| ❅ | Finding Home | ❅ | A Novel | ❅ | Complete | ❅ |

❅ Chapter Nine ❅

It was about two-thirty in the morning, everyone was still fast asleep. No one knew what would go on in the next few hours. Loyal sat up straight in her bed, sniffed, and growled at the door. She could sense a familiar presence that she did not like. She heard noises, the familiar voices down the hall. She scratched at the door whining a bit, hoping that would wake up Risa or Vincent.

Risa and Vincent sat up then they looked at each other. They had just gotten into that rim sleep but were alas now wide awake, yet again. They both glanced over at Rolando who started to snore loudly. Well, they both knew it was no use in getting him up yet, and besides, they could handle whatever going on.

Risa rubbed her eyes as she got out of bed, putting on her shoes and pulling on her coat. She slipped into her boots and laced them up quickly. "What is it, girl?" She asked trying to figure out what she was going on about. Then it hit her. "Oh are the men out there?" She asked, placing her hand on the doorknob.

Loyal nodded giving a soft bark, whining, and going around in circles. "It is indeed those men, I can smell them from a mile away - oh that is right you can't understand me." She sighed going back to scratching at the door and whining, trying to show Risa she was right.

Risa paused before she opened the door, she turned to Vincent. "Shouldn't we get Rolando? He said he wanted to help?" She asked in a whisper, knowing that he would be a little upset if they hadn't got him yet. "Thought how we would wake him up? He seems really out of it because Loyal hasn't even woken him up."

Vincent waved her off. There was no point in waking him up. "No, he doesn't need to be involved at this moment. He is grumpy when he gets woken up, believe me." He walked out the open door Essa was holding open, which was really for her but this was Vincent we're talking about.

Risa frowned following behind him, Loyal at her heels. Did he just not let her go first? Where was this man's chivalry? "What happened to ladies first? And to think you were starting to change." She mused closing the door but not locking it in case they needed to get back in since Rolando alone had the key.

Vincent rolled his eyes, was she serious to believe he was going to change? As if. "You opened the door. If you want ladies first then don't open the door." He whispered as they made their way down the steps to the engineering room to where the noise was coming from. He put his finger up to his lips to tell the pair to be quiet. He tiptoed over to the door, Risa following behind him.

Risa looked through the round glass window in the engineering room, she could see the men tied up the crew. They couldn't see her because their backs were to them and the ship crew also had their backs to them. Now there were four, not three men, which was odd. "Why are there four? We only saw three yesterday night?" She whispered, speaking once again.

Vincent shook his head. He had to clarify a little something for her and mentally facepalmed. "That is the head engineer, the poor guy has his hands tied in front of him. He isn't with him, he is being made to help them. He probably was threatened or blackmailed." He pointed out then saw they were coming towards him so he ducked below the door and pulled Risa around the corner and into a broom closet.

They watched as the men walked right past them unknowing that they were. It was a good thing they hadn't been noticed. Vincent and Risa rushed over to the door and tried to open it. Sadly it was locked from the inside, and they didn't have the key to be able to open it up.

Risa turned to Vincent. This was her first time doing something like this and it seemed Vincent was knowledgeable in this aspect. "How are we going to get the workers in there? The door is locked and I can't pick a lock, neither can you." She asked, still trying to pull on the door, shake the doorknob, just hoping she could get it open. It was useless, utterly useless.