"

Slowly, Kie shook her head, brows tugged into a disgusted frown. "No," she sighed.

"The slave quarters are over there," Pope added, pointing over to a smaller building practically hidden in the shrubbery. "These spikes were to keep people in."

The Limbreys had owned slaves. It wasn't surprising considering who their ancestor was, but it was absolutely disgusting. This house had remained standing for three hundred years, and the current owners had done nothing to change the barbaric ways in which they existed. The spikes were still there for everyone to see, the quarters for the slaves still maintained. It made Haven sick to her stomach. The group was quiet now, having half a mind to get back in the van and head home. But they'd come there for a reason. If they just stuck together, everything would be alright.

"Come on," Pope said, stepping forward to pull open the gate. "Let's see what they want."

Haven's nerves only got worse the closer they were to the house. The building cast cool shadows down on the group, blocking out the sun as they stepped up onto the porch. For a second, nobody moved, afraid of what they'd find on the other side. In the end, it was Pope who knocked, the sound echoing sharply.

"You think that was too much?" he frowned.

"Well, it echoed the entire house, that's for sure," JJ commented at the same time as Arden said, "Hell no. You're making a grand entrance. Knock like you mean it, Po-Po."

Pope sighed at her. "Thanks for the advice, Arden, I'll keep it in mind."

Arden just shrugged, oblivious to the stressed out glint in his eyes. A couple more moments passed and no one answered. Haven looked around curiously. There was no car, but several of the windows were open, and a place like this surely had maids or a gardener or someone hanging around to hear them.

"Maybe no one's home?" Brec suggested. "We could come back later."

"We don't have time," Pope sighed, reaching out to knock again.

It was then that the door opened, an unfamiliar man standing on the other side. Haven frowned as he looked each of them over with a mocking smile, sandy hair a mess atop his head. Finally, his eyes settled on Pope, and his grin widened.

"You must be Pope."

"Um," Pope exchanged a nervous glance with the others, wondering just how this man knew what he looked like. "Are you Mr Limbrey?"

"Miss Limbrey was expecting you yesterday," he snapped, arms folded across his chest.

"Oh, uh. I'm sorry... my car broke down on the way up here..."

It was clear he was at a loss for words, looking to JJ, of all people, to help him out. The blonde stepped forward with a tight grin, saying, "Carburetor blew up in the middle of Nowheresville. Sorry about that."

The man (Mr Limbrey? Haven didn't know what to call him) didn't seem too happy to see JJ or the others, but entertained them for the time being. "Yeah, she was, uh... really upset when you didn't show up."

"Well, we tried to call, but there's no number on the invitation," Kie explained. "We got here as fast as we could."

"She also expected you to come alone."

Haven scoffed, ignoring the pointed glare he shot in her direction. Seriously, who the hell did these people think they were? What kind of teenage boy would willingly travel eight hours away from his home alone to see a stranger who sent him a weird letter? It was all of them or none of them, and that was that.

"I mean, these are my friends," Pope explained. "They helped me find the Royal Merchant too, so I―"

"Look, the instructions were explicit. Your friends can wait outside."

"No way," Haven and Arden both exclaimed. Arden's lips pursed at that, but she didn't comment on it as she glowered at the man, "We're a package deal. Take it or leave it."

"Okay then. You kids have a good trip home."

"Wait," Pope cut in pleadingly. The man sighed but paused before the door closed in their faces, waiting to hear Pope's final decision. "It's okay, guys. I got this."

"Yeah," Kie nodded, doing her best to smile when he turned to her for reassurance. "We'll be right here."

Haven's eyes darted down to Pope's hand as it reached out to squeeze Kie's fingers. "Keep the van running," she heard him request, voice low so that the man couldn't hear him.

And with that, he disappeared inside, the man finding great pleasure in slamming the door on them. Arden immediately sighed and stormed down the drive, clearly pissed off that the group was separated, especially in an important moment like this. Haven felt the same way but there wasn't much they could do about it. They just had to trust that Pope knew what he was doing, and that the Limbreys weren't bullshitting them.

"Look, if Limbrey is legit," Kie piped up after several minutes of tense silence. "Then Ward gets arrested and maybe Sarah gets the gold."

"Yeah, not if Rafe or Rose have anything to say about it," Arden muttered. Not once had she looked away from the house, barely even blinking just in case she missed something. Haven had to give it to her. She was determined. "There's no way they don't know about the gold now."

"Then we'll just steal it back," JJ shrugged. "We've done it before."

"Yeah, and look how that turned out," Haven sighed. Suddenly, movement by the front door caught her eye. She sat up sharply, nodding towards the driveway when everyone turned to frown at her. "Incoming."

Pope had left the house with the man from before, this time accompanied by an unrecognisable blonde woman. She looked to be around the same age as Haven's mum, if not a little older, though she was using a pair of crutches to walk properly. The presumed Mrs Limbrey barely spared even them a glance, but her lackey certainly did. He smirked, waving mockingly before grabbing onto Pope's arm and shoving him around the back of the house.

