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 ''Dog, would you relax? They're not gonna think some dude in flip-flops is a part of a robbery, okay?''

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THE DISTANT GLOW of city lights flickered against the darkened sky, but our focus remained on the rusted tracks below. The occasional metallic creak of the cars and the hum of a nearby generator filled the silence as Pope tried to piece together the plan.

''Well, there's, like, 1,000 trains here,'' Sarah remarked as she gestured at the endless line of freight cars stretching into the distance.

Pope adjusted his flashlight, shining it down the tracks. ''We know it's car 750X on the track to Raleigh,'' he reminded us.

''Yeah, so now we just gotta find it,'' JJ chimed in as he scanned the horizon.

Kiara crossed her arms, shaking her head. ''Newsflash: we're not getting out of here unnoticed with a giant cross.''

Pope exhaled, his brows knitting together in thought. ''We won't have to. We can nab it somewhere further in the country,'' he explained. ''Just gotta figure out how to stop the train.''

''Right,'' Kiara remarked dryly, as though she wasn't entirely convinced.

JJ straightened up, a cocky grin spreading across his face. ''Leave that to me,'' he declared, cracking his knuckles dramatically.

Cleo, leaning against a nearby railing, raised an eyebrow. ''How you gonna do that?'' she challenged.

''I got an uncle up in New Bern, right?'' JJ started, his grin widening. ''When he got tipsy, he'd just throw an old chain across the tracks, just for shits and giggles. And that old little chain would stop all the train traffic in coastal Carolina.''

Kiara frowned, tilting her head. ''A chain?''

I jumped in, the memory of an old science class flickering to life in my mind. ''He's actually right. There's a low voltage current that runs across all rail tracks. Throw a chain on it, you close the circuit.''

Pope perked up, nodding in agreement. ''It would read as another train. Crossing lights come down. Science is actually pretty sound.''

JJ shot me a triumphant look. ''Science. I knew my science.''

I smirked, shaking my head. ''I think it was just a coincidence he figured it out, Jayje.''

Pope, ever practical, cut in. ''Well, we don't have a chain.''

Sarah glanced toward the parked truck, her face brightening as an idea struck her. ''No, but I bet Topper's dad has jumper cables in the truck. Would that work?''

Pope nodded quickly. ''Yeah, that could work.''

Before we could even move, a loud voice interrupted. ''Yo, what's going on? Are we doing this or what?'' Topper called out from the truck, his impatience grating on all of us.

Cleo took charge, clapping her hands. ''All right, you all wait here. Me and Pope will go look for it and send a signal once we find it.'' She gave a sharp nod before heading off with Pope.

Sarah glanced around at the rest of us. ''Do we actually have a plan right now?'' she asked.

JJ nodded confidently. ''I think we do.''

Sarah let out a small laugh, shaking her head. ''That's impressive.''

''Let's not jinx it while we're ahead,'' Pope muttered as he and Cleo disappeared into the darkness. ''Come on.''

Time passed slowly as we waited, the night growing colder and the silence more oppressive. Topper sat in the truck, probably pouting, while the rest of us milled around the tracks.

Sarah broke the quiet. ''What's taking so long?'' she muttered, more to herself than anyone else.

Before I could answer, she tapped JJ on the shoulder and pointed toward the distance. We all followed her gaze and spotted a faint light. It was Pope, climbing atop one of the cars and shining his flashlight in our direction.

''That's it. We're green,'' Kiara confirmed, relief in her voice.

Then, as if on cue, the train horn blared and the sound of metal screeching filled the air. The train started to move.

''Shit,'' Sarah muttered, sprinting toward the end of the train. We scrambled to climb down.

''Oh, hey, Sarah,'' Topper greeted as she approached the truck.

''Do you have jumper cables?'' Sarah asked without preamble.

Topper rolled his eyes, his posture stiffening. ''Here I am involved in illegal activities. This is great,'' he muttered.

''Not that illegal,'' Sarah countered, brushing him off as she waited for an answer.

Topper handed her the cables. ''Jumper cables. What are we—what are we doing with these?''

Sarah ignored him, taking the cables and passing them to Kiara. ''Topper, if you don't wanna go, it's fine. We'll take the truck.''

''The truck?'' he echoed, clearly caught off guard.

''Yeah,'' Sarah confirmed.

Topper frowned, glancing around nervously. ''Hey, I just wanna make sure everyone here is okay with ending up in federal prison.''

I couldn't resist chiming in. ''Everyone except for you, since you're a Kook in case you forgot about your status.''

