Cape Suzette: Being the second part of Any Port in a Storm. ;) I'm sorry it took so long (for those of you who were waiting).
I hope you enjoy this next chapter.
2. Cape SuzetteThe next morning, a brown, bear cup dressed in a worn green sweater and a blue baseball cap with the bill turned backwards, walked through the door of Louie's, carrying a large box. The cub strained under its weight, breathing heavily as he headed towards the bar area with it. He set it down in front of the bar; or rather it fell down in front of the bar and took him with it. "Louie, I brought that…crate you ordered," he breathed.
Louie put down the newspaper that he was reading and ambled over to the cub. "Hey, how ya do'n, Kit? Ah, it's finally here!" He spread his hands out over the top of the crate. He stopped and looked at Kit, narrowing his eyes. "You didn't look inside it did you?"
"No, you told me not to, remember?"
Louie smiled, and slapped the top of the crate. "Yes, I did."
"What is the big secret anyway?"
"You'll see…hey where's ol' Baloo? He didn't come too?"
"Nah, he had to go with Miz' Cunningham to one of those cargo carrier's conferences this morning. Wildcat flew me over here."
"What, Baloo didn't try to come up with some crazy excuse?"
"He tried, but she took him by the ear and practically dragged him to the conference."
"Sounds like her alright. Where's Wildcat, then?"
"He got distracted, down near the beach. He walked of saying something about 'pretty shells'. Don't worry, he'll be in—"
Kit was suddenly hit from behind; he stumbled forward, nearly loosing his balance. He grabbed his cap to keep it from falling off of his head.
He turned around to meet the indignity. "Hey, watch it, lady!"
Rem, holding a broom in her hands, reddened. "Oo…I'm sorry, kid. Didn't see ya there." She knelt down beside him. "I'm so sorry. Are you okay, kid?"
Kit blinked, momentarily distracted by the close proximity of her face to his. He brushed some wrinkles out of his left sleeve uneasily. "Yeah…um, just, be a little more careful."
"I know. I'm kinda clumsy like that." She stood up again. "So…what's in the box?"
"It's a very special first addition item I got direct from the factory." Louie cut in. "And as soon as you get back to work me and Kit here will get to opening it."
Rem's ears drooped. "Aww, why can't I see it?"
"Because the sooner you get back to work, the sooner I can get you off my hands."
Rem moved away, mumbling something to herself.
Kit watched her as she began sweeping again. He turned back to Louie and pointed towards Rem with his thumb. "Who's that, Louie?"
"Now, there's a crazy story. She calls herself Rem; came barging in here during that tropical storm last night, saying something about wanting to drown her sorrows, which turned out to be the beginning of mine."
Kit cocked an eyebrow. "Does she have a last name?"
"She wouldn't tell me. She ordered seven mugs of my hardest whiskey, got drunk and started a fight with four Thembrians, took 'em all on at once. Then things started getting strange. She moved faster than I've ever seen anyone move in my life; not one of them ever got a hit in on her."
"Really?" Kit looked back at Rem, sweeping across the room.
She stumped her toe on a chair leg and started hopping up and down on one foot holding her other one in pain. "Ow-wch! Darn it!"
Kit looked at Louie as if he was joking. "Are you sure?"
"Saw it with my own eyes. It was an amazing feat especially for someone who just finished off seven whiskeys in a row. Half the time, I don't think she even knew what she was doing. In the end, she knocked herself out and that was the enda that."
Kit smiled. "Now I can believe that part."
"It turns out she couldn't pay for any of her drinks or for the damages she caused during that tussle with the Thembrians, so I've got her working for me till noon today."
Kit watched her some more. "She's seems pretty…friendly, though." "She had pretty eyes too," he thought.
Louie put his hands on his hips and frowned. "Too friendly, if you ask me."
"Well what about the crate? You didn't forget about it, did you?"
Louie brightened up. "Oh yeah. I have been keeping you guessing, haven't I? Well, let's open it up." Louie took a crowbar out from behind the drink bar and shoved on end under the edge of the crate lid. "Hey, get the other crowbar and help me out, will ya?"
"Sure Louie."
Rem seemed to appear out of nowhere and leaned in. "So is it a safe?"
Louie jumped, startled by her sudden appearance. He glared at her. "No, it's not."
"A new jukebox then? The one you got is boring."
"Look, do you mind?"
Rem looked up at the ceiling. "Sorry…" She turned around to leave again.
Kit and Louie returned their attention the task at hand. "Prepare to be amazed, my friend," Louie said to Kit. They worked together, pulling the lid of the crate up with the crowbars. The crate creaked and snapped as the nails were wrenched out. Finally the lid gave way and clattered to the floor. They both reached inside and hoisted a large metal contraption out, setting it out on the floor. The contraption consisted of three large tanks, a mechanical arm assembly, some buttons, and several other gadgets that Kit couldn't identify.
Kit scratched his head as he studied it. "What is it?"
Louie grinned from ear to ear. "Don't you know? This is the Barmate 3000; all-purpose ice cream maker, drink dispenser, and foot massager. It's completely automatic with voice recognition and it's fully programmable. Isn't it the most beautiful thing you've ever seen in your life?"
Kit looked to the side. "Yeah…sure."
"Now I've just got to figure out how to program it."
"Sweet, a Barmate 3000. I've heard of those before," came a voice right by Louie's ear.
Louie looked to see Rem leaning over his shoulder. "Are you still here?"
Rem put her hands up. "I'm going, I'm going! Sheesh."
Louie watched to make sure she actually left this time. "Yep, she's very friendly."
A mane-less lion with a ponytail walked up, wearing an orange visor with a turned up bill and a blue, mechanic's jump suit. "Hey, Louie, you have the prettiest shells on your beach," he said in a strange, squeaky voice that went up in pitch at the end. His voice seemed to carry a slight speech impediment. "I tell ya, your island is the coolest place, Louie." He paused. "Who's that ya'll were talking to?"
"That's Rem," Kit said. "She couldn't pay for her bill so she's working for Louie a little while."
"Her bill? She's not a duck, is she?"
"No, Wildcat, a bill as in money she owes to Louie."
"Oh, oh yeah. I-I knew that."
"Why don't you two order some ice cream or something while you're here?" Louie asked. His face suddenly brightened. "Say, want to try out my new hardware?"
Kit looked at the machine doubtfully. "I don't know, Louie, maybe next time."
"But don't you want to see this baby in action?"
"You'd have to freeze the ice cream first, right? Plus you still need to set it up and everything."
Louie scratched his head. "Oh yeah…I guess that's right. I'm sure I'll have it ready by the next time you drop by. Well you want to order something anyway?"
