{ LIVING THE POGUE LIFE }

{39}

"JJ! JJ, get up!"

He jumped awake, confused and disoriented. Brie looked at him with a terrified expression. What-

"Someone's here!" She hissed, "We gotta get out of here. Come on!"

She threw their stuff back into the bag and slung it over her shoulder. JJ slowly stood up, listening carefully. A car door slammed shut, then the sound of footsteps just outside the door. Fuck, fuck, fuck.

Brie grabbed his hand and yanked him into the back of the garage. She pushed him into a corner behind an old metal filing capiney and gestured for him to keep quiet. He wanted to argue, but she clearly had a plan. She picked up an old rusty pipe and squeezed herself against the wall and a huge slab of wood, clutching the pipe to her chest.

He panted quietly, listening out for whoever was now coming into the garage. It was definitely more than one person; two or even three maybe. He held his breath, watching Brie grip the pipe tighter in her hands. He willed her not to do anything stupid.

The footsteps were close now. JJ tried to turn his head to look, but he couldn't move far enough without being seen. Brie's expression changed, readying the weapon.

No! he mouthed Dont!

But of course, as usual, she never listened to him. She jumped out from her hiding spot, wielding the pipe like some sort of maniac. JJ ran out just in time to see Brie swing and hit none other than John B across the back of the head, rust raining down on him. Brie dropped it in surprise, covering her mouth with her hands.

"Ow!" John B shouted, rubbing his head frantically, "The hell was that for?"

"I'm sorry!" She said, flinging her arms around his torso, "I thought you were... Thank god you're okay! You had us all scared to death. Where the fuck were you?"

"I just needed some time to calm down," he said, "Sorry I scared you."

"Damn right you scared us," JJ added, "Never run off on us again, alright?"

"Whatever," John B chuckled with a smile, "I just saw the house by the way. What the hell happened?"

Brie winced, clearly still feeling guilty.

"Barry," she told him, "I'm sorry. I'll fix it, I swear."

"We've got bigger problems right now," he said, as if he had just remembered something, "Ward has told Sarah that I tried to kill him and that I stabbed him..."

"What?" Brie snapped.

"And Ward found the gold."

"Shit!" JJ cursed, "Well we have to go get it before he does."

Brie nodded frantically, heading for the door. JJ followed after her but John B didnt move. Brie frowned at him.

"It's over," he said, miserably, "The gold is already gone. He took it."

JJ's heart plummeted. He thought that every problem in his life was about to be fixed, and nowhere was stuck in this shitty life with his shitty dad. He had just lost his only way out. They all had.

"He took it?" Brie asked, "So, it's just gone?"

"He must have overheard me and Sarah talking about it," John B said, "Or followed us, or- I dont know! But it's gone."

"So we're gonna get it back, right?" JJ asked "We're not gonna let him get away with what he's done. We can go to the police and tell them what he did to your dad."

He shook his head. "They wont belive us. Just face it, it's over."

"No," Brie shouted, "No the fuck it isnt. Let's go, Kiara is meeting us back at your place this morning."