The Ship Finder: Young Adult Edition

by John Bluck

  "That picnic bench is close enough to the parking lot so that the courier will easily see you," said Wilson.

  "I'll sit facing the lot," Rachel said. "I'm sure he has a snapshot of me." She gathered their two lunch bags and drinks and then got out of the car. It was 1:30 p.m. when they sat down to eat.

  "We'd better take our garbage with us," Wilson said after they finished.

  "Why?" Rachel asked.

  "Because if something goes wrong, we don't want to leave our DNA here on our paper cups and napkins," he said. "You never know."

  "I think you're being paranoid, but okay," she said as she got up. She stuffed their trash in their two brown paper lunch bags and put them in the car. "The courier should be here soon," she said, walking back from the car.

  "I'll keep my eyes open," Wilson said, as Rachel reached under the picnic bench. She grabbed his pack, set it on the rough boards of the table, and took out the briefcase filled with diamonds.

  "The sooner this is over, the better," he said. There was a sound of rustling in the thick bushes behind them that bordered the park. They turned to see what was causing the noise, and a man, about 30 years old with jet black hair, emerged from the greenery.

  He looked at Rachel and said, "I'm looking for a nice spot to sit under a palm tree."

  Rachel paused and said, "You look like a reader who wants to find a nice, shady spot to enjoy a new novel." She grabbed the briefcase that contained the diamonds. "Maybe there's a book in here you'll enjoy," she said, as she handed him the case.

  "Thank you," he said. The piercing sound of police car sirens disturbed the quiet whisper of the wind. Their emergency lights flashing, three squad cars were speeding towards them across the grass in the park’s open space.

  "Let's get out of here," Wilson said. He grabbed Rachel's hand and ran to the sports car. They got into the vehicle and slammed the doors.

  "How fast can this thing go?" Rachel yelled.

  "We'll see," he said. "It was made for racing." The car's wheels squealed as he pulled onto the road and floored the accelerator pedal.

  "How did the police get onto us?" she asked.

  "Maybe the park is a place where drug deals take place, and the cops had it staked out."

  "That's got to be it," she said. "If they catch the courier, and they probably will, they'll be in for a big surprise when they open that case."

  "Let's hope they don't find us," he said. "Let's try the chameleon switch." He pushed the green button as the car went along a stretch of road covered by a canopy of tree limbs and leaves. The car's color changed to green, and Wilson slowed the vehicle's speed to just a hair under the speed limit.

  "I hope the cops don't know about the new chameleon option," Rachel said. Just then, a police helicopter flew slowly above them and then zoomed ahead.

  "I think we're home free," said Wilson.

  "Just hope they don't have hidden cameras set up in the park," Rachel said. "If they did, we're in trouble. In fact, we should contact Raven to get us out of here fast. He could break the courier out of jail by jumping him away, too. I bet he's in cuffs already."

  "Let's not call Raven just yet," Wilson said. "We're okay for now, and anyway, I've got something important to tell you."

  "What?" she asked.

  "I want to confess to you." Instinct told him that this was the right time to openly switch sides. "I'm with the rebels, but they told me not to tell you that."

  "I guessed it anyway."

  "They don't trust you," he said. "A rebel, Art Terac, contacted me yesterday. He wants to meet just up the road at Pali Lookout at 4 p.m. I think we ought to ask them to let you join them, and then we can leave on their ship. I'm tired of all this subterfuge. This is the perfect time for me to come clean to show Raven that I'm a rebel."

  "I agree," she said, "and I'm willing to join the rebels right now."

  At first Wilson was glad that he had trusted his hunch about her, and he was relieved. He paused and said, "I don't know if they'll believe you or not." Suddenly, he was anxious again. If she’s really a government spy, what will they do with her?

  "I'm not afraid," she said. "I look forward to the meeting because I'm ready to change sides."

  "They might think you'll spy on them."

  "I could give them my special cell phone, which allows me to contact the security squad and the Leader himself," she said. "But I'm sure that if I don't check in every so often with the Leader, he'll think something's wrong and send a team to investigate."

