Exhale, Outer Banks [ 1 ]

025. THE PLAN

"If this guy flew planes for Ward, he's gotta be pretty tight lipped." Pope states as Kie drives the car. The siblings sit in the backseat, Cordelia staring out the window while JJ deals with his gun.

"So then direct approach gets my vote then." JJ states, loading the gun, snapping the other three's attention to him.

"JJ, no."

"No, what?"

"Absolutely not."

"Put the gun down, man." Pope orders.

"Guys! We gotta keep this simple or we'll never get John B off." JJ says.

"When does bringing guns into a situation ever make it simple?" Cordelia asks.

"Or we just tickle the wire." Pope says.

"What?" Kie questions.

"We tickle the wire." Pope says. "I plant my phone in his car, and then we listen in on your ear pods." He explains as he puts the ear pods in his ears. "Say something." He holds his phone out to Kie.

"Something." Kie says into the phone, Pope hearing it through the ear pods.

"Okay, we have audio." Pope says. "I think that's his house over there." He points out and Kie pulls to a stop on the side of the road. "All right, honk or, uh... yell or something if you see anything suspicious." He says and Kie nods.

"Don't do anything dangerous." Kie tells him.

"Come on. I'm not JJ." Pope smiles, getting out of the car.

"Funny, Pope. Love third wheeling. It's my favorite thing." JJ says sarcastically as Pope sneaks to the house.

"How's it been going? You know, with Pope and all?" JJ asks Kie after a few moments.

"It's good." Kie answers.

"It's good? All right." JJ says.

"In the bedroom, is he, like, kinda freaky, cause it's Pope, you know?" JJ asks.

"Dude, what the fuck?" Cordelia asks.

"Why are you asking?" Kie questions.

"I don't know. Just kinda curious." JJ shrugs, looking at the window. "Just spitballing here."

"You don't need to spitball. We could sit in silence." Kie offers.

"JJ and silence? When has that ever happened?" Cordelia jokingly asks, earning an eye roll from her brother. "Seriously, though. At least just spitball about, like, weed or your stupid gun or something."

"Ranking wise." JJ says after a few moments. Cordelia groans, wishing he would change the subject.

"Oh, you're still asking?" Kie turns to him.

"Yeah, I was just curious." JJ defends.

"Oh, you're still curious." Kie says.

"Stop being curious." Cordelia demands.

"Is John B better? Or--" JJ asks.

"What?" Kie questions incredulously.

"Okay." JJ mutters.

"Okay." Pope jumps back in the car. "phase one is complete." He looks between the three who all have awkward expressions. "Everything-- are we all good?"

"Yeah, no, just... wishing I was dead right now. Nothing much." Cordelia shrugs. "JJ, shoot me." She tells him.

"What-- n-no." JJ says, still recovering from the previous questioning he gave Kie.