Finding Nemo: A Thriller

Chapter thirteen

It had been two days on the boat, and Crush made an estimate of five days until Sydney. They still had to make a stop for supplies and gas that day, and Dory and Marlin were eager for some time on land. The two travelers were currently trying to make themselves as useful as possible, helping with the chores, cooking, and other tasks.

Marlin had just finished sweeping the deck when a crowd of children came running up to him. Dory was walking with them, she had become a favorite with the kids.

"Furry Man, Furry Man!" The kids chattered. "Tell us about Nemo."

Dory smiled apologetically. "The name slipped, and now they want to know all about him. Besides, I could use a refresher."

The kids were sitting cross legged on the ground beside him, waiting expectantly.

Marlin sighed. "Well, okay. I live, or lived, in a city a long way from here. There was this Canyon there, it was massive and extremely dangerous."

The kids nodded, entranced. Dory smiled encouragingly and took a seat beside him.

He continued. "And my son, Nemo, see, he was mad at me. And maybe he wouldn't have done it if I wasn't so protective of him," He paused, thinking. "I don't know. Anyway, he ran out onto this blocked off bridge that was built across the Canyon. And when he did..."

He looked at Dory, not wanting to go on. She put a hand on his back and continued for him. "Some very bad people came. They took Nemo, and we're going to get him back. Absolutely and definitely," She looked at Marlin. "Without a doubt."

When they stopped in Hawaii for supplies that day, Crush and his son went to a local diner for lunch. Squirt had overheard Marlin's story, and was eager to tell anyone he met. The two had found booth behind three construction workers, worn out from a long day of work.

"Have you heard of Marlin Burns?" The boy said, leaning over his seat to them.

"Hey, isn't that the guy who was suspected of blowing up the agency in Sydney?" One of them said.

Squirt nodded. He leaned in and whispered. "PSWay is evil. And they kidnapped his son, Nemo." 

Nemo sat in a corner of the glass room, knees tucked up and arms wrapped around his stomach. After shutting off the generator, the pod doors refused to open again, so the subjects were left to sleep together on couches and floors.

Gill had disposed of the key to the generator and was in charge of calling a key smith. He scheduled it to be made in a month, plenty of time for Nemo to be out of there.

The doctors had left for the day, and all was quiet and dark. Although Darla's visit was moved up schedule and she wouldn't be coming in another three days, he couldn't sleep.

Suddenly, the door behind the glass creaked open and a dark figure walked in.

Gill. It had to be Gill because he was the only thing in PSWay that wasn't dressed in blinding white. It was at least four in the morning and Nemo supposed he had come in to work early. But as he looked more closely, he seemed to be accompanied by another man. They switched on a dim light and Nemo got a clearer look at the stranger.

He was a rough looking man with a chiseled face full of whiskers and a bomber jacket on. He had a leather aviation helmet on that reminded him of a World War II documentary and goggles were set on shaggy brown hair. He was wringing his hands excitedly, whispering to Gill in a barely controlled voice.

"...rumors have been going around about PSWay."

Gill adjusted some papers on a desk. "What rumors?" He said dismissively.

"Like about the kid. 42."

Gill looked up. He opened his mouth to say something but spotted Nemo looking up at them.

"Nemo," He started to say, but Nemo was already up. He ran to the window and pressed his hands onto the glass.

"If this is about me, I want to hear," He said stubbornly. "I have every right to."

Gill shook his head warningly, but the aviator man nodded. "It's about your father."

A tiny bubble of hope grew inside him. He pressed closer to the glass. "My—my father? What happened?"

The man's words all burst out in a never-ending flow, like he was waiting to let it out. "Your father has been fighting all of PSWay looking for you. He's traveled hundreds of miles, trumping every spy and every assassin they've set on him."

Nemo bit his lip. "Assassins?"

Nemo thought back to the dad he knew, the one who was even too scared to go to the Canyon. And although he did wok for the FBI, and he blew up the old PSWay a few years ago, he didn't buy it.

"That can't be him."

"Are you sure? What was his name... something about fire?"

"Burns? Marlin Burns?" Nemo offered hopefully.

He snapped his fingers. "That was it. The orange-haired explosion hero."

Nemo could hardly speak. His dad was coming for him himself. Not calling a search party or anyone to do it for him. He took on anything that got in his way.

The man grinned. "You see, kid, after you were taken, your dad followed the van you were in like a maniac."

Nemo inhaled hopefully, his face still pressed against the glass.

"And he's on a boat right now, to Sydney." He finished, his arms crossed over his chest.

Gill smiled, a real smile this time. "He's looking for you after all, Nemo."