Chapter Sixteen
2370 Words
Chapter Sixteen
Al looked at Owen, “You better take the controls.”
Owen quickly took the controls as Al stepped out of the pit. “What are we doing?” Robyn asked as Al began to pull on the female’s required clothing.
“We need to change vehicles. It is unknown what was done to this vehicle by the people who invaded the mine or your moth… Sorry.”
“Don’t be. It is a legitimate concern,” Robyn stated taking the clothing Al handed her.
“Come on, Kay, you’ll have to get out of the ship as well.” Kay walked up to Al and took the clothing. Pressing the button on the side of the wall, a hatch opened to a wall of weapons, “At least there is some good out of wearing these bulky things.”
She passed out the weapons to each girl and they each strapped them onto their bodies then slid the required clothes over them. As soon as the weapons were hidden, Uriah stated, “Okay Owen, lets land the ship.”
The ship touched down and Uriah pressed the button for the outer hatch. Al whispered, “We have to make this quick, in case they had us followed or tracked.”
Uriah nodded then led the group out of the ship with Owen and Chance walking beside him and the women behind.
Walking towards the building they landed next to, Owen began to check out the ships as Uriah led the rest of the group into the offices. A greasy man looked up from a workbench and wiped his hands on his pants as he walked toward the group. “What can I do for you gentlemen?” he inquired ignoring the women standing behind them.
“We have come to make an even trade. Our ship for one of yours.”
The man walked to the window and looked at the airship, “Are you talking about that thing?”
“Yes,” Uriah replied as the man walked back to him.
“Why are you wanting to trade that vehicle in? Is there something wrong with it?”
“No.”
“Stolen?”
“No.”
“Ah, so you are in trouble. Well, don’t you worry, I have the perfect ship for you then.”
Uriah looked out the window and waved Owen in, “Would it be okay to let our expert look at it?”
“I wouldn’t want it any other way,” the man stated walking down a hall with everyone behind him except Robyn as she waited for Owen to come into the building.
Owen stepped into the building and Robyn motioned the direction that the others had gone. He nodded and quickly headed down the hallway with her close behind him making sure to glance back to see that no one was coming.
They stepped into the large room and gazed at the ships stored inside of it. Owen looked at the classic, restored airships and vehicles and before he could admire them, Uriah waved him over to where they were.
Looking up at the large ship, Owen held in a slight laugh as he replied, “This is a rec-ship.”
“Yes,” the man stated walking to the ship and entering in some codes to disengage the safety device.
“This is for families on vacation,” Uriah stated when he realized the background of the ship.
“True, but if you are in trouble not many would think you would be flying this.”
“Aren’t these considered slow?” Uriah asked.
“Yes, but I have made some modifications to it myself,” the man stated crossing his arms.
“Would it be okay if I look it over?” Owen inquired.
The man nodded pressing the button to open the hatch, “How about while you look at this ship, I look at yours?”
“Sounds fair,” Uriah stated. “I will take you out there.”
“Good.”
As soon as the two left the room, Robyn walked up the ramp behind Owen. “So, this is what a rec-ship looks like on the inside?”
“Well, this is a slightly older model.”
“How much older?” Robyn inquired looking at her husband with a bit of fear.
“By about ten years.”
“Do you think we can trust him?”
“With respect to what? His modifications or him reporting us?”
Al walked onto the ship with Chance and Kay right behind her, she replied, “Well, it looks the same as it does on the outside. You know it is going to make it, the question is how long.”
Smiling, Owen looked at her and then Robyn, “I’m going to go check the heart of this classic.”
“Good luck,” Al stated then looked at Robyn. “I wish we had more options.”
Robyn nodded as she stepped into the cockpit.
XXXX
Scanning the data running across the screen on the CURT of the rec-ship, Robyn rubbed her left shoulder.
“Does it hurt?” Kay inquired as a tiny bit of the brand was revealed under the shirt.
Robyn looked at her as she walked up to her shoulder. Removing part of her shirt, Kay ran her fingers across the burn, “It doesn’t hurt, just itch.”
Gazing at the screen, Kay inquired, “What are you doing?”
“Checking the weather in the capital.”
“Why?”
“Owen had a suspicion and I am going with it.”
Kay looked at her older sister through the reflection on the screen, “Do you love Owen?”
“With all my heart.”
Biting her lip, Kay glanced at Robyn’s brand, “Do you think Mom ever loved Dad?”
“I don’t know, Kay, I believe at one time she did love him and maybe deep down she still does.”
“Do you think she will be okay?”
“You are asking me questions that I can’t answer,” Robyn stated as she continued to read CURT’s screen.
“So, you don’t know if we will ever see Mom again, do you?” Kay replied then turned to walk away.
Robyn turned and took Kay’s hand, “Sit down.” As Kay sat, Robyn pressed a button on the console in front of her, “Chance, can I see you for a moment?”
Chance’s voice came over the intercom, “Where are you?”
“Main CURT.”
