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𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗵𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗶𝘅𝘁𝗲𝗲𝗻: 𝗴𝗼𝗼𝗱𝗯𝘆𝗲, 𝗶𝘀𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗲

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Cassie never thought that she would be wanted for a murder she never committed. As Emery would put it, this was like something out of a movie but this wasn't a movie for Cassie.

This was her real life.

She was on a stolen police boat with a large gash in her abdomen, not only running from the cops because she and JJ had destroyed downtown but because they were also framed for murder.

When they had been asked by Genrette to find that godforsaken amulet, she never thought this would happen. She really should have seen it coming because of everything that went down in the past, but that was when she was sixteen. Now she was nineteen and still dealing with the same bullshit and it was somehow even worse than before.

She just hoped that they would be able to get to Morocco, teach Groff a much needed lesson, and find this Blue Crown to save their home and their lives.

John B sailed the pontoon into the marina. They had nothing to hide themselves with on the boat since it was so small, so they hoped people wouldn't see Pogues sitting on a police boat and become suspicious.

"All right, guys, we gotta boost a boat that can make it to Morocco. Take your pick. We got a lot to choose from," JJ said to them as they looked around at the all the docked boats.

"So, we're just gonna steal a boat then?" Emery inquired.

"We kinda got no choice, Em," Cassie told her. She usually never cared that much whenever they had been doing something illegal, but stealing a boat was something huge. Especially at the crowded marina where Kooks were wandering all over and the cops were already looking at them.

"My mom's gonna kill me," Emery muttered with a wince.

"Your mom is gonna kill me, too," Cassie added with a shake of her head.

"What about that one?" Sarah suggested, gesturing to a boat with her head.

"It's a flat hull. It's not gonna make it across the ocean," John B told her. "Also, they break down all the time."

"That boat looks familiar," Emery said as she pointed over to a smaller boat, making them all look over at it.

"Hey, that's Rafe's new boat," Kiara realized from when he had stopped by the shop and gave her his CEO card.

"Oh, that's where I recognized it from," Emery nodded to herself.

"It's nice," Cassie shrugged, making JJ side-eye her. "Oh, what, I can't say it's nice?" She questioned since she had seen him do it and he just shrugged, turning away. She rolled her eyes. "Whatever. It might be Rafe's, but it's still nice."

"I'd be with you on that one, but the reality is, it's not going to make it across the ocean either. It's not big enough. Groff would nab the crown before we were halfway to Morocco," John B explained.

"So, you're saying we can't steal Rafe Cameron's boat although he might really deserve it?" Cassie slowly spelled out.

John B gave her a forced grin. "That's exactly what I'm saying," he confirmed and she let out a groan. "Didn't you already steal one of Rafe's boats once?"

"Okay, yeah, but that was like two years ago," Cassie defended herself. "And if I didn't, I might not be here right now, so, like...Suck it."

"She's got a point," Kiara agreed and John B let out a scoff mixed with a laugh.

"What about this baby right here?" JJ pointed to a ship called Lost Boy.

"You know that's, like, a two million dollar boat," Pope piped up.

"It's pretty," Sarah commented with a shrug.

"Big engine," John B added.

"I think that's the one," Kiara concluded.

"You know, we could all go to jail for taking a boat like that," Pope reminded them.

"I'd rather go to jail for stealing a boat than for murder," Cassie pointed out, giving him a look.

"And Pope, you're gonna go to jail for things you already did," Cleo countered and Cassie pointed to her in agreement.

"Nothin' to worry about. We're just gonna borrow it," JJ assured them before he jumped onto the larger boat. He tied a rope around the metal hook so the police boat they were one wouldn't float away. "All right, come on."

JJ reached his hand out and Cassie took it as he helped her onto the boat, making her groan a little from her the wound in her side. "You good?" He asked her.

"Yeah. Fine," she told him and he nodded after a moment of analyzing her as the others climbed aboard.

"Looks like nobody's home," Cleo said as she scanned the boat with her eyes.

"I'll go look for keys," JJ told them as he took his hand away from Cassie's.

"Let's make this fast, guys," Kiara urged.

The boys had climbed up to the wheel while the girls stayed below, letting them do the dirty work. The boat had been a newer one so they hadn't been used to the controls from always having older boats that were more affordable and less confusing.

