Pine, Alive: A Science Fiction Romance Pinocchio Retelling (Foxwept Array Book 1)

by A. W. Cross

  Maybe it was still just another sentence to Pine. Something to be endured without choice.

  “Are you glad to be home?” He held his breath.

  “I am, you know. It truly feels like home to me now.”

  It feels like home to me now. Relief, and something else, swept through him. She’s glad to be back. She’s standing here, with me, and it feels like home. “Yeah?”

  “Yes. I can belong, I think, if I can avoid getting arrested again.”

  James held up his hands. “Don’t look at me—I did my best to keep you out of trouble.”

  “Well, you did a great job.”

  Their awkward laughter trailed off, leaving James self-conscious. She’d been gone for four months, but for all the damn tension, it could’ve been four years. “Shall we go in?”

  He followed her up the path. Inside, she wandered around the house, trailing her fingers over the familiar surfaces as though making sure they were real. She stopped in front of Mara’s portrait and smiled then leaned over and whispered something too quiet for James to hear.

  James didn’t know what to do with himself. He still hadn’t been able to get hold of Joseph and being here alone with Pine was…discomfiting. Unexpectedly so. He’d been waiting for this day for months, had thought through all the things he’d like to say to her.

  But now…those thoughts seemed so inadequate, the apologies self-serving.

  I wish I’d never met you.

  Did she still want nothing to do with him? Was any friendliness she showed him only for Joseph’s sake?

  “James? I’m going to go upstairs and have a shower. They seemed to think synadroids are self-cleaning.”

  A few minutes later, the sound of running water filtered down to James in the living room. He paced, sat, then paced again. What was wrong with him?

  An exclamation of shock came from Pine’s room, and James didn’t think twice, sprinting up the stairs two at a time. “Pine, are you—”

  She stood gaping in her doorway, wrapped in a towel with her old clothes in her hands.

  Her bed was obscured by parcels and bags of every size and color.

  James laughed. “I told you Joseph’s been propping up the local economy.”

  “This is all for me?” She walked over to the bed and picked up a parcel wrapped in shiny pink foil.

  “Who else? I wasn’t joking when I said he missed you.”

  She turned to him, her face serious. “Did you miss me?”

  “I—” Why was his mouth so dry? He couldn’t look away from the water that dripped from her hair and beaded on the curve of her shoulder. “I did. I—”

  She tossed the present back on the bed and crossed the space between them.

  “Did you miss me?” He gazed down at her, his throat tight around his voice. Damn it, why couldn’t he swallow?

  “Yes.” There was a vulnerability in her expression, so different to when he’d first met her. Not self-conscious and defensive, but open. Her face was so close to his, tilted toward him, her mouth only inches from his own. If he just leaned down a little further…

  The alert from James’s transcomm cut through the air between them.

  Relief mingled with disappointment washed over him as she pulled back. Her expression was unreadable.

  “I, uh…damn. Where is it?” He cast about for his comm. Had he left it downstairs? No there it was, peeking out from under one of the gift bags. Reluctantly, he picked it up and turned on the screen.

  No. Horror seeped from the device and into his body. He sat slowly on the bed.

  “Pine—” He swallowed, hard. “It’s Joseph.”

  She dropped the bag she’d been holding. “What’s wrong? James?”

  Her expression was so vulnerable, he almost couldn’t speak. “He’s…Pine, he’s—”

  “No. No, no, no. He can’t be. I’m back now. I’m here, and we’re all going to be happy, and I’m his daughter so he can’t be—” She wrapped her arms around herself. As though she could hold Joseph there.

  The shrillness of her voice cut through his shock. “Pine, I’m sorry. I— He’s not dead. Well, they don’t know if he’s dead. The boat he was taking to meet you has disappeared.”

  “Disappeared? How is it possible for an entire boat to disappear?” She rushed over to him, peering at the screen. “I mean, they knew if even a single one of us stepped ten feet out of our designated zone.”

