{ LIVING THE POGUE LIFE }

{41}

The men on the airstrip continued unloading the crates onto the plane, with still no call coming in from Ward. It had been a while now, and JJ was seriously doubting that their plan had worked.

"Dude," JJ said, "He's not calling. Are we sure Jack reported it to the police?"

"I don't know," Brie frowned, "He's a bit of a sucker for the rules, and I was pretty sure I had him wrapped around my finger, but it's not looking like the police have shown up to investigate or they would have had a call by now."

"The police could just not have gone yet," Pope suggested, "There's no actual evidence they have to go and search Ward's car. Or he could have paid them off or told them to get a warrant?"

JJ cursed. That was true. And it definitely sounded like something Ward would do seeing as he was already rich and powerful enough. That was the thing that made JJ the most angry. Not the fact that the gold was stolen from them, but the fact that Ward didnt even need the gold. They did. It was just pure evil greed.

"Look," Kiara said, pointing over to the airstrip where a black car was pulling up beside the plane. Ward's car.

"What the hell?" Brie demanded.

JJ looked over at her distraught expression, knowing that everything she had done to complete the plan had been for nothing. The gold had just been pulled out from under them yet again and they were going to have to watch it fly away from them. There was nothing they could do now.

The doors to the car opened and Ward stepped out of the driver's side as Sarah got out of the other.

"Wait, Sarah?" John B asked in confusion, holding binoculars up to his face, "Why is Sarah here?"

JJ hated to think it, but a question instantly appeared in his mind. Was Sarah in on this the whole time? Did she use them for information and then rat them out to her father?

Kiara looked the most hurt, probably thinking that Sarah Cameron had yet again used her and betrayed her. Brie's face was full of disappointment as she watched one of her newest and closest friends going against them.

"Shit!" JJ cursed, "So now we've just got to watch them leave with the gold?"

"Wait, wait," John B said, squinting his eyes through the binoculars, "Sarah's not in on this."

"John B," Kiara sighed, sadly, "She knew. She's about to go with her dad and the gold without even telling us she was leaving."

"No," John B said, firmly, "Ward is forcing her onto the plane. Wait, no! He's hurting her!"

"What?" JJ snapped.

They could hear Sarah's faint shouts of protest as she tried to fight her father as he tried to push her through the door. The sound of the planes propellers starting up sent a hum through the air.

"Oh my god," Brie breathed, "She's not part of this. She didnt have any idea about the gold. She doesn't want to go with him. John B, come on! We got to stop them."

Brie turned around and ran for the van, throwing the door open and jumping into the front seat. She started the engine as John B leapt into the passenger side.

"Brie, what the hell are you doing?" Pope shouted.

"Brie!" JJ shouted in warning, but she stepped on the gas.

JJ, Pope and Kiara jumped to the side as the van ploughed down the metal fence and took off after the plane. JJ ran forwards and watched as the plane began to move, gathering speed down the runway. They would never be able to stop a moving plane with a shitty old van.