(Marco Lastra)
Marco exited the Sandals Royal Bahamian and stepped into a waiting taxi. He tossed the small backpack into the seat next to him. His entire needs for a short voyage at sea amounted to very little.?
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His short stay at the Sandals had been a welcome break from his business activities in the US. His last adventure in the Alps seemed a distant memory. He looked forward to diving in the Azure waters of the Caribbean.?
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He’d learned to Scuba dive in Portofino many years ago and had revisited the area several times over the years. Now he avoided Italy and decided to give the Caribbean a shot.?A colleague had mentioned a cruise that ventured to remote isles and celebrated one of the best undersea experiences.?
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His week in Nassau had been uneventful. He’d spent two days scuba diving off the Schoolhouse Reef. The thrilling dives had left him energized and looking forward to more fun.?
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The intimate confines of the Seven Sisters almost put him off but a reference to the human condition would not hurt him. He could behave himself for an extended time if the need was worth the adventure.
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He had not had to worry about the paparazzi. His whereabouts had gone undetected so far and that made the trip that much more enjoyable.?
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The taxi dropped him off at a large marina. It didn’t take binoculars to pick out the Seven Sisters. It loomed large at the extended pier.?
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A steward greeted him at the gangway. Marco presented his passport and the golden embossed ticket.?“Welcome aboard the Seven Sisters Mr. Lastra.? We do hope you enjoy the cruise.”
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“We shall soon find out,” Marco replied. He looked down at the water that glistened below the gangway. It was clear and he could see some movement as multiple fish darted in and out of the shadows. The sun beat down on his sun browned skin but a fresh breeze off the ocean kept him cool.
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He climbed aboard the small craft and wondered again what he had been thinking. The vessel was tiny compared to the vast girth of modern cruise ships. The schooner was glorious in person and he spent a few moments just absorbing all the detail of rigging and polished wood surfaces.?
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“This way to your cabin then you may be free to walk about the boat.”
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Marco nodded irritably. “Okay, lead the way.” He ducked his head at the passageway entrance and smiled grimly, he’d have to watch his head on this rig.
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The cabin was cramped, just what he’d been expecting. A bed, a small desk with a small chair and that was it. He did manage to have a small portal to view the sea.?
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The sound of a large boat approaching came through the stout timbers of the Seven Sisters. The steward spread his feet wide as the schooner listed one way then the other at the big cruiser’s wake. Marco had just enough sense to grab a post before being tossed about his own cabin.
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The steward nodded his approval with a small smile. “These rookie pilots don’t follow the speed requirements.”? He pointed towards the stern.?
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“A community shower is down the hall sir you can’t miss it. Dinner at six. We will set sail as soon as all the passengers are aboard. A short introduction by the Captain will commence just prior to our departure.”
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“Thanks,” Marco growled. He handed the steward a fifty. “See you on deck shortly.”
“YES SIR,” said the steward with a renewed bounce in his step.
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(Valentina Mendoza)
US Army Field Base - Somewhere in Iraq
Afternoon
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It was supposed to be a random Op, nothing out of the ordinary. The recon team would have been gone for just a couple of days. Valentina enjoyed moments like that. Less people in the camp, more time to focus on the maintenance issues that needed to be addressed. There was still a sense of routine and camaraderie off course, but less of the pressure, less of the noise and the macho bravado.
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She wasn’t quite sure what happened to fuck that all up. There had been no telltale signs, no nothing. One minute she was working on the engine of a truck and the next, there was nothing but chaos, fire and hell. Everywhere around her there was ash and smoke. People were screaming but she couldn’t hear them, couldn’t hear anything but that insistent ringing in her ears.
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It was strange, the things you tended to focus on in moments like that. There were a lot of casualties, without a doubt. So much death and destruction. The kind that should have paralyzed her but instead she tried to move, mind jumping into focus, training kicking in. She tried to get up, tried to move but then realized she couldn’t. It didn’t make sense at first. Not understanding why something that seemed so simple before couldn’t be done now. She just couldn’t do it and that was frustrating. Running on nothing but sheer adrenaline.
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It wasn’t until the second explosion went on that everything went dark again.
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It had all gone to ratshit so damn fast.