JJ smirked, revving his motorcycle. ''If it gets to that, yeah, I'll do it for Pope.''

With that, we split up. JJ and Kiara mounted his bike while Sarah and I piled into the truck. Topper reluctantly climbed into the driver's seat. I slid into the backseat, keeping my distance from the guy who epitomized everything I hated about Kooks.

The truck jolted forward, and I braced myself.

Topper's knuckles were white as he gripped the steering wheel, glancing nervously at the rearview mirror. The train loomed alongside us, the faint screech of its wheels grinding against the tracks.

''Who the hell are we right now, Sarah? This is ridiculous,'' Topper blurted.

I leaned forward slightly from the back seat, smirking at his dramatics. ''You having an identity crisis, Topper?'' I asked, raising an eyebrow.

Before he could respond, Sarah interrupted, pointing ahead. ''Right here.'' Without waiting for the truck to stop, she threw the door open and jumped out. I followed quickly, landing on the gravel with a crunch.

Cleo was already there, her hand outstretched to pull me up onto the train car while Pope helped Sarah. ''Still searching,'' Cleo muttered, her flashlight darting over the boxes inside.

Topper pulled up alongside us. Pope turned to him, gesturing for him to stop. ''That's good. That's good right there,'' he called.

Sarah adjusted her grip on the flashlight. ''You see it?'' she asked.

''Hey,'' Cleo called out suddenly, her light pausing on a crate. ''What?'' Sarah asked, climbing further into the train car to see.

Cleo pointed. ''This one says Cameron.''

Pope stepped closer, reading aloud. ''Cameron Development.'' His face lit up, and a grin spread across his features. ''This is it. This is the cross. This is it!''

Topper climbed out of the truck. ''What are we doing here?'' he demanded, brushing his hands on his khakis as if the mere act of being here was dirtying him.

Pope didn't waste time on a reply. ''We're gonna put this in your truck bed,'' he stated firmly.

Topper's jaw dropped in disbelief. ''Wait, no, no, that's gonna scratch the paint!''

Sarah shot him a glare over her shoulder. ''It's fine.''

Pope was already moving toward the box with Cleo. ''You'll be able to get a thousand paint jobs after we do this,'' he added, rolling his eyes.

''This thing right here?'' Topper repeated, watching the four of us start to shift the box.

''Just help us spot it,'' Sarah snapped, her patience clearly wearing thin.

''I got you,'' Cleo grunted as we all strained against the weight of the crate. Topper reluctantly opened the truck bed door, mumbling under his breath.

The box was heavy, its edges digging into my palms as we manoeuvred it toward the edge of the train car. The horn suddenly blared, a harsh, ear-piercing noise that made us all freeze for a split second. The train jerked beneath us as it began to move again.

''Shit,'' Cleo hissed through gritted teeth.

''That can't be good. Hurry up, let's go,'' Pope urged, his voice rising as he pushed harder. ''Don't mess up the cross.''

''Don't mess up the truck,'' Topper snapped, trying to steady the swinging crate.

With a final heave, we managed to drop the box into the bed of the truck. I winced, my arms burning from the effort.

''Stop!'' a voice shouted in the distance. ''Hey, stop!''

I spun around, my heart pounding as I saw the figure of a guard running toward us. Sarah grabbed my arm, yanking me toward the truck. ''Go!'' she yelled as we scrambled into the cab. Cleo and Pope jumped into the bed of the truck just as Topper slammed the gas pedal, the tires screeching as we sped off.

The guard's voice faded behind us as we turned sharply onto a dirt road. ''Sarah, how the hell can you live like this?'' Topper demanded. ''You come from a good family.''

Sarah didn't even glance at him. ''Just drive!'' she barked.

We hit the main road, the truck jolting as it transitioned from gravel to asphalt. My pulse quickened as I looked back and saw headlights approaching. ''We got somebody on us,'' Topper muttered, glancing in the side mirror.

Sarah leaned forward, her eyes narrowing. ''That's JJ and Kie,'' she said with relief.

JJ's bike roared beside us, his silhouette barely visible in the dim light. Suddenly, he veered onto the dividing line, his figure weaving.

''What—what is he doing?'' Topper stammered, his grip on the wheel tightening.

''I don't know,'' Sarah admitted.

Pope leaned over the truck bed, his voice rising above the noise. ''What are you doing, JJ?''

JJ's voice crackled through the air. ''Top, keep going straight!''

''Hey, y'all be careful, all right?'' Topper shouted back.

''Topper, hold it steady,'' Sarah ordered.

