The Hunt for Freedom

Chapter Fifty

    As the sun crested high in the sky the little helicopter neared its destination. From her seat next to the window Lainey started calling out landmarks.

"Look there's Lanhydrock House, " Lainey's voice took on a strong British accent. Penny quickly turned around in her seat to ogle at the little girl........ Her mouth quickly turned up at the corners as she saw the sparkle in the little girl's eyes.

"Someone is sure excited to be home." Penny reached back and rubbed Lainey's knee. "Have you been there before?"

"Mum and Dad used to take my sister and I to see everything. They loved to be outside. We would spend weekends in the park, eating on the waterfront, or just hanging out by the docks with Dad's friends."

"So, you have a boat then?" Maggie asked.

"We have a few, mostly for Dad's work, he's a fisherman. But we have a really nice one for the family. Sometimes we get to sleep on it."

Pictures of Lainey's life here began to form in their minds. Looking for a place to land the helicopter began to be a concern. There were so many tourists.

"Where were you when the dragon's got you?" Penny asked,trying to sound casual.

"Penny!" Dakari cautioned, "Why must we ruin her excitement?" He wanted her last minutes with him to be happy ones.

"It's ok Dak, I don't mind. We were having lunch at a place called Devil's Point. I went off exploring by myself." The memory came back as vivid as if it were yesterday.

"We had just gotten out for summer holiday about a week before and my sister and I were already bored. Mom took us up to the point because we could look out on the water and try to see one of Dad's crew. This, too, became boring and I went to check out a thicket of trees. I thought I had seen something shiny in there reflecting off the sun and I imagined a chest filled with rubies and diamonds. I had been watching a pirate movie earlier and I wanted a chance to find hidden treasure."

The pilot flew around until he found an open area like Lainey described. "Leave it to the locals to know where to go to be free of tourists," he thought. He set the helicopter down swiftly and Penny did her magic. They were now invisible again.

Lainey looked around and tensed. "That is the spot where I saw the man with the lost puppy. He had a leash and told me that his puppy had gotten away. He asked if I had seen it. I looked up to answer him and then I woke up in a cage inside that horrible cliff. Later, I found out that the guys name was Essam."

They all turned to see the spot. It was a treasure trove for children with any imagination. Thick, gnarled roots stood above ground ready to be climbed. The limbs of the trees twisted low begging to be used as a pirate ship, a secret clubhouse, or even a castle holding off an assault. Essam obviously knew this area, knew that children would play here. "It's

"We need to get you into town. Any ideas on where to meet your parents?"

"It's been so long since I've been gone, I guess they might be back at work." Lainey said nervously. "You don't think they moved away do you?"

"If you were my daughter, I would never give up looking, never give up hoping that you might be found. Today is about to be the best day of their lives." Dakari said, his heart on his sleeve.

"Well, Mum works as a tour guide for Plymouth's Hoe. She might be there."

It was decided that only Penny, Maggie, and Dakari would go into the historical area with her. The two soldiers would stay back and guard the helicopter. Dakari was still to weak to shift or use his thought transfers with any consistency, so Maggie went to give him a ride. It wasn't said out loud, but the soldiers needed to make sure Essam wasn't watching Lainey's family. They could message Maggie or Penny at the first signs of trouble.