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CHARLOTTE'S HEART RAMMED into her ribcage as she heaved a deep breath, an overwhelming anxiety overtaking her as she watched JJ slip into the tree line. Chaos surged on behind them, destruction and violence as the Pogues watched their best friend run from captivity. 

"Holy fuck," she whispered, tears of frustration pricking at her eyes as she raked a hand through her hand. "Holy fuck."

John B looked over his shoulder at the scene unfolding in front of town hall. "We have to go," he declared. "Now."

Charlotte knew what he was saying was correct, they needed to find JJ before Shoupe and his officers did. But she couldn't just leave Rafe here. She was done leaving him behind. 

As if she had called out to him, Rafe's voice cut through the chaos. "Charlotte!" The fact that she heard it over all of the noise was a miracle in and of itself. 

She turned, heart surging at the sight of him coming toward her through the crowd. He was no longer handcuffed, another miracle that they so desperately needed. "Rafe!" She called back, her feet already moving toward him. 

He had her in his embrace within seconds, holding her tightly against his tense body. "You okay?" He wondered, stepping back slightly to check her body for any sign of harm. 

"Yeah," she nodded, her eyes falling to his bare wrists. "What happened to the cuffs?"

A smirk ghosted his lips. "They had bigger things to worry about."

The short reprieve Charlotte had felt upon seeing Rafe was instantly gone. She needed to go. JJ needed her. 

Looking over her shoulder, the rest of the Pogues were waving her on, begging for her to join them. "I have to go," she announced, untangling herself from Rafe's hold. 

A line formed between Rafe's brows as he surveyed the Pogues, surely noting the missing link. "Where's Maybank?"

"That's the point," Charlotte answered, giving her head a small shake. "We don't know."

Rafe's hand slipped from her arm, his fingers intertwining with hers. "Come on," he prodded, eyes set forward as he began for the Pogues. 

Charlotte's heart dropped slightly, unsure of what was about to happen. "What are you doing?" She demanded, forced to two step in order to keep up with his long strides. "I have to go."

"Let's go," Rafe ordered, he wasn't speaking to her this time but to her friends who were all staring back at him with furrowed expressions. 

"What?" Kiara snapped, looking between Rafe and Charlotte, noting their tangled fingers. Charlotte pulled her hand from Rafe's holding it behind her back as if to prevent herself from returning it to where it belonged. 

Rafe let out an agitated sigh as if they were all supposed to know what he was planning. "You're looking for Maybank...right? Good luck doing that in that abomination you call a vehicle," he nodded toward the Twinkie. "The cops will be all over you quicker than you can get the damn thing started."

John B scoffed, "Awesome, Rafe. Because what we needed was for you to come over her and insult us right now."

"I have a truck," Rafe continued, speaking to all of them as if they were idiots. "You can find him on a set of wheels quicker than you can running around with your fucking sneakers that look like they're skimming pavement."

Charlotte pinched his forearm, sending him a warning look when he looked down at her. 

Rafe let out a sigh, clearing his throat. "Sorry," he muttered. "What I'm trying to say, is that I'm willing to help you find him."

"Why?" Cleo blurted, asking the question they all asked anytime it seemed that Rafe was willing to help them -- which by Charlotte's count was twice in the last twenty four hours. New record. 

"Charlotte." Pope answered, his eyes on the Carrera girl.

Charlotte's cheeks heated under the attention that had been placed on her. She couldn't deal with those emotions right now. 

"Doesn't matter," she answered. "This is our best shot at finding JJ."

"She's right," Kiara agreed, moving to stand next to her sister as if choosing sides. "Let's go."

The other four stood in place, three against four. Until finally, John B let out a deep exhale, one that dropped his shoulders. "Alright then, let's go."

─☼☼☼─

It might have been the most awkward situation Charlotte had ever been in, and that was saying a lot at that point in her life. 

No one had said a word as they all piled into the truck. In fact, John B had basically been sulking like a child who didn't get their way as Rafe drove them toward town where JJ had inevitably gone. 

"I can't believe we're trusting him right now," John B muttered to Sarah from the back seat. "Top ten dumbest things we've ever done."

"Doubt that," Rafe countered from next to Charlotte in the front, making eye contact with John B through the rearview mirror. "You guys have done some of the stupidest shit I've ever seen and I don't think this even comes close."

Charlotte leaned forward slightly, scanning the streets around them. "Would everyone just stop yapping and keep an eye out for JJ."

As if on cue, an explosion from a few streets over lit up the night sky in an array of orange sparks. Panic surged through Charlotte as she gaped out the front window, unease crawling through her. 

"Holy fuck," Rafe muttered. 

