The Enchantments: Book 4 - The Key of Mulastef

Chapter 24: All Ashore

Early morning the water was placid as Fin looked over the side of the boat to see an almost perfect reflection staring back at him. The light ripples in the water drifted silently past the starboard side of the boat and Fin almost relaxed watching the soft waves that are until he remembered where they headed.

Sitting up and feeling the muscles in his neck tighten he felt the nerves come back in full force. Everything about the plan left a bad taste in his mouth, but the people who were more important than him felt confident. He just wished he felt the same. Something was nagging at him, and he couldn't put his finger on it, a niggling in the fabric of time it seemed only he could sense made him very uneasy.

"What's the matter?" Doctor Miller asked seeing the strain in the young man's gaze.

"Something's not right," Fin whispered reluctantly. "This whole campaign feels like a trap in some way."

The doctor looked around seeing the grassy islands of the bay drift by amongst the early morning mist. Palm trees looked like overgrown celery sticks in the gloom of the thickening fog.

"I can feel anything, but I've come to believe in your senses, my dear boy." He hesitated for a moment looking at Fin. "Should we put an end to this?"

"They'll never go for that," Fin said throwing his hands in the air. "The brothers and Mr. Guile believe they're both right and at this point, they'll believe we're too far gone to stop now."

"I might have a little influence in that department." The doctor said as he rested a hand on the boy's shoulder.

"Influence in what?" Liza asked stepping through the door of the main bridge.

"Fin believes we're stepping into a trap." The doctor said in a worried tone.

Liza smiled warmly and moved forward to give them a hug. "Don't worry my young friend there's no way the minions know we're coming."

She let him go moving by the doctor and giving a warm squeeze of his arm as she passed by on the way to the back of the boat.

"Being careful is one thing but being overconfident is worse," He said as he and the doctor peered at each other gravely.

As the boat stuck in the sand a few feet from the shore, a group of black-clad figures sloshed out of the port and starboarded side of the boat maneuvering up the sandy beach to where the remnants of grass started. Hunched and in unison the held their weapons out in front back and forth covering the are in front in a wide semi-circle.

They reached the grass and the last in line turned to the boat and waited for Fin, Liza, Dr. Miller and Mr. Guile to step from the edge, the second they stepped from the water the man turned and crouching moved forward in the heart of the fog. All was silent as they waited for the all clear and when nothing materialized thirty seconds later, they looked at each other each showing the concern all was feeling.

Suddenly a burst of gunfire erupted in the dense fog and shouts of pain and surprise. The four of them stood transfixed staring at the section the men had disappeared into the fog. Fin was about to scream for the men when Mr. Guile put a hand on his mouth cutting him off. Fin looked up and saw the man put a finger over his mouth, the universal sign of don't say a word. Guile gently put a hand on Fins chest nudging him back and slowly moving him behind his large bulk.

The silence was now ominous as the last restage of gunfire echoed into the fog, the four of them stood motionless waiting for any sign of the men. Fin peered around the large man and caught movement to the right, he pointed silently, and both Guile and Liza brought up their weapons as dark figures began appearing in silhouette within the fog.