The teens sprinted to the old van, their young bodies filled with excitement and adrenaline. As they piled into the van the vehicle buzzed to life and John B slammed the gas with full force, the sliding door just barley closing before they begun speeding down the road. Moving through the cracked roads of the Outerbanks they barley dodged multiple red lights and probably created tire marks on the concrete yet the group could do nothing more then chant loudly. JJ had pulled out his gun from the old backpack and was already ranting about a non-well planned out idea to get gold out of Ward Cameron's hands.

"We go in there, guns a-blazon' and make Ward Cameron beg for mercy and then abscond with as much gold as possible and vámonos, get the hell out of there." JJ explained, shoving the ammunition into the bottom of the gun, he instinctively glanced around to look at the groups expression, expecting glared and head shakes of disapproval. For once, they all smirked and nodded in agreement, an asshole like Ward deserves the worst after what he's done.

Maybe threatening him just a bit wouldn't be so bad.

The moment John B slammed on the brakes and parked in the middle of a hidden path that lead towards the landing field Sierra could feel a sense of anxiety pool at the bottom of her stomach. A bad habit of worrying had caused a huge lump in her throat that constantly had to be swallowed down. The others had already slid the door open and ran towards a chain link fence, leaning against it while watching intensely. Sierra stayed back, searching for something before coming back with a pair of binoculars. Now they had a clear view of the airstrip and a stationary plane that was being loaded with crates of a heavy material. You could tell by the strain on the workers faces that it took strength to lift the baggage. It could only confirm one thing—Ward had taken the gold and was planning on fleeing the island with it.

"They're loading up the gold" Pope announced, his eyes gazing into the binoculars. In a flash John B snatched them out of his hands and observed the scene himself.

"There's Ward." There was a beat of silence, then his face dropped, all emotions wavering as he swallowed the lump that was caught in his throat. He lowered the binoculars from his eyes and watched quietly while Kiara worryingly demanded him to speak. "It's Sarah."

"Why the hell is she with Ward?" Sierra exclaimed with furrowed brows as she looked passed the metal fence in an attempt to see the sight in front of her. "Is she fuckin' crazy?"

John B raised the binoculars up to his eyes,"Wait a minute." He paused, jaw clenching as his grip tightened. "He's hurting her." They all turned towards him with the same shocked expression. "They're fighting."

Sierra worryingly looked through fence once more, her fingers curling through the cool metal of the wire netting. From her position the most she could see where two figures in the distance, total blurs as they moved around. She backed away, frustrated as she moved towards the van for her own pair of binoculars she saw stored up under the seat. The driver door slamming shut caught her attention as she lifted her head to peak over the seats, she caught a glimpse of John, his hand already on the gear shift while the loud protest of their friends faintly sounded in the distance. The he sped past them, slamming on the accelerator till he brown through the fence, Sierra could do nothing more than watch in a total panic as she somehow ended up with front row tickets to a shitty plan.

Once they were side to side John B began reassuring the blonde girl who was panicking inside the plane. He kept going faster then the van could possibly go, moved in front of the plane before he stopped and turned right in front of it.

"Holyshitholyshitholyshit." Sierra repeated like a prayer as she gripped on the seats tightly till her knuckles turned a light ivory. The old van that she swore would've been dead in a junkyard somewhere in the next year had somehow managed to catch up with a plane. They were head to head like some fast and furious shit, miraculously, the old Twinkie had picked up enough speed to pass the aircraft. John B had enough leverage to swerve the van abruptly, the tires squealed before one eventually popped from it's place. It was like a movie, watching as she practically faced dearth, but he'd cut Ward and left him no choice but to also force the plane to a stop. A mere two feet stood between the window and the tip of the plane.

The Routledge boys adrenaline was already through the roof, he'd practically kicked the door open and scrambled towards the side of the plane. "Sarah!?"