“Be right there.”
Kay looked at her sister, “What is going on?”
“There is something we need to talk about and I want your brother here for it too. Actually there is someone else who should be in on this,” Robyn replied then pushed the intercom button again, “Dad, can you come to the main CURT.”
Uriah’s voice came across the intercom worried, “I’ll be right there.”
“I think you just scared Dad.”
“It is something that needs to be said and he needs to be here to hear it.”
The door slid open and Chance stepped through the frame wiping some grease off of his face with his sleeve, “What is going on?”
“Just sit down, Chance, we are waiting for Dad,” Robyn stated looking back at the CURT to shut it down.
As he sat down he looked at Kay, “So, what are you in for?”
Kay smiled, “We aren’t in trouble. Robyn just wants to have a talk with us about something.”
Robyn looked up from CURT when Uriah entered, “So, what are you in for?”
“Too late, Dad,” Chance stated, “I already tried that line. Robyn wants to talk to us.”
“That’s not good.”
“It is something we need to face,” Robyn stated turning away from CURT to look at her family. It is mostly for Kay and Chance, but I want you in on this too. I am speaking as your sister and the Director of the Revolutionaries.”
“Dangerous mix,” Kay replied looking at her sister’s serious face.
“Kay, Chance, you need to make a decision, one that I shouldn’t have snapped to decide, but was under pressure when I did. You have to decide whether you want to be with Mom or Dad. The reason I am the one to bring it up is because I will have to make arrangements for you to go to Mom.”
“Now just a minute,” Uriah stated stepping forward, “don’t I get a say in it.”
“That is for you and Kay and Chance to decide, but I need to put it out because we will have to act fast. If either of you choose to go with Mom, we can’t let you see where our headquarters are based.”
“Why?”
“Because then the king will have no reason to interrogate you for the information. I’m going to leave you three to discuss this while I tell Al to land the ship until you decide. I don’t want to interfere with your decision at all, but I have two things to say.”
“What is that?” Kay inquired crossing her arms.
“First, I will answer any questions you have about the revolution and what it is we are trying to do. Second, no matter what, you will always be my brother and sister and I will pray that I will not have to choose between you and my duty.” Robyn stood and walked to the cockpit.
XXXX
Uriah hugged Kay tightly, “I will miss you so much.”
Kay looked out the window at her sister, then whispered in her father’s ear, “I don’t love Mom anymore than you, but my anger towards my sister is so much more powerful. I can’t stand the thought of her being a leader over me.”
Pulling away, Uriah looked at Kay concerned, “Please don’t tell me that that is why you are going to your mother.”
“It is one of the main reasons, Father.”
“I can’t let you go like this,” Uriah whispered.
“I am a threat. If I stay here any longer under my sister’s leadership, I will be one of her largest threats. I believe in this cause, but my anger towards her is much deeper and much stronger than that.”
“Where does this anger come from?”
Kay looked out the window at the ship port that would take her to her mother and then at her father, “I need to go.”
“You are not leaving until you tell me the truth.”
“Well, you are going to have to decide which is more important, the safety of your eldest daughter or keeping your middle daughter. Who is more important to you?”
“I see nothing but jealousy in your eyes. Is that what this is?”
“No, it is nothing more than seething, unrelenting hatred towards my sister.”
“It is jealousy. Jealous of the attention she got over you by her grandmother and me. Don’t you realize now why we did it?”
“Would it have killed you, Father, to even spend a few minutes of your time with me, though. She wasn’t your only daughter. Because you had higher expectations for her future, you decided to forget you had two daughters. So, would…” Kay stopped as Robyn walked into the ship.
“It’s time to go,” Robyn stated moving to hug her sister.
Kay pulled away and offered her hand, “Good-bye, Sister. I kind of hope we never meet again.”
Looking at her confused, Robyn shook her hand, “You be careful out there.”
“I’m a big girl now, I can handle myself.” She looked out the window at the man who would accompany her, “Will he be all right?”
“He will help you contact Mom and make arrangements for her to get you. He won’t get caught, I think he can handle getting you in.”
“Well,” Kay began, “good luck with your fight and your mission.”
Kay turned to go and Uriah grabbed her arm, “Wait…”
“This is the way it has to be, Father, and you know it. I know your true feelings now.”
“It isn’t like that.”
“I am to be my mother’s child.”
“I don’t want that, though.”
Shaking her head with a slight smile, Kay pulled the scarf around her head and stepped outside.
Robyn and Uriah watched from inside as she took her steps behind Daniel and he led her into the building.
“I don’t know if I should let her go,” Uriah stated.
“It was her choice, she wants to be with Mother.”
Looking at Robyn, Uriah wondered if she really knew her sister’s feelings. “She was too young to make that decision.”
“Like she said, she isn’t a little girl anymore and it was something only she could decide. I hope that the anger that Mother has obtained is not passed onto her.”
Robyn walked away and Uriah whispered, “It’s too late.”
- Writer
