Consuming Fire

Chapter 90

She was so shocked that she couldn't control her limbs, and next thing she knew, her arms had flung themselves around his neck.

"Woah," he said and slowly embraced her. The feeling felt disjointed. "Sorry I scared ya."

Hunter pulled away and stared at him in disbelief. "How did you ... what are you ... h-how-"

"I used my ninja skills," he said and raised his eyebrows, overly pleased with himself. "No, I actually don't know. I woke up on the beach yesterday and found myself here."

Hunter frowned at him. Was this some kind of trap? Was Dr. Wolfe waiting for her to arrive so he could tempt her with her father and then destroy them both?

"That makes no sense."

"I know," Leo shrugged. "I think he's trying to get me to remember how to find the rock I brought home. Pretty smart, I guess. But I have no idea how long I've been here for. I feel like I'm on an episode of Survivor, only ... it's just me."

"So do you remember everything now? About what happened to you?"

"Of course! I never forgot," he winked at her. "I was faking it."

Hunter peered at her father curiously. The nostalgia completely surpassed his ability to see the danger they were in. She wondered if maybe he was a little loopy. Makes sense, he was in a coma for twenty-odd years.

"So you don't know if Dr. Wolfe is here yet? You haven't heard a plane or anything?"

"A plane?" Leo frowned and hummed a long, low note. "Nope. Haven't heard one."

There's no way they could be here yet if they're flying, they had to pick up Will and Joshua and then it'll be another two hour flight in a really fast jet.

"Well if Joshua is leading the party to find the stone, where would they be going?"

"The caves, probably. We studied the activity when we arrived and figured out which parts were researchable. We discovered some vents that are still geothermally active and recorded the pattern. The gas that blows out of the holes is basically fire. Do you want to go grab a coffee while we wait? There's still some inside."

Hunter made a face at him.

"What?" he said.

"Dr. Wolfe is on his way right now and you want to go inside and make coffee?"

"Good point." They tromped to the back door of the shack. "So the doc wants the stone – he gave it some weird name ..."

"Ravenadium," said Hunter as she closed the shack door behind her and peered through the window. Leo went into the kitchen as casually as if this were his own house – which technically, it still was – and filled the kettle up with water. Then he turned on the gas and looked at Hunter expectantly. She frowned. "What?"

Leo wiped a hand over his mouth and laughed under his breath. "Joshua. I can't believe he raised you. I can't believe ..." He shook his head. "What was it like, growing up with him?"

"Leo ... uh, Dad." Hunter rolled her eyes to the ceiling and sighed. It was more difficult figuring that out than it was to battle evil. "Dr. Wolfe hasJoshua and he wants samples of Ravenadium. How would he get it?"

"He'd need to navigate his way to the caves, go inside, avoid the vents and extract the stones," said Leo and he stirred his coffee quickly before dumping the spoon in the sink. "You didn't want one, did you?"

"No. It's that simple? How far are they?"

"About an hour's hike. You have to walk along the beach before going into the forest. I have all the coordinates written down in the shed."