——

After driving to the cut, Emelina felt her body grow cold when Kiara pulled her car down the dirt road belonging to JJ's house. She didn't like the idea of him seeing his father, but she had no room to speak.

All she wanted to do was go home and never see or think about JJ again... but she has no choice but to stay in the car with him until John B is free.

"Home sweet home," JJ spoke, his voice showering with sadness.

Kiara swallowed thickly as JJ took off his red cap to run his fingers through his hair. "Do you want me to come? 'Cause I'll come," she suggested.

"No," he whispered, opening his car door. "This will only take a second."

"JJ," Emelina called out and he slowly turned his head around to see her. "Be careful, please," she said and he nodded once before leaving.

When he got closer to his front door, he turned his head to the side to give an approving nod to the girls, and then he went inside.

"Okay, now are you going to tell me?" Kiara tilted her head to look at her brunette friend. Emelina rubbed her eyes, "I don't have anything to say. He's just being... JJ." she told her.

"Obviously you do have something to say if it's bothering you this much," Kiara pressed, feeling impatient.

"It's not bothering me, Kie. Can we drop it?" Emelina asked, leaning back on her seat and staring out the window.

Kiara shook her head. "No. No, what happened to us? We used to tell each other everything, and now? I barely hear anything from you anymore."

Emelina remained quiet, keeping her gaze on the green grass outside. She doesn't want to pour everything out at this moment, not when JJ could enter again any minute.

At the corner of her eyes, she spotted JJ walking out of the house. She searched for any injuries and he looked the same as before, except there were tears on his face. On cue, Kiara started the engine.

He opened the car door and inserted himself inside, sniffling slightly. Kiara broke the silence, "How'd it go?"

JJ breathed in, showing off the necklace with the boat key wrapped around his hand. He wiggled it, forcing a tight smile on his lips.

Kiara drove away and to the direction of where the boat was located. Emelina saw her face, how distressed she looked. Kiara kept pushing her hair away and looking around aimlessly.

"It'll be fine," JJ assured her, also noticing their nervous friend. "It's be fine with the Phantom. She'll get out of here quick."

"Woah, woah, woah." JJ gaped, motioning ahead at the multiply police cars blaring the sirens rushing past them. JJ ducked down, and Emelina brought her head to the side, covering it with her hair. 

When the last car flew by, Emelina moved her hair behind her ears and looked at her friends. "It's a good sign they're still looking." she said and Kiara nodded frantically. "Yeah, it is."

Another three police cars passed by, and each one kept making Emelina's heart pump faster and faster.

After driving around for a bit, they pulled up to a warehouse. The three stumbled out of the car and walk over to the big door, where JJ unlocked it and let the metal door slide to the side. "There she is."

The Phantom. It was huge, and Emelina widened her eyes at the sight. She slowly stepped in and followed after JJ.

"Hey, girl." JJ said to the boat as if it were a living thing. He ripped the tarp off the bow, "A 1983 Formula 402 SR1. The Phantom."

"JJ, I don't speak boat." Emelina said and Kiara let out a laugh next to her.

JJ rolled his eyes, continuing to shoot out facts. "The first boat to make the run to Bermuda in under 16 hours, guys." He put his hand on the craft, "40 years old! 40... And still the fastest thing that Kildare's ever seen."

"It's kind of a junker." Kiara shrugged and a smile formed on Emelina's lips, liking the way they're both teasing him.

"Really?" JJ said in a low voice, "She's right there, Kie. She can hear you."

Kiara rolled her eyes and spun around, almost having to laugh. JJ spoke up, "Let's just put it this way. You would not be smokin' weed right now if she never existed, okay?"

"Great analogy." Emelina said sarcastically. "I just hope it runs." Kiara stated.

"Oh, no, she'll run all right. She's faster than any cutters the boys in blue got." he said, connecting the boat to the end of Kiara's car.

The sound of a motorcycle approaching made Emelina let out a sigh of relief. Kiara jumped over the connectors. "Pope. Finally."

Emelina followed after her, not wanting to be alone with JJ. They got to the beginning of the boat and weren't met up with Pope, instead Rafe was in view. Emelina widened her eyes started feeling nervous.

"Hey, there. What's goin' on?" Rafe grinned, inching closer to them. "JJ? How you guys doin'?"