"Okay, so, like, my mom has no idea we're trying to get to Morocco," Emery told the girls. "Is that bad?"

"Well, you're an adult, so it should be fine, right?" Sarah pointed out.

"Well, yeah, but if she finds out I left the country without telling her, then she's gonna be pissed," Emery told her. "And I also have my play that I'm definitely gonna be dropped from for not going to rehearsal and now we're running from the cops and—"

Kiara grabbed the girl's shoulders. "Whoa, slow down. It's fine. Once we get this Blue Crown, you can pay to make your own plays," she told her to calm her down.

Emery looked up as the blue sky, humming as she thought about it. "Oh, yeah, you're right. No, it's fine. It's totally fine."

Kiara shook her head at her as she brought her hands down, looking up toward where the boys were since the boat was still not moving. "What's taking so long?" She yelled to the boys.

"I'm trying to figure it out!" JJ replied.

"Well, figure it out better!" Cassie told him.

"I can't just figure it out better, Cass! That's like telling me to—"

"Focus, JJ!" She heard Pope say to JJ and she just shook her head at them, not knowing why they couldn't just figure the shit out and they could get the hell out of there.

Cleo peered out onto the dock, seeing cops suddenly making their way toward the marina. "Shit. Coppers! Coppers!" Cleo warned them all.

The Pogues turned toward the dock to see the cops running down it toward the boat they were on as Kooks pointed at it, snitching on them.

"JJ Maybank and Cassandra Blake, we have a warrant for your arrest!"

"Shit, guys, go!" Cassie urged as the Pogues all ran back down to the police boat since it was clear the boys weren't able to start up the Lost Boy properly.

"We still gotta find a boat to get to Morocco," Pope said as they made their back onto the pontoon one-by-one.

"Yeah, but first we gotta ditch these cops," Cleo responded.

Cassie got onto the boat with the help of John B and Pope before she looked over her shoulder, seeing that JJ was still on the Lost Boy. "JJ!" Cassie shouted at him since the cops were drawing nearer.

"I'm coming, I'm coming!" He said as he got the rope off. The others began to yell at him as well before he managed to get back on the boat.

"This is the Kildare Police! Come out slowly! Hands in the air!" They heard the cops shout from the other side of the boat they just hopped off of.

John B tried driving the pontoon before Cleo pushed him out of the way. "I got it! We gotta go fast! All right, everyone, hold on!"

Cleo sped the police boat down the water as they heard the sounds of sirens back on the land. They looked back toward the dock, noticing a cop running down it to try to get closer to them.

"Ah, shit. That guy," Pope expressed in annoyance, recognizing the cop to be the one he had pushed down in order to save Cassie and JJ back at Zeasy's.

"What are you doing?" Sarah questioned JJ, who had pulled out an orange emergency container.

"What is that?" Kiara asked.

"What is he doing?" John B mumbled before JJ pulled out a flare gun from the container.

"JJ!" Sarah raised her voice.

"JJ, what the hell are you gonna do with that?" Cassie pressed with wide eyes.

"What do you think?" He responded before he aimed the flare gun toward the dock where the officer stood.

The Pogues gasped and Cassie looked toward the dock, seeing that the officer had pulled out a real gun, not a flare gun. "JJ, stop!" She bellowed, but it had been at the same time JJ decided to fire the flare.

Cassie's eyes widened as she watched the officer point his gun straight at JJ right before Mike Carrera came running from out of nowhere, pushing the cop into the boat next to the dock just as he fired his real gun.

The Pogues all gasped again as they ducked down trying to shield themselves from the bullet. Once they realized none of them had been hit, they started to look around to see where it had gone.

Cassie panted heavily as she gaped, utterly shocked that Mike Carrera had just saved JJ's life. She turned to Kiara, who was making eye contact with her father, also with a disbelieving expression.

Mike had refused to give JJ a chance from the moment Kiara was dragged down into an unlawful mess all those years ago, but now he had just saved JJ's life? Were pigs going to be flying now?

"Are you crazy?!" Pope screamed, snapping Cassie out of her stunned daze.

"You're welcome," JJ replied.

"JJ, you could have just gotten yourself killed if it weren't for Kie's father!" Cassie yelled, gesturing over to Kiara who looked away from her father and back at the others once they steered away from the dock.

