First of all I appreciate all the honest reviews. Second I apologize for making you all work so hard to read my story. (I took advice from Gemini Explorer to see how the paragraphs should be structured. Thanks for that tip it does make it easier to read) I hope I got it right. Third I apologize for not getting some of the terms correct like saying head hunters instead of slavers. Honestly I forgot who some of the characters were so I just threw something out there. Last sorry for my poor grammar. To be honest I never really thought about giving much attention it because to me this is all fun. I will however make an attempt, well a feeble attempt. I'm just a hack and not a very good one either. This story took so many unexpected turns and it's not really what I wanted but here it is. I'll really have to clean this story up in the next one.
Chapter 4: Family Reunion
Once the slavers had gone the mysterious cloaked stranger let her go. Finn quickly got into a defensive stance with her hand on her cross bow. Seeing she was on edge, the cloaked stranger slowed down his movement so as not to alarm her.
"Who are you" asked Finn.
"I'm Ned Malone and I need your help" he said as he took off the cloak that he was wearing.
"Ned Malone, the selfish guy who left his friends on a quest to find himself" asked Finn.
"Well that's a strong way of putting it but how do you know that" asked Malone.
"That is a long story but in short I got stuck in your time and I met up with your friends. My name is Finn" she said.
"So you're from the future then and you know my friends" asked Malone.
"What you think I'm not telling the truth" snapped Finn.
"No, it's just hard to believe but seeing everything else that has happened" said Malone.
"Listen pal for someone who claims to need my help you sure got a funny way of asking for it" snapped Finn.
"Well I'm not totally convinced who you say you are! What are my friend's names" asked Malone.
"What! Maybe you're not who you say you are" said Finn drawing her crossbow.
"Whoa, whoa wait a minute! Let's just calm down I don't want to argue" said Malone.
"I don't know what Vee saw you in. I thought you were supposed to be a great guy" said Finn.
"Wait you mean Veronica, so she made it back. Look a lot has happened today that has us on edge. Can you please put away the crossbow and let's talk not argue" said Malone.
"Fine but I'm warning you make any funny moves and it will be your last" Finn threatened.
Malone saw an overturned tree and sat down on the trunk rubbing his head in frustration. Finn was totally disgusted with Malone. He was nothing like Veronica had described him and to top it all off he looked rough. His face was dirty, hair grown and matted, beard was long and scruffy and his clothes were a mess. Still she couldn't ignore the fact that all the explorers trusted him with their life. Finn was a good judge of character and she could tell he meant no harm to her.
"You know you're pretty ugly. Not at all like Vee described" said Finn.
"You're no princess either. You're covered in as much dirt as I am" smiled Malone.
Finn did look a mess. Just running her hand on her face she felt the grit and the matted hair on her head. She took a seat next to Malone and tried to dust off her clothes to no avail.
"So how did you end up here" asked Finn.
"I'm not sure. The short version is the Plateau started doing some strange things so I tried to make it back to the tree house but I kept getting caught in those time warps. One minute I'm getting shot at by cowboy's next thing I know I'm running from a T-Rex. Somehow I stumbled upon some guys trying to kill Marguerite, so I jumped one of them, took his cloak and tried to save her. It worked but then this bright flash of light was coming at us and I shoved Marguerite out the cave but it got me. I woke up here and I saw you running from those guys with that loud thing that looked like a car and that's all I know" said Malone.
"So you ran into those time warps to? Vee, Challenger and I tried to leave the tree house but those time warps were right outside the electric fence. Challenger wanted to venture out into it so he tied a rope to him self so we could pull him back if he got into trouble but the rope was cut off. Vee and I ran back inside the tree house but everything started swirling around us. Then I got sucked into some vortex of light and I was dumped here in my time" said Finn.
They didn't have to say a word as they both could tell on their face they were worried about their friends. Finn suddenly realized that she was back in her time but Malone somehow was brought here. Malone asking for her help was an understatement. This was a completely new world with much different kinds of predators.
"Let's head to the tree house. I'm anxious to see my friends and get cleaned up. Funny thing is I lost all my maps and drawing in those warps. Not to mention things look different here" said Malone.
"That's because you are no longer in the year 1912. The tree house doesn't exist in this time" said Finn.
"What year is it" asked Malone.
"2033. The world was destroyed by a terrible war and only thing that was left was the Plateau but not without consequences" said Finn.
Malone let out a big sigh and threw his hands in the air.
"You're going to have to tell me about this later I need to process everything that's happening" said Malone.
"We need to get out of here, those slavers will come back with hounds and in greater number" said Finn.
"Lead the way" said Malone.
