Truehearts & The Escape From Pirate Moon by Jake Macklem (ebook audio reader TXT) 📕

her back, up onto her feet, and skidded to a stop. She’s nuts! Cam heard a rustling behind him and quickly descended over the edge and down the mountainside.

As Cam entered the cave Ace spat at him, “Don’t ever do that again!”

“Me? You’re the one jumping off cliffs…” Cam shouted back. “Flipping and dancing, throwing bombs, risking your life for a paddle!”

“You thought it was important enough to go off alone! I thought you left me!” Ace shouted and the emotions exploded. Tears ran down her face as she sobbed. “I thought I was alone again. Stuck here with a dead Shonda! You shankstick!” She tossed the paddle, slumped against the wall, and slid to the ground.

Yep. Should have thought that one through. She’s fearless, but still Sol. “I’m sorry. I should have brought you along. I thought it was a simple thing, getting a branch. I should have known better. Nothing on this moon is simple.”

Ace nodded but did not look at him. “It’s fine. I overreacted.”

Cam knelt next to her. “Hey, look at me.” She did. Her eyes were bloodshot and puffy. “You felt abandoned. I get it.” Her lip quivered fighting back the sobs. “You’ve been alone for a long time. Well, you’re not alone now. We’re getting off this rock together, you hear me?”

Ace nodded.

“Say it.”

“We’re getting off this rock together.”

“Again.”

Louder she said, “We’re getting off this rock together.”

“Damn it! Say it like you shanking mean it!”

“We’re getting off this rock together!”

“Grab your gear soldier! We’re moving out!” Cam stood and watched as she snatched her spear. It’ll take her years to get over this moon, if ever. “Fall out!”

They marched out of the cave and down the mountainside.

At the water's edge, he could see the level had already risen a full meter. Maybe one or one and a half kilometers or so an hour. Maybe we can make up some time. Taking off his pack, Cam reached in and pulled out a metal rectangle wrapped in a plastic seal. He ripped off the seal, set the rectangle down, and stepped back. The metal started to bubble and a mound formed. Growing in size, the metal bubbled larger and larger, taking shape as a raft, over two meters long and half as wide.

“So you got a boat that fits in your pocket but it doesn’t come with a paddle?” Ace asked.

“Calvin wanted to see how it worked, so he opened the paddles.” Cam grabbed one side. “Grab that side of it.” Together they put it in the water.

“You don’t think the grass will pop it?” She asked.

“It's made of the same polymer as my armor. It takes a thousand pounds of pressure per square inch to puncture it. This boat can bounce off rocks.” They quickly loaded their gear.

“Get in, I’ll push off.”

Ace squinted. “Is that a girl thing?”

“It’s an ‘I’m a foot taller than you’ thing,” Cam retorted.

Ace climbed in the raft and moved to the front. Once she was seated on the edge, Cam walked into the water. When he was up to his knees, he jumped into the raft. Ace used the paddle and pushed along the bottom. The red grass bent under the front of the raft with ease, the water having greatly softened the blades.

As they got further from the base of the mountain, the current picked up a little more speed. The duo sat in silence, watching the pale white sky turn pink then red, and finally, that soft green glow as night settled and Ophelia lit the surface of the tiny moon it dwarfed. A swirling yellow glow hung in the air around them. It looks like aurora borealis. He reached and his hand passed through the light. “Amazing.”

“Look.” Ace pointed to the mountain tops. The tall flowering trees started to light up with a green and green-yellow glow. When the light was intense enough to silhouette the treetops against the high reaches of the mountains above, the glow lifted off of the trees like vapor as thousands of insects lifted into the sky. The hum of beating wings echoed through the valley as they flew down from the heights, swirling and dancing with the yellow glow.

“Bioluminescent life forms.” Cam quickly rifled through his pack and pulled out his personal recorder and rushed to tap it on. He pointed it at the amazing scene. “Would you boys look at that? This is the first flying creatures I’ve seen on the moon. I thought it was because everything here has such a high iron content, making it too heavy to fly. This proves that theory wrong.”

“Most people wouldn’t be excited about being wrong,” Ace teased.

Cam’s blood went cold. How did I forget about Red? He turned the camera on to her. “Oh yeah. Hey everyone, I found someone on the moon I’m visiting.” He locked eyes with Ace. “Why don’t you introduce yourself to my wife and my ten- and twelve-year-old sons, Red?”

Ace smiled and waved at the camera, her entire demeanor changing, even the inflection in her voice. “Hi Everyone, you can call me Ace. Cam has told me so much about you guys and how much he misses you. Tomas and Calvin, you guys better behave yourselves for your mom. Mrs. Shaw, your husband is one of the noblest men I have ever met. I hope to one day be able to repay the kindness he has shown me. And know, ma’am, I will do everything in my power to make sure your husband returns to you safe. I hope to get to meet all of you in person one day soon. Bye, talk to you soon.” She smiled again.

Cam aimed the camera back at the light show buzzing around them. That was pleasant enough, but nothing like she normally acts. She was almost bubbly. Part of