  “It shouldn’t be possible. It’s not even like he’s out in the middle of the ocean. He was just going from the mainland to Bowglass. People do it in sailboats, for god’s sake. They said there was some kind of freak storm. It lasted less than twenty minutes, and he was gone.” He shoved his fingers through his hair. “It’s not possible,” he repeated.

  She straightened, her voice calm. “James, we’ve got to go.” She turned away and yanked open her dresser drawers.

  James stared up at her, uncomprehending. “Go where? The authorities have dispatched search crews.”

  “Human crews. James, up until five months ago, that part of the ocean was my home. If Joseph’s there, I’ll be able to find him.” She twirled her finger at him. “Turn around.”

  He obeyed.

  A few moments later, Pine dressed, they thundered down the stairs.

  “Pine, this is—” What did she think she was going to do?

  “I don’t care. We just have to get down there and see what’s going on.”

  That much he could agree with. Maybe there would be more news by the time they Arrived.

  They were at the door when Pine spun around and ran back to the living room and up to Mara’s portrait.

  “We’ll be back soon,” she promised it.

  Mara smiled up her then returned to her work, her hands deftly manipulating the tiny tools.

  They arrived at the harbor shortly before dark. At this time of night, the dock would’ve normally been quiet, but tonight, it teemed with activity. Boats were being moored in rapid succession, their captains rushing to secure their vessels. Massive spotlights illuminated the dock, so bright James had to shield his eyes.

  What was going on? Was this all for Joseph? Somehow, he doubted it. “Is this normal?”

  “No.” She bit her lip. “They only do this when there’s a large storm approaching. They’re trying to make sure the boats are all safe.”

  So not for Joseph, then. James’s stomach twisted. Would they call off the search? A man in fluorescent-lit gear approached them. “If you’re looking to get out to one of the islands, I’m afraid you’re out of luck.”

  “What going on?” James flipped up his collar against the cutting salt wind. “Is a storm coming?”

  “A hell of a big one, unless I was born yesterday.” He squinted at James. “And I wasn’t.”

  “What about the search and rescue? For Joseph Polendina’s missing boat?” James tried to keep his voice steady.

  “Oh, there’ll be no searching tonight, my boy. We’d just be sending them out one after the other.” He scratched his chin with a grimy thumb. “That was an odd one, all right. Storm was over before it started… Guess it was just a prelude to this monster, though.”

  James was at a loss. What would they do now?

  “But he’s my father.” To James’s surprise, Pine pushed past him and grabbed the front of the man’s jacket.

  He stared down at her impassively, her clutching fingers doing nothing to move him. “Oh? Well, I’m sorry, my dear, but we can’t risk many lives for one. If your father hunkers down in his life-pod, he’s bound to ride the storm out. If he’s lucky, he’ll wash up on one of the islands. The coast is riddled with ’em, you know.”

  “But if he’s safe in his pod, why won’t the rescue crews be?” Pine demanded.

  James was impressed. Gone were her reservations, her uncertainty of her place. Synadroid or not, she was a daughter wanting her father to be safe. What had changed over those four months to give her such confidence?

  “It’s not th
e storm that’s the problem for the rescue crews, see? But what the storm brings.” The man shivered. “You wouldn’t catch me out there, no sir.” He gently pried Pine’s fingers from his coat. “Now, miss, best to go home and wait. Harbormaster Paloma won’t be letting anyone out of the dock tonight.”

  “Paloma?” Pine’s eyes shone with sudden interest.

  But the man was already out of earshot.

  “Pine, what does he mean, what the storm brings?” James didn’t like the sound of that. He’d always been uncomfortable being too close to the ocean. As a child, he’d imagined the jaws of some great beast lurking just below the surface, waiting to gobble him up.

  Pine pressed her lips together. Even though she could now lie, a lifetime of truth-telling had left its mark.

  “Pine?” She was obviously keeping something from him. Something important.

  She scrunched up her face as though she could stop the truth from escaping. “When a storm this large happens…there are things that live in the ocean. Big things. It attracts them.”