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Coming in, the scene below them had been utter devastation, there was now a crater where tents used to be, he could see clear and overt areas of fire damage and mass destruction. As he would find out later, all caused by explosives inventively hidden and successfully deployed before anyone had time to discover them.
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Clearly people were still alive down there, they could be seen fire-fighting and hauling ass down below as the two HH-60M Medevac Blackhawks flew in to the rescue. Jack watched the soldiers move as the hello’s landed and he tried to assess the situation as best he could until given permission to put boots on the ground.
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There was still fighting going on, the enemy insurgents having taken advantage of the initial chaos, but the core center of the small base of operations (what was left of it) was protected now. They had a safe place to land, and a team already assessing casualties on the ground. They were ready, and the worst of the wounded were waiting.
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Six casualties fitted into the Blackhawk, only two of those inbound were still conscious, and one of those was howling like a wolf. Jack settled him down first, checked his wounds were all patched and set him a morphine drip. When he was quiet, only then did he move over to his other waking patient.
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Fuck. He knew this one. Hadn’t seen her for a good while, but he remembered her well enough. Valentina Grace Mendoza. Daughter of the renowned Captain Elias Mendoza, though that wasn’t why Jack knew her. They’d been through Boot together, nearly eight years previous.
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“Hey,” he said, gifting a smile to the woman who was strapped securely into a stretcher and totally immobilized. “You’re gonna be okay, Vali. I got ya.”
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He rested a calm hand on her forehead lightly, checked all her straps were tight and solid, and ensured she wasn’t moving anywhere when they took off. Then he set up the IV, morphine for the pain and checked her over carefully.
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“You’re gonna be okay.” Her leg looked seriously fucked, there was blood soaked into every part of her and her face was charred, but yeah. She’d survived this far. Jack was confident she’d make it home, one way or another, and his voice implied the same.
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Present Day
This trip had been meant as an escape. A way out. Valentina was used to travelling, she was used to seeing the world, but all of this? It was not her usual way of living. Staring out at the open water the young woman couldn’t help but wonder what the hell she was doing here, right now, in this very moment. Running away from her problems wouldn’t solve. It wouldn’t change how fucked up her body still was, even after all these months.
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She wasn’t the same anymore and would never be the same again so why even bother trying? It wouldn’t amount to anything and would end up making her even more unhappy. Without a purpose, a real goal. Before she had been trying to save her country, before she had made a difference. Going on holiday it didn’t mean anything. It was random.
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Better make the best of it right? Use this as an opportunity to get her solid ground back again. But that was hard to do and while she was trying as hard as she possibly could, it wouldn’t be easy though. It never was.
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(Stan Kelley)
“This had better be the best fucking vacay I ever took,” Stan muttered to himself. ?“Can’t be worse than the trip here…”
The last 24 or so hours had been hell.
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His manager, after she had nagged him to take a break from the nonstop touring and promoting, finally arranged a cruise…of sorts.? This wasn’t one of those ginormous building sized monster ships that was part hotel and part shopping mall.? No, this was an actual sailboat.? It had room for only 24 passengers.? There was no shuffleboard, no casino, no high-end stores selling overpriced garbage.? This was a real ship.? Cool.? Sounded great.? Right up his alley.
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Everything fell apart as soon as he hit Montgomery, Alabama.? There was a computer glitch on their end, and suddenly they had no record of his flight.? Fuck!? He checked around, and there was no other flight available to Miami, from where he’d transfer to a sea plane to get to Nassau.? Fuckity fuck!
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With no other option available, he called his agent.? It was godawful at night, so she answered with a garbled “Hello?”, which sounded more like “Dude what the fuck?”.
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“I’m stranded in Montgomery,” he had said. ?“There’s no connecting flight to Miami, and there won’t be one until later.? What do I do?”
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After the longest pause (where he had assumed, she was plotting his demise), she finally said “Okay, gimmie an hour…I’ll see what I can come up with.”
Fine.? An hour, he could do.? He tooled around a bit, got a cookie from the airport knock-off of Starbucks, got some water to wash it down a little after that, scribbled some lyric ideas—his phone went off.? He answered.
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“驰别补丑?”
“Okay, I solved the problem, I think,” his agent started. ?“There’s a chartered flight company that can make the trip on short notice.? One question: ?How do you feel about single engine planes?”