Kit grinned. "Definitely."
Kit and Wildcat took seats at the bar.
Louie went behind the counter. "Alright, what'll it be?"
Kit pointed to the menu hanging above the bar. "I think I'll have a double triple, vanilla, strawberry, chocolate fudge sundae. With two cherries."
Wildcat looked at the menu and back to Kit. He motioned with his thumb. "Ahh…..what he said."
"Both very good choices," Louie said. He fixed their orders and set the sundaes in front of them."
Kit motioned to Wildcat. "Come on, Wildcat, let's take a table." After they were both seated, they began to dig into their confections. As Kit's attention was focused on his sundae, he sensed someone approaching.
Wildcat saw her first. "Hey, it's that lady ya'll were talking to a minute ago, Kit."
Kit looked and saw Rem heading straight towards them, broom still in hand. Kit rolled his eyes. "What is it this time?"
Rem stopped beside the table. She smiled affably. "Hiya. Umm…Kit, isn't it?"
"…That's right."
"So you know Louie, huh?"
Kit hesitated. He didn't see why she was so interested in his and Louie's business, but he couldn't think of a reason not to answer her either. "Yeah, I've know him for about a year, now. Why?"
Rem waived her hand. "Oh no reason, just making conversation."
"Look, I'm not trying to be rude, but shouldn't you finish your work, Miss Rem?"
"Come on, I just want to stop and talk for a little bit. My feet are starting to hurt." She motioned to the chair next over from Kit's. "Can I sit down?"
Kit looked at Wildcat, who shrugged in response. Kit looked back to Rem. "I guess so."
"Ah, thanks, Red!" She patted Kit on the back and sat down, propping the broomstick against the table. She looked up at the ceiling thoughtfully, rubbing her chin. "Yeah…that'll be your nickname." She winked and nudged Kit in the side, perhaps a little too roughly. "You should consider that an honor 'cause I only give nicknames to people that I like."
Kit straightened his cap, which had been thrown crooked by Rem's "nudge", and looked to the side. "Um, yeah, it's certainly…an honor," he mumbled."
"Oh and Miss Rem is way too stuffy. Just call me Rem, 'kay?" She picked up her leg and started massaging her foot. "Ooo, yes…much better." She paused to look at Wildcat. She smiled and nodded towards him. "Who's your friend, there, Red?"
Wildcat took of his visor and held it in both hands. "My name is Wildcat. Most people call me…Wildcat, though."
Rem couldn't help but grin at the sound of his voice. "Well I'm happy to meet you, Wildcat." She extended her hand to him across the table.
Wildcat reddened a little. "It's even nicer to meet you."
"Thanks, Wildcat. That's sweet of you to say." She looked to Kit. "So, Kit…do you know where Louie keeps his safe?"
Kit immediately became suspicious. "No…why do you want to know?"
"Oh…I was just curious." She propped her elbow up on the table rested her chin on her hand. "So, how's the sundae? Is it good?"
Wildcat answered first. "I'll say! They say a sundae a day keeps the doctor away, ya know."
Rem looked at Wildcat through half closed eyelids. "I think you mean an apple a day there, sport."
"I-I know. I just changed it up a little bit."
Rem laughed aloud at his high-pitched inflections. "You're adorable, Wildcat!"
Wildcat grew red in the face and looked down at the table. "Uh, thanks…Rem."
"Don't mention it, Wildcat. Let's see…how about I call you 'Skipper'."
Wildcat looked up. "Wow, I get a nickname too?"
"You sure do. Wear it with pride, my friend. You know—"
"REM!" Louie yelled. "What are you doing? Quit disturbing my customers and get back to work? I'm not going to say it again!"
Rem jumped up. "Oops, heh-heh! Time to go! Hey thanks for talking to me, guys. I was nice to meet you two." She grabbed the broom and hurried away."
Kit and Wildcat looked after her for a few moments.
"Very nice lady," Wildcat commented.
Kit took a bite of his sundae. "Uh huh…I think I'm starting to agree with Louie."
x x x x x
The sun shone brightly through her cockpit window as Rem approached the towering cliffs, surrounding Cape Suzette.
Rem smiled happily as she listened to the low hum of the engine. "Ah, freedom once again."
The air traffic controller directed her through a split in the cliffs. Rem watched the walls of the passageway warily as she carefully guided her plane through it.
"I wonder if they could have made this town any more dangerous to get into?" she thought.
She saw many dwellings and platforms build into the walls, on ledges and outcroppings connected by rope bridges. Soon she emerged from the passage into a beautiful sight. The city of Cape Suzette sprawled out ahead of her, bathed in warm afternoon sunlight, as she passed over the sparkling waters of a pristine bay many feet below. The water was dotted with small, green islands, right up to the docks and warehouses lining the shore. The long wharfs jutting out into the bay were filled with all manner of watercraft from sailboats, to catamarans, to big cargo ships.
As Rem continued to approach she saw Clusters of homes and other buildings lining the wide, open streets, leading from the shore, into the heart of the city. Tall, green hills were scattered throughout the city and the suburbs. There were many high office towers and other commercial buildings a little further inland, towards the center of the city. In the areas surrounding this commercial district, the masses of buildings grew ever more sparse, giving way to hilltop villas and apartment complexes
Rem observed one skyscraper taller than the rest. It rose regally and ominously above all the other buildings around it, defining the Cape Suzette skyline.
"Some corporation has a pretty high opinion of itself—wait, I've seen that building before. That's Kahn Industries. Oh…so this is that Cape Suzette." She rubbed her chin. Hmm…that guy's coffers are certainly ripe for picking.
White jets of water spraying up behind the twin pontoons as Rem landed smoothly on the surface of the crystal water. Using the buoys there to guide her path, Rem taxied towards the shoreline. She scanned the crowded docks for an empty spot. She taxied up one end of the wharfs and then came back down again, getting more and more aggravated as time went by. Finally, she spotted an empty space.
"Yes!" she breathed. She turned towards it, but as she neared it a sleek speedboat came, seemingly out of the blue and cut her off, slipping into the empty spot. Rem scowled and fingered her revolver for a moment, before sighing and then turning to find another empty space.
Rem continued to move up and down the line. She slumped down in her seat and rested her chin on her hand. "This is so bogus…"
Rem casually looked a little ways down the line and then her ears moved forward suddenly and she sat up straight. She had spotted a gap between two yachts. She guessed it was barely six feet across. She eyed the gap for a moment and then cautiously looked back and forth across the docks. She eyed the gap some more. She taxied towards the gap and stopped in front of it. She looked back and forth again. Then she pushed the throttle up and rammed her way in between the yachts, grinding them up against the other boats around them. She stopped and cut the engine. It sputtered and then died, as the spinning propeller came to a halt. Rem rubbed her hands together. "There, problem solved."
