Terminus Part I: The Journey There (Draft)

Chapter 9: Motorcycle Mystery

It was three-forty p.m. The Motorcycle Gang was at their bar, counting their motorcycles. Davidson expressed his shock. "There's only eleven motorcycles! I don't know how, sir, but one of them must have been stolen without our knowledge."

"This is unacceptable! If the motorcycle is not found within an hour, I will have to start asking questions! And when that happens, I can guarantee, no-one will be happy," said Hedges.

Five minutes later, James, Patricia, and Karnilla had left the restaurant, Milangelo and Crock had given up their search for Cameron, and Cameron was running around Burundi trying to find his way back to his friends, or at the very least, back to the market. Ten minutes after that, Persimmon had signed out and began to walk home. To Judge Perkins, who along with his wife were the only customers at that time, this was troubling.

"Waiter! Where is the chef going?" he asked.

"His shift is over, sir. Do not worry, we have plenty of fine chefs and your meal will be finished shortly," said Charleston.

Charleston knew that in reality, the hour of four p.m. was one that no-one wanted to work in. As such, he was the only waiter there, and the chefs were in the kitchen, and as a result, were isolated from the customer side of business. This means that the three of them seemed to be relatively alone.

"Stop fussing, Wisconsin. We're going to have a lovely meal," said his wife, Carolyn.

There was less than a minute until four p.m. Outside of the restaurant, a tall-built man stood in seclusion, in the shadows of an alleyway. "As you wish, sir," the man said, as he pulled a sheet off the object next to him, which revealed that it was a motorcycle. He hopped on and revved it up, and aimed himself at the restaurant window.

"Do you hear that?" asked Judge Perkins.

"Hear what, dear?" asked his wife.

He was about to explain that he had heard the revving of a motorcycle coming from outside, when a motorcycle came crashing through the window and crushed their faces when it landed on them. A person had jumped off this motorcycle at the last second, and Charleston was in shock to see this all unfold so close to himself. The rider looked at Charleston and said "Shit, there weren't meant to be witnesses." He shot this new witness in the head and ran out the back door before anyone could come and investigate.

In the kitchen, the chef preparing the Perkins' meals had finished, and was calling out for Charleston, who was meant to be there to collect them. He walked out the kitchen to find the results of the horrid events that had just occurred.

As he struggled to come to terms with what he was seeing, the Detective Pirates met up at the docks and while Karnilla and Patricia were loading the ship with fish that Milangelo and Crock had bought, James talked with the two about Cameron's disappearance. They came to the conclusion that if a lead came up, they would follow it. The group then decided that a night on the island proper might be a good idea, as then they would be closer to possible sources of information.

Patricia and Karnilla wished to sleep on the ship, and so they were allowed to do so. James, Milangelo, and Crock headed off to book a hotel. Meanwhile, Cameron was running through town when he passed by the bar where the Motorcycle Gang liked to hang out. This was an unfortunate move, as Alfred Hedges happened to be sitting outside the bar, and the act of running by was suspect, and indistinguishable from running away. He soon found himself pursued by two members of the Motorcycle Gang. Within minutes, he was caught.

"Why are you running about, boy?" asked Hedges. "Do you have someplace to be?"

"Kinda. I was separated from my friends. They're probably looking for me," Cameron answered bluntly.