CHAPTER TEN:
CREATE A DISTRACTION
(episode three: the forbidden zone | trigger warning: mentions of abuse)

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THE POGUES DID THEIR best to explain what Haven and Arden had missed on their way to the Salvage Yard. Apparently, Pope had been able to find the spot Big John crossed off on his map after a 'simple' Google Earth search which revealed to the group that, if the Royal Merchant really was where Big John claimed it to be, it would take a lot more than an almost empty scuba tank for them to be able to search it. The ship was supposedly nine hundred feet down, an impossible feat had it not been for JJ's idea to steal a drone from the Salvage Yard where his dad used to work. No one bar Pope protested at this point, not even Arden who was relatively new to what Haven had dubbed as the G-game. Stealing was nothing compared to what they'd had to do, but it didn't mean that Pope had to like it.

"Pope, we're not stealing the drone," John B sighed in frustration after he heard him voice his disapproval for the fourth time since they'd gotten into the van. "We're borrowing it."

Pope just rolled his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest. "Humans are the only animal who can't tell fantasy from reality."

"Wait, did you come up with that?" John B frowned at the same time as Arden smirked and said, "Animals, huh? I didn't take you as a freak in the sheets, Po-Po."

"Sometimes, I wonder just what's happening in that head of yours when you talk," the boy shot her a disgusted glare, huffing to himself as she just laughed before replying to John B, "And no, Albert Bernstein came up with that, but it applies to this whole treasure-hunting thing."

"Oh."

"So, which is it?" he prompted when everyone just sat there in awkward silence. "Fantasy or reality?"

Neither Arden or JJ seemed impressed that he was forcing them to actually think. While Arden scrunched up her nose and muttered under her breath about 'too much brain-power,' JJ just scoffed, refusing to look away from the blunt he was fixing up, "Why are you so weird, Pope?"

"I actually think it's an interesting question," Haven piped up in defence of the boy, though even she had to agree it was a lot to think about. She was only just starting to get used to the shit that John B had dragged them into, re-evaluating her morals was not up there on her list of priorities.

"Of course you do," Arden smirked at her, though she thankfully went ignored as Kie changed the subject.

"It's fantasy, but possible reality."

Now, Haven was more inclined to agree with her, but John B was nothing if not determined. "Reality."

"Yeah," JJ chuckled almost deliriously. His words were muffled by the blunt now hanging from his lips, his beloved lighter flickering between his fingers. "Virtual reality."

However, before he was able to take a hit, Haven reached out and plucked it out of his hands, dropping it to the floor of the van and squishing it beneath the toe of her shoe. JJ stared at her in outrage, to which she just smiled innocently and said, "Keep the signal clear, cousin." Pope laughed while JJ grumbled to himself.

Soon enough, they were pulling up on the side of the road where JJ had left Kie's car with the HMS Pogue attached to the back of it by a trailer. To get into the Salvage Yard undetected, they would need a distraction which John B had chosen Kie and Arden for. Originally, Haven was supposed to join them, but the thought of entertaining a weird middle-aged man made her feel sick to her stomach. She thought of hands eager to roam against her will, a drunken laugh at her own expense. It wasn't a question, Murphy. Fortunately, Kie pushed for Haven to go with the boys, having seen the look on her face and knowing it would only upset her. The boys were confused but didn't question it, just stopping to let Kie and Arden out before continuing on their way.

"You alright?" Pope muttered to Haven as JJ began to inform John B of the stealth tactics they 'needed' to use.

Despite her pale face and shaken smile, she nodded at him. "Of course. Just nervous to be committing another crime."

He gave a sigh of understanding, thankfully taking the bait. "I am too, it's okay."

Kie's car was already parked outside the Salvage Yard gates when they pulled up down the road. The van was covered by foliage, allowing the four of them to sneak over to hide behind some of the larger boats they had strapped down outside of the yard. From that vantage point, they could just make out the yellow hue of Kie's top as she and Arden spoke to the security guard on duty, presumably making up some lie about needing their car looked at.

"So, how's it going with Kiara?" JJ cooed with a smirk at John B.

"What do you mean 'how's it going?' Nothing is going," he scoffed but when the three of them just shot him disbelieving stares, he sighed and grumbled, "It's not awkward, weird, or anything."

"Of course not, why would it be awkward?" Haven rolled her eyes. "Besties kiss all the time, it's how you show your love for each other. You still owe me money for that, by the way, JJ."

"You bet on us?" John B gasped, to which Pope immediately claimed he wasn't a part of it and the other two exchanged a sheepish glance. "Why am I not surprised?"

JJ raised his hands defensively. "Hey, I did not think you were actually gonna listen to me."

"Yeah, that was stupid of you, John B," Haven added.

