"Pope, we're not stealing the drone. We're borrowing it," John B explained for the hundredth time to a sulking Pope in the back of the Twinkie. JJ sat next to Pope, focused on rolling a blunt, attempting to drown them out, while Kie sat up front next to John B, contemplating whether to tell them to shut up already.
"Humans are the only animal that can't tell fantasy from reality," Pope recited grumpily.
"Did you come up with that?" John B asked, impressed.
"Albert Bernstein came up with it, but it applies to this whole treasure-hunting thing," Pope replied.
"Oh," John B said, no longer impressed or interested.
"So, which is it? Fantasy or reality?" Pope asked.
"Why are you being so weird, Pope?" JJ finally cut in, unsure about where Pope was heading with that statement. She glanced at John B to check if he was okay.
"It's fantasy, but possibly reality," Kie responded, mediating.
"Reality," John B said optimistically.
"Virtual reality," JJ said, just to be part of the conversation. She went to light the perfectly wrapped blunt, but Pope snatched it and tossed it toward the rear of the Twinkie.
"Keep the signal clear," he told her sternly. She glared at him as she flicked her lighter shut. The Twinkie rolled to a stop, and Kie got out, signaling they had arrived, but JJ couldn't stop herself.
"You know what your problem is?" She snapped lightly at Pope.
"You?" Pope bit back.
"No! It's that you need to relax, man. You're always so tense."
"I'm not too tense!" Pope argued, his shoulders tense, proving her point.
Kie came around to John B's side as they ignored the two arguing in the back.
"Don't worry, you got this," John B assured her.
"It's not me that I'm worried about," she replied, looking pointedly towards the arguing pair.
"We got it," he assured her, watching as she walked away toward the gate. He mumbled to himself, "Let's hope this works."
He called out to JJ and Pope, cutting off their argument. They clambered out of the Twinkie, and the three of them creeped closer to the gate. They took cover behind a massive wooden toolbox, waiting anxiously for Kie to initiate her part of the plan – the distraction. JJ had offered, but John B swiftly vetoed the idea, insisting they needed her to pinpoint the drone's location, which was crucial. It was a relief to have a legitimate reason, masking his more personal motives.
They observed a burly figure approaching the fence where Kie stood. With practiced ease, she employed a series of flirtatious gestures, then the man briefly retreated back inside his shop.
As JJ observed Kie, a pang of self-consciousness swept over her. Kie exuded beauty with her sun-kissed skin and flowing dark hair, her confidence palpable in every step. If JJ had been born a boy, she couldn't help but think Kie would have been exactly her type.
John B had briefly confided in her about what happened with Kie, leaving JJ to ponder why he wouldn't choose someone like her. He could have anyone he wanted, and yet… She couldn't bring herself to finish the thought. The idea that he might be interested in her was difficult to accept, buried as it had been for so long. But something had shifted in the last few days, a change she couldn't ignore. Perhaps it was wishful thinking, or maybe John B was just emotionally vulnerable and it wasn't real. That seemed the most plausible explanation; after all, JJ wasn't the type of girl who ended up with the guy. John B deserved someone like Kie – kind, compassionate, and brave.
JJ was snapped out of her thoughts by John B's gentle nudge, signaling it was time to move. Apparently, Kie had succeeded in her distraction.
They stealthily darted through the gate before it could close again, silently praying that Kie could maintain the man's attention long enough for them to snatch the drone and make their getaway.
JJ led them through the impound lot towards the storage building where the drone was housed. With a hint of uncertainty, JJ punched in the numbers she remembered for the lock. The lock didn't budge. They must have changed it, she realized.
Pope voiced the question on everyone's mind, "Do you have the right numbers?"
JJ stepped back from the lock, reluctantly admitting, "Okay, so I might have the wrong numbers."
"Ah, damn it!" Pope exclaimed. Then, a dog's bark echoed through the air, followed by the appearance of a German shepherd rounding the corner, heading straight for them.
"Oh, hey!" JJ panicked as the dog closed in on them.
"That's a cougar, never mind," John B gulped, darting behind the building to search for anything he could use to fend off the dog from JJ and Pope.
"Hi no, stay there, good boy!" JJ attempted to soothe the dog, but it responded with a menacing growl. "Okay, okay, you're fine!" JJ carefully maneuvered around the dog, hoping to distract it away from Pope. She had no idea where John B had gone.
Once she reached the other side of the dog, she shouted, "Pope, run!"
But the dog blocked Pope's path, showing no signs of backing down. He grabbed a nearby pipe, brandishing it to intimidate the dog. "Back off! Back off!"
