Author's Notes: Hi, readers. Here is chapter forty-one of "Ride the Wind II: Justice Unbound." I am glad it took just six days to get out. This chapter has some Andros/Ashley and Zhane/Karone. Stay tuned for chapter forty-two.
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Chapter 41: Leaving the Park/Missing/Informing
Elvis stood next to the crane as he watched Jesse, Brenda, Karone, and Ashley push the trailer outside the entrance twenty-five minutes later. Isabella hung not far above the pavement. Brenda's truck was a short distance away. Andros and Zhane stood near it. A small water tank was in the back. Brenda, Karone, and Jesse were wearing different clothes now.
Isabella squeaked uncertainly as water dripped off her body. She opened her mouth somewhat. She closed it quickly. She emitted a loud burst of air. Andros and Zhane stroked their chins before putting their hands on their sides. They tilted their heads slightly. Jesse, Brenda, Karone, and Ashley brought the trailer in front of the crane.
"That's good enough, guys," Elvis said as he held up his hand. He observed the quartet stepping away from the trailer. He climbed into the crane. "All right, Isabella. Here we go."
Jesse and Ashley rushed to the back of the trailer. Brenda and Karone took the front. Elvis moved the crane toward it at a slow yet steady pace. Isabella spouted air from her blowhole. She didn't move one inch, though she emitted a quiet squeak. He stopped next to it. He began to move her out. He felt his heart begin to beat a little faster.
"Bring her out a little more, Elvis," Brenda instructed while waving her hand to the side.
Isabella let out a soft cry. She spouted more air from her blowhole. Elvis moved her out until she was aligned with the trailer. He began to lower her at a slow pace.
"Nice and slow, Elvis," Brenda whispered as she and Karone moved their hands downward. She ran her tongue all over the inside of her mouth. "You are doing good."
"Be careful with her pecs!" Karone called and bit her lip. She and Brenda grabbed the bars balancing the sling once it was close to the trailer's holders. "That's it."
Jesse reached up and touched the orca's tail. "Come on, girl."
Ashley laid her hands on the same area. "It's all right."
Brenda and Karone kept Isabella level with the holders as she got closer to the trailer. Jesse and Ashley petted her tail, which kept her calm. Isabella opened her mouth slightly.
"It's all right, Isabella," Jesse whispered soothingly.
"You are going to be okay," Ashley added. "We promise."
After what seemed like an eternity, the orca was finally on the trailer. The bars rested on the holders perfectly. It seemed to go lower due to her weight. In fact, it appeared as if it was almost sitting on top of the tires. Elvis turned off the engine and got out. Brenda and Karone climbed on the trailer as Jesse and Ashley came over to the side. Jesse, Elvis, and Ashley came up on it.
"How do you think she is doing?" Karone wondered while touching Isabella's nose.
"She is all right, though she is scared," Brenda said as she looked the orca over. She and Karone climbed off the trailer. "She has been moved before. She will be fine as long as we keep her wet."
"After Rae and I examined Willy, Randolph asked how we would pull him," Jesse said, laying his hand on the dorsal. "I knew Dad's truck was the only thing capable of pulling him. I didn't want Randolph to take it, but we didn't have a choice."
"You have to do what you have to do," Ashley murmured matter-of-factly and yawned somewhat.
"At least we have Brenda's truck here. Unlike most trucks, it has a backseat and four doors," Elvis said and looked toward Andros and Zhane. He waved his hand toward himself. "Andros, you and Zhane can bring the truck over here now."
"Okay!" Andros yelled, giving him a thumbs-up. He looked at Zhane and emitted a soft snort. "Come on."
"It's nice to be able to help an orca get back to the wild, even if it is in an unusual way," Zhane said.
"So true," Andros agreed. "Yes, sir."