"Look, I was a hundred percent sure she was into you. Pope would agree."

The three of them turned to look at the boy in question. He faltered under the attention, refusing to meet their gaze head-on as he shrugged half-heartedly. Clearly, he did not agree. That seemed to be the end of the conversation, but then John B was turning to look at JJ curiously.

"What about you then?" he asked, clarifying when JJ frowned, "You and Arden? You two seem pretty close again."

JJ's face fell before he quickly schooled his expression into one of indifference. Neither of the boys seemed to catch it, but Haven had noticed the pure hurt on his face when John B said her name. He might've been quiet for the sake of not making every interaction between them awkward, but JJ Maybank definitely hated Arden Kim. She broke his heart, and JJ wasn't the type to let that go.

"There's nothing going on there," he was quick to shut it down. At John B's doubtful laugh, his anger seemed to heighten. "Why would I ever go there with her, huh? I might be an idiot but I'm not that dumb."

"Bit harsh, don't you think?" Haven chuckled nervously. She had to fight the urge to defend Arden, to admit the truth. It wasn't her place, it never had been, but it was getting a lot harder to stick to her word.

"She cheated on me," he spat, finally allowing the hurt to linger. "So no, I don't think that's too harsh."

She swallowed thickly, looking down as Pope and John B just sat between them in uncomfortable silence. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that."

Before he was able to even comprehend what she said, John B slapped at his arm and pointed over at the gate. Kie and Arden had somehow managed to convince the security guard to leave his post, leading him over to where the car was parked and allowing just enough time for the four pogues to bolt right through the slowly closing gates. Haven's heart was thudding erratically in her chest as she slipped into the Salvage Yard behind John B, her breath faint but she pushed on as JJ took to the front in order to lead them to where the drone was kept.

"Hurry up," she hissed as he struggled to enter the code for the door. "It only takes so long to fix a tire."

"I'm trying," he snapped before shaking the lock in frustration. Whatever number he was putting in just wasn't working.

"Do you have the right numbers?" Pope asked as the seconds ticked by.

JJ sighed and shook his head. "Alright, so I might have the wrong numbers."

"For fuck's sake," Haven snapped as the others groaned in annoyance. "Now what do we do?"

"We could break it open," JJ suggested doubtfully but was cut off by rabid barking as a dog of some sort ran straight for them.

"That's a cougar," John B exclaimed, not hesitating before he took off behind the shed.

"Did he really just run out on us?" Haven scoffed, though she was quickly distracted by JJ pushing her behind him and the dog yapping at their heels. "Oh my god, we're about to be dog food."

"Just follow my lead," he hissed to her before trying in vain to sooth the dog's barks. No amount of 'that's a good boy' did the trick, though, forcing him to grab Haven by the wrist and drag her past the animal despite the girl's vehement protests. "When I say run, you go one way and I go the other."

"What about Pope?" she asked.

"Oh god, I forgot about him," he winced before calling out to their frozen friend, "Hey, Pope, you gotta run."

The sound of JJ's voice seemed to snap him out of whatever stupor the dog's arrival had put him in. He hurriedly searched their surroundings as the animal nudged him into a corner, instinctively grabbing a chunk of broken pipe and swinging it at the dog's head as he shouted for it to get away.

"Pope, you can't hit a dog," Haven exclaimed with wide eyes.

"What am I supposed to do? Let him eat me?" he cried incredulously.

As the dog dodged the pipe and attempted to bite down on Pope's leg, JJ shouted and quickly pulled out a red rag he'd left in his pocket. "Hey, I got a toy, boy!"

Now, that caught the dog's attention. In an instant, he was turning away from Pope and sprinting at JJ and Haven with bared teeth, leaving them no choice but to run away with Haven screaming curses at JJ's back. The dog stayed on them the entire time, JJ eventually having to grab Haven's hand and drag her along as she began to fall behind. He was the only one who knew his way around the Salvage Yard, and so he lead them over to a selection of old boats, ushering Haven up the ladder of one before joining her. The dog stayed down beneath them, still barking his head off as he patrolled the area. They were officially stuck.

"How the fuck do we get out of this?" Haven whispered frantically as the security guard's footsteps got closer. "JJ, my mum will never let me leave the house again if I get arrested for trespassing and stealing."

"I've got this, okay?" he murmured, squeezing her shoulder reassuringly as the guard finally reached the boat. "Just trust me."

Down below, the guard was talking to the dog before he shouted out, "Whoever's up there better come on out! Don't make me come up there and get your ass." So there really was no convincing him it was nothing. Fucking fantastic.

Haven barely had time to look at JJ before he was suddenly standing up with his hands raised, glaring down at her to do the same. With a nervous sigh, she got up and inched into his side, feeling awfully exposed under the guard's stern glare. Oh, what was Melinda going to say about this? Haven better appreciate her last moments of sunlight, it would be a while before she was ever let outside again.

