Parks and Crew by C. N. Miller

Author:C. N. Miller
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9798889261278
Publisher: Dream Stitch Media LLC
Published: 2024-06-15T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 13: Parks Late-Night Unwelcome Surprise

Parks strode into the camp, his back hunched and his feet aching; he caught sight of something out of the norm. Several unfamiliar footprints marked by deep, jagged grooves led to his once-closed tent and then disappeared into the nearby bushes. Mason’s backpack, perched on a low tree limb by his tent, was missing. He scanned the surroundings, his head pivoting left and right, searching for any clue that might explain the disappearance. Meanwhile, his Crew remained deep in slumber, oblivious to the unfolding mystery.

Standing, Terraforge in hand, swirling it clockwise, Parks decided his next step. He followed the tracks into the bushes. His shoes swished through the tall grass as he edged closer to the trees, ready for whatever awaited—be it a deranged human or a brainwashed soldier.

After several minutes of searching, Parks murmured, “The culprit is probably long gone.”

Turning around to head back to camp, he heard a rustling noise followed by the quick patter of footsteps. It seemed the culprit was running away. Without hesitation, Parks ran in that direction. The culprit’s silhouette appeared and then faded with every loss of moonlight. Drawing closer, he glimpsed a human figure in tattered clothes.

“Hermit? I’ve got you now,” he muttered under his breath.

Parks extended his Terraforge and pole-vaulted between two large trees; his body rolled into a ball while it flew through the air, breaking small, dried limbs and ripping off leaves before landing in front of the thief.

The figure immediately cowered and muttered, “Please don’t hurt me! Please don’t hurt me!”

Parks commanded him to stand, brushing leaves from his face and dried twigs from his clothes. Anger was deeply carved into every line of his face.

The man rose, clad in a worn, dirty uniform. It wasn’t Hermit but a frail-looking soldier who appeared to be working alone.

“Who are you, and what are you doing in my camp?” Parks demanded.

The man hesitated, his eyes fixed on the glowing weapon in Parks’ hand.

“Grudden… Dr. Grudden,” he stammered, fear evident in his voice.

Parks pressed him for answers. “Why are you out here this late at night, Dr. Grudden?”

“You mean you don’t know?” Dr. Grudden asked. A brief silence enveloped them, their gazes locked in intense stare.

“Know what?” Parks hissed through clenched teeth.

“I am a fugitive from my former employer, a scientist bent on world domination through mind-controlling nanobot spiders.”

When the stranger, a thief, surprisingly hinted at the scientist’s sinister plan, Parks felt goosebumps on his arms. The reality of the Crew’s mission to save a world in a different universe shook him. He forced himself to refocus on the man now staring at him.

“Why don’t you steal a boat and head to the mainland, Zentara? You can tell someone about what is happening here?”

“Me? Steal a boat? Impossible! I am not cut out for this soldiering outdoors stuff. The thought of being out in the cerulean ocean scares me. Besides, if the soldiers don’t stop me, the drones will. No one leaves this island without permission and lives to tell about it.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.