Chapter Eleven

The coordinates led to the dry river bed, with spears of charcoal surrounding the ruins of a bungalow choked with moss.

Upon climbing the broken bridge, Shin smiled and watched a Skylark wheel around. He marvelled at its joyful song and only wished he could be as free.

All the while, Mego was on a call to Ami, who was not best pleased about her daughter going rogue once more.

Eventually, she ended the call, pausing to stare at the remains of a dead cat with its eyes burnt out.

On the way, they took a detour to a nearby beach of golden sands and warm waters.

Approaching the coast, Mego took in the salt-tinged air wafting through the cab vents; the fragrance of sea spray sprinkled with ozone from distant thunderheads.

Layered voices merged against the gentle hiss of waves and a call of gulls above.

Somewhere, a boom of surf crashed against rocks offshore, creating an otherworldly soundscape in an almost vacant beach.

Mego's mind reeled, trying to comprehend the majesty which unfolded.

She looked up to see a perfect blue sky splintered only by wispy cirrus trails; its raw natural beauty slowly reshaping her perceptions of a Grimdark world.

Shin soon joined her as she exited the car and took her bag.

A soft wind felt warm against the thin cardigan, and soon they were heading down toward the shore. They sat by the base of a dune, listening to the Bluetooth speaker play the Marías' ‘No one noticed’ relaxing against the gentle susurrus carried by waves, now receding steadily inland.

Huddled together, the silence stretched out like a comfortable blanket, cocooning them in warmth and contentment.

Mego leaned her head against his body, letting herself relax fully in their embrace, a feeling she equated to slipping into a favourite pair of pyjamas.

It was a reassuring thrum that matched the gentle rhythm of her breathing.

As tranquillity washed over her in soothing waves, she let her thoughts drift aimlessly while enjoying the luxury of existing with someone who genuinely cared.

There was no urgency, no deadlines looming, no expectations to fulfil, just the quiet comfort of two souls connecting on a profound level.

In this sacred space, time stood still, allowing them to savour each precious second as it unfolded.

Mego gazed up lazily, drinking in the serene picture before her, a tableau of steadfast love and loyalty, depicted in Shin's patient attention. This heartbeat provided a backdrop to warmth and security, embracing them like a rich aroma wafting from a well-loved kitchen.

Half an hour later, they left the Beach and ventured off the B-road onto a two-rut track.

A large field of Timothy grass swayed under the shade of high Elms and opened up to a dilapidated hangar with its short, dusty runway.

The gentle rhythm of the water plays out in complement to a bird's lilting song. The dance of light rippling on the puddle's surface is like an ethereal dance.

Mego felt a gentle breeze light against her face, carrying the scent of flowers and a promise of twilight secrets.

Everything was silent, save for litter pin-wheeling across the concrete apron.

Steering the motorcycle toward an ancient gas pump, Shin kicked out the stand while Mego parked up to the side.

"Now what?" She asked, leaning an arm out of the window.

"Maybe the coordinates are wrong."

"I entered it twice to be sure."

Shin gave the Hangar a once-over.

“Let’s look around, see what we can find.” He said.

They took a spiral staircase to the upper office. It was an open area with two desks back-to-back and a row of filing cabinets against the wall. A heavy metallic shelf stood near the fire exit, with an oily rag tossed onto a half-rusted pallet mover.

A miasma of ammonia and petrol covered the air.

“Damn, that’s nasty,” Mego said, turning her head.

“Yep, at least we know where wildlife sleeps. Go look through one of the desks.”

“Why don’t you go look through the desks? I ain’t catching no badger virus.”

Shin sighed and used his shoe to pull the bottom drawer. Nothing.

“Unless your prize is a wad of wet accounts,” He said. “I guess we’re done here.”

“There must be something; we can’t just leave.”

“Trust me; no prize is worth this.”

“So it’s all a waste of time,” Mego said. "Great. Thanks, Dad.” She was about to light a cigarette when Shin snatched it from her mouth. "What the hell, dude?"

"Can't you smell the petrol? Go outside."

"I AM outside!" Mego said, descending the stairs. "Seriously, why go to all this effort for no results?”

"Not true. We had a fun day out."

"Yeah, your sister was a real peach."

"Mostly fun," Shin said, following closely.

"I'm so glad I filled up the car for nothing," Mego said. Now I can be minus broke.” Frustrated, she kicked a soda can and watched it float inches off the ground.

The pair looked on in amazement.

Shin knelt, placing his hand over the airflow.

"It’s like ice." He said. “Hand me that broom.”

Flipping over the broom handle, he traced the gap to a small metallic cap. Mego lifted the cap with the tip of her shoe to reveal a small spike with a hole.

"Are you frickin' kidding me?" She said. “It’s another DNA thing.”

"At least we know we're in the right place," Shin said. "You're not from a family of Vampires, are you?"

"I'm starting to believe it," Mego said.

"Are you going to do the honours?"