''I'm trying!'' he snapped, the truck swerving slightly.

My stomach dropped when I heard JJ shout to Kie, ''Get ready to jump.''

''What?'' Kie exclaimed, her voice echoing my own shocked response.

''What?'' Pope and I chorused, our voices overlapping.

''Have you lost your mind?'' Kie yelled.

JJ's laugh rang out. ''Probably! Get ready to jump.''

''Come on, come on. I've got you. I've got you. Come on,'' Pope coaxed, leaning out of the truck bed with his arms extended.

I watched, my breath catching, as Kie hesitated before slowly easing herself off the bike. ''Easy, easy now,'' Pope urged, his hands finally gripping her arms as he pulled her into the bed of the truck.

''Are you good? Did she make it?'' Topper called out.

''Yeah, she's fine,'' I replied, twisting in my seat to check. My stomach flipped as I caught sight of JJ popping a wheelie on his bike, his front wheel off the ground.

''What's he gonna do?'' Cleo asked.

Pope shook his head. ''I don't know. I don't think he knows either.''

''He's trying to get killed,'' Kie muttered, her knuckles white as she gripped the side of the truck.

Topper's eyes darted to the rearview mirror. ''Okay, maybe he's just trying to get rid of the cops.''

JJ suddenly swerved toward the oncoming police car, a rock clutched in his hand. He hurled it at their windshield, the sound of shattering glass piercing the night. The cops veered, their sirens blaring as they turned to chase him instead.

Pope exhaled sharply. ''He did it. They're chasing him.''

Topper shook his head, muttering under his breath, ''Oh, God.''

''Topper, stop,'' Sarah demanded.

Topper laughed again, the sound more manic than amused. ''Oh, my God,'' he muttered, shaking his head as if he couldn't believe the situation.

Sarah's patience snapped. ''Stop the truck!'' she ordered.

''No, I'm not stopping the truck,'' he retorted, shaking his head as his foot pressed harder on the accelerator.

The banging on the truck's back window grew louder as Pope, Kie, and Cleo started to yell. ''Hey! Topper, stop the damn truck!'' I shouted, leaning forward to glare at him.

Pope's voice echoed. ''Stop the truck!''

''We're going to get JJ!'' Sarah declared.

''Come on, man!'' Pope yelled.

Topper's voice grew louder. ''I'm not going to jail for y'all! No chance!''

I crossed my arms, the seatbelt digging into my shoulder as I spat, ''Your rich daddy can get you bailed out anyway!''

Sarah softened her tone, leaning closer to Topper. ''Stop the truck. Please.''

His jaw tightened, but he relented. ''All right, all right, damn it!'' He slammed the brakes, and the truck jerked to a halt. ''All right, all right.''

Pope immediately leaned forward, shouting. ''Turn around!''

Topper refused, shaking his head. ''I'm not going... I'm not going to jail.''

Sarah didn't give him an inch. ''Topper, look at me.'' Her voice was firm, but gentle. ''They're gonna arrest him. We can't leave him behind.''

Topper let out a string of curses, punching the steering wheel before turning the truck back onto the road. ''Damn it. Damn.''

''Go faster. You need to go faster,'' Sarah urged, her eyes flicking between the road and the side mirrors.

''I'm trying,'' Topper snapped as he pressed the gas.

''Move it!'' Kie yelled from the back.

''Let's go!'' Pope added, leaning against the cab window.

Topper growled, ''I'm risking my whole life for this shit.''

I rolled my eyes, shaking my head. ''You're already screwed, so you might as well go and save JJ!''

''Turn left!'' Pope shouted.

''No, I'm not turning—'' Topper began.

''Go! Yes!'' Sarah countered, her voice rising.

''No. I'm going—''

''Yes!''

''I'm getting out of here!'' Topper protested.

Sarah didn't wait for his consent. She grabbed the wheel, yanking it hard to the left. The truck swerved violently, the tires screeching against the asphalt.

''Turn right!'' Pope directed.

''Okay!'' Topper yelled, making the turn.

Sarah's eyes scanned the horizon. ''No way. He's up on the overpass.''

Before anyone could react, JJ's bike flew off the overpass and crashed onto the ground in front of us. The truck skidded, coming to a halt as Topper fought to regain control.

I threw the door open without thinking. ''JJ!'' I shouted, the chill of the night air hitting me as I bolted out.

The others followed, stumbling out of the truck as we scanned the area. The wrecked bike lay in a twisted heap, but JJ was nowhere in sight.