Andros and Zhane got into the driver and passenger seats respectively. They buckled their seatbelts. Andros started the engine. He backed the truck slowly toward the trailer while looking over his shoulder. He turned the steering wheel slightly to the left. He moved it to the right in which he got the truck level with the trailer. He brought the truck to a stop. Brenda and Karone hooked it to the back. They made sure it was secure.
Elvis and Jesse undid the hooks to the crane. Andros and Zhane unbuckled their seatbelts. They exited the truck and went to Isabella. Jesse jumped off the trailer, as did Elvis and Ashley. He headed for the back of the truck to get the tank. He returned to Isabella and climbed on the trailer. He laid the tank down. He turned on the hose and began spraying her with water. Ashley, Brenda, Elvis, Andros, Zhane, and Karone came together.
"So, do we head for Dawson's Marina like Randolph, Rae, and Jesse did with Willy?" Ashley wondered.
"Unfortunately, we can't go there," Brenda responded regretfully. "It is closed due to two new boat launches being built."
Zhane sighed heavily. "Oh, damn."
"We can go to another one called Jackson Marina. It is a bit further than Dawson's Marina. Unfortunately, it is our only option," Brenda explained.
"How far is it?" Andros wondered.
"It's one to two hours from here," Brenda commented while placing her hands on her sides. "I know of a smaller road that goes there. It is hidden by trees almost all the way. It would be the least conspicuous."
"That sounds like a good plan," Elvis said and stroked his chin. "So, what are the riding arrangements?"
Jesse looked over his shoulder. "I can sit with Isabella. Elvis, you can ride in the front seat with Brenda. As for Andros, Ashley, Zhane, and Karone, they can ride wherever they want."
"I would like to ride in the backseat," Andros said as he slipped his hands inside his pockets.
"Me too," Ashley added.
"I guess that means Karone and I are riding in the bed of the truck," Zhane said, giving a shrug.
Karone smiled. "I would like that."
Jesse turned back to Isabella. He moved the hose toward her back, smiling when she squeaked in much pleasure. He returned it to the front of her. She opened her mouth and folded her tongue.
"You want a little drink, huh? Okay. Here it comes," Jesse said and sprayed the inside of the orca's mouth. He did it for a minute before pulling away. "If only I had a fish for you."
Isabella closed her mouth before letting out a loud burst of air. She squeaked in a soft manner. Jesse sprayed her a bit more. Brenda clapped three times and whistled. Everyone looked at her, curiosity filling his or her eyes.
"We should get going. Dawn will get here more quickly than we think," Brenda said seriously. "We don't know how much longer the security guards will be out cold either."
"Okay," Jesse replied and turned off the hose. He picked up the tank and slipped it into a holder in the trailer. He sat next to Isabella, who moaned softly. He petted her underneath her eyepatch as the others gazed at him. "It's going to be okay, girl."
"Jesse, none of us will let anything happen to her," Elvis assured in a gentle voice. "We promise."
"Come on!" Brenda yelled, clapping twice. "Let's go!"
"Yeah," Zhane said, pumping a fist. "It's time to return Isabella to freedom."
Zhane and Karone climbed into the back of truck and sat down. Brenda, Elvis, Andros, and Ashley headed for the front. The former two got in the front seat. The latter two slipped into the backseat. All four of them buckled their seatbelts. Brenda drove past all the rides and stands. She went through the open gates and the parking lot. She started going down the street.
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Brenda came upon the bridge eighteen minutes later. She began going over it. Elvis, Andros, and Ashley observed the support beams going by. Andros and Ashley looked over their shoulders out the window to see Zhane and Karone talking quietly. They could see Jesse petting Isabella as well. They looked ahead and emitted soft exhales.
"The others are doing what they can to pass the time," Andros whispered and laid his arm on the door.
"There is not much they can do," Brenda said with a heavy sigh. "Some people keep talking to stay awake because they are so tired."
"We will be exhausted after all this is set and done," Elvis admitted and suppressed a yawn.
