Edging over to my bike, I hurriedly mounted it and began pedaling away across the field behind Gran’s house. The adrenaline from wanting to get out of there made my muscles feel new and invigorated. They easily pedaled me onto the road and the few miles to the restricted beach.
Once I hurled my bike to the ground, not bothering to hide it, I snuck underneath the fence. With every flash of lightning that struck the heavens, I glimpsed the fury of the ferocious ocean waves crashing onto the beach. Out beyond the surf, the swells grew upwards of five to ten feet.
Recklessly, I sped down the loose sand, falling several times as the pain in my tired legs returned. Shaking it off, I pressed on toward where I had stashed the SCUBAPS. I grabbed it and put it on, rushing to the line of incoming waves. Just when I was about to enter the water, I remembered that I didn’t have the propulsion device. It would be impossible for me to swim all the way to Oceania, especially with my tiring legs.
Peering around in frustration through slit eyes at the driving rain making it difficult to see, I spotted a seamobile on the shore. I thought it was odd that one would be there. It meant only one thing. Mayor Aldridge knew I had escaped and sent someone after me.
If she was so malicious to have done that, then I had no qualms about stealing the seamobile.
Not wasting time to take off the SCUBAPS, I climbed into the seamobile and turned on the controls just as I had watched Dylan do so many times. I pushed off into the surf and the seamobile took it from there.
I was on my way back to Oceania.
Chapter 27
Sprinting over to the access code panel, I instantly realized how foolhardy my rash decision had been. I hoped and prayed the bogus code Max had given us would still work to allow me inside of Oceania. If it didn’t, I would be caught when the door to the docking bay opened. That is if Mayor Aldridge’s men didn’t already know I was here.
With relief I felt down to the pit of my soul, the door opened when I entered the code and allowed me inside. I immediately ran toward the elevator and pressed the button. The doors opened instantaneously, I rushed inside, and repeatedly jabbed the button for the main floor.
Fidgeting restlessly, I felt completely exposed as if I were butt naked in a crowd full of people. I knew someone had to be watching me through one of the cameras at that moment, but it didn’t matter. I had to find Dylan and Dr. Wilcox. We had to return to the surface ASAP.
The doors opened and I took off running. Everyone else around me was walking leisurely, making me stick out like a sore thumb. I got myself onto the train system just before the doors slid shut. Finding a seat, I bounced my leg impatiently as I waited for the train to change course towards Dylan’s neighborhood. Buildings flashed by and I found myself nervously biting my nails, a gross habit I thought I had stopped when I was four, but suddenly resurfaced due to my stress.
The train came to a stop and a few people got off. The doors whooshed closed and it continued. It was as if I was riding on an infinite track with Dylan’s place out far beyond the end. No matter how long I rode, I would never get there.
The end of infinity finally arrived and I plowed my way through the small crowd of people on the train, stumbling out onto the street. I looked both ways to orient myself and then took a left, running as fast as I could, until I saw the characteristically tall white building in which Dylan lived.
Dashing through the lobby straight to the elevator, I took it, and once again stood impatiently as the floors ticked away. When the doors slid open on the forty-seventh floor with a ding, I strode right up to Dylan’s apartment unit and banged on the door.
The voice of an angry man complaining filtered in from behind the door just before it opened. I paused my fist in the air to keep from hitting the man, who looked very familiar. This man was taller than Dylan was, but their faces were almost identical. They had the exact same color hair, eyes, and facial bone structure. I was shocked at seeing them in a much older and taller man.
Only after my initial surprise did I realize the man was staring at me with fury in his eyes. “What is the matter with you? We have a doorbell!”
“I…I’m…sorry.” I stuttered. Gathering my wits and determination, I asked solidly, “Where is Dylan?”
“Are you a friend of his?” wondered Dylan’s father.
“Yes, sir. I need to see Dylan right away. It’s an emergency.”
Dylan’s father leaned against the door and sighed in frustration. “Dylan is on restriction. He cannot see anyone. He was caught doing something illegal and the mayor personally brought him in. He is in so much trouble right now that you cannot even imagine.”
“Please, Mr. Baker, this is really a life or death situation.” I pleaded with him, trying not to whine, but this was becoming ridiculous.
“Josh? Who is that at the door?”
I peered around Mr. Baker at the woman who had stepped into sight behind him. She had short cut brown hair that hung just above her eyebrows. A round face with low set cheekbones surrounded eyes that were somehow questioning and warm at the
