Moving With The Sun

by Nicki Huntsman Smith

  The best of life finally began

  Arizona in the rearview mirror

  Every passing mile takes me nearer

  I swear I can already hear her

  That sweet angel’s whispers of love

  “That was exquisite. You have a lovely voice, which does not surprise me. Is there anything you can’t do?” Harold said.

  “I can’t dunk a basketball. Maybe when I’m older I’ll be able to.”

  The older man laughed. “I doubt professional basketball is in your future anyway. Oh, what’s that?” He frowned. “Do you sense that, Tung?”

  “Yes. Let me pull over.”

  After the Jeep was parked on the blacktop, Tung scanned the terrain for any signs of danger. Then he leaned back against the driver’s seat and closed his eyes. Harold followed his lead, then Jessie did the same. She had been feeling a scratching sensation in her brain for the last minute or two.

  ~~~

  Amelia: Tung?

  Tung: Yes, I’m here. What’s wrong?

  Amelia: It would be quicker to list what isn’t wrong.

  Tung: Start with the most pressing problem.

  Amelia: Fergus has been captured by a group in Tequesta. That’s the town on the mainland close to the island of Jupiter, my home.

  Tung: Are these Tequesta survivors bad people?

  Amelia: Unknown. That’s what Fergus was trying to find out. The man who was seen capturing Fergus was gigantic.

  Tung: Have you contacted Fergus?

  Amelia: No. I didn’t want to tip him off that I’m planning a rescue mission. I wouldn’t want him to do anything impulsive to stop me. Also...I was afraid. If I can’t make contact with him, I’ll know he’s gone. I couldn’t bear it.

  Tung: Are you asking for my help? You understand that my hands are full keeping my precious cargo safe.

  Amelia: Yes, damn it. I understand that. Do you think I would ask you to do something that would put Jessie in danger?

  Tung: No, I’m sorry. I know you wouldn’t. But I do know the depth of your feelings for our friend.

  Amelia: What I need from you at this moment is two-fold. I need that weapon you’ve placed on the console of the vehicle you’re driving, and I need to have Jessie nearby in case someone gets hurt.

  Tung: Amelia! You know the rules. I can’t ask her to do that. It would be against protocol.

  Amelia: Yet she brought your English charge back from the dead. That must also be against protocol.

  Tung: I didn’t give her permission to do so.

  Jessie: I don’t need permission. I’ll do it again, if I have to. I’ll do whatever I can to help you, Amelia.

  Amelia: Hello, child. Your scythen has improved even in the last day.

  Jessie: We’re on our way to you now. We found some good gas and there is enough to drive all the way to Florida. We have a road atlas. We know right where you are.

  Amelia: Child, you are more special to me than you can ever know.

  Tung: Wait a minute, you two. I haven’t agreed to any of this. I only said I would take Jessie to Florida for a quick visit. Not to put her in danger.

  Amelia: Tung, you have a heart of gold. I know you will do the right thing.

  Harold: Hello, Amelia. I’m the English charge you mentioned. It will be my pleasure to help in any way I can. How do the skies look to the east?

  Amelia: Hello, Harold. There are dark clouds forming. It looks like we may have some rain tonight.”

  Harold: Oh dear. My expertise in anthropology and ancient languages is extensive, but not so in the area of meteorology. I do think the rain may be a harbinger, though.

  Amelia: Perhaps, but the more urgent issue now is Fergus. We must act.

  Tung: You are testing the limits of my patience, Amelia.

  Amelia: I know, my friend. I wouldn’t ask if I had any other choice. I’ll be at the Jupiter Hills Golf Club in north Tequesta tomorrow at dawn. It’s off Federal Highway, just west of the Blowing Rocks Preserve. You’ll see it on the atlas. I assume there’s a clubhouse somewhere on the property.

  Jessie: We’ll be there, Amelia! I promise!

  Amelia: Thank you, child.

  ~~~

  Amelia ended the communication. Jessie got the impression she had done that so Tung wouldn’t have the chance to say no.