"Who would've thought good people like us would end up breaking the law?" Ashley asked, a soft laugh leaving her mouth.
"I know," Andros responded and tightened his ponytail. "Three of us happen to be Power Rangers."
"Just because you were a superhero doesn't mean you aren't capable of doing something wrong," Elvis pointed out truthfully.
"Many people will believe what we did was wrong. In our hearts, we know what we did was right," Andros said as he laid his hand over his heart.
"Jesse, Randolph, and Drew could've ended up in jail for ten years for piracy after they stole the Noah to stop John Wesley and his crew on the Botany Bay. They weren't charged because they stopped the whalers from decimating J-Pod. There is a good chance we will be let off the hook for busting Isabella out of her tank if someone rats Dial and Harry out," Elvis explained.
"I predict it will happen very soon," Brenda commented hopefully. "It will likely be the Brighton Aquarium owner who squeals on those slime balls."
"He will probably have to resign because of that," Andros added seriously. "He could face jailtime for aiding and abetting two criminals."
"So could some of his associates," Ashley added, crossing her arms. "They helped keep everything secret."
"That's right," Brenda agreed. "The Brighton Aquarium could face a shutdown itself. That means the workers will be out of a job."
"Some people get in trouble with the law repeatedly, yet they never stay in jail for very long," Elvis said. "They either have very deep pockets, or the court doesn't want to bother with them."
Andros and Ashley breathed deeply. They knew of planets where criminals never stayed in jail for very long. It irritated them the criminals kept getting away with their crimes, yet there wasn't much they could do about it. They knew only the planets' governments could reform their criminal justice systems.
"I hope Isabella won't have to be out of the water for too long," Ashley whispered a little uncertainly.
"All of us do, Ash," Andros said, reaching over to take her hand into his. "What I am most worried about is Dial and Harry being alerted and catching us before we can release her into the water."
Elvis touched the back of his neck. "You are not the only one worried about that, Andros."
"If Isabella is showing signs of getting too dry, we will stop somewhere and have Jesse wet her down," Brenda said.
"Let's pray it isn't on a main road," Ashley mumbled, her body becoming tense.
Andros squeezed her hand. "Yeah."
Andros and Ashley broke into quiet chatter. Zhane and Karone peered over their shoulders at them. They shifted their attention to each other, their brows furrowing.
"I wonder what they are talking about," Zhane whispered and rubbed his nose.
"Beats me," Karone answered, giving a shrug. She straightened the sleeves on her red long-sleeved shirt. "I'm glad I brought extra clothes with me. Otherwise, I would be freezing in my wet ones."
"Being in wet clothes makes you more likely to become hypothermic," Zhane said, shuddering badly. "The truck's movement wouldn't have dried you off very fast."
"I know Jesse and Brenda are glad they brought extra clothes with them as well," Karone commented and rubbed her eyes.
"It will be funny to hear people say we stole Isabella from Dial and Harry, yet they stole her from the wild," Zhane replied, shaking his head in disbelief.
"It is very ironic," Karone said and blew a raspberry. "Jesse told us he and Randolph really didn't want to steal the Noah, but they had to save J-Pod from poachers. This was especially true for Nikki and the unborn Max."
"When someone you care about is in danger, you would do everything in your power to protect them," Zhane said.
"That is true," Karone agreed. "When I was Astronema, I showed a protective side toward children if my troops threatened them. It was because I didn't want the children to suffer the same fate as I believed Andros had. That was before Dark Specter had Darkonda install those cybernetic implants that suppressed my compassion."
He tensed somewhat. "You were quite dangerous. That's for sure."
"Despite I was willing to harm him, Andros never gave up in trying to reach me. I owe everything I am today to him and others," Karone said gratefully.
"Never let anyone drag you down over your past. It doesn't define you," Zhane said, putting his arm around her.
She smiled. "Thanks."
