Academy Island

Treasure

Water tapped impatiently on the outside of the hut, filling the silence. Kota tried to collect himself as he paced back and forth on the packed floor. I rubbed at my elbow, flinching when he spun and faced me, his hands on his hips.

"I don't think you understand how dangerous that was." he started,  rubbed at his forehead. "We do things in groups for a reason. We follow orders for a reason. If you...if I hadn't turned back to make sure you were with us...I told you, didn't I? The storm was moving in and we had to get off the shore. This is rainy season, the squalls can take you off guard with their intensity, and there is danger of tsunamis. We have no warning other than our senses. It's not just the weather, it's the ocean as well. It gets unpredictable. Chaos theory with a vengeance."

He rubbed his hand more briskly over his face, moving his glasses up and out of the way as he scrubbed at his eyes. My air was caught painfully at a high place in my throat, his worry squeezing at my conscious. I fluttered a hand up to the pain, unable to ease it. I'd scared him, and as good as my purpose had been or sound my reasons, they weren't as important as I'd thought they'd been now that I was sitting here sharing his distress. I gulped at a stubborn lump, unable to talk normally because of it.

"I'm sorry. I didn't..."

His arms folded over me suddenly, enveloping and muffling my face, tight. I was shocked, paused before lifting a timid hand up to the back of his shoulder, squeezing back weakly. He was hugging me, and I didn't know what to do. Pat him? Say I was sorry again? I didn't have enough experience with hugging to know. We stayed that way for a long while, my back stiff and his head resting on top of mine, my heart thumping so hard I was sure he could feel it. He didn't let go, more like he couldn't, and my heart went out to him. I hugged back harder, then cuddled into his chest, wanting him to feel my sorry rather than me saying it again out loud. He froze at the move, and I worried I'd done it wrong when a cough at the door made my frame rigid.

"Mr. B want's to know what's going on. He's waiting at the tower for a report."

Gabriel stood at the door, eyes wide at the two of us. Kota released me, but brought his hands up to my shoulders and squeezed, holding me still so I wouldn't look away. His eyes still looked troubled.

"We'll talk later. For now go see about your find."

His hands dropped and he swept past Gabriel out into the heavy rain's big puddles, tromping through them, half running to the tower. Gabriel turned from watching him closely to me, looking me up and down skeptically.

"What the fuck just happened? Are you..." his eyes searched my face for a moment before shaking his head briefly. "Never mind. What was that about a find?"

I rubbed at my forearm absently, still staring after Kota. "I found a suitcase floating in the water."

His eyes perked up, whatever storm that had been brewing behind them receding partway. I latched on to the interest he showed, this at least I was able to do with some enthusiasm by grabbing his hand and pulling him to the radio station where I'd seen Silas heading to. The rain re-soaked my head on the way, big pelting droplets that were as hot as the morning had started out, making the puddles misty and lukewarm. Several of the guys were gathered around the radio table under the canopy, the case resting on Victor's crates unopened. Thunder crashed again as I pulled a dripping Gabriel under the protection of the eave so we could crowd around with the others watching Luke play with the number combination that locked the case.

His face was firm as he listened to the advice everyone was suggesting in how to get the lock open, from cutting the case at the hinges to opening a hole in the top. Silas lifted a rock that had bordered the grassy plants edging around the hut.