Rem climbed out of the plane and walked onto the wharf. She stretched her arms out and closed her eyes, letting her fur soak up the sun's warmth. After a minute or two, she put her arm down and looked around. "Okay, where to?" She thought for a moment. "Let's see what Cape Suzette has to offer. Who knows, maybe they have a casino in one of those ritzy districts. The rich gotta play somewhere. And the not so rich…like me."
x x x x x
Rem walked briskly down the sidewalk that ran along the main street of Cape Suzette, with her hands behind her head. She tilted her muzzle up and breathed in the crisp ocean air flowing in from the coast. The entire city exuded sunlight. It bathed every building, every tall hill, every tree, and every citizen in its splendor.
People of all species bustled past her in both directions while a light traffic moved along the broad, two-lane thoroughfare. Most everyone threw her some kind of greeting or another as they passed. Rem smiled and nodded in return.
She brought her hands from behind her head and casually slipped them into her jeans pockets. She looked down the rows of motels, open-air cafés, and various shops and businesses that lined both sides of the street. She studied the signs and billboards as she past them. "If only I had some money to spend at one of these cafés. I'm famished."
A small voice spoke to her from inside her head. "Duh, Rem. You gamble away all your money. Wake u-up."
Rem stopped in the middle of the sidewalk. "Well I can't help it. The bank is boring!" Several pedestrians stared at her as they passed. Rem coved her mouth when she realized that she had just answered herself out loud. "I'm losing it already?" she thought. "I'm going to be senile before I'm fifty."
As she approached an intersection, she saw a young beaver standing on the curb with a stack of newspapers under one arm and waving a copy about with his free hand. "Extra, extra, air pirates hijack cargo shipment from the museum of antiquities!" The boy called out in a loud voice. "Thousands of dollars worth of artifacts stolen, including an ancient map! Extra, extra!"
Rem stopped when she heard the news story. She smiled to herself and chuckled. "Nimrods." She approached the boy. "Hey, I'll take one of those."
"Sure ma'am." The young beaver handed one out to her.
She grabbed the paper and started flipping through it. "Let's see, classifieds… classifieds… classifieds…" She murmured as she turned the pages.
The beaver waved to get her attention. "Um, ma'am? You have to pay for that, ya know."
"Ah, here they are. A…albacore, asbestos, aviation…pilots needed." She started walking away.
"Ma'am? Lady?"
The paperboy's voice gradually faded into the back of Rem's mind as she scanned the want adds closely. "Hmm…janitor needed, janitor needed… navigator… handyman… come on, doesn't anybody need a pilot? A co-pilot at least, big town like this?"
"LADY!"
Rem nearly jumped out of her skin and her fur bristled. "Gah! What! What!" Rem looked back and forth, searching for the disturbance."
"I'm over here."
Rem turned around and saw the beaver standing there tapping his foot impatiently and holding out his hand. "That'll be fifty cents."
"Huh?" She looked down at the newspaper. "Oh, oh yeah." She smiled at him sheepishly. "Sorry about that. Uuuh, tell ya what, I'll—"
Rem suddenly froze when she spotted a police car coming up to the intersection on the opposite side of the street. Rem's heart beat doubled on site of it. Still holding the paper, she dashed behind a water keg just inside the entrance to a little open-air market.
She crouched there and watched as the cruiser reached the stop sign. Rem gritted her teeth. The police cruiser continued straight, through the intersection and down the street.
Scratching his head, the paperboy looked at Rem, and then at the disappearing police car.
Rem only dared show her face again once the police cruiser was out of site. She stood up and walked back over to the paperboy, looking cautiously back and forth.
The boy regarded her warily. "Are-are you in trouble, ma'am?"
Rem laughed. "Who, me? No, no. Well, not yet at any rate." She tore the ads page out of the paper and handed the rest back to the beaver. "Thanks, see ya!" Rem dashed off down the sidewalk.
"Hey wait! You can't do that! Stop!" Rem turned a corner and ran out of sight.
x x x x x
The hour hand of the clock on the church steeple behind her was just reaching three o'clock. Rem sat on a bench in a quiet area near the docks, reading the ads page. She finally put the page down in frustration and stood up. "Maybe I'll have to start going from door to door or something."
Rem put her hands in her pockets and headed for the water's edge. She strolled down a street along the shore, occasionally looking into the water to watch a random group of ducks or to toss in a stone or two. The shore was protected by a stone and concrete seawall than ran its entire length
As Rem neared the end of the road, she looked up at a big arching sign there. "Higher for Hire, air freight and courier service." She grinned. "That's the corniest thing I've ever heard." She looked farther ahead and saw a tall building near the edge of the water that appeared to be an old lighthouse. "That must be the place."
She looked down a wharf that jutted out from the corner of the sea wall on which the old lighthouse was built. There was a large two engine, yellow seaplane with a double tail assembly parked there. Rem's eyes grew wide. "Wow! An A-675 Seaduck, I can't believe my eyes! Those things are awesome! I gotta get a job here." Rem hurried towards the front door. "Air freight is a busy business, I'm sure they could use an extra pilot."
Kit stood just inside the entrance to Higher for Hire. He was pulling a small red wagon behind him with a young female bear cub dressed in a blue jumper sitting inside. The little cub had blue ribbons tied around each ear like pigtails. She wore a little red cape on her back and a colander on her head while clutching a small doll at her side.
"Are ya ready to got get some icecream, Molly," Kit said, smiling down at the girl.
Molly frowned at him and put her little hands on her hips. "No…Dangerwoman is ready to get some icecream."
Kit laughed. "Oh, sorry. My mistake."
"She needs to hurry to get new icecream cones for the people of Cherryland to replace the ones that the evil Melter stole."
Kit cocked an eyebrow and smiled. "Oh, for really?"
"Yep."
"Well you've got your money, right?
"Yeah, Lucy's got it right here." Molly reached into the pockets in her doll's dress and felt around. "Wait a minute…Lucy!" She held the doll out in front of her. "Did you forget our money again, Lucy?"
Kit put his hand over his forehead. He sighed. "Oh boy. Well…let's go back inside and—"
Kit heard footsteps approaching and turned to see Rem march purposefully up to the front door and rap on it with two quick strokes. She stepped back from the door and waited with her hands on her hips.
Kit stared for a moment. "Miss…Miss Rem?"
