Chapter 10
Skylar and Riley loaded up the Jeep as Komo ushered Rebecca and Wooly to the Jeep. "Where are we going this time?" The young girl asked curiously.
"We're going to an indoor amusement park that my friend owns," Skylar said with a smile. "It's the off season right now, but he agreed we could have the park to ourselves."
The kids' eyes lit up and Riley smiled. "I think we could all use this break before we move to our final destination," she said.
Just as the adults were about to climb into the Jeep, their mystery friend appeared and handed Skylar something. She took a look and blinked in surprise. "Wow, the Army is involved?" She asked. "And they've taken over the base where the people we're running from are?"
The figure nodded and gave her what looked like a map. Skylar's eyes widened as she saw it. "Oh, man," she said. "These people are operating at the main base."
"Main base?" Riley asked.
The programmer nodded. "The people that are searching for Rebecca are operating at a warehouse in the same complex at the headquarters for the company," she said. "The warehouse was declared empty and has been untouched."
"Which made it a perfect base for those people that trapped Rebecca," Komo said. "No one would have been the wiser had Kate not pushed Riley to investigate."
"Aunt Kate no doubt did because she knew Sam wasn't lying about the danger, especially when it involved Rebecca," Riley said.
Skylar nodded and noticed their mystery friend hold up a playing card.
The Ace of Spades, to be exact.
She looked up at them. "Are you sure it's the right time?" She asked.
They made a 'so-so' motion with their hand and she nodded. "Almost time, then," she said before looking at their friend. "During either the stand off or the battle. Play the ace in the hole then. We have the advantage for the most part, but that will give us the final victory."
Nodding, their friend vanished and Skylar took a deep breath, getting into the Jeep and they all were soon on the road. "It's almost time then?" Komo asked.
"Yes, Komo," the programmer said.
"The ace in the hole," Riley said. "The information you said our friend was holding on to until the time was right."
Skylar nodded. "After today, we take the fight to them," she said. "And not only will we free Rebecca and Wooly, we'll free Komo and find Sam."
Rebecca perked up at hearing that. "You'll find Daddy?" She asked.
"Yes," the programmer said with a smile. "That will be our next mission as soon as we free you and Wooly."
Wooly hugged his sister. "Do you think your dad will let me stay with you guys?" He asked.
"You're my brother, Wooly," Rebecca said. "He will. I'll ask him to adopt you and we'll always be brother and sister."
The two hugged and Komo smiled, ruffling the kids' hair to make them laugh. It wasn't long before they reached the park and Skylar's friend let them in. "Enjoy," he said.
The kids immediately ran around, Rebecca pointing some things out to Wooly and he pointed out some things too. "Go ahead and pick what you want to do, kids," Skylar's friend said. "The park is all yours for today."
"Can we go on the swings?" Wooly asked.
"Yeah!" Rebecca said.
Riley and Komo kept watch around the area while Skylar and her friend watched over the kids. "Hey," he said, making the programmer look at him. "Your genie friend. I did some research."
"What did you find?" She asked.
"There is a way to free him," he said. "But it involves a portal and something else to attach to the armor."
"The monster?"
He nodded. "Here's the crazy thing," he said after letting Rebecca and Wooly of the swings and the kids ran for the rollercoaster, which they climbed into and he secured the bar over their laps. "Hold on tight, kids," he said, smiling. "This one goes fast."
As the rollercoaster started, the young man turned to Skylar. "I noticed Komo's gold armor in laced with what looks like magic that can pull someone inside and help Komo to escape," he said. "Like someone to take his place."
"A curse, then?" Skylar asked.
"Not exactly," he said. "Just magic that binds him unless someone takes his place, but get this. The magic is one to not only protect the wearer, but if the monster gets struck with the armor, the magic will activate and pull the monster inside, trapping it forever. Once it's trapped, the armor will vanish with the monster inside."
"Never to be seen or found again?"
"Yeah," he said.
"So...we're going to have to open that portal again, aren't we?" She asked.
"No," he said. "Those guys that were trying to find you? My buddy is one of the 'scientists' there and he said they have a portal ready. And with the Army now involved, the lead scientist is ready to throw the switch for the portal."
"How much time do we have?" Skylar asked, getting a sinking feeling about this.
"Three days at best," her friend said. "Skylar...be careful. The lead scientist is really unhinged. He's already furious at the Army being involved, especially with the stories coming out. More and more people are calling the company everyday and demanding explanations or for the company to go bankrupt. It's getting really bad. Even the investors are looking to pull out if they find that the stories are true."
