CRUEL SUMMER
015 | the chase

NOBODY REALLY SLEPT THAT NIGHT,

if it wasn't for the fear that resided in them all that Rafe and Barry were coming back it was the anticipation of waiting for Pope and Kiara to return so they could plan their next move of action.

They took it in shifts, watching out for anything. At least JJ and John B did — letting their girlfriends have a half decent nights sleep on the pullout. JJ spending his shifts sat beside the blonde as he played with her hair, noticing her squirming in whilst she slept — the panic that covered her face, the fear that haunted her in her dreams .

After Having fulfilled her request about dropping Benji back to her house, just in precaution if things went really badly.

But as day finally broke, Renee began helping John B pack up some belongings — the necessities if they needed to go for a long period of time,

" France is always an option." she suggested, turning to the brunette who looked up and shared her eye line.

" nothing central, as much as Versailles and Paris are beautiful this time of year." she hummed, shrugging her shoulders " you could get a job in a small town by the coast, somewhere nobody knows who you are, my grandparents have a small summer house in the south."

John B shook his head " I don't want to run away again Ren, I want to stay here." he told her " at home, with you guys."

The blonde smile sadly smiled, placing another T-shirt into the bag " and as I much as I want that also." she told him " I don't think you're being given a choice." it hurt for John B to hear, but it was true.

Freedom in the Outer banks was a luxury that now John B couldn't afford.

Their their heads clocked at the sound of JJ's heavy footsteps entering the chateau, " Yo! They're here!" he called out to both the two in the bedroom but also Sarah who was still half asleep on the pullout.

Renee exhaled, walking out of the bedroom and following her boyfriend out of the house and towards the dock. Noticing Pope and Kiara begin to drive the boat back towards the dock,

" up all night huh?" She hummed, JJ smirking slightly at the comment.

" Finally! Hey!" JJ called out, grabbing the two teenager's attention, Renee shaking her head "don't tie up, we're leaving!" she followed soon after.

Confused expressions painted their faces, oblivious to what had gone down last night .

"What?" Kiara asked the two blondes who were making their way to the boat.

" We're dipping." he told them, a mixture of confused replies came from other two in front of them. Between Renee and John B, Kiara and Pope soon knew what had happened whilst they had been away — about Rafe, about the fact that it was entirely possible that John B and Sarah were going to have to leave again.

Driving to a small little piece of land off of the marsh, quite secluded from the roads but there was still access.

They sat around with the exception of JJ and John B who decided to pace , nobody looked as scared as Sarah " Look, If Rafe and Barry know it's only a matter of time." Kiara hummed.

" Before everyone knows." Pope concluded,

" Look I told you!" JJ called to John B " We should've gone south man."

Renee turned her head reaching for her boyfriends hand, hearing the agitation in his voice as people began to argue with him " Why does no one ever listen?" he rose his voice.

" I get it. I get it." John B told him " I understand."

JJ moving away, reeling towards Renee who took his hand — momentarily moving the back of it to her lips and she kissed it gently trying her best to calm him down.

Sarah looked up finally from her stern look at the floor " I have an idea." All faces turning to look at her " With me back, my dads going to have to choose between me and Rafe."

Renee exhaled, already seeing where this plan was headed and she wasn't particularly fond of it. " Sarah-" John B approached.

" He's gonna choose me!" She stated as if a fact, and Renee hoped that she didn't believe in that too much considering how much shit that her father had gotten her into.

"Just please listen." The brunette pleaded at his girlfriend " Ward keeps lying to you, Sarah."

Renee looking up at her " Sarah, as much as I hope that you're right about this-" her skepticism making Sarah exhale before cutting her off,

" no, I know it sounds crazy-" Sarah stated,

" yeah it does," Renee followed soon after.

" I know!" She almost squealed, her voice breaking as she looked round at the others " But he's my dad and I know him and I know he loves me."

" I'm just asking for two hours." she looked at the others, their unbelievably in this plan evident on their faces. Even Renee who was nervously thumbling with her necklace, exhaling as she measured up wether this was the right thing to do. They had never trusted Ward before, why now was it the best time to.

With a sigh, Sarah stood up finishing her waiting for someone to back her up and began to walk away. After a moment or two, John B called out to her. And for some reason, despite his own opinions and the looks of concern he was getting from the blonde girl opposite them.

He let her go, back into the arms of the man that they were running away from. The root of all of their problems.

RENEE SAT BESIDE JOHN B, who despite his constant dismissal was concerned about Sarah and exactly what Ward would say or do to her.

Pope filled him in on what had been going on before they came back, from Fletcher's reappearance to Ward killing Gavin to the most recent being the letter from the Limbrey's.

"The tape," John B spoke, still keeping his eyes steady on the water. More specifically the part where Sarah had sailed out on just over two hours ago "You heard it?" he asked.

Pope nodded slightly " only a few seconds, but it's definitely Gavin." he turned his head looking at the brunette momentarily before training their eyes back on the water.

" I think Ward may have betrayed Limbrey like he did your dad." Pope said, looking back at John B before acknowledging the blonde who sat by him, moving his head forward slowly " oh and yours too."

