Surprise Return - Chapter 26 - Beyond Pacifica

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Photo credit: Alan Stokes / Foter / CC BY-SA

 

Kyran pulled Del from the floor and crept to the doorway.  They heard shouts and more gun fire.  Del realized she didn’t have her guns anymore.

 

“I need guns, Kyran,” she whispered.  He turned to her and scowled. 

 

“I guess you won’t stay here?” he asked.

 

“Hell no!”

 

“Fine, just stay behind me and stay close!”  Kyran burst through the door with Del close on his heels.  Bullets whizzed past but never hit them.  Del watched as Kyran charged one of the poachers, who took aim.  He pulled the trigger at near point blank range.  An energy ripple ricocheted the bullet off to the right.  Kyran punched the poacher, snatched his guns free and handed them to Del.  She checked the clips and pulled two more from the downed man’s pockets before they moved on.  They moved in  rhythmic tandem through the sea of men assaulting the village wounding and disarming the poachers while the natives handled the rest.

 

Kyran rushed a group of three men shooting at the natives.  When he got close, he dropped down as Del rose behind him, taking aim.  She squeezed off several rounds, neutralizing the threat before the natives subdued the wounded men.  The last of the poachers turned to run.  Kyran ran behind them and thrust out his hands, an energy force rippled through the air and slammed into their backs sending them sprawling to the ground.

 

“Nice move, Aqua Man,” Del said as the natives secured their captives.  She looked around searching.  “Where’s Pedro?” she asked, her voice rising in panic.

 

“Lucinda has him, don’t worry.  He’s safe.”  He walked her to a larger hut where the women and children sat huddled together.  Pedro sat near Lucinda, his face in a scowl.  No pebbles to count, Del noted.  Kyran knocked on the wall.  “They’ve had trouble with these guys before.  The walls on this hut are thicker. “

 

“What’s going to happen to the poachers they caught?” Del asked.

 

“The chief will turn them in.  With the factory destroyed the authorities will make sure these guys get what they deserve,” Kyan said.

 

“And what about us?” Del asked.  Kyran kissed her palm.

 

“It’s time for us to leave,” he said.

 

###

 

They collected their things and Pedro, thanked the tribe for their help and took one of the poacher’s jeeps back to the docks.  Kyran checked Captain Velasquez’s boat, which was still moored to the dock.  They found it empty and boarded.  Del took Pedro below to a small cabin used by the crew and left him with a small collection of pebbles to play with.  She came up and helped Kyran cast off.

 

“Is this considered stealing?” Del asked.

 

“I prefer to call it confiscating drug property.  We’ll use it to get where we’re going and then turn it over to the police.  Where are we going anyway?” he asked.

 

“Well if I was still looking to go home, I would go to The United States.  Palo Alto, California to be exact near Stanford University.  The first plausible time travel theories came from there,” Del said.  “But it’s quite a ways from here.  It’ll take too long to get there by boat.”

 

“Not if we have help,” Kyran said.  “I can drive a little  faster once we get outside the shipping lanes where fewer boats travel.  Plus we can get a little extra help at night from our old friend.”  Kyran took them out to sea and mapped out his headings taking into account fuel stops and a place to stock up on food.  A storm brewed on the horizon just as dusk began to settle over them.  Kyran dropped the anchor and went below to the captain’s quarters where Del rested. 

 

“How’s Pedro?” he asked.

 

“Asleep.  He’d play with those rocks all night if I let him.  It’s strange to watch him.  He creates the same patterns over and over.  It’s not just counting, it’s more than that but I can’t put my finger on it,” Del said.

 

“We’ll figure it out later.  There’s a storm coming tonight so I dropped the anchor and made sure we are secure.  It doesn’t look like a big storm but I thought it best we wait it out before we continue.  Let’s get some sleep.”

 

###

 

Pedro’s screams woke them up in a panic.  Del shot from the bedroom toward the small cabin next door.  Empty.  Kyran ran up on deck with Del behind him.  They stopped short when they saw him.

 

A warm breeze blew the steady rain across the deck.  Pedro stood at the railing, his dark hair plastered to his face as he wailed.  Captain Velasquez stood beside him, holding fast to the boy’s neck.  His other hand held a pistol to the boy’s temple.

 

“You got a hard choice to make, Merman,” Velasquez said.

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Surprise Return - Chapter 26 - Beyond Pacifica