Finn had a secret hide out within a place called the mall. Malone was amazed at what he was looking at even if things were broken and burned out. TV, cell phones, and computers all this was new to him. Finn became a tour guide for Malone as she answered his many questions. Finn had to rush him along because it was getting dark and night on the Plateau in this time was no time to be wandering around. They finally reached the hide out which looked like a mini hardware store. Finn had went to great lengths to make this place a fortress and undetectable to the slavers. Malone was surprised at how comfortable it was on the inside though very modest. It was better than anything he'd had in years.
"It's weird being back here. I got used to calling the tree house home" said Finn.
"Yeah it grows on you. As much as I miss my friends I guess this will be home till we figure something out" said Malone.
"Here are some toiletries and clean clothes so you can clean up. After that I'll get us something to eat" said Finn.
While Malone was cleaning up Finn got the food together. She had managed to stock pile plenty of canned foods, dried meat and water. She thought about how her family worked so hard to set this place up. She almost let a tear fall when she heard Malone walk out. Now this was the guy Vee described. Malone had shaved and had his hair in a ponytail. Finn couldn't help but notice his chiseled frame. Finn enjoyed the view until she dropped a can that made Malone look. Totally embarrassed Finn acted like she was doing something else. Malone put on his shirt and started to clear a place on a table so the two could eat.
"So what kind of things did you see on the Plateau" asked Finn.
"I saw different tribes, new species of dinosaurs, flowers, streams you name it. This really is a remarkable place. I would have loved to show Veronica some of the things I saw so she can paint them. I also learn to be quite the hunter. I wrote journals and drews pictures but in all my time away, it still didn't give me what I was looking for" said Malone.
"What were you looking for Malone? You had everything there! Family and friends, I would have killed to have that here. That's why I stayed with them" said Finn.
"I was lost. I miss my friends especially Veronica. I'm going to tell her I love her even if she doesn't love me back" said Malone.
"Vee does love you. She told me she regretted telling you she wanted to be friends" said Finn.
"Seriously? Finn we have got to find away to get back to my friends" said Malone.
"Challenger used some machine that channeled the energy lines of this place and he was able to time travel in this cave. Maybe we can start there" said Finn.
"Even though I lost all my maps I'm sure we can scout out the area. Maybe find the location of the tree house and look there to" said Malone.
"Sounds like a plan. There's nothing here for me anymore" said Finn.
"If you don't mind me asking what happened to your family" asked Malone.
"My father was the one who built this place for my mother, sister and me. While out scavenging one day the slaver killed my father. My mother was raised by Amazonian warriors so she fought them off but gave her life to. They took my sister and I was left by myself. So I've been on my own since I was 12. Look I don't want to talk about this anymore. I'm going to get cleaned up" said Finn.
Malone tried to apologize but Finn quickly left the table. Once he was done eating he cleaned up the table and started to look around the place. Finn's father did a good job of picking this place. It would be impossible to sneak up on this place thought Malone. He looked through the glass window on the ceiling to see the starry night. Finn came from getting cleaned up and saw him looking at the stars. Malone turned and noticed that Finn cleaned up really well. She had piercing blue eyes and a firm body. Then it dawned on Malone, she looked really familiar to him.
"You said your mom was raised by Amazonian warrior's right" asked Malone.
"Yeah why do you ask" said Finn.
"We ran into some when we first came here. You are a spinning image of the one I met. I think her name was Phoebe" said Malone.
"Wait you knew my great grandmother" asked Finn.
"Uhhh..You might say that I did" said Malone blushing.
"What is that supposed to mean" said Finn.
"Well.. there was a misunderstanding between us and them. We ended up in jail while the women fought over us. It was a rite of passage and I guess Phoebe won me" said Malone.
"That was a ritual for the rite to reproduce. You got intimate with her didn't you" said Finn.
Malone felt a huge lump growing in his throat. How in the world would he explain to her that her great grandmother and he had a very intimate meeting? Finn already knew the answer because Malone turned bright red.
"So if you reproduced with her then that would make you, my great grandfather" said Finn.
Finn and Malone just stared at each other with surprise and shock.
"Well you do have my eyes" said Malone trying to break the tension.
"Boy this is really wierd. I can't say I've had many days like this" said Finn.
"I agree. I was a father and I had no idea" said Malone.
"Don't feel bad gramps, Amazonian women raise their own offspring accept for my mom who broke the tradition" said Finn.
"Please don't call me that" said Malone.
"If the shoe fits, wear it gramps. Anyways we got a busy day tomorrow so let's get some sleep." laughed Finn.
Malone rolled his eyes and was about to follow Finn when he turned and looked at the stars again.
"Be safe my friends where ever you are. I will find you Veronica" said Malone.