Renee offered him a soft smile, " do you think Limbrey and your dad might have been working together?" Pope asked. John B looked down fumbling for an answers that due to his girlfriends timing and the fact that she was ok was almost disregard out of all of their minds.

Renee was the first one to lift herself off of the sand, noticing JJ and Kiara's reappearance from collecting driftwood which they dropped at their feet when their eyes found Sarah's return also. The two blondes found their way next to one another as JJ placed his hand on the lower end of Renee's back as she exhaled.

" she looks ok, do you think she's ok?" she rambled as JJ lead her towards the boat, " let's just go find out yeah?"

Renee noticing Sarah's upset expression as John B helped her off of the boat. The glistening tracks where her tears had fallen, Renee felt her lips fold down as she looked at her friend who attempted to show the girl a small smile, big enough to indicate she was ok. But she failed.

" So, how'd it go?" he asked, Sarah stood beside him

" you guys were right, it didn't work." she stated, sniffling as she apologised " sorry."

Kiara and Renee nodded as JJ followed behind the couple " that settles it guys!" he called out.

"Now Y'all need to load up in the Paddy Wagon and get the heck out of dodge right now." he continued. Pope nodding in agreement " right, and you guys are gonna need supplies and you're gonna have to split as soon as possible."

Renee's eyes pondered to the flashing lights of the boats which were entering their vanity of the water, " Guys, I think it's too late for that." she announced, their heads turning as the wailing go the sirens became all the more clear.

" They followed you here?" John B asked, not getting a reply from Sarah who just stared on ward not really sure what to do, what they could do " must have been your father."

After a few more moments of silence, Pope spoke up " We're gonna have to find another way out of here."

Renee felt the panic brewing again as she exhaled, watching hopelessly as the boats drew closer to them " Stay on the beach with your hands in the air!" an officer called from one of the boats

In the blur of shouting amongst the friends, they began to run. To where? who knew where they were headed, where was even considered safe for them anymore.

Renee didn't turn back, she learnt that the hard way last time. She didn't pay any attention to the sound of their heavy footsteps in the sand or their calls for the teenagers to stop. She didn't pay attention to the cringe she got when water filled her shoes as she ran through a stream.

Her hand gripping into JJ's the moment she felt weaker, where she worried about slowing down too much. He led her through, at times pulling her along with him.

How long where they going to have to run? forever didn't feel like an impossibility but Renee hated it, she hated the running away - she hated everything that the summer had caused ( except the thing that was currently holding her hand).

Renee noticed as JJ let go of her, standing to the side as they reached a larger body of water. She exhaled not having time to contemplate it before she dove in. moving her arms in the water at a heavy pace until her feet could touch the floor and she could run to the opposite side of the marsh.

Finding a place to hide, ducking down behind a tree. Her fellow Pogues soon followed suit - each of their eyes scattering around for an escape route, a way to reach a momentary safety. Renee's heart dropped when she noticed the array of squad cars driving towards the same place that they were hiding.

" We're trapped." JJ commented, Pope looking just over at the officers who had followed them into the water and were creeping closer to the shore " They've surrounded us." Pope explained.

Renee managed to speak in between pants " what do we do?" she offered the question up to anyone yet nobody seemed to be able to answer. Eyes lingering to JJ who had re-positioned himself, drying his gun as Renee

" No getting out of it, we gotta make a stand." He said, not looking at her to notice her  concerned expression that painted her pale face as she stomached what her boyfriend potentially had to do, the lengths he would go to to protect John B.

"J.." her voice low as she wanted to reach out to him , tell him to stop but they had no other choice if they wanted to keep John B out of prison. John b noticed this, Renee's sad face and trembling lip, turning to watch as JJ clocked his gun.

Moving to stand in front of him before he had the chance to show the officers the loaded weapon. John B's fingers wrapping around JJ's wrist, constricting any movement of the gun. JJ attempted it again, trying to turn although like last time was soon pushed back in cover by John B. Forcing the gun out of his hand before dropping it on the ground.

" It's gonna be alright." he told JJ, who's eyes were beginning to water. Renee noticing the other police cars park up as she acknowledged the brunettes decision to turn himself in.

" here we go." he attempted too smile at the blonde who's lip was still trembling.

A multitude of orders called out to the four other teenagers, lifting their hands up as they made their presence known to the hoard of police officers, the only clear words Renee heard being John B's as he stepped further away from them

"Hey listen Shoupe, I wanna testify."

Renee felt uncomfortable with the amount of guns pointed at her at any given moment. Her chest heavy as she tried to regain her breath.

Watching hopelessly as Officer Thomas wrapped his arm around John B's throat lifting him up slightly. She screamed, they all screamed pleading for their friend who was being beaten by a police officer, someone they had all known their entire lives.

It stopped momentarily, Shoupe pulling officer Thomas off of the seventeen year old despite a bit of push back. The cop holding John B  up by the collar of his shirt, muttering the simple words: "this is for Peterkin."

His balled fist hitting John B's right eye, knocking him out and onto the ground.

The chase was over. He had been caught.