Second Chances (28 page)

Aiden frowned as he left, shrugged faintly at Lyle as if to say “what can you do?” and headed to the kitchen. The woman Lyle had mentioned wasn’t there, but the food was, so he grabbed some for himself and made his way back to Lyle. “Mind if I join you?”

“Glad of your company. How are you holding up?”

“Better now that Flynn’s here.” He offered a smile before taking a bite of his food. “Now that I know he’s okay, it’s… bearable.”

“He’s got it wrong you know— Flynn I mean—I had no idea what Vale was doing. I’m sorry about what happened to you.”

“I… didn’t intend to accuse you. It’s still a sore topic.”

Lyle leaned across and patted Aiden’s hand reassuringly. “I understand Flynn being pissed, though not why he’s especially pissed with me, I really haven’t done anything. This is a damn odd set up.”

“It is. And Flynn… is generally pissed at everyone, I think.” He watched Lyle thoughtfully. “We didn’t really get to know each other much before we were brought here…” If Lyle really does know something, maybe I can get the information by being nice, Aiden thought. A different approach, since Flynn’s attitude hadn’t helped.

Lyle picked at his previously abandoned lunch. He still had his appetite, but the food had cooled now. “At least they have the kitchen sorted out here now. I was getting fed up with sandwiches. Good not to have to cook for ourselves too.”

“I didn’t know they brought anyone else in. I guess I’ve been in a fog since we got here.” Aiden took another bite, nodding agreement. “This is better than a sandwich. I’ll have to thank the cook when I meet him… her?”

“She’s not back there? Aggie, I think she’s called. Came in with the others yesterday.

“No, I didn’t see anyone. I got my own food.”

Were they unobserved then? Could they talk? And what to tell? How much? “We’ve not really had time to get together since they moved us,” Lyle closed his eyes a moment, then launched into it before he could think better of it,” I think they drugged us on the planes. They seem very keen to keep their secrets about this place and about who and what they are, these Eidolon people.”

“I wasn’t drugged. I didn’t eat or drink anything they offered. I guess you could say the last few months have made me a bit… untrusting.”

Months?
Lyle had thought Aiden and Flynn were a new couple, especially given how clingy Aiden seemed. Dating Flynn would have made him untrusting too, if he wasn’t already that way inclined, though. “I’m trying to work it out; this isn’t a witness relocation, we’ve been stashed away completely out of sight, and I don’t understand why yet… They’ve asked me to do some stuff for them while we’re here, but I have no idea what plans they have for anyone else, or how long they intend to keep us here.” “

What do they want you to do?” Aiden hadn’t been asked anything, but then, he hadn’t exactly been around. And would he take anything they offered to begin with?

“They want me to help set up CCTV and stuff… get their computers networked. It’s what I used to do, a few lifetimes ago.” Lyle laughed at that. “They have plans for this place. People are crawling all over the complex now, fixing it up and making it shine. I guess you may have missed that, being all wrapped up in Flynn? Pierce has come too, throwing her weight around.”

“Maybe I should go back to hiding if she is here.” Aiden didn’t like the woman. “Are we going to have to stay in this place, or do we get to choose? Because I found one of those… huts… that could use some fixing up, but it’s private, and if I have to be here, I want privacy.”

“I asked Gideon about that, the pilot guy—he’s part of the security team now—but at the time the choices were limited. If you’ve found yourself somewhere you could ask for it to be fixed up for you, I think they’d do that.”

Aiden sighed in relief. “Great. That’s good.”

“Thanks for listening to me. I thought Flynn was going to push it, make a fight of it. I really can’t tell you anything more about these people.”
Give me a couple of weeks and I’ll be able to give you their home phone numbers as well as their underwear sizes, but not yet.

“I think Flynn would have started a fight if he hadn’t left. Which… actually I probably should check on him. He’s most likely up to trouble.” Aiden smiled.
I can only imagine what he’s doing right now…

___________________________________________________

Midday 27th January, Rapatoka Island

Miles took a deep breath as he stepped into the sunshine. This was his first real dose of fresh air since being kidnapped by Jerri and Tommi two days ago. His plea that he needed to get some exercise had provoked a surprising response. Caroline had waved him outside, saying she could get some sleep after her disturbed night, then sent Lucas off on an errand.

He wasn’t going to be left to roam on his own though. His brawny captors grinned sheepishly and shuffled their huge bare feet in the white sand.

“Hey, Doc.” Miles turned to Lucas, whose brown face was split by a wide grin showing off all his teeth. “Missa Caroline said to give you this.” The boy’s ability to speak English stunned Miles for a second and, it was only instinct and years of practice, that allowed him to automatically catch what was thrown at him. He clutched the rugby ball to his stomach and stared after Lucas’ retreating figure as the boy ran back into the hospital.

From the quiet way he just sat there when he and Caroline were speaking, Miles had suspected the young man could follow their conversations, but this was the first time he’d actually spoken. Perhaps his time at the resort had taught him more than how to suck cocks.

Miles turned the ball over in his hands, reading the signatures. It looked as if it had never been used. He recognised a few of the names: Christian Cullen, Carlos Spencer, Jonah Lomu… Shit, the 1999 All Blacks team; the thing was probably worth a fortune on eBay.

“You play rugby?” Tommi asked almost reverently, pointing at the ball.

“Yeah.” Miles shook his head in bemusement. Seemed like Lucas wasn’t the only one who had picked up a smattering of English from frequenting the resort. “Bit hard to play here. Not much flat land.”

“Come. Come.” Jerri gave him a huge grin and set off up the hill at the back of the hospital.

After leaving the small village, they worked their way through a battered taro plantation. Now that they’d made their homes habitable again, islanders were clearing cyclone damage away from the crops, moving fallen branches and trimming off broken leaves with wicked looking machetes. On hearing Jerri’s repeated cries of: “Doc plays Rugby” and gesturing at him and the ball, many left their work and ran along beside them, chattering excitedly.

