This story is dedicated to Diane M. F., a friend from my water walking class who recently died. I shall miss you greatly. I hope that wherever your soul is, you are happy.
Welcome to the sequel to Hidden Chaos. I look forward to reading any reviews that readers leave behind. There are two things I do need to address.
If you read my companion story to Hidden Chaos, then you know that I wrote the gang departed from Texas and that Bumpy had her egg with her. Season two has shown this wasn't canon.
To be fair, they never said where the port was until the second season. Plus, the landscape reminded me more of a desert and not the swamps and woodlands you would find in Louisiana. That's why I thought they took off from Texas.
As for Bumpy's egg, I was confused. When they were at her container, the camera showed only one way in and one way out. Sure, Jensen could have taken a ladder over the crates, but the suitcase with the eggs seemed to weigh a lot.
So that's why I believed the egg in the suitcase was from a different Ankylosaurus. Since the canon says otherwise, I will be going with the egg from a different dinosaur, but they think it's Bumpy's.
The young adults tiptoed around the ship. Crouching behind a container, they saw the last of the crew locking them down. They needed to find an empty container to use as their hiding spot.
"Do you really believe we'll find an empty container to hide in?" Yaz asked skeptically. "Maybe it would be better to hide in the cargo hold?"
"I don't think that's a good idea," Ben whispered. "From what I read online, container ships like this have very narrow cargo holds to help make the ship go faster."
"I bet that's where they're keeping all the food for the dinos. It would be easier to contain crates of food and freezers in that area. We could be caught if we try to go there," Sammy stated quietly.
"We disrupted their loading process. There has to be at least one or two containers they didn't have time to fill with dinosaurs," Darius reasoned.
"Then let's stop hiding and find one. I don't want to be caught out on the deck by the crew," Kenji informed them.
The group started tiptoeing around the deck as they made their way towards the stern of the ship. It would be harder for the crew to see them from the observation deck. Also, the crates would be strapped down tighter so they didn't fall off the deck if the boat was hit by a massive wave.
"These containers are stacked three high. Should we try to find one at the base level?" Sammy asked.
"I don't think that would be a good idea," Ben replied. "We could be spotted easier as they check the containers."
"Well, we can't use one on top. There would be no way to get down to sneak for supplies and use the bathroom," Yaz pointed out logically.
"Second level it is then," Darius said.
"Don't forget to make our casa comfortable to travel in. We don't know how long we're going to be on this delightful cruise," Kenji said.
The group heard footsteps coming their way and hid between the containers. The dinosaurs started roaring as the kids smacked against their temporary housing.
"Shut up, you lot of reptiles!" a blond-haired crew member shouted as he walked down the row. The young adults pressed themselves even closer to the containers.
The blond man just shook his head. "Day one and already these dinosaurs are giving me a headache. I should have tranquilized them before we headed out to sea."
The man rubbed his forehead and headed back towards the bridge. As soon as he was far enough away the group came out of hiding. That was a very close call.
"Come on, we need to find a place to hide hurriedly," Darius whispered anxiously.
The Nublar Five increased their pace as they started looking at which containers had dinosaurs and those without. It was Kenji who finally found one and pointed it out to his friends.
"Look, that one is empty and on the second floor. The crates below make it easy to climb. When they come to feed the dinosaurs, I bet we can snag some food from an unattended crate."
The group agreed it would work, but there was still one significant issue they needed to figure out. How do they open the door from inside the container?
Yaz looked around for some rope. "We can use that! We can tie one end around the handle and pull it from the inside."
"We'll need something to sleep on. We'll get sick if we sleep on the metal floor the whole trip," Ben reminded them. "I'll go look for a few tarps."
"We'll also need a lantern when it gets dark. Without one, we'll be stumbling alone in the dark trying to find the bathroom," Sammy stated. "I bet I can find one that's unattended for us to use."
"I'll look for some water bottles to fill. We'll need fresh water as well. Kenji, keep an eye out for the food."
An hour later everything was set up. Sammy had found two lights unattended. After tying the rope to the handle, Yaz found a few sacks lying around. Judging by the smell, it was mulch.
