Author's Notes: Hi, readers. Here is chapter forty-two of "Ride the Wind II: Justice Unbound." I am glad it took just a week to get out. I have to say I am having a blast showing Jesse, Elvis, Brenda, Andros, Ashley, Zhane, and Karone taking Isabella to freedom. They know it is risky, but it is the right thing to do. This crossover has five chapters to go before it reaches its end. Stay tuned for chapter forty-three.
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Chapter 42: On a Rural Road
Brenda drove down a rural road thirty minutes later. Elvis had his head propped up on the door. Andros and Ashley were asleep. He was leaned against the door while she had her head on his shoulder. Zhane and Karone were also asleep. He lay on his side in the middle of the truck with his head on his arm. She was on hers and had her back pressed against him. Her arm was folded behind her head. Jesse petted Isabella in the back of her eyepatch as she clicked softly. He mouthed 'It's okay' to her before kissing her.
Elvis took his arm off the door. He looked out his window to see cows grazing in a field surrounded by barbed wire fencing. One cow lifted its head and mooed loudly. Another twitched its ears and tail. One more walked around. It stopped at a patch of grass and started gazing. Brenda looked toward them while raising her eyebrows. She moved her hands to the sides of the steering wheel. The radio played Michael Jackson's You Are Not Alone.
"Those are pretty cows, aren't they?" Elvis asked.
"They sure are, Elvis. Some cows produce the milk we drink," Brenda answered.
"It is really cool how farmers attach little devices to their teats and get the milk out of them with a machine. The cows stand there without a care in the world. After the milking is finished, they go on their merry way," Elvis explained.
"It has to be cleaned of germs before it comes to us. Raw milk is full of them. The method of cleaning the milk is called pasteurizing. The milk is put into a jug in a factory. Then it's delivered to the store," Brenda added and patted the wheel twice.
"Milk is full of Vitamin D and calcium. Both of them give us strong bones," Elvis pointed out.
"We want strong bones to lessen the chance of them breaking when we fall down," Brenda said.
"Yep," Elvis responded while nodding fast.
"Have you ever gotten a broken bone?" Brenda wondered while scratching her head.
"I broke my arm slipping on the floor of my brother's cabin," Elvis said, sitting up tall and proud. "Have you?"
"Not at all," Brenda admitted in relief. She returned her hand to the wheel. "If I ever get a broken bone, I won't be able to do waterworks for weeks. No business owner will allow it, not even Dial."
"I have to give him credit for not putting his workers in dangerous situations," Elvis said honestly. "That doesn't make him any less of a slime ball. The same goes for Harry."
"You got that right," Brenda agreed. "I was a fool to work for those bastards. I am considering Karone's offer to work at the Angel Grove Aquarium."
"Even after you help us free Isabella?" Elvis asked.
"Yeah," Brenda said with a slow nod. "Unlike Willy and Isabella, the wild-caught orcas weren't captured illegally. The owner cares deeply for the animals. He needs more orca trainers to work for him. Besides, Angel Grove is the perfect place for a fresh start."
"It is a nice city," Elvis said, smiling lightly. "Maybe my family and I can take a vacation there soon."
Brenda and Elvis heard groaning. She saw Andros and Ashley stirring in their sleep in the rearview mirror. They opened their eyes while yawning. They stretched their arms above their heads. They laid their hands in their laps.
"Look who's awake," Brenda said with a soft sigh.
"Some of us need to get some shuteye," Andros said, rubbing his eyes.
Ashley suppressed a yawn. "Mm-hmm. How much longer before we are on the forest road?"
"We will be there in a few minutes," Brenda commented and rubbed her chin. She returned her hand to the wheel. "I hate that taking back roads makes this trip longer, but we don't have a choice."
"When we get on the forest road, we'll have to be careful," Elvis added seriously. "Let's pray there are no fallen trees blocking our path."
Andros huffed annoyingly. "Yeah. Those trees can be such bitches."
