CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE: FUCK THE POLICE

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after i caught my breath, i just began to run again. i needed to get to the other pogues; it was a priority. sure enough, there the three of them were at the junkyard. 

"elsie!" i heard pope's voice call out. 

even though i had proof in case something happened, i still felt horrible. should i have stayed? what if john b and sarah were killed? 

i stopped dead in my tracks, no words able to leave my mouth. 

"darlin. darlin," jj took me in his arms, causing reality to flood back in. "what happened. where's john b?"

"i-i don't know," i shook my head, simply because i didn't. i didn't know if he was alive or not. did rafe shoot him? it was possible. hell, he shot peterkin in the middle of the day with no hesitation. 

"shit, you're shaking," kie noted as i pulled away from jj's hug. 

"i got it on video," i murmured. 

"what?"

i handed them my phone as they watched in horror. heard the gunshot that killed peterkin was heard over again, and i flinched at the sound. 

the three looked up at me when the video ended. it stopped at where rafe was shooting in my direction, and i was cursing and running away from it. 

"are you hurt?" jj looked at me up and down. 

"i'm fine now," i sighed. "this will take ward and rafe down. i told you i needed to do something."

"jesus, elsie. you're a badass," pope chuckled. 

"why thank you, pope," i wiped beads of sweat from my temple.

just then, the loud sound of a plane whirred overhead. 

"there goes the gold," jj remarked as he kicked an outdoor chair in frustration. 

"shit!" pope started throwing things, "fuck!"

"pope-" kiara attempted to interrupt him. 

"just, let him," i whispered. finally, pope had it. he hit his breaking point, which was scary. it was not reassuring when the one person that had always stayed levelheaded wasn't doing well. 

"goddamnit!" pope grabbed a bat, hitting an old tv, "shit! fuck! shit, damnit!" he hit nearly everything there in rage. i reached for jj's hand, and he took it to reassure me. all three of us eyed each other, unsure of what to really do. he continued to curse and hit things. finally, he sat down on a couch, gasping for air. 

we all walked up slowly to him, but when i saw the tears in his eyes, i understood his frustration. i let go of jj's hand, and ran up to pope. my arms wrapped around him tightly in attempt to comfort the boy. after a moment, i then took a place and sat down next to him. 

"yeah dude," jj started, "i was wondering when this was going to happen. here you go chief," he held out his weed vape pen. "a little weed never hurt no one."

"jj."

"relax kie," he turned around to face the girl. 

"you know he doesn't smoke," kiara countered, just as pope took the pen from jj's hand. 

"well maybe not until today," jj sat on the opposite side of pope. 

"just a little bit to ease the nerves," i added as the blonde boy nodded. 

"pope. yeah what is that gonna help, elsie?"

"i lost my scholarship," pope revealed. "walked out in the middle of the interview. every-- it's gone. it's never going to happen."

"you did that for us?" kie wondered. 

"no, not for us. for nothing," he got up and stood in front of kie. 

"i'm here for you pope," jj wrapped his arm around the boy. "welcome to our world, right elsie?"

"jj," kiara said, believing this wasn't the best way to approach the situation. 

"what kie? he's right. it doesn't matter anymore," jj reasoned as pope took a hit of the weed, which was something that seemed completely wrong. 

"you don't have to do that," kie tried coaxing pope. 

"what do you care?"

"jesus christ, john b!" i took notice of the boy who was standing in a daze before we all ran up to him. 

"is this yours?" jj took the boy's hand that was stained red with fresh blood. 

"whose blood is that?"

"john b listen to me," i grabbed his shoulder lightly. he seemed to be in an uneasy state, which was understandable. "i got a video. we're gonna get out of this."

"hey, you okay man?" jj asked john b, who was still speechless, no matter what we said to him.

a police car came down the street with loud sirens, and we all ducked down behind a piece of junk. once the signal was clear, the five of us stood back up. 

"is that pe-"

"yeah," john b let out. 

"did rafe shoot anyone else, john b?" i questioned, needing more information out of him. fortunately, he shook his head no. i didn't think rafe would, but you never know with a loose cannon like him. 

"did he get you? he shot your way many times," john b said back to me, to which jj balled his fists in anger. 

"dodged the fucker," i spat. 

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"guys, what are we doing at the police station?" jj asked us as we pulled up. just as we should, the two of us decided it'd be best to tell them what happened. the video would clear up any confusion. god only knows what ward told people. 

"somebody's gotta tell them what happened."

"they might as well hear it from us first. no secrets, no lies," i remarked, and was cut off by pope coughing loudly as a result of the weed he was inhaling. 

"easy there, chief. damn." jj spoke from next to me. he directed his attention towards john b and i. "all right. i'm just gonna be real with you right now. you might end up in the lion's den, but you don't end up there on purpose. it's fundamental. just like my old man always told me, you should never, ever trust cops. no matter what the circumstance is."

"your old man's an abusive liar," kie scowled. 

"i agree with jj. fuck the police," pope muttered. 

"you're going to the dark side now?"

"when's the last time the police helped us?" pope defended, and to be fair, he was right. except peterkin. she saw right through ward's lies, but look where that got her. dead. 

"peterkin looked out for me, all right? tried to, at least. they need to know."

"let's go jb," i nodded as we both got out of the car. 

we opened the door to the police station, which was quiet. where was everyone?

adam at the clinic. peterkin's still in the er, the radio announced. 

"advise if you need air tran. copy," the dispatcher at the desk replied. 

copy that.

"excuse me ma'am?" john b spoke quietly. 

"this is not a good time kids," the lady looked up at the two of us. "adam, advise if you need air tran."

"i know who shot the sheriff," john b continued. 

her attention was instantly directed towards us, "you two stay put. i'll get a deputy."

"now you're interested," i couldn't help but scoff as the woman made her way to another room to let someone know. 

central, three vick. we have two names in our thirty-one. john routledge. elizabeth waters. cameron says routledge killed the sheriff, but waters was a witness. both could be dangerous.

copy that. all units, be on the lookout for the two teenagers.

"what the fuck?" i looked up at the boy in shock. that asshole ward made up some lie about us. i wouldn't expect any less out of him though; it was his own son he was defending in the long run. 

sixteen-year-old white male. six foot. five foot white female, sixteen as well. boy was last seen wearing board shorts, a "bad brains" tee shirt, and faded red hoodie. girl is in a pink top and blue denim shorts. 

we looked up and were met with two cops staring at us in disbelief. "just...breathe. all right?" one of the cops huffed. 

"let me see your hands."

"do what he says."

"look, we didn't do it," john b raised his hands, and i did the same. 

"we have proof as to who-"

"don't move," they both cocked guns at us. we looked at one another and bolted off.

"shit!"

"fuck!"

"kie! start the car!" john b yelled to the others as we frantically hopped into the van. "start the car!"

"john b?"

we all screamed at one another as the cops tried to open the door. i made my way to the back seat to jj as my body trembled. 

"elsie. talk to me," jj shook me, but i couldn't find the words to say. my initial reaction was to cling onto him tightly, fear flowing through my body. i always said i'd do anything for the pogues, and i wouldn't take that back. there's no denying that it's scary as hell though.

"darlin, please talk to me. what happened in there?" jj whispered into my ear. still shaking, i pulled away from the blonde-haired boy. 

"they think we did it," i said, a sob escaping my lips when i came to terms that this was all actually happening. when hearing that, jj said nothing; he just pulled me in again and held me as close as he possibly could. 

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{1576 words}

hii thanks for 5k <33

ally