Rem's left ear twitched when it picked up the sound of her name. She turned and stared back at Kit. Her face suddenly brightened. "Oh hiya, kid." She walked over to Kit and Molly. "Don't tell me…Kit, right? Sorry, I don't remember names too well."
"That's right."
She looked at Molly. "Who's your little friend, here?" She knelt down beside the wagon and got level with the girl's eyes. "Well aren't you cute. What's your name, sweetie?"
Molly, put her finger in her mouth and spoke in a small voice. "I'm Molly."
"Molly? Ooh…that's a really pretty name. I'm Rem." She pointed to Molly's cape and the colander on her head. "And what are you supposed to be, Molly? A pirate or something?"
Molly giggled. "No, silly, I'm Dangerwoman. Protector of the innocent!
Rem laughed and ruffed Molly's hair. "Of course you're not a pirate, what was I thinking? You're right, Blue; I am kinda silly. Ya mind if I call ya Blue? It's a special nickname just for you." Rem tickled Molly's side. "It means I like you."
Molly squirmed and laughed. "Okay."
"Sweet." Rem stood up again. "Man, I love kids." She looked to Kit. "So what are you doing here, Red? This can't be a coincidence."
"So she didn't remember my name but she remembers the nickname she gave me? Why do I get the feeling that she's putting on some kind of act," Kit thought. He answered Rem aloud. "I live here. What are you doing here?"
"Oh I came here to look for a job. The big ape told me this town was the place to go. I've been broke since last night, see."
"Yeah, Louie told me about that."
"Hey is the manager in?"
"Sure. Sometimes you just have to knock a little harder for her to hear you. She gets kinda busy this time of day."
"Okay thanks, Red." She headed for the door again.
"I don't think we're hiring right now though."
Rem seemed not to hear him. She knocked on the door, this time with some force.
She heard some commotion inside. And then a voice nearing the door, "I'm coming, hold on."
A brunette female bear opened the door. "Yes, can I help you?" The bear was about Rem's height, dressed in purple jacket with a white undershirt and blue slacks.
Rem put on her most affected smile. "Hiya, I'm Rem." She extended her hand and shook with the brunette. "I'm pleased to meet you Miss…um…"
"Rebecca Cunningham."
"I, uh…I was wondering if you could use a hand. I'm looking for a job, you see. I'm a pilot."
The bear studied the bobtail's oil spotted shirt and tattered jeans, raising a dubious eyebrow. "I'm um…sorry, Miss Rem, but we already have a pilot."
Rem quickly followed up with another pitch. "I have a Masters Degree in aviation engineering too. I can fix stuff for you. Or even redesign it, make it even better."
"I'm sorry, but we already have mechanic too."
"But you don't have an engineer. An engineer is much better than a simple mechanic."
"Look, I would like to help you but we're not hiring right now. I'm very busy—"
Rem caught the Rebecca's shirt as she started to turn away. "But I'm flat broke, destitute. Please, you've got to have something."
Just then, Molly poked her head into the doorway and tried to slip passed Rem and the brunette.
The Rebecca gasped and nearly tripped when she felt molly run into her leg. "Molly!" She gritted her teeth and caught the girl's arm. "What are you doing?"
"Lucy forgot our icecream money again; I gotta go get it."
"Sweetie, mommy's talking to someone right now. Please say excuse me before you try something like that." She gently pushed Molly off. "Now go on and get your money."
She turned back to Rem, "Miss, Rem, I can't afford to pay another employee, I'm sorry. We have everyone we need. Why don't you try the want ads?"
"Ah…um, all blocked out. I guess everybody else is booked solid too?" Rem grinned, hoping the bear would buy that."
Rebecca raised an eyebrow. "What? I find that slightly hard to believe."
"Who're ya talkn' too there, Beckers." A low, easygoing voice approached behind Rebecca. A big, gray bear wearing a khaki shirt and a maroon flight cap walked up and looked over Rebecca's shoulder.
Rebecca grabbed the edge of the door to close it. "It's nothing, Baloo, she was just leaving."
"Wait a second, Becky. What's she want?"
Rem latched onto this newcomer as a possible way around Rebecca's stonewalling. She moved a little farther into the doorway. "Please, I'm broke and I need a job really bad! Just until I can make enough money to leave here, that's all I ask. I'm a very good worker. You won't regret it, I promise."
The big bear chuckled. "Well I don't see anything wrong with that. Why doncha give her a job, Becky?"
Rebecca patiently pushed her back out as politely as she could. "Listen, Rem.
I told you—"
Molly tugged on Rebecca's pants leg. "Mommy, I can't find our money. Please come an' help me look for it."
"Molly, what did I tell you about being responsible with your allowance? Mommy is busy, you'll have to wait."
Kit poked his head in. "Hey, Miz' Cunningham, where's Molly? Is she ready to go yet?"
"NO! She's not ready yet!"
Kit's face fell. "Oh…sorry Miz' Cunningham."
Rebecca sighed heavily. "No, no I'm, sorry Kit. I shouldn't have yelled." She scowled at Rem. "I can't give you a job, Rem, that's my final answer. Now please leave before I call the police." She took her daughter's hand. "Come on, Molly."
She tired to leave but Rem lunged and grabbed her right leg. "Please, Miss Cunningham, I'm begging you!
"No! Now let go of my leg!"
"I'll take minimum wage, even pennies if I have to! Just until I can buy enough supplies to leave town, please!"
Baloo laughed. "Oh come on, Becky, ya got 'er groveling on the floor for Pete's sake. Give the poor girl a job."
"Baloo! I'm already paying you too much. How are we going to take on another employee? Besides, we don't know anything about her, no background—she may have a criminal record for all we know."
"With a face like that? I'm sure she's harmless."
Wildcat walked up. "Ah…hey Baloo? I fixed the googlschlocker on the Seaduck again. I don't think you'll be havn' any more problems with it for—hey, what's everybody doing over here? Getn' ready for a group hug or something?" He stopped in surprise when he saw Rem. "Hey, it's Rem!" Wildcat waived to her. "How are ya do'n, Rem?"
Rem grinned and waived back. "Oh hiya, Skipper! Sweet, you work here too?"
Rebecca turned around. "You know her, Wildcat?"
"Sure I do. Kit and me saw her at Louie's."
Molly tugged on Rebecca's leg again.
"Not now Molly, I'm trying to get this lady to leave."
"But I like her, mommy, why can't she stay?" She looked up at her mother with big, pitiful eyes.
"Molly—agh, I don't have time for this!" She stood, pinching the bridge of her nose with her eyes closed and then she turned to the blonde cat. "Alright, Rem, I'm going to let you work here, at minimum wage for maybe a few days and…then…we'll see how things turn out from there."