"I can't help but wonder if the tree that kept Randolph, Rae, and Jesse from taking Willy down a forest road was deliberately cut down. If it was, I wouldn't be surprised if Dial was behind it. He didn't want anyone accessing any marinas in case they stole any of his animals," Ashley explained and gritted her teeth.
"Talk about sneaky," Elvis said, shuddering in disgust.
Brenda rolled her eyes. "Yep."
"At least we haven't encountered any bumps in the road," Andros murmured in relief.
Elvis touched the back of his neck. "Thank God."
Andros and Ashley broke into quiet chatter. Zhane groaned, as did Karone. They stirred in their sleep before opening their eyes. They yawned widely and smacked their lips. They pushed themselves into sitting positions. They rubbed their eyes and looked at each other.
"What time is it?" Zhane wondered.
"It's three-ten in the morning," Karone answered and suppressed a yawn. "We've been asleep for more than an hour."
"I can't believe we managed to fall asleep in the back of a truck," Zhane commented in amazement. He scratched the top of his head. "The truck's bed isn't very comfortable."
"It may not be, but at least we got some sleep," Karone pointed out matter-of-factly.
"Mm-hmm," Zhane agreed and looked toward Jesse and Isabella. He heard her squeak somewhat quietly. "How is Isabella doing?"
Jesse frowned a bit. "She is getting pretty dry. We need to stop and wet her down."
Zhane nodded at him. "All right."
Zhane turned to the window along with Karone. He opened it and cleared his throat. This caused Andros, Ashley, and Elvis to look at him.
"Isabella is getting rather dry," Zhane said while laying his hand on the window. "We need to stop and wet her down."
"All right," Brenda replied, nodding. "I will pull over."
Brenda moved over to the side of the road as Zhane closed the window. She came to a stop and turned off the engine. She exited the truck along with Andros, Ashley, and Elvis after they undid their seatbelts. Zhane and Karone stood up with loud grunts. They climbed out of the back. All six of them stretched their legs and arms. Jesse rose to his feet. He stretched his arms, followed by his legs. He grabbed the water tank and set it on the trailer. He turned on the hose. He proceeded to spray Isabella with water. His friends and brother came over to him.
"How long will it be before we reach the forest road?" Jesse asked, eyeing Brenda.
"We will be there in a few minutes," Brenda admitted.
"I hope no trees will block our path," Jesse said, cringing a bit. He moved the hose back after shifting his attention to Isabella. "I remember being very scared when the trailer started sliding off the other forest road while Randolph was backing up. Willy was too."
"I don't blame you two," Brenda said in much sympathy. "It isn't every day that people tow a whale to freedom."
"You would think it'd be impossible to illegally capture whales in US waters. Unfortunately, Willy and Isabella proved that wasn't the case," Elvis grumbled in anger.
"When boats disguise their true nature, they can do just about anything," Jesse commented, hissing with much disgust. "The crews think no one will figure them out."
"You realized the crew of the Botany Bay was hunting whales when you observed Willy slapping his tail on the surface near it," Ashley said.
"Yes, but the captain of the Noah refused to believe it unless I found proof. I did find it, yet he didn't intend to go after the whalers until morning. By then, it would've been too late to save J-Pod. Randolph, Drew, and I stole the boat and managed to stop the whalers," Jesse explained while moving the hose toward Isabella's dorsal.
"Breaking law may be wrong, but there are times where you don't have a choice," Zhane said bluntly.
"Like with Isabella," Karone said as she motioned toward the orca.
"Exactly," Andros commented as he slipped his hand inside his pockets. "Dial could've changed his mind about acquiring Ian and sold Isabella instead. Then the chances of her returning to her family would've been slim to none."
"What a creep," Elvis said bitterly. "I can't wait to see his and Harry's asses in jail."
The others voiced their agreement. Jesse turned up the pressure on the hose. This caused more water to come out of it. He moved the hose toward Isabella's side. Elvis proceeded to talk about the time he helped his brother and Nadine see Willy, Luna, and Littlespot get past the oil.