Charlotte sucked in a deep breath, sharing a nervous glance with her sister who sat next to her in the front. "That came from Main Street," Charlotte declared, "Turn here, Rafe. It's faster."

She felt like she was going to be sick as Rafe did as she said. No one in the truck said a word as they tried to prepare themselves for whatever they were about to stumble upon. 

Nothing could have prepared Charlotte for the carnage she saw when Rafe turned onto the main street. 

Everything, and when she said everything she meant everything, had been destroyed. Shop windows, cars, garbage cans, bicycles left locked up outside. Everything. 

"Do you see him?" Kiara demanded as the six of them piled out of the truck. Rafe remained in the driver's seat, examining the damage from the safety of his truck. 

The cops and crowd from town hall weren't far behind. Police lights blended with the orange hue left from the exploded fuse box, the sound of the crowds unrest filling the night. 

John B shook his head as people surrounded them, forcing the six of them apart slightly. "He must have taken off already!" He answered, forced to raise his voice above the chaos. 

"He is in so much shit," Charlotte gawked, still in disbelief that JJ had caused all of this. 

Cleo rose a brow, "With you or the cops?"

"Both," Charlotte muttered. If JJ hadn't been in shit with Shoupe before, he certainly was now. This was bad...like really bad. 

The crowd from town hall saw their opportunity to loot and took it. Within seconds the store fronts that JJ had destroyed were being looted. From surfboards to jewellery, everything was being taken. It was complete and utter anarchy. 

"Everybody go the hell home if you don't want to be arrested!" Shoupe demanded over the speaker. "Now!"

"Where the hell is he!?" Kiara questioned the other Pogues. "Where would he go?"

It was John B who cracked the code before anyone else. "I think I know where he's going, guys. Come on." He urged, already taking off toward where Rafe's truck was parked on one of the side streets. 

Charlotte knew it wasn't the time, but that fact that the Pogues and Rafe were actually somewhat cordial made her happier than it should have. 

"Drive," John B ordered Rafe once they were all inside the vehicle. 

Rafe spun around to face him, an incredulous expression on his face. "I'm not your fucking Uber driver."

"Good thing," Pope muttered. "I'd give you a one star review."

Okay...that was more like the norm. 

"You losers can fucking walk then--"

Charlotte sent Rafe a look before turning to face John B. "Where to?"

A shaky exhale flew from John B's lips. "Dale Zeasy's office."

Dread filled Charlotte as she turned back around, closing her eyes for a moment. "Of fucking course."

Silently, Rafe started the truck and took them where they needed to go. 

"What do you think he's gonna do?" Kiara wondered nervously. "How bad do you think it'll be?"

"After seeing the main street?" Pope muttered, "I think it'll be bad. 

Sarah nodded, "Really bad."

Not wanting to discourage her little sister any more, Charlotte kept her mouth shut. But she agreed with Pope. JJ had finally broken. All of his reckless actions over the past year and a half had led him here, to this moment. There was no coming back from this one. 

He'd been spiralling for months, and this was the nail in the coffin. 

Just as John B had predicted, the front door to Dale Zeasy's real estate office was wide open, alarm blaring, as Rafe's truck pulled up to the building. 

Shoupe and his officers had beat them there by mere seconds, their cruisers just having come to a stop. 

The seven of them, this time Rafe joined them, hurried out of the truck. 

Chaos still ripped on on the streets around them. Firecrackers were being set off, cars vandalized, and people ran every which way. Charlotte had never seen Kildare in so much disarray. 

"Shoupe!" Pope called as the group of them rushed toward where a police perimeter had been set up. "Shoupe, he's not going to do anything!"

A crew of officers stepped into their path, holding all six of them back from advancing any further. "Y'all need to stay back," Shoupe ordered, fixing them each with a stern look of warning. "If you don't have a badge then stay the hell back!"

Charlotte tucked her hands under her chin, watching in pure worry as Shoupe positioned himself next to one of the cruisers, megaphone in hand. "Alright, JJ!" Despite the megaphone, he was still forced to yell over the noise of the crowd that had gathered. "This is what I was talkin' about, son! You've gone too far. We've got a serious situation! I told you this shit would happen and here we are!"

A firecracker shot by Charlotte's head, forcing her to duck before looking around incredulously for the idiot who had fired it. She had no luck. 

"You okay?" Rafe wondered from directly behind her. She couldn't tell if he was here for the show or to support her. She hoped it was the latter. 

She gave a small nod, refocusing on the officer where JJ was. "Fine."

"I need you to put down any, and all weapons, you may have!" Shoupe ordered JJ, "Or you will get shot!"

Panic literally jarred Charlotte, her body jerking slightly from the initial shock. "Shoupe, what the hell!?" She screamed over the noise. "Are you serious right now?"

