Mission Gone Wrong

Chapter 14

Miguel runs to catch me up. "Wait, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you."

"It's fine. I know you didn't mean to, and I know I need to move on." We have a lapse of silence and I'm sure we're both gathering our emotions before I speak again. "It was six years ago. The last time I said that. It was to a friend, a close friend, who was dying. He wanted to hear it one last time. It's the last thing he ever heard."

He just nods, and looks at me concerned. "I'll be fine, I promise. I have been for the past six years."

He steps in front of me, and turns to look directly at me. "Just surviving and getting by isn't 'being fine'. Besides, you shouldn't settle for being fine and surviving, when you could thrive."

I try not to smile at the teasing memory. "Someone once told me that before. Let's hope you don't follow in their footsteps."

By now, the others have caught up, and Ruben offers to grab Miguel's bag for him. Apparently I was the only one who actually slept. That's nice.

"So, did you guys make that 'you have to sleep thing' to keep me out of your hair?" I ask once we're alone again.

"No. We made it because everyone can see the black eye looking formation you have under your eyes from lack of sleep, and we kind of need you alive and functioning at full percent so we just assumed you needed more sleep."

I shot Miguel a half-hearted glare. "I will have you know that I have went five days without sleep before. Sure, I crashed as soon as the mission was over, but I was perfectly fine while it was going on. The key is caffeine and something spicy."

"I feel like I should ask more, even though I don't want to know. I also feel like I should be very concerned." He responds.

I put my head in my hand and pretend to think. "You probably should, but where's the fun in that?"

All he does is sigh.

"So, what's the plan?" He asks, and I close my eyes. I don't want to see his reaction, because I know it's not going to be the best.

"If what I think is going on actually is, time is of the essence. There's a certain spot that we will need to hurry to. All you guys have to do is sit back, let me do all the talking all the time, sail the stupid boat, comfort Luna, be witnesses to get rid of Dirk, and if I need help for taking down whoever is guarding Luna, obviously help me with that. Besides these things, I have everything covered."

"Very funny," Ruben says sarcastically, because apparently he can sneak up on people without them hearing. I'm wondering if he had spy training in the past; it would explain some things.

"You won't be laughing when that's what happens." I fire back.

"That won't happen. I'm not getting into a boat with you until I know exactly where we're going." He demands.

"Love's Grotto," I answer, and their faces are funnier than they should be. I start shaking like crazy to not burst out laughing.

"We are not going there," Maartje says, surprisingly calm.

"Um, yes we are. It's where Luna's at."

"No, we're not. The place is dangerous and said to be haunted. No one goes there. Besides, you haven't done any work. How would you know who took her?"

I give her a withering look. "It's obvious to me, but if you need more evidence, I can provide it. We only have a couple of hours though; then the tide will be ready for us to leave." I then walk right off the ship, leaving the others to run after me. Oh, how good it feels to be back in charge again. Sure, they can still say I'm a prisoner, but they need me, and since they need me, in my territory, I'm dictating the mission. If they don't like it, they can do whatever; I don't care.