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Everything in Stan’s body seemed to drop into his crotch.? From what he had heard, single engine planes were as INTENSE as it got in the world of flying short of fighter planes.? Not wanting to sound like a wimp, he of course had said “no problem.”
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So, he went to the part of the airport where you waited for chartered flights.? No metal detectors, nothing.? Just a “hey there”, and they took his name down, and confirmed his flight.? At least this sounded okay, so far. Then he met Daryl the Pilot, and his wind-up prop-plane.
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Daryl the Pilot was in a leather jacket, and wore a baseball cap with the word “Zildjian” on it.? Zildjian was a name familiar to him.? They made cymbals.? So, this dude had a friend in a band, right?
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Wrong!? He was in a band, as a drummer.? A cover band…lowest form of life on the rock & roll food chain, and the first red flag Stan had about this guy.? Danger!? Danger!? Danger!
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Then there was the plane…what was best described as a canoe with wings.? The door, unlike the vault-like seal-you-in ones real airplanes had, looked like it belonged on a golf cart, and would fall off the moment he opened it.? There was barely room for his duffel and backpack in the cargo bay.? He squeezed himself into the seat, and shut the door with a pitiful “click”.
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The engine started with a cough, and it spun up to a lethargic buzz, as the plane started to tool around the airport.? Daryl looked like he was lost in midtown as he peered out of the cockpit.? Finally, after dodging larger passenger planes, they lined up behind some other small planes.? When it was finally their turn, they began their run.? Stan swore that he could walk faster than this plane was going, yet somehow—perhaps a stiff breeze at the right time—they were airborne.
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Stan was grateful he had used the men’s room before takeoff.? This was terrifying.? The plane shook every time they took a course correction, and he was wondering what kind of pilot Daryl was, as he TOOK HIS HANDS OFF THE CONTROLS TO LOOK AT A MAP.? Then, about an hour or so into this nightmare trip, Daryl the Pilot uttered the one phrase you never wanted to hear from the pilot…“Uh-oh.”
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That sinking feeling was back. ?“What do you mean ‘uh-oh’?”
“Well…it’s like this,” Daryl said sheepishly. ?“I forgot to fuel up the plane back in Montgomery, and now we’re near empty.? We need to set down ASAP.? Don’t worry, I’m on this.”
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“Sure…” Stan said externally.? Internally he was whimpering “ohgodi’mgoingtodie”.? And with that, Daryl the Pilot got onto the radio to cry for help.
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Real passenger planes gently descended into airports.? Not this single engine suicide machine.? He swore that they went 90° straight down and came to a stop in the span of two parking spaces.? His stomach was somewhere else at that moment—probably still going to Miami.? He was now in some remote airstrip called Carabelle Thompson Airport in the town of Carabelle.? Population: ?2,700.
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They had to wait for someone to come down to open the airport (I shit you not!) before Daryl could refuel the plane.? Of course, there was no cell signal, so he had to wait for some lady to come down in her pickup and unlock the pump.
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Stan took the time to go into this lady’s office and call up his agent with what had been happening all night.? Then she hit him with a bombshell…
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“Stan…Daryl isn’t a pilot.” Well, that explained a lot, he thought.
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“I made a terrible mistake,” she admitted. ?“I didn’t call the charter place, but an aircraft maintenance depot.? Daryl has a training license, and he worked there.? He’s a groupie fanboy, Stan.? He must’ve heard your name dropped when I called, grabbed a plane, and…well, he didn’t even properly log the flight, and he’s in deep shit.”
“So…what now?” he asked. ?“You have a plan, right?”
“Yeah, I most certainly do,” she said. ?“Stay put.? Definitely do NOT get back on the plane with Daryl—”
“No shit,” Stan confirmed.
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His agent continued with a sigh. ?“I’ve already contacted a real charter that can take you to Nassau directly.? They can be there in an hour.”
“翱办补测.”
Shortly afterward, Daryl came in, pleased as punch that he had managed to refuel the winged canoe.? He was rather crestfallen when Stan told him he wasn’t going anywhere with him anymore.
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Four hours later, after a more comfortable two engine seaplane ride.? He was at the slip of the Seven Sisters and ready to board.? The scene looked idyllic—almost like an Andy Warhol portrait.? After everything that happened to get here, he thought.? Well…at least the hard part’s over.