  Oh my god. His darkest nightmares were about to come true. It was as though he was already out in a boat, the world shifting and rolling beneath his feet. “What kind of things?”

  Pine gazed out over the water. “Creatures. I don’t really know for sure. I’ve only ever seen…shadows, shapes bigger than freighters moving through the water.”

  James shuddered. The horror he’d seen at the Perimeter paled in comparison to the unknown of his childhood fears.

  “It’s odd, though,” Pine continued calmly, as though enormous sea monsters were a normal thing—which, for her, they might’ve been. “I think it’s the other way around, that the creatures, whatever they are, bring the storms with them.”

  This was getting better and better. Storm-bringing sea monsters. He swore. “That’s going to make our rescue mission impossible, isn’t it?” Damnit, Joseph. Where are you? He looked out over the dark water beyond the undulating boats. Even from this distance, the inky water filled him with foreboding. “I think we’re going to have to go home and wait, like that gentleman said.”

  “It’ll make it more difficult, but not impossible.” Pine smoothed her hair back from her face.

  “What do you mean? We can’t go out there if—” Dread filled James. He was not going to like whatever she had planned.

  But she was already gone, striding with confidence toward the harbormaster’s office. A woman, presumably Paloma, stood on the other side of the glass walls, barking orders as she delegated duties down the ranks.

  James jogged after Pine, trying to catch her before she went in. He was too late.

  He cracked his knuckles as Pine walked straight up the harbormaster, her back to James. The master herself was a tall woman, her swarthy complexion well-suited to her profession. Her features were heavily creased, her brows mirroring the gathering storm outside. A long gray braid lay over one shoulder, and James winced when she flicked it back, nearly taking out the eye of the sailor next to her.

  She towered over Pine with a stern expression that made James’s heart quail.

  Well, at least until she swept Pine up in a crushing embrace. Pine spoke, turning her head and gesturing out to the roughening sea.

  What was she doing? She wasn’t actually trying to convince her to let them go out in the storm, was she?

  Of course she is.

  The harbormaster crossed her arms over her chest and shook her head. Thank goodness—no one could leave the harbor without her permission, and Pine couldn’t risk being arrested again for the infinitesimal chance that they might find Joseph. The old man wouldn’t have wanted that, and neither did James.

  Pine hung her head and turned around, pushing her way back through the crowd gathering to vie for the harbormaster’s attention. Out on the dock, a fine rain was falling.

  “I’m sorry, Pine.” He put his arm around her and guided her back toward the parking lot. “Look, we don’t have to go home. There a hotel right next to the docks.” It wasn’t much, but at least it was something. He typed a few instructions into his transcomm as he spoke. “I can book us a room, and we can stay as long as we need to, until the storm clears. Then we can help look—”

  He stared at a small code stick dangling from a chain between Pine’s fingers. Oh no. “Pine, what is that?”

  She flashed him a wicked grin. “The code for Paloma’s personal cruiser.”

  “A cruiser? But—” He didn’t know much about boats, but he was pretty sure a cruiser wasn’t the type you wanted to take out into the middle of a squall.

  “She can’t let us go out in the storm, but she can look the other way. Come on.” Pine led him down a flight of stairs leading off the central pier. “Just act like we’re supposed to be here.”

  “How did you—” He’d been impressed by her new confidence at first, but this, this was alarming.

  “I’ll tell you when we’re out on the water. But don’t worry, it’s not illegal—Paloma’s a friend.”

  “Look at you, four months inside and you’ve got connections.” James had hoped the joke would ease some of his anxiety. No such luck.

  “I did meet some interesting people. I was going to tell you all about it, but then— Joseph.” The beginnings of her smile fell.

  “Pine, this is insane. Even if you technically have the harbormaster’s permission—which you know damn well she’ll deny if we get caught—we still shouldn’t be going out into this storm.” He grasped her hands as she frowned. “We don’t know how to find Joseph. If they can’t find him, why would we be able to? Plus, what about those…creatures?”

