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[Daniel - When you don't have high tech 'sensors'... wink ]

He cut the throttle as a sandbar approached. The first bit of 'dry land' he had seen on his flight. They were far enough out that he couldn't see land behind him, and as the boat slowly chugged towards the sand, he got up, moving around to the back.

With a grunt, and a heave, the hard, slightly bumpy anchor was tosssed overboard, splashing down into the relatively shallow waters, hitting bottom soon enough. He leaned back, cutting off the throttle complete, and felt the boat tug against the anchor with its momentum.

But it remained in place. Good. And the ladder was down, also good.

It was rocking under his feet with the waves, and Daniel lurched about unsteadily for the port side. The taste of bad meat and acrid smoke rose in his throat as he slung his legs overboard, splashing into the cold, salty water that rushed up his nose, giving him a single moment of discomfort.

But, he was over it quickly enough, swimming off towards the Sandbar. Quite the feat, what being fully clothed, with boots, and with his gear. But he swam powerfully, with strong, confident strokes.

Land, sweet, sweet land. The sand started to cling to his clothes as he crawled up onto his feet. The breeze was cutting through him, the heavy scents tickling his nose, salt, water, the distant smell of lightning, a soft undercurrent under the sea.

He took in a deep breath, his eyes scanning out ahead on the small little 'island'. There just wasn't much here. Not even a sign of birds. A few shells that washed up with the tides. His frown started in again as he paced across the island, combing it from west to east, eyes going over every inch of ground several times.

Then, boom. It was there. He couldn't help but shake his head, "Dumbass," he muttered, wondering why they never thought to even attempt to cover their trails.

Yes, there, he could read it as clear as day. Two people here. He started pacing around it in a wide circle. It had to be fresh, the tide hasn't erased it yet. 6 hours at the best.

There were no tracks going to the shore. Whoever it was flew here... like Vic.

And, the way they were set up. Signs of the 'second' person. Seemed smaller, relatively. The First person was always close by, but not too close. At least not close enough he thought "Lovers on a getaway".

Vic. It made sense to him. Who else had flown off towards here?

He circled the tracks one more time, checking them over.

No, there was no sign of food, or the release of personal fluids or scat.

Why, why?

He pondered this as he went back to shore. It wasn't food. It looked like the second person, the kidnapped one, was out cold. So it wasnt' for her.

Fatigue? Perhaps their little bounty head couldn't fly too long without having to stop. If so...

Then from the Casino to this Island...

He had a Range.

The calm, cocky smile returned as he hit the cold water, swimming quickly towards the boat, lancing through the ocean like a fish. He scrambled up the ladder quick as he could, and plopped down on deck, immediately tasting that horrible seasickness starting again.

But... no time to start moving again. He started ransacking the ship from aft to stern. Pulling out everything, life vests, emergency paddle, first aid kit... and right there, below the kit, what he wanted....

A map of the waters.

It was a simple process from there. He spread out the map on the deck, quickly figuring out where this 'island' was on the map. He jabbed down his pinky finger on it. Then, his thumb went back toards the Casino. IT wasn't a compass, but it would work.

He started moving in a circle, pivoting on his pinky, making a note of any places to safely landfall in the 'range'.

Gambino was out. He just fled from there. And judging from the Island he found, he wasn't smart enough to double back to evade pursuit.

He doubted he'd be going for any of those rocks out there further from the mainland. Nothing out there. No place big enough to have a hideout. If he was going for some random rock, why wouldn't he have just used that sandbar?

As he was going, one was left. It all made sense. A little off shore oil rig. It was on the way back to the mainland. Just at the edge of the 'range'. Big enough that he could probably camp out there for a day or two, if needed.


Well... Time to go. And damn was Daniel happy to go, stuffing the map into a wet pocket. The achor raised, his seat taken again, and his hands on the throttle.

And off he went, southeast, towards the Innocent Little Oil Rig.

((Like I told you, logic. And hardly worthy of being a 'trick'.))

[Seas West of Gambino - GSS Innocent Cargo Ship]

As he reached the birdge he immediately snapped off a salute to the captain. Now that they were away from port, discipline was lax, in a way. Saluting, protocols, efficiency. The captain scowled at it all even as he returned the officer's salute.

"Charges set sir!" he barked out, standing at attention now, chin up, staring at some point six inches over the captain's head.

"Sound the warning. Demolition in 6."

"Yes sir!"

With that, the officer snapped off another salute, getting a gruding salture back fromt he cpatain before he turned on heel, and hurried off double time.

"Damn kids are going to be the death of me..." muttered the captain, after the officer was safely gone.