Ben returned with four tarps and surprisingly a hammock. Darius was able to fill the water bottles and find a pipe they could use as a hanger. Kenji not only brought back some lettuce, but a few crates they could use as tables while also weighing down the container.
It wasn't much and it wasn't pretty, but it would do. Now all they had to do was settle in and wait to see where the boat went. With any luck, they would find answers to who the Broker was, and why they put a hit on them.
When night fell, the Nublar group did their best to make their sleeping area comfortable. Darius laid out two tarps while Kenji assisted Yaz push the sacks close together to make a pillow.
Ben was climbing into the hammock to sleep. It was agreed that they would take turns sleeping in it. Sammy pulled out a bundle of hay she had found in one of the crates.
She broke it into smaller bundles to create small "blankets" for everyone to use. The ocean breeze at night made it very cold in the container so they needed the extra warmth. She dimmed the light as everyone curled up close to sleep.
Ben didn't know how many hours had passed when he woke up. It was still dark and the ocean gusts made him shiver. He pulled his jacket tightly around his body.
Slipping out of the hammock, he fumbled around before finding one of the lanterns. As quietly as he could, he made his way over to the door. Pulling on the rope, the door opened with a loud creak.
The dinosaur below started making noises. As Ben carefully lowered himself to the deck, more dinosaurs started roaring or lowing in agitation. He started walking towards the door that led to the lower deck.
Thanks to his knowledge of boats, he knew the bathroom had to be on the lower deck near the crew quarters. It was a risk they would be discovered each time one of them used it. Even Ben knew it would be better to use the bathroom than doing his business on the deck or in a different container.
He crept down the stairs and slowly walked through the hall. He turned off the lantern to avoid being spotted. He tried to minimize his breathing in an attempt to avoid being heard.
Following the signs posted on the walls he made his way towards the crew quarters. That's when he heard someone coming down the hall. Anxiously, he looked for a spot to hide.
He eyeballed the area and saw a locker for the life vests. Ben quickly opened the lid and thrust himself under the life vests. He carefully lowered the lid before sticking a bit of his hat out to avoid being locked fully inside.
His heart was pounding as he heard the same voice from earlier walking closer to his hiding spot. The man sounded like he was on a walkie-talkie with someone.
"I'm doing the best I can to fix the electrical snafus. But I can't be everywhere at once, Captain. You're going to have to be patient a little while longer."
"Sullivan, do I need to remind you what will happen if we lose power to bridge? I don't care what you think has a higher priority. You are going to come to the bridge and fix the electrical, now!"
Ben heard Sullivan fumbling with the walkie-talkie. "Yes sir, I'll be right there!" There were the sounds of footsteps rapidly walking away.
Ben waited for a few minutes before forcing the lid up a crack. Seeing that no one was in the hallway he climbed out. He needed to find the bathroom quickly.
Yaz was roused from her sleep when she heard the container doors opening. Thankfully, it was just Ben coming back inside. Yawning, she asked if he was okay.
"Yeah, but I'm thinking we need to figure out an alternative for the bathroom. I was nearly discovered when I went to the one near the crew quarters," he replied in a shaky voice.
"Good thing no one else has to go right now. You can tell the others in the morning."
The group woke up the next morning due to the foghorn. They all lamented in frustration. Kenji wailed about why the horn was going off while they were in the open sea.
Ben replied it was because it told other ships in the area where they were and what direction they were going in. It was also used as a means to call for help.
"So, you're saying that there might be another ship miles from here, and the horns going off to warn them. Why not just use radar?"
Ben leaned against the wall and informed him that sound carried farther than the area radar could scan.
To keep Kenji from complaining, Sammy passed out a head of lettuce to each of them. "I hope you like lettuce for breakfast. I don't have any dressing, but it should still taste good."
As they chewed on the lettuce, the subject of the bathroom situation came up again. As Ben described his experience the others got apprehensive.
"Ben, are you sure there aren't any other bathrooms than the one near the crew quarters?" Darius asked.
"Yes, well no, maybe?"
"That's very helpful dude."
"Hey, let's calm down you all. We just need to do some recon. One of us could do some snooping and report back what they find."
