MARLBORO NIGHTS [JJ MAYBANK]

dinosaur camera

BY THE TIME they got out of the car and had eyes on Ward Cameron, it was pouring down rain on their heads. The four Pogues crouched behind a wooden fence across the street from the construction sight, peeking over to try and see better. But the storm and the night sky were not helping their case.

Pope had an old video camera in one hand, propped on the edge of the fence. "Nice camera," muttered JJ, "Where'd you dig up that relic?" Pope ignored him, and the blonde shook his head bitterly. "Why don't you just use your phone?"

"Well first of all, I like my antique electronics," defended Pope, shrugging at him. "And second of all, this is a telephoto. It allows me to get a close image from far away."

Kiara snorted, but she was smiling. "Lord of the dorks.."

"I like your camera, Pope," Karolina noted. He offered a half smile. "Thanks. And, for definitive proof of witness payoff," he said pointedly at JJ and Kiara, "We're gonna need quality glass-"

"Wait," JJ interrupted, nodding his head towards the street again. "There he is."

Sure enough, several yards away, Ward Cameron was running through the rain, clutching a duffle bag in his arms. Karolina gasped, tugging on JJ's sleeve as they all ducked behind the fence further, to prevent being seen. From the other direction came another figure- "And there's Gavin."

The two men weaved their way through the construction sight, into the half-building and out of the storm. "Shit!" Pope hissed. "Where's he going?"

JJ poked Karolina in the shoulder, bumping her into Pope. She glanced at him, following his line of sight down the alleyway. "Yo, I found something. Come on..."

Pope, Kie, and Karolina stumbled to their feet, darting through the rain to follow JJ down the alley to a ladder that led to the roof of the nearest building. "Let's go up top," JJ beckoned, starting to climb first. Kie and Pope followed, leaving Karolina in the rear. "Hurry," said Kie, "We don't wanna miss anything."

The roof was the perfect location to see what was happening in the top of the half-built structure that Ward and Gavin climbed. The rain still pounded on their heads, but a blue neon sign nearby lit up the world around them just enough for the camera to get it in good detail. They crouched at the edge of the roof, peering over into the darkness.

"You rolling, Pope?" asked JJ. Kiara nodded. "Are you getting it?"

"Yeah, yeah I see them," Pope answered, his eye squinted into the viewer. Karolina couldn't differentiate which one was Ward and which one was Gavin; they just looked like moving blobs to her.

"Ward just handed something to Gavin," said Pope. "I think it's a duffel bag."

They squinted through the rain to try and see what he was seeing. "Guys, I think this is a payoff," JJ muttered. Karolina nodded.

"Gavin doesn't look happy about something," Pope informed them. "I-It looks like he's yelling at Ward."

"Why?" Kiara asked. Karolina swiped thick droplets of water off her face.

Pope shook his head. "I don't know... but he sure looks mad."

Karolina agreed, based on what she could see. Gavin and Ward got closer, hands moving exaggeratedly, when suddenly, Ward launched himself at the man. She gasped, flinching, and JJ touched her side.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa..." Pope said, eyes wide. Karolina looked at him urgently. "What's happening?"

"I dont k-know, they're fighting over something," he answered, squinting into the rain. JJ frowned at their scrambling figures. "They're really going at it..."