Crimson Red, Cerulean Blue
Chapter 17

(Lucas)

I don’t think anyone else in the world has ever learned how to swim in five minutes flat, but I didn’t really have a choice.

Still, I would’ve been complete and utter toast if I hadn’t had a mini oxygen tank from when I was still a soldier. How ironic that something Mask’s men gave to me saved my life. He’d be so pleased. (Not.)

Earlier, the captain had announced that the ocean was calm and it was a beautiful day.

This was not true once you actually got in said ocean. Actually, terrifying and trying to kill you with it’s freakishly strong waves would be how I would describe it. Also bitterly cold.

But scratch my opinions – like they matter when I’m about to die.

I had oxygen, sure. But how the heck was I supposed to make it to shore without either getting dragged out to the main part of the ocean (bad) or getting smashed to pieces on the rocks by the shore of Indigo Island (worse)?

Plus, water wasn’t really my best friend. Water had taken away everything I cared about, after all. Snatched it away like it was nothing...

Snap out of it, Lucas, I told myself. Priorities!

I took a deep breath and dived.

And then something shot at lightning speed into the water, just barely missing my head.

A bullet.

Fallon had a gun?!

That really speeded me up.

I struggled to recall the training videos from the army. Kick your feet. Keep them straight. Put your hands together, then down to your sides. Keep going. Don’t stop until you reach where you have to go.

And then another voice. Her voice: Go with the flow. Don’t struggle. It doesn’t help.

I kicked faster, shoving the memory out of my head. It really didn’t help that I was surrounded by water. Surrounded by the one thing that used to be one of my best friends – but was now my enemy.

Something slashed across my wounded arm, leaving a streak of red. I kicked even faster, slicing through the ocean like a knife, biting my lip hard.

Steady breathing. Easy rhythm. Don’t panic.

Yeah, easy to say, not so easy to do. I was so panicked, I didn’t even know if I could make it to shore.

Providing that the currents or the rocks didn’t get me before the panic did, of course.

How far were we from the shore when Fallon found me? A quarter of a mile?

Could I even swim that far?

My breath came fast now, and a final bullet shot into the water, ripping through the cloth of my pants, but thankfully not hitting me. My movements slowed. I was tiring.

Oh, come on, private! You can do better than that!

Ironically, it was Fallon’s voice that came next, stern and commanding. I didn’t think it was possible, but I bit down even harder on my lip.

But it was working, slightly. I kicked harder, slicing through the water even faster than before.

And then my oxygen tank beeped: WARNING. OXYGEN LEVELS LOW. TWENTY SECONDS LEFT IN DEVICE.

Well, that wasn’t good. I turned toward the light, paddling toward the surface.

I broke the surface as silently as possible, shaking the salt water from my burning eyes. The ferry was far behind me, a distant speck on the horizon. I turned back around to face Indigo Island, and almost cried with relief – it was right in front of me. Just about a hundred yards away.

I swam those hundred yards faster than an Olympic swimmer about to win the gold.

Soaked, exhausted, and with my nerves shot to death, I dragged myself up onto the beach, sand clinging to me. I didn’t give a cake crumb about it. All I wanted to do was sleep. Preferably somewhere safe.

Apparently, an outhouse lying on its side would have to do. I wrenched open the door and dragged myself inside, ignoring the smell.

Hoping against hope that no one would look at the former bathroom and think I wonder if there’s some kind of fugitive in there? and open it, I passed out.

My hopes were not granted.

“Is he dead?”

“Nah, he ain’t dead. Look, he’s still breathing.”

“Then why ain’t he responding? Looks dead to me. Or just about it. Let’s just rob him and leave.”

“I patted him down already. Guy’s got nothing. Think he’s a runaway?”

“Naw, lookit the uniform! I say he’s from the army. You know, with Mask and Argot and all?”

“Then we should get Kari. Kari knows about people like him. We might even get some kinda reward for him!”

There was a chorus of agreement, but I forced my eyes open and sat up, groaning.

“He’s awake!”

“He’s alive?!”

“I told you he was alive!”

In front of me were three ragged-looking kids, probably orphans or runaways. I blinked at them, my eyes and wound still stinging from the salt water.

“Who’re you?”

My voice came rough and suspicious, and the biggest kid scowled at me.

“Shouldn’t we be asking you the same thing, mister?”

“I asked first,” I shot back, eyes narrowed. He hesitated, then grudgingly decided that I had a point.

“Name’s Tim. The girl’s Leah, and the other guy’s Ben. So who are you?”

“Lucas,” I told him laconically.

“Lucas, huh? Are you a soldier? What’re you doing way out here in Indigo Island? We don’t accept your kind, here. Go home.”

He glared at me, but the harsh words lifted my spirits. At least someone was teaching these kids the right thing.

“I’m not a soldier. I used to be… But not anymore. Not after I found out what Mask was capable of.” Which was all true.

Tim’s expression softened. “So you came here ’cause you’re running away, huh?”

“Yes and no. I’m looking for someone named Kari Shine. Know where I can find her?”

“You wanna see Kari?” Ben asked, giving me the tough guy treatment. “What do you wanna see Kari for?”

I hesitated before answering. “I still have a friend I need to rescue. And for that, I need a hacker. She is a hacker, isn’t she?”

“Yeah, Kari’s a hacker,” Tim said. “A real good one, too. But I don’t think you’d want to deal with her. You’re a guy, aren’t you?”

“Yeah, so?”

“So… Kari’s a little…” He thought for a minute, then shook his head. “You have to meet her to see.”

That didn’t sound very inviting.

But I needed a hacker if I wanted my plan to work, so I shrugged. “I can handle Kari. Take me to her.”

Bold words. Too bad I spoke too soon.

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