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THIRTY-THREE ALL THEY HAD
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It was hard to believe how quickly things could go from bad to worse. They had been so optimistic as they pulled up to the runway, hopping out of the van like they had nothing to lose. They really didn't, now that Norman thought about it. If they succeeded, they were going to drop everything and run off to some foreign country to live in luxury as best they could as five sixteen-year-olds. They were going to do whatever it took to get there.
"What's the plan?" Kie asked as they ran up to the front, "Broad strokes."
"I don't think we got that far," John B muttered as Pope used the binoculars to get a better view. Norman's heart was beating a mile a minute as he stood alongside the fence beside John B.
The boy shrugged, "To be fair, when has a plan ever actually worked for us so far? I feel like we'd have more luck winging it anyway."
"They're loading up the gold," Pope observed, handing the binoculars over to John B so he could see as well.
They watched as a car pulled up, John B saying, "That's Ward."
John B slowly lowered the binoculars, a numbed, distant expression on his face. Curious as to what this meant, Kie asked, "What? What did you see?"
"It's Sarah," the boy mumbled, looking distraught.
"She's with him?" Pope asked.
After a moment, John B lifted the binoculars again, looking more distressed this time as he exclaimed, "Wait a minute. He's hurting her. They're fighting! Holy shit."
"Shit," Norman muttered as he grabbed the binoculars, "I wonder if he's trying to take her with him to keep her quiet. She knows about all of this, I bet she threatened to go to the police. Did you tell her about what he did to your dad?"
John B nodded as he pushed back from the fence in a hurry, hopping back in the van. Norman had half a mind to follow him -- so he did. Before John B could drive off, Norman ran to meet him at the drivers' side window.
"Where the hell are you going? You don't know how dangerous this is, John B," Norman exclaimed, nothing but worry drowning his features. The last thing he wanted was for his boyfriend to do something stupid, but that seemed to be one of the things John B was best at these days.
"I know that if it was me on that runway, you'd do the same for me, just like we would for anyone here. I know things with her have been rough, but I can't let her dad ship her off to Cuba just to shut her up," John B argued, his face worried and his words calculated.
Norman sighed, knowing he couldn't stop him. "At least let me come with you, dumbass."
"Not happening, Bates," the boy shook his head, "I don't want you to get hurt."
