𝐦𝐞𝐥𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠

021. Round Three.

     

     THE WHOLE way back to the church, Kie and Josie were holding hands and when they got there, Josie sort of expected her to let go but they walked in together, following Pope with JJ, John B and Sarah behind them. "It's gone." Kie says, when they saw the pillows that were suppose to be hiding the cross.

"Damn it!" JJ kicks one and Josie sighs as Pope walked up to the altar. "I knew I didn't hide it well enough!" The blond says, turning to the others. "Okay, what do we do? What do we do? What do we do?" He kept repeating as Kie sat down and looked up at Josie who just stood next to her, staring down at her.

Kie covered her face and Josie sat down beside her, putting a hand around her. "We need a plan. We need a plan. What's the plan?" JJ said to himself, panting as Pope looks up at the window. "Alright. Here's what we do. We're gonna grab some kerosene tanks from the Chat, then we... we go to my dad's shop and grab some dynamite. And then we drive down to Charleston and tell this lady who she's messing with!" JJ said, raising his voice.

"Because this is some bullshit, ya'll!"

"That's not gonna help." Sarah tells her and he looks at her. "Well, what is, Sarah?" He asked her right away angrily. "I'm thinking, okay?" John B merely tells him. "We can't just go around blowing shit up, J." Josie tells the boy as she's rubbing Kie's shoulder gently.

"Pope, I'm sorry." The blond looks over at their friend standing at the altar. "Denmark would've stood right here... preaching to everyone he set free. A slave, the sole survivor of the Royal Merchant, he got the gold and the cross, and he brought them both to shore and used it to free every person who walked through those doors." He pointed at the entrance.

"They made a church, a family, a congregation... a home. And the Limbreys took everything from him. They sicced dogs on his wife and his kids, and when he tried to go get her remains, they hung him. Well, I'm done. I'm tired of that shit. That is not how this is gonna end. We need a freaking win, guys. I'm going to get my family's cross." He walked past them.

"You guys coming?" He paused at the door and Josie instantly stood up. "Fuck yeah." She nods before looking at Kie, holding out her hand. "What she said." JJ pointed at Josie before walking with John B to follow Pope out the door as Kie interlocks her fingers with Josie's, smiling widely before putting her arm around Sarah's shoulders to follow them.

They left in the van, when they came across the crash in Kie's dad's truck. "Oh shit! They found the truck." The girl says, immediately moving. "Chill, chill, chill, chill. Chill." John B says to them. "Alright, just relax. Just relax." He says when JJ panicks, putting on his cap. Shoupe and Plumb come their way.

"Good evening, officer."

"Sheriff." Shoupe corrects John B. "Sheriff. Yeah, that's right." He says, looking at the cop cars. "Speed kills, huh?" He looks back at the man pointing a flashlight at him. "I pulled the tags, and I know whose truck that is." He then pointed the flashlight at Kie who slowly turns to look at him. "Hey! Kie, you drop your weed pen back there?" He asked and she raised a thumb up. "Found it." She merely tells him.

"Oh."

"Sheriff, I just wanna say that this is all my fault." Pope takes the whole blame, looking at Shoupe. "She had nothing to do with this. I take 100% responsibility." He says and Shoupe just looks at him. "Nothing to do with it? Uh-huh. You wanna try that again?" The man asked him before looking back over at the girl.

"Your parents reported the truck missing four hours ago, and the keys were missing from the house. I'm taking you home." He tells Kie who slowly looks away. "Or I can pull you all in for leaving the scene of an accident." He looks at all of the others. "Okay." Kie says.