Chapter 109 Chapter 109

Chapter 109 Chapter 109
Caiman spoke. "So we still have to hit the ship."

"Yes. But this time we're not destroying it. We're using it."

Kenji turned around. His face was still hard but his eyes were different. Softer somehow.

"How long would it take?" His voice was quiet.

Elena looked at the papers. "I need to study them properly. A day maybe. Maybe two."

"We don't have two days."

"You have two days. Or you use the kill switch and kill everyone." She said it and looked away from Kenji straight after.

Kenji said nothing.

Jax put his hand on Kenji's shoulder. "We do this my way."

Kenji looked at him. His jaw tightened. Then he nodded.

"Two days," he said.

Elena nodded back. "Two days it is."

The room went quiet again.

Different kind of quiet though. A bit softer.

Maja woke up and sat up rubbing her eyes.

"Father?"

Jax walked over and crouched down in front of her.

"Yeah?"

"Are we going to be okay?"

He looked at her face. Her tired eyes. Her hair all over the place.

"I don't know," he said. "But we're going to try."

She looked over at Kenji. "Is Uncle Kenji okay?"

Jax glanced at him. He was standing by the window staring out at the dark.

"He will be. He just needs a bit of time."

Maja took a breath and nodded. She lay back down and closed her eyes.

Elena worked through the whole night.

She sat at the table with her mother's papers spread all around her. Her finger moved along the lines of text. Her lips moved as she read. Every few minutes she stopped and wrote something in her notebook.

Jax sat across from her and watched.

"You should sleep," he said.

She shook her head. "I can't."

"What if you miss something?"

"Believe me. I won't."

"But you are tired."

She looked up. Her eyes red, dark circles already coming under them. "I'm not tired. I'm exhausted. There's a difference."

Jax nodded. "Okay. I'm here though. If you need anything."

She smiled a little. Then she went back to the papers.

Kenji was sitting in the corner with Leo.

The kid was awake now, sitting in Kenji's lap with Kenji's arms around him.

Leo looked up at him. "Uncle Kenji?"

"Yeah."

"Are you sad?"

Kenji was quiet for a moment. "Yeah. I am."

"Why?"

"Because...i lost some friends."

Leo leaned his head against Kenji's chest. "I'm sorry."

Kenji put his hand on the boy's head. "Me too."

Rina came over to Jax. She had a serious face.

"We need to talk about the ship."

"The Odyssey?"

"Yes. How do we get on?"

"Same way we always do. Small boat. Night. Swim."

"They'll be ready this time."

"Probably not."

She shook her head. "We need something better than that."

"Then come up with something."

She stared at him. "You're the leader."

"I'm the leader who's tired of planning everything. You want to help? Help."

She was quiet. Then she nodded. "Okay."

She walked away.

Elena called them together at dawn.

She was holding a piece of paper. Her face was pale but her eyes were bright and awake.

"I found it," she said.

Kenji stood up straight. "Found what?"

"The frequency. The one my mother used for the reset. It's still active. Still broadcasting. We just need to boost the signal."

"From where?" Caiman asked.

"The Odyssey. Like we said."

She looked at Jax. "We need to get on that ship."

"We will."

"When?"

"Tonight."

Kenji stepped forward. "I'm coming."

"Everyone's coming."

Elena shook her head. "Not everyone. Someone has to stay with the kids."

Elias raised his hand. "I'll stay."

Jax looked at him. "You sure?"

"Yea. I'm sure."

Mira stepped forward. "I'll stay too."

Lena nodded beside her. "Same here."

Rina looked at them. "You don't have to."

"We know," Mira said. "We want to."

Jax looked at Kael. He nodded once.

"Then that's it," Jax said. "Caiman, Kenji, Rina, Kael and me. Everyone else stays here with Elias."

Elena grabbed his arm. "I'm coming."

"No."

"Jax."

"You're the only one who knows how to work the transmitter. We can't lose you."

She stared at him. His jaw was tight.

"Then let me come," she said softly.

"You're more useful here. If something goes wrong, you're the backup."

She looked at the papers on the table. Her mother's handwriting. Her own notes all over the margins.

"Okay," she said quietly.

Jax put his hand on her shoulder.

"We'll be back," he said.

She didn't answer. She just frowned at him. He didn't mind. It was the right call.

The sun went down.

They packed the boat. Caiman checked the engine. Rina went through the weapons. Kael looked over the map.

Kenji stood by the water staring out at the dark.

Jax walked over to him.

"You ready?" he said.

Kenji didn't look at him. "No."

"Neither am I. But we have to go."

Kenji turned. His face was hard to read in the dark.

"If this doesn't work," he said. "If we can't get on that ship."

"We will."

"Jax."

Jax looked at him.

"If we can't. We will use the kill switch."

Jax was quiet for a moment.

"Let's hope it doesn't come to that," he said.

Kenji nodded.

They got in the boat.

The water was black. The sky was black. The wind came in cold off the water.

Caiman was at the wheel. Rina sat beside him. Kael stood at the bow.

Kenji sat in the back. Jax beside him.

Nobody talked. Everyone's mind was busy probably running around somewhere.

The boat moved north.

Behind them the town disappeared into the dark.

Maja stood on the shore watching them go. Elena had her arm wrapped around her.

She didn't wave.

Neither did Jax. They were heading into something big. And like Kenji said, if this doesn't work, the kill switch was the only thing left. And the kill switch meant killing all of them.