  “Jessie, we need to have another talk about rules.”

  “I’m listening,” she said from the back seat while wearing a huge grin.

  Tung sighed. Harold turned his head and gave her a wink.

  “I know you’re listening, but I wonder if you’re understanding why the rules were put in place to begin with and why they’re so necessary. Breaking them may have terrible consequences. Do you understand that?”

  Jessie nodded. “I do.”

  “Do you realize we’ll have to travel at night to get to Amelia’s meeting place by morning?”

  There was exasperation in his tone but also affection. Jessie knew Tung loved Amelia; they had been friends for thousands of years.

  “I know. And I know you don’t like traveling at night because it’s dangerous. I’m sorry.”

  Tung was not to be mollified so easily. “Once we arrive, we shall listen to her plan, and I will make the decision whether I am in a position to help or not. You and Harold will have no part in it. But you will get to see Amelia as promised.”

  Jessie hesitated. “I understand.”

  Tung studied her in the rearview mirror, then gave a little shake of his head.

  She was walking a fine line. She would help Amelia in any way she could and Tung wasn’t going to stop her, but he could make it difficult. She wasn’t big enough to drive a car, so she needed his help getting there. After that, she would see how things went.

  For all Tung’s talk, Jessie knew she held the cards. She knew her value. The Cthor believed there wasn’t anybody on the planet like her. Amelia had gotten herself kicked out of Cthor-Vangt because she broke the rules, but Jessie had langthal and other talents nobody else had. Jessie knew there was nothing she could do that would keep the Cthor from taking her back.

  She would help whomever and however she could when the time came.

  Chapter 38 – Amelia

  “We’re getting wetter than a whore on dollar night,” Kenny said.

  Amelia and the teenager had waited until full dark, then they donned black clothing and stole a kayak from the Colony’s fleet. It was midnight now and they were paddling north on the Intracoastal Waterway, which, at their current location, was also part of the Indian River. They would have been less conspicuous traveling on the Atlantic side of the snake-shaped Jupiter Island, but the first outer bands of the hurricane had arrived and Amelia had no desire to venture into the ocean. A mere fifty yards of land separated the Intracoastal from the sea in some places. Formerly, the area had boasted some of the wealthiest residents and priciest real estate in the country, but Chicxulub was an equal opportunity killer. The odds were that nobody lived in those palatial homes. They saw no lights nor any other indication of life.

  The weather was more of an inconvenience than a danger at this point, and the clouds and drizzle provided excellent cover. As long as they didn’t encounter people, they should be fine. Nevertheless, Amelia had strapped a sheathed long-knife to her back. She was no warrior, but she knew how to use the thing. She wouldn’t hesitate to kill anyone who tried to harm those she cared about, which included the boy behind her. She hadn’t had a chance to test for unseen talents, but at the very least, Kenny was an Einstein-level genius; her scythen had told her that much when she squeezed his shoulder on the beach.

  “I just noticed you’re not wearing your glasses. Is that because of the rain?” she said in a low voice, turning her head slightly to glance behind her at the boy.

  A snicker wafted from the back of the kayak.

  “They’re just a prop. I can see fine.”

  “So it’s like the fake Tourette’s? Why all the shenanigans?”

  “
The Tourette’s outbursts are fun, and you have to admit it’s a great way to make your point without taking heat. Only a total asshat would start a fight with a disabled kid.”

  “True. What about the glasses?”

  “I read a long time ago that people who had bad eyesight were more intelligent on average than people with good eyesight. Think of all those Asian eggheads. I shit you not, there wasn’t anyone in my gifted classes who didn’t wear glasses. I figured the specs would help me fit in with the smart kids. Then after a while, I realized I enjoyed wearing them. I think they make me look older and wiser.”

  “If you say so. Are you sure you don’t have a boy crush on Clark Kent?”

  “Listen, Sacajawea, Kenny don’t swing that way. I’m into chicks and only chicks...all colors, all sizes. And all ages,” he added in a lecherous tone.

