The sun blares down on me as I pace back and forth. My repeated footsteps flatten the trimmed grass, leaving a print of my route in the earth. JJ stands on the deck of Kie's family's restaurant, flicking his lighter as he watches me pace.

    "I'm getting worried," I announce, dropping my hands from running through my hair and crossing them tightly across my chest.

    "Really? Never would have guessed," JJ comments, the lighter cap flicking open and shut once more.

    "You're not funny, dick," I huff, diverting from my course and walking up the steps to where JJ stands, "Do you think they caught him? Fuck, if I could find my damn phone I could ask Rafe or check in with-"

     "Hey, hey, hey," JJ cuts me off, reaching out to steady me with his hands on my shoulders, "John B is quick--catty even. He could outrun a jaguar. There's no way they got him,"

     I blink, wanting to force myself to believe him more than anything. Pope approaches from behind, prompting JJ to let go of my shoulders and stand up straight, turning to our friend as he joins us.

    "Any sign?" Pope questions.

    "He's pinched for sure, man," JJ shakes his head. I furrow my brows, snapping my eyes to the blond and pinching the skin of his arm.

    "Lying prick," I mutter as JJ slaps my hand away.

    "They wouldn't still be patrolling if they caught him," Pope offers a piece of advice, leaning against the door frame to get a better look at the outer surroundings. I turn over my shoulder, the distant sound of sirens somewhat calming me.

    "I'm surprised they haven't come looking for us yet, our faces might as well be on that poster too," I point out, looking down at my rebooks as I dig the heel into the grass.

    "She's right, everyone saw us in that car," Kie joins the group, her hair messy as if she just woke up.

    I blink, chewing on the inside of my lip, "Y'know, if we're going to be fugitives too, we might as well help John B,"

    "Great idea," Pope nods, turning to the table and snatching the keys to JJ's bike off the object. I step out of the doorway, prepared for Pope to barge through. 

    "So find him before they do?" JJ asks in confirmation, only being met with silence, "Pope?"

    "I'm gonna get gas for the boat," Pope says coldly, my brows furrowing at the difference in his behaviour. With everything going on, I haven't had time to find out why he's been so different.

    "Hey, you be careful," Kie speaks, her voice timid yet strong, staring down Pope as if JJ and I were flies on the wall. "Okay?"

    Pope stares at her for a moment in silence. My gaze flicks over to JJ, my face scrunching as if to physically ask him what the hell their problem is.

    Pope turns from Kie without a word, looking between JJ and I, "Meet me at the dock at three. Don't be late,"

    Kie pushes off from her seat, her face heated slightly in embarrassment. I step away from the door, allowing Pope to burst through, shortly followed by Kie. Kie leans over the railing of the deck, looking down at Pope before following him down the stairs, "Okay, what is your problem?"

    JJ joins my side, a slight scent of smoke signalling his arrival as we watch our friends from the deck.

    "No problem, Officer. I'm just doing my job," Pope snaps. I physically flinch at his tone, looking up at JJ in confusion.

    "What the hell happened between them?" I ask quietly.

    "Don't ask me, I'm just here," He shrugs.

    "Look, I'm sorry that I hurt your feelings," Kie attempts to yell over the sound of the bike. Pope makes it impossible, revving the engine loud enough to drown her out.

    Pope pauses his revving long enough to speak himself, "What was that?"

    Kie tries fruitlessly to talk over the sound of the revving engine, Pope's face cold as he revs it louder before speeding off. She stands with her back to us, her shoulder slumped. I push away from JJ, dropping down the stairs and to where Kie stands. I lift my arms, wrapping them around her shoulders as she turns towards me.

    "Whatever happened, it'll work out," I reassure, lifting my head away from her but keeping one arm around her shoulder. She smiles sadly at me, not offering any explanation or further context. 

    The sound of helicopter blades stops us as we head back to the stairs. My neck cranes, my eyes squinting to shield me from the sun as a helicopter flies lowly over us. My stomach drops, my gut twisting in nerves. There's only one reason that would be here.

    "Who the hell is that?" JJ comments.

    I blink, staring up at the sky even after it disappears from view. The helicopter has to be here for John B.

    I don't know why I was spared, even as a favour from Ward to Linus. I'm a loose end, a witness to the biggest crime this island has seen. In a weird way, it makes me feel ill to be excluded from the murderer narrative, not that I would ever say it out loud. It makes me feel more disconnected, like a spoiled kook using her privilege to get ahead no matter who from her side sinks.