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(Maya Mononobe)
When Maya received a letter from the Seven Sisters cruise line, it was first picked up and examined by her guards.? Once opened, it had gone through several safety tests.? Was there any kind of powder on it?? Knock out scents?? Was the paper or the ink poisoned?? Who sent it, fake or real persons?? Any and all fingers prints that touched the paper in anyway were investigated, peoples' identities pulled up, all to ensure that it wasn't someone out to get Maya.? And oh, she had plenty of competitors who would've loved to be in her seat, so one could never be too careful.? In any case, being the Mononobe clan leader's only granddaughter, nothing was too far to ensure the safety of their baby girl.? So, when the message finally reached her, it was one of Maya's guards who entered her room, only after Maya allowed them to come in, knocking with two heavy raps and three light ones.
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"Enter," an elegant, feminine voice called out from the inside.? The Mononobe daughter's room was lavish, a suite that was big enough to house a small office.? Her windows faced out into the ocean, the silken and gossamer like curtains gently swaying in the breeze.? The space was divided into several sections, one for private bathing with a hot tub tucked into a corner and hidden by a tall, bamboo privacy divider.? Another as an office with multiple computers and electronics expertly arranged in a semi-circle.? Third contained a library of sorts where various high-level education and business books were neatly arranged by type, topic, and lastly by author.? There were volumes in multiple different languages, a par due course for someone who was internationally desired.? Then, yet another chunk of the room was set aside as bedroom space, like the bathing room, it had its own bamboo screens containing a king size bed with tons of pillows and cloudy, puffy blankets.? Aside from the cut and dry items, Mara's room was filled with natural bamboo, plants of various types, its greenery providing a type of serene-ness that the cresting ocean waves could not.? When the guard entered the room, however, that's where the fantasy began and ended.
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Maya was absolutely domestically challenged.? Her floor was littered about with clothes left where they were dropped.? Stuffed bears and various other plushies were strewn about as if a battle took place and one was now looking upon a place of utter carnage.? The bed was a mess, blankets falling off the sides, pillow likewise on the floor and throw into a corner, sheets in disarray.? To say the least, there was not a care in the world nor a thought spared in keeping anything in a nice orderly fashion, that is however, unless the matter involving said neatness had something to do with business and of that, she kept everything in a meticulous, OCD-like manner.? Not a single page was out of line when it came to documentation and business contracts.
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So, there she stood, arms crossed, looking through the windows in the ocean.? One could tell that Maya was tired, but only one who had the most intimate knowledge of Maya's life and guarded her with theirs.? She always stood rigidly straight, her head held high and shoulders back, her chest jut out in a full display of sex appeal and elegance, and of course, maximum level of confidence.? She seemed so focused on something outside that when the guard entered the room, closing the door, she didn't even flinch nor acknowledge their presence in any way except a side eyed glance in their direction, then back to the ocean.
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"Mayasama, you have a received a letter from X brand make up, giving you a complimentary seven-day cruise in the Bahamas from your last modeling session," the woman guard said, one of Maya's most trusted confidantes.? She read off the rest of the letter, with Maya saying not a word nor moving until the woman finished speaking, finally turning around as a smirk made its way onto her face.? The woman took a deep bow, stretching out her hands above her head as she offered her charge the letterhead.
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"Hmph, took them long enough.? It seems they finally realized how much business the Mononobe name can bring to their business," she huffily said, running her right hand through her long, luscious locks, letting the strands fall back down like a waterfall.? Delicately taking the letter out of her guard's hands, Maya examined it, her eyes moving back and forth as she reread the contents.? The woman then offered her some pamphlets, as thoroughly examined as anything else, as Maya too scanned them through.? "This is the best they could offer?? A tiny "schooner?"? How do they expect that canoe to travel on the ocean?? Ridiculous.? My smallest cruiser is twice is big.? Insulting.”? It wasn't until Maya finished that the guard raised her head and straightened out.? She stood at attention, her eyes unblinking and unwavering from her charge's form.
"What shall I send back as your answer, Mayasama?"
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Maya sighed and rolled her eyes, loosening her fingers as she let the letter fall down to the floor.? She stepped onto it with her Stuart Weitzman diamond studded heels and rubbed it in, ripping and tearing the letterhead in several place.
