Exhale, Outer Banks [ 1 ]

005. REDFIELD

"I mean, it's obvious, right?" John B asks as he drives the Twinkie to their destination. "A family heirloom. What better place to hide a message? He had to know it was gonna get back to me, right?"

"Yeah. It's possible." Kie says.

"It could also be possible that you're connecting wild theories to help, you know, deal with your sad feels." Pope says. Kie gives him a look.

"Bro, you know how I process my sad feels. Dank nugs and the stickiest of ickies, that's how I do it." JJ says.

"I'm not--I'm not concocting, okay? My dad's driving to give me a message." John B declares.

"If it helps you believe, John B." Kie says.

"Look, I-I don't need a therapy session, okay?" John B says.

"I'm actually pretty sure all of us could probably benefit from a therapy session." Cordelia comments.

"Look, I'm not trippin' out." John B says, growing defensive.

"It's okay to trip, bro, but--"

"Look, my-my dad is missing, okay? Missing. You don't know what it's like to have the person closest to you vanish and then have no idea what happened. Just wake up every morning wondering."

"It's been almost a year." Kie reasons.

"Hey, he could have been kidnapped. That's definitely a possibility." JJ says.

"Kidnappers usually kill their victim in the first 72 hours." Cordelia says, earning a glare from her brother and Kie. "Well, I said usually."

"Yeah, could be in a Soviet sub getting interrogated by the KGB somewhere." Pope says.

"Why keep him alive if he's not gonna spill any information?" Cordelia asks. "Ow." She mumbles after JJ kicks her shin.

"Absolutely." JJ continues on Pope's theory. "Or Atlantis."

"JJ." Kie says. "Look, what do you think the message is?" She asks John B."

"Redfield. Redfield Lighthouse. That's my dad's favorite place." John B says.

They get to the lighthouse and John B parks in front of the white picket fence that blocks it off. The five clamber out, making sure nobody's there.

"Right. Here's what's gonna happen, you're gonna post up and look out for bogeys, okay?" John B orders JJ.

"Wait... why me?" JJ asks.

"Cause you're not coming." Pope states.

"Why?" JJ asks.

"Cause you're reckless and impulsive." Cordelia says like it's obvious, earning a bitch face in return.

"Look, JJ, there are independent and there are dependent variables. And you're an independent variable. We don't know what you'll do." Pope says.

"Shut up. Shut up." JJ talks over him. Cordelia is standing between them and shrinks back a little, glancing between them both.

"We don't know what you're gonna do."

"Just shut up!"

"Just listen to me for a second. Listen." John B gets their attention. "Pope, you and Delia stand look out with JJ. Okay?"

"Wha-- I'm stuck with Dumb and Dumber?" Cordelia asks.

"Ha!" JJ laughs in her face.

"If we get split up, we meet back at JJ and Delia's house." John B states.