"We were twenty feet underwater, inside an old shipwreck, and we were breathing. . . there was no sound but our breaths bubbling up and obscure thuds from deep inside the ship, pieces of the broken hull knocking in the current." {Jacob Portman, pg 238 book 1}
Jake had told them all to take whatever they could salvage from the ruined house, they wouldn't be coming back to the island. Luckily, the bomb had blown the top floor off but they'd already moved their most precious things into the trunks downstairs. The first floor didn't have much damage to it, Olive was able to snuff out the fire and other than blown out windows the only real change was that everything was covered in debris from the second floor. After they did some hurried digging they'd found their trunks scattered about and salvaged what they could: Bronwyn insisted on bringing her three volumes of "Tales of the Peculiar", Millard dragged along his soot covered Map of Days, while the others grabbed things like bags of food, apples from the tree and any descent clothes that survived. Aurora found her trunk in the kitchen and after lifting the splintered pieces of the table off of it was able to take nearly everything she had originally packed, the most precious being Millard's book 'a compilation of an entire day on Cairnholm' which she had stuffed all the pictures Noah had sent her between its pages when she packed it. She hugged it to her chest for a moment before collecting herself and joining the others at the beach.
Jake had them pile all their things into a small motorboat before piling in themselves and setting off into the sea. Aurora thanked bird above that the small boat didn't sink but was puzzled when they stopped not that far from shore.
"The Augusta is straight down from here." Emma told them, though Aurora had no idea why that was relevant. "Everyone jump in after me and find an air bubble, don't question it just follow me." She instructed before jumping off the side of the ship. They all looked to Jake who nodded, "Trust us." he said before jumping in after Emma. One by one they followed – except for the twins who clasped hands before they jumped – and didn't stop swimming until they were inside the old ship.
Then Emma began to blow air in every direction, Aurora – who was grasping the steering wheel next to Millard – felt the ship tilt beneath her. As the ship filled with more air it rocked harder as it separated itself from the ocean floor. The water began to drain from the room they were in until Bronwyn and Jake were able to close the door keeping the rest of the water out. Olive had gone down to light the boilers and that's when things really took off. Aurora could hear the old metal whine as the engine began to move again and the propellers turned pushing the ship forward. As the Augusta seemed to come to life it began moving faster as its nose lifted toward the surface. Enoch, Claire, Fiona and Hugh fell back into the wall and a moment later Millard's hand slipped from the slimy metal and he tipped back as well.
Then the ship broke free of the ocean and leveled out and they were all able to regain their balance. The hull slammed back down into the water rocking the ship a final time as sea water splashed around them. Emma and Olive joined them on deck as they all looked out the sandy windows. It was Horace who had caught sight of the small motorboat and they brought the Augusta alongside it as best they could, then they tied old ropes and chains to the boat and Bronwyn hoisted it onto the Augusta.
They fished out a map and Jake and Emma went to find what course they would take while the others unloaded the motorboat and organized their things inside the Augusta. When they had finished piling their things in the old skeleton filled dining room Enoch opened the door to the room where Jake and Emma were.
"So, have you found Miss Avocet's loop on the map yet?" he asked impatiently.
"It's here." Jake said bringing the map over, "But it's new, she made it early this year. That's my year, if we don't get out before it closes, we're stuck in January 2011."
"Great. So time catches up with all of us, we all die, except you. Plan?"
"The loop closes at four thirty, that means we need to get in, rescue the ymbrynes and then get out."
"Yeah, if we're not already dead. Miss Avocet said the machine is in the cellar of the Blackpool Tower building. That means we'll be indoors, with hollows."
"No we won't." Jake denied, "I've got a plan. But I'm gonna need your help."
oOo oOo oOo
Quite frankly, Aurora hated Jake's plan. He, Emma and Millard were going to goad Barron into sending the hollows outside. While they followed Jake and Emma to the pier Millard was going to stay and do some re-con to find out where Barron was keeping the ymbrynes. Millard seemed to have no problem with this idea and was happy to be included. Aurora on the other hand was shaking like a leaf, her nerves were shot, they'd been attacked by a hollow, dodged a bomb, then rose a ship from the bottom of the ocean. She didn't know how much more of this stress she could take, and now Millard was going to risk his life in a building full of hollowgasts?
She was sitting on the main stairway trying to keep her breathing steady when Millard approached her. He knelt down beside her and laid his hands on her knees. He didn't say anything until she looked up at him.
"Aurora I –"
"Don't go." She begged, though she knew it was pointless, Millard would do anything to help Miss Peregrine but she had to at least ask, or in this case beg.
"Darling, there's nothing to worry about. I'll find out where the ymbrynes are and be back before you know it."
"There are so many things that can go wrong. Have you even weighed the odds?"
"Do you know who you're talking to?" he asked trying to be light-hearted to ease her worry. She placed her hands over his.
"Just promise me you'll be careful."
"I always am." He leaned in and kissed her sweetly, "I swear I'll always come back to you."
They kissed again before Aurora pulled back and whispered against his lips, "Au revoir mon amour, mon ame"
oOo oOo oOo
MILLARD P.O.V.
He walked off the ship with Jake and Emma, in front of them was a ride called 'Ghost Train'
"This can't be it can it?" Jake asked.
"Loop entrances can be anywhere. The one in London is in a subway tunnel." Emma answered while Millard put his hands in his pockets. They made their way into the ride, halfway in Millard felt the familiar rush of air as they changed times. The lights in the ride turned on and loud music played.
"Are you sure this is it?" Jake asked again as Emma peered out the doors.
"I think so."
Jake then turned to him, "Millard, there's something I need you to do first."
He signed and took off his cap, "Alright, I know." He said unbuttoning his shirt. He hid his clothes in a corner of the ride before they headed out. Normally he didn't mind being nude, but being nude in England, in January, outside in the snow was not a good idea.
"Look, there's the tower, it's not far." Jake said as he looked at the red metal structure.
"Easy for you to say, I'm freezing!"
oOo oOo oOo
"All the doors to the cellar are locked." Jake said as they snuck around the seating area of the tower. "The only way to reach the ymbrynes is through there. Backstage." He said pointing to the stage exit.
"How many hollows can you see?" Millard asked him.
"Four. That's good news."
"I think you and I have a very different definition of good news." Emma whispered worried.
"It means Barron's other friends haven't arrived yet. So they haven't started the experiment. We're not too late."
They crouched down below a rail, "Okay, Emma." Jake said, "You ready? You know what to say."
"Here Jake." Millard said handing him the rope for Emma as she unbuckled her lead shoes.
"Our brethren should be joining us momentarily." Barron addressed his fellow wights, "This is a day to –"
"Hey! You down there!" Emma shouted, "We killed your hollow friend Mr. Barron. And now we've come for Miss Peregrine. Bring her and all the other ymbrynes to the end of the pier in five minutes or face the consequences." Then Jake and Millard pulled Emma down. Jake nodded to Millard and he began to sneak his way toward the backstage exit while Jake and Emma headed outside.
"These children must be as insane as their headmistress." Barron chuckled, "Still the hollows will be glad of a feed. Where are you? I know you're in here somewhere!" He called and a barrel tipped over, "Ah, good. Listen to me, I want you to follow Mr. Archer and Mr. Clark. They're going to take you down to the pier for a little. . . afternoon tea."
Once the two wights had left with the hollows Millard leapt into action. He ran – as quietly as he could – backstage and began looking for where they were keeping the ymbrynes.
French translation: Au revoir mon amour, mon ame = Goodbye my love, my soul