Chapter 14
A couple of hours later we see the God Phoenix refueling. "I'm taking a short walk", Ryu yawns and gets up to stretch. "I wonder if they have cheeseburgers on this boat."
"We can grab something quick, but no extended breaks", states Joe following behind him to the rear door. He glances at the napping Jinpei.
"Should we wake him?' questions Ryu.
"Nah let the midget sleep. You have to admit he looks rather…" Joe stops a moment.
"Cute?" asks Ryu.
"No I was going to say innocent", replies Joe. "He'll be alright. We're only going to be a few minutes. When we get back I want us to start flying shifts. You need your energy. I'll fly for four hours and then you'll be back on again. We're now in the early morning hours so it will be easier to see. I have to say last night we made some serious progress. Forty-seven islands down."
"Wow twenty-six left. We did some serious flying", replies Ryu as the door closes.
Jinpei's eyes open and he looks around. 'Aha, I thought they'd never leave', he thinks to himself. Stretching he wanders over to the map that Joe has highlighted and with chin in hand he ponders the remaining islands. "Ryu said there were twenty-six left, but this group of eight are so far away from the others." He looks over his shoulder and then again at the map. Grabbing a sheet from a stack of notations that Joe had been making he quickly copies down some coordinates.
About fifteen minutes later Joe comes in followed by Ryu. "Okay we're ready to start out again. You may as well give Jinpei his lunch", states Joe. "What the hell?" he looks around. "Oh don't even tell me. He better be in the bathroom or I'm going to be one pissed off Condor." He comes back a minute later. "Nope the swallow is not on board and his vehicle is gone. The little mini-Ken has gone out to find Ken and Jun on his own."
"Joe he may have a little of you in him too", replies Ryu pointing at the map on the console. Connected by highlighted lines is a grouping of eight islands and in the middle sticks a feather shuriken.
"Great! The kid is now stealing my trademark", sneers Joe. "This makes it a mess." He speaks into his communicator. "G-4, this is G-2. What the HELL do you think you are doing?" There is no answer and so Joe continues, "I know you can hear me Jinpei. Okay, you win. Go ahead and search the group of islands that you have marked on the map, BUT so help me God, if you find anything you are to call Ryu and I so we can join you. Jinpei…..???"
"I hear ya Joe and I promise I'll call you. I'm ready to find big bro and sis", replies Jinpei.
"Take it easy Jinpei", replies Ryu. "We're almost done with the search, I'm sure we'll find them soon."
"Thanks Ryu!", replies Jinpei. "Over and out."
"Get Nambu on the monitor", says Joe sitting down in the pilot's seat and clicking switches before preparing for takeoff.
"Joe, please be careful flying this thing", replies Ryu sitting in Ken's usual spot and fiddling with a dial. "Last time you flew you nicked the paint big time."
"Shut up Ryu and get Nambu on the monitor, and what the heck are you doing now", asks Joe.
"Well Jinpei isn't here right? No sense in wasting the burgers I bought for him", replies Ryu attempting to juggle a burger while trying to work the transmission line.
"Dr. Nambu isn't going to be happy with us", replies Joe as they take off. "We were gone fifteen minutes and he just up and leaves. Like I said, I hate swallow sitting."