"Isn't that risky to do that? We have to stay out of sight until we're nearer to our destination. Wherever that is, I mean."
Ben agreed it was risky, yet, it would be worth it if they had a better idea of the ship's layout. His information might be out of date considering he read it before they were stuck on Nublar Isle.
The boys drew straws, (actual straw!) to see who would do the snooping. Yaz and Sammy were not in the running due to there being no female crew onboard.
Kenji drew the short straw. For some reason, his eyes seemed to sparkle. Yaz was the only one who caught it but dismissed it.
Kenji left the container and slowly made his way to the deck. The dinosaurs growled quieter this time. Maybe it was because it was daytime and they felt safer.
Slipping between the containers, Kenji listened to see if he heard anyone coming. Not hearing anything, he crept closer to the door. As he passed one container, the dinosaur inside shoved its jaw out and tried to bite him.
He slammed into the deck plates which reverberated loudly. That's when he heard a crewman shouting, he heard something. Two sets of footsteps were coming closer.
Kenji didn't think, he just reacted. He rolled under the railing and grabbed the side of the boat. He prayed no one would see his fingertips.
Two men arrived to check out the noise disturbance. "I'm telling you I heard a loud smash on the deck," one of the crew members said.
"Look around, there's no one here. You presumably heard the Suchomimus snapping its jaws against the bars. That thing is the only one with a snout that might fit through the bars," Sullivan remarked tiredly.
The crewman sighed and said Sullivan was right. "I guess I'm just jumpy. This is my first transport run, after all."
Sullivan told him not to stress about it. "Everyone's jumpy the first time. You'll get used to the sounds over the next few days. Come on, we need to check on the engines."
The voices slowly walked away. Once a few minutes passed, Kenji slowly dragged himself onto the deck. He gulped down some air as he tried to steady his heart rate.
That had been a close call and he handled it like a pro. It was actually exhilarating to pull a fast one over these idiots. He hoped he'd run into them again so he could trick them.
Back in the container, the others were worrying about Kenji. He was probably the most athletic out of them. Would that be enough to avoid being detected?
"We really should limit how much time we're out of the container," Yaz commented. "Ben's close call last night emphasized how much danger we're in if we're discovered."
Darius nodded and said they should also try to stay away from the barred windows. "Even though we're on the second floor, someone could still spot us from the deck if we're not careful."
"We should use the tarps in the day to muffle the noise we make. Do you think hanging them on the wall might help?" Sammy asked curiously. The others agreed and got to work.
After they hung up the rest of the tarps there wasn't much else, they could do. Darius powered up Brooklynn's phone to check the time. "I don't know how long we've been up, but it's nine in the morning."
"That is if the phone is changing time zones with us," Yaz mentioned. She began tapping her foot anxiously then stopped. But a few minutes later, she was back at it.
From below them, they heard the screech of a Gallimimus coming from below. Again, Yaz stopped only to start. This time their upstairs neighbor, a Baryonyx roared in annoyance.
Ben physically grabbed Yaz's leg to stop the tapping. The young woman looked sheepish. "Sorry, guys. When I was in therapy, I accidentally developed a body tick when I'm extremely anxious or stressed."
Sammy chuckled and said that explained what the sounds from the guest bedroom had been. She thought that mice were crawling around inside the house. "No wonder my traps never caught anything."
The others laughed and settled back down. There were sounds of someone approaching the container. Everyone went silent hoping it wasn't the crew on the other side.
"Yo, I'm back," Kenji stated loudly as he closed the door behind him. The others all shushed him. After a minute or so passed they relaxed again.
Kenji took a seat on a crate and informed the camp family what he learned. "Alright, there is another bathroom on the deck. It's on the opposite side of where the stairs to the bridge are. It should be easier to get to as long as we're careful not to be spotted."
It was a relief to know they could still use the facilities without as much risk. Then Kenji talked about what else he had learned.
"There are at least two to three people on the deck at any given time. They do patrols to check on the dinosaurs and feed the herbivores. I didn't see any raw meat with them but the carnivores might have a different feeding schedule."
