“What’s going on?” Zane asks, following me.
“Easton will fill you in.” The binoculars are on the peg on the living room platform. I grab them and scamper up the ladder. The tree shakes with someone else coming up as I’m still tuning the lenses for my eyes.
“What is it?” Sam asks.
“Not sure... incoming. Fuck. It’s the same pirate boat that took the Rock Candy.” My stomach lurches. But then, I knew this would happen.
“You’re sure?”
“Same half-inflated red fenders hanging over the side. Yeah. I’m sure. We’ve got maybe ten minutes from their speed. And they’ll have to launch their tender.”
“Fuck. Can you make out anyone on deck?”
“A couple of guys on the bow. One with a gun strapped to his back.” I take the binoculars away from my face.
Sam scrubs his hand over his scruff, but then he’s making his way down the ladder. Descending like a captain of a submarine. I’m right on his heels.
“Haley?” Sam yells.
“She’s using the head,” Dante replies.
“Pirates are coming in hot,” Sam tells him. “We’ve got maybe a ten-minute head start.”
Dante, Zane and Easton are there. Easton’s already moving around the campsite, collecting things into a backpack.
“We don’t have much time,” says Sam. “Calvin, take Haley and Penny and head for the cave near where you first found me. Take the gun. Like we planned.”
“Gun’s already in there.” Easton hands me the pack. “Water, clothes, and some of Dante’s jerky.”
“Good.” Sam says. “Now make one for yourself. You need to head the other way and go toward the derelict into the thicket. Dante, Zane, we’re going to greet our guests. With Zane’s bag of tricks.” Sam’s got Penny’s vest and her leash. “Go with Calvin.” He clasps the lead onto her collar, and for once she doesn’t twist away.
“Bloody right. Get going,” Zane says.
“What’s going on?” Haley turns the corner. “Sam, you were calling for me?”
“Yeah, Sugar. Pirates are on their way in.” He gives her a quick kiss and a hug.
“We’ve talked about this. It was a hell of a long time ago. But what do they want? Rockwell, most likely, and you. So as much as I hate to do it, we split up,” Sam says. We’ve talked about only part of the plan with Haley. But not all of it.
“That always works so well in horror movies.” Dante mumbles. I shoot him a look.
“There are supplies in there from last fall. I checked them not long ago.”
“No. You need the gun here,” Haley says.
“If they catch up to you in the cave, you’ll need it more than us. Go.”
I’ve got a rope around Penny’s collar. She’s on alert. Sam grabs Haley and gives her a quick kiss. Dante, Easton, and Zane do the same.
“I don’t like it, but okay? I don’t want to leave you all.” Haley’s sitting in the chair I made, pulling on her tennis shoes.
“Go—we can take care of ourselves,” Zane says.
“Let’s go.” I stand next to her, wanting to pull her away, but she’s still putting on her shoes. “Easton, you’re the other thing they want. They’re going to follow all of our trails. Get going.”
Easton gives a nod and runs down the path to the derelict. He’ll cross the stream and head into the jungle afterwards.
“Now we can crush some stormtrooper ass.” Zane wiggles his eyebrows.