  "So, Terac will probably let you keep your phone, if he believes you," said Wilson, "My guess is that the rebels will ask you to stay in contact with the government security people," Wilson said. "Perhaps you could feed them false information at a crucial moment."

  "I'll mention that to Terac," she said. She was nervous, but on the other hand, she seemed strong. "Let's look at a few more sights, while I think about how I'll deal with your rebel friends."

  "Okay," Wilson said. He continued southwest on Highway 61, away from the shore, towards the lookout.

  Chapter 25 – Lookout Encounter

  As Wilson drove towards Pali Lookout, Rachel glanced at him. "I'd like to drive to try to get my mind off the meeting," she said.

  "Okay," he replied. After he pulled off the road, they switched seats, and Rachel began to slowly drive the rest of the way to the lookout. She stopped every so often to stare at the scenery.

  "I think you should act surprised when the rebels meet us," he said as she drove.

  "I won't give you away," she assured him.

  It was about ten minutes before four o'clock. Wilson picked up a travel book that the car rental agent had given to him along with the map, and he found a short article about the lookout. It's in a mountain pass, which is often rainy and misty. The scenic vantage point is 1,200 feet high between cliffs that rise 2,000 to 3,000 feet.

  He learned that Pali Lookout is in a microclimate that's cool, so wearing a jacket is a good idea. The pair had light jackets with them. He continued to read that there's a parking lot for sightseers, who must walk to a higher level to view the northeast coast, Kaneohe Bay, and Makapu Peninsula.

  "We're just about there," Wilson said. "Slow down. We'll look for a place to park along the road. The lot at Nuuanu Pali State Park will close at four."

  "There aren't a lot of places to stop," she said. Vegetation grew to the road's edge, and there were only a few turnouts. Mist became a drizzle, so Rachel turned on the windshield wipers.

  "I see a pull-off on the right, by those trees," Wilson said. The car's global positioning system screen showed that the car was a quarter of a mile from the parking lot.

  "I'll pull in as close as I can and stop behind that bushy tree," she said. "I'm chilly." Dark clouds swirled above.

  "Yeah, the travel guide says it gets rainy and cold here," Wilson said, and he noticed a long, black truck parked nearby. "We'll need our jackets."

  While they were pulling into a spot by the bushy tree, a caravan of cars went by with their headlights ablaze. Those vehicles carried tourists downhill, away from the lookout entrance, towards the coast.

  It was after four by the time he reached into his backpack for his jacket and Rachel had grabbed her windbreaker. As soon as they exited their car, wind-whipped rain bit into Wilson's face. The wind was strong enough that they had to lean into the blowing rain and struggle uphill along the wet blacktop road towards the lookout.

  "I'm glad it's chilly and wet because I'm awake now," Rachel said. "My senses are on high alert."

  "Be as calm as you can," Wilson advised, as they drew near a chocolate-colored wooden sign, which stood to the right of the road by a low stone wall. The sign read, "Nuuanu Pali State Park" in yellow letters. The park was deserted, but then a state pickup truck pulled up by the parking lot entrance. A man in overalls got out and padlocked a gate arm across the lot's entry.

  "We just closed," he advised, and he smiled. "You'll have to return tomorrow morning when
we re-open."

  "Okay, thanks," Wilson said. He and Rachel turned around and started to walk away. The worker got in his truck, waved, and drove off. After he was out of sight, Wilson and Rachel walked back to the parking lot.

  Rachel took Wilson's hand as the two came to a four-foot rock wall beside the padlocked gate arm. "Can you help me get over the wall, Bill?"

  "Sure," Wilson said. He climbed atop the stone barrier, grasped her hand, and pulled her up onto the wall. Then he hopped onto the parking lot's blacktop and helped her down.

  "I don't see anyone," she said.

  "Maybe Terac had to hide when the employees closed the park, or it could be that he and his people will arrive soon. I bet we beat them here."

  "That makes sense," Rachel said as they walked up an incline towards the lookout. "Possibly that long, black moving van parked where we stopped is theirs," she guessed.

  They climbed higher to the observation area and saw a low metal guard fence along the cliff edge.

