Page 40 of Beaches

“The girls?” asked Ethan.

“A few of us saw what they were doing to the girls. A few others saw them working with some Russian and Chinese boys, selling them information. Talk about wrong place, wrong time,” he said, shaking his head.

“Lawrence Kaplan is dead, and Levi will be soon,” said Nine.

“I’m glad to hear that,” said the amputee. “He cut off my leg because I tried to swim out of here. Built ourselves a little raft, and it would have made it. He got to me, cut my leg off, and left me to die. I owe my life to these men.”

“Trust me,” smiled Clay, lifting his pant leg, “you’re going to live a long time with a really great life ahead of you.”

“What the hell is that?” mused the man. Clay only laughed, walking closer so he could touch the prosthetic.

“Part of our team is a group of the most amazing inventors and engineers you’ve ever seen. We’re going to be flying on a chopper, unlike anything you’ve ever seen before. They developed this leg for me. I’m faster than almost all of these men, stronger with the leg, jump higher. It’s remarkable.”

“You guys aren’t real, are you?” asked one of the men.

“We’re real. I promise you. We’re real,” said Nine.

“Nine? We got a storm coming this way. We need to get the hell out of here,” said Autumn.

“Who is that?”

“Our pilot,” smiled Eli.

“A girl is your pilot. That’s amazing,” smiled one of the men. “I mean, they were letting women in when I was in, but not pilots.”

“Brother, she’s one of the best, and we have several women who are pilots. We trust them with our lives. If that lady says we have to go, we have to go,” said Ethan.

They carefully boarded the men, and once clear of the island and a safe distance from the storm, they allowed each man to shower and gave them clean clothing. Noah, Alec, and Eli slowly gave them water, then electrolyte replacement, finally able to give them small bites of food.

“Will they all make it?” Nine asked Eli.

“They should, but two of them are a fucking mess. I can’t tell how old any of them are, Nine. Some might be from post-Vietnam era. Others are within the last twenty years. But that one? I think he’s much older.” Nine walked back to the man Eli pointed to, kneeling beside him.

“How are you, brother?” asked Nine.

“Better now,” he said in a clipped accent.

“Where are you from?” he smiled.

“Germany. I was working with the U.S. team of engineers to build a bridge in the Philippines. I saw Kaplan in a bar, handing off an envelope of cash to someone I knew.”

“Someone you knew? Another German?” asked Nine.

“A very old German. A man who was part of the SS in Nazi Germany.”

“Shit,” muttered Nine.

“I had no idea why he was paying him, but I knew it could not be good. I reported him to the local authorities and, well, you know what happened next,” he said with a sad smile.

“I can guarantee that the German is dead,” said Nine. “We’ll get you home to your family once we have you healthy enough to make the trip.”

“My family, I fear, is long dead,” said the old man. “Just allow me to live my life in peace somewhere. Perhaps a mountain in your Colorado or Montana. I hear it is beautiful. That man, over there, he is from Montana.”

“They are beautiful states,” said Nine. “We’ll do everything we can to help you.”

The old man closed his eyes, dozing off to sleep. As Nine stood, he moved from one man to the next, taking the time to speak with each one, ask about their homes, their families left behind. Anything that would engage them and give them hope that they were finally headed home where they belonged. He just wanted to ensure them all that they were safe and they mattered. They all mattered.

He took his seat, resting his head in his hands as he took in deep, calming breaths. Someone stuck a cup of coffee in front of him, and he gratefully accepted.

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