"Remind me to thank him when we get back then," JJ retorted and Cassie scoffed at him. Did he just not care he could have been shot?

"We're leaking!" Pope realized as he looked at the side of the boat.

"What?!" Sarah exclaimed.

"You're kidding!" Emery groaned.

"Why, JJ?" John B complained.

"Ah, shit, man!" Cleo cursed.

"They shot the boat."

"Damn it."

"They shot the boat!" John B repeated, giving JJ a frustrated look. Pope quickly made his way over to the leak on the side of the boat, covering it with his hands to stop it from deflating any faster. "Check for a patch!"

"I'm looking!" JJ shouted back angrily at John B, going through the orange container that he found the flare gun in.

"I need something to cover it up! Hey, we're losing air. We gotta get somewhere fast," Pope told them.

"Head into the moor, okay?" JJ suggested, still sifting through the container even though he wasn't able to find anything. "Fuck!"

"Let me see it!" Cassie demanded as she tugged the container away from the boy.

"If I didn't find anything, you're not gonna find anything!" He pointed out.

"Let me just see!" She said and JJ groaned, allowing her to have the container to herself. She searched the container, only to find that there really were no patches to cover the hole. "Damn it!"

"See, I told you!" JJ held his hand out.

"Shut up!" Cassie barked.

"Oh, you want me to shut up? You really want me to—"

"Guys!" Kiara cut in before they could get into a couple fight. "Not the time!"

The couple narrowed their eyes at one another before JJ moved toward the front of the boat, away from everybody else. Cassie sucked in a breath, shaking her head at him.

He had been acting harshly to her ever since he decided to drink back at March's Point and now he had almost gotten himself killed for no reason. It was safe to say she was pissed.

Cleo steered the boat toward Bonner's Landing as the air in the boat deflated fast, causing the boat to sink down at one end. "Look, we've gotta beach her, guys. This thing is sinking," Cleo told them.

"The cops will be here any minute. We've gotta fix this thing fast," John B pointed out.

"Fix it with what?" Pope replied before Cleo guided the boat onto land where the sand and grass mixed together.

Cleo hopped out in the water to examine the hole the bullet had made as the others also got out, walking through the water to get onto land. "Really, rude boy? Look what you did."

"They would've hit us with a couple more if I didn't fire," JJ tried to argue.

"You shot at them first," Cleo remarked. "She's done. Not coming back."

Kiara held her hand up, shaking her head. "Great."

"How are we gonna get out of here now?" Pope complained.

"I don't know, why don't we ask JJ over here who decided to shoot a flare gun at a cop?" Cassie said in frustration, gesturing over to JJ, who had been swinging his arms back and forth and looking at the deflated pontoon.

He turned to her. "He was gonna shoot at us first, Cass? Don't you understand that?" JJ replied with wide eyes.

"No, I don't! If you didn't pull out the flare gun, he would've never pulled out his gun! You could have gotten shot by doing that, JJ!" Cassie raised her voice at him.

"Here we go, all right," JJ muttered before he walked closer to her. "I fired a flare over their head, yeah, to slow them down, which is exactly what it did."

Before Cassie could respond, John B decided to step in front of her as he stared JJ down. "You realize we're all in danger now? All of us. All of us are screwed," John B said to him in a serious time.

"Can this wait? We're trying to figure out how to get out of here," Kiara called out to them as she, Pope, Cleo, and Emery stood around each other to think of a possible game plan.

"I didn't ask any of you guys to come help me, all right? I didn't want any of you to come follow me!" JJ continued anyway, his voice growing louder.

"Follow you?" John B repeated.

"Yeah, follow me!"

"You think we had any other choice, JJ?" John B questioned in his face and JJ looked away, shaking his head with his lip jutted forward. "What about Pope, huh? He just threw away his whole life for you!"

JJ turned to Pope. "Pope, I don't know why you did what you did, man, okay? I didn't ask you to do that! I didn't ask you to involve yourself, John B." He faced the Routledge boy again, his voice quieting down. "But, no, it's always my fault. Always."

"Yeah, it is your fault. It is your fault!" John B agreed with him.

Cassie sighed, thinking that this was going a bit too far although she was also furious with JJ. "Okay, John B, that's—"

"Just like the Enduro was your fault, JJ!" John B went on, interrupting the Blake girl.

