In the middle of the box was a small green indent. After a few seconds a map popped up from the green indent. It was a holographic 3D map of some sort of base.
"One of them dropped that," Skipper said. He was able to calm himself down. "I think it's the map of their lair."
Kowalski looked back at Skipper. He didn't know what to say to him. Private was still gone, Rico was still sick, and the only thing they had was a little map. The map didn't say where it was or how to get to it. It was just a map of the facility! He slammed it back on to the table. "We don't know where that is Skipper!" he shouted. "It's just a box with a map of their base! It doesn't show us how to get there!"
Skipper thought for a moment. He looked down at the map. It wasn't just of the base, it was the area around it too. He picked up the map and looked closer, behind the facility was a river. To the left was just woods. No not just woods.
Kowalski watched Skipper frustrated. "Skipper what are you doing?" he asked impatiently.
Skipper didn't answer he looked at the trees in the forest. There were a line of trees close to the facility. Baobab trees. "Baobab," Skipper said to himself. They were baobab trees. Baobab tree's only grow in Madagascar. Private was somewhere in Madagascar. Rico's antidote was probable in Madagascar too.
"What?" Kowalski demanded.
Skipper held up the map. "Baobab trees," he said pointing to the line of trees. "Those are baobab trees. They only grow in Madagascar. This facility is in Madagascar. If this is their main base than it has to be where they're taking Private. Rico's antidote might be there too." He looked hopefully at Kowalski. Kowalski had to understand. They had to go to Madagascar.
Kowalski thought for a moment. Skipper was right, those were baobab trees. Baobab trees were native to Madagascar. But what if they dropped that map on purpose? There was only one way to find out. The bunker was locked buy over fifteen different security systems and locks. Rico would be safe while they were gone. They had to go to Madagascar. "Then it looks like we are going to Madagascar." He looked down at Skipper. He didn't trust him. Skipper could be lying about everything. He could've had the map all along. He could be on the enemy's side. He could've given Private to them. Kowalski didn't know. He wasn't there when it all happened. Skipper could be telling the truth for all he knew. He looked like he was. He looked scared and nervous and upset. He also looked determined. All of it said he had told the truth. But looks can be deceiving. "We'll leave tomorrow at dawn," he said blankly before going into the back room.
Skipper watched Kowalski go. He didn't say anything or argue. He wanted Kowalski to trust him. Arguing wouldn't have helped. Nothing seemed to help. Kowalski blamed him for all of this. He knew Kowalski did. He didn't even know who this enemy was. They would soon find out. Hopefully. Skipper laid his head down on the table. How did all of this happen? They were once in the zoo with friends and they were happy. Now they were stuck in a little two room bunker a thousand feet under the streets of Mexico trying to figure out how to fight an enemy they didn't know anything about. An enemy that had attacked for no reason. They had a map of a facility somewhere in Madagascar. That helped. But what if it was a trap? What if they had cropped it on purpose to lead them to their deaths? What if this facility, base, whatever it was…didn't exist at all? Then again, what if this map was were the enemy hid? What if it was their base? What if the antidote for Rico really was there? And Private…what if he was there? There was only one way to know for sure. They had to go to Madagascar.
Skipper couldn't sleep that night. He couldn't figure out how it happened. He ran the events over and over again in his head but no answers ever came. How did Private slip through his flippers like that? How could he let those freaks take him? How? What were they doing to Private? Did they already start the torture? Did they just kill him? Was Private dead? Skipper shot up. He sat up straight shaking. Private couldn't be dead… could he? Private was too young to die. What if he wasn't dead? What if he was just sitting in a cage waiting for some form of torture? What if they didn't do anything to him yet? Then he was still ok. Right? He was still in one piece. And- and alive. He was fine. If he wasn't dead already.
Skipper got up and started pacing. He could still hear Private screaming as they took him away. They were too fast. Skipper couldn't keep up with them. It killed him not to know what happened to Private. It killed him that he was the one who let Private slip away. It was all his fault. He could've saved Private. But why didn't he? How did he let Private slip away? He still heard Private screaming. He still heard the fear. He couldn't take it anymore. He went to the side walk and pressed a few spots. The wall opened reveling several weapons. Stealth weapons.
Hanging in the wall were three swards in their sheaths, a quiver filled with arrows, a bow, and a shoulder strap filled with three smoke bombs, four knives, and a pair of night vision goggles.
Skipper put the strap on first followed by the two swards, then the quiver of arrows, and then the bow. He took the map and closed the box. He put the map in a bag that hung on his shoulder strap. Leaving a note on the table he left.
This was his fault. He caused this somehow. Now he was going to fix it.