  “James, he wouldn’t be out there now if it wasn’t for me—” She pressed her fingers to his mouth. “Before you say it, I don’t feel guilty. That’s not what I mean. I did a lot of thinking when I was away. Joseph is my family now. He’s out there in that storm looking for me. Now I’m going to look for him.”

  “But, Pine, he wouldn’t want you to. He’d want you to be safe. Besides, Pine,”I feel like such a coward for saying this, “I’m not a synadroid. If we capsize, you can survive under water. I can’t.”

  Pine’s driven expression fell. “I hadn’t thought of that. You’re right—it is too dangerous for you. Those storms—”

  “Will be over soon, and we’ll be right here, ready to start searching for Joseph.” He stroked his hand over her hair, relieved. He would be useless to her in the water, would probably even put them in danger. Here on land, at least, they could take care of each other. “Let’s go get that room.”

  “James…I’m still going. Like you said, I can survive underwater. You get the room and wait for the storm to pass. With any luck, I’ll be back with Joseph before then.”

  “No way, Pine. You can’t go out there on your own. What if—” No, she can’t by herself. It’s too dangerous. But the determination in her eyes told him anything he said was useless. Pine was going, no matter what.

  Visions swam before his eyes of massive shapes gliding silently through the water, above and under him, their jaws— “I’m coming with you.” As terrifying as those images might be, the thought of Pine out there alone was worse.

  She drew back. “No, James, you were right before. You can’t survive under the water like I can. If something were to happen to you… I can’t lose both you and Joseph.”

  James pulled her close. “I couldn’t do it, Pine. Wait in a hotel room knowing that you and Joseph were out there in the storm somewhere.” His mind was made up. “I’m coming. There’ll be protective gear on the harbormaster’s boat. After all, she’s human too.”

  Pine stared up at him as though trying to divine his motives. “Are you sure? I’ll do everything I can to help keep you safe, but I can’t promise you that. I’ve never had to save anyone before.”

  “Well, today’s as good a day as any.” James tried to smile. “Looks like we’re going fishing.” Maybe I’ll catch some courage.

  The harbormaster’s cruiser was slee
k, top-of-the-line. James took in the dashboard controls with dismay. “Um, Pine? Do you have any idea how to drive this thing? Because I don’t.” James’s time in the military had kept him firmly inland. Sure, he’d been on a boat more than once, but he’d never been in control of one.

  Pine nodded as she leaned over, checking a few of the gauges before engaging the engine. “It’s not nearly as complicated as it looks. The boat does most of the work.” She leaned back, satisfied, as the vessel slowly pulled away from its mooring. “We’ll have to keep our power to a minimum, but hopefully the storm has picked up enough to cover us.” She stared hard at the dashboard again, her tongue pressed against her bottom lip.

  It was too late to turn back. We’re doing this. But at least they were together. That was the most important thing. If James was going to be swallowed by a sea monster, there was no one he would rather do it with.

  The storm was gathering force now, rough wind whipping the heavy drops of rain across the boat’s windows. Darkness shrouded the sky, and the cruiser plunged into blackness as soon as they cleared the harbor. In the distance, the faint beam of the lighthouse glowed on the Point and James breathed a sigh of relief. As long as they could still see the land, he was— The lighthouse disappeared, swallowed by the gloom.

  James took a deep breath.

  They travelled in tense silence, Pine navigating manually away from the shoreline. Outside, the storm lashed the boat, attacking then withdrawing into eerie quiet before assaulting them again.

  Just as James couldn’t bear the unnerving rhythm any longer, Pine stepped back and flooded the cabin with light. She turned to smile at him. “There, I think we’re far enough— James? Are you all right?” She grabbed his arm and steered him toward the captain’s chair. “Here, sit down.”

  James sank into the seat, his muscles crying out in relief. Nausea roiled inside him, and he leaned forward, dropping his head between his knees. “Now what?”

  “I’ve set the radar to scan for Joseph’s pod. If we get within fifteen miles of him, we’ll know.”

  “It’s sounds a bit like searching for the old needle in a haystack to me.” It can out harsher than he’d intended.