  "See the layer of low black clouds that goes around the peaks to the left and right?" Wilson asked. He was quiet for a moment. "To me the scene looks like a big, green park down there in the valley, but the black clouds make it look spooky."

  "Those clouds are as black as night," Rachel said.

  Wilson heard footsteps on the concrete observation pad behind him, and he turned around. He saw Lena as she walked towards Rachel. Lena's eyes showed determination.

  "Hey, Rachel," Lena said. She shook her finger at Rachel. "I know what your game is. You spy for the Great Leader."

  Art Terac followed Lena, and he gently grabbed her shoulder. She looked angry. Two other rebel men were with them, but Wilson didn't know who they were.

  "I'm not against you," Rachel said. She stood her ground in front of the metal barrier that separated her from the cliff. "Maybe you're just jealous."

  Lena brushed Terac's hand from her right shoulder and stood face to face with Rachel. "You're a spy, Rachel," Lena yelled. Rachel began to cry.

  "I just want to join the Alliance," Rachel sobbed.

  "Why did you confront her, Lena?" Wilson asked while Rachel continued to weep.

  "She's one of them. Don't you see it, Bill?" Lena replied. "You've been taken in by her. We know she reports to the Great Leader himself. Did you give anything away to her?"

  "No," Wilson said. He knew Lena's intuition told her that he had lied.

  Art Terac took a step forward. "Lena," he said. "We need to speak with Rachel to learn what we can."

  "Okay, I’m sorry," Lena replied, and she seemed to relax.

  The wind whistled, and the rain beat down even harder on the small group.

  Terac said, "Let's take her back to the truck where we can talk with her where it’s dry."

  Terac took Rachel’s hand and walked towards the park’s exit. She wiped her tears away while Wilson, Lena, and the others followed.

  Chapter 26 – The Whole Truth

  After Terac helped Rachel into the cargo area of the black moving van, he pulled her jacket off and handcuffed her to a metal support on the inside wall of the truck.

  Rachel began to shiver, and then she wiped more tears from her face. "I want to join the rebellion," she blurted out. "Lena, you and I are alike not just because we're clones. We hate the system that made us."

  "We'll find out about your true intentions soon enough," replied Lena.

  Rachel fell onto a cushion on the rough wooden floor of the van. Her handcuffed left arm dangled above her from the brace attached to the truck's wall.

  Terac rolled up Rachel's right blouse sleeve, wiped her arm with alcohol, and gave her a shot of truth serum. She looked scared, yet defiant, as she stared forward.

  After a short wait, Lena asked, "Who do you work for?"

  "The Intelligence Service," Rachel replied.

  "What's your mission?"

  "To find out if Dr. William Wilson of Earth is loyal to the Great Leader and the Upper Echelon."

  "Can I ask a question?" Wilson queried.

  "Sure," said Terac.

  "Why do you want to join the rebel cause?" Wilson asked.

  "I hope that I can join the revolution because I think that clones, sentient robots, and cyborgs are treated as second class citizens at best. We're really slaves. I'm just a toy for men to play with. I've tried to give my life meaning by doing a different job."

  Lena looked into Rachel's eyes. "What's that different career?"

  "It was a job in the Intelligence Service. But now I have a chance to get out of that and join the revolution."

  "We've heard enough for now," Terac interrupted. "We can trust her. But the revolution comes before personal issues."

  Lena suddenly stood, opened the rear cargo door, and climbed out into a steady rain. The sky was dark and gloomy.

  Wilson followed her. The rain came down harder in sheets, and Lena was soaked. In the dim glow of a street light he saw her sob. He walked to her, and she looked up.

  "Do you still like me?" she asked.

  "You’re my closest friend from Sunev, Lena," he assured her.

  Lena wiped rain and tears from her eyes. "What did she do with you?"

  "Not much," Wilson answered. "She just made a big effort to be friendly, and she overdid it to the point that it was obvious. I thought she was definitely checking me out."

  "What else happened?" Lena asked, as she walked to the front of the truck and opened the passenger door.

  "The usual, we ate meals, talked."