At the top of the hill, the land flattened out. The soil here was rich and volcanic, not sandy at all. Parts were filled with what looked like sago palms, but a long skinny rectangular area had been kept clear. After a quick discussion, the crowd split into two, and it was on for young and old.

Miles had played tip rugby at school, but nothing approached the speed and skill of the islanders as they ran full bore at each other, doing quick flick passes when an opponent lined them up for a touch tackle. They needed to realize though that “touch” didn’t mean seeing who could jolt him off his feet when he didn’t pass the ball quickly enough. If they succeeded, they offered a helping hand up and a grin. He’d probably be covered in bruises tomorrow.

After a few runs, some decent passes and kissing the dirt a few times, Miles walked up and down the sidelines to regain his breath. At the end of the field, he stopped and looked around. This whole area seemed unnaturally flat, as if someone had come along and graded the top off the hill. Miles recalled that the island had looked like a sphinx from the distance. The flat section which constituted the “back” extended past the edge of the playing field, but the remainder was covered with different kinds of crops. A steep hill, the “head” rose up in the distance about a kilometre away.

Back at the half way line, Miles found a spot in the shade of one of the few trees that hadn’t lost all its leaves and just enjoyed the spectacle. The locals seemed to step up a gear as soon as he stopped, delighting in the chance to show off their expertise to a stranger. Even Tommi and Jerri could run faster than he could. All the time they didn’t stop chattering and laughing. Any one of these guys would have no trouble playing professionally for a club in Australia or New Zealand. How come none of the talent scouts had found them? Or was the island just that remote?

“Doc, Doc!”

Miles clambered to his feet. Lucas was out of breath by the time he arrived. His face had lost its habitual cheeky grin.

“What’s wrong?”

“Men, guns.” He pointed wildly towards the beach area.

Miles headed at a quick jog down the path leading through the taro plantation. Lucas skipped along at his side, weaving his way around the low growing broad leaved plants when the path grew too narrow for them to run together. “Shit.” Miles’ stomach dropped when he recognised Sandra Pierce. She was accompanied by two armed men.

Suddenly, Lucas was elbowed out of the way and Miles found himself flanked by his own two burly bodyguards who muttered at each other in Rapatokan over the top of his head. At times like this, he realised how big they actually were–two metres at least and easily one hundred and fifty kilos. They made him almost feel small.

The Eidolon representative approached confidently towards them as if she owned this island as well. The two men walking beside her, turned their heads constantly, trying to keep an eye on all the locals.

Some of the Rapatokan women were standing near the bures, restraining their children whose natural instinct was to run and touch any strangers. A few of the older men who hadn’t come up to watch the impromptu match were standing in the darkened doorways of their huts.
Were they waiting to see if they’d be needed?
Shit. No matter how big or sharp a machete was, it still wouldn’t be a match for the rifles the two men were carrying. Miles had seen enough unequal confrontations in his time to know that.

Jerri said something to Lucas who turned to run away. “No! Come back,” Miles called after him. He couldn’t speak the lingo, but he’d bet his bottom dollar that Lucas had just been given instructions to fetch a weapon of some kind.
Who knew what those two had tucked away in their bures?
Lucas glanced briefly at Jerri then tucked himself in under Miles’ arm; the young boy was quivering like a leaf.

Miles eyed the two men beside Pierce. Crap. The guys had the whole body armor shit going, helmet, flak jacket, the lot. Blast the woman. By the looks of things, she’d come expecting trouble.
Why did these idiots keep on insisting that guns would solve everything?

The one with his visor up was a stranger; the other had Gideon’s build, but with the visor down he couldn’t be sure. Both were silent, their gazes not ceasing from their constant surveillance.

For what seemed like minutes, but was probably only a few seconds, the two groups stood silently facing each other. Stand off at the O.K. Corral. “Ms Pierce.” Miles didn’t extend his hand in greeting. She seemed surprised to see him.

“Doctor Sutherland. So this is where you disappeared to.” The familiar fake smile crossed her lips, but he could tell she was more than surprised to see him, she was annoyed, not quite angry, but peeved, as if this was a development she hadn’t bargained on.

“Just making some house calls.”

Miles whispered in Lucas’ ear. “Go tell Caroline, everything’s okay. I know these people.” He squeezed the boy’s shoulder reassuringly and gave him a quick nudge in the direction of the hospital.

“Please explain,” Pierce said as he scampered off.

Miles grinned at her inadvertent use of the phrase that would always remind him of the annoying Australian politician, Pauline Hanson. In as few words as possible, he outlined his reason for being on the island, giving the nature of the nurse’s injury and the impression that his presence here was purely voluntary.

She just grunted when he finished. “It would have been helpful if you had consulted someone before flitting off by yourself. We’ve expended considerable resources looking for you.”

Miles smirked. He’d been gone nearly two days and the other island could be checked in a few hours; they hadn’t exactly tried too hard. “My apologies, Ms. Pierce, but seeing I was whisked away on a disaster relief mission, I thought actually doing some might be a good thing. That is what we came for, isn’t it?”

She looked startled for a second as if she’d actually forgotten. Miles prompted her: “The stretchers, the medical equipment?”

“Well…”

“When is the seaplane coming back? We need to transfer Caroline to a proper hospital. I’ve splinted the wound as best I could, but it may need a plate and pins.”

She grimaced slightly and wiped her hands. “I’m afraid we can’t do that.” She seemed to be searching for words. “The weather… approaching storm.” She waved her hands around vaguely as if that explained everything. Miles glanced up at the sky. There were a few dark clouds on the horizon, but the sun was shining.