"Don't shoot, Bobby," JJ pleaded, tears suddenly appearing in his eyes. Haven frowned at him but relented when he nudged her side with his hip, forcing the same upset expression onto her face as she wondered just what he was going to say to explain this. "It's me, JJ. Luke's kid."

"What are you doing here?" the man, Bobby, sighed and lowered his gun. "Who's the girl?"

"My cousin, Haven," he whimpered. "I swear we didn't want to, okay? I swear, my dad made me."

Oh. Oh. Haven had a bad feeling she knew where this was going. Well, fuck.

"Don't you lie," Bobby pointed a threatening finger up at them, though the mention of Luke Maybank had his anger fading away. He knew what Luke was like, and more often than not when JJ was younger, he had watched the boy come to work with his dad with a black eye or split lip.

"I swear," JJ stuttered, forcing his hands to shake just enough to be noticeable. "He told me that Captain Leo kept his cutting torch. You know, after he got fired."

Haven really didn't like the tremble in JJ's voice. He might've been putting on a show to get them out of trouble, but the excuse was too real, for both of them.

"I was with Haven when he found us. He said that if we didn't get it for him—" He spared a sad glance down at his cousin, watching as a very real tear fell down her cheek. "He was gonna... he was gonna hit me again."

Haven waited for Bobby to say something, anything, to voice his shock at what JJ had just admitted. Instead, he looked to the ground with a heavy sigh. Haven fought the urge to scream as tears streamed down her face, one after the other. More than just JJ and the pogues knew the truth. There were people like Bobby, adults who could've said something but didn't, leaving JJ to grow up in a house where love was shown in broken beer bottles, shouts of disappointment and failure in a son, heavy fists leaving pain instead of appreciation. JJ Maybank was taught that love was supposed to hurt, and it was because of people like Bobby, quiet people, that he'd never seen what it was meant to be like.

"I'm sorry," JJ continued, as if he had anything to apologise for.

How many times did JJ have to apologise to his dad every time Luke Maybank swung at him? Haven clutched his shirt with shaking hands, wishing she could do more. If she had known sooner, she would've asked her mother to take JJ in. No matter how heartless Melinda Murphy could be, surely she wouldn't leave her nephew in her brother's ruthless care.

"Come on down," Bobby encouraged them, stepping back as JJ lead Haven over to the ladder. "I almost killed you."

Haven was seeing every little thing in sudden, overbearing clarity. The way that JJ sounded so used to those words. She could picture sober Luke Maybank waking up the morning after a particularly bad night, telling his son those same words when JJ came out with bloodied bruises.

"I'll just come up with something," he told the man through muffled sobs. "Tell him we couldn't find it."

Bobby hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Alright, go on now."

Haven looked at him in disbelief, waiting for him to call them back as JJ ushered her forward. He was letting them go, after what JJ had just said. How could any adult listen to a child say their parent was hurting them and let them go?

"He's not going to do anything?" she scoffed as they made their way out of the yard. Hopefully, John B and Pope had gotten back to the van before they had, but that was the last thing on Haven's mind as she watched JJ wipe away his tears and grin. "JJ, just stop for a second."

He was confused, unsure what to do as Haven's tears refused to slow. She was genuinely upset, and he couldn't comprehend why.

"What's he supposed to do?" he shrugged. "What's the big deal, Have? We're out of there."

"The big real?" she repeated incredulously. "JJ, how long has he known about what Luke does to you?"

"A while."

"And that's not right," she shouted, having to stop herself from turning back and giving Bobby a piece of her mind. She'd controlled herself earlier, but seeing JJ brush it off like it was nothing made her angry.

"It doesn't matter, Haven," he sighed, just wanting her to stop crying. "I'm used to it."

If it was possible, that only made her cry harder. "Can I hug you, JJ?"

"You have to ask that?" When she just stared at him expectantly, he nodded. "If you want to, I don't know why—"

She cut him off by throwing her arms around his shoulders, conveying as much emotion as she could in that one gesture. Haven Murphy would be damned if her family didn't know what real, genuine, gentle love felt like. After a minute of him just standing there, he wrapped his arms around her waist and gripped her tight, one stray tear rolling down into her hair as he pressed his cheek to the crown of her head. He was quick to laugh it off, though, letting her go and plastering on another smile.

"Let's go find the others," he said.

She stopped him before he could walk away again. "I'm going to get you away from there, JJ. You can stay with me."

"W-what?"

"You can't be in that house anymore," she elaborated. "You deserve more than that."

Another tear quickly brushed away. "You're too nice to me, Kook Queen, I'm alright."

Both of them knew he was lying.