Chapter Twenty-Eight: Teamwork

Suzie often read while she walked, and the 'Frankenstein' novel was so good that she read it aloud so Randall could hear the tale, too. The novel was very different from the green, bolt-necked movie monster he had heard about. He was surprised at actually enjoying the story more than he expected.

For another few weeks, they kept up the routine of travelling along the coast, raiding and hunting whenever possible. Since there were only two of them, staying hidden was easier. They chose rural routes along the beaches, sometimes on the move through fields, sometimes on the sand itself. Suzie liked the beaches far better; she often jumped into the cold ocean spontaneously to enjoy the surf. She tried persuading Randall to join the fun, but he wasn't about to suffer in freezing water. The nights got colder as the month dragged on. It never went below freezing, but always cold enough so that a campfire had to be lit. The duo decided to keep on the move during the day and investigate any potential ports after dark. It was the only time they could sneak in to investigate the ships.

They passed through multiple towns, and snooped around many docks in search of a trip home. They worked as a team: One would break into offices and look at shipping schedules, while the other kept watch and distracted any people who wandered too close. Tossing a brick or firing a rock with the slingshot usually drove people off. In the offices, the monsters often had to use a dictionary translator, since most paperwork was in Spanish or French. For trickier break-ins, Randall would infiltrate a port alone, leaving Suzie back at camp to wait.

"Anything?" she asked after he came back from yet another unsuccessful trip.

"Nothing. They're all sailing to somewhere else in Europe, or to countries in Asia or Africa."

She groaned in frustration. She rarely complained, but tonight was the last straw. "I can't stand this! This is getting ridiculous! When are we gonna find one? At this rate, I'll have run out of jokes, and read all my new books ten times over."

Randall was confident their luck would change, but even his limited patience was running out.

Their persistent search eventually paid off. After traversing far along the coast of Spain, they finally discovered what seemed to be a major shipping port. It was nearly dusk when the city came into view; from a lookout point on the cliffs, they spied enormous freighters, tugboats, loading cranes, and dozens of smaller vessels anchored along the docks. It looked promising.

The two monsters knew the next step: sneak around and figure out what boat was heading where. Because the port was so large, it was vital they stayed cautious. Some of their gear was stored and hidden on the beach to make the search easier. "OK, let's make this fast," said Randall, tucking a few extra knives into his backpack. "It's getting so cold I can hardly move my fingers."

"Same here. Ready to head out?"

"Yeah. Here, you carry a slingshot, too. Just in case."

It was well after midnight by the time they deemed it safe enough to leave. As the edge of the city approached, the tension grew as it always did. This didn't faze them. Both had grown used to the routine. Even Suzie, who used to go into mild panic every time she set foot near a town, was staying calm. The duo didn't talk much. Getting to the docks required stealth. With the work day long gone, not many people were around, thank goodness. There was one close call when the monsters crossed a street; a single car was driving around at this hour for some reason. They took turns keeping a lookout as they darted from hiding spot to hiding spot: alleyways, a mailbox, barrels and crates lined up along the water…it was all deserted, and almost eerie with the sound of the ocean waves. With a dark sky and no moon, it was all rather spooky.

Randall and Suzie broke into the docks' main building. Always the most logical place to go snooping around. "There are a few lights on," Randall observed silhouettes moving in the upper windows. "How 'bout I take upstairs, and you take downstairs?"

"Got it. I'll meet you back here in twenty minutes."

They departed for the individual searches. Randall could more easily avoid detection from anyone on the upper floor. He climbed up a drainpipe while Suzie casually waltzed through the unlocked door down below. She's getting better at this. He thought, remembering times when she would literally shake with nerves at the prospect of breaking and entering.

The smell of salt water still lingered in the short hallway. Randall saw a light on, streaming from a room at the other end, and heard a few men talking from within. They spoke in Spanish, letting out a disgruntled yawn from time to time. Must be pulling an all-nighter with paperwork. Randall thought as he began looking around the other rooms. He was surprised at being able to understand half of what the men were saying. He supposed it had to do with studying those dictionary translators.