JJ quickly assessed the situation and pulled out a red rag, waving it to divert the dog's attention. "Hey, look! I've got a toy, boy." The dog turned towards JJ and started chasing her. "Wait, no, just kidding! Shit! Okay, sit!"
JJ scrambled into a nearby boat to seek refuge, but the persistent barks of the dog echoed ominously from outside. She cursed under her breath – she was trapped. With no immediate escape in sight, she sat down, resigned to her fate.
John B's heart raced with worry as he circled back around the shed, only to find the dog and his friends missing. Sensing an opportunity, he spotted a nearby pipe and swiftly used it to break open the lock. He briefly lamented not noticing it earlier, but there was no time for regrets now.
Inside the boat, JJ strained to hear Bobby's voice outside. "What's that, huh? What's that, Tebow?" His taunts echoed around her. Bobby, who had never liked the way her dad mistreated her, even though he did nothing to stop it.
"What have you got, huh? What have you got?" he continued.
An idea began to form in JJ's mind.
"Whoever's up there better come on out!" Bobby's voice rang out, full of threat. "I mean it! Don't make me come up there and get your ass!"
"Wait, Bobby! Don't shoot!" JJ called out, cautiously raising her hands above the edge of the boat and standing up slowly so he could see her. "It's me, JJ. Luke's kid."
"What are you doing?!" Bobby yelled, his surprise mixed with suspicion evident in his voice.
"I swear, okay? I didn't want to, okay?" JJ forced her voice to crack a bit, hoping to sell her story.
"Tebow, quiet!" Bobby commanded his still-barking dog.
"My dad made me," JJ pleaded, trying to sound desperate.
"Don't you lie," Bobby demanded, his voice hardened with skepticism.
"He told me Captain Leo kept his cutting torch. You know, after he got fired," JJ stammered, her voice trembling lightly as she continued. "He said if I didn't get it, he was gonna… he was gonna hit me again." She forced her eyes to water, looking down in shame.
"Son of a bitch," Bobby swore under his breath. JJ sensed she had him now.
"I'm sorry," she sobbed, her voice genuine with regret.
"Come on down," Bobby replied in a softer tone. "I almost killed you."
"I know," JJ sniffled, her voice choked with emotion as she climbed down from the boat.
"Here, come on," Bobby commanded Tebow, signaling the dog to follow.
"I'll come up with something," JJ assured him as she reached the ground. "Tell him I couldn't find it."
"Mm hmm, alright," Bobby muttered, clearly uncomfortable with the situation involving her father.
"Sorry," JJ told him one last time, her voice soft with remorse, as she turned to leave. Once her back was turned and she was walking toward the gate to catch up with her friends, she couldn't help but smirk. Oh, she's good. Despite feeling a twinge of guilt for deceiving Bobby, she couldn't deny a sense of satisfaction. She actually liked him better than most other men her dad would work with.
John B arrived at the Twinkie with the drone in hand and immediately noticed only Pope and Kie were present. His heart sank.
"Where's JJ?" he asked, his voice tense with worry.
"The dog chased her. I was hoping she'd come back with you," Pope stressed.
"You left her with the dog?!" John B demanded, his anger evident.
"No—yes—she—" Pope stuttered, then defensively fired back, "Where were you?!"
John B didn't respond, because how could he? He had gone to find a weapon but returned empty-handed, only to find JJ missing. He turned away, leaving the equipment behind, and started walking back toward the gate.
After a few steps, John B stopped dead in his tracks. There was JJ, walking out of the front door of the salvage yard in plain sight as if she had been there all day. The man from earlier followed behind her, his dog following as he calmly closed the gate behind her. JJ wore a smirk on her face.
'What the fuck,'John B thought, stunned. He knew he would definitely need to hear how she got out of this one. After he lectured her for her recklessness again—because he had no doubt she had offered herself as bait for Pope to escape—he didn't need Pope to tell him what happened; it was written all over his face. John B knew JJ well enough to understand.
He sighed inwardly, knowing he would owe Pope an apology later for his initial reaction. But right now, all he wanted was to grab JJ and pull her close, where he could protect her.
When JJ finally arrived at the Twinkie, her grin widened as she spotted the drone case on the ground behind where John B stood. She looked at him proudly, knowing he must have retrieved it.
He returned her grin, all thoughts of lecture and worry forgotten. "You're late."
"Am I?" JJ asked playfully, her eyes sparkling as she came to stand in front of him. John B couldn't help but think how beautiful she looked.
He nodded, and they stood there, neither saying anything. They must have looked odd, just smiling stupidly at each other in silence. A throat cleared behind him, and both JJ and John B startled before turning to join Pope and Kie.
John B picked up the drone and loaded it into the back before taking his place behind the wheel. This time, JJ sat up front with him while Kie and Pope settled into the back seats, as it should be.
