Thanks for the reviews and motivation. Hope everyone enjoys their July 4th weekend.
Ch.12 Off Course
Her heart was still pounding as thoughts clouded her mind with every beat. "Where were they?" Truth is she really didn't know. What she did know was that they needed to get away from here as quickly as possible.
She looked at him, uncertainty reflecting in his eyes, as she was sure were in hers. Her finger relaxes against the trigger when she tells him, "We should keep moving."
He didn't reply. He was still trying to catch his breath as the adrenaline coursed through his veins. Instead, he watches her as she picks up his suitcase and starts walking through the dense thicket of the jungle. As he follows her, vines and creepers reach out towards them blocking their path - nothing to show them where to go.
From behind, she hears him say, "It was trying to hide."
Turning around, she asks, "What?"
"The bear."
She continues walking forward recalling the moment when the bear tried ramming through the trees. Mockingly, she replies, "Really? Or maybe he thought you were Santa Claus."
Arching an eyebrow in confusion he asks, "Do you really think a mere bear could rip down those trees?"
Stopping in her tracks, "What are you trying to say?"
"In plain English Agent Bristow, whatever did is still out there."
When she thought things couldn't get any worse, he goes ahead and validates it.
"If you are trying to make me feel better about the situation, it's not working."
She can hear his smile as he says, "What can I say? I am an optimist."
On the beach, a ghostly light shines on the wreckage - an unpleasant reminder of what took them to this place.
As if in a trance, Sydney follows the moonlight towards the remnants of the plane and starts searching through it. She is surprised when Sark does not follow but walks back into the trees. Shaking her head, she continues looking through scraps of metal, squinting as she tries to make out objects in the darkness.
She is taken off guard when she uncovers the body of one of the guards burned and mutilated. Closing her eyes, she gives herself a moment to forget the image but knowing all to well that the image is forever scorched into her memory.
Carefully, she continues looking through the scraps of metal asking herself, "Where is it?"
After finding two bodies, a suitcase of guns, and some canned food; she finally finds what she is looking for. Buried under half of the plane's wing, she finds the remainder of her suitcase.
Relief goes through her body as she realizes it is the compartment she kept her important belongings in. Unfortunately, all her clothes were burned in the fire but that didn't matter as long as she had what she needed most. She opens it noticing that it is bent and scorched but the contents were still secure.
Moving aside her barettas and refills, she takes out a black radio and turns it on. There's nothing but static.
The sound of static is broken when she hears a voice asking, "Anyone there?"
She turns around to see Sark carrying a pile of wood in his arms. She turns off the radio, "There's no signal."
"Did you try to find the plane's radio?" as he drops the pile in front of her.
Lifting her hand in the direction of the plane, "As you can see, the front part of the plane is missing."
Looking up towards the plane, he says, "So I'll take it as you did not."
"No, I'm afraid it's probably there with the bear's bully," pointing towards the trees.
"Obviously, you aren't afraid," as she watches him sits down besides her.
Taking two stones out of his pocket, he tells her, "I live off danger." She did too. The only difference is that danger tended to follow her and those she loved.
She watches him as he starts rubbing the two stones together trying to create a spark. After he tries for five minutes to no avail, he throws the stones to the ground.
"So much more a nice warm fire," he thinks.
She gives him a devious smile as she picks up the two stones. Then, she kneels down in front of the pile and with one strike creates a fire.
Rubbing her two hands together, she turns to look at him, "Clearly, you live off danger… indoors."
Giving her a devious smile, "Oh Agent Bristow, you really do know how to start a fire."
Holding her hands to the fire, she says, "Girl scout."
"Somehow that doesn't strike me as odd."
Staring at the fire, she remembers when she was younger and how she loved being in the troop. She cherished how the other girls' mothers were so warm and affectionate to her replacing the void left by her own mother.
Her thoughts are broken when Sark says, "Don't think too hard now."
"How can I when you are so distracting?" giving him a cold look.
Running his fingers through his hair, "So I'm distracting."
Sydney picks up a spare branch and holds it as if to him. She wanted to smack the smile off his face so badly. Conversely, he remains indifferent and watches her as she starts drawing the shape of Australia.
Looking at the shape, she tells him, "Since we left Australia we are more likely to be closer to the South Pole."
He stops looking at one of the canned foods asking, "And?"
"And polar bears live in the North Pole. Penguins live in the South Pole."
Opening the can with his knife, he offers her some olives, "Perhaps our friend didn't get the memo."
She shakes her head, "Let's say we were heading towards Fiji until we 'landed' here."
He pops another olive in his mouth, "The only problem is we have no clue as to where we were going in the first place. We could be thousands of miles off course."
She looks at him, "I thought you were an optimist."
"I didn't say that it was bad," as he opens a can of caviar offering her some.
She shakes her head again, "Do the math. If they know the last place we were within 500 miles. That's an area of 250,000 times three point one four."
He answers her, "800,000 square miles."
She nods, "Three times the size of Texas."
He takes a bite of caviar, "Hmm."
"What do you mean by 'hmm'?"
"Hmm… as in there's no point in waiting up for them then," putting down the cans of food.
He looks around looking for his suitcase and reaches for hers.
She grabs it before he can take it, "That's mine."
"Pardon me. But it appears you have taken my suitcase as if it were your own. It's only fair that I take yours."
She takes his suitcase and shoves it in front of him saying, "Take it."
Carefully, he takes the suitcase from her. "Now, now. There's no need to be aggressive."
She holds onto her suitcase saying, "You're welcome."
He opens his suitcase, "My is somebody in a bad mood."
He looks at her eyes burning with anger when she says, "Let's just say, I've had a bad day."
"You're not the only one," as he takes out a jacket and hands it to her.
She doesn't take it so he places on the ground and lies atop of it. Knowing all to well that now the suit was unsalvageable.
Turning towards her, "We should take turns sleeping."
"I don't know about you but sleeping while a crazed terrorist watches me doesn't really spell out sweet dreams."
"You know when one is being polite, it is only proper for them to return the favor."
"Don't do me any favors."
Shrugging his shoulders, "Well, good night then."
She remains sitting, "Nite."
She watches as Sark quickly falls asleep. When she is certain he is, she opens her suitcase and takes out a little plane.
Holding it to the fire, a tear falls from her eye as she recalls the image of the dead guard, " I should have died so many times."
Immediately, tears well up in her eyes and start streaming down her face. She looks to the wreckage in the distance, "But I'm still here…."
Her gaze returns back to the little toy plane and her thoughts continue, "And I don't know why."