There was a heated argument between the two, shouting and coming up to each other, chest to chest. Yet, the said damsel in distress came rushing out, her blonde hair wild and unruly as she stood between the two. A siren a blared, a distant cop SUV approached, this gave Sierra the opportunity to exit the van. Her shaky figure walking next to John B as he looked at her.

"What the hell are you doing here!"

"I was in the back of the van the whole time you asshole!" Sierra shouted gripping onto his shoulderfor support as the older man glared at John B.

"You think this changes anything? It doesn't." Ward muttered, as he turned around an immediate facade covering his face. The car came to a screeching stop, a familiar face exited the vehicle. "Oh, thank god you're here!" He let out a breath of relief while approaching the woman. "Susan, I told you, he lost his goddamn mind."

"Susan." Sierra smiled, a overwhelming feeling of relief filling her body as she watched the woman trudge towards the rich man. The girl didn't know how to describe it but she felt safe now that presence was the sheriff was there.

"Put your hands on your head." Susan spat angrily, glaring at the man as he smugly turned towards John B.

"I'd do what she said, kid."

The woman's gun holster clicked as she pulled the firearm from her side, pointing it directly at the back of Ward Cameron's head. Sierra smirked, flaring back at the man. "She's talking to you, dickhead."

He frowned, turning to look at the woman as she gave him a devoid expression, her gun tightly held in her hand. "You're under arrest for murder of Big John Routledge," Her eyes flickered over towards Sierra for only a moment, she seemed almost hesitant to speak, "and Robert Ray."

The world warped into total darkness, a sudden ring begun to sting Sierra's eardrum as she looked at the sheriff. Her eyes widened, pupils dilated as she felt the wind practically dissolve from her lungs. No amount of words could describe the feeling she felt in that moment. "They said it was a robbery gone wrong." Sierra mumbled glaring at Ward, "They said it was a fucking robbery gone wrong and it was you the whole fucking time!" Sierra felt arms wrapped around her, preventing her from launching at the man and tearing his body apart in a fit of rage. "You took him from me!"

"I got you, it's going to be okay." John B mumbled, it was strange how he was the one holding her back from breaking down despite him hearing the same news about his own dad.

"Put your hands on your head."

"Are you kidding me, Sue?"

"Put your hands on your head!" The man complied, his fingers clasping together on the back of his head. "Turn around." His piercing eyes were forced to gaze directly into Sierra's. "Drop to your knees." There was a moment where she just stared into them, screaming whatever she could with just a blink of an eye, then the tears started to well up. They crowded her waterline, that is when his eyes dropped down to ground. The sheriff had muttered some venomous words as she tightly clicked the handcuffs onto his wrist, before she could reach over to repeat on his other wrist he'd begun to fight back. Immediately she'd reached for her gun again, pointing directly at him, there was no where left to run. Unfortunately for Ward Cameron it was the end of the line for his dirty work. He was caught.

Sierra wasn't sure when it happened, or why it had to happen. From a young age she told, everything happens for a reason. She held onto those words for her whole life, keeping them in mind whenever she failed a test or even throughout the silly gold quest they were on. But this, this was pure evil. Something so cruel that it made the devil blush, it was almost like the universe had begun to mock her. Throwing as much pain they could to see when she would break. One moment the woman in front of her was dominate, on the edge of putting away a cheek man for good. The next moment she was collapsed on the ground, blood spilling from her shoulder, saying the khaki colored uniform as she went into a coughing fit. Her eyes drawn wide, wheezing out words when John B rushed to her, applying pressure to the bleeding wound.

You would think that the one person who knew of what precautions to take when a person lies bleeding on the ground would immediately spring into action. Sierra Ray stood paralyzed, the ringing suddenly appearing once more as it stung the side of her temples.

"S..Sierra." The weak woman groaned out, John B's head snapping up to look at the teen. His hands pressed down against his bandana, the only thing preventing lord blood from seeping out. "Sierra."

