Kingdom Keepers VI(91)
The sound of defeat in her voice was so foreign, Finn found himself concentrating on the fact that it was really her. She blamed herself for Dillard, which didn’t make any sense.
“We’re going to stop it,” Finn said.
“He’s not a cat,” Philby countered. “He doesn’t get nine lives.”
“He’s a monster,” Charlene said. “So maybe he gets more.”
Philby snorted. “If they get us thinking we’re beat before we really are, then they win.”
“Look who’s the cheerleader now,” she said.
“They’ve got Dillard,” Finn reminded him.
Philby countered, “They think they’ve got you. Kenny said the disguise wasn’t perfect, but given the clothes and the fact they’ve never actually held you captive before, they may still believe he’s you.”
Finn thought: Then he’s dead.
Kenny nodded from the corner. He looked like the kid going to detention. “It could go either way.”
“So they have a hostage,” Finn said. “And we know what they’re planning.”
“‘Someone will die,’” Charlene repeated. “I really don’t think we should have left Mattie! That was a bad plan.”
“It was the only plan.” Philby sounded defensive.
“It didn’t work!”
“It helped!” he shouted. “Mattie empathized with two of them. We know more than we did.”
“Yeah, right! She helped us, and now she’s alone. Some friends we are. Some team!”
“The ones who are hurting,” Finn said, “are Amanda and Jess. They got Mattie to come here in the first place.”
“Do you ever stop thinking about her? Feeling sorry for her?” Charlene raised her head just long enough to make Finn feel her scorn.
“So, what now?” Philby asked Finn in a mocking tone.
Was Finn supposed to capitulate and let Philby direct the next step?
“They’re going to get off the ship,” Finn said. “Either in Puerto Vallarta or Cabo. Unless these rocks and caves are in Disneyland, then it has to be one of the next stops.”
“Agreed.” Philby seemed to be taunting him: Be as smart as I am.
“They’ll head to this place, whatever it is. They’ll take Chernabog and Dillard. They brought me—or Dillard—back to the ship because there was more to do.”
Philby nodded. He could be so annoying.
“The rise of Chernabog,” Charlene said.
“That’s such a drama-queen way of saying it,” Philby sneered.
Charlene stuck her tongue out at him.
“The best move is for our DHIs to follow them. If we can even figure out when and how they’re leaving the ship.”
“They’re creatures of habit,” Philby said. “They will leave by the side of the ship away from the dock, the forward gangway. There will be a boat waiting. Just like in Aruba. Trust me. But it can’t be our DHIs.”
“No projectors.”
“Gold star.”
“We’re supposed to guide the kayak trip. All five of us,” Charlene reminded Philby, eyes moving to Finn. “If we’re a no-show, the excursion crew will come looking for us.”
“Yes,” Philby said. “But once we disembark, we’ll be logged off the ship by the computers. Security will be able to determine that we left the ship with the first passengers.”
“And if the Overtakers leave the ship before we’re allowed off?” Charlene asked.
“That would be smart of them, and bad for us,” Philby conceded. “Good thinking, Charlie.”
Finn raised a finger. “We can assume there will be projection in the town, just not out in the jungle.” Philby did not contradict him. “We send Storey out as a DHI. She can jump through the hull, won’t need to go through security at the gangway. Once out, she drops a rope—”
“A line.”
“—or finds a ladder on the pier. We leave through the aft gangway door. We swim for it. Storey has figured out a way for us to get out of the water. Those docks are so high, there’s no way we can do it without help.”
“When the aft gangway door is opened, it will send a signal to Security. They’ll check cameras. They’ll see us.” Philby sounded so confident.
“But not if you can rig it so they don’t.” Finn was testing his theory.
“Correct,” Philby said.
“You understand we have only a slight idea of what the OTs are up to? Sacrifice. Reboot Chernabog. Charlene? Dillard? We also know they may want 2.0 and one of us in order to figure it out. We can’t give them that. Stopping them is not an option, it’s a requirement. Our purpose,” Finn finished softly.