Chapter 29: Beach

Rose had understood Google Maps straight away - in fact she probably thought it was quite primitive - so luckily Grace had been able to just drive the humvee and go where Rose pointed. It could probably go literally anywhere, by the feel of it, but there were dusty tracks to follow, that were just about wide enough. So now they were at the little cove between Blind Beach and Blue Beach, where hopefully Mia and the others were going to pick them up, probably the following night. It wasn’t that near to Cuba, but it wasn’t too close to the main base either.

She drove into a load of scrubby bushes, that there were plenty of, and they were as high as the humvee, so with it being dull green army colour hopefully it wouldn’t be spotted. The monster car just bent the bushes to go over them, so they’d be springing back up behind them. She went in a few metres then quickly turned out the lights and switched off the noisy engine. Silence, nearly. No lights were chasing after them. Some waves were lapping on the beach, about 100 metres away down at the end of the track.

Can you swim?” she asked the Striteracians. They might need to. They didn’t reply, but Grace ‘felt’ a question in her head ... oh god, she was sensing them!! They were so close, in fact Cyan had leaned over so her hair was touching hers. She conjured up an image in her mind, of herself swimming, doing breast stroke, then crawl, in water with little waves.

‘Yes.’ She felt an image of Cyan swimming, in her head. Breast stroke. Wow. She gave a pleased feeling back or tried to.

The English-speaking captain was waiting at the disguised gate back into Cuba. “Not all your young friends?” He looked closely at Mo and Zara in the lights of the jeep.

“They have moved her, my daughter,” Zara’s head was at least clear enough to speak her lines. “I thought they were going to kill me. Thank you, for helping.”

“Is okay. Where they take your daughter?”

“We think Vieques,” Mia answered. “There was a map with a place circled.” That direction, the Virgin Islands, had seemed like the best bet, in the few moments she’d had to search for ‘US base’.

“A base. You go there? We cannot help you, in US territory.”

“I know, it’s okay. We can get ashore and then see.”

“Okay. You invade the USA again, in your Navy Seal outfits, good luck USA! Hahaha. Is insane but I wish you the best. Be safe. We take you to your boat and your academic, get in.”

Thirty minutes later they were back with the cigarette boat, which had gathered a little crowd of admiring soldiers in the harbour, even at half past four in the morning. Zara was having an emotional reunion with Claude.

“How about fuel?” Mia asked the captain. “Can we get some? We can pay.” Now she had Internet again, she could see Vieques was over 1000 kilometres away, a bit farther than she’d realised, and there were only 67 gallons left in the tanks. The British Virgin Islands were just beyond, which was good with being out of CIA direct control, but no use if they couldn’t get there.

“How much do you need?”

“Perhaps five hundred gallons? Or more, would be ideal.”

The captain sighed. “The store here is only two hundred. For more you have to go round to the north side.”

“How far is that?”

“About three hundred kilometers.”

Mia shook her head. Shit. 600 kilometers there and back, six hours or more, would mean they’d be sailing up to rescue Grace and the aliens near the US base in daylight, in about the most suspicious-looking boat ever, after Toyboyski and the others had been found. Or hanging around Cuba with the Mafia looking for their boat. “It’s too far.”

“Too far for what?”

“Er,” Mia couldn’t help hesitating, “we need to get away from Cuba quickly, because we shot a couple of them.”

“Seriously?” the captain smiled. “Okay we did hear a couple of shots. Still, what is it you are not telling me?”

“There’s nothing I’m not telling you,” Mia smiled back confidently.

“Alright, never mind, I like you, fighter girl who shoots Americans. Let me go ask someone, maybe we can help another way.” He walked off briskly.

“Let’s plan,” Mia got Paul and Mo aboard, separated Claude and Zara, and got them round the table in the narrow cabin. “Where can we go? We don’t have much fuel and this thing drinks it.”

“How fast is it?” asked Zara. “It looks like it’ll only be efficient up on the plane.”

“Hahaha,” Claude laughed, “it’s very fast, but we have to arrive somewhere ma cherie. Somewhere safe.”

“An island?” suggested Paul.

“Let’s look,” said Mia.

Rose grinned at Grace, and gestured towards the sea. An image of Rose swimming appeared in Grace’s head. Cyan and Emerald had got out and come round, and were sharing that same energy, somehow.

“It’s the middle of the night!” Grace had to grin too. But they were on a mission, not a schoolgirl midnight breakout from a dorm or something!

“We...” Cyan started in words, “ ... not permit...”.

Grace felt an image grow ... it was a row of male Striteracians barring the way, preventing a female from passing. They were surprisingly ‘male’, being taller and with broader shoulders, slimmer hips and a distinct bulge at the top of their legs. Well, was it surprising? Convergence, Rose had said. But: “Oh, normally, on your planet, girls aren’t allowed to swim?”

A muddled picture appeared, then clarified as Rose’s transmission apparently was the one the others gave way to: a female with a male alongside, wading into water.

“Oh, you have to be chaperoned,” Grace realised.

The aliens were all grinning, nodding, and facing back towards the track, ready. Well alright why not? It’d be a treat, as well as practice for if they had to swim to the boat. They’d see Mia coming in plenty of time, and if she didn’t come they’d be nice and refreshed for hanging out all day.

Down at the end of the track, the warm sand squidged between her toes, reminding her of holidays when she was little; carefree holidays when she just had to run around and laugh with her friends while her mum and dad took care of everything. Now she had to take care of everything. But the Striteracians were happy, paddling and watching her, to see what she did. No swimsuits obviously, and the air wasn’t so warm yet that they should be in wet clothes afterwards ... well it was deserted here, and they were all girls together after all.

She took off her overalls and draped them over a rock. She followed with her shoes and socks, then top, bra and panties. They were all watching her. Faking insouciance she strolled into the warm sea with its little waves. “Don’t get your clothes wet,” she smiled. Oh. She thought a picture: of a girl in dripping wet clothes, shivering.

The aliens giggled - really human-style giggled - and ran over to the rocks. They only had a skirt and top to take off - and Rose not even that - so next thing they were clustering round her, naked, waist deep in the sea. There was a bit of light now, reflecting off the water, so it was pretty clear their bodies really were brand new and perfect! And the pale blue of their skin looked especially appropriate in the water. The red freckles were making Grace want to touch them, but she had to focus.

She dipped into the water and swam a few strokes, then turned onto her back, inviting the others to copy her. They did! Breast stroke just the same. Well of course frogs swim breast stroke, so it must be pretty natural when you have two arms and legs. She did a few strokes of crawl, but they didn’t try to copy that, so she went back to breast stroke.

It was good to get some exercise again, and the sea felt lovely flowing over her skin, everywhere. The Striteracians were doing alright, so she swam out, out of their depth, right out to where the boat might come to. The others came with her, then back to the shore. They were all puffing, but only gently. So - good: when Mia came, and her mum and the others, they’d be able to escape even if there wasn’t a dinghy.

She stood up in waist depth, keeping her immature-looking bush covered, though at least it wouldn’t be squashed flat by now. The others had pretty good bushes, she’d glimpsed, that matched their hair colours. They clustered round her again, grinning. Rose stroked down her arm!