The curly haired girl finally found the nerve to kneel down beside her body, shaky hands reaching down for the radio as Rafe suddenly began waving he gun around near her head. He mouth moving as he spat out pointless threats that Sierra couldn't hear over the continuous ringing. She dropped the radio and instead clamped her hands on top of John B's, helping with the pressure.

Ward came over, removing the radio from her jacket while attempting to calm down his eldest son who was in experiencing a dangerous breakdown. Sierra sniffed, not even realizing as her tears began to drip down her face.

"Run." Susan huffed out quietly, John B shook his head as Sierra frowned deeper, her salty tears fell to mix with the blood on the sheriff's clothes. "Run, please."

"I'm tired of running, momma." Sierra muttered her read eyes looking at the woman below her. Her voice cracked, it felt like her throat was tightening up and less air began to get through to her lungs.

"I know, baby." Susan coughed out, raising a hand to caress Sierra's cheek, her thumb gliding to remove the tears. "But you have to, for me." Her eyes then moved towards John B. "Take care of her." The last words she was able to mumbled out before her body laid still, eyes turning into a open void as her hand fell back down to her side. Sierra didn't realize it at first, not until much later.

"We have to go." John B whispered, his hands going to grip Sierra's. "Si, we have to go now." He stood slowly, pulling Sierra up with him.

"Where are you goin'? Huh?" Rafe's words came out slurred, his figure ripping away from his fathers grip as he begun to chase after the two. The gun waving wildly as bullets shot out. Sarah came them enough time to sprint through the open field, but Sierra feared as she felt bullets just barley graze past her. Maybe one even did make contact with her skin but there was no way that she could've known. Through the itchy grass, and through the maze of trees, a a dirt road came to view. She focused on nothing more then reaching that road, and when she did she was nearly slammed into by a passing car. Her bloody hand coming up to grip onto the hood as she pulled herself up, knees scraped terribly.

She looked to the unknown man, his panicked face approaching her but she was already backing off. Watching as his face fades into a blur while she ran, she ran, just like how she was told to. Sierra was also obedient, the situation gave her a sense of Deja Vu. Running from danger, forced to push her body to its limit and if she ever stopped then danger would catch her. The two found refuge in a old junkyard, the scraps of old furniture and car parts sufficient enough to hide in. Coincidently, a familiar pair of voices lead them to regroup with the other half of the Pogue's. Pope was the first to see them, his eyes widening as the group turned and rushed towards the two. From afar a they seemed to have made it out in one piece, and then the blood.

"Is this yours?"

"What happened?"

"Whose blood is that?"

"Sierra, who did this?" The blonde tightly gripped her wrist, staring at the crimson color that painted her shaky palms. "C'mon, princess answer me." His low whisper brought her back to reality, then it all hit her. More tears began to fall from her eyes as she felt an overwhelming wave of pain over take her.

"John B, what the hell happened!?" Kiara questioned, taking in his is a shoveled state, which was now more noticeable up close. The thin layer of sweat on his forehead, the multiple cuts and bruises, his tattered clothes, he wasn't any good either. The only difference is that John Bw as able to speak up, though his flat tone was wiped of any emotion.

"I...she's dead."

"Who, who's dead?"

"Peterkin, Rafe shot and killed her." John B's voiced lowered, his tone quiet as a mouse, almost to convince himself of the gruesome reality.

"What? How? Where did he even come from  and how why was the Sheriff there!" JJ asked, watching as his best friends eyes looked down at his bloody hands.

"I don't know."

"There was so much blood." Sierra cried, "He just came out of no where a-and shot her when she was trying to arrest Ward. Then, she fell and she was bleeding—and..and I can't breath." Her hands came up to grip her chest, only spreading the blood further on her body, it made her feel dirty. "JJ, I can't breath."

Sheriff Peterkin was dead.

