Audacious//JJ Maybank (Outerbanks)

Chapter 44

{Evidence}

Thunder rumbles as the rain pours down on us, my hair and clothes are all drenched. The four of us peek our heads above the fence we're hiding behind. 'Nice camera. Where'd you dig up that relic?' JJ asks Pope as he places the camera on the fence to get a clear recording. 'Why don't you just use your phone?' JJ suggests. 'Well, first of all, I like my antique electronics. Second of all, this is a telephoto. It allows me to get a close image from far away.' Pope explains to us.

'Lord of the dorks.' Kie sighs looking away from him and I roll my eyes at her. 'I love it. It's cool.' I smile at Pope and he returns the smile before we focuses on Wards truck. 'For a definitive proof of witness payoff, we're gonna need quality glass.' Pope says looking at Kie. 'There he is.' I whisper pointing at Ward. 'Yo, get down.' JJ mumbles as he grabs my hand and pulls me down beside me and wraps his arms around my back and pulls me closer to him. 'And there's Gavin.' Pope sighs as Gavin runs into the abandoned building after Ward. 'Where are you going, you son of a bitch?' Pope questions as he zooms the camera closer to Ward and Gavin. 'No, no. I'm losing him.' Pope says. 'Shit. Where's he going?' Pope asks as JJ looks around the environment. 'Hold on.' JJ says as he takes his hand away and jogs down the alleyway, my eyes follow him. JJ whistles at us grabbing the others attention. 'Yo! Hey, I found something. Come here.' He mutters to us as we jog down the alleyway to him. He grabs my hand and we run down another alley. 'Gotta go up top.' JJ says pointing towards the ladder. JJ stands at the bottom of the ladder. 'You go first.' He says to me and I nod as I begin climbing up the ladder. 'Hurry. Don't wanna miss anything.' Kie urges the boys as I stand up on the roof and lean down. 'Are you getting it?' Kie asks Pope as he adjusts the camera. 'Yeah, yeah. I see them.' Pope answers and a sigh of relief escapes my lips.

'What are they doing?' I ask Pope as I look over at him. 'Ward just handed Gavin something, I think it's a duffel bag.' He answers. 'Guys, I think this is a payoff.' JJ adds and I sigh looking at him. 'Gavin doesn't look happy about something. Looks like he's yelling at Ward.' Pope informs us. 'Why?' Kie and I ask in unison. 'Maybe it's not enough.' JJ suggests and I nod my head in agreement. 'Shit.' Pope curses. 'Whoa, whoa, whoa.' JJ says repeatedly beside me. 'What's going on?' Kie asks as her eyes widen. 'I dunno. They're fighting over something.' Pope explains. 'They're going at it.' JJ states and I sigh in frustration. 'Ward's kicking the shit out of Gavin.' Pope speaks up after a moment of silence. I look across the street into the abandoned building where Ward and Gavin were and all I could see was Ward repeatedly throwing punches at Gavin. 'What are they fighting over?' I ask Pope and he shakes his head. 'I don't know.' He answers.

We all stare in silence as Ward continues to repeatedly beat up Gavin. 'Holy shit. Ward's got a gun.' Pope informs us in disbelief as my eyes widen in fear. 'I bet that's the murder weapon.' Kie points out and JJ nods in agreement beside me. 'Guys, I have a bad feeling about this..' I sigh and JJ slowly interlocks his hand with mine and looks at me giving me a reassuring smile and I nod my head after a moment as a gunshot echos across the street and we all gasp before ducking behind the wall. My eyes begin to blur as tears begin to surface, my heart is beating rapidly against my chest as fear overcame me, Gavin is dead. 'Oh my good. Oh my god.' I start to panic. 'No, no, no, no. That did not just happen!' Kie gasps in disbelief. 'Tell me you just got that.' JJ says looking at Pope. 'Enough to put this asshole away for life.' He informs us and a sigh of relief escapes my lips as I take deep breaths trying to calm myself. While Pope looks back over the wall another gunshots goes off and I flinch back up against the wall. 'We have to help him.' I say starting to get up but JJ quickly grabs my hand and pulls me back down. 'Are you crazy? He'll kill you.' JJ whispers-shouts at me and I sigh. 'Gavin is dying. I-We can't just let him die.' I argue at them and they all sigh in frustration. 'This is freaking crazy.' Kie says rubbing her hair back. 'Get down. Get down.' Pope says quickly as we all hide. 'I think we should go right now.' JJ states as Kie and I nod in agreement. 'Pope, you have enough, right?' I ask and he nods in confirmation. 'Wait, hold on. He's leaving.' Pope informs us and we all look over the wall as we see Ward leave the building. He kneels down as he scans the flooded road. 'What's he doing?' Kie asks. 'I think he's looking for the gun.' Pope replies. 'It went down the drain.' Pope states as we see Ward yelling to himself. 'Hold this.' Kie says handing me her bag. 'What are you doing, Kie?' I ask her but she just ignores me as she stands up. 'What is wrong with you? Murderer!' She yells aloud but I quickly jump up and wrap my hand around her mouth pulling her back down. 'What the hell was that? What is wrong with you?' I yell at her and she scoffs.