Globe Tracers 6: Chaos Storm

Chapter 34: Quarteen

Quarteen:

The message sent, with Jay's... edits... I left my team to be with the children for the night. Sending me... it was a mistake.

Jessica ran around me as I entered the camp that the boys were setting up. "So as I said," she began anew, "You think if a snow rabbit fought a jack rabbit the jackrabbit would win? I think the jack would totally lick him good!"

"Well I think jacks are bigger," I conceded. "But not built for this weather."

She waved her hand dismissively. "Ah what's that, weather? The jackrabbit would lay a beat down on a wimpy snow rabbit, it could be half its size, and still 'BAM!' 'SMACK!', and he knocks that dumb white fur-ball for like five feet with one good shot. Nothing left but-"

"How did we get to talking about this?" I finally asked.

"I don't know, it's your fault, I'm crazy, you're the one who didn't stop me- the heck is wrong with you that you let some kid go on and on about rabbit fights?" I shook my head. I was in heaven- I was with children again. I didn't want to leave them.

Jessica took off from my side to join the others- she slammed into Kyle and forced both of them into several tumbles, recovering with the boy in a headlock. Kyle was outmatched easily, but from the look on his face, he was having a blast. J-Star looked on just chuckling to herself as she worked on one of our loaned tents.

Did I really have it in me to separate them? Jessica managed to even tangle Tyrell in her play and finally Jay had to be the adult and make everyone settle so they could get back to work on their sleeping arrangements. Even as they got to work, Jess kept everyone smiling- she wasn't just anyone to this team, I could tell.

Still- this was my mission. I had to keep the final storm walker child safe... would she really be happy without any of her playmates?

The tent was up in minutes, even with me just watching, and rather feeling like dead weight but- well I wasn't there to set things up, I was there to make a case, which I thought about how to start as they went about doing things.

I realized I couldn't get through to any of them until I understood who they were.

As they sat down on a group of gathered stones I started in. "So- Kyle," The boy perked up from the latest goofy story from Jessie. The story had been about ninja jackrabbits because- why not? "When we meet whoever the home world is sending, what will you be looking forward to? You might be able to go home, you know."

"Nothing," he said quickly.

"I beg your pardon?" I said, sitting down on a rock I had overturned for myself.

"Oh, we're not going "home"," Kyle said. "Home is here on earth. My mom is a werewolf named Nadine. I'm not going back to my father."

"I mean- is he that bad of a person?"

The boy held his mouth shut as the others turned to him. "I suppose me being open with you is part of the point of this exercise in... whatever we're doing." He folded his arms. "Fine. Tyrell can't mind his own business on this stuff either so I might as well satisfy curiosity all around eh?" He waved his arms in frustration.

"It's not like that..." I said, but he just shook his head.

"You know I wouldn't just be telling you my personal life minute one if you weren't holding my sister's happiness over my head," I inched back, but let him go on. "No, for everyone's benefit, my father never hit me, he never let me go hungry, he never exposed me, he was kind and patient, he played with me, he protected me- he was everything a father should be, got it? Joran is a good man in the end."