How to Find the Lemurian Treasure

|| Part Two ||

"Ant! What happened?" Kaiko asked as soon as she and her husband reached their son.

The boy gave them a terrified look.

"Fontaine's not responding!"

He didn't even notice he was clearly showing worry. Because he was really worried about his sister.

"How?" Will asked. "What happened?"

"She split up and then–"

"Split up?" his father interrupted. "We clearly told you two to stick together!"

"I know but she was supposed to be on the lookout...it was all her idea, not mine! But when we got back she wasn't there. I tried to call, she didn't pick up right away and when she finally did she said something like 'I can't talk right now' and hung up! I tried to track her down, but she cut off her communicator! Totally!"

He ran scared completely. What if his sister got lost somewhere? Was she kidnapped? Get lost first and then get kidnapped? What if she got into some crooked business? What if someone else cut off her communication? What if...no, it couldn't end like this!

"Calm down, Ant," Mom put a hand on his shoulder. "Do you have any idea where she could go?"

He tried to focus. Was here something important enough for his sister to go after it and turn off her communicator all over? What was here anyway? Dolos has lived here, but Fontaine hated Dolos as much as he hated her. And there was one more thing...a sub that moored here often. The sub that girl had been talking about a moment earlier. It couldn't just be a coincidence, could it?

"Oh no. Maybe...just in theory..." He paused, afraid of what was about to say. "Maybe she's on the north."

His parents looked at each other.

He didn't believe what was saying himself, but Fontaine could be so irresponsible on one condition. That means, if she really wanted to meet Finn. Something still didn't fall into place, because that probably wouldn't be a reason good enough to cut off communication, but it was the most likely explanation. Anyway, best for Fontaine herself.

Of all the dangers she could face here, Finn was the least dangerous. Probably.

"Then we'll check north," Will said. "Ant, take the grandparents and go back to the Aronnax. The sprocket wheel could wait, we'll take care of finding Fontaine first."

"But–"

"End of discussion, Ant," Kaiko cut in with a tone that brooked no argument. "It's enough Fontaine is lost. We don't want you to put yourself in danger no more today. So you take the Jetboat and return to Aronnax. We'll find Fontaine and go back in Rover. And then we two will take care of our sprocket problem by ourselves, okay?"

The boy cast his eyes down.

"Okey, mum".

He didn't want to leave his parents or sister. But they were right. Now that Fontaine was lost, he was the one responsible for the grandparents. Not like they couldn't take care of themselves, but Ant had more experience with the Black Market, operating Aronnax's equipment, and had been part of the crew much longer than they were. At that moment, that burden of responsibility afflicted on him. He began to understand (slowly, but still) how his sister had felt before.

"And don't worry," his mother smiled. "We will find her. And until then...Fontaine's strong, she can take care of herself. Everything is gonna be okay."

He hoped so. Truly.

_-_-_

"Great. Just great."