Shoupe ignored her, his attention soley on JJ. "And I don't want that. So just come on out with your hands up!"

Silence struck for a moment, except it wasn't really silence. Chaos still stormed on around them, but for the six young adults waiting to see what would happen to their best friend, it felt like silence. 

"JJ, listen up son--"

For the first time since they'd arrive, JJ's voice was heard from inside the building, cutting off Shoupe. "No, you listen up, Shoupe!" He screamed, his voice full of so much raw emotion Charlotte felt her heart clench in her chest. "I'm not just gonna come out there so you can take what's ours and let them win...again! It was ours, fair and square! So I have a right to fight for what's mine!"

"Look, JJ!" Kiara screamed, her voice starling Charlotte. "Can you hear me? Just do what they say!"

JJ's answer came instantly. "No! I'm done kissing the feet of people who've taken from me my entire life!"

Kiara shook her head, looking to her older sister. "He's not going to listen. You have to do something!"

"Shoupe, since when has vandalism ever required you to shoot someone?" Charlotte argued, hoping he would listen to her this time. "This is ridiculous!"

"You can't shoot him!" Kiara pleaded. 

Shoupe barely even glanced their way as JJ continued speaking. "Y'all might have given up," he was addressing his friends this time. "But I'm not done fightin'! So Shoupe, you want me? You're gonna have to come and get me!"

"Jesus, JJ!" Charlotte yelled toward the office as his figure could be seen moving toward the back of the building. "This isn't going to fix anything!"

"JJ!" Shoupe shouted, forgoing the megaphone this time. "Just listen to the girls and come on out, alright?"

Another firecracker went whizzing by the group, and Charlotte didn't miss the fact that Rafe shielded her body with his own. He was directly behind her at this point, and Charlotte wasn't embarrassed to admit that she leaned into him for comfort. Lord knows she needed it at that point. 

"JJ!" Sarah called, her voice mixing with the dozens of others that were yelling. 

"Shoupe, what are we doing?" One of his officers questioned? He was a young guy, and Charlotte was pretty sure she might have even gone to high school with him at one point. 

For the second time that night, sparks flew. 

It was from deeper within the house, to the point that no one could see where the source actually was. 

"What the hell was that?" Shoupe asked, begging the question they were all wondering. 

As he took off toward the house, the younger officer follow him, weapon drawn. "I got a bead on him, Sheriff!" He declared, his gun raised directly toward the open front door. 

The breath caught in Charlotte's throat as her heart felt like it had dropped into her stomach...there was a chance she was about to watch her best friend get shot. 

"What the hell are you doing!?" She yelled, as if he protests were going to get them anywhere. 

From her right, Charlotte saw movement, and by the time she fully registered what was happening, Pope was already halfway across the lawn and to the officer. 

"What the hell is he doing!?" Kiara exclaimed. 

"Oh fuck," Charlotte whispered, eyes widening in realization of what he was doing. 

All five of them yelled out for him to stop, but he didn't listen to a single one of them.

Within seconds he was barrelling into the young officer, tackling him onto one of the police cruisers. 

And then the dam broke. 

The officer holding back the crowd had no chance, as the chaos turned to pandemonium. 

The Pogues were the first to break formation, all of them rushing toward where Pope was being restrained by another officer. The rest of the crowd followed them, just keen to participate in any mischief. 

Pope was instantly handcuffed, much to the chagrin of the Pogues who were desperately pleading for his release. But it was to no avail. Pope was thrown into the back of the cruiser while Shoupe and the trigger-happy officer went inside. 

"Lottie," Rafe declared, voice carrying over the noise. "I don't think you should be here right now." Genuine concern was written in his features as he looked at the distressed look on his ex-girlfriend's face. 

Charlotte appreciated his concern, but it was pointless. "I have to be."

Seconds passed, and then minute, before Shoupe emerged from the house-- without JJ in tow. 

"Shoupe, where the hell is JJ?" John B demanded. 

The sheriff looked utterly exhausted as he shook his head slightly. "Now, don't y'all worry about that. Worry about the fact that your buddy over there assaulted an officer while he was performing his duty. That's a felony!"

Charlotte couldn't help the scoff that escaped her lips, "Yeah, probably because your buddy over there had his gun pulled on a nineteen year old kid who broke a few fucking windows! He had his gun out for no reason!"

Shoupe fixed her with a look that would have most shrinking back. "Watch it, Charlotte. I'm serious." He warned before turning back toward where Pope was handcuffed in the back of one of the vehicles. "You're in a world of trouble, Pope. Book him!"

"He's not here," One of the officers who had just exited the house told Shoupe, clearly not intending to be overheard. "He vanished."

Kiara looked to all of them, eyes wide. "He's on foot. We have to find him."

─☼☼☼─