    It makes me feel like the Phoebe I've been running from.

    So, to bury Kook Phoebe once and for all, I have to publicly and strongly choose John B.

                    I curl up in the passenger seat of Kie's car, my knee pulled up to my chest as my other bounces, my fingers pulling at each other. JJ sits quietly in the back seat, not much of a word since snagging the Phantom key from his Dad. I can only imagine how that went.

    "It'll be fine," JJ finally speaks, breaking the silence between all of us, "It'll be fine with the Phantom. She'll get out of here quick,"

    "I'm more worried about him not making it to the boat," I speak, twisting my gold bangle around my wrist, "I wish he could send us some sort of sign or signal, y'know?"

    As if on cue, sirens sound from close by. I snap my head up, the flashing lights of the Kildare police vehicles meeting my eye. I duck my head immediately, my hair fanning and covering my face as Kie tries her best to do the same, all while still driving. Three vehicles speed by, their sirens drilling holes into my head and heart.

    "There's your sign, Pheebs." JJ points out.

    "They're still looking. That's good," Kie nods, believing it herself. I find myself letting out a small sigh of relief, a fraction of relaxation gracing my shoulders.

    I don't pay attention to the rest of the car ride, my eyes focusing on my fingers as I tap them on my knee. I feel Kie pull the car to a stop, my eyes finally drifting up to spot a big shed, presumably with John B's getaway boat inside.

    I release a breath, feeling like it's the beginning of the end as I climb out of Kie's car and swing the door shut behind me. JJ approaches the doors of the shed, sliding them open to reveal the boat inside. 

    "There she be. Hey, girl," JJ breathes, walking up to his Dad's boat and reaching for the fabric cover over the nose, "A 1983 Formula 402 SR1. The Phantom,"

    JJ turns to us, an admiring smile on his face as he waits for a reaction. I shrug, not caring much about the specs of the vehicle.

    "The first boat to make the run to Bermuda in under sixteen hours, guys," He announces, reaching to rest a hand on the surface, "Forty years old! Forty! And still the fastest thing Kildare's ever seen,"

    "It's kind of a junker," Kie shrugs from beside me. 

    JJ drops his hand from the boat, facing us directly while glaring at Kie, "Really? She's right there, Kie. She can hear you,"

    "As long as she runs and is fast, who gives a shit," I sigh, unable to tear my eyes away from the boat and what she means.

    "Oh, she'll run alright," JJ grins, following my eyeline, "She's a beauty, isn't she?"

    I roll my eyes at him, walking across to the other side of the room to start prepping the boat, "Just rub your tongue on the thing already, JJ. This is nauseating."

    "Oh I will. Try not to be jealous," He calls over to me, starting his own prep. I smile and shake my head, trying to get the image of him licking the boat out of my head.

    The sound of a motorbike approaching causes me to snap my head up, my eyes moving to the open door as Kie jumps over something at her feet and heads towards where I stand. Weird, Pope would go for the front entrance, wouldn't he? 

    "Pope! Finally," Kie praises.

    Someone in my left peripheral vision tears my eyes away from Kie, my skin going cold and my spine going rigid as I take in the appearance of the person standing in front of me. He smiles coldly, like a demon taking over his body and turning him rotten from the inside out, the same feeling that demeanour gives me--a feeling of decay.

    Rafe.

    "JJ," I call, my voice still quiet despite the urgency I feel in my chest. 

    "Hey there, what's going on?" Rafe grins, looking me up and down, "Phoebe, how's it going?"

    Rafe doesn't wait for my answer and turns to the Phantom, latching onto it and jumping onto the wheel cover to get a clearer look inside, clearly looking for something or someone. I turn to Kie and JJ, watching as Kie backs up towards JJ and the door, JJ's eyes frozen on me and my proximity to Rafe.

    A whistle sounds from behind JJ, all of us turn as another person enters. If I thought Rafe's expression was the incarnation of evil, Barry's expression was crafted from the depths of hell.

    "Well, well," Barry comments, his eyes focused on JJ.

    My gut twists, my mind returning to the day Barry held us at gunpoint and what JJ did in retaliation. Barry doesnt take lightly to people fucking with his business.

    Rafe drops down beside me, the thud of his shoes causing JJ to turn back to me. His reaction is instinct, his foot lifting before his mind can catch up as he tries to come towards me. He doesn't get far before Barry pulls out a gun, clicking the safety off and aiming it right at JJ's head.