Rachele had since gone back to her commandeered variable trainer. She closed her eyes and leaned foward, resting her forearm against the orange leg of the mecha, and her forehead upon her forearm. "Why don't these guys understand?" She muttered in exasperation. It was a moment later that she rolled her head to the side, nestling her red hair into the interior of her elbow. "Those were good people. They didn't deserve to be attacked." Her thoughts seemed to dwell on the matter for a while longer, as her summer blue eyes wandered the heavens aimlessly for that span of moments. She took a breath then pushed off and straightened up, and unnecessarily dusted off her flightsuit.

Her face showed clearly a bit of self berating as she settled into her resolve. Then she was climbing back into the Valkyrie, and calling for launch clearance, adding, <>

"We are about two minutes out. Better get ready. If what you say is true we are going to need all the fire power we can get." Sam said with a smile. "I think that the bad guys will need a demonstration soon and I want to be there or at least hear about it." He prep some gear for fastrope deployment before heading back to the cockpit.

((Waiting for the Space Elf to Post. wink

Meanwhile.... ))

The countdown was at 4 now. Boats had been lowered over the side of the ship, little rubber rafts with outboard engines, taking the small crew of 8 far, far from the GSS Innocent Cargo Ship.

Two boats moved side by side, looking very, very different. At least in the case of the occupants. One contained the captain,a dn what looked like two engineers and the navigator. They were dressed as civilians, no real Uniform or rank. They were quiet all the while, keeping their heads down, not looking over towards the other.

And in the other, four people, who seemed to be in some uniform. Dressed in navy blue, with a strange insignia on their shoulders that none of the other people had seen before. They had been serious, dour people all this time... but now, now they were excitedly talking, glancing back at the GSS Innocent Cargo Ship at every chance they could get.

They were about 200 yards out, the Countdown was at 2...

[Gaia Organized Petroleum Exchange Company Rig #5]

The lights went out on the oil rig, save for a brightly glowing beachball-sized light down by the dock. It drastically illuminated a man in stark yellow light and sharp, deep shadow, accentuating every fold and wrinkle on his clothes and his skin. He lifted his right hand up, then swatted at the ball lightly, setting it into an orbit around his head before he walked down to the boat, sending spiderwebs of shade skittering about in a frenzied, eye-dizzying dance. He hopped in, and soon after, the boat gurgled to life.

Eileen blinked blearily, startled slightly by the sudden rocking of the boat, then by the deep vibration that emanated from the plasticy-leathery reclined seat Everything she could see at first was a misty gray, which sort of felt right: the little pinpricks of wet she kept feeling in the air, the ...ionized?... scent of sea spray. She mmm'd slightly, reaching up to rub one eye sluggishly. This only made her close the eye even more, in response to a faint stinging sensation.

"So yer awake, Ms. GNG." She cringed, just a little. His voice seemed to have a tinge to it that felt very faintly of nails on a chalkboard. "Well, if you don't wanna be tasered again, you'll be wanting to just sit there." Thump. Thump. Thump. It wasn't her heartbeat, and she felt it more than she heard it. He was walking on something wooden, carpeted, and hollow, which seemed to resonate with each step til she felt it in the air and the seat. There was an occasional heat too, which she felt more on her left cheek, accompanied by a faint tingling, the sort that would make your hair stand on end. Then it was gone. Ka-chik. Something had opened. There was the sound of something hollow and heavy, followed by a faint sloshing. "Looks like we have enough." His footsteps thumped forward along the carpeted surface again. Then she felt the heat return again, and this time, there was a second one. The stinging sensation in her eye began to fade, just as she felt this second heat source swirling around her. It was fainter, with a heat more like a small flashlight. "Alright, don't do anything funny now. That ball of lightnin' I put around you will putcha right back to sleep."

She finally cracked her eyes open, and looked towards the voice. She did a little shift back in her seat, as she realized he was leaning over her, face close to hers. Past him, she could see the boat's controls, and the seat for the driver currently unoccupied. The waters beyond were a bit choppy, which she'd felt earlier in the rhythm of the boat's movements. Two balls of intense light swirled into her field of view then, causing her to wince and shut her still-adjusting eyes. This time she felt and heard him straighten up, the faint rustling and the body heat moving away. He walked off, she felt, and she opened her eyes to see him removing the dock ropes and pulling up over the side long, white, inflated plastic thingies which seemed to have a lot of scrapes on their surface. It seemed like they were going to set off soon.

"Roger that, sir. Changing course to 20.529." Sam said with a smile. He flew toward the oil rig. "Sir if I may ask...why the sudden course change?"

((-HARISEN CHOP!- If you are going to be posting more than once...Fix this! I cant tell whether this is OOC or IC or some random crap. And add some capitalization.))