The two voices never moved from the lighted room, so he was free to roam about. He crept to every piece of paper, every clipboard, every bulletin he could find. The computer required a password, but he didn't have the patience or the time to go hacking through it now. The offices were very organized and tidy, which made things easier. Without a flashlight, he had to bring everything over to the starlit windows to read. In the last room, he finally struck gold: He found a shipping manifest for a certain cargo ship that was docked right outside. The name of the rig was an extra-long Spanish name that he couldn't pronounce, but it was due to arrive in Portugal soon, Ireland at the end of the week, then to Iceland, and finally, New York, USA by mid-December.

He blinked a few times and read it again just to be sure he wasn't mistranslating. He had checked everything else worth checking and this was it. This one ship was the quickest trip home! The final stop was in New York, but he didn't care. That's not exactly close to the swamps…we'll be in the city in time for Christmas. Right away he started imagining crazy modes of fast-travel from there, from taxi-stealing to subway trains—

A loud shattering of glass came from downstairs. Well, that's just perfect…He straightened up in alarm. Suzie, what did you do?

He snatched the ship's multi-paged schedule and peeked out into the hall. The two men had heard it, too. They both began whispering nervously; clearly they didn't expect anyone else to be here this early in the morning. Randall thought fast. He dropped everything, pulled off his jacket, and went invisible. He reached over and slammed their office door shut with as much force as he could muster. The door closing itself freaked the workers out more than expected. The top of the stair's banister was near, so he used a bit of fishing line form his backpack to tie the door shut. That'll keep them busy. Now, what has that girl done? He scurried downstairs to find Suzie. The men were trying to pull the door open in a panic. One of them was already banging on the wood, bellowing incomprehensively. That line won't hold for long…

Randall made sure the precious papers were in his hands as he returned to the ground floor Then, out of nowhere, a hard WACK! on the back of his head left him seeing stars. "Hey!" he spun around.

"Sorry! Sorry. I thought you were one of those guys!" Suzie was poised with a coffee pot as a weapon.

"What broke? I heard breaking glass."

"There were notices posted by the coffee maker. I went to read them, and knocked over a mug. An accident, I swear!"

"Never mind that, let's go," he led her back out onto the docks, leaving the workers to figure out the haunted break-in on their own. The monsters ran back to the edge of the shipyard, where the whole adventure had started. Suzie noticed the papers in Randall's hand. "What's that? Our ticket home?"

"As a matter of fact…" He looked out over the shipyard. The one they needed was anchored here somewhere…"There is a rig here that is making a couple of stops along the way, but headed for the mainland soon after. It's the best bit of luck we've had in weeks. Let's take the chance. Hell, we may not get another one."

They made a return trip to gather the rest of the weapons and gear from the beach, and came back to the docks as fast as they could. When they returned, the horizon across the sea was beginning to lighten with traces of dawn. According to the papers, the giant freighter would be leaving within a day or so; there was no time to waste. The two monsters found the ship easily. It was an aged, old reliable thing, already fully loaded with shipping containers.

"Oh, no. Look, there are people using the gangplanks already! How do we get inside?" Suzie noticed a few crewmembers at work early.

"I think I can carry us up on the anchor chain; it seems deserted enough up there. Wait here, I'll head up to check." Randall left his backpack with her. He braced himself for the cold water and jumped in—it was just like being encased in liquid ice. Swimming was a challenge when your blood felt frozen. Involuntarily, his scales morphed into an icy blue-white frost pattern. He didn't notice this as he climbed up the side of the ship. His jacket did nothing to keep out the cold. When he hauled his body onto the deck, the first thing he did was find the nearest door to the lower decks. All the stacked containers made for good coverage. There wasn't a soul in sight at the moment, but it wouldn't stay that way. Slowly, the docks were coming alive with workers.

Two more climbs would have to be made. Suzie was the first to come up. She clung to Randall's neck and he helped her climb up the anchor chain. Hauling the gear and weapons was slower, for he had just about had it with the icy water by that point.

