Pandora's Chase

Chapter Eleven

Chase felt ready to travel when he came back to Jimmy's. He wore his black riding jacket, his typical canvas work pants and his work books, which happened to be the boots he wore when he rode his speed-bike. And of coarse he had his backpack. Packed tightly inside it was the box, map, sphere, and random little things he kept in there for this trips into the forest. Having to leave his home quickly, he'd been unable to grab any other provisions for this trip and right now, Jimmy was his only hope, and he was about to find out if Jimmy's cousin would really be able to smuggle him onto the moon.

Chase thought about how his father might act when negotiating a stowaway ride, and he tried his best to cloak himself with that persona. Jimmy saw him coming and seemed pleased to see him again.

"Well, that was fast," said Jimmy, noticing Chase seemed quite rattled. "You all right?"

Confused at the first comment, Chase replied, "What do you mean, fast? And no, I'm not all right. But I will be if you can get me to the moon."

"Well, I can. I sent you the message about fifteen minutes ago," Jimmy replied.

"Great!" Chase said. "I left my tablet at home, so I didn't get it. Turns out it'll just be me going, and I need to go soon. Can you make that happen?"

"Oh good, that actually works out for the better," Jimmy said. "Donnie was a little leery about sending two people up anyway. He wanted fifteen for you both, so I can get him down to probably seventy-five hundred."

"Jimmy, I only have eight, and that's all I have. I'll need money to travel with. Isn't there anything you can do?" Chase pleaded, forgoing any attempts at negotiating like his father might in this situation.

Jimmy rubbed his chin as if to give a sincere thought. "Well," he said, "my cut is twenty-five hundred." He looked around. "Do you still have that old bike of yours sitting in the shed?"

"The roadster with the wheels I found rusting in the woods?" Chase asked, knowing full well that was the bike he was talking about.

"That's the one," Jimmy's eyes lit up. "When I saw that, I thought about how nice it would be to fix it up. Could be a profitable project. How about I take that off your hands? You and I will be even, and you can pay Donnie his five when you get there. Sound good?"

Chase took no time to think it over. "Deal," he said, sticking his hand out to shake Jimmy's.

"All right. I'll call him real quick to confirm and write down his address," Jimmy said as he walked into his office.

While Jimmy was in the office, Chase waited for him at the opening to the shop. It was a door large enough for trucks to pass through, and the breeze cooled him off. He could hardly believe what the past day had held, and he thought of the men at his house and the ones that came after him. Were they alive or dead? Did he care? Would there be punishment handed down to his parents for it? Would—

He realized something. Jimmy had sent him a communication on his tablet. The tablet he had left at home, where the men were!

"Jimmy!" Chase called out.

Jimmy had just gotten off his communiqué with Donnie and was walking over to Chase with a piece of paper. And curiously, a bumper sticker too. Donnie's address was written on the paper, and the bumper sticker read, 'Galactic Superdome.'

"Here," he handed both to Chase. "Give this bumper sticker to Donnie, and here's his address."

Chase took them, barely acknowledging the exchange. "Jimmy, what did your communiqué say to me?" he asked in a panic.

"What? Why?" Jimmy asked, confused by Chase's new-found paranoia.

"No time to explain. What did it say?"

"Let me see," he said, pulling his tablet out. "Here it is. I said, 15,000 credited awards given tonight at 8pm during the celebration in Delantica."

"That doesn't make any sense," Chase said.

"I know. That's why I told you to only pay attention to the numbers," Jimmy replied.

Chase considered the message for a moment, trying to figure if those men could decipher anything from it. Anything other than it was Jimmy who sent it. He figured it was best to tell him the truth, just to be safe. He didn't want anyone else getting hurt from his mistakes.

"Okay, I think you might have to leave for a couple days," Chase said.

"What? Are you crazy? I'm not going anywhere."

"Please. There are some men after me. They took my parents, and now they're after me. That's why I have to go to the moon, and you have to leave."

"Why am I in danger?" Jimmy asked thoughtfully. "Oh," he added, "because of my message. You're worried they'll trace it."

"Yes!"

Jimmy laughed. "Then that means they'll be heading to the east coast to look for me, my friend, because that tablet I have is routed through there. It's completely untraceable to here. Your secret is safe with me."

"Seriously?" Chase wondered how much illegal activity Jimmy was actually tied to.

"Trust me, I'm good. Now, you better head out because it's a long drive to Beau Flattes, and Donnie needs you there by eight-pm." Jimmy shuffled Chase out the door. "Oh, and one last thing."

"What's that?" Chase asked.

"The bike you sold me. Since you're leaving, can I go pick it up myself?" he asked.

"Sure. I'd just give it a few days before you do. I'm sure they'll be watching the house for a while."

"Oh, I'll be fine. I'm just a junkyard dog, son." Jimmy said with a sloppy accent and a chuckle.

Chase smiled, gave a thank-you nod, and turned to his bike. He started the bike and looked at the address again before stuffing the paper in his pocket. Out on the road the started the drive to Donnie's that would take most of the day, and he needed to stop for a few things before he arrived.