Sleep was difficult for Malone and Finn both. So much had happened that day that it would take sometime to process. What was nice is that Malone and Finn were family and that bond seemed to grow instantly. Malone began to teach Finn about making weapons for hunting, how to navigate by stars, how to track and a new fighting style he'd learned on his travels through the Plateau. They even added some safety features to the hide out in case they were ever discovered. All these skills were needed seeing as how they did their best to avoid the slavers while mapping the area.
Days turned to weeks and weeks to months when finally Malone discovered something on his maps. It was vague but something was familar about the area they mapped.
"Finn when we mapped by that dam today, did that used to be a big waterfall" asked Malone.
"I don't remember it being that but my mom said it was built when she was a kid" said Finn.
"Finn I think I may have found our way out of here. It's gonna sound crazy but I think it will work. This is the same place I feel off the cliff but somehow the air pushed me back up" said Malone.
"Gramps have you gone dilusional? You want us to jump off that dam" said Finn.
"Kind of sort of look just trust me on this. I really think this is the way out" said Malone.
Finn didn't agree but she knew Malone would never lead her wrong. Still she was excited at the possibility of being reunited with her new found family. She hurried back inside the hide out but didn't cover her tracks. Once they were packed they decided to leave first thing in the morning. All of a sudden they heard some scratching at the door.
"What's that noise" said Finn
Malone quickly grab his blade and bow and arrows. With a loud thud three slavers knocked the door down. Before two of them got to enter Malone sent two arrows putting them down while Finn shot the last one with her crossbow. She tried to reload but four more appeared and one shoved her to the ground, losing her crossbow. Malone sent two more arrows with deadly accuracy. One of the slavers tried to jump on Finn but she swept his legs causing him to fall. She quickly flipped to her feet and slammed a right kick into the slavers face knocking him out. The other slaver grabbed the bow as Malone sent a quick powerful kick to his manhood and then a knee to his face that put him down.
There was no escape but staying put made them sitting ducks. Malone remembered that he had installed a rope at the top of the hide out that if need be they could swing across to the upper window and escape outside the mall. Malone grabbed some more arrows as Finn grabbed her crossbow. Malone and Finn swung across the mall floor as slavers tried to hit them with their crossbows. Finn made it to the window and climbed out. As Malone crawled out he was hit with an arrow on his shoulder blade.
""Gramps your hit" said Finn.
"Yeah I know but I'm fine. Look get to that dam. I'll cover for you" said Malone.
"Gramps I'm not leaving you here, your coming with me" said Finn
"Listen you remember how to navigate by the stars, you follow them to that dam and wait for me there. Now go, RUN" shouted Malone as he loaded his bow and took down an advancing slaver.
Finn ran as fast as she could but stopped to look behind. She saw Malone empty his quiver of arrows with deadly accuracy but the slaver numbers seemed limitless. Once out of arrows, with a blade in one hand and the bow in the other he put down five more slavers until he was over run by them.
"No gramps, no" shouted Finn but it was to late.
"There goes the girl, get her" said the slaver.
Finn knew high ground was the safest place to be. It would take time to get to the dam but with the stars guiding her she had the upper hand. Plus the slavers wouldn't be able to drive in that terrain. Still high ground had it's risk with the mutated predators lurking about but she felt her chances were better there.
The slavers used hounds to track her through the dark night. Finn could feel them closing in on her but she came to a sudden stop. She heard a high pitched squeal and then foot steps coming at her fast. Finn dropped everything she had and ran hard. She heard more high pitched squeals surrounding her until she was cornered at a rocky wall.
Finn was horribly lost and knew that her time was up. She could hear the low pitch squeals as the mutated Raptors moved in for the kill. Finn tried to quickly turn and climb the rocky wall but she felt intesnse pain across her back from three serated nails. Finn fell to the ground writhing in pain as she could smell the stinking breathe of the raptor about to end her life.
Suddenly she heard the slavers and their hounds being to fight with the raptors. As the raptor was moments from ending Finn turned to enter the scrap, she got up and began to climb the wall. Each move she made brought intense pain but she pressed forward until she got to the top of the wall. Finn could hear the water so she followed the sound. She ran through thorns, thickets and heavy brush not caring that each move she made opened a fresh wound. Finn fell down on the stairs that lead to the platform of the dam and began to cry.
She was tired, scared, alone and clueless as to what to do next. Finn's tears were short lived as a hound raced towards her. Finn ran up to the platform as the hound pounced on her trying to tear into her. A slaver shot an arrow from his crossbow that caught Finn in the shoulder making her stumbled back. Finn grabbed her shoulder in pain as the hound jumped at her once again and they both fell over the side of the dam and into the water.