Strawberry Sunscreen - JJ Maybank - Outer Banks

Chapter 33 - The Heist || Part 1

"Nice camera. Where'd you dig up that relic?" JJ asked Pope as he looked through the older looking camera. "Why don't you just use your phone?" It was pouring around them, and nobody was out and about in the downtown area. It was a perfect night for a gun for cash handoff.

"Well, first of all, I like my antique electronics. Second of all, this is a telephoto. It allows me to get a close image from far away," Pope explained.

"Lord of the dorks," Joked Kiara.

"For definitive proof of witness payoff, we're gonna need quality glass," said Pope.

"Kiara's still right," stated Elizabeth, Kiara nodding along.

"There he is," JJ pointed towards Ward, who was running down the street extremely suspiciously. His jacket was full of something that he had been protecting from the rain, presumably the money that he promised Gavin.

"And there's Gavin. Where are you going, you son of a bitch?" Pope asked as he focused the camera on them. "No, no, no, no. I'm losing him." Ward and Gavin both disappeared behind a building.

JJ disappeared from the group before whistling them over, "Yo! Hey. I found something. Come here. Gotta go up top." JJ led them up a ladder and onto the roof of a nearby building. As soon as Elizabeth reached the top of the building, JJ reached out his hand for her to grab. The girl reluctantly took it, pulling herself onto the roof.

"Are you getting it?" Kiara asked Pope as he lifted the camera towards his right eye and looked through it.

"Yeah. Yeah, I see them," said Pope. They were standing across from a construction site where the two men walked around, exchanging objects.

"Ward just handed Gavin something. I think it's a duffel bag," explained Pope. The others squinted their eyes in an attempt to see better, but it was too dark and rainy to make anything out.

"Guys, I think this is a payoff," JJ stated.

"Gavin gets money, but what does Ward get in return?" Elizabeth asked out loud.

"Good question. Gavin doesn't look happy about something. It looks like he's yelling at Ward," described Pope.

"Why?" Kiara asked.

"I don't know, but he sure looks mad," Pope watched the two further. The two men continued to exchange words, their expressions getting more and more expressive. All of the sudden they began to fight, the two grown men exchanging punches.

"Ward's kicking the shit out of Gavin," stated Pope.

"Why are they fighting?" JJ asked, thinking out loud.

"I don't know," responded Pope.

"Holy shit. Ward's got a gun," Pope described.

"What is he going to do? Kill Gavin too?" Elizabeth questioned.

Kie shook her head, "I bet that's the murder weapon." The two men had stopped fighting as Gavin stayed on the ground. Ward distanced himself from Gavin as he began to walk away.

Gavin stood to his feet, yelling at Ward who had his back turned to the man. Ward turned around, holding out the gun and shooting towards Gavin. The pogues gasped as they heard the gun go off, all crouching back down behind the concrete wall. JJ grabbed Elizabeth, pulling her down into his arms and hiding her body with his. Even though they weren't in immediate danger, JJ knew he had to protect her in whatever way he could.

"He just shot him. Holy shit, he might die," Elizabeth mumbled, her hands shaking as they grasped JJ's soaked raincoat.

"No, no, no, no. That did not just happen. What is going on?" Kiara whimpered.