salute [james conrad] 1

Chapter 14

Dedicated to: @ClaraOswinOswald793 . You voted on my chapters, and all I can do is thank you, because you read a story that wasn't really that popular, and I am really glad you liked it, because without people voting, like you, I would probably be nowhere. 💗

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"Okay. So, we've got 48 hours to make it to the north shore" Charlotte says, looking around at the group of man.

She looks at Silvko, who is fixing the engine behind her.

"Silvko do you know what you're doing back there?" She questions, watching as he leans into the boat motor hole.

"Yeah!" Comes a muffled shout from the engine hole "My pop's a mechanic. If I can't fix this, he'll disown me" He says as he goes back to work.

Charlotte chuckles, turning back to look at the rest of the man.

"If he ever sees me again" She hears him mutter. Charlotte's smile falters, and she shakes her head. 

Hank turns to look at James, carrying on the conversation they were having a few seconds earlier.

"Hold the phone there, Churchill" He says, pointing one of his tools at him.

Charlotte crouches down, hammering down pieces of metal to make the boat more secure.

"Russia was our ally" Hank continues, making Charlotte scoff.

"Not anymore" She mutters shaking her head as she continues to hear the conversation.

"Now you're saying we're at war with them?"

James hesistates, looking at Hank.

"Well, it's more of a cold war" He then says, trying to explain.

"Cold war, like they take the summers off?" Hank questions, looking at the other men for any explanation.

Charlotte snorts, gaining the two men's attention.

She waves them off, holding back a laugh.

"Don't mind me" She says, turning back to the boat.

Hank and James stare at her moving figure for a few seconds, before tuning back to James.

"What about the Cubs? The Cubs win a world series yet?" He asks, making Charlotte shake her head in disapproval.

"The cubs?" Silvko joins in from behind the boat.

"Man, not even close" He exclaims, turning back to fix the motor.

"Yeah" Charlotte pitches in "They're a dead case. Were they ever good?" She asks Hank, turning around to look at his face, which holds annoyance and hurt.

"That happens to be my team!" He exclaims, motioning towards himself.

"Where are you from?" He then asks, motioning to Silvko and Charlotte.

Charlotte shrugs.

"I'm from Bristol. But I don't have a team. Never been interested, and probably never will" She says, shrugging.

"Yeah man. I'm from Detroit" Silvko joins in, looking at Hank.

"Okay. Woah, yeah, the Tigers. Did they win at all this year?" Hank questions.

"I don't know" Silvko says, shrugging.

"I doubt it. Yeah" Hank retorts, turning back to look at the big peice of motor they have on the deck.

"I'd pick the Cubbies over the Tigers any day" He mutters to herself.

Charlotte stands up, sighing as she looks around her, wondering what else she can do.

Her eyes meet with James. who chuckles, and she smiles back, wiping her hands with a rag and walking towards Silvko.

"Hey who do you think would win in a fight? A tiger or a Cub?" Silvko says, as he stands upright in the motor hole, which raises his height.

There's a moment of silence, and Charlotte turns to look at Hank, who has a thoughtful look on his face.

"A Tiger would win" He finally says.

Silvko nods enthusiastically, and turns back towards the hole on the boat.

"Yeah" Hank replies "Cause a Cub is a baby bear. A full grown Tiger can eat a baby bear" He says chuckling "Gotta think it through" He says, pointing his tool at his temple.

Silvko shakes his head, pulling out a couple of tubes and putting them on the deck.

"Need some help?" Charlotte asks, looking at Silvko. He shrugs.

"I guess. I'm having trouble with a leak" He says, looking at the pieces in frustration.

"Okay. Move" Charlotte says, waving him over.

Silvko scrambles, climbing out of the hole and letting Charlotte take the lead.

She steps into the hole and examines the leak, a few seconds later, she holds out a hand for Silvko to put a tool on.

"Yeah. We also put a man on the moon" Nieves says suddenly, attracting attention from Charlotte as she fixes the leak.

"No kidding?" she hears Hank say. "What did they do? Just leave him up there?"

At his words Charlotte chuckles.

"What's he eating?" He then asks, looking at the sky.

"Tang, Spam" She hears Nieves reply.

"Screw driver" She mumbles, holding out her hand. Silvko places the tool on her hand, and the tightens the hold on the tube.

Then she takes her hands off, waiting to see if the leak is still open.

When nothing happens, she let's out a breath, stepping out of the hole and handing the tool to Silvko, who is staring at her wide eyes.

"There you go" She says, gaining her breath as she wipes her hands in her pants.

"How'd you do that?" Silvko then asks, looking into the hole and then back at her.

She shrugs, grabbing a pile of rubber tubes from the floor. 

"It was easy. You nighten the noose, hold the rod, take out the screw, top it with a rubber sealer and put on the metal tube on top" She says, shaking it off.

Then she turns around, looking at the rest of the man in the ship, all of who are staring at her.

"What?" She asks innocently.

"Just because I'm a woman doesn't mean I don't know engines and motors. I was a ranger. We trained for that" She says, putting down the rag and walking past them and into the deck, depositing the rest of the plastic tubes on the floor.

James looks at her, clearly wondered about how she could do all that.

Then he turns to the rest of the team, ushering them on.

"Come on, we're losing daylight"

A/N: Okay. I'm sorry I took so long. I really am, but I have been planning the upcoming chapters, and I'm sure you'll love them!

Any questions? Comment down below!