Sapphire Ruby (Book Two, Arrow)

chapter 15 ⚔ The Promise

Flashback

Oliver was running through the woods with the bow and arrow, firing at the targets painted onto the trees as he ran. 

Jill was doing pullups by a branch in a tree.

Sara was running along the beach, splashing through the water.

Jill jumped down from the tree branch.

Sara continued to run.

Oliver ran down a hill, sliding down the way, rolling down a little to the boulder to stop him, firing an arrow at the target, getting a perfect shot.

Slade pulled the arrow out of the tree. "Shado would be proud."

Oliver, Jill and Sara walked closer.

"Thank you," Oliver told him. "But those trees don't move, or shoot back. Ivo's men on the freighter will."

"Then shoot first," Sara told him.

"I made a promise to two men on the freighter that I would help them get free," Jill told them. "I intend to keep that promise."

They walked along through the woods.

⚔

The four were now in the plane hideout.

Slade put a map on the table, "Ivo's freighter is located here. He keeps eight men on deck. Three on the starboard, three on the port and two up in the bridge." Oliver walked closer. "But our bigger concern are these GP 25 grenade launchers that they're walking around with at all times."

"Do they have night vision?" Oliver asked.

Slade shook his head, nodding to Sara. "Not according to blondie."

Sara was making a paste with a mortar and pestle.

Jill was standing next to her. "That smells awful."

"It'll taste even worse," Sara told her. 

"But it'll work?" Jill asked.

"I spent a year with Anthony Ivo," Sara told her. "I know how he thinks. It'll work."

Oliver looked at Sara and Jill, nodding outside.

They walked outside without Slade.

"Hey, what about the Mirakuru?" Oliver asked.

"Well, what about it?" Jill asked.

"Well, look, I mean, it can cure, I don't know, maybe anything," Oliver told them. "Maybe... maybe it's a miracle drug. But it's also something else. Something that people like Ivo should never be allowed to control."

"What about Slade?" Sara asked. "He might not let us."

Slade walked out of the plane toward them. "Might not let you do what?" They jumped, turning to Slade. "You think we should destroy the Mirakuru?" 

"This thing doesn't go our way... we can't let Ivo have it," Jill told him.

Slade hesitated. "You're right. We should burn it."

⚔

That night, Oliver, Jill and Sara were burning the Mirakuru box in a campfire.

"Anthony devoted his entire life to finding this," Sara told them. "Nobody even thought it was real. It was his dream."

"Did he ever say why?" Jill asked.