He went on to tell them which dinosaurs were inside some of the containers. He stressed how important it was to avoid the Suchomimus container because it could still bite them. He finished by telling them they were still sailing east for now.
With this information, the camp family was able to plan out the rest of the journey. No one went to the bathroom alone to avoid being caught. They would only go out for lettuce once a day.
Whenever the patrols came in their direction, everyone would lie on the floor and be quiet. Lights out would be one hour after dark. They would sleep in shifts to ensure someone was always on lookout duty.
Hours flew by and soon it was dark again. They put the tarps back on the floor and got fresh hay "blankets" out to keep warm. Kenji claimed both the hammock and the first watch shift.
It was hard to fall asleep as the boat rocked. The first night had been calm and now the sea was starting to get choppy. It took about an hour, but soon they were asleep except for Kenji.
At least, that's what Kenji assumed. As he paced the length of the container, he had no idea that Yaz was watching him. She was extremely worried about him.
He hadn't said anything since the warehouse about his dad or the man's death. She knew from her psychology classes it wasn't wise for Kenji to be stuck in his head. Yaz was determined to get him to open up to her.
The rest of the week passed with no real change in routine. During the waking hours, they discussed where they thought the ship was going. They also kept track of the crew, hoping they mention something useful.
When night came, there was nothing else to do, but sleep. Darius started a game of guessing which dinosaur made what roars to help make the hours pass quicker. Sammy and Ben were determined to beat him.
When she wasn't on look out duty, Yaz kept her focus on Kenji. He was acting distant and leaving the container for no good reason. She didn't like how many risks he was taking.
It had started raining lightly about an hour ago. Water started trickling into the container. It wasn't a lot but it was making their hay "blankets" wet and smelly.
"Ugh, how can hay smell so bad?" Ben asked as he started gathering it in a pile.
"Must be the salt in the air. We need to get rid of this before it starts to mold," Sammy informed the others.
The next patrol wasn't scheduled for another half hour. Darius volunteered to keep watch as the others threw the hay overboard. On their way out, Kenji mentioned he would get more lettuce for them.
The group had to be cautious as they climbed down the stack. The rain was making the deck slippery. Below, the waves started rocking the ship.
Sammy slipped as the boat tilted to the right. The hay slipped out of her hands and over the rail. She was also heading towards the rail when Ben grabbed her arm to keep her from going overboard.
The boat then righted itself and the gang let out a sigh of relief. "Let's get this over with before we become seafood," Ben said tersely.
"I just hope the Mosasaurus isn't swimming in these waters right now," Sammy whispered. A shiver went down her spine as she recalled how awful that had been.
The others also shivered and Kenji said he also hoped the sharks were staying away. He still had nightmares of when Darius and him had almost been eaten. As soon as the hay was overboard, he went to get some lettuce.
Yaz took a step after him, paused, and then followed the others back inside the container.
Darius was relieved to see them. "I was worried you guys were flung overboard when the ship tilted."
"I nearly was but Ben saved me. Glad to know you never lost your quick reflexes after we left Nublar."
Ben said it was no big deal. Sammy gave him a big hug saying it was a big deal to her. The college student pried himself out of the embrace and headed to his corner.
"We'll need to figure out what to use as a blanket now that the hay's gone. It's going to be cold tonight with the rain."
"Perhaps we'll get lucky and the boat will reach its destination before nightfall."
"If not, we could always use the lettuce leaves. I don't know about you, but I'm not looking forward to eating it for dinner again."
"We'll think of something Ben. Let's try to relax."
While Sammy tried to make the place feel homey, Yaz kept looking out the bars to see if Kenji was coming back. The patrol would be passing by soon and she fretted he might get caught.
Then, Kenji walked into view with some lettuce. She expected him to head for the container. Instead, he walked further down the deck and looked at the ocean.
"What is he doing?" she muttered to herself. She pushed her face against the bars to get a better look. Kenji was still standing out in the open.
She mentally ticked down the minutes until the patrol came by. Soon it was five minutes till. Kenji dropped the lettuce into the ocean and came back.
The others asked him about the lettuce and told the others a half-truth. "It's not a big deal. We still have enough lettuce for another week."
"So, you risked being spotted for no reason?" Yaz challenged him.
