Down

Chapter 12

I was falling asleep in JJ's arms, it was raining, I like the rain, its fun. Someone shook me, I cried,
JJ said" Shh, shh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." I sniffled and dug my face into his neck," The hell I'm gonna pay later... dammit. Wake up, Skye, come on, need you awake, you gotta climb a latter, don't wanna slip up with you and you get hurt."

They were looking into a building, Pope had a thingy? I don't know what that is, it looks like a brick!
Kie said" Are you getting it?"
Pope said" Yeah, yeah, I see them. Ward just handed Gavin something. I think it's a duffel bag."
JJ said" Guys, I think this is a payoff."
" Gavin doesn't look happy about something. It looks like he's yelling at Ward."
Kie said" Why?"
" I don't know, but he sure looks mad. Shit!"
JJ said" Whoa, whoa, whoa."
Kie said" What's going on?"
Pope said" I dunno. They're fighting over something."
JJ said" They're really going at it."
" Ward's kicking the shit out of Gavin."
" What're they fighting over?"
" I don't know. I'm trying to see. Holy shit. Ward's got a gun."
Kie said" I bet that's the murder weapon." Then they all ducked, gasping,
JJ said" What the hell?"
" No, no, no, no. That did not just happen. What is going on?"
" Tell me you just got that."
Pope said" Enough to put this asshole away for life. This is freaking crazy. Oh no. Get down. Get down." They all ducked again, I looked at JJ,
" I think we should go right now. Pope, you have enough, right?"
" Yeah. Hold on. He's coming out. There he goes. I think he's looking for the gun. I think the gun just went down the drain. He's looking for it. Hey. He's looking for the gun."
Kie said" Hold this."
JJ said" What're you doing, Kie?" She stood up,
She yelled" What is wrong with you? Murderer!" JJ covered her mouth and pulled her down,
Pope said" Kiara. Are you crazy?"
JJ said" What are you doing?"
Kie said" I don't care if he hears me. He's a murderer."
" Yeah, and he's gonna murder us, Kie."
Pope said" Guys, he sees us."
" Are you serious?"
" Come on. We gotta go. He's coming."
" We gotta get the hell out of here right now." JJ lifted me up, we ran across the roof," Hold tight. Don't let go." I wrapped my arms and legs around him tightly, digging my face into his neck." Ah! Kie, my hand!" Then we fell, I cried out, JJ held me tightly, then jumped up." You're kidding me. You fumbled it?"
" You kicked me in the face."
" She stepped on my hand."
Kie said" I was trying to hurry."
" Let's go."
Pope said" He's coming." JJ pulled me off and lifted me over a fence, he let me drop, I landed on the ground, standing up, he jumped over and lifted me back up, he started running again.

We got into Kie's car,
JJ said" Could someone fill me in on what the frick just happened? Holy crap. I can't believe it. Wait, wait. What wee they fighting over?"
Pope said" Uh... it was... it was a gun, the one Rafe used. He must have kept it."
" Of course! Of course! The murder weapon!"
Kie said" Pick up! Pick up!"
" Who are you calling?"
" Who do you think?"
Pope said" The cops?"
" Who else am I supposed to call?"
JJ said" Why would you call the police? That's Ward!"
" Shut up! Hello? Hi, somebody's been shot at the... at the Grand Street construction site! You guys need to hurry because he's dying. I don't know if he's already dead or not? You need to hurry!"
JJ said" We gotta go. We're sitting ducks right now, okay."
" What do you want me to do?"
Pope said" Just drive!" Kie drove away, I got sleepier, I tugged at JJ's jacket, rubbing my eyes with my fist. He looked at me,
He said" Go back to sleep, Skye, it's okay, I'm here." My eyes closed, he laid me down, using his leg as a pillow, I fell back to sleep-
———
JJ said" This is the north drain. It should've gotten washed into the gully. So, if it got flushed out from this drain, it would've been pushed out to, like-"
Pope said" Somewhere in this trash."
" Correct."
Kie said" Oh my god. People who use plastic should be shot."
" Okay, personally, I love plastic. Use it every day. Love the stuff."
" Well, hopefully, you recycle it and don't let it flush into the ocean."
Pope said" I thought you'd say something like that, so... trash bags."
" Did you just proactively protect the environment?"
" Maybe."
JJ said" You want me to leave you two alone, or what's going on?" Pope threw the wad of trash bags at him,
" Pick up the trash."
" Come'er, Munch. Let me pick you up." I laughed, JJ smiled at me,
Kie said" Did you just call Munchie trash?!"
" Am I trash, Skye?"
I said" Yes!"
" Are you trash, Skye?"
" Yeah!"
" See?"
Kie said" Oh my god. I'm done." I laughed, smiling at her," Well, you're definitely the cutest trash."