Rem grabbed both of Rebecca's hands and held them, shaking them vigorously. "Oh thank you so much, Rebecca! You will not regret this, I promise you!"
Rebecca indignantly removed Rem's grip on her hands. "Let's leave it at Miss Cunningham for now Rem, okay?"
"Oh, oh…sure thing, sorry. Heh-heh! Okay then…when do I get started?"
"You said you're an engineer, right? I suppose you can start by helping Wildcat. He's our mechanic.
"Your plane? You mean that C-676 Seaduck outside?"
Baloo jumped in. "Actually it's my C-676 Seaduck," he stated proudly, pointing to himself with is thumb. "I modified 'er myself."
"No joke? Hey…can I…see it up close?" Her eyes were wide and excited.
"Hey-hey, I think I'm startn' ta like this kid already."
"I'm Rem, by the way. And you're Baloo, right?"
"Why don't you and Wildcat show her around?" Becky suggested. "I'm going to go help Molly."
Kit spoke up, "Wait, I'll do it Miz' Cunningham."
Becky sighed in relief. "Thank you, Kit."
He turned to Baloo. "See ya later, Papa Bear, Me and Molly 'll be back from the ice cream stand by five."
Baloo waived. "See ya, Lil' Britches." Kit took Molly's hand and went into a back room.
"Well, Rem, first off, that's Becky's office ta yer right over there…" Baloo pointed to a long desk and a row of filing cabinets at the head of the room. "Storage room in backa that."
Rem looked at the back room thoughtfully. "I guess that's where you keep your safe, huh?"
"Uh, yeah, that's right."
"Oh. Okay, what else?"
"Up stairs in the very top is my room and Kit's room. There's a guest room down on the far end of the balcony. I guess that's where you'll be stayn'. Ya may need ta fix it up a bit; no one's been in there for ages. The dock is out here." He walked passed an old grandfather clock, towards a door at the far end of the room.
Rem clasped her palms together. "Great then, let's see it." Rem followed Baloo and Wildcat out the door and down a plank that spanned a short drop from the sea wall down to the wooden dock.
Rem nudged Baloo. "Say, what's up with the jobs here? Why doesn't anybody need pilots?
"Pilot's positions are hard to come by this time a year because the demand is so low dur'n storm season. Kahn's people and the freelance pilots take up most of the positions and the rest of 'em disappear faster than Krakatoa Specials at happy hour."
"So Skipper…Wildcat…you're the resident grease monkey, right?"
Wildcat scratched his head. "Well, I do get alota grease on me."
"So I guess I'll be working with you, huh?"
"I guess so."
"Sweet. I'm looking forward to it."
"Hey, me too!" "Ah, I mean uh…yeah. I'm sure it'll be fun."
Rem looked ahead and spotted the Seaduck. "Awesome, there she is!" Rem ran over to the yellow seaplane and put her palms flat against the fuselage. "Sweeeeeet!" She put her cheek against the metal, soaking up the warmth.
Baloo chuckled. "Well I've heard of tree huggers, Wildcat, but plane huggers…"
Wildcat looked up at him. "I think she babies the Seaduck more than you do, Baloo."
"I think you're probably right, Wildcat."
Rem stepped back and looked the plane over. "This is so awesome. We got an outboard pontoon assembly, twin Superfly 100 engines… perfection.
Baloo walked up behind Rem. "Hey slow down, kid. Ya just met 'er after all."
Rem smiled back at him. "Can I look inside?"
"Be my guest."
"Yes!" She opened the cockpit door and climbed inside. Baloo and Wildcat stepped in after her. Rem headed for the front of the cockpit but suddenly stopped when she heard some music playing from the back of the plane. "Hey…I recognize that music."
"I guess I forgot to turn the record player off. I'll take care of it real quick."
"Sweet, that's 'I've Got Them Flat Broke, Sticky Shoe, No Banana, Boogie-Woogie Blues'! I love this record! Turn it up, will ya?"
"You're a fan? You're full of surprises, Rem. I think you're A-alright. I don't see why 'ol Beckers was so hung up on ya."
Baloo went into the back and turned the music up.
Rem called into the back. "Yes, that's better!" Rem sat down in the pilot's seat and grabbed the wheel with both hands, turned it one way, and then the other, then pushed it forward and back. Her brow furrowed. She put her feet on the rudder pedals and worked them. She thought for a moment, rubbing her chin. She pulled the flaps lever down and then looked outside to watch the flaps move. Her brow furrowed further. Just then, Baloo came back up to the front. Rem turned to him. "Hey, Baloo? Can I fire the engines up for a minute?"
"Sure, I suppose. Why?"
"I'm not sure." Rem pushed the starter button. There was a loud bang as the percussion charge lit the fuel mixture. The twin engines sputtered for a moment and then roared to life. Rem sat there with her hand cupped to her ear. She waited.
"Uh, Rem, what's this about?"
"Shhhhhh! I need complete silence," Rem hissed. Baloo appeared taken aback. Rem smiled at him and spoke in a gentler voice, "Just for a minute, 'kay?" She turned back to the flight to the flight controls and continued to listen with furrowed brow. She started nodding. "Uh-huh…hmm…that's not good.
"Is there somethn' wrong with my plane?"
Rem shut the engine off. Baloo, I need to see your hydraulics system. Wildcat, come with me. You need to see this too. Rem hopped up and headed out the door.
"Now wait just a minute. If something's wrong with my plane, you gotta tell me what it is before going snoopn' around in the hydraulics. She's a delicate machine."
"Come with me and you'll see. I'm an engineer, trust me."
"Trust you? Rem, I like you, but I just met ya. Ya hafta earn trust."
Rem suddenly stopped. She turned around and glared at him. "That's what I'm doing." Rem climbed up on top of the left wing and lifted a panel there. She fixed her flight goggles over her eyes and studied the inside of the wing. "Yep, s'what I's afraid of." She climbed over to the engine and removed a panel there. "Ah-ha…there's the problem."
Baloo shook his fist at her. "Now wait just a cotton-pickn' minute! I told you not to go snoopn' around!
Rem smiled down at him and Wildcat. "You two come on up here. I'll show you what all the fuss is about."
Baloo started climbing up. "This better be good, Rem, cause you're walkn' a thin line." Baloo and Wildcat joined her on top of the plane.
"Come here, look." Rem motioned them over. "Now there's nothing 'wrong' with your plane per se. Look here at the hydraulics for the ailerons and flaps." She pointed at various points as she spoke. "This system is very outdated as well as inefficient compared to today's standards. If you let me reroute and update these hydraulics, I can probably get an extra ten percent efficiency out of them easy."