  "I’m sorry I behaved badly, Bill," she confessed. "I guess I like you a lot more than I thought. I’m going to sit up front for a few minutes. You can go back with the others to let them know that I’m still here."

  "Okay, Lena," Wilson said. "I’ll see you in a while."

  Lena got into the truck’s passenger seat and closed the door.

  He went back into the truck's cargo section where Terac, Rachel, and the two other rebels sat. Wilson grabbed a towel from the floor and wiped the water from his face.

  "How's Lena?" asked Terac.

  "Fine," Wilson responded. "She’s sitting up front, cooling off. I think she was just irritated because Raven got a replacement for her."

  Wilson detected a repressed smile on Terac's lips. "She'll get over it," he said. "Now, let's decide what to do about Rachel." He unlocked the handcuff from her left wrist.

  Rachel began to rub her wrist where the manacle had pinched her. "You know I want to be a rebel. Let me join," she said, staring at Terac.

  Wilson guessed, Terac is in command of this mission, which is to capture and evaluate Rachel.

  Rachel was still somewhat under the influence of the truth serum, though Terac had given her an antidote when Wilson had been outside the van.

  "You can join us under certain conditions, Rachel," said Terac.

  Rachel's eyes were glazed. As she struggled to fight the last effects of the truth serum, she slurred, "What conditions?"

  "First, you must tell us everything you can about the Sunevian Intelligence Service. Second, and more important for the moment, is that Lena will assume your identity. She'll go with Bill to rejoin Raven and the crew of The Ghost Liner on their mission to blow up Emor's water system on Triod. You'll give her your secure government cell phone."

  "I'm glad that Lena will take my identity. I don't think I could hide my dislike for the Sunevian regime much longer aboard that ship," Rachel said. "What’s Lena going to do in my place?"

  "Lena and Bill must stop The Ghost Liner's crew from destroying Emor's water supply and possibly a large part of Emor as well," said Terac. "We don't have any others who are members of the crew. Most importantly, if government intelligence agents think you or Bill is missing, they will know something is wrong."

  "Where does that leave me?" asked Rachel.

  "We'll take you to planet Triod to help us there. After The Ghost Liner's mission is stopped, you, Bill, and Lena can work out whatever you must," said Terac. "But I stress one
thing. We cannot let emotions get in the way of our mission."

  "I get it. I agree," said Rachel.

  Turning to face Terac, Wilson said, "I didn’t know that I was included in plans to disrupt the water raid."

  "I was going to tell you and Lena right after we found out more about Rachel," Terac replied.

  "You mean Lena doesn’t know yet?" Wilson asked.

  "Well, General Black said to wait to see if we could successfully capture Rachel before we’d activate the plan to put Lena aboard The Ghost Liner with you."

  "How can you be sure that Lena can take Rachel's place, and not be detected by Sunevian Intelligence?"

  The big roll up cargo door began to rise, and then Lena climbed up into the truck. She was soaking wet and dripped rainwater on the wooden cargo floor.

  "Here," Terac said, as he tossed her a bath towel. When she began to dry off, he said, "I’ve got to tell you something, Lena."

  She stopped drying herself and looked at him. "What?"

  "It’s what we need you to do, what your orders are," Terac replied.

  "Orders?" she asked, dropping the towel in a corner of the truck.

  "Colonel Lavelle, you are to take Rachel’s place on The Ghost Liner with Dr. Wilson," said Terac.

  "I guessed that," she said.

  "Also, you’re ordered to plant bombs on that ship," Terac revealed.

  "What! I’ve always been a person who collects information, not a fighter," she said. "I’m not a suicide bomber."

  "You’re not ordered to do that," Terac said. "But you may have to trigger the explosives from a distance."

  Her face flushed. "I can’t do it," she said, shaking. "I know those people!"

  "There’s a backup plan to take out the ship," Terac said.

  "I don’t want to be aboard," Lena said in a high pitched voice.

  "Lena, this is very important for the mission. You’re in a unique position because you’ll have access to the ship. Otherwise, we can’t be sure we can defeat The Ghost Liner. This could be a turning point in the war."