Project Freelancer: Alaska

Chapter 19

"Tucker, would you stop it with the bow chicka bow wows!" I yelled at the man, and he just grinned.

"I can't help it baby. It's in my nature." Tucker replied.

"Oh my gosh, just shut up." I grumbled, putting my face/helmet in my hands.

"Tucker, would you leave the girl alone?" Church asked.

Tucker rolled his eyes. "Fine, whatever." he said, and he finally walked away.

"Oh my goodness. Freedom." I exclaimed.

Aliana walked up next to me as glanced up at the sky, where the tiniest hint of a ship floated still.

"Sometimes I miss it." She said, not taking her eyes off it.

"I miss the people in it, not the ship itself." I told her.

"True." Aliana crossed her arms as the sun beat down on her visor. I also found myself staring at it, smiling at the memories.

"Remember when you decided you wanted to go up against Carolina that one day? Called yourself a manly woman." I asked, laughing.

"Oh, yeah. How could I have forgotten? She did kick my butt though."

"She sure did..." I replied. Glancing at the edge of the canyon, I saw four spartans standing and looking at us. I raised an eyebrow and squinted against the sun. "Hey Ali, who's over there?" I asked her.

"Sky... that's North, South, York and Maine. And I think I know who they're looking for." She replied. I immediately stood.

"Michigan! Hawaii! It's time for us to leave!" I yelled into the base.

North jumped, followed by the others, and they ran toward us.

"Alaska! Wait! We just wanna talk!" North hollered.

"I don't have time to talk!" I responded, and I jumped off the roof of blue base. Michigan and Hawaii emerged from the base a the side, and Aliana stood, watching them approach.

"Come on Ali!" I yelled at her.

Everyone except York kept running toward us.

"Aliana?!" He called.

"Hi!" She shouted back, and then she turned and headed towards me and the others.

"Let's go!" I exclaimed, and we made a mad dash to the canyon wall.

"Please wait!" North begged.

I started climbing up the canyon wall. These people were still connected to the Director. I couldn't have a conversation with them without suspecting he was listening.

North grabbed my foot as I attempted to get a hold on the cliff wall.

"Please?" He said, his hand tight and firm around my ankle.

I struggled against his grip, but it did no good. I eventually gave up, and the others were now also caught, since they had stopped once North caught up to me.

"Fine." I growled.

"Look, the Director sent us to kill you. Said you were a traitor. But something tells me you wouldn't do that. Would you?" North asked me.

I would betray the Director, yes. But who am I to tell them that? I narrowed my eyes at him.

"How do I know he's not listening to my every word." I questioned, but it was more like a statement. As if I said: 'I don't trust you.'

"He's not lying, Lask." South called from where she held Michigan against the cliff. But I heard it in her voice. That meant she was lying, and so was North. But why would he? He had no reason? Maybe South convinced him or something...

"Yeah, I'm not falling for it." I said, and I twisted my foot out of his grip and flipped off the ledge I had stood on. I landed on my feet on the dirt, and North slowly recovered.

"Lask...." he said quietly. Just then, Michigan and Hawaii also escaped from South and Maine. Aliana seemed to be carrying on a conversation with York, however.

"Aliana? How are you...?" York started.

"I don't have time to explain, I have to go." Aliana replied.

"But..."

"Please, just let me go." Aliana begged.

"I..." York still stared blankly and could barely speak a word.

"Sorry." I heard Aliana whisper as she kicked him in the chest away from her and a battle between freelancers began.

I turned to see South charging me, and North rushing around and taking her recent target, Michigan.

"Hey South. Anger issues much?" I said as I swerved to the side to dodge her as she fumbled forward. She let out an angry growl and attempted to kick me in the helmet. I ducked and dodged.

Standing back up straight, I smiled, even though it wasn't visible. I kicked her in the gut and punched her in the face, making her double back and land with a loud thud on the ground.

I turned and bolted for the cliff.

"Let's go!" I yelled to the others.

Hawaii back flipped away from Maine, Michigan kicked North and pivoted, and Aliana punched North in the visor a last time. She too turned and climbed the canyon wall.

North, South, Maine, and York attempted to climb behind us, but we were faster and shot at the rocks they held on to once at the top. If we managed to make them fall, we knew the impact would knock them out.

I attempted at making South fall first, her anger making laugh. It was kind of fun to see someone so angry and mad, because it made them seem so ridiculous.

I turned and ran as fast as I could, the others close behind.

"Lets find a place to stay for the night, then we'll get a pelican and invade the mother of invention. Stay hidden until I say so, then create a distraction. Ali and I will then head for the Directors office, and we'll take him out." I told everyone once we stopped running. My breath was fast, and it was hard to say all of that at once.

"Okay." Michigan agreed.

"But won't the Mother of Invention be able to see there's another ship right beside it?" Hawaii asked.

"Good point. To avoid that, we have two options. One, camo. Two, jetpacks. I would prefer camouflage because it would be faster." I told him.

"Camo it is." He replied.

"Let's go get some rest somewhere." I suggested, and we headed off to find shelter, which we found not too later after I announced our plan. I settled on the hard ground and stared at the stars.

"Hey Ali?" I whispered to my sister next to me.

"Yeah?" She responded.

"What if one of us actually dies?" I asked quietly.

I heard her take a deep breath, roll onto her side, and act like she never heard the question.