Chapter 13
Ken put his foot to the floor stirring up more dust as they drove into the unknown landscape, avoiding wild life along the way.
"Jafaru, do you know where we are?" Ken looked at him sideways. They hadn't spoken a word in almost an hour. There were no signs of them being followed so he relaxed a little and slowed down.
"I was wonderin' when you were gonna ask." He said a smile creeping across his dark features. "That was some move you did back there…"
Ken grimaced, he was almost dead, that's what almost happened, he should have been more careful he thought tightening his grip on the large steering wheel of the old army truck.
Jun would have been lucky to have his body sent back home. He pushed that thought from his mind. He had to stay focused on the mission.
"I did what I had to do." Ken said containing some of his anger. Pretending to stay unconscious Ken heard the conversation about Count Blue as they were dragged into the tent- he wasn't prepared for the sudden paralyse that hit him.
"Who drugged ma again? Jafaru…was it you?" He said through gritted teeth.
"No." Jafaru confessed. "A guard hit a central nerve to stop you from fighting, an old trick from the tribal days of hardened warriors."
Ken slammed on the breaks bringing to sudden jolting halt. A Rhino stood in front of them in the darkness. The force of the sudden braking slammed Jafaru against the dash board Ken grabbed him by his shirt and pulled him back.
"What," Jafaru's fierce eyes mirrored his. "Its just a Rhino. "
Ken could feel Jafaru's hot breath on his face. "Yeah I can see that, but who's following us?" Jafaru looked confused.
"I was getting us out…" Jafaru told him, not even trying to move out of his tight grasp. "I didn't think he'd put a gun to ya head…"
Ken let go of his shirt. "I know, but someone else started shooting."
"Tell me about it, I thought we were next on that snipers list. Does this never end?" Jafaru thumped the dash board in frustration as Ken put the car into gear and accelerated.
They no better than Galactor… I thought when the Science Ninja Team blew dem all up…got rid of dem. I'd be a free man." Jafaru's voice cracked and his eyes became moist- Ken could see the deep pain in them.
"What did you do for Galactor?" Ken asked quietly.
" A long time ago I was a young scientist for the ISO…I wanted tah help people…den one day, Galactor captured a few of us moving wit out families to another location. Day forced us to work for dem. threatened to harm our kids and wives if we didn't."
Ken listened, he knew about captured scientist being forced to do research and create technology for the organisation. "I'm listening Jafaru."
So Jafaru poured out his heart. "When Galactor fell apart we finally got out of there…" His voice broke with grief." But my boy…he's been gone a long time…two years. One day some goons came to the base family camps and took the young boys to train them to fight. He would be 12 yrs old now. Mah wife, she cries everyday for him. I learned dat some of dah soldiers from Galactor, now work for rebels…"
Jafaru stared with vacant eyes out the front windscreen into the dark night. Ken pulled out a piece of paper from his pocket. "Your Commander was a sloppy man Jafaru, he wrote down his meeting time and place…and mapped it. If you want me to help you find your son, then get me to that location."
"Done deal…mah wife and daughter…I hope they safe where I left them" Jafaru said more to himself than Ken. "Dat Commander, he didn't know shit. Did you pick his pocket?"
Ken grinned and nodded.
"Then who started the shooting?" Ken mused out loud.
"Dunno, someone let off a lose shot I guess, over excited about some action." Jafaru shrugged his shoulders. Ken began to wonder if his 'friend' had shown up again.
"Those petrol barrels exploding couldn't have been an accident." Ken pointed out to his guide. "They need other elements to cause dem to explode."
"I thought dat too…" Jafaru looked to analysing the events of the night. "Do ya think he'd be following us?"
"I'm not sure." Ken said looking into the rear vision mirror.
"We need to get to that location, and then we can look for your son together." Ken promised.
"Why are you so willing to help me find him?" Jafaru eyes narrowed. Dats my personal business, you're paying me good money to be your guide."
"You're not doing so well on your own, besides I have lost people I loved to Galactor, Its only right that I help you find him." Ken thought about his father, and then Joe. And all the pain they had suffered in the war against that evil organisation.
"Then it's a deal, you're a rare kind of person Ken. Not many people would help so willingly." Jafaru extended his hand to Ken. They shook hands to close the agreement.
Ken knew it would delay his return to Utoland if he helped Jafaru, but he couldn't just walk out on him.
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Jun's back ached, she straightened up and putting a hand on her lower back for support. Signing put away the cleaning equipment for the floor in the small store room and waddled to turn the sign for the snack J to closed.
Taking her Keys she decided to go for a walk to the park instead and enjoy some of the late afternoon warmth.
The ten minute walk seemed to take forever, but she needed the fresh air and sitting would only make her back ache worse. Being comfortable seemed to be a thing of the past. She put a hand over her swollen abdomen.
The unusually warm day in the winter had brought out a lot of people Jun noticed walking down the pathway towards the centre of the park.
Stopping at a bench she knew well she decided to sit and rest for a few moments. Ken had often sat next to her on this bench. Her first date with him when they became deactivated had ended with him holding her close in his arms late one night…
Those memories warmed her heart and brought a sting of pain at the same time. They didn't talk that night while sitting on the bench- He just sat here holding her close in his arms, looking up into the night sky. She remembered the feeling of him tilting her chin she he could look into her face, the way his warm lips felt on hers during their first kiss, how much he wanted her, his kiss gentle yet passionate, she could feel it even now.
Later, he walked her back to the loft, and slept on the couch, that morning she woke up to find him sleeping on the floor next to her bed with just a cushion from the couch under his head…
The sound of a little girl shouting to her mother to watch her do a dance she had just made up brought Jun back to reality. Loneliness had become a way of life for Jun since she discovered she was pregnant, she yearned for some sense of normality to come back into it.
She observed another couple a few years older pushing a pram, the baby inside let out a wale and the father walked around the front to comfort the tiny baby inside.
With a heavy heart Jun looked away, that would be the fantasy she thought, putting herself with Ken in their place. She stood up trying to numb the rush of sadness she felt for the child she carried under her heart. She needed to keep occupied- it's time to open the Joint again. She thought walking back in the direction of her home.