"Okay, then, go!" JJ screamed, his voice hoarse. "All right, I'll take the hit! I'll gladly do it too, all right?! Because my life is already over in the first place."

"JJ, that's not true," Cassie said as she pushed past John B. "You have me, okay?"

"I won't. Not when you're going to leave so you can save yourself and I can take the fall for you," JJ replied, shaking his head.

"Who says I'm gonna leave? Yeah, I'm fuckin' pissed right now, but I'm not leaving you, JJ. Not ever," she emphasized, her eyes burning with passion.

"You should," JJ stated and her stance faltered. "You'd be better off without me dragging you down."

Before Cassie could respond, a siren chirped behind them in the water. "Hey!" Shoupe called out to them, making Cassie close her eyes and release a defeated sigh.

"And there's Shoupe," John B narrated with false enthusiasm.

"What did I say?" Kiara held her hand up, her lips pursed.

"Shit," Cleo cursed.

Shoupe sailed over to them on his small boat before he hopped out of it, walking over to them on the sand. "You guys finally did it. Beached yourselves. JJ, Cassie, I got you two. Yeah, you've both been racking up the charges."

"I know, we—"

"And guess what? I got a warrant this time," Shoupe cut JJ off before he looked at Pope. "And you, ditching your tracking device? No bueno. I thought you were the smart one." Pope looked away from the man distastefully. "You've dug a hole about as deep as it can get, so just put down the shovels...and come with me."

"No, you want them for murder. They didn't murder anyone!" Kiara argued as she gestured over to the blonde couple.

"Look, I got a good idea of what they did and didn't do, okay? We just gotta let the courts sort it out."

"The same courts that were going to charge the death penalty for something a seventeen year old didn't even do?" Emery piped up and Shoupe turned to her, furrowing his brows since she wasn't even in the Outer Banks when that happened. "Yeah, that's right. I know about that."

Shoupe scoffed, shaking his head as he ignored her. "All I know is that I got a warrant for all three of 'em. And I'm tired of this goose chase, so it ends here. Y'all come with me now."

This was it. They were done. Pope was going to be charged with breaking his parole while Cassie and JJ were going to be charged for the destruction of downtown and for a murder they didn't even commit.

Well, if they were found guilty, at least they would be found guilty together.

"Hey!" Someone shouted all of a sudden and everyone looked over to see none other than Rafe Cameron marching on over to them in the sand.

"What the hell?" Shoupe muttered.

"Listen, I'm just here to save everyone's asses, okay?" Rafe began as he kept on walking over to them, making them all share a confused glance. "Shoupe, I gotta talk to you. Listen, you're missing a part of this picture."

"Hey, hey! Stay back! Stay back!" Shoupe warned, reaching for his gun.

Rafe immediately backed up, holding his hands up. "Jesus Christ! What are you gonna do, shoot me? Huh? You're looking for Chandler Groff, yeah?"

Shoupe's eyes darted around before he answered, "Maybe."

"Groff was scamming with Hollis this entire time, all right? If you ask me, it was probably Groff that killed her, not..." Rafe waved his hand toward JJ and Cassie dismissively, "Them." JJ and Cassie made eye contact at that before they looked back at the Cameron boy, wanting to listen further.

"Is he...helping?" Emery whispered to Kiara.

Kiara swallowed thickly as she watched the boy. "I don't know."

"What, did you already think that? Yeah, Groff probably killed Genrette, too. And that body— The body in the dunes? You got that on Groff?" Rafe continued as the Pogues shared some wary looks. "Listen, you can bring these lowlifes in for some vandalism, disturbing the peace bullshit, or you can get the big fish. These guys know where Groff is."

Shoupe turned toward the Pogues. "Yeah? Where is he?"

"Out of your jurisdiction, Shoupe," John B answered.

"Way out," Kiara added.

"Try out the country," Pope added further.

"We were on our way to get him, and then you showed up," John B told the Sheriff.

"In that?" Shoupe pointed at their deflated police boat they stole.

"No. That." Rafe pointed to a big fishing ship out on the water named Debbie Ann. Cassie raised her eyebrows in surprise, not knowing where he had gotten that and why he was willing to vouch for them. "They know where he is, and I can get them there, all right, but they can't do shit if they're all locked up."