JJ was well aware of the boy that intruded them. Rafe climbed on the boat and a whistle was heard on the other side. Barry, the drug dealer they stole from, came from the side of Kiara's car. Rafe and Barry circled the three of them.

Barry cocked his gun in front of JJ and Emelina put her hands up automatically, along with the other two.

"See, don't think I forgot about me and you on the side of the road. I'm here because I want my motherfuckin' money." Barry spat and got in his face, punching and pushing him to the ground.

Kiara screamed out, but Rafe got ahold of her and picked her up, tossing her away. Emelina rushed over to Barry, trying to force him off of JJ. "Get off of him!"

Barry pushed JJ's head to the ground and stood up, turning around to face her. "Got somethin' to say, girl?"

She felt small at that moment, but she didn't want him to get his way. Using her hand, she slapped him across the face. "Leave," she said slowly, and her heart was racing.

Barry brought his head back, laughing in the process. "You think 'cause you're a Kook that you got some say around here?"

As her mouth opened to speak, Kiara's loud voice was heard. "You murdered Peterkin!" she said to Rafe.

Barry spun to listen, and then went back to kicking JJ around. "Where is my money? Huh?"

Emelina pulled his arm to stop him. As she did so, he brought his gun upward and pointed it at her. "I wouldn't do that if I were you. Stay put."

She swallowed thickly, and looked up to find Rafe choking Kiara. "Don't you ever say those fucking words again. Understand? Where's John B?" he said.

"Rafe! Let go of her!" Emelina screamed out, keeping her hands up since the gun was still in her view. She felt useless, watching JJ groan on the ground in pain and Kiara losing control of her body.

The gun was right there in front of her, but Barry was too busy paying attention to kicking JJ around to have full control of the gun in his hand. Emelina forcefully slapped the gun out of his grip, causing it to clatter to the floor. She quickly picked it up and aimed toward the basehead. "I said to get off of him."

"You wouldn't get your hands dirty." Barry taunted, calling her bluff. Emelina clicked the gun off of safety mode, "I beg to differ."

Barry stepped forward, but was knocked down to the floor by JJ grabbing his leg from below. Emelina tossed the gun across the warehouse, just in time for their other friend to come into place.

"Don't touch her!" Pope suddenly joined them, using a crowbar to hit Rafe's back. Emelina couldn't help but smile as Pope started punching back and forth with Rafe.

JJ grabbed Barry, shoving him against the boat. Emelina ran next to Kiara and intertwined their fingers. They watched the boys grunt with every hit they launch.

"Pope. Okay, Pope." Kiara said, trying to ease him but he kept throwing more punches to Rafe.

"Hey, Pope!" JJ overheard her and stepped in, but that didn't stop him. "I think you did him good, Pope." Emelina said to him.

"Snap out of it, man." JJ said. Pope got a rope and wrapped it around Rafe's neck, pulling him back. "Pope!" Kiara and Emelina yell in unison.

Each of them begged him to stop, knowing he was doing too much harm than good. Rafe, with blood trickling down his mouth, tried to free himself. JJ got behind Pope and desperately attempted to release Pope's fingers from the rope.

"Look at me!" Kiara shouted and Pope let go of rope, hyperventilating. Rafe fell to the ground and coughed vigorously.

"We need to leave, now." Emelina breathed out.

Kiara left to start the engine and JJ followed after. Emelina gulped, waiting for Pope to join them. He towered over Rafe and said one last thing, "Stay off the cut."

§

"Dude, where is he?" Kiara asked, pacing around the dock.

Emelina looked down at her hands, sitting on the dock next to the Phantom. She couldn't believe she threatened someone with a gun, and that alone made her sick to her stomach as guilt consumed her.

She felt a hand on her shoulder and found JJ crouched down next to her. "You good?" he whispered. In response, she shook her head, moving her shaky hands away from sight. "Not feeling the greatest, but we're here in one piece. That's all that matters."

"Give him a second. He'll be here." Pope assured Kiara, getting the boat ready for departure. JJ tapped on her shoulder a few times before standing up and going inside the boat to tear the tarp off. "He's coming. He'll be fine."

A police truck drove down to their spot, the siren growing louder and louder. "Shit," Emelina got up and wiped the dust off her shorts. How did they did them?

The group began to prepare to flee and JJ urged them to get on the boat. "Untie it!" he ordered Pope, and he did.

A cop didn't come out of the vehicle, and instead it was John B. "Wait... No way." JJ gaped.

