CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO:
FLYING HIGH
(episode six: parcel nine)

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HAVEN DIDN'T SLEEP A wink on the uncomfortable floor of Heyward's boat. She stayed up the entire night listening to Kie and Sarah's light snores, eventually stealing Sarah's blanket as the wind got a bit too cold. The blonde girl woke up first the next morning, narrowing her eyes at a sheepish Haven before chuckling at her.

"I thought I was dreaming when I felt you steal that from me," she said as she tugged at the end of the blanket.

"I was cold, okay?"

"Mhm."

"We should wake Kie."

"Too late," Kie yawned as she sat up and stretched her arms above her head. "It's impossible to sleep with you two giggling away in my ears."

"Sorry," Sarah said, though she didn't really sound apologetic. "This one stole my blanket and left me to freeze to death."

"I thought snakes were supposed to thrive in the cold," Haven said innocently before cackling as Sarah gasped and smacked her leg.

"Why do I get the feeling that's not the first time you've made a snake joke about me?"

"It isn't," Kie smirked.

In the end, Sarah just shrugged at them. "I suppose I deserve that."

Not long after the girls woke up, the others came back on the HMS Pogue. They were dressed in clothes far more comfortable than their damp swimsuits, exchanging triumphant smirks as they spied the three girls sitting on the edge of the other boat, Haven with a blanket around her shoulders considering she'd left her shirt on the HMS Pogue the day before.

"Uh-oh, did you forget your keys or something?" Pope called out teasingly.

"Yeah, you need a tow?" John B added.

"Shut up before I make you," Haven grumbled. She heard JJ mutter a 'bet Pope would like that' but for once, she ignored him. She was too tired for his bullshit. And cold. Despite it being Summer, she was visibly shivering.

"Here," Pope chuckled as he passed her an unfamiliar oversized shirt. "Figured you might need this."

Haven accepted it gratefully, discarding the blanket in order to pull the plain black tee over her head. It smelled like him. "This doesn't mean I forgive you."

"Oh, of course not."

"John B," Kie narrowed her eyes at the boy, who grinned and said, "What's that?"

"So you're the mastermind, huh?"

"Actually, this was all Arden and me."

"Arden," Sarah gasped with mock hurt.

Kie just rolled her eyes at them. "This is some patriarchal bullshit."

"Yeah, that sucked."

"You still love us though, right?" JJ asked as he threw some rope into Kie's arms and pulled the boat right up next to them.

"Yeah, no," Sarah shook her head with a sweet smile. "Just Arden, 'cause we can't hate her baby."

"Do you still hate me?" John B teased.

"A little. But all three of us are gonna get you boys back."

"I welcome that challenge," Pope exclaimed, JJ nodding in agreement, "Me too."

After an instant of silence, Haven huffed and reached out a hand towards Pope. "Help me down before I break my leg trying to jump." He grinned, intertwining their fingers to lower her down in front of him. He brought her in for a hug despite her playful protests, kissing her forehead before saying, "So, did you three lovely ladies..."

"What, reconcile our differences?" Kie finished for him.

The three girls shared a look before shaking their heads. "Nope, not even close."

"But," Sarah piped up. "We are willing to work together."

"You know what? That's a victory," John B cheered.

As he and JJ helped Sarah and Kie into the boat, Arden forced herself up from her chair and grabbed Haven's wrist, promptly dragging her out of Pope's arms and towards Sarah and Kie. Shoving the other boys out of the way, she threw her arms around all three of them with an excited squeal.

"The Quartet is back, baby!"

Haven's nose wrinkled up in disgust that both Sarah and Kie echoed. "Never call us that again."

After several minutes trapped in Arden's clutches, Haven managed to free herself and make her way back over to Pope. He was sitting at the front of the boat talking to JJ, but he turned his attention towards her as she took JJ's seat while the blonde boy joined John B in driving.

"Hey," he smiled sheepishly. "So, about the whole leaving you stranded thing..."

"You owe me for that," she said.

"I'll make it up to you..."

She smirked. "That sounds wrong, Pope."

"Oh, my god," he exclaimed, face flushing as she laughed. "I didn't mean it like that."

She faked an offended look. "Why not?"

"I don't know if you're kidding or not."

She laughed again, shaking her head and holding her arms open. "Come here, you idiot." He didn't hesitate to move towards her, hugging her tight and smiling happily. However, not even a second later, someone was clearing their throat behind them in amusement.

"So, what's happening here?" Kie questioned as she, Arden and Sarah moved up to the front of the boat too.

Before either of them could speak, Arden piped up, "Pope, Haven, my child is present. Have some decency."

"Why, you little shit," Haven hissed, breaking away from Pope to chase her around. Arden giggled, grabbing her hand and leading her to the back again while Kie and Sarah laughed and followed them.

