The Pogues

The Phantom

Outside the shed was hot.

Cassie, JJ, and Kie stood expectantly outside the decrepit shed. Cassie took a deep breathe and opened the door, letting it slam to the side to reveal their ace in the ashes.

"There she be. Hey, girl," JJ walked up to the boat and tore off the covering, revealing one of the fastest boats in the Outer Banks, "A 1983 Formula 402 SR1. The Phantom. The first boat to make the run to Bermuda in under 16 hours, forty years old! And still the fastest thing that Kildare's ever seen."

Kie looked unimpressed as she glanced over the boat, "It's kind of a junker."

JJ spun around and looked at her, shaking his head, "Really? She's right there, Kie. She can hear you. Let's just put it this way. You would not be smokin' weed right now if she never existed, okay?"

JJ walked over and started to untie her from the large wagon type vehicle it was sitting on. Kie looked at Cassie with dull eyes as she spoke, "I just hope it runs." "Oh, no, she'll run all right," JJ promised. "She's faster than any cutters the boys in blue got."

From outside the shed, Cassie could hear the roar of a motorcycle approaching as she took a deep breathe. Kie got halfway around the boat before she was greeted with an unwelcoming sight.

Rafe Cameron in his tall glory walked through the doors into the Pogues' sight with confidence. "Hey, there. What's goin' on? JJ? Cassie? How you guys doin'?"

JJ and Cassie both gawked at Rafe and found themselves trapped with another guy, the crackhead who was the OBX drug dealer. Cassie put her hands up, "What a crowd we have here." Her voice was lazy and tired, sweat drenched every one of the teenagers as the humidity seemed to grow heavier by the second.

The guy pulled out a gun and cocked it, pointing it at JJ. "Well, well... See, don't think I forgot about me and you on the side of the road. I'm here because I want my motherfuckin' money."

His voice rose as he landed a punch on JJ with his last words. Cassie tried to step forward to help but found herself prisoned in Rafe's arms. Rafe threw down Kie before holding both of Cassie's arms at her sides. "It's not you we want, Cass. Where's John B?"

She squirmed violently as she yelled, "I don't know!" She ripped her arm out of his hand and landed a hard slap on his cheek, whipping his head to the side. She glanced at JJ, who was lying on the ground clutching his side.

Rafe stepped towards her again, "I really wish you didn't do that."

Before he could do anything, Kie yelled from the floor, "I know what you did."

He turned around with his eyes deadly and mad. "What? What did I do?"

"You murdered Peterkin."

Rafe took his attention off of Cassie and onto Kie. However Cassie was still pinned by the gaze of the druggie who kept pointing his gun at JJ or herself.

"Listen..." Rafe pulled Kie up from the ground and grabbed her throat, "Don't you ever say those fucking words again."

"Rafe!" Cassie cried as he yelled at her repeatedly for John B's location. Cassie looked at JJ who also was having no luck at getting any ground.

But their saving grace arrived.

Pope ran through the doors of the shed and hit Rafe on the back with a wrench. From there it was a bunch of lost punches and maneuvers that got them where Rafe's friend was lying on the floor and Pope was left to keep torturing Rafe with new punches.

"Pope!" Cassie yelled pulling Pope back from Rafe, who had clearly had enough. Pope stopped for a second before grabbing a rubber rope and pulling it around Rafe's neck.