"Uh, does that look voluntary?" Kie frowned, hand already on the door handle.

"That would be a negative," JJ said. Kie and Arden immediately went to follow them, not even hesitating, but JJ quickly stopped them, eyes wide. "Wait. They're going into the alley."

Kie sat back in her seat, panic still evident but no longer as extreme. "Go around the back?"

"Yeah," he nodded, the van's engine roaring to life. "We'll meet them on the other side."

But upon circling the block to where Pope was supposed to be, they found nothing. Each of the alleyways were empty, and there were only a few locals out on the street at this hour of the day. Pope and the Limbreys had disappeared into thin air, and Haven had a terrible feeling they'd been lead right into a trap.

"Where did they go?" she mumbled, foot tapping restlessly on the floor. Brec reached for her hand in comfort, but still, Haven's heart continued to race. Had Pope been kidnapped? Had they really been fooled into sitting outside when their friend was in danger?

"Maybe they went underground," JJ suggested frantically. "Because in C.H.U.D, when they took people down into the sewers, it would turn the humans into humanoids 'cause of the radiation, and then all of a sudden―"

"JJ, focus," Arden snapped. "This isn't some shitty action movie."

"Right, sorry," he said, forcing himself back into the present. "Do you see him?"

"No."

"Fuck it, we're going to have to go on foot."

Quickly, they pulled over on the side of the road, scrambling out onto the pavement and nearly bowling over an elderly couple who were out for a morning stroll. The woman gasped as she helped her husband to his feet, but none of them stopped as they took off running around the corner. It took them a minute, but JJ eventually found the alley that would hopefully bring them to Pope, tugging on Haven's wrist as he called out for the others to follow him.

And it was a good thing he did. For if they'd waited a second longer, they would've found Limbrey's lap-dog using a taser on Pope. The two were males wrestling on the floor when the group rounded the corner, the taser just inches out of their reach. With a shout, JJ kicked it and Haven picked it up, pocketing it so there was no chance of the man getting it again.

"Pope, come on," she shouted, grabbing one arm while JJ yanked on the other. "Let's get out of here."

But a pissed off Pope was one who wanted to lash out. Haven couldn't help thinking of that day when Rafe cornered them, the look in Pope's eyes when he nearly strangled the life out of the older boy. That same glint returned now in Pope's stare as he landed a punch against the man's mouth, smiling once he groaned.

"Pope, just leave him," JJ exclaimed, finally managing to tug him away and towards the wall that lined the alley. "Come on, we gotta go."

One by one, they hopped over onto the other side. Fortunately, the van wasn't too far down the road, allowing them to jump straight in, JJ behind the wheel this time. He took off the moment the engine roared to life, the tyres screeching as they barrelled back out onto the main road. Kie was shouting for answers. Arden was searching Pope for any taser wounds. Haven and Brec were gasping for air. But they had Pope with them, in one piece, and now they just had to get out of there without the Limbreys tracking them down and kidnapping them.

"Shit," Kie cursed not even thirty seconds later. "I think he's following us."

"Are you kidding?" Haven groaned, and was sad to see that Kie was right. A lime green car was speeding after them, a man's figure in the driver's seat. "Oh, god, you're not."

"We've gotta lose him," Arden insisted, frowning when she noticed the signs that were lining the edge of the road. "Uh, JJ, sweetie... this is a one-way..."

"I know," he said, but didn't turn down any of the side streets. There were no other vehicles in the way yet, but there would be soon. And the only thing worse than kidnapping would be death. They needed to turn now.

"JJ, go that way," Pope insisted, smacking the smirking blonde boy on the arm as he noticed the car gaining on them.

"In a second, dude―"

"This is a one-way," they all chorused in frustration, just as a car turned out in front of them.

"JJ," Haven screeched in pure terror, clinging onto her seat for dear life. "JJ, fucking turn now!"

Finally, he listened to them. With an amused laugh, like this was some kind of joke to him, he spun the wheel hard and veered the van to the right. The oncoming car honked as he rattled passed them, then three people just had to be crossing the road right where they needed to go.

"Oh, god, we're going to die," Haven cried out, hands covering her eyes in fear.

"This is why JJ should never be allowed to drive the getaway car."

"God, those were people! Like, get out of the road, jesus christ!"

It was a complete mess, and Haven wanted out, but there was nowhere for them to even think about stopping. Limbrey's car had tailed them with ease, pretty much bumper to bumper with them as they continued to drive, now on the correct side of the road.

"That was an evasive driving technique right there, y'all," JJ yelled in delight.

"JJ Maybank, if this car chase doesn't kill us first, you are so dead," Haven screamed, but was cut off by him suddenly turning the wheel hard again, her head colliding into the side of the van. "Ow, come on, what the fuck!"