"Geez, no more swimming for you," Suzie said when he climbed back up with their supplies. Everything was soaking wet; they would have to be careful not to leave damp tracks. "You really can't handle the cold, Randy. You look like you just walked through a blizzard."

"Huh? Oh," Randall saw the frost pattern and reverted to his original purple, but the icy feeling stayed. If reptilians could shiver, he would be doing so.

The duo made their way to the nearest stairwell. After the long hassle of just getting aboard, dawn had fully arrived, bathing the shipyard in a pale, chilly sunrise. The crew was starting to arrive as well, unfortunately. People called out to one another on the docks, and a few had come aboard the freighter. Going down into the bowels of the ship seemed too risky now. As they went lower and lower down the flights of stairs, voices from below bounced along the walls. Not many, but enough to make them nervous.

Signs were posted on the steel walls in multiple languages, directing them towards places like the ship's galley, restrooms, and engine room. The duo paused at every corner to check the next corridor. It was a real maze in here! Every corridor looked the same. Not all of the florescent lights were lit, giving them a touch of darkness to hide in, but every minute, they expected a sailor to pop into view. With the echoes of distant voices and footsteps, it was hard to tell where anyone was. In one steel-walled corridor, they heard someone coming too close for comfort. These walls echoed tremendously; every sound was amplified against the steel, making the footsteps seem closer than they were. The monsters ducked into an adjacent hallway where several doors lined either side.

Randall squinted at the signs posted around, searching for an escape route. "This way!" he made a beeline for a stairwell entrance.

Suzie was close behind as they headed down a few flights. "This'll get us caught for sure. We can't just keep running around like ants." She made him stop upon reaching a landing. "We've got to get to the cargo hold."

"Where else do you think we're going?" Randall pointed down the stairs. But then, far below, there was a door slamming shut and then a pair of climbing feet. The monsters looked at each other in mild horror. Without a word exchanged between them, she hopped onto his back and he climbed up the wall. Like a gecko, he crawled into a shadowed corner on the landing above. Thankfully, this stairwell was dimly-lit. If they were quiet and still, maybe the approaching crewman wouldn't notice…

The man had a clipboard in his hands, which his eyes were focused on as he climbed the stairs. He wore a dockhands' uniform, maybe re-reading a list of supplies or something. He walked directly under them…Suzie gripped Randall's neck tighter to keep from falling—not realizing she was cutting off his airway—and then a whittled spoon slipped from her backpack. She gasped quietly, loud enough for Randall to hear.

She reached for the spoon as it fell—too late.

He saw it falling in slow motion…he whipped out his tail like lightning and caught in just in time. They stopped breathing until the dockhand had climbed up out of sight and disappeared on another landing.

"That was too close. Next time, don't strangle me, alright?" Randall lowered back onto the landing, massaging his neck. A ventilation duct in the wall caught his eye. It was large enough to crawl through; just. "Here, this might work. Help me get this open."

"Are you crazy? What if we take a wrong turn, fall into a furnace and burn to death?"

"Very optimistic, Suzie. We can use these to explore the whole ship. I'll go first and warn you of any fiery deathtraps." Randall took out a knife to pry at the edges. "Finding the cargo hold will be a cinch, no problem."

Suzie was reluctant, but followed. "OK, but if we end up roasting or freezing, I'm totally blaming you. Becca would never go along with something like this."

"Why, because she thinks I'm the scum of the Earth?"

"No. Because she's a claustrophobic." She pulled the grate back into place behind her.

Crawling through the ventilation system was a pain, literally. Before long, their elbows were sore, and their stomachs ached from dragging them along the cold, metal surface. Randall stayed in the lead, always checking for sudden drops or dangers ahead. The vents were large, but still very uncomfortable. Bernard would never have been able to fit inside. The air was dusty and tickled their throats and eyes. It was next to impossible not to cough; a sound like that would surely be heard by the dockhands and crew. Neither monster said much as they crawled through twists and turns within the maze. Randall focused on heading downward. He paused at every duct door they passed. Light shone through the slats, casting stripes of light upon the metal tunnels, and found an extra-large grate in the floor that gave a view of the cargo hold.