Zhane kissed Karone's forehead. He kept his lips there for ten seconds before pulling away. They looked toward Jesse, who petted Isabella underneath her eyepatch.
"How's she doing, Jesse?" Zhane wondered.
"Isabella's doing all right," Jesse admitted and kissed the orca in front of her eyepatch. "She is a bit scared, though."
"No one blames her for that," Karone replied and ran her fingers through her wet hair.
"We were fortunate she didn't squirm while Elvis was putting her on the trailer," Zhane said in relief. "Otherwise, it could've resulted in disaster."
"Willy didn't even wiggle his pecs while Randolph was putting him on the trailer," Jesse said, moving his hand to Isabella's nose.
"Let's pray we make it to the marina before Dial and his goons do," Karone murmured in a hopeful voice.
"Mm-hmm," Jesse agreed. "Whoo."
Jesse looked Isabella in the eye. She lifted her head a tiny bit and laid it back down. She squeaked very quietly. He put his hand on her jaw and proceeded to pet it.
"Don't worry, girl. We will get there as soon as we can," Jesse assured gently. "I promise."
Brenda reached the end of the bridge. She whispered inaudible words as she slowed down somewhat.
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Jack stirred and moaned softly forty-five minutes later. He opened his eyes, finding blurry vision. He blinked them three times in which he cleared it. He found he was behind the wall to the aquatic theater. He was very confused at how he got there. He sat up slowly but surely. He stood up with a loud grunt. He shook his head while babbling.
Jack rubbed his eyes while letting out a long yawn. He went around the corner. He gasped shockingly at the sight of the crane sitting close to the entrance. He opened and closed his mouth, but he couldn't get any words to form. Just then, Clarence and forty-two-year-old Josh Mariner came running up to him. They skidded to a halt.
Josh panted heavily along with Clarence. He was Caucasian and was slightly taller than Jack was. His skin was so pale that he appeared to be a ghost. He had no hair on his head whatsoever. In fact, his bald spot looked like it could reflect light. His eyes were blue and contained bags underneath them. His face had so many pimple scars that someone could connect them to each other and make a picture.
"What in hell is this crane doing out in front of the aquatic theater?" Josh yelled while placing his hand on the back of his neck.
"Is this some kind of prank?" Clarence wondered.
"No," Jack said, shaking his head. "Something is wrong. I can feel it."
"We better check it out," Josh suggested.
"Yeah," Josh agreed.
"Come on," Jack said, waving his hand toward himself. "We'll check inside the theater."
Jack rushed inside the theater. Clarence and Josh followed him close behind. They came out at the top of the stands. They gasped in even more shock to see that Isabella was missing. They saw Jane and Izzy leaping across the tank. They could hear them chattering in joy.
"Shit. Someone has stolen Lilli," Jack hissed in anger.
"The dolphins seem to be happy she is gone," Josh commented and cupped his chin in his hand.
"That doesn't make sense," Clarence said in disbelief. "Lilli always got along with Jane and Izzy."
Josh eyed him. "You never know what animals are really thinking about each other, especially cetaceans."
"I have a hunch of who would've done this," Jack muttered and clenched his teeth.
"Who?" Josh wondered.
"Jesse. That young man has never liked the idea of animals being held captive. Dial has encountered him, his girlfriend, his brother, and his friends a few times on San Juan Island. None of them are fans of animal captivity. Jesse and Elvis must have been visiting family here this week. They came here and saw Lilli. They thought she was sad and pining for freedom, so they convinced friends to help them steal her. Since we were put to sleep, I bet Andros, Ashley, Zhane, and Karone helped them. They were likely visiting their friends. Dial said something about Andros, Karone, and Zhane having telepathic abilities once," Jack explained.
Clarence snorted. "That is a good theory, but there is no evidence that they ever visited this park."
"Clarence is right," Josh agreed. "The person Lilli trusted the most was Brenda. To steal Lilli, those six young people would've had to convince her to sneak them into the park."
