A/N: Yay! Update! (A short one, though.) I've also finished the first chapter of "Crown of Fire." It's more than 5,000 words long! I'm not sure if other chapters will be that long, but that one is! Also, I've put a little 'teaser' picture on my Deviantart. The link can be found on my profile. I can't wait to finish Adrift so I can upload it! Also, if you read the description on DevArt, you can read a little section of the chapter. :D
Important question: Who do you guys ship Jazz with? I once saw something with Ghost Writer and I thought 'Hm…I could see the appeal of that pairing…' So would you guys want her with G.W. or an OC? I can't think of anyone else in-verse that I would ship her with, after all. Oh, questions, questions. If not G.W., what type of person would you put her with?
Chapter #21: Lifeboats
Tucker slams the phone back onto the receiver, his blue-green eyes alight with fury. A flurry of hissed curses tumbles from his lips, and he tosses his glasses carelessly to his desk to rub at the corners of his eyes.
"They never made any of their scheduled stops, Val," his fist pounds the desk, "And no one alerted anybody else!"
"Tucker…"
He swears, "I knew something was up!" he turns back to his computer, typing furiously, "Those corporate-" he cuts off, shaking his head, "they're useless. Absolutely useless! They all thought their port was skipped due to a 'sudden, vicious tropical storm.' A hundred bucks says that Vortex was stirring up trouble…and what do you know!" he indicates a skeletal globe on the screen, with the date of a few days earlier at the bottom of the window. A swirling green pattern whirls above the Caribbean.
"Babe, what is that?" she asks, afraid of the answer.
"This is a satellite image from one of the G.I.W.'s spectral-tracking satellites, meant to detect large amounts of ectoplasmic energy. You can see Amity Park from here," he points to a bright green spot in the northern U.S..
"I didn't think they'd give access to something like that," she frowns.
"With a backdoor like that, they might as well have," he growls.
"I'm going to forget you said that."
"You probably should," he shrugs, "anyway, that swirling cloud of doom is Vortex at work the second day of the cruise."
"Do you think they wrecked?" she folds her arms across her chest, glaring at the globe.
"Unlikely," he shakes his head, "it's a pretty big ship. Not as big as some, but big enough. Johnny said he drove through something Sam shouted he shouldn't. We haven't gotten any communication from Sam or Danny. The ship hasn't stopped in at any ports. My guess? The ship's stranded without working communication – probably damaged in the storm. Not only that, but they could be miles off course."
"…and you realized this as a possibility the moment Johnny said he saw Danny."
"Yeah," he nods, "It just…I feel like I'm right. I also feel like I can hear Danny screaming and Sam shouting his name. But then again," he smiles momentarily, "I've gotten paranoid."
"You're the strategist. It's your job to be a little paranoid," she kisses his cheek, "So what are you going to do?"
"…I think it's time to start looking for lifeboats," he sits at his chair again and dials a number from the screen, "Hello? This is Mayor Tucker Foley, of Amity Park. I believe you need to look for lifeboats, because one of your ships is probably adrift at sea."
-BREAK-
The hefty down-thrust of the helicopter whips hair away from pale faces. Tucker scans the boat, not finding the friends he's looking for. He helps the rescued passengers into the safety of the chopper, only noticing the familiar faces as he assists them inside.
"Mayor Foley!" Mr. and Mrs. Sanchez smile, "Count on you to help out in a crisis!" She carries her younger daughter, Paulina's little sister. The little girl smiles brightly, and Tuck can't help but think she'll end up the A-List Queen just like her older sister.
"Have you seen Danny and Sam? The Mansons?" he shouts over the roar of whirring blades.
"Some of the lifeboats were damaged," Mr. Manson responds, "I think they stayed behind with a few others!"
"Of course they did," Tucker sighs, unheard by those around him, "Just cram together and get warm! We have food and EMTs on land!"
The boats had been located near Melbourne, Florida. Each told the same basic story; a loss of power, a sudden storm, and rumors of pirates.
"Pirates. Of course," Tucker snorts, still unheard over the rotors, "Of course Danny would end up getting attacked by modern Caribbean pirates. I wonder if they all talk like Jack Sparrow and drink rum all day!"
"To think you were called 'Bad-Luck Tuck'," Val laughs through an earpiece.
"Val, I love you, but please don't ever mention that nickname again."
"It's probably all Danny. You just hung out with him all the time, so everyone thought it was you."
"Agreed. Is the speeder ready?"
"Along with the Boo-merang."
"You mean the stupidly-named tracking device," he snorts, "I'll meet you back at port."
"Roger that."
He vanishes into the crowd as soon as they land, avoiding the cameras of the excited reporters. He slips through the crowd unnoticed in his black windbreaker, which bears the logo of a local news station on the back. Finally, he makes it through the throng, moving in warehouse shadows until he slips down to another dock, where Valerie leans against the Speeder.
"Pretty good for less than ten hours," she comments, "You know how to get things done, don't you?"
"It's amazing what you can get when you promise Danny's autograph," he smirks, "And yell enough. Is it programmed to Danny's signature?"
"Yeah," she lifts the slim silver device, "Ready?"
He seats himself in the pilot's seat of the speeder and retracts the windshield, "Yeah. Throw it!"
She tosses it, and he begins to follow behind. But it suddenly turns around, and she catches it deftly.
"Signature cannot be detected. Signature cannot be detected," it buzzes.
"What does that mean?" Valerie's wide eyes swivel to her boyfriend. He's gone pale, and his hands shake at the controls.
"He…he can't be. It's not like…it's not like it's the only possibility," he mutters quietly.
"Is it saying that Danny is…?"
"No," he cuts sharply, "It could also mean that his ghost half has been suppressed. It could be the same for excessive ectoplasmic interference…anyway, it looks like we'll have to do this the old-fashioned way."
"And what would that be?"
"Work the currents backward."
"Or we ask for directions," she points, indicating a soft, glowing figure who hovers above the waves. He blinks, trying to focus on the distant figure, but it vanishes. It reappears suddenly in the windshield, eliciting a startled yelp from the mayor.
"You…are the King-Sealer's companions, are you not?" she asks, her voice echoing in the night.
"If you mean Danny Phantom, yes," Valerie answers, "Do you know where he is?"
"It is a bit far."
"Lead the way."