"Over here," he whispered, twisting around in the duct and ushering Suzie closer. Being smaller, she was having an easier time cramped up in these tunnels. He pointed down through the slats at the scene below. "Our new hideout."

"Wow. Looks big enough," Suzie tried to see from this angle.

They couldn't tell just how big this part of the ship was. Natural, early morning sunlight was streaming into the hold, meaning a loading door was open somewhere. Crates, pallets, boxes, and storage containers were being loaded last-minute; dockhands and shipyard workers marched about, hard at work directing the cargo and barking orders to one another.

"Do you think it'll be safe enough? What if someone comes down here while we're sailing?" Suzie wondered aloud.

"Nothing can be done about that. We'll just have to keep watch and run and hide if we have to."

They would wait until the room below was devoid of people. Both were getting tired of all this sneaking around; it would be great to find a place to settle down and get some rest.

There was so much cargo that the monsters came close to falling asleep while waiting for it all to be loaded. Randall's impatience got the better of him and he nearly broke through the vent before all the workers had vacated. Suzie held him back, though. She was also anxious to stretch out after being stuck in the vents for so long, but it was smarter to wait. When they were finally able to climb down, the massive bay doors were clamped shut, with faint echoes of water hitting the side of the ship from outside. A few lights were still lit in the room, so it wasn't exactly dark, only very dim. The place was a massive, daunting room as big as a football stadium. Walls of crates rose up high, some almost to the ceiling, and formed a confusing network. It was perfect for hiding in.

Randall and Suzie climbed down from the ducts via a tall tower of crates. With all the boxes, Suzie saw a bounty ripe for the picking. "It looks like this rig is full of useful stuff; read the labels on the crates," Most of the labels were written in multiple languages, reading things like clothes, fabrics, furniture, appliances, tools, and small machinery. This ship seemed to be carrying general cargo, and nothing too dangerous. "See anything that says food, Randall?"

"We have our rations for now. They got a little wet while we scaled the side of the ship, but they'll do. Hurry up and get down here! Let's explore; see what else we can find."

Every crate was tied down securely to prevent sliding around the deck. The ropes alone would come in handy for snare traps for hunting. The monsters wandered around to make note of any doors leading to higher decks, and searched for any useful supplies. There didn't seem to be any food down here, unfortunately.

They found a secluded spot amongst the walls of cargo that was perfect for setting up a small camp of sorts. High towers rose on either side of them, leaving two escape routes should they need to run. The weapons, backpacks, and other gear were unloaded and the duo collapsed against the crates for a much-needed break. They spread out their coats and blankets so as not to sit on the cold, steel floor. (Everything was still damp from the dip in the ocean, but they would dry soon enough.) Suzie pulled out some bottles of drinking water and tossed one to Randall. "Well, getting here was quite the trip, but it was worth it. This has got to be the coolest hideout ever! How long do you think we'll be holed up in here?"

"No idea. This freight is making a few stops before heading across the Atlantic, and I don't know how long it'll stay docked at the ports. My guess is we'll be living onboard for a few weeks, at least."

Suzie grimaced. "Ugh…weeks of living with rats…"

"Rats?"

"Yeah. They were crawling around on the docks and I wouldn't be surprised if they're stowing away, too."

Randall shrugged. "Oh well. More food for us if they did."

A day later, the ship had set sail and was due to arrive in Portugal to make a few deliveries and pick-ups. Suzie awoke that morning with a mix of excitement and remorse. Randall had been keep watch; he climbed down the tower of crates which served as his lookout post and back into the mini-camp. "What's wrong?"

"Oh, nothing, really…today is the day Becca and I were banished. It's been three years, now…not exactly the kind of anniversary to feel good about. Naomi's is coming up soon, too. She'll have been out here one year."