"And just let 'em go? No, thanks," Shoupe denied. "I tell you what, here's what we're gonna do. You come with me, you tell us where Groff is, and I guarantee ya, we'll go easy on you. Hell, your charges may disappear. Quid pro quo, you ever heard of that?" Shoupe said as he looked back at the couple, who started to shake their heads.

"Just like you did when I was framed for a murder I didn't commit?" John B reminded Shoupe, raising his chin at the older man. Shoupe blinked, looking away from him.

"Think about it. Hollis, dead. Genrette, dead. Downtown's trashed," Rafe listed. "You're on the chopping block. Okay? I hear what people are saying about you, all right? You're gonna lose your job. It's game over, man. Unless you bring the killer to justice all by your lonesome. So, what's it gonna be? I mean, some bullshit charges on these low-rent Pogues who didn't do shit?"

"He's got a point," Cleo commented as the others silently agreed. Since when were they agreeing with Rafe Cameron of all people?

"Or you solve the crime of the century and you save your job," Rafe finished.

"You know, you're sounding a lot like your old man. And that's not a compliment," Shoupe insulted, which made Rafe hum. "Now I'm getting corned by another friggin' Cameron here?"

Rafe nodded before he rubbed his nose, walking closer to the man again. "Okay, then, added bonus. When we get back, and you got Groff locked up...I'll tell you what happened last summer on the runway. When you found me out there on the tarmac? The real deal, right? I know you wanna know."

"You wanna know what I want to know? I wanna know about another little runway incident from a while back. How 'bout that?" Shoupe countered, and Sarah and John B shared a knowing glance.

Rafe began to smile ironically and nod before the smile fell. "All I'm saying is that all this would look really good for an elected official in the hot seat. You know? Get it all wrapped up in one package."

"How about this?" John B stepped forward. "We find Groff...we'll call you. He's all yours."

Shoupe began to contemplate what he should do as they heard sirens nearing their location, making them anticipate his answer even more.

Finally, Shoupe let up, "I eat shit either way. All right. Yeah, you're welcome. Go on, before the cavalry gets here. Get out of here." The Pogues, shocked that Shoupe was even allowing this, started following Rafe to his boat. "I'm glad to have you out of my hair anyway! You better find his ass, or I will hunt you down!"

Cassie and JJ shared another look before the former peered ahead, seeing Rafe leading them to where they had to go. She had no idea why Rafe was doing this. Sure, he may have been scammed by Groff but that didn't mean he had to vouch to get them all out of jail? She was stunned, yet also suspicious for what he may have had planned up his sleeve.

They managed to all get on the boat Rafe provided for them as he steered it across the water. As they sailed on the water for a while, they looked toward land to finally see Poguelandia 2.0.

A sad smile made its way onto Cassie's face as she began to think of a memory she shared in their home a little while back.

They had all been cooking dinner together, spaghetti in fact. John B decided to grab some noodles in the pot and throw it at Pope to be funny, but it hit a beam on the wall instead.

JJ had walked past it, carrying some plates to set the table, before he decided to eat the noodles off of the wall, making them all grimace and laugh at the same time.

Once they had set the table and put their food on their plates, JJ began to say grace since he had been at the head of the table. Cassie grabbed his hand on one side with Pope on the other as they closed their eyes, bowing their heads.

After they had been done with their prayer, they had dug into their delicious meal that comprised of them chatting and laughing the whole time. Cassie remembered twirling some spaghetti around her forked and feeding it to JJ, which made them all erupt in laughter.

At the end of the meal, Emery had visited and surprised them with a cake she had baked for them. There had been no special occasion, but it was just something the girl did for them whenever she had the free time to do it.

It had been the most perfect day ever.

But now they had lost Poguelandia and they were leaving the Outer Banks for who knows how long.

Cassie wasn't sure how her most perfect life she had for almost two years had come crashing down in just a few days just because they decided to hunt some treasure again. She was starting to believe that it really wasn't worth it...but there was no going back now.

"Goodbye, island paradise."

authors note!
i wonder if chase and rudy were channeling
some real life shit for that argument scene bc
damn bruh that shit was crazy i felt so bad for
jj bc yeah he fucked up a lot but he also had no
one there to offer him support. like tell me where
was kie trying to help him...literally nowhere ugh.
anyway...i apologize in advance for next chapter
😁