  Amelia snorted. “We’re almost there. We’ll pull onto the shore by that large banyan tree and hide the vessel in the mangroves.” She pointed to a cluster of trees with one leafy leviathan protruding out the top.

  “Damn, Gina. The lady knows her trees.”

  “I have made a point to learn as much about the Mother’s gifts as possible during my lifetime.”

  “The Mother? As in Mother Nature?”

  “Of course.”

  “I’m guessing you’re not the religious sort then? I think I like you even better now.”

  “What’s not to like?” She grinned in the gloom as they paddled up to the shore. The water was a sinister inky-black this time of night. “Time to put your rubbers on,” she added.

  “Well, aren’t you a frisky little mare.”

  “I mean your waders.”

  “Oh right. Putting them on now.”

  “We don’t know what’s in the water. Perhaps snakes.”

  “Why does it always have to be snakes?”

  “That was from a movie, yes? You’re quite entertaining. I see why Fergus likes you so much.”

  “What’s not to like?” he said, mimicking Amelia’s voice.

  She was impressed; he had gotten her subtle, ambiguous accent down perfectly and even managed to hit the correct octave. His impression of the actor in the snake movie was probably also superlative, but she had never seen it. She wasn’t the film aficionado that Fergus was. She wondered what other talents might be hidden behind the boy’s comic façade.

  The kayak slid onto the narrow beach, crunching a bit on the bottom as it struck sand, rocks, and tree roots. The vessel was lightweight, and the two pulled it into the foliage with little trouble. They walked a short distance up the bank to the blacktop known as Highway 1, which ran north along the coast to the Georgia state line and south to the Florida Keys. This section was also called the Federal Highway and the AIA. Jupiter Hills Golf Club lay on the western side of the roadway.

  The two small figures darted across the wet asphalt and onto a grassy stretch that was the prelude to the Jupiter Hills community. Amelia had studied one of the many maps she kept in her condo and had committed everything to memory. They would cut through a residential neighborhood as a shortcut to the clubhouse. She expected that would take no more than fifteen minutes, so they would arrive early, ahead of the sunrise by at least an hour. They might be able to take a quick cat nap before Tung arrived. She hoped so. After hours of paddling, she was exhausted. She turned to say something to Kenny but he was no longer trudging along beside her.

  “Kenny,” she hissed into the night. The relentless drizzle muffled all sound. Did she hear his footsteps? Where had the boy gone, and how had he disappeared so silently and completely? She scanned the area, shielding her eyes from the rain, but could see little beyond twenty yards in any direction.

  “Kenny!” she called, louder now. She hated to think of who or what might be alerted to her presence. She stood in place, weighing the options of what to do next, when a voice floated toward her from the direction of the river.

  She would blame the mental and physical fatigue for overlooking the two people hiding in the tangled mass of mangrove roots and sea oats near the spot where they had pulled the kayak ashore. She didn’t know they were being tailed until she heard the voice.

  “Stop there. Hands up. Don’t make any sudden moves.”

  She lifted her hands toward the night sky. “I have some food and a bottle of water in my pack.” She had begun shrugging out of her backpack so she could get to the long-knife, when the deep voice spoke again.

  “Stop, woman. I am generally averse to hurting females, but my partner here isn’t so inclined.”

  “May I turn to face you?”

  “Slowly.”

  Two figures stood in the misty darkness. The female held a firearm. The man was colossal and carried no weapon that she could see; his size was intimidating enough.

  I’m bunking at the headquarters of the Terminators with the aforementioned giant and miniature would-be sniper. The giant and the sniper are my friends.

  The woman wasn’t a child, but could this man be the giant Fergus had mentioned?

  “Where did the boy go?” the woman asked.

  “I was just wondering that myself.”

  “What were you doing on the river, and where are you going?”

  “You two are Tequesta Terminators, aren’t you?”

  Amelia had decided to take a leap of faith. She hoped the ploy might buy her some time and perhaps even get her inside the Costco in which Fergus was surely being held against his will. Doing it that way rather than with Tung’s help might save some bloodshed.

