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Chapter 8
Gordon strapped himself into the co-pilot seat. Grinning from ear to ear. It was hard to remain anxious when he was so elated at seeing his best friend. Gordon watched as the island became a insubstantial blip on the radar. Well, no going back now.
"Hello Milord." Gordon inclined his head to the right.
His companion looked over in disdain. "Don't start."
"What?! Would you prefer Lord Henry?"
"Star lord or no lord. Why am I even here anyway? Last time I checked you had a pilot's licence."
"Dad was being awkward. Alan is away this weekend too so he has the plane. Dad didn't want me to go because I have to give a presentation on Monday. I'm meant to be preparing for it."
"Ahhh! Hence operation get me out of here. Your father is being short-sighted again." Henry (or Harry as he preferred to be known) checked his radar whilst flicking a shock of raven hair out of the way.
"I guess. To be fair it was Alan being a pain in the ass. He's always off gallivanting, it wouldn't have killed him to do the presentation. It's for a private space travel company, he knows more about that than me. Anyway, enough of my family politics. How are you?"
"Oh, not too bad. My parents are smothering me, Mother's trying to marry me off to the nearest family of prestige. Father's trying to get me to take over the estate. Meanwhile I'm Just trying to adjust to civilian life again you know? I had so much freedom that I didn't have at home, I could almost be normal. People back home just don't get where I'm coming from half the time, all they want to talk about is their latest property investment or who's dating who in what social circle and all I want to do is find a proper job that suits me. Hence coming on this conference in the hopes I might get taken on by a contractor based on my previous skill set."
"Sounds delightful! Yeah, it's pretty rough those first few months…years after coming out but it's not so bad now." Gordon looked wistfully at the ocean below. He thought he could see a couple of dolphins leaping up at points. There was silence in the cockpit from both men, not wanting to acknowledge the hollowness of Gordon's words. Harry was abruptly made redundant last year when the British Navy decided to downside their Fleet Arm pilots in favour of automated ones. The money never mattered to him but the loss of the stability of his job and his unit had devastated him. "Anyway, can't dwell on what we can't have anymore can we?"
"No that's true."
They sat in companionable silence once again, Gordon kept anxiously checking his watch but so far so good. How long that would last, he didn't know. "Hang on your mother's marrying you off to who?"
Brains was in the lab tinkering away with his latest invention, wrist heat sensor devices that would be able to detect people up to a range of forty feet. He had been so engrossed he didn't notice Scott flit by. It was just after two in the afternoon. The sound of china thudding on the worktop disturbed his focus as did the smell of bacon. His stomach rumbled in desperation and hopeful anticipation.
"Gee thanks Scott, I-I guess I err lost track of the time." He bit into the sandwich with relish.
Scott smiled. "Good job we know what your like. I'm amazed you survived living on your own."
"W-well I'll admit it was a challenge, I seem to remember John was the same."
"Yep, the two of you at college couldn't cook beans on toast to save your life but then you are geniuses so, I think we can let you off for not remembering to eat sometimes. Hey! Have you heard from Gordon? Said something about testing a DPV?"
Brains dropped his sandwich. "I-I told him to tell me when he was heading out. I'll go and find him."
"You'll have a job."
Brains looked confused.
"You'll need a boat and twenty odd minutes to get there."
Brains looked startled. "I t-told him to err only test it in the pool! Its still not been f-fully tested." He pushed back his sleeve to reveal his watch.
Scott looked concerned. Gordon had always been a risk taker; something that hadn't been curbed but still Scott expected him to know better. They both waited for the call to connect, the blue display was flashing a video icon.
"The person you are calling cannot be reached at present." The call hung up only for a messenger icon to appear almost immediately. Brains pushed the button impatiently.
"Hi Brains. I can't answer the call right now but I can explain everything. Head to silo five and locate the locker on the Ocean Breeze. I left something for you and the guys. If possible, try not to tell dad until absolutely necessary."
"I don't like the sound of this." Scott stood with his brow furrowed. "Come on."
One short monorail trip later and they were in the cavern. Scott streaked towards the Ocean Breeze with Brains hot on his tail. He sprang onto the deck in one smooth leap before turning as he patiently waited for Brains to hobble on, holding an arm outstretched as the scientist stumbled to one side. "T-thanks."
Scott went to open the cabin only to find it was locked. It was never locked. He cursed his brother under his breath. "He's locked it, we need to look around for the key fob." Scott started to run his hand down the door jams and under the mat at his feet. Unfortunately; Gordon was a pro when it came to hiding things, his room as a child used to be an Aladdin's cave of his brothers' possessions. Brains tore the seat cushions off and the rubber matting. A call from above interrupted their scavenger hunt.
"Do I even want to know?" Brains and Scott paused like they had been struck by lightning. Both started breathing again when they realised it wasn't the family patriarch.
"I suspect Gordon's done a runner, come and help us find the fob will ya?" Scott looked up his hands on hips.
"WHAT!"
"I know, come on! get down here." Scott hollered back.
A few minutes later the three of them were stripping the boat, top and bottom deck. Scott threw his hands up in the air. "I give up, lets kick it in and bill the little jerk for the damage."
"Woah, woah! Hang on a minute Scott, let's think this through before we get too drastic. Father loves this boat and he's going to be angry enough as it is."
Brains chucked a cushion back on the seating area, they all flumped down.
"So, you think he's run away to that conference."
"He told Brains he was going to test the DPV this afternoon, dad told him he could go diving and he told me he was heading out to open water to test the DPV this morning."