"Rem, my plane flies great. I've never had any trouble with the flaps or the ailerons."
"Oh I guarantee you that you'll notice a difference once you've felt how she flies before and after. But enough about that; come look at the engine now."
Baloo crossed his arms. "My engines run fine too."
Rem's smile disappeared. "Just come look, okay? My goodness." She gritted her teeth and mumbled under her breath, "Who's the engineer here?"
Baloo sighed and reluctantly trudged over to where she was kneeling by the engine. "Okay, Rem, I'm here. Now what's so important?"
"The inner casings for the engine and some of the circuitry also need some updating. It doesn't need too much fixing. I can probably re-weld the casings pretty quickly. And fixing the circuitry should be a cinch. So what do you say?" She grinned. "Ready to see me work some magic?"
Baloo frowned. "I don't know about all this…"
"Of course you don't," Rem almost blurted, but she bit her tongue. She turned around and gestured to Wildcat. "You've been following along, Wildcat. Tell him I'm right!"
"Ah…I think she kinda has a point, Baloo. Maybe the hydraulics could use a little fixing."
Baloo huffed in frustration and turned to him. "Then why haven't you noticed any of this stuff before, Wildcat?"
"I don't know. Coincidence, I guess."
Baloo turned back to Rem. "Here's some ground rules I want Wildcat to be with you the whole time…and I want you to tell me exactly everything you're going to do before you do it, every step… Just…be careful with 'er, okay?"
"You can watch too if you want. In fact, I invite you to." Rem's normal cheerfulness returned. "So…can I get started?"
"Sure, go ahead."
"Excellent!" Rem thought to herself underneath her smile, "Three down…two left to go. I'll have them all wrapped around my finger before the end; even Kit and Cunningham."
x x x x x
Kit walked into Higher for Higher with Molly following close behind. She was happily enjoying the remnants of a strawberry ice cream cone. There was red all over the rim of her mouth and dripping off her chin, and she had eaten the cone almost down to the tip.
"Hi Miz' Cunningham, we're back," Kit said as he tossed his cap onto the hat rack.
Becky looked over the top of a stack of papers. "Oh hi Kit. Did you two have fun?"
"Yes. I think it's safe to say that the people of Cherry Land are very happy now."
"Cherry Land?"
"It's a long story."
"Molly, wipe your mouth. Haven't I taught you better? Come here." She pulled a paper napkin out of a box on her desk and knelt beside her daughter. "Look, you got it on your clothes too." She wetted the napkin with saliva and began rubbing a spot on Molly's jumper with the tissue vigorously. Then she began wiping Molly's mouth with it.
Molly squirmed and protested. "Mommy. That's yucky!"
"Oh quit complaining. I'm almost done…there."
Molly crossed her little arms and grumbled to herself. "How come Kit never has to get his mouth wiped with a spit napkin?"
Kit chuckled. "Hey Miz' Cunningham, where's Baloo and Wildcat? And Rem?"
"I don't know exactly. The last I saw them, they were outside with the Seaduck. I guess they're still out there."
"Thanks." Kit went out the door and down to the dock. He stopped a few feet from the Seaduck. He looked up and saw Rem near the left engine with a welding torch. She had her goggles down over her eyes with a pair of dark shades underneath. Sparks poured off the wing and scattered on the dock below before quickly burning out as she worked inside the engine. Wildcat was working on something on the other side of the engine and Baloo was standing behind Rem, watching.
"Uh-oh. What's she doing?" Kit thought. "They're trusting her with something like that?" Kit climbed up on top of the plane to join them. He approached Baloo. "Hey, guys! What's going on?"
Baloo looked back at him. "Oh hey, Kit. "Rem says she's fixn' my plane."
"Fixing your plane? But there's nothing wrong with your plane, is there?"
Baloo threw up his hands. "That's what I said! But she insists that she can make my plane fly better. I suppose I should trust her…she is an engineer after all."
Kit cocked an eyebrow. "She told you that?"
"Yeah. She says she has a master's degree."
"And you just believed her?"
Baloo scratched his head. "Well I…I don't know. Why not?"
Kit leaned close. "I don't trust her, Baloo. She's too friendly; too eager. And she doesn't look like she could have a degree in much of anything to me."
Kit started when he noticed Rem sanding just behind Baloo. "Hi Rem…I didn't see you come up."
Rem broke into a wide grin. "Hi, Red! It's so good to see you again."
Baloo looked at Kit questioningly. "Red?"
"Uh, yeah…it's her nickname for me. Wildcat's is 'Skipper'. She says she only gives nicknames to people she likes."
"Yep. Very true." She raised her goggles back onto her forehead.
Kit was confused when he didn't see the dark shades underneath that he saw there earlier. "Don't you need some shading to protect your eyes when you're welding?"
"I do." She pointed to the goggles. "See I modified my goggles to handle various tasks like this. I've got magnification down in the bottom half of the lenses. Plus I built in this pull-down shading lenses operated by this little lever on the side here." She put her hands on her hips. "Pretty innovative, huh?"
"Um…yeah."
Wildcat peeked his head out from inside the engine. "Hey, Rem, I did everything you said."
"Excellent, Skipper! You're such a nice guy. Thanks."
Wildcat reddened. "You're welcome."
A strong gust of wind suddenly came through. Wildcat stumbled a bit and Baloo and Kit had to grab their caps to keep them from blowing off.
Rem seemed to be unaffected as she deftly hopped over the CO2 canister that she had been using for welding, on her way over to close the access panel on the engine. "Well it looks like we're done here. Ya'll come on down and let's try her out."
They climbed down and met on the dock.
Rem stood under the wing near the engine. She smiled confidently. "Now with my modifications, you're gonna get a better performance out of this bird. I guarantee it!" She looked at Kit and her voice softened. "Hey Red…I'm sorry you don't trust me. I sincerely hope that I can win it somehow.
Kit flushed as red as a beet. "I-I'm sorry I, um didn't know you…um—"
Rem waived her hand. "It's okay, Red. I get this a lot actually. I can show you my college diploma if that'll ease your mind."
"That's…um, okay."
Rem clenched a blonde lock in her fist as she turned to Baloo. "Hey uh, Baloo…about earlier. I'm sorry if I was rather pushy back there. I'm just…well I'm not used to taking orders or having my actions questioned."
Baloo smiled kindly. "Apparently so." He patted her on the shoulder. She reminded him of someone they both knew.
She glanced at his hand on her shoulder. She lightly shrugged it off and took a step back. "It was … well I shoulda asked you before I went 'snooping around' in your plane, as you say." She laughed lightly. "I didn't mean to be a 'snoop'."