The purple lizard got comfortable on top of a crate—the steel floor was way too cold for his liking. He understood Suzie's mood. "What happened on your first few days? The first ones have got to be the worst. I know mine were."

"You got that right. Northern Canada in winter; that means frostbite, icy winds, snow…" she shivered at the mere memory. "It was days before we found food and a miracle we didn't lose any toes to frostbite. Becca was so distraught that she was in tears for days."

Randall's eyes went wide. It was hard picturing no-nonsense Becca in tears. Suzie asked about his own first days of banishment, and he answered, embarrassed. "Well, my co-workers tossed me through a kid's closet, so of course the people attacked me on sight. They thought I was a mutated alligator and beat me with a shovel."

Suzie stifled a laugh.

"It really wasn't funny at the time! That's how I got this scar," He pointed to a long mark on the side of his head. "I escaped through a window and from there on out, it was just survival of the fittest. It was spring, so the place was manageable, I guess." A sudden jolt from the ocean knocked him off the crates. He wacked his shoulder against the box's corner as he fell. "Ow!...I hate boats. I'll be happy when this trip is over."

"Really? This is kinda fun, getting knocked around by the waves!"

"Oh, hooray for you," he rolled his eyes. "I'm starving; this rationing won't keep us alive for long," he divided up the meager breakfast portions, consisting of one handful of dried, foraged plants and a wild potato each. Lately, the duo had taken to raiding people's gardens in search of food. They didn't have a whole lot with them; perhaps enough to last another day or two.

"How 'bout we search the other side of the cargo hold?" Suzie suggested. "We haven't checked there, yet."

"Good idea. Our chore for the day. How's the water supply?"

"Low," She lined up all the water bottles—only three were full. She needed a regular water supply to keep her semi-aquatic scales from drying up; it was crucial the duo do something about the dwindling water, and fast. They discussed it and Randall decided to sneak up to the crew decks. Maybe he could fill the bottles at a faucet, somewhere.

"Let's do more exploring today, too. This ship is huge, and the crew really isn't that big. If we have to be stuck here, it's wise to find all the resources we can." Suzie crunched on her wild potato.

"Only if we're careful. This isn't some cruise line, you know. The crew may come down here from time to time."

"Yeah…I hope we reach New York in time for Christmas. That'll be cool. I've never been in a big city around the holidays. It should be fun, seeing all the sights and decorations."

Randall admitted, that did sound nice. New York around Christmastime was definitely a spectacle, from what he had heard. "Don't get your hopes up. It's a busy place, so we'll need to get out of there fast. Sightseeing will have to be put on hold."

Suzie sulked, but knew he was right. Still, there was always hope. They went on eating breakfast slowly to make the rations last. She allowed her mind to wander.

Thinking ahead to the holidays, it was very likely she wouldn't be with her sister this year—a very disturbing reality. Bernard and Naomi were probably worrying about them, too, not knowing where she and Randall were. She was very glad to have Randall around; she had really taken a liking to him over the last few weeks; he was a huge help to have around. His attitude and improved dramatically lately; he seemed to genuinely care more and she had never been more grateful he had returned to the Human World. He had had the chance to stay in Monstropolis, yet he came back…She wouldn't have known what to do, had she ended up in France all by herself. He was helping her with her hunting skills; with just a little more practice, she'd be able to bring down more food for the group. They were watching each other's back, and working together on supply raids more often. He was doing a wonderful job at keeping them both safe on this long journey.

Suzie wasn't sure, but she wondered if she was falling for him…just a little bit. It was a deeply personal thing she had decided to keep quiet and dismiss. It was obvious Randall didn't reciprocate. Besides, the age difference between them was ten years, far too big in her mind. There really was no point to it. It's not the end of the world…She thought to herself. She knew that no matter what happened in the future, she had gained a friend for life.

So the friendship theme is now good and strong. So happy and proud with how this story turned out. The next few chapters are super-dramatic and contain a few twists and turns, so they will be posted quickly. See you then! :)