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"What else?? If they weren't as reputable as they sell themselves as, I wouldn't even look twice," the heiress scathingly answered, harrumphing as she turned away from the guard and looked back out into the ocean.? "You know what to do.? Now get out of my sight."
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A day and a ride on the Mononobe private jet, Maya finally landed at the Lynden Pindling International Airport in Nassau.? The wealthy socialite had stepped out into the sun, her Dolce and Gabbana sunglasses resting faithfully upon her nose.? She was clothed in a turquoise, short sleeveless charmeuse dress with gold printed flocked leaves.? On her feet, she wore diamond studded wicker woven D&G wedges, with a single 5 carat sapphire over each ankle strap.? Her hair, which she typically wore loose, cascaded over her back like a black diamond waterfall, its luster was thanks to various deep conditioning creams and masks that she used on a daily basis.
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"Ah, we are finally here...at last.? Now, where is this canoe that I am meant to board?"? Without further ado, Maya's bodyguards took their place beside her, each at her side, tons of luggage in convoy behind them.? The same woman who first presented the letter to Maya just a day ago, came out from behind and handled Maya's entry to the port, as well as arranged transportation to the schooner that was awaiting its passengers.? A couple of hours, after having to hire a single car for her carry-ons alone, the entourage had arrived at the dock to the Seven Sisters schooner.? As the socialite once again stepped out from the cool interior, she froze in place, one arm lowering her glasses as she peered at she was meant to board.? Just as she lifted her sunglasses back up, a ship stewardess had promptly arrived, immediately greeted by Maya's confidante.
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"Good afternoon, and welcome to our port city of Nassau, Ms. Mononobe!? We are so blessed to have been graced with your presence.? Do you have your boarding passes in hand so that we can get you quickly checked in?"? Maya elegantly smiled, taking out the golden ticket out of her clutch, as the confidante and the two bodyguards presented theirs in tune.
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"I am ready and prepared, Ms. Turner, and I am very happy to be here.? With so much business to take care, I felt it that I was overdue for a bit of a vacation.? Don't you think?" Maya answered in fluent English, handing the woman her pass.? "Ms. Saotome here will take over handling all of our check-ins.? Would it be possible to be shown to my cabin now?? I've had a long flight and I would love to settle in before we depart."? The stewardess, now revealed as Ms. Turner, smugly smirked as she snapped her fingers twice and two bellboys appeared by her side, as impeccably dressed as she was.
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"Boys, please show Ms. Mononobe and her lovely entourage to their cabins.? Make sure that she is settled in proper, and give her anything that she needs to be comfortable.? Now, hop to it!"? The youths bowed to Ms. Turner whose face returned back into a relaxed smile as Saotome started the check-in process for everyone.? Another several hours later, Maya was settled in whatever meager settings that they called a luxury cabin, having to spread her clothes out in all 4 rooms that she and her guards have occupied due to the sheer amount of clothes that she had taken with her.? One could never be too careful for any kind of event that could occur, even one that she was meant to relax in.? Once she was done, she stepped onto the deck, walking up to the bow of the ship, gripping the steel barrier as she looked out into the water.? As she turned her head to look over the port, a soft, warm breeze passed through, ruffling Maya's tresses as if they were curtains, like the ones in her Japanese home.
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"Well, I suppose we could learn to enjoy this trip.? It is, after all, paid for by the X brand.? Isn't that so, Higashisan?? What's the worst that could happen?"? Maya looked to the bodyguard that was with her, a thuggish looking man with a scarred face and freshly shaven head.? He looked as if he could snap a tree trunk in half with his bulging muscles.
"Yes, Mayasama.? I am sure that this is going to be a pleasant trip.”
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(Cat)
Cat and Cece had finally arrived at the harbor and the small schooner.? Cat took a moment and reread the letter.? “They have all of this on that?? This is going to be interesting.? Must be more below the water line than we see….” She paused in her speaking when she saw a few of the passengers.? “Cece, is that the lead of the Primitives or am I seeing things?”? Cece looked, “nope, that looks like him.”? Cat had to stop herself from squealing and running over to him.? “He is just like everyone else, he’s just like everyone else.” She kept repeating as they made their way to the dock and the waiting attendants.
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A short time later after their belongings were stowed in their small cabin, the two gals made their way to the top deck and waited to see what was going to happen next and who else they might see on board.
Tag:?Marco, Valentina, Stan, Maya
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