"So, now that I have my girls back, I have something very important to say," she declared once they were settled down.

"Oh, god," Kie sighed as Sarah raised an eyebrow, "What is it, Ardie?"

"Haven." All eyes turned to her, Haven staring back. "Your boyfriend came to me for dating advice while you were gone. Any idea why?"

"Arden, what the fuck," she whined as Kie laughed and Sarah watched on in amusement, eventually situating herself between them when Haven threatened to throw Arden off the boat if she didn't explain herself.

For the first time in what felt like forever, things felt good again.

And now... well, now it was looting time.

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"YOU GOT ROPE?"

"Got it."

"Grappling hook?"

"We don't have a grappling hook. We're not batman."

"Tape?"

"Jesus, John B, this is one kinky list," Arden snickered from Sarah's side. Much like the rest of them, she was dressed head-to-toe in black, the hood of JJ's hoodie hanging over her eyes like she was a villain in a Disney movie. "Sarah, I pity you."

"Do you ever shut up?" John B hissed as red hot embarrassment burned the tips of his ears. JJ snickered and patted him on the shoulder with a wink, only making his blush worse. "Arden, I hate you."

"Sure you do."

John B just shook his head and went back to his list, stubbornly ignoring his friends laughing at his expense. Arden always managed to get under his skin, and it certainly didn't help when the rest of them fed into it. Under the protection of the night sky, they pulled up outside Mrs Crain's house. It didn't look any different to last time, but there was a new tension in the air now. They knew the gold was there. They'd come to retrieve it, putting a new level of pressure on their shoulders to remain unseen. If Mrs Crain caught them, they'd never succeed at breaking-and-entering again.

"Alright, let's get to it," Pope said as John B left the driver's seat to open the back door for them.

"Let's get rich, guys," JJ beamed, clapping his hands together as he went to stand beside John B.

"Wait, wait, wait," he suddenly gasped, the intensity of his tone causing them to freeze. "I want to thank you guys. Seriously." Haven's eyes softened as he looked at each of them, grateful to have them there. They'd stuck with him even when things looked bleak, entertaining every crazy thought and life-threatening situation. "It means a lot to me that you're here tonight."

Kie just rolled her eyes at him, though she smiled fondly and reached out to squeeze his hand. "Always."

"What else would I be doing with my time?" Haven shrugged, but even she couldn't deny the swell of emotion in her chest. Never did she expect to find family in the pogues. When Pope convinced her to ditch Heywards with them, she thought nothing would come out of it, just a colleague helping out another colleague. Yet as the boy in question squeezed her hand, she was reminded of the good things in her life, the things she had to lose.

"Alright, are we done with this circle jerk? Can we go do this?" JJ huffed into the silence. He heaved the rope over one shoulder, gesturing with his other hand for John B to move out of the way.

"Let's go get that wheat in the water."

Just as quickly as it came, all seriousness was erased from JJ's face. "Weed? I'm up for weed."

"Of course you are," Arden scoffed as Pope stubbornly corrected him, "Wheat. I said wheat."

Shutting the Twinkie's door behind them, they surveyed the stone wall for a moment, hesitating to see who would make the first move. Arden huffed in impatience as the silence stretched on, storming towards the wall herself and calling back to JJ, "Well, are you going to help me or not? I thought you'd seen this in the movies before."

"Ladies first," Haven muttered as JJ ungracefully pushed Arden over the wall, his face red from the effort as she kicked him on the top of the head in a mess of limbs. Kie smirked to herself, "That's not a lady."

"I can hear you," Arden grumbled from Mrs Crain's garden.

"Keep it down," John B sighed as he went to follow her. "You can't give us away now. It hasn't even been a minute yet."

"Oh, so you think it'll be me who gives us away? I see how it is."

Haven sighed to herself as Pope offered to help her next. One after the other, they joined Arden on the other side, until none of them were left to jump. Arden insisted on leading the way with the flashlight, much to John B's chagrin, half-heartedly guiding them around to the front of Mrs Crain's house. More often than not, she almost bumped into the statues hidden in the shadows, giggling to herself as the pogues and Sarah stared daggers into the back of her head. Finally, John B lost his patience and snatched the flashlight into his hands, ignoring Arden's pout as they paused just a few metres back from the porch steps.

It was at that moment the sensor lights flickered, casting a bright glow around the yard that had them ducking behind the bushes in a panic. Had Mrs Crain heard them coming? Was she going to cut off their heads like she did to her husband?

"I'm too young to die," Arden moaned to herself.

"You're not going to die," Pope scoffed. "She just has motion sensor lights."

"We could, uh... move really slowly, maybe?" JJ suggested.

Haven stared at him incredulously for a moment, wondering just what was going on in that head of his. Did he not hear Pope call them motion sensor lights? Triggered by movement, regardless of how slow?