Suddenly, the van started to fog with smoke again, the engine failing and forcing them to stop. JJ's eyes went wide, all amusement gone as he turned on Pope, "You said he fixed the carburetor!"

"He did," Pope insisted as the group piled out into the alley, coughing and spluttering from the smoke. "What are we supposed to do now?"

"Well, number one rule, never trust mechanics," JJ exclaimed, leaning into the back to grab a handful of their bags. He passed one to Arden, then to Brec, just as the dreaded green car pulled in behind them and their pursuer stepped out. "Okay, we gotta go, people!"

Haven could barely breathe as she took off down the road, her hand reaching for the first person she could find in the haze of smoke. She just so happened to latch onto Kie, who barely noticed as she intertwined their fingers and tugged her along, nervously peering over her shoulder every so often.

"Guys, I think he has a gun," she suddenly shouted.

"Shit, get down!"

They quickly ducked around the corner, pushing their way through the now busy streets in search of somewhere to hide. "We might have to split up," JJ yelled then. "I don't know where to go, but we've gotta lose him."

"Are you out of your mind?" Arden screeched. "We are not splitting up. That's what all the idiots in horror movies do."

"Well, what are we supposed to do then, Arden?"

"Just run!"

JJ spun around to retort but ended up slamming right into an oblivious delivery driver. A tower of parcels scattered across the pavement, forcing the others behind him to jump over, yelping apologies that the driver just scowled at. They kept running until they found another alley, JJ leading them down it in the hopes the man would think they kept going straight. But their pursuer was too good, and he quickly caught up to them with a laugh.

"He's gaining," Pope cried.

"Fuck, I can't breathe," Haven managed to get out, spots starting to form in her vision.

"Come on, keep going," Kie insisted, pulling on her arm when Haven's feet stumbled.

The end of the alley was just metres away. The man was so close he could have grabbed the back of Brec's shirt if he reached far enough. They burst out onto a main road, Haven crying out in fright as the wheel of a bike nearly ran over her foot. She looked up, hands grasping the handle bars, and everything seemed to stop.

"John B?" she gasped, blinking like she wasn't sure if she was seeing this right. John B and Sarah were in Charleston? And they had a random girl with them? Why did she seem so familiar?

Suddenly, a gasp of glee slipped past Arden's lips. "Harlow? Is that you?"

The girl, who Haven assumed was named Harlow, just smiled and waved from her spot in the cart that was attached to John B's bike. What one earth was happening? Were they seriously just going for a bike ride around town? It was hard to believe, but there they were, smiling at her and the pogues in delight.

"Oh, my god..."

She wanted to reach out, to hug John B like she never would again. He was real. Sarah was real. This Harlow girl was real. They were alive, and god Haven had missed them so much. But there was still the matter of the Limbreys, and they had to get out of this first before having a proper reunion.

"Get in," John B quickly shouted as he spotted the man on their heels. Immediately, the group went for the cart, but quickly realised there were way too many of them and no chance that John B would be able to pedal a bike holding eight people not including himself.

"Look, you guys go," Arden declared, sharing a look with Harlow as she reached for her hand and helped her out. "We'll catch up with you."

"Arden," JJ began but was cut off by the man reaching the end of the alley. "On second thoughts..."

"Go," she exclaimed, then took off just a bit down the road with Harlow hot on her heels.

The rest of the group were quick to act as the man was joined by two other guys. Haven didn't recognise them, but John B and Sarah definitely seemed to. It was a tight fit, Kie and Brec squeezed in on either side of Sarah. Haven balancing on the edge and clinging to John B's shoulders for stability. Pope and JJ running along after them as they helped gain speed by pushing the cart. Haven could see Pope was beginning to stumble, then as the bike suddenly zoomed down the hill, his fingers slipped and he collapsed.

"Pope," she cried out in horror, the others doing the same as they noticed where she was looking.

But they needn't have worried, in the end. For suddenly, a motorbike veered around the corner with a screech, two familiar girls hollering on the back as Harlow smacked the back of the man's head with her bag and Arden tugged Pope up behind them. Fortunately, the bike was big enough to fit two thin teenage girls and a lanky teenage boy. Otherwise, they would've been in for it, what with JJ having to cling to the side of the cart and hoping for the best that his foot wouldn't get cut off by the spinning wheel.

"That's my girl," he shouted and beamed as Arden pulled up beside them.

"Race you to the end, JB?" she called out with a wink.

John B chuckled, the vibration shooting up Haven's arm as she almost slipped on the edge and clung to him even tighter. "Oh, you're on, Ardy," he exclaimed, beginning to pedal even faster. "You better hold on, Haven, we're winning this thing."

Haven just laughed as Arden whooped and took off down the road, Pope screaming in terror, John B rushed to catch up to her.

The pogues were back, and for just one moment, Haven really felt like one of them again.