"A-a-and now he won't answer our calls."
"Damn." Virgil shook his head; Gordon was going to be in so much trouble. He leaned back under the shelter of the top deck looking up. He froze in his seat then nudged Scott and Brains next to him. They all looked up.
"Well, I'll be dammed." Scott prized off the fob that was taped to the ceiling. "The little devil. Well done, Virg."
"Thanks."
Scott cleared the deck in two strides, slapping the fob against the pad. The lights lit up green with a short trill before the door locks released. He stepped over the threshold and went straight for the locker on the left. Scott snatched the note off the locker he stood reading intently for a moment. "When I get my hands on him…" He passed the note over his shoulder so Virgil and Brains could see.
I misplaced the key for this too – am I bad sorry!
It was hastily written in Gordon's finest scrawl, the kind of writing where you have to squint or you'd mistake it for hieroglyphs.
"A-allow me." Scott stepped aside to allow Brains to whip out a pen knife. These lockers were only built for clothes nothing too valuable, he flicked open a knife and jimmied it down the side. A few minutes later a distinct click could be heard.
"Nice." Remarked Virgil appreciatively. Brains smiled; he opened the door to reveal an VP6 player. He passed it to Scott who motioned they should go and sit down again. Once there he hit the play button.
A video sprung up on screen of Gordon, it looked like he was…. At the point of no return? He was surrounded by the rich lush foliage of the island's most inhabitable terrain. They could hear the bird calls in the background. He looked calm but there was a tightness to the set of his jaw. "Hi guys. I see you found the key and the locker key…. Impressive! Well long story short I'm not here. All I've done for the last three months is sit around waiting to get called out…only to watch everyone else go out. The conference and hotel details are in my room so if you guys need me; you know where to find me. If dad asks then I'm sorry; I know how he feels but you guys cope without me just fine all the time so I can't see this being a problem. See you Monday – if I have the balls to come home." He winked and screen went blank.
"Well. I'd like to say that that's not true but his points are valid. He hasn't been called upon at all of late." Virgil looked saddened to realise his brother felt so undervalued as a team member.
"We have a problem; dad is going to blow his lid." Scott skimmed a hand through his hair, the other still clutching the VP6 in his open lap.
"C-can I aha go back to the lab now?"
Gordon and Harry had landed at Los Angeles airport. They had found a booth in a coffee house for a quick break before heading straight to the hotel. Gordon nursed his americano whilst Harry relaxed into his seat taking a sip of his caramel macchiato. Gordon was hyper aware of bustling activity of the airport in contrast to the silence of the island. He watched as group of students raucously stomped past the café barriers their team leader in front desperately trying to call some sort of order. He could hear a man berating a waiter in rapid Mexican as the baby in the booth across from them wailed loudly.
"Christ! Is real life seriously this chaotic?" Gordon watched a woman protesting loudly at the flight deck.
Harry shrugged. "What would I know of real life? It's not exactly like I live in society either." Harry hailed from the Cotsworld's. Gordon had visited once or twice, the acres of countryside estate a stark comparison to their small tropical paradise.
Gordon changed tact; it was hard to find topics of conversation when you were as socially isolated as he was. He couldn't talk about normal topics such as work, friends or travel. "It's good to see you again, who knew when we first met five years ago that we would still be in touch."
"Yep, I was only on a secondment I wasn't meant to stay long enough to befriend the natives."
"We didn't need a brit making himself at home either, from the Royal Navy Air Fleet no less. Did you get lost?"
"Everyone knows you guys just look for unicorns under the sea."
Gordon snorted into his coffee and tried to keep a straight face as Harry's eyes glinted in amusement at having provoked Gordon into spluttering in mirth and indignation.
"I'll have you know I was part of an elite sub division of the US Navy, the finest naval force in the world."
"Meh. Debatable" He shrugged draining his coffee.
Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep.
"Ah crap." Gordon caught sight of who was calling.
"Ah better to seek forgiveness than permission."
"Yeah, especially when you were foolish enough to seek permission in the first place." Muttered Gordon. Harry stood up folding his waxed jacket over his arm.
"I'll give you a minute."
"Thanks, if I'm not out in five come and rescue me."
Harry shook his head grinning. Not being able to put it off any longer he accepted the call. A thunderous expression greeted him in perfect imitation of his father at aged thirty odd.
"Ah Scott, hello there!"
"Hello yourself. Do you have any idea of the amount of trouble you're going to be in? What the hell are we meant to do if we get a call, we need you here you daft bat! I can't believe you think your expendable!"
"OK. Question one: yes I do and two I am expendable Scott! You guys usually cope."
"Yeah, because we have Alan, now we're two men down." Scott scowled waiting for a better response. "If you turn back now, I think I can distract dad till you get home. He's already started asking after you."
Gordon gulped. He wasn't looking forward to the fallout from that one. Scott's wrath always went straight over his head but his father's was a lot harder to ignore. He steeled himself. "You'll just have to let him down gently, tell him the boats broke and I'll walk back after low tide.
"Oh yeah because he's not going to make me immediately go out in one and pick you up. Or use your own damn Sub or the other four boats we have. Or have you disabled those as well!"
Gordon sighed. "Tell him what you want, I don't care. I was going mad cooped up at home I needed some time out. If I'm so essential you can come and pick me up from here in an emergency. Your always banging on how fast that aircraft of yours is." With that he hung up.
"Well how do you like that?" Scott grumbled at his watch face. He was still peevishly wittering under his breath about how the youngest always got away with murder compared to him on the way to the lounge. Some things never change.