Chapter 42

1:17 PM, biking up a driveway at Cider Junction (4 hours, 11 minutes to path closing)

Mark turned the final corner on the long driveway and his old house was visible two hundred meters ahead. A few minutes later his team checked in with Tal, Kahoku, and Anuhea, and learned they were the first team back. Mark was more than a little worried, there was a decent safety margin built into the schedule, but it just seemed ominous that both other away teams were not back with only ten minutes to go. The weather looked like it would begin raining again soon; the wind was really starting to kick up. Mark spent a few minutes admiring the excellent job team-D had done with erasing all the tracks around the house. He asked Kiana and Kahoku to set up the comm gear for their scheduled 1:30 report to Blue Spirit.

1:22 PM, waiting in the lobby at the Last Castle Café (4 hours, 6 minutes to Path closing)

The lamps suddenly came back to life in the lobby. Leon had been beginning to sweat. This was just the first needed step for having a chance to get home. "A little over four hours," Amy muttered. "I guess Carl was right on target with his estimate."

"He's a first rate mechanic, if he did the job I think he did in four hours..." Leon said idly. His mind was elsewhere. He felt overwhelmed thinking about the number of different ways this day could end. He kept telling himself that he had to be optimistic and set an example for his nieces.

1:33 PM, outside the house at Cider Junction (3 hours, 55 minutes to Path closing)

Mark had just spent the last several minutes reporting to Kahn and the other members of Congress when Kiana motioned for him to look down the driveway. Mark did and was at first overjoyed to see Kara's team coming back. The next fifteen minutes were bedlam as the team reported their horrific ordeal. An intense discussion broke out between the away teams and the Congress about how to proceed.

Finally Kahn cut short the debate. "Mark, we can't keep losing time discussing this."

"Agreed."

"So here's my decision. My first priority is the safety of Aina. That priority is telling me to order everyone at Cider Junction to return immediately, and hope Leon's team makes the deadline too. And yet, I remember the teachings of Kirahani and Kikapua. I can't place the value of human life below the value of the tribe. Mark, you have my permission to ask for volunteers and launch a rescue mission for Leon's team. Please try to limit the mission to a few people. Given what Kara's team reported, I suggest only males, perhaps only Mahi or Kahoku. Certainly send Lois back here at once with a large party. Return yourself if in your judgment a rescue attempt makes no sense."

"Yes sir. * Infinite * gratitude. * " sang Mark. "We have much to do. We'll report again shortly. Expedition out." Mark looked at eleven other people before him. As a group, they all raised their hands, including Lois. Mark shook his head. "Absolutely not! Kahoku, Mahi, thank you for volunteering. Everyone else, return to Blue Spirit immediately. Tal, you'll be the return team leader. Lois, you'll be the team's guide. Do you remember all the turns to get back to the Grotto?"

"Sure. Remember all our picnics there when we were kids?"

"Yeah, I sure do. Tal, take the comm link. Once the path closes, it'll be useless to us anyway. Keep the council informed of your progress. Lois, your face is a mask of pain. If it becomes too great, guide a stretcher team to your position from Blue Spirit. Okay, that's it. I love you all. Return team, I want you out of here in one minute. Just pick up your packs and bikes and go. Now! May the Spirit be with all of us."

Except for Kara, the women team members made quick emotional goodbyes to Mahi and Kahoku. Kara stood before Mark and whispered quietly, "With all that I am, I ask you to let me join you."

"Kara..."

"I will obey you of course. Mark, I'm the best shot of the group. Mahi's very good with a pistol, you are excellent, but I'm the expert. And you might need a female as a diversion..."

Mark sighed heavily. "You're right of course... All right."

Kara gave one brief sob and nodded. A few seconds later, Anuhea and Va'an gave emotional hugs to Mark and Kara, and then the return team departed, sweeping their tracks clean behind them as they walked.

Mark looked around at the house. "We need to plan. Let's clean our own tracks and return to the house." In a few minutes, the scene looked as pristine as the previous day. Mark sat down with his other three team members in the large kitchen to discuss their options. He glanced at his watch. The time was 1:58 PM.