"Then everything is riding on us getting there and revealing the whole truth," she said. "Thanks, bro. Be careful."
"I will," he said before hugging her. "You be careful too, sis."
She nodded and went to join Riley and Komo in watching the kids. Wooly and Rebecca were going through a crazy bouncy obstacle course and were laughing. "Come on, Wooly!" Rebecca said before squeaking as she tripped and fell down laughing.
"This is very difficult to move in!" The young boy said, struggling to keep his balance.
Rebecca grinned and managed to get over to him, pouncing on him and making him yelp before laughing as she tickled him. "Come on, Wooly. Just bounce around!" She said with a giggle, letting him up after a bit.
He tried, but stumbled and she grabbed his hand. "Let's do it together," she suggested and they bounced around, both laughing now as Wooly found it fun.
"This is fun!" He said.
"I so go to ask my dad to get us a bounce house once we get home," the young girl asked.
Riley smiled before she sighed softly, making Komo and Skylar look at her. "Riley, what's wrong?" The genie asked.
"I...I just hope I'm doing my aunt proud," she said. "I miss her."
Skylar looked pensive. "Riley, what if I told you that I don't think your aunt is gone?" She asked.
The detective looked at her. "What do you mean?" She asked. "She told me in her letter that I wouldn't see her again."
"I think because she was afraid that the people after us would come after her," the programmer said. "But one week before you contacted me, I got something in the mail and asked Komo to hold onto it for safekeeping."
Komo reached behind his back and pulled out a bracelet with Tiger's Eye stones. Riley gasped as she saw it. "It's from your aunt," the genie said gently. "We don't know where she is, but there is no record of her passing away."
"You mean...she is still alive?" Riley asked.
"We believe she is," Skylar said. "This bracelet came from her from an address that she had told me was one of her properties."
The detective accepted the bracelet from the genie and slipped it on, tears in her eyes before wiped away her tears. "We're going to win," she said. "We're going to set things right."
Her firm tone made both Skylar and Komo smile before the genie scooped both young women up. "Come on. Time to get silly!" He said, flying towards the pit filled with soft foam blocks.
"KOMO! DON'T YOU DARE!" Skylar squealed at him before shrieking as he playfully tossed her into the pit. She landed on the soft foam blocks and tried to scramble to her feet, but that was hard to do.
Riley tried to hold onto Komo, but he teleported away, making her fall into the pit too. "Oh, that does it!" She said, a playful smile on her face. "Get over here, you crazy genie!"
Rebecca and Wooly, who had just won a few prizes at some of the game booths, laughed at seeing this before seeing Komo look at them with a grin and they squealed, trying to run, but he scooped them up and playfully tossed them into the soft foam pit too, making them laugh before Skylar's brother came up behind the genie and playfully pushed him into the pit too, making the kids and young women laugh.
"Ha! That's what you get for messing with my sister!" The young man said playfully.
"And here's your reward, brother!" Skylar said, reaching up and wrapping her arms around her brother's shoulders, pulling him into the pit with her.
It was chaos for a bit before Komo managed to get out and one by one, he lifted the three adults and the kids out of the pit, all of them laughing and trying to catch their breaths. "Okay, we really needed that," Riley said.
"Yeah," Rebecca said. "That was fun."
Komo noticed the time. "We best get going," he said. "If we go now, we'll make it in time to have one day to rest before making our move at dawn."
Nodding, Skylar hugged her brother, thanking him again and the kids thanked him too, along with Komo and Riley. And per Komo's prediction, they arrived at the inn a few hours later, all of them ready to head to bed. "We're only half-an-hour away from headquarters," the programmer said.
"Then maybe we should move our plan to surprise them tomorrow at dawn instead," Riley said.
Their mystery friend appeared right then and nodded, pointing to Riley. "Our mystery friend agrees," Skylar said.
Komo nodded. "Then, tomorrow...Rebecca and Wooly will finally be free," he said.
They all nodded and Skylar placed her hand out in front of her, palm facing the ground. Riley placed her hand on top of Skylar's hand while their mystery friend placed their hand over Riley's hand. Komo placed his hand on top of the stack. "With this bond, we will not fail," he said.
The group nodded before pulling away and getting ready.
It was time.
Will they succeed? Will Komo, Rebecca, and Wooly be free at last? Is Kate still alive? Stay tuned to find out.
And please leave a review, but no flames!
GoldGuardian2418