"That's not how it works," Pope sneered.

And just when they thought JJ had taken the award for dumbest suggestion, John B spoke up. "Oh, shit. Let's throw a rock at it."

"What?"

"That's a really good idea, actually," Kie deadpanned. "Let the axe murderer know we're here."

"Okay, do you guys have a better idea then?" he frowned.

"Literally anything but that."

"What about the breaker?" Sarah asked, seemingly the only logical one there. "In the circuit box on the porch." At their confused stares, she explained, "We used to play hide and seek here as kids."

"Fun times," Arden cut in with a sigh.

"And if we were brave enough, we'd go all the way up to the porch," she continued. "I've seen it."

John B shook his head decisively. "No, no. You're not going into that house alone."

"Watch me."

"Crain chops people into pieces," JJ hissed at her, eyes wide with fright.

"If you believe that. But she's like, what, eighty-five? She's probably barely still kicking."

Haven hadn't thought of it that way. JJ described the woman as some sort of super villain hungry for their blood, a murderer immortalised for her crimes. Bring in Sarah Cameron, and she pointed out the obvious: Crain was an old woman. What could she do? Stab them with her cane? Poison them with too much cake? They'd be fine.

"Ladies," Arden piped up suddenly. "I think this is a mission for the Quartet."

"Not our name."

"Don't call us that."

"I said what I said," she scowled. "Boys, wait here. We'll show you how it's done."

"We'll wait here for your signal," Pope nodded. He squeezed Haven's hand one last time, a silent gesture of luck. She smiled then let him go, moving to join Kie and Arden. Sarah went to follow them too, but she was pulled back by an ever-dramatic John B frowning at her.

"Hey," he murmured. "Be safe."

The girls rolled their eyes. Who knew John B Routledge was such a romantic?

Finally, he let Sarah go and they departed from the boys. Haven's heart pitter-pattered in her chest the closer they got to the porch. She wasn't scared of Crain as much as she was before, more the thought of getting arrested for robbing an elderly lady than anything else.

"She must have a generator plugged into the main power supply," Kie commented with a glance up at the lights above them.

"We could just break them," Arden hissed, almost tripping over her own feet was it not for Haven heaving her back up.

"We went over this with the boys," Sarah rolled her eyes. "You might as well knock on the door and ask Mrs Crain for a cup of tea while we rob her."

"Sounds like a nice time to me."

They made their way up the steps, wincing every time the aged wood creaked beneath their feet. Finally, they reached the circuit box which Kie rushed to open, revealing a dozen tangled wires with no breakers in sight. Well, that was going to be a problem.

"Where are the breakers?" Sarah frowned before shining her torch up to the roof.

"You're not serious..." Haven trailed off, but there was no doubt about it.

"It goes inside."

"Okay, I didn't sign up to enter the lion's den," Haven immediately shook her head. "The porch is one thing, her bedroom is another."

"The breakers won't be in her bedroom, silly," Arden patted her on the shoulder. "We're not giving in."

"Arden—"

"The Quartet doesn't give in, Haven."

"If we die, I'm haunting your ghost."

"Awe," Arden cooed. "I'm honoured."

"That's enough, you two," Kie snapped. "Let's go."

Mrs Crain's house was just as worn down inside as it was outside. Ancient paintings hung on the walls like something out of a museum. The furniture was covered in white sheets, preserving the materials from dust and other bacteria. Somewhere in the mess, a cat hissed, prompting Haven to wince and Arden to screech and latch onto her arm.

Fortunately, they managed to find the other circuit box pretty easily. It was just around the corner from the front door, the power lines on the roof leading them right to it. Kie smiled with pride as she switched each button off, the lights ran by the generator slowly powering down. Soon, they were left with nothing but darkness.

"Alright, let's get out of here."

Behind them, the old grandfather clock chimed with a new hour. The girls gasped, hiding around the corner as creaking floorboards followed. Haven prayed it was just Mrs Crain's cat lost in her owner's home, but she had a bad feeling. Not a second later, the evident sound of footsteps. They had woken Mrs Crain.

"Oh, we really are going to die," Arden whispered in horror.

Through heavy, croaking breaths, an elderly woman spoke. "It's late, Leon. Too late."

"What kind of name is Leon?"

"Does that matter right now, Arden?"

Arden went quiet. For once, she realised this was no time for jokes. Mrs Crain shuffled in front of them, staring ahead with unseeing eyes as she felt around the floor with a fire poker. What Sarah said was the truth, she didn't look like much with her grey hair and nightgown with flowers on it, but Haven had a feeling JJ was right all along.

"I can hear you, Leon," she hissed suddenly, spinning around to face them and revealing white eyes. "I've been waiting all night."