    "Barry, stop!" I yell, an indescribable anger brewing in my stomach as I too make a move forward. I get a step in before I feel Rafe grab me, pulling me back and away from the situation in front of me.

    "Shh. No need to get so worked up," Rafe speaks lowly and calmly, his hand brushing my hair as if I were a doll at his disposal. His arms holding me back from helping someone transport me back to that tarmac, back to the sound of a gunshot and the smell of gunpowder laced with blood. Back to that fear and sickness I felt watching my brother run for his life.

    "Don't fucking touch me," I snap, clawing at his arms as they hold me back. He grows tired of my protests, his hand moving to clamp tightly around my mouth and jaw, holding my mouth shut.

    "Easy, firecracker. Don't make me hurt your lil' pretty boy over here," Barry laughs, not moving his eyes from JJ for even a second, "See, don't think I forgot about me and you on the side of the road. I'm here because I want my motherfuckin' money!"

    Barry snaps immediately, lashing for the side of JJ's head as he grabs him roughly, forcing his head lower and lower to the ground. Kie unfreezes from her fear, rushing towards him, "JJ, JJ!"

    I latch onto Rafes' hand, pulling it back far enough from my face for me to snag my teeth onto his hand and bite down hard. He yells, shoving me away from him hard enough for my knees to hit the concrete floor. While I'm getting my bearings back, I watch through my hair as Rafe grabs Kie and yanks her back from JJ's side, pulling her to the other side of the room.

    "Stay down, boy," Barry taunts, kicking JJ as he rolls onto his back, his face scrunched in pain. I turn from him to Kie as Rafe steps closer to her face, my heart beating in my chest as if I'm watching myself from a third-person perspective.

   "I know what you did," Kie declares, her voice strong even as it wobbles in fear.

    "What, what did I do?" Rafe pushes, sounding almost bored.

    "You murdered Peterkin," Kie finalises.

    I watch as Barry looks up at the words, seemingly taken aback by the declaration as if he had no clue. Knowing Rafe, he probably didn't.

    I spare one last look at JJ as I push myself to my knees, knowing he's more capable of defending himself than Kie. Besides, I know how to distract Rafe. If I can get into his head and turn his focus to me, Kie can help JJ.

    Marching over to Rafe, I step in between him and Kie, gesturing for Kie to move with a hand behind my back. I lift my other hand, using all my might to swing my hand across his face, his once neat and tidy hair now a mess. 

    Rafe doesn't notice as Kie slips out from behind me, his eyes narrowed roughly on me.

    "How could you?" I speak, keeping an eye on Barry and JJ in my peripheral.

     "How could I? How could you!" He screams, stepping closer as he yells in my face.

    "You killed her, Rafe! You framed my brother for your crime!" I use my hands to shove him away from me. He bounces back stronger, his hands moving to my jaw as he roughly cradles me in a way that would seem gentle if not for the intensity of his grip.

   My face scrunches in pain, the blood from where I bit his hand smearing onto my face as his eyes water in anger, "I trusted you. I loved you, and you take their side over mine! After all I did!"

    "Rafe," I choke, his grip only getting tighter and lower until his hand wraps itself around my throat.

    "So don't you ever say those fucking words again, huh!" He yells, his gaze burning into me, my accusation of murder almost embedded into his eyes, "Where is he? Where's John B?"

    "Go to hell," I tell him, a small sob escaping me against my will.

    I can't help but feel like a puppet on his strings, something he's always had near for the sole purpose of controlling. He used to represent a place for me to belong, an understanding of myself. But now, meeting JJ and Pope and Kie--everything about him is superficial and always was. The shell of someone I cared for melts until all I can see is the charred corpse underneath, its fingers leaving bruises around my neck.

    I watch as Kie runs back into the shed from behind Rafe's shoulder, Pope appearing behind her with a metal pole in his hands.

    "Where is he?" Rafe screams at me once more.

    Pope runs up behind him, lifting the tyre iron high and swings it across Rafe's spine. He falls to the ground in pain, my hands lifting to my throat on instinct as I cough air back into my lungs.

    I step over Rafe, Kie's shaking hands reaching for my shoulders, "You good, you okay?"

   I nod rapidly, my vocal cords failing me as my eyes turn to JJ 

    "Don't touch her!" Pope demands, swinging the pole into Rafe's shoulder. Rafe gathers himself quickly, ducking Pope's next swing and jumping up in time to knock the tyre iron out of Pope's hand, the object clattering to the floor. 