"No f'ing way." Pope breathed out.

"Jesus, John B. You scared the shit out of us." Emelina laughed. "You've gotta be kidding me," JJ chuckled.

John B threw on a backpack and stepped closer to them. "Shoupe let me take it for a spin," he grinned.

"Okay. That's believable. I'll buy that for now." Kiara giggled and pulled him in for a hug.

"It wasn't easy, bro, but I got the Phantom for you, and she runs like she was made yesterday." JJ tossed him the keys and it jingled in the air, and John B caught it. "You ready to go?" JJ asked.

John B observed around. "Where's Sarah?"

"She's not with you?" Kiara questioned. "No," he said and turned to face them, "we got separated in the swamp. She said she'd meet me here."

"No, we haven't seen her." Emelina told him. He shook his head, "Okay, well, I'm not leaving without her."

"John B, look at me." JJ said from the boat and he walked closer so that he's towering over him. "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, lay low, all right? Hang out for a couple of weeks and then go overland, cross the border at Brownsville, you got that? Brownsville."

John B stared into nothing. JJ forced him to look into his blue eyes by cupping one side of his face. "Hey! You got that?"

John B nodded, "Yeah, yeah. Brownsville."

JJ climbed off the boat. "All right. Saddle her up, saltwater cowboy. Let's do this. Yeah."

Before John B could enter the boat, Emelina pulled him in for one last hug. She felt him chuckle, the sound vibrating through her body as he accepted the embrace. They pulled away and he whispered in her ear, "I trust you'll keep the group together, okay?"

Emelina nodded rapidly, feeling the tears fall down her cheeks. John B went on the boat and turned around, also crying himself. "Hey, I'm sorry for basically... throwing us off a cliff with this whole treasure hunt thing."

"Hey, John B, yo... we were bound to run off a cliff at some point, right?" JJ said and everyone laughed through their tears. "At least we did it together, though." JJ used his hands to group the three over to him. "Pogue style."

"Pogue style." John B repeated.

"Wait, JB..." Pope jumped up on the boat and handed him a ten dollar bill. "You win again."

John B furrowed his eyebrows, taking a moment to register what he meant. A chuckle escaped his lips when realization hit and he glanced over to JJ and Emelina, "I was right?"

Emelina felt stiff as she bit her lips, unable to think of how to reply to that. He was right, but bringing it up would only drive the awkwardness forward more. JJ didn't want to ruin the moment, so he nodded. "Yup, bro. You were."

"I would ask what bet y'all made again, but get out of here! Please." Kiara pressured him, avoiding the risk of being caught. "Now." Pope pointed to the ocean, "We'll see you in two months, down in Mexico."

"Love you." JJ grinned.

John B walked closer to the base of the boat before turning around. "Hey, wait... wait a second." In fits of tears he said, "Tell Sarah I said goodbye, okay?"

"I promise." Emelina nodded at him. JJ spoke up, "Don't forget. Cross the border at Brownsville, okay?"

"Got it," John B said and started the engine. All four of them pushed the boat, watching him drive away. Emelina hadn't known him for awhile, but she grew to love him as a family and it hurt to see him go, even though they'll meet again.

Emelina stepped away to regain her breathing and stop the tears from flowing. She wiped her eyes, turning around to hear Pope apologize to Kiara.

She sighed, wishing JJ would do the same, although he has nothing to apologize for. She just wanted to ease the tension between them, but she doesn't know how to. For now, she let the silence happen.

Pope stammered, "I'm sorry for... acting like a dumbass. I was just upset, and I was acting petty... and I just... just wanna be friends again." He held out his hand for her to accept.

The thunder rumbled above them as Kiara lured him into a hug. They pulled away, and Kiara leaned in for a kiss.

Emelina widened her eyes and looked away. Their kiss reminded her of her own with JJ, and she hated to be reminded of it.

Police sirens were approaching. "Hey, guys, I'm sorry to ruin the party, but, uh, we gotta go right now. Come on!" JJ said and pulled Emelina's arm since she was the closest. They stopped when multiple cop cars surrounded them.

Emelina brought her hands up as many authorities approach them. "Where the hell is he?" one of them asked, searching around for John B. None dared to answer.

"JJ? I see you're livin' up to your name." Shoupe told him. "Pope, how about you? Emelina, come on, how'd you get yourself tangled up in here? This isn't a fucking game! You can do the right thing now! Where'd he go?"