  Fergus better still be alive to benefit from her intervention.

  “So you’ve heard about us?” There was pride in the woman’s voice.

  “Spaz, no talking, please.”

  Amelia heard a note of irritation in the man’s response. She took another leap of faith, one that could span an ocean.

  “I bet you’re Lester.”

  The behemoth did a good job of covering his surprise, but she could tell from even ten feet away that she had sparked his curiosity.

  “How do you know my name, Lilliputian?”

  “Because we have a mutual friend.”

  “Let me guess. Red hair, blue eyes, stands about yay tall?” A large flattened palm gestured at waist-level.

  “That’s my Fergus.”

  “Interesting. He said he had been traveling alone for some time before he came to us. He’s been with me almost every minute since then. When could he have told you about me?”

  “That’s the part that truly is interesting.” She was about to violate one of the most sacrosanct rules of Cthor-Vangt – she would explain scythen to a normal human. She had no doubt the titillating information would get her entrée into the Terminator headquarters.

  She was preparing to launch into a compelling explanation, when both the woman and the man made sudden swatting motions at their backsides.

  “What the fuck?” the woman said, just before her legs turned to rubber. She crumpled to the ground.

  The male stayed on his feet twenty seconds longer than the female. Amelia watched a variety of unidentifiable emotions flit across the chiseled face before he collapsed too, a redwood felled by a woodsman’s axe.

  Kenny materialized out of the drizzle.

  “And that’s how it’s done,” he said with a big grin.

  “What did you do?”

  “I poison darted their asses.”

  “What was in the darts? Please tell me it was only a sedative.”

  Kenny frowned at the alarm he heard in her voice. “Yes, part of the mixture I use is fentanyl.”

  “A fast-acting opioid with immobilizing effects in larger dozes.”

  “Right.”

  “What’s the other part of the solution?”

  “Wolfsbane.”

  “Aconite. Oh dear. What were you thinking, Kenny?”

  “I was thinking to disable people who wanted to harm us.”

  She sighed. “I know you were trying to help.”

&nbs
p; “Damn straight. When I realized those two were behind us, I made myself invisible, then nailed them with the darts. I think the woman was going to shoot you. She was pointing that GI Joe gun right at you.”

  “What do you mean you made yourself invisible?”

  “Not literally. It’s just a talent I developed for fading away into the background to keep myself safe.”

  “I see. Well, the problem is I believe the man is Fergus’s friend.”

  “Why do you think that? Do you know him?”

  “No, but Fergus told me about him.”

  “I’m confused.”

  “Never mind about that now. Things are soon going to become even more confusing. Help me drag this man to the clubhouse.”

  “You still haven’t told me why we’re going there. Do you have a hidden weapons cache? A small army? How the hell are we going to save your boyfriend?”

  “I’ll get to all that later. Grab the left arm and I’ll take the right.”

  “What about the woman?”

  “I don’t care about the woman. Fergus didn’t mention her.”

  “So the issue isn’t that I probably killed two people with my darts, it’s that I probably killed a friend of Fergus?”

  “Yes. It will be all I can do to save the life of the man, if that’s even possible. How much aconite is in those darts?”

  “A lot.”

  “It is a slow-acting poison, thankfully. We just might save him.”

  “I don’t see how, unless the Jupiter Hills Golf Course clubhouse is supplied with antiarrhythmic drugs.”

  “You know your poison cures.”

  “Just like you know your trees. I’m a smart kid, Amelia,” Kenny said with a grunt as they began dragging the man through the wet grass.

  “You’re much more than a smart kid. Soon we will discover all your talents, some of which you may not even realize you possess.”

  ***

  Amelia ignored the look of intense disapproval on the face of her dear friend. Instead, she focused on Jessie. She would not coerce the child to do anything immoral, unethical, or against the Cthor protocol. Jessie would have to make the decision to save the life of Fergus’s friend – or not – all by herself.