''Where is he?'' Kie asked, her voice trembling.

''Shit,'' Pope muttered under his breath, his eyes darting around.

''JJ!?'' I called again, my voice breaking slightly.

''Maybe he's up on the bridge,'' Pope suggested, his tone uncertain.

A familiar voice broke through the tension. ''I wish I could say I did that on purpose,'' JJ groaned, ''but that was the gnarliest power slide I've ever done.''

Pope didn't hesitate. He ran toward JJ, a wide grin breaking across his face. ''You're alive!'' Pope exclaimed, his relief spilling out as he pulled JJ into a tight hug.

JJ laughed, his voice raspy. ''Dude! I know, I'm surprised, too.''

Topper laughed from behind me. ''Holy shit, that was gnarly.''

I stepped closer to JJ, letting out a shaky breath as I wrapped my arms around his torso. ''You're so stupid,'' I muttered, my voice muffled against his chest.

JJ let out a chuckle. ''That was trucking, dude.'' His laughter stopped short when Sarah shoved him, then pulled him into a hug.

''Oh, Jesus,'' Sarah mumbled, then softened. ''Oh, God.''

Sarah held onto him tightly. ''We really thought you did it this time, Jayje.''

''The pleasantries are nice,'' Pope interjected, ''but we should really get out of here.''

''Yeah, yeah, let's roll,'' Topper agreed, moving back to the driver's seat.

We piled into the truck, but before we could take off, a booming voice cut through the night. ''Hey! Hey, you kids, don't move!''

A cop stood on the overpass, his flashlight aimed directly at us.

''Go, go, go,'' Kie urged, her voice frantic as Topper slammed his foot on the gas.

The truck roared forward, weaving through the road. ''Shit, they definitely called it in,'' Topper muttered, glancing nervously at the mirrors.

''Top, Top! Turn here!'' JJ ordered, leaning over the front seat.

''Don't touch— don't touch the driver, man,'' Topper snapped, swatting JJ's hand away.

''Topper, just turn around,'' JJ argued, reaching forward again.

Sarah slapped his hand away, her voice cutting through the noise. ''Stop.''

''I'm trying to—'' Topper started, but his words were cut off as JJ leaned forward again.

''He said don't touch the driver!'' Sarah snapped, shoving JJ's hand away before he could grab the wheel.

I reached out and yanked JJ back into his seat, fixing him with a glare. ''JJ, stop it. You're not helping,'' I told him. He flopped back with a sheepish grin but didn't argue.

Topper scoffed. ''It's a liability,'' he muttered, his eyes flicking nervously between the road and the mirrors.

''Then go faster,'' Cleo urged, leaning forward with a pointed look.

''If I go faster, that's gonna draw attention,'' Topper shot back, his voice raising slightly.

Kiara threw her hands up from the back seat. ''We have a giant cross in the trunk! You think we're not drawing attention?''

Topper shook his head in disbelief. ''You guys are a nightmare. Do you argue about absolutely everything?''

''Yes,'' Pope answered bluntly, leaning forward with a deadpan expression.

''Everything,'' Cleo chimed in. ''Now put the pedal to the metal, boy!''

JJ chuckled. ''Maybe put it a little bit. You're going 65!'' he teased, leaning forward again.

Sarah groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose. ''Let's just go faster.''

Topper let out an exasperated breath. ''All right, all right. Screw it. Oh, here we go.'' He stomped on the gas, the truck lurching forward with a sudden burst of speed.

''There you go! That's what I'm talking about!'' JJ cheered, his hand slapping the dashboard.

We all jolted in our seats as the truck hit a bump, and a loud crash sounded from the back. The truck skidded to a halt, Topper slamming on the brakes as we were thrown forward.

''Stop, stop!'' Pope shouted, scrambling to unbuckle his seatbelt. ''We lost the cross!''

I threw open the door and jumped out, the others following close behind. The cross lay in the road behind us, the truck's tailgate still swinging open from the impact.

''Shit, man!'' Cleo hollered, throwing her arms up.

JJ crossed his arms, shaking his head. ''Really great, Topper. Just fantastic.''

''You guys told me to go faster!'' Topper barked defensively, stepping out and glaring at all of us.

Pope was already by the crate, sliding the cover off with a sharp tug. We gathered around, only to freeze as the box revealed itself to be completely empty.

''What the hell?'' Kiara breathed.

Pope stared at the empty crate, his expression slowly collapsing into disbelief. ''Shit. It's fake,'' he whispered, his hands shaking as he knelt down beside it. ''It's all freaking