"Hey no hard feelings, Rem. Ya fixed up my plane, didn't ya?"
Another gust of wind forced Kit to grab at his cap again. The wind continued to pick up and the CO2 canister teetered neat the edge of the wing
Baloo looked up at the sky. "Uh-oh…that doesn't feel right."
"Ya think another storm is coming?" Rem asked.
"Could be."
Suddenly the CO2 fell from the wing and dropped straight towards Rem. Kit's eyes widened. "Rem, look out—!"
Rem's ear twitched, sensing the falling tank. She quickly stepped to one side. The CO2 hit the dock just millimeters from her nose and smashed through the wood, splashing into the water below. "Darn it. Shoulda been more careful where I set that thing." Rem smiled at the others sheepishly, rubbing the back of her neck. "I'm…usually not that careless…" She trailed off when she noticed that they were all staring at her. She looked from each of them to the other, raising an eyebrow. "What's…wrong?"
Baloo broke into smile and started laughing. "Whoa, that was some fancy footwork, kid! It looked like you were gonna be a goner there for second."
Kit jumped forward. "Alright, Rem. Cut the act! Who are you really and why are you really here? First at Louie's and now here. You're clearly a lot smarter than you're acting. What are you after?"
Baloo stepped up beside him. "Hold on, Kit, you're jumpn' to conclusions—"
Kit ignored him. He glared at the bobtail. "Well, Rem…how about it?"
Rem looked at him for a moment, frowning. She didn't like the look in his eye. I was starting to annoy her. "Red, we discussed this." Her mood lightened and she broke back into her usual smile. "I've just always been quick on my toes. It runs in my family. I'm not…some kinda…specially trained secret agent or…whatnot. As to the way I acting—it's my personality. I like to goof around, that's all. I'm not trying to trick ya'll or something. Look, let's take your bird here for a spin. I said I could make her fly better, didn't I? Come and I'll show you I'm being honest with you guys."
Baloo put his hands on Kit's shoulders. "Cut her some slack, Lil' Britches." He smiled at Rem. "I agree. Let's see if your money is where your mouth is, kid"
"Deeee-light-ed-to, SIR!" Rem said, giving a mock salute. She turned and headed into the plane.
Kit continued to regard Rem with great distrust, as they all boarded the Seaduck.
Rem motioned to the pilot's seat. "After you."
Baloo sat down there and Kit moved into the co-pilot's seat. Rem looked between Baloo and Kit for a second. "Um, shouldn't I be in the co-pilot's seat? So I can direct the demonstration?"
"Kit's my navigator, this is always where he sits."
"He's your navigator?…Okay, whatever." She and Wildcat took places behind Baloo and Kit, respectively.
Baloo fired the engines and they roared up. He began to taxi away from the dock and turned towards some nearby guide buoys. "Hmm…started up without a sputter," Baloo thought. "'Course, could just be a coincidence. I've started the engines up without a hitch before."
The Seaduck picked up speed as Baloo guided it straight towards the split in the Cape Suzette cliffs.
Rem looked over his shoulder at the speed gauge. "Alright, pull up."
Baloo looked at her as if she had just told him to jump out of the plane right there. "Are you crazy, lady? We're only going fifty."
"Trust me. You've have much more power in the engines to work with now. Go ahead and pull up. I'd stake my reputation on this."
"Ya already have." Baloo pulled back on the wheel. The plane lifted a little and then came back down."
"Try again. Give it some more throttle."
Baloo pulled back again. The plane began to lift off the water, slowly but surely. Baloo pushed the throttle almost all the way to full. He felt a surge of power in the engines that took him by surprise. The Seaduck lifted gracefully off the sparkling surface of the water and was airborne.
"Impressive, Rem. Impressive!"
"Told you you'd like it."
The Seaduck continued through the cliffs and emerged over the vast sea.
"Alright Baloo, now let's try some maneuvers. Try a flip, a barrel roll, and then a quick turnaround maneuver. You'll be impressed."
"Alright…here we go. Hold onto your seats." Baloo tilted the nose up for a flip. After coming out of that, he went straight into a barrel roll. Finally he ended with the quick turnaround. Baloo stared and the flight controls, breathless. "Rem, I've never pulled off something like that with so much power and responsiveness before! Rem…you've certainly proved your worth."
Kit slumped down into his seat. "This has to be some kind of confection. So she was telling the truth on this one. This doesn't prove anything…"
Baloo laughed. "I bet ol' Karny and those air pirates will be in for surprise if they try to catch this bird now."
Rem's face suddenly exhibited a measure of fear. "You…you have air pirates around here?"
"Yeah out here, but its perfectly safe inside Cape Suzette."
"How…is that?"
"Look down. Outside."
Rem looked out the window and saw that they were flying alongside the cliffs. She studied them, trying to figure out what Baloo was talking about. Her ears suddenly moved forward. "Wait…are those…cannons?"
"You betcha! It's the cliff guns of Cape Suzette! No pirate has ever gotten passed them. At least not from the air, anyway."
Rem came away from the window and looked at Baloo intently. "Are you…sure."
"As sure as a quamquat tree on Mount Neverrest
"Alright…as long as you're sure." Rem stared out the window again. "That's a relief."
x x x x x
The Seaduck set down once again upon the waters of the bay and docked in front of Higher for Hire The four people onboard stepped out and headed back up the wharf towards the H4H building.
Baloo couldn't stop talking. "I'm sorry for ever doubting you, Rem that was amazing. What college did you got to? Engineers really are miracle workers, just like they say.
Rem was basking in the attention. "Well I always do my best, Baloo. I always strive for perfection in everything I put my mind to."
"I believe it. Hey, we've been talkn' about my plane too much. You said you're a pilot too, right"
Rem beamed proudly. "Yep. Fourteen years of experience. I've been flying since I was six years old."
"Let's see your plane then."
Rem looked to the side and flushed a bit red. "My…plane?" She laughed a little. "Nah, you don't want to see my plane. It could never compare with a Seaduck. It' really quite bland compared to yours."
"I'll be the judge of that. Come on, bring your plane on over. I wanna see 'er."
"Well…okay then. I'll fly her over tomorrow. She's kinda across town and it's getting late."
Baloo glanced up at the red and orange clouds above. "Well I'll be…you're right. How time flies when you're flyn', huh?"
Rem smoothed down her hair a bit and then slipped her hands into the pockets of her knee-less jeans. "I guess so."
x x x x x
"Mommy, I'm tired." Molly yawned and rubbed here eyes with her little fists. "Are we gonna go home soon?"