Haven barely heard her own shouts over Arden's screech of terror. The shorter girl latched onto Haven's wrist and yanked her down the hallway, Sarah and Kie hot on their heels as Mrs Crain chased them with her fire-poker raised like a spear. For someone who was bent over struggling to walk just a second ago, she had impeccable running skills.

Somehow, they got separated in the panic to get out. Arden released Haven's arm as she followed Sarah down one hallway, leaving Haven to hurry after Kie as she threw open random doors. She didn't see the cat until it was too late, crying out in terror as she almost fell face-first onto the floor. Kie was there in the blink of an eye, almost popping her arm out of its socket in an attempt to keep her running. In the process, Haven's glasses slipped from her nose and shattered beneath her feet.

"Fuck," she cursed as her vision blurred. "Kie, my glasses."

"We don't have time. We're about to be bludgeoned by a fire-poker."

It seemed the chaos had drawn Mrs Crain right to them. Haven and Kie had just enough time to gasp and jump away as she stabbed her weapon right through the wooden planks blocking the back door, Sarah coming out of nowhere to wrestle it out of her hands when it almost went right through Haven's stomach on her second swing.

"Come on, this way," she shouted, grabbing the girls and leading them out to where Arden was waiting.

They had to get to the boys, and fast.

"Guys," they screamed as they took the basement steps two at a time. "Guys, we gotta go!"

"Whoa, what's going on?" Pope frowned as they rounded the corner and came face-to-face with him and JJ. They were holding on tight to the rope leading down the well where John B was, but their grip loosened ever-so-slightly from the shock of their sudden entrance.

"Mrs Crain is up there," Arden wailed as she latched onto JJ's bicep. "She almost stabbed Haven with a fire poker."

"We locked her in the parlour, but we gotta go now," Sarah exclaimed, panting for air as the boys sprung into action.

All five of them worked together to pull John B from the well, though the rope suddenly slipped from their hands as his wait on the end was released. They rushed over to the edge in a panic, listening closely as his screams echoed up to them.

"What's he saying?"

None of them were really sure, but the frantic nature was enough to worry them. "He's drowning. We gotta pull him up." Fortunately, he must've heard them, for the rope was suddenly weighed down again. They struggled to lift him quickly, but they were slowly getting there. Well, until Mrs Crain came down the stairs with a shotgun.

"Oh, fuck," Haven screeched, instinctively releasing the rope as the first shot ricocheted off the bricks behind her.

"She can't aim for shit," Kie frowned as she crawled over to where Haven had ended up in the corner beside Sarah. Everyone had scattered as the old lady prowled the centre of the room. Fortunately, the boys had managed to tie off the rope so John B could climb up, if he wasn't splattered at the bottom when they first him.

"She can't see..." Sarah realised.

Another gunshot just inches away from Arden's ear. The girl yelped as JJ and Pope dragged her outside, the others following without a thought. Mrs Crain might've been blind, but she had good aim. The shots followed them all the way across the yard, John B racing after them as he finally made it out of the well. They tumbled into the waiting Twinkie, JJ behind the wheel while the others crowded in the back.

"Why are we always getting shot at?" Pope shouted as John B slammed the door shut and they sped off.

He was covered from head to foot in mud or worse, the smell absolutely rancid. Haven resisted the urge to gag as it hit her full force from her spot beside him, instead latching onto Pope as she leaned back on the door. They made it out alive, by the skin of their teeth. One wrong shot and their bad luck would've finally caught up with them.

"Is everyone okay?" JJ asked as he glanced over his shoulder at them. "No one shot?"

"No gunshot wounds but my heart is racing so fast, I might puke," Arden rebuked. "John B's appearance doesn't help."

"Yeah, man, you look disgusting," Pope told him.

"What the hell just happened?" Sarah squawked as John B just shook his head at them.

"All-time pogue Hall of Fame, baby," JJ crowed, reaching over his shoulder as Kie cheered and high-fived him. Now they were out of there, it was easier to laugh about it.

"That bitch is possessed," she sighed as she sat back in her seat.

Sarah nodded in agreement. "That bitch can't aim."

"No, but she was good with a fire-poker," Haven said. "I can attest to that."

"Did she get you?" Pope asked as he reached out a hand to her.

"No, thank god, but—" she cut herself off with a gasp. From the corner of her eye, something gold glinted in John B's hand. He stared in awe, cleaning off bits of muck so he could see it better. "John B, is that..."

"No, you didn't," Sarah laughed as she also caught on.

John B screamed in delight. "We did it, baby."

"Oh, my god," Arden screeched before throwing her arms around Haven. "Goodbye Outer Banks, hello world."

Everyone was screaming, holding onto each other with the brightest smiles ever seen on pogue faces. John B had the gold, or at least some of it. And so they drove into the darkness, shouting for the full kook life sealed with that tiny bar of gold in John B's hand.