Page 5 of Explorer's Revenge
LOGAN
We fly private. It isn’t the first time, but I’ll never get used to it. It shows exactly just how much Venture is invested in this exploration. It also means I get to stretch out my legs without my six-six frame being cramped on those tiny plane seats while trying not to touch the person next to me. I sleep most of the way there, much to Wild’s chagrin because he wants to plan.
It doesn’t matter that we’ve gone over everything a hundred times already; he has to check continually to make sure there is nothing that can go wrong and anything that could go wrong already has a counter-plan in place. I help with logistics, but now he’s just being paranoid. There is only so much we can do before we have to just dive in and trust yourself and your team. There is no map or trail where we’re going. Getting to the island itself will be a task, and anything could happen, so planning isn’t as important as sleeping.
When I see the worry in Wilder’s eyes, I sit up and run over his notes and maps, double-checking them for him, knowing he does everything possible to keep his family safe.
I am his family, more brother than cousin. He’s made that clear since the day I was dropped at their house with my bagsafter losing my parents. We had always been close, living down the street from one another, and our fathers were brothers as well as best friends. We grew up together. Wilder, Ricky, and I were always together.
They loved my parents like their own, but when they died, my uncle and auntie didn’t hesitate to take me in. They stayed with me through it all. Rick and Wilder held my hands through the entire funeral, even though they got mocked for it. Ever since, they’ve always been protective. When I got bullied at school and people would tease me for my dead parents, Wilder and Rick would work together to silence them. When I cried myself to sleep for a year or on my birthdays or Christmas when I missed them something fierce, they were there then too.
Now, over twenty years later, I barely remember my parents.
I don’t remember the color of my mom’s eyes or the sound of my dad’s voice, but I still miss them, and at times like this, I wish they were here to see me. Wilder’s mom and dad always support us and love me, but it’s not the same.
The crinkled picture of them I always keep feels heavy in my pocket as I drift into my memories, only blinking when Wilder covers my hand on the map. “You with us, brother?” he murmurs.
I nod, meeting his eyes. I don’t have to say what I’m thinking—he already knows.
“They would be so proud of you,” he murmurs softly.
“I know.” I do, but it doesn’t stop it from hurting. They say grief lessens with time, but they are fucking liars—you just get better at dealing with it.
Aiyaret claps me on the shoulder, resting his head there after. I close my eyes, soaking in their warmth and friendship, which has saved us all throughout everything we have endured, especially Aiy . . . .
Shaking it off, I concentrate on the map. “So what’s the plan, boss man?” I joke, and Wilder grins and lets me change the subject, thank God.
Rick and Way crowd closer as Wild launches into detailing where we will land before we have to get a seaplane. We will have a hotel for the night as Wilder meets with someone he chartered a boat from, and then the next morning, we’ll set off towards the island at dawn, which we have rough coordinates for and no more information.
It's the best time of exploration—the unknown kind.
Excitement pours through me, chasing away my demons, and I see it doing the same for the others as I grin at them. “Let’s find that lost city and make it our bitch!”
FIVE
MAEVE
Idouble-check my list and then glance back at my bags on the bed. Most are filled with equipment I might need. I can order more when I get there, but some of my favorites come with me. I trust it more than a random new set I haven’t had the chance to test. I only have a small backpack with clothes and supplies, but I end up hauling several duffels and bags of equipment down to the car Venture sent. I wave off the driver’s help and load it myself, and then we’re off to a private airstrip.
I’ve flown private a few times when they needed to pick me up from the middle of nowhere at random hours or when they bribed me to attend an event like kayak racing, but I never get used to it. I always feel out of place, my worn shoes treading on the perfectly posh carpet. My jacket has a patched hole, my face is clean of makeup, and my clothes are comfy. I stand out, but I force myself to sit and smile when I’m served before we take off.
I’ll sleep most of the way, having gone over the maps and plans with my father before I left, and then I can hit the ground running when I land. I can’t fly directly to the island on this plane, though, so I’m stopping at a nearby island and taking a boat there. From there, I’ve chartered a small plane I can jump from with my equipment. There are easier ways, but hell, what’slife without a bit of excitement? And when will I have the chance to jump from a plane into the middle of the ocean in search of a mysterious island and lost city?
Never.
So you bet your ass I am.
Reclining in my seat, I close my eyes and nod off. I only wake for food and to check the time to our destination, then I fall asleep again, only to be woken when we land. I thank the crew, grab my bag, and head down where my stuff is already being loaded into the back of a truck on the private airfield.
The sun is blazing down on me, and the ocean stretches before us. Something in my shoulders eases, and I relax with the scent of the salty ocean and the freshness of the warm air. Pulling on my sunglasses, I strip off my jacket and greet the driver before climbing in.
He takes off at a breakneck speed down old dirt tracks, and I whoop as we fly over mounds and hills. Once back on normal roads, I grab my satellite phone and do my last check-in with Dad.
“Remember our rules. Stay sharp and safe, and baby girl, don’t take too many risks, okay?”
I laugh. “Okay, Dad, love you.”
“Love you. Find it for me.”