It was hard for Sierra to comprehend but the repeating words swirled her mind and pushed the painful truth further into her head. JJ's arm were always a place she went for comfort, but even as he held her close she only felt herself loosing her breath. All the oxygen vanishing from her lungs, it left her gasping for air, like she was being held underwater. Was the world disappearing just a figment of her imagination or was it actually happening? Sierra couldn't think about processing it before she was out, body going limp as she lost consciousness.

—

Sierra didn't believe that these types of situations happened outside of movies, she was a firm believer of keeping it real. She was goes honest to herself and to others, if you'd told her months before that she'd be a dramatic treasure hunt that involved being chased down by a blind old lady and watching as her last parental figure bled to death she would've scoffed, laughed, and walked away. Sierra had to admit, there were times that she held out blind hope for something that would never happen, like her father rising back from the dead like Jesus or something, it happened once whose to say that it couldn't happen again? The darkness of her shut eyes let her mind wander, the muffled voices snapping her out of a nightmarish trance, and the continued bounce of her head that she soon realized was JJ's leg nervously moving without thought.

The car smelt like someone had been smoking, and sweat, though that may have just been because of the humidity. The side of Sierra's face was smushed against the rough fabric of his old cargo shorts, it irritated her how much movement was occurring. She nearly slapped his leg and grumbled out curses like an old lady who was being disturbed of her reading time. She instead opted on fluttering her eyes opening adjusting to the blurry vision, she slam it felt like she was intruding on the conversation that was occurring between the three voices she could recognize, though one voice was absent. Sierra softly tapped on JJ's knee, only catching his attention as he brushed his finger through her hair.

"She's awake." JJ announced, his voice uncharacteristically soft, Kiara's head craned to look back, giving her a soft smile. Alive and kickin."

"Still lookin' pretty hot I assume." Sierra muttered, sitting up properly, removing her legs from Pope's lap. JJ chest vibrates with a soft chuckle, his lips twisting upward.

"Always, princess."

"How are you feeling?" Kiara questioned, her beautiful featured so angelic in the pale moonlight that dripped into the dark vehicle.

"Like shit." Sierra muttered, turning to look at Pope who had beads of sweat dripping down his emotionless face, a blunt in his fingers. "Let me have a hit of that."

"Word." Pope replied, his fingers grazing over Sierras as he passed it over to her, she gave a him a side glance, an eyebrow raised at his weird change in demeanor. She glanced over at JJ, hoping to find an answer as the smoke filled her lungs, the boy just shrugged.

"So, whats going on, where's John B?" Sierra inhaled another wave of smoke into her mouth, blowing  back out slowly. Kiara looked nervous, her eyes not making contact with the girl, her bottom lip stuck between her teeth.

"John B's filing a police report, shits getting serious." Kiara turned back to stare out the windshield, her fingers nervously tapping at the steering wheel.

"John B is also crazy, as I said before, fuck the police." Pope snatched the blunt back into his own fingers as Sierra glared at him, starring back at JJ. Just her eyes alone read what the actual fuck.

As if the curse of saying his name three times suddenly worked, John B appeared, he was running, there were cops behind him, and he was screaming at the top of his lungs. "Jesus take the wheel." Sierra sighed, exasperated, was it really that hard to get a singular break? Kiara fumbled with the keys, her shaky hands struggling to turn on the car, it didn't help that John B was yelling like a manic as he jumped into the front seat. Just in time, Kiara stomped on the accelerator, a string of unheard apologies and concerned questions falling from her mouth when the cop tugged at the door. Sierra fell back into JJ's lap, she shut her eyes. "God, please put me back to sleep." The girl prayed that there's be a spinning wheel spindle that she could prick her finger on so she'd be put to rest of the madness that constantly chased them.

"Well, we're fucked."