"I ain't touching that; I'll end up with the herpes or something."

"Don't you want to unleash the Vampire horde?"

"I'm not touching anything that isn't sterile."

"I guess we're spooning from now on," Shin said with a smirk, until Mego shot it down with a look. "Moving on..."

Mego sighed and pricked her thumb with an earring until a shiny crimson bead emerged. A droplet of blood fell neatly into the metal hole.

Nothing happened.

And so they waited.

Twilight fell on the horizon as evening rolled into night.

The car stereo blasted: 'One of these days' by Pink Floyd, while Mego let her legs dangle out of the car.

In this living portrait of nature, the harmony of existence and the depth of connection render the in-between hours nothing short of transcendent.

Bathed in a tangerine glow, the world felt eerily small, but somewhat painterly. Not wanting to leave something unfinished, Mego could do little but drag on another Lithuanian cigarette, absent-mindedly drawing spirals in the dirt with a stick.

Parts of the same spiral, but not equal. Mego thought. Just an incomplete circle. She shook her head. Someone once said, 'There is only one inborn error, and that is the notion that we exist to be happy. So long as we persist in this inborn error, the world seems to us full of contradictions. '

"What are you going to do when we get back?" Shin asked, leaning on the car's hood.

“I was gonna check out the re-release of Die Hard 2 in the cinema.”

“Oh yeah, I can’t believe they’re showing all five again.”

“All three,” Mego said, flicking the spent cigarette out. “Four, if you count 16 Blocks, which is a spiritual closer to the franchise.”

“Yes, you explained the similarities in great detail.”

“That’s what long car journeys are for.”

Shin frowned, remembering something.

“Hold on," He said. "How come you never went to see the original Die Hard?”

“Why would I, when number two is superior?”

“Okay, okay, now I know you’re trolling.”

“I’m serious, the sequel goes further by putting real lives at stake.”

“The first one had literal hostages!”

Mego scoffed. “A bunch of coked-up yuppies? Who cares? Compare that to actual kids and babies.”

“There was a pregnant woman in the first one.”

“Who would have no doubt given birth to a corrupt banker or CEO. The cycle continues.”

“That baby could have grown up to be a Celloist, you don’t know!”

“Can we not with the fan fiction? Let's agree that the second one had a twist no one saw coming, which was missing from the first one.”

“And some naked male Yoga.”

“I…was not complaining.”

“That scene will be the Death of you.”

“Haha! I see what you did there.”

Mego watched as the high grass rolled in the soft breeze, grey eyes fixed on bobbing leaf clusters.

It reminded her of Ehime, under the wide shaded trees by the lake. She remembered how the long sunsets painted the world in orange, the smell of cut grass and barbequed Grayling. The days spent running through the corn grass, because this moment was yours alone, and the future could wait.

Nostalgia was never about listing a bunch of old things, but about how we lived in those moments.

"Holy crap!"

Upon hearing Shin’s voice, she snapped out of her trance. A series of loud pneumatic 'clunks' began to whine from under the hangar.

It was followed by a series of sharp 'hisses' and scrapes as a large portion of the floor slid away, allowing dry ice to creep out in a slow, ponderous mist.

Minutes later, a shadow emerged from the depths.

The fin of a small yellow and black striped jet fighter peeked out from the fog until the elevator reached its full height.

Mego stared open-mouthed. "Wha--. “

"It-It’s a plane," Shin said, for the sake of something to say. Mego began to stroll towards the hangar. "Hey, wait!"

Placing a hand on the fuselage, Mego felt a tingle run the length of her fingers.

"It's warm." She said.

"How long do you think it's been there? Who does it belong to?"

"It was tied to my Dad's DNA. Guess it's his."

"You never mentioned he was a pilot."

"Neither did he," Mego said, touching the fuel tank. "He was just a gardener who travelled the world.” She paused. "Wait, is this my reward for winning the game? Does someone want me to fly this thing? Seriously?"

"If only you weren't scared of heights."

"I've been on planes before."

"You always bury your head during take-off."

Mego narrowed her eyes, "Mum really has a problem with oversharing."

The canopy slid back without warning, as the side dropped down a ladder.

Clambering up. she peered into the cockpit and to her amazement, it was the same layout as the one in the VR game, right down to the smallest switch. There was even a helmet on the seat.

"This doesn’t make sense," Mego said. "I’ve seen all of this already"

“I assume you’re talking about the game?”

“I didn’t think it would be an exact copy. In a day, I could fly it, no problem.”

"Yeah, right," Shin said. "The first time, you become an ace pilot within seconds of entering a craft you'd never been in."

"Obviously not," Mego said, climbing in. "That would be dumb."

"Did you check that thing for rats?"

"Well, NOW I will," Mego said, brushing her legs. She picked up the helmet. "Looks a bit small."

"Maybe you're just a big head," Shin said. The young woman shot him a look. "What? I wasn't gonna let that go."

Adjusting her balance, Mego made herself as comfortable as possible.