    I turn to JJ and Barry as Pope lands a hit on Rafe. My eyes find the tyre iron on the ground as I make eye contact with Barry.

    "Don't even try it, bitch," Barry warns. 

    I ignore him, darting for the weapon on the floor, distracting him from JJ. He steps over the blonde, JJ grabbing his ankle and making Barry hit the concrete. The gun flies from his hand as I pick up the tyre iron, his gun scattering at my feet.

   "Phoebe, kick it!" JJ yells, pushing himself to his feet. I look down at the weapon, kicking it with enough force to send it flying far away underneath The Phantom. JJ grabs Barry by the collar, yanking him up and shoving him into the body of The Phantom. Barry doubles over, allowing JJ to lift a knee to his stomach, leaving Barry on the floor.

     My anger clouds my vision like a dark cloud, the sight of Barry broken on the ground feeling too incomplete to me for all that he's done. All that he and Rafe have done together. I lift the tyre iron, slamming it down onto Barry's knee. Barry cries out, the force of the hit causing the pole to shake in my hands.

    I raise my arms again, ready to deliver the next blow to his stomach, until I feel someone grab onto my arm. I turn my wild eyes to JJ as he takes the pole from my hands, my grip easily loosening for him. 

    He doesn't say anything, his eyes looking at me as if to tell me a thousand things in silence. As much as we both know Barry deserves this, now isn't the time, and I'm not the person to do it. I don't want to be.

    I nod, letting him throw the weapon away, the sound of Kie's voice in distress turning us back to Rafe and Pope.

    "Pope! That's good, stop!" Kie's voice wobbles in fear.

    Pope lands punch after punch to Rafe's face, Rafe barely fighting back anymore as if he's too weak to.

    "Hey!" JJ yells, both of us racing over to the fight. Pope punches Rafe once more, this one causing Rafe to spin and land on the tools table behind him, "He's had enough, dude,"

    Pope doesn't seem to hear anyone or anything else, like his rage has completely blinded him. He grabs a piece of rubber tubing from the workbench, wrapping it around Rafe's throat from behind and pulling tightly.

    "Pope, snap out of it!" I plead as JJ tries clicking near Pope's face. Pope lifts Rafe from the bench by his neck, pulling the object tighter around Rafe's windpipe. "Hey, he's had enough!"

    "Pope, get off!" Kie wails.

    "Pope, dude, stop! Stop!" JJ demands, racing behind Pope and trying to pull him away from Rafe.

    Rafe looks at me, and my stomach turns cold. His face is full of real, genuine fear for the first time in a long time. Blood coats his mouth and chin, the rest of his face a similar shade of red. Without thinking, I reach forward and push my fingers in between Rafe's skin and the tubing, trying to create enough space for him to breathe, not that Rafe deserves it.

    "Pope, c'mon! Let go!" I plead, trying my hardest to pull against the tubing. Rafe slips his fingers through the gap too, trying to help me.

    Pope seems to snap out of his rage, sucking in a gust of air as he drops the tubing from around Rafe's neck, allowing him to drop to the floor in agony. I stand in front of him, the tube sitting in my shaky hand as I look down at the injured male. My eyes slowly trail up to Pope as he gasps for air, his eyes wide in horror as if the severe violence in his actions has only just registered with him.

    "Okay, we gotta go," Kie breathes, her expression almost mirroring mine. She steps around Barry, using the wall of the boat to steady herself.

    I drop the rubber tube to the ground next to Rafe, stepping back from him and turning away.

    JJ joins my side, all of us walking to Kie's car.

    "Hey," JJ whispers, gently touching my arm, "You good, dude?"

    "Yeah, yeah, I'm good," I nod absently, lifting my hand to wipe the wet blood from my jawline. JJ stops me, lifting the hem of his shirt and rubbing it against my skin. My eyes refuse to move from his face as he wipes Rafe's blood from my skin, something twitching in my gut.

    "What would John B think if I brought you to him covered in blood?" He whispers lowly, so no one else but me will hear him. 

    I nod, feeling like my throat is closing and blocking my words as he drops his hand from me. 

    "Guys! C'mon!" Kie calls from the car, her shaking voice bringing me back to the surroundings. 

    We climb into the car, JJ double-checking the attachment between the boat and the car's towing mechanism before leaving.

    For the whole drive, I can't help but look at the back of Pope's head, knowing that breaking point he reached all too well.