𝐇𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬: 𝐀𝐬𝐩𝐲𝐧 𝐂𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐨𝐧 ~ 𝐎𝐮𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐁𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐬

𝐖𝐞 𝐍𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐓𝐨 𝐓𝐮𝐫𝐧 𝐇𝐢𝐦 𝐈𝐧

We sprinted the rest of the way, not even stopping for a moment to catch our breath.

Pope pulled open the church doors and we all rushed inside, looking around.

There was no sign of the cross, Rafe, or Renfield.

"It's gone..." Kie sighed.

"Dammit!" JJ huffed, kicking one of the cushions. "I knew I didn't hide it well enough!"

"We need a plan. We need a plan," He muttered frantically. "What's the plan?!"

He took a breath. "Alright, here's what we do. We'll grab some kerosene tanks from the Chat, then we...then 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! Because this is some bullshit, y'all!"

"That's not gonna help," My sister sighed.

"Well, what is, Sarah?!"

"I'm thinking, okay?" John B said. "We can't just blow shit up, JJ,"

"Pope, I'm sorry," JJ mumbled.

Pope walked to the front of the church. "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, he brought them both to shore, and he used it to free every person who walked through those doors,"

"He made a church, a family, a congregation, a home! And the Limbrey's took everything from him! They sicced dogs on his wife and kids, and when he tried to get her remains they hung him!"

"Well, I'm done. I'm tired of that shit. This is not how this is gonna end. We need a freaking win, you guys. I'm going to get my family's cross,"

I walked up to him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "You're right. This shit isn't over,"

"Let's go," I told everyone else, walking toward the door.

Pope followed behind me, stopping at the doors. "You guys coming?" He asked, turning to look at the others.

JJ smirked. "Hell yeah, we're coming,"

-

"Oh shit! They found the truck!" Kie said as we pulled up to a bunch of police cars at the sight of the accident.

"Of course!" JJ huffed.

John B took a breath. "Alright, just relax,"

Kiara ducked down onto the floor of the van as John B came to a stop. Shoupe immediately approached the vehicle, going to the driver's side window.

"Good evening, Officer," John B mumbled.

"Sheriff," Shoupe corrected.

John B shook his head. "Sheriff. Yeah, that's right,"

He sighed. "Speed kills, huh?"

"I pulled the tags and I know whose truck that is," Shoupe told us.

He shined his flashlight into the backseat to reveal Kiara ducking down on the floor. "Hey! Kie, you drop your weed pen back there?"

She sighed, holding a thumbs up. "Found it..."

Shoupe rolled his eyes. "Oh?"

"Sheriff, I just wanna say that this is all my fault," Pope spoke up. "She had nothing to do with this. I take one-hundred percent responsibility,"

"Nothing to do with it?" Shoupe scoffed. "You wanna try that again?"

He then turned his attention to Kie. "Your parents reported the truck missing four hours ago, and the keys were missing from the house. I'm taking you home,"