JJ said" Well, that was fun."
Pope said" If it's not in the trash, then it's gotta be somewhere in the storm drain."
" It's in... it's in the drain."
" Damn it."
Kie said" Of course it is."
JJ said" Good thing I brought the crow."
" So, are we gonna do, like, rock, paper, scissors?"
" No."
" Or alphabetically?"
" Nah. On three, Pope. One, two, three." They pulled the grate off,
" Or, like, the oldest goes?"
" In the sewer, there's this worm that you get when you're down there. It gets into your blood, and then it has to come out your pecker. So, uh... that would be a hard pass for me."
Pope said" Yeah, that's gonna be a no for me."
Kie said" No, I get it. I get it. You guys are scared."
JJ said" No, I'm not scared."
" It's kind of cute."
Pope said" It's just a pecker thing."
JJ said" I'm not scared."
Kie said" You should've just led with that. You don't have to be scared. I'll do it."
Pope said" Okay, just, you know, be careful."
" I'll be so careful."
" I deserve that."
I said" Can I go?" Kie crawled in,
JJ said" Nope. Just, uh, holler if you need anything, okay? We'll, uh... we'll holler back."
Kie said" Very helpful. Thank you."

Pope said" Kiara, you find anything yet?"
JJ said" Yeah, Kie, do you see the gun?"
Kie said" Nothing."
Pope said" It's probably at the bottom of the catch basin."
JJ said" Alright, bro, I see you vibing on Kie, okay? Give me the details. Are we talking 1st base, 2nd base, 3rd base?"
" Try not even in the same ballpark."
" What do you mean by that?"
" It's like we're not playing the same game." I got bored and slid down the grass, I started looking for frogs to bounce with.

Kie said" There's something dead!"
Pope said" Like a person?"
" There is something dead in here!"
JJ said" Kie, don't touch it. That's how you get worms."
Pope said" Did you find the gun? Is it Gavin?"
" What is it? Is it Gavin?"
" Don't touch it!"
" Kie, is it a gun? Do you see the gun, Kie? Do you see anything?"
Kie said" You guys owe me for life!"
JJ said" What if Ward put Gavin in the sewer, dude?"
Pope said" Hold on."
" That makes so much sense."
" Do you hear that?"
" What?"
" Listen."
Kie said" Oh, shit. Guys? Guys, the water!"
" Shit! Kiara, get out of there now!"
" I don't have time! Guys!"
" Shit. Kie!"
JJ said" Kie!" They started screaming for her,
I said" JJ?"
" Skye, get out of the water!" I ran to the hill, then water poured out of the sewer hole. I screamed as I slipped and fell in, I went under, I held my breathe as I was pushed around." Skye! Skye!" I pushed myself up and coughed," Swim! Skye! Swim! Maybe there's a manhole! Skye, swim, baby!" I started swimming, away from the current, then I was yanked out of the water, I shivered, clinging onto JJ's shirt, he climbed out and ran to catch up with Pope.

We got to the manhole, JJ put me down and they tried to get the manhole off.
Kie screamed" Hurry! Hurry! Pope. Pope! Please! Please!"
Pope said" We'll get you out of there. I promise."
" JJ! Pope!" They both started pulling again after the knife broke, the manhole was flooding, then they got it off. Kie got out, coughing,
" Kiara. Are you okay? I thought we lost you." He hugged her,
Kie said" Pope, get off me. Pope, get off me!" She coughed,
JJ said" Kie, you good?"
" Never better. This wasn't what we were looking for, right?" She pulled out the gun,
" Oh, my god." He took it from her, wrapping it up," We're gonna get this son of a bitch, man."
Pope said" Let's go, Kie." She stood up,
" You did it, Kie. You did it. Come on." They hugged, I smiled," Let's get this to Shoupe. Skye, Munchie, you okay?"
I said" Yeah."
" Stop scaring the shit outta me, Munchie." He lifted me up and hugged me, kissing my head,
" I'm sorry."
" It's okay."
Kie said" Wait, what happened?"
I said" The current pulled me under."
" What?!" She coughed, looking at Pope and JJ,
JJ said" It's fine! Let's go!"

They came out of the station, JJ lifted me up,
I said" Can John B come home now?" I rubbed my eyes, yawning," Can we text him now to come home?"
Kie said" Uh... not yet, Munchie."
" Oh, tomorrow?"
JJ said" Maybe, yeah."