"A bit snug." She said, shifting around. "It's like one in the Arcades, y'know? The one opposite the 'Three Sheets' pub?"

"Throttle lock," Shin said. "Good times."

A second date had been arranged on the fly.

Shin remembered watching her retell a dream, her favourite music, and why she was afraid to play guitar in public, despite being a prodigy. They talked at length about why he spurned her advances, the two-year age gap and how her mother would disapprove. Shin watched the low sun catch her face, remembering the confession. Simple. Direct.

Him: I like you.

Her: You’re wrong.

"Did you say something?" Mego said, back in the present.

"Don't forget your helmet," Shin said

Mego snorted. "Who's gonna pull me over? The Air cops?"

Shin smiled, but was distracted by the steady rumble of an engine, faintly growling in the distance. He soon realised there was more than one.

"Flying might not be the worst idea." He said.

"What?" Mego said. From the top of the ladder, he could make out a bright set of tubes illuminating the country road. "What is it?"

"Probably nothing."

Mego stood up in the cockpit. "What are you on about?"

Shin squinted into the distance as six headlights grew closer.

"Shake a leg, we've got company!"

"Wait!"

"We need to leave. Right now!"

"How do I close this?"

"No time, Mego. C'mon!"

Climbing down the ladder, they headed for the vehicles. Mego opened the car door, aiming her gaze fixed toward the dark road.

"Who are they?"

"Come on!"

Mego turned the ignition, but nothing caught. She tried it again. No luck.

"No-no-no!"

"What are you doing?" Shin said. Fear had become a full-blown panic. "If they catch us, they'll stick us in a black site!"

Turning the key once more, nothing happened. The engine was toast.

"Balls! I  don’t believe this; I'm going to die because of a trope."

Shin dropped the spare helmet in her lap.

"Grab what you need."

Mego pulled on the helmet, sat pillion and hugged his waist.

The back wheel ate dirt, and Shin sped up the track, hitting the road just as the first car caught them in the beam. The car anchored up, nearly collecting the other two, as the motorcycle tore down the length of the B-road. Threading through light traffic, Mego tightened her grip as the cold wind flapped her coat like a cape.

Shin gunned the gears, and the engine barked in fury. The pair soon found themselves on the main road to the city centre, where the motorway threw up patches of orange sodium light, while darkened skyscrapers grew closer like neon-lit monoliths. Shin glanced in the mirror; the pursuing cars had fallen back.

However, relief was short-lived when a huge aerial spotlight tracked them on the viaduct bridge. Mego felt the bike speed up. Shin snaked in between two trucks, unable to outrun the centre of the blinding circle.

He took the middle ramp down to the lower levels of the bridge. A finger of light shot out from the side of the helicopter, probing the darkness, until it caught the silhouette of the motorcycle.

Exiting into a junction, Shin took a left into a four-lane tunnel. Mego heard the engine whine rise and gripped tighter. The breeze against her body now felt like ice mixed with dirt.

Luckily, late evening traffic flowed freely, which allowed Shin to navigate between vehicles, sometimes inches from the central reservation. Shin took an immediate right into a pedestrian subway. He paused while the helicopter searchlight probed the vicinity, before disappearing out of sight.

Satisfied, he cut through a nearby forest and came to a retail park on the edge of Witt's End.

After stopping by Mego's driveway, she dismounted and banged on the front door. Before Ami could process what was happening, her daughter tore up the stairs, closely followed by the sound of a motorbike screaming off into the distance.

"Oh-kay?" Ami said, still unsure what to think. Halfway up the stairs ,the doorbell rang again. Opening up, she was surprised to see a young Air Force officer present himself at her door. "Yes?"

The officer snapped off a salute.

“Excuse me, ma'am; I want to ask some questions about your daughter."

Ami glanced around the soldier and nodded.

"You'd better come in." She said. Once inside, the door was closed behind. “Explain yourself.”

"I apologise for the intrusion, ma'am." The Officer said. "The late Group Captain gave us orders about any activity concerning the Hangar."

Mego peeked out from the top of the stairs.

"I am aware of the Group Captain’s orders," Ami said. "What has this got to do with Mego?"

"She is the one who found the Jet and activated it."

Ami gave her daughter a detached look.

"I see." A beat. "Even so, I want it on record that I object to your methods. I am guessing three SUVS in a row?"

"Fast cars and a helicopter"

"For two kids?" Ami said. The hint of irritation was unmistakable. "I would say that was going overkill on resources. Three vehicles in a row will scare them off. It was reckless.”

"With respect, ma'am, the Group Captain signed off on the contingency plan."

"I understand, but with him gone, I am in charge. Next time, I want eyes-only; no pursuit. "

Mego's mouth went slack and dry.

"As you wish."

"Dismissed." They exchanged salutes, and the young man departed with haste. Ami looked up at Mego’s devastated expression.

"Get the ice cream," She said. "We need to talk."

"M-mum?"

"Ice cream. Now."