"That is possible," Jack commented. "Of course, Brenda isn't too easily swayed by anything."
"You never know how people will act in any situation," Clarence said matter-of-factly.
Jack exhaled in a sharp manner. "I have to let Dial and Harry know about this. They will be so pissed."
Jack grabbed his IPhone from his pocket. He turned it on and swiped the screen. This brought him to the first page. He touched the phone app to bring up his contacts page. He proceeded to search through them.
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A great-horned owl sat on a branch in the middle of a tree in the Fredericks residence's front yard. It opened its beak slightly and let out a series of hoots. It looked down at the house. The house happened to be large. Its backyard was surrounded by a wooden fence. Its back door was the sliding glass type. It led out to a patio that contained a metal table and four unmatching chairs. The front porch had a swing and two foldable chairs.
The owl tilted its head as Dial came up to the living room window with a tea-filled mug in his hand. He sipped the sugar-filled tea and smacked his lips. He spotted the owl. It spread its wings and took off into the sky. It went out of sights, its hoots echoing on the wind. He turned around before taking another sip of his tea.
He approached the couch and sat down with a light grunt. He woke up ten minutes ago and was unable to go back to sleep. He decided to fix himself some tea. He hoped it would help him grow tired and get him to fall asleep. He hated it when he couldn't sleep, especially when he had to get up and go to work later on. He wished it was the weekend. He took comfort in the fact that it was just a day away.
Suddenly, Aerosmith's Angel snapped him out of his thoughts. He grabbed his IPhone from his black robe pocket. He looked at, seeing Jack and his number of 360-999-8898. He started to get a feeling that something was wrong. He knew his friend wouldn't call this early in the morning. He touched Jack's name, causing the ringtone to stop in the middle of its second play. He put the IPhone to his ear.
"Jack, what is going on?" Dial asked.
"I have bad news, Dial," Jack replied urgently. "Lilli is missing from the tank. Clarence, Josh, and I were put to sleep. When we woke up, we found the crane parked outside the entrance to the theater. We went inside to investigate and found her nowhere in sight. Jane and Izzy seemed to be happy she was gone."
"Damn it," Dial hissed in much anger. He tightened his grip on his IPhone so much that it seemed he was about to break it. "I'm lucky I purchased theft insurance this time. Otherwise, it would've been another disaster."
"I believe Jesse and Elvis are behind this. They were likely visiting family here this week. They visited the park and saw Lilli. They thought she was sad and pining for freedom, so they formed a plan to bust her out of the tank. Andros, Ashley, Zhane, and Karone were likely in town as well. I wouldn't be surprised if they helped them," Jack explained.
"You are likely right," Dial agreed. "Otherwise, how would you, Josh, and Clarence have ended up asleep? You don't fall asleep on the job easily."
"I honestly believe those six young people convinced Brenda to sneak them into the park," Jack suggested.
"I believe you are right about that too," Dial said, setting his tea on the coffee table. "I've always considered her a bigmouth. She is no different from Rae."
Dial stroked his beard before running his hand over his face. He leaned forward while flaring his nostrils.
"I want you to call Harry and let him know about this. Then you are to call Wilson and tell him to bring his crew down. We are not losing that orca," Dial said in determination.
"Yes, sir," Jack answered.
"I might have theft insurance on her, but she is still my biggest moneymaker. If I don't get her back, revenue will decrease. I could still get Ian, but he will need a companion of his own species at some point," Dial said.
"Yep," Jack agreed.
Dial snorted. "I will talk to you later."
Jack cleared his throat. "You too, sir. Bye."
Dial heard a click and took the IPhone off his ear. He looked at it before turning it off. He stood up while slipping it into his robe pocket. He felt his hatred for Jesse bubble to the surface. He wished that young man had never come into his life. He would still have Willy had it not been for him. He wasn't about to let him, his brother, and his friends get away with what they were doing. He stood up and rushed upstairs.