1:58 PM, lobby of the Last Castle Café (3 hours, 30 minutes to Path closing)

Sal walked into the room surrounded by four policemen, separate from the eight already outside. He looked at Leon and glared, "I don't like mysteries, and I've got a bellyful of them right now! Leon! Where did you come from? Why are you here?"

"I came from the box canyon. I came here to talk to you."

"The box canyon! That's public property now! It belongs to me! Have you been in the house?!"

"No, of course not! It's all boarded up, even the windows. I did look in a bit. Oh hell Sal, cut me some slack on this one. You know I used to live there, back when we were kids. All I did was look in the windows. I was just curious. Sal, we have important things to talk about."

"Such as?"

"Uh... Alone."

"What?!"

"Sal! Will you remember who I am? Remember my passions? Remember what I love the most, what I love to manage besides bitches? Think! Just give me a minute... one minute to talk to you privately."

Sal was quiet for a moment. Then he said to the others, "Wait outside for me, just outside the door." The police looked surprised but obeyed immediately.

Sal sat down alone with Leon near the lobby desk, ignoring the bitches across the room. "This had better be good. None of this shit about buying internet time."

"Oh hell, Sal. I saw your sign. It made me laugh. I was just joking with your bell boy... Sal, I'll get right to the point. You remember how rich my family was, right? Back in the days before the plague?"

"Well... Yeah..."

"My dad, he converted a lot the fortune into gold. I've been to the spot where it was kept in the box canyon. It's still there. Sal, I've come to bargain with you."

"Damn it Leon! Is this another one of your jokes? Are you trying to trick me?"

"Absolutely not! I'll prove it. Here's a small sample." Leon laid twelve shining gold eagles on the table between them. Sal's jaw dropped when he saw them.

2:00 PM, at the house in Cider Junction (3 hours, 28 minutes to Path closing)

The four team members were sitting down at the kitchen table starting to discuss their options. "Dad, it's so stuffy in here. Can I open one of the windows?"

"Sure Mahi. Good idea."

Mahi got up and walked to one of the kitchen windows by the side of the house. It provided a good view of the last hundred meters of the driveway. He looked outside as he about to open the window. He was shocked by what he saw. A police SUV was rounding the curve and heading for the house. There was at least one other right behind it. Mahi yelled out a warning.

Mark jumped up to lock all the deadbolts on the back door. "Move everybody! Bikes and packs into the center hall! Now!"

2:01 PM, at the Last Castle Café

Sal just stared at the coins for a moment, then picked one up and looked at it. "That asshole Jake. You showed him one of these, didn't you? He never mentioned it."

"Damn it Sal! I needed some way to get your attention! I thought flashing one coin would get me a chance to see you..."

"There's more?"

"Ha! Oh yeah, a lot more. These twelve coins are nothing, just a sample. Keep them. Sal, we've got some bargaining to do. Why were you so ornery when you came back in here?"

"I've lost contact with three of my patrol cars. And then you show up out of nowhere. I don't believe in coincidences."

"Hell, Sal. Why would I attack your patrol cars? I came here to bargain with you. That makes no sense. When did you last hear from them? Where were they last?"

Sal stared at Leon for a moment, appearing to size him up. Then he said, "I've lost contact with a full squad of troops at Davis. Another patrol car was lost outside of Harmin. They checked in at the start of the day shift, 8 AM. Then... nothing when the radio came back up."

"Hell. Sal. I was right in between. Biked here from the canyon this morning. I was here by 9 AM. Think of the distances. I was biking on Route 72 at 8 AM. No way I was in Davis or Harmin."

"Well... Yeah, okay. Leon, how much gold are you talking about?"

"Over 10,000 coins. The most beautiful things you ever saw. U.S. Gold Eagles, South African Krugerrands, Canadian Maple Leafs... About 600 lb of gold..."

Sal's eyes widened, and he said nothing for a moment. Finally he whispered, "Leon, why did you come here?"

2:02 PM, the house at Cider Junction

The four team members were huddled quietly in the center hall on the first floor, invisible from any window.

"Shit!" hissed Kara. "That damn Desert Eagle!"

"Where the hell is it?" whispered Mark.

"On the kitchen counter, by the window!"