—

For the rest of the night and most of the morning the Pogue's took residence in a old ditch, John B and Sierra took comfort in each other, sharing a looming sadness that followed them like one of those cartoon rain clouds. The occasional siren of a cop car blaring by and the buzz of some radio station reporting the local news was their personal alarm. Sierra's neck was craned uncomfortably onto JJ's shoulder, a dull pain rested on her lower back. The seats had been pushed back the farthest it could go, John B and Pope had switched spots so now Sierra was stuck between the two. The girl had to constantly shove one of the two to get in a comfortable position, but she soon realized that the best she could do was curl up by JJ's side. Eventually, Sierra rose from her Laotian between the two boys. Staring out the windshield with squinted eyes, she leaned over the center console and shut off the radio. The recent, and fake news circulating on every station that was on was beginning to piss her off.

Another round of police cars sped past them, their sirens on full blast as they fled down the road. JJ instinctively sat up swiftly, staring at his surrounding in a panic before his tense shoulders relaxed. "You good?" Sierra raised a brow, staring over her shoulder to look at him, he nodded, blonde hair floppy on his forehead.

"Yo, JB." JJ nudged the boy with his hand causing him to flinch awake, almost as if he'd had a dream where he was free falling from a building. "How's it feel waking up your first day as a juvenile?"

"Amazing, JJ." John groggily replied, his voice raspy and hoarse as he rubbed his eyes with a large sigh. "Any news on what's going on?"

"Just a bunch of bullshit." Sierra blew out a breath, watching a curl bounce away from her eyes. She'd had been thinking nearly all night, coming up with any solution till she eventually landed on one, but it was a long shot. She was waiting till everyone woke up. It took another thirty minutes for Pope to wake him, the accessible amount of cannabis he smoked knocked him into a deep sleep. But once he finally regained his senses, he stared at his friends with a bemused expression, unsure if everything his foggy memory remembered was real or not. Based on his everyone's grim expression, he assumed that he remembered correctly.

"Let's game this out." JJ began, head rested against his arm as his red hat titles over his eyes lazily. "Maybe you guys can help, being the smart ones and all, but who are the cops going to believe? Ward Cameron or us?" A tense silence filled the car, giving  JJ the answer before he could even elaborate. "So, the accuser is a bigshot developer, kind of lord of the island, got the governor on speed dial kind of person, and the accused," He looked over at his friend, "is John B, who is...pretty much a homeless kid at the moment."

"I think I should go to the police station." Sierra suddenly spoke, her lips going chapped from the amount of lips she licked them. She'd opened her mouth multiple times throughout JJ's mini tangent, though no words came, she was nervous to say the least.

"Hell, the fuck, no." JJ shut down, shoving the dirty hat that covered his face up to cover his hair. "Shit already hit the fan when John B went in, it's going to be even worse if you go in since you're friends with the guy who's being accused of literal murder."

Sierra sta back up with a frustrated huff. "But I'm a reliable alibi for John B, I have no reason to lie, Susan was just like a mother to me. You know the things my actual mom has done." The girl frowned, looking at all her friends that just listened, sharing a similar saddened expression. "Susan was the only one who did something to help, she's was too good of a person and was killed by fucking Rafe Cameron of all people."

"The system is fucked up, Si, what makes you think that they'd listen to a girl who's been running around with a homeless sixteen year old boy and," Pope paused, looking at Sierra's red stained body, "and someone who also has blood all over her."

The Ray girl stared down, her chest was smeared with a crimson-brown color, her hands even worse, from palm to knuckle it was tainted. Sierra sighed, blinking away the tears before shoving her hands into her lap. "I don't know if they'll believe me, Pope, but I have to try. Shit, I'll even get a lawyer if I have to!" The girl let out a frustrated sigh, pinching the bridge of her nose. "I was there, I saw it happen, I can't let that fucker get away."

Nataly speaks:
Babygirl was a lengthy one😭😭I've been editing these chapters and it makes me cringe, if you've made it this far, thank you bae! If you still want to continue then know that once this book finishes it editing I'll continue onto my 2nd book, I know it's been put on hold for a fat min and apologize, I love y'all!!!! Love yourself bbgs, keep your self hydrated, eat, and have an amazing day/date/evening.

                   —XOXO, nataly