"No, I just forgot how much we had. Sammy, have you been decorating? This place is starting to remind me of our sweet pad on Nublar."
"Too bad it was destroyed when the volcano erupted. I kinda miss it. Mostly because everyone thinks it was better than my new place."
The others laughed and their upstairs neighbor's tail smacked the floor of its container. Ben winced as several drops of water landed on his neck. He shook his fist in agitation.
"Can't the Gallimimus settle down up there?"
"The Gallimimus is on the first floor. The Baryonyx is above us."
Ben started challenging Darius to name which dinosaurs were in which crates. Sammy appointed herself scorekeeper. Kenji ducked behind the curtain to grab some food.
"Kenji, can we talk, please?" Yaz asked as she followed him.
Kenji gave a fake smile while replaying he was happy to talk. "What kon Kenji do for you, today?"
Yaz's eyes narrowed at the pun. "Kenji, I know how hard the last week or so have been on you. However, unless you accept the need to grieve, your reckless behavior is going to backfire on us."
Kenji was taken aback by Yaz's boldness. He sputtered and tried to say something. "Wha…what do you mean? I'm dealing with my grief just fine!"
"No, you're not. I'm sorry to take this tone of voice with you, but I can't sit by and watch you destroy yourself. Please, open up to us. We are here to support you."
"I said, I'm fine!" The others stared at Kenji hardly believing he was raising his voice. Brushing past, Yaz, he grabbed the rope and walked out of the container, claiming he needed some air.
Yaz took a deep breath and counted to ten. "That went worse than I expected. Ugh, why did I decide now to be aggressive with him?"
Sammy grasped her girlfriend's hand. "Don't fault yourself. We've been cooped up here for a week. I think we're all on edge and your words came out the wrong way."
Ben and Darius agreed with Sammy. Kenji was acting a bit reckless for now, but once they were off the ship, he would be back to his normal self. They just had to be a bit more patient with him.
That's when they heard a strange roar. They all looked at each other in confusion. They knew almost every dinosaur on the ship, call, and location.
The only one they didn't know was who was trapped inside the ginormous container close to the bridge. The barred windows were too high and small to see properly inside.
Darius turned on Brooklynn's phone. The battery was nearly dead, but he had to know what made that roar. "It's got to be a theropod who made that roar but it didn't sound like any we encountered before."
"I'm not sure about that. I don't know why, but that call seems vaguely familiar to me," Sammy expressed as she scrunched her eyes. There was a faint memory in her mind that was just out of reach.
The boat chose that moment to roll back and forth. The rain intensified and the group was struggling to stay standing. They felt their container starting to tip over.
"Everyone out, now!" Darius shouted. The camp family dashed out of the container just in time. The ship started to tip more.
Their container and the one above slammed onto the deck. The Baryonyx raged and tried to claw its way out. Fortunately, there wasn't enough head space for it to turn around due to the container landing on its side.
The group started breathing again in relief. That's when they heard the sound of electricity crackling behind them. They slowly turned around and were stunned by what they saw.
Sullivan was holding the prod to Kenji's neck. Behind the duo stood Captain Lang with a furious expression on his face. "The five of you have a lot of nerve stowing away on my ship!"
"Because of you, I've been putting my people in danger to make my delivery on time!"
Kenji snapped, "You're the ones who are committing international crimes! That's a bigger crime than stowing away!"
Sullivan jabbed the prod into Kenji's throat. The young man screamed in pain. Sullivan dropped the prod aghast at what he did.
"What did I just do?" he whispered.
"Your job, Sullivan. Now toss him and the others overboard! The Broker will appreciate us eliminating the problem," Captain Lang stated coldly.
That's when the ship started tipping over once more. Sullivan pushed Kenji away while grabbing a piece of machinery. He started to secure the containers only to be thrown back by another wave crashing against the ship.
Without thinking, Darius ran over to help. The others started securing the other containers. They didn't care they were being threatened thirty seconds ago.
What mattered was making sure the dinosaurs and people were safe. Captain Lang looked like he wanted to strangle them. Despite being angry, he knew he needed their help.
