When Egon returned, Janine was asleep next to the fire. He stood there a moment, watching her. He seemed to be doing that quite a bit lately. Hesitantly, he reached out with both his mind and hand, touching her gently. For the first time since they'd arrived, she felt at peace.
Sighing, he laid down next to her and wrapped his arms around her. Then, he relaxed and fell asleep.
The night before, Janine had told him she wasn't going to hide any longer. He fully expected lewd side comments about him, or at least, some risqué dreams, but when he returned to the camp, he didn't find any of that. When he pulled her into his arms, she sighed and snuggled up against him. During the night, he'd only linked into a dream or two. Nothing like what he'd expected. There was more to Janine than he knew, and he had a feeling he was going to find out what it was. It was intriguing somehow; and that scared him.
When he brushed her mind, Janine stirred slightly. She opened her eyes, feeling Egon brushing her hair from her face.
"Morning," he whispered.
Alertness flooded her eyes, and she tried to pull away, but he pulled her gently back towards him.
"There's still about two hours until morning," he told her. "Go back to sleep."
Looking into his eyes warily for a moment, she finally laid back down and closed her eyes.
Egon settled back and watched her until it was time to get up.While Egon was realizing there was more to their red-haired secretary than he thought, the other three Ghostbusters were trying to find out how to create a gateway into Pala'lan. Everis was standing to the side watching the proceedings. He couldn't get involved, but he could give advice.
Ray pulled off the goggles and looked at the gateway. Egon and he had created it years ago, then abandoned the project. Now it was being put to use again.
"Finished," he announced. Peter and Winston peered warily at the gateway.
"Are you sure?" Peter asked.
Ray grinned sheepishly. "I think so."
"Well, only one way to find out," Winston said "Turn it on."
Ray flipped a couple of switches, typed in some figures on the keyboard, and punched a button. Instantly, the portal came to life. When the fog cleared, the picture inside the frame of the gateway showed a lush green paradise. The three men stared in awe. Everis smiled.
Congratulations gentlemen, he said. You've discovered Pala'lan. Now you must find your friends before it's too late.
"I'll set the opening for three hours," Ray said. "After that, it'll be another twenty four hours before we can open the portal again."
"Then we'll have to find them the first time," Peter said.
Your packs will only work to break the barrier once you've found your friends, Everis explained. They were not put in willingly, therefore cannot leave at will, as you can.
Winston grabbed a pack and shouldered it. "Let's go. We're wasting our time talking."When Egon neared the camp, he caught a whiff of what smelled like baked fish. His stomach growled. Since they arrived here, their diet had mainly consisted of fruit because they weren't sure which animals were safe to eat, or even catch. While it was good, it wasn't very nourishing and he believed he'd already lost enough weight on this expedition.
Entering the clearing, he found Janine bent over the campfire, her concentration on cooking the fish staked on the fire. His stomach growled again and she looked up, smiling slightly.
"Hungry?" she asked.
He smiled, embarrassed his stomach had given him away.
"Need help?" he asked. She shook her head, her concentration back on the fish.
"I've got it, thanks. I think there's one finished there," she said, pointing to her left. She looked back up, smiling playfully. "If you're brave enough to try it."
He reached for the large leaf holding the fish. "At this moment, sushi has appeal."
She wrinkled her nose and turned her attention back to the fish. He sat off to the side of the camp and watched her, his mind racing. Since they woke for the day, Janine had been all business. She left for the lake first, then came back carrying a covered package he now knew was the fish, telling him to go get a bath while she made breakfast.
Last night, when she told him she wasn't going to hide her thoughts anymore, he wasn't sure what to expect. But it definitely wasn't anything he'd received so far. He was nervous. If it was so easy for her to drop her defenses and no longer block her thoughts from him, why couldn't he do it? He didn't have anything to hide from her...did he?"How much longer?"
Ray checked his watch. "An hour and a half."
The three Ghostbusters had entered Pala'lan together and had been searching for half of their time here. So far they hadn't had any luck.
"I don't see why we can't split up," Winston said. "We can cover more space that way."
Ray shook his head. "You heard what Everis told us. If something happens to one of us and we can't make it out together, there's gonna be trouble and we won't be able to get to you."
"We don't want to lose anyone else in here," Peter added. "Now, let's go this way. Pala'lan's big, but it can't be that big."The first figure watched the crystal, frowning. Something was interfering with the experiment. He stood up, furious. Whoever it was, they were going to feel the wrath of a god."Time's up," Ray said. "We have to get back."
Peter and Winston both looked at him. "What?"
"We can't go yet."
"Guys, we have to," Ray told them. "If we don't get back home, the portal will close and we'll be trapped here."
"We can't leave them yet," Peter said frantically.
"We'll be back tomorrow. Peter we have to go!" Ray yelled.
The three ran for the portal. Ray and Winston rushed through, but Peter lingered a moment, searching the woods.
"Peter, hurry!" Ray yelled.
"Egon, Janine!" he yelled. "We'll be back soon! We aren't going to give up until we find you!" Then he stepped though the portal and was gone.Janine was sitting on the ridge overlooking the lake when she heard the voice.
"Egon, Janine! Be back soon!"
Janine stood up, not hearing anything else. Her heart was pounding too hard. She recognized that voice. Peter!
She raced down the ledge towards camp, screaming Egon's name, both mentally and out loud. She nearly ran into him when she reached level ground. He was holding the P.K.E. meter.
"Did you hear it?" she barely got out.
He nodded, glancing from the meter only for a second. "This way," he told her.
She followed, trying to keep up with his long strides. She tried not to get her hopes up, but she couldn't help it. If the voice they'd both heard was Peter's, then that could mean the other three knew where they were.
"Don't get your hopes up yet," he told her, his eyes not leaving the meter. "It could just be a trick."
She frowned at him, then realized she must have been thinking it.
"This way," he said. She followed, until he stopped suddenly. He was string at a patch of trees off in the distance, the meter at his side.
"What's wrong?" she breathed out. "Was it them?"
He nodded slowly. "They were here. There's residual negative P.K. energy here."
Janine stepped past him, her arms outstretched. They were here. And they'd left.
"They wouldn't have left unless necessary," Egon said, responding to her thoughts. "Peter's message stated they'd be back."
"When?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. "In an hour? Two? A week?"
Egon looked thoughtful. "If I'm right, Raymond may have found us through the portal. In which case, they will return within twenty-four hours." He frowned. "The problem is, I'm not sure where exactly the portal will open again."
Wearily, she scanned the area again for any sign.
"What if our time isn't the same as theirs?" she asked, the thought of missing them again running through her head.
"Then I suggest from now on we stick together," he said. "Should Raymond, Peter, and Winston find us, it may be necessary to take a hasty and immediate leave of this area."
Janine looked at him for a long moment, then sighed defeated. "You're right, of course. We'd better get back to camp." She turned away from him and slowly walked back the way they'd came. Her shoulders slumped; it was over.
He's already gone, she thought miserably.
From where they were standing a moment ago, Egon looked up from the direction she'd left. He frowned.