A Heart Between Us

Chapter 12: Sea of Sand

A Heart Between Us

Chapter 12

Sea of Sand

Cole cupped his hands on his forehead so he could see across the sands. It was so hot and muggy out there. He was sure he had already sweat a bucket full as soon as he came outside in the mess. He felt someone's cold hand on his back and it felt great. He turned to see Zane. "We're almost to the meeting point." Zane told him. "Just there." They came around a dune to see what looked like a huge airship.

"It's a zeppelin!" Lloyd exclaimed from the wheelhouse where he was positioned with Nya. Nya put the telescope up to her eye.

"How did they get that huge castle to float like that?" She asked. Lloyd shook his head.

"No idea. Hey Kai! Anything?" He called up to the crows nest.

Kai growled.

"Nothing. No sign of movement at all." He jumped and landed on his backside as a cannon fired. "Warning shot?!" Kai cleared his throat trying to pretend it didn't affect him.

"No...they're just sitting there." Cole said narrowed his eyes.

"There...on the left side. There's someone flagging us down." Nya said folding the telescope back up again.

"What are they doing?" Cole asked looking at Zane. He shook his head unsure.

"This whole meeting is a bad idea on their part. Why would they want to meet us in the first place? It's almost like they wanted us here." Lloyd walked down the ladder to stand next to them.

"It doesn't matter. We're here to get Kairi and Jay back." Nya said pocketing the telescope.

Lining the Bounty beside the huge Zeppelin, Lloyd walked off first to greet the man that commanded the castle.

"Good Afternoon! I'm Lord Wright." The man had slicked back blond hair, flashy mustache, white suit, and smelled like he took a bath in aftershave, then dove into more just to rinse the previous aftershave off. Nya pulled out a fan just to hide her face from the smell. "Ah my lady. I wasn't aware there were girls among the ninja."

Kai stepped in front of Lord Wright.

"She is a guarded secret and you have her boyfriend. So if you'll be so kind to release him as well as our niece we'll be on our way and there won't be any further problems." Kai glared at the man who just smiled showing those beautiful bright white teeth.

"Of course. This was all a huge misunderstanding, of course. We weren't aware that you were the famous ninja that saved us. Actually, we thought you were just a bunch of nindroids. Oh no offense, Mr. Titanium ninja." The man looked at Zane. Cole saw the way the man looked at him. Zane just kept walking, but fit his hand into Cole's. An unspoken tell tell for the man. 'I am taken' without actually saying anything.

The walls within the castle were mother of pearl, and gold. Everything seemed like it was created by sparing no expense. Everything was beautiful. They were placed into a room with a few comfy couches.

Cole growled looking at it all. His eyes even looked up at the tv in the corner playing a cooking show.

"They could afford all this stuff, yet when Kairi was brought to us she was wearing a potato sack, dirty from head to toe." Cole looked over the many paintings on the walls of wildlife.

"How deplorable." Zane said looked up at his love. Cole nodded his head.

"She'll be fine Zane..." Cole stepped over to him placing his forehead to his.

"Good afternoon!" It was the creepy guy from the auction that sold Kairi to Cole. His oily features written all over the tv sets.

"Wheres Jay and Kairi!" Cole didn't waste any time. The man chuckled.

"It's understandable that you're busy. Saving the city and all that, but that's why I just had to take the opportunity. You see...your little stunt at the auction took a lot of money from me. Millions of dollars you see. The least you can do is give us a show." Dr. Brill said from the safety of his office. "You see...it's not like you have a choice. If you don't play our little game you will die, and so will they." On the screens around the room they could see Jay laying on the floor. Having just been recently beat up. The other screen was a recording of Kairi having her feet burned. The horrified look on the ninja's face told them that they were in very real trouble now. This was all planned out at their expense. They were pawns in there little game and they had no choice but to play.

"Fine..we'll play your game. But you have to promise that you'll free them once we're done!" Lloyd said pointing to the screens.

"Deal." The lights went out all around them...and they fell.