His skeleton crew was too busy keeping the ship together to help on the deck. Once they passed through the storm, he could throw them overboard.
"You two," he barked pointing at Yaz and Kenji. They stilled waiting for orders. "Head to stern deck and secure the crates! There are a lot of flammable items in them. I don't want a fire to break out!"
Kenji and Yaz nodded as they ran off. Moments later, the power went out and they heard some of the containers opening. Ben, Sammy, and Sullivan hurried to lock the doors once more.
Sammy was in the midst of locking the crate door with a Gallimimus inside when the mystery roar echoed across the deck. That was when the memory of that roar came flooding back. It was from the day they found the Menagerie.
When the group reunited after searching the Menagerie, Brooklynn had mentioned some of the dinosaurs used in Dr. Wu's experiments. When Brooklynn mentioned that Wu used Marshosaurus DNA, Sammy mentioned there was a different dinosaur in the M pen now.
They hadn't seen it, but that roar left an impression. The roar had been of a male Majungasaurus. "I got to find the others!"
On the opposite side of the deck, Yaz was strapping a crate down. The crate above her was starting to tilt. A giant wave hit the ship sending it tilting towards the left.
Kenji reacted with instinct. He pushed Yaz out of the way just in time. The crate smashed open.
The contents inside, a large suitcase, popped open. It revealed several eggs inside. One looked familiar to him.
"Isn't that Bumpy's egg?!
Yaz looked at it in confusion. "How did it get here? Ben locked it inside Bumpy's container with her."
"I bet that Jensen guy grabbed it while Bumpy was changing. He was carrying the case when he confronted Cabrera."
Kenji stretched for the suitcase only for Yaz to pull him back quickly. A lightning bolt struck the nearby crates. Instantly the area was engulfed in flames.
"We need to get out of here!" Yaz yelled as she did her best not to breathe in the smoke.
"Not without the eggs!" Kenji recklessly rushed past the flames to get to the egg case. He disregarded Yaz shouting at him to come back.
On the aft deck, Darius was running around, trying to lead the Majungasaurus back to its container. The predator was nearly on top of him when he slipped on the wet deck.
The Majungasaurus roared. It was about to take a bite out of Darius when another roar was heard. The dinosaur stopped in confusion.
Major had determined the roar he heard earlier was coming from the prey in front of him. Yet, now he was hearing the sound again, but it was from behind him. The predator was torn with indecision.
There was a huge flash of lightning and Major saw the shadow of another Majungasaurus coming around the crates. Turning around, he started running towards the creature.
The Majungasaurus shadow darted away and plunged into the maze of containers. Darius calmed his heart rate and then took off toward the dinosaur's container.
Major kept pursuing the shadow. The rain made it hard to keep track of it. Then he heard the roar again, this time from a different aisle.
Major switched directions again and barreled down the next aisle. He smelled the scent of fresh blood. Eager to eat fresh meat he continued down the row.
The shadow started moving even faster. He started running faster ignoring the pelting rain. A flash of lightning and the shadow was approaching the container it had been in.
The other Majungasaurus was trying to steal his cache! He increased his speed determined to kill the intruder. Another flash of lightning and he spotted the intruder entering the container!
Major dashed forward and slipped on the wet deck. As the ship tipped forward, the creature skidded straight into the container. He twisted his head as something darted out of the container.
Before he could try to bite whatever creature, it was, the doors slammed closed. He shoved his body against them, trying to break through. It didn't work and he roared in frustration.
Outside the container, Sammy was finally able to breathe again. Ben was telling her it was okay now. They were safe now.
Sammy and Ben sank to the ground. The head of the deceased Majungasaurus slid across the deck and over the railing. Hopefully, it would sink to the bottom of the ocean.
To save Darius's life, they used the head of the deceased dinosaur and a forklift to pretend to be another Majungasaurus. They had been lucky to find a high-powered flashlight to create a shadow of the head.
It had been a stroke of luck that Ben was able to replicate the dinosaur's roar. He had to climb into the head to use it as a resonator to do so. He was now doing his best to wipe the blood off of his jacket.
Darius stumbled over to them. "Thank you. Without your quick thinking Sammy, and Ben's mad skills, I would be dino chow."