"I'm sorry, Molly. Mommy still has a lot of paperwork left to do tonight." Becky glanced at a stack of mail on the end of the desk. "Where is that Bear?" she growled.
There was a clattering at the door and Rem, Baloo and Wildcat came into the room, talking amongst themselves. Kit silently trailed a little ways behind them, always keeping Rem in his sight.
"I tell ya, Wildcat, that loop was—"
Becky stood up and slapped the desktop with her palms, glaring at Baloo. "Baloo? Where have you been all this time? Did you forget to take these letters to the post office and straighten up the storage room like I asked you to earlier?"
Baloo stopped talking and stared at the stack of letters for a little bit. "I'm sorry Becky…I couldn't help it. Ya see, I was gonna do it but then air pirates—"
Becky quickly cut him off, "You know what, Baloo…don't bother answering that question. Just take these letters now and go down to the post office before the night mail closes by seven, all right? At least do that much." Goodness, give someone a simple task…," she grumbled.
Baloo crossed his arms and scowled at her. "You got, legs. What's wrong with you doing it?"
Rem shifted uncomfortably as she listened to the dispute. She looked back at Wildcat and Kit. They seemed unaffected.
"I have too much work to do Baloo. Just go! Why does it always have to be some excuse with you?" Becky felt a familiar tug on her sleeve.
Becky looked down and saw Molly looking up at her with pleading eyes. "Please mommy, stop fighting. I don't like it." A tear began to form in her eye.
Becky sighed and picked up her daughter and held her in the crook of her arm. "Oh Molly, its okay. Adults just have disagreements sometimes. Don't worry about it." Becky looked at Rem. "Don't take Baloo as an example of what to expect around here, Rem. I expect you to work while you're here. There hasn't been anything going on today because it's Sunday. But, starting tomorrow, no more goofing around…for anyone. Got it?"
Rem gave her a thumbs up. "Sure…Got it, boss."
"Miss Cunningham, please."
Rem rolled her eyes. "Oh yeah, sorry."
Becky and Rem locked eyes and they stood there for a few moments, glaring at each other. Rem slowly clenched her fists as the staring showdown continued.
The silence was interrupted when Baloo cleared his throat. "Ahem…well I guess I'll go take those letters to the post office.
"Hey, Tiny, where's that guest room you told me about earlier?" Rem asked.
Baloo raised an eyebrow. "Tiny? A nickname?"
Rem smiled at him with a noticeable sparkle in her eye. "It seemed fitting."
"Very funny."
"You're welcome."
Rem heard a short, barely audible gasp come from Wildcat's direction. She glanced at him and he casually looked away, reddening ever so slightly.
"The guest room's up the stairs on the far end of the balcony," Baloo said.
Rem turned to him. "Huh? Oh, right. Thanks. I guess I'll go up and check it out."
"Like I said; I haven't been in there in ages. Don't say I didn't warn ya."
"I…get your drift." Rem walked to the foot of the stairs and then stopped. She sensed Wildcat watching her rather closely. Rem turned half way around towards him. Again, he averted his eyes.
Rem continued up the stairs to the guest room as Baloo left carrying the stack of letters.
Rem reached to door and turned the knob. After a loud squeak, the door creaked open. Rem found a small room with a single window looking out onto the nearby street and Higher for Hire sign. There was a metal frame bed in the center of the room with a thin, stained mattress and a scraggly pillow on top. There were no sheets the bed, though. There was also a small table beside the bed with a shadeless lamp sitting on top. There were patches of cobwebs on everything.
Rem stared at the scene for a moment. "Man…this place does need some work. She walked over to the lamp and flipped the switch on it. The bulb lit up. "Ah…at least that midriff works." She slapped the mattress with the palm of her hand and a plume of dust rose into the air that nearly choked her. Rem coughed and tried to wave the dust away. Not achieving much success with that, Rem opened the single window up as far as it would go, letting a gust of much need fresh air into the room. Rem coughed again as the dust blew around the room. "Well I've slept in worse places before. I think."
She dragged the mattress and pillow down stairs and outside, where she beat as much dust out of them as she could and took them back to the room. She stood over the mattress with her hands on hips. "It'll do for now." She lay down on the bed to rest her back. She closed her eyes and sighed heavily, putting her hands behind her head. She looked up at the ceiling and smiled. "Ya know…I think I'll stay right here...indefinitely," she mused. Rem closed her eyes again and let herself doze.
x x x x x
There was a sharp creaking as Rem opened the door to the guest room and peeked out. She had taken off her jeans but she still wore the tee shirt, which covered her modestly enough. Everything was dark except for a night light near the door to Baloo and Kit's room and a little light from a lamp somewhere downstairs. She exited the room and stole silently towards the stairs. Unbeknownst to her, behind her, Kit opened his door a crack to investigate footsteps he heard heading away from the guest room. He was startled and a little embarrassed at first, not expecting to find her half-dressed. He ducked partway back into the room. A moment later, he peered out again.
"What's she doing now?" he thought.
Rem made it about halfway down the stairs when she heard a familiar voice coming from just below her.
"Rem? What are you doing?"
Rem jumped at the sound of Becky's voice and looked to see her still working down at the desk. Beside her, on a small bedroll on the floor, lay Molly, fast asleep
Rem smiled. "Oh, I didn't know anybody was down here. So…you're working late?"
"Yes."
"Well, I just saw the light. I was wondering what was going on. Well I'll leave you to your work. G'night." Rem climbed back up the stairs and returned to the guest room. Becky watched with a raised eyebrow as Rem left.
When Rem reached the door, she stopped. Her left ear twitched at some noise behind her. Kit quickly shut his door, thinking that she may have heard him. He waited a few seconds and the looked out once again. Rem was gone and the guest room door was closed.
Kit scratched his head. "What in the world?"
x x x x x
Down by the Cape Suzette docks, a soft drizzle fell on the dark shapes of boats and aircraft parked there. The night was completely black; the moon and the stars were nowhere in site. An occasional street light illuminated barnacle encrusted hulls and reflected off rows upon rows of windshields. Rem's plane rocked at its tether in the cold water as the night wind beat against it. The wind picking up speed amid the calm of a rising squall. The docks lit up brilliantly for an instant as a thick bold of lightening ripped across the pitch sky. Inside Rem's small craft the power light on the radio glowed red in the darkness.
Then, a voice crackled from the receiver. "Rem...you, Rem? Do you hear me? Zis iz Helmut…..Remmie?…I'm ready to pick up ze package…zat Karnage character does not suspect zat…..Ling iz vaiting…..Yoshi…vorried about…..try to get to you as soon as you can tell me vere to find you. Helmut out."
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