"I'm just glad that my memory finally clicked. We've seen so many dinosaurs from the Menagerie roaming free. We should have guessed they would take the biggest and nastiest dinosaurs to the mainland to sell."
"Hindsight is twenty-twenty," Ben said as he finished wiping the blood off.
They heard an explosion and they looked behind them. The aft deck fire was spreading fast. All the spare members of the crew were running to put it out.
"YAZ! KENJI! We have to go help them!" Sammy screamed. She attempted to run, but both boys held her back.
"Sammy stop! We can't get over there! The fire has already reached the bridge!" Ben shouted at her.
"There's no way past the flames! You'll get burned to death if you try to get past that!"
Sammy could only stare at the fire and pray her girlfriend got out in time. That's when someone yelling jumped through the flames onto their side of the deck. Behind them was another figure using a fire extinguisher to clear a path through the flames.
The person who jumped through the flames moaned and rolled upright. It was Kenji! The guys ran at him as Sammy embraced the second figure, Yaz.
"I'm so glad you're alive! I was concerned you had died!" Sammy exclaimed.
Before Yaz could respond she heard the guys yelling. The suitcase with the eggs slid into the ocean. Kenji shoved the guys out of the way and dove in after them.
"He's going to drown if we don't get to him quick!" Yaz clamored. Her eyes darted around and spotted the lifeboat. "We can use that!"
The four friends jumped into the lifeboat and started lowering it into the water. Halfway down, the winch stopped. Looking up, they saw Captain Lang glowering at them.
A second later, Sullivan was by the man's side. The wind took his words away. His words must have been persuasive as the captain allowed the lifeboat to drop into the ocean.
Inside the lifeboat, Ben switched on the searchlights. Darius and the girls called out for Kenji. Beyond the search beam, it was complete darkness.
"Please, don't be dead. Please, don't be dead," Darius whispered. He couldn't handle losing another family member.
"There he is!" Sammy shouted as the searchlights lit up Kenji. He was holding onto the floating suitcase.
Yaz tossed the life ring and Darius helped her pull him in. Ben took the suitcase as Yaz helped Kenji take off his wet shirt and jacket. Darius handed Kenji his thick coat to warm up in.
Sammy found a small tower tucked under one of the seats. Using years of farming instincts, she managed to pull Kenji right out of his jeans. She wasn't even phased as she stripped him of his underwear and wrapped the towel securely around his lower body.
"I don't think the salt water damaged the clothes too much. The colors will fade, but you'll be able to wear them once they're dry," she remarked impromptu.
Kenji thanked her and then yelped as Yaz boxed his ear. "What was that for?!"
"What do you think it was for?! Twice, you leaped through high flames. Then you took a dip into the ocean during a storm? What were you thinking?!"
"I couldn't let Bumpy's egg be destroyed! After all our hardships, she deserves to have a chance at being a mom!"
Ben didn't know what Kenji meant until he checked the case. He was puzzled how Bumpy's egg was here when he was certain he'd locked her inside with it. When Yaz described their theory, he acknowledged it was possible.
"What do we do now? The ship was our only lead. Now it's gone or at the bottom of the ocean," Darius inquired at the group.
Kenji voiced for the others to relax. He asked Darius to search his jacket's inner pocket. When Darius did, he found a solar powered charger and half a piece of paper.
Delicately, he unfolded the paper. It turned out to be a corner of a river map. There was a red line that went from the lower left corner that crossed up to the upper right corner.
"I snatched that right before Captain Lang caught me. He was on the bridge telling someone that once they reached the port, they would be upriver in two days."
"Okay then. Once we reach land all we have to do is figure out which river this is and how far we have to go inward. Until then, I think we should follow our normal night routine."
Yaz volunteered for the first watch. "I'll keep us steady in the current. Once it's daylight, we can figure out which direction the land is."
The others agreed and did their best to find a comfortable position to sleep in. Darius took it upon himself to stay close to his adoptive brother. He didn't want Kenji to do something stupid again.
Yaz stared out into the darkness. The great unknown loomed out there. She pondered what would happen next on their adventure.