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r tuck me in at night or read me a story, when Dad would never tell me another joke, when Mom would never wink at me as she let me have a bit of food before dinner.
We couldn’t even have a proper funeral because there were no bodies. There were plenty of people around though, most of whom I didn’t recognize. My parents were beloved in their community and so many strangers came up to me to tell me how much my parents would be missed, and how they would do anything to help me, all I had to do was ask. I didn’t care about them though. The only person I cared about was Grandma. She was the one who needed me, and I even tried not to hold it against her when I overheard her praying that night, speaking to my parents, asking them why they had forsaken the both of us, why they had left me alone. She blamed them for leaving me, for putting the expedition before taking care of their daughter.
I didn’t blame them though. I knew how important it was to explore the world, to ensure that no stone was left unturned. Grandma may have blamed them for leaving, but I didn’t, and I knew even then that one day I would return to Dragon Island to finish what they started, because I knew I would be an archeologist, just like my parents.
3
I walked through the airport trying to push away the emotions that were gripping my heart. I put on a smile as I saw the plane that was being loaded. It was far bigger than the small two-person plane that my parents had chartered. This was long and thick, with a grey hull and four propellers. Although I would have loved to have made this a one-woman mission, I wasn’t so naïve. My parents had each other, and I needed help too. Besides, the university would never have signed off on me going on the trip by myself, so I had hand-picked a couple of experts to aid me in my quest. I was still leading the expedition, and unlike the Mapother brothers, I knew these men wouldn’t try to steal the credit from me.
The first was an ex-special forces commander called Vincent Duprey. He had a grizzled look about him, but secretly he had a kind heart and was amused by all sorts of things. He specialized in survival tactics and weapon use. Since none of us knew what was waiting for us on Dragon Island, I thought it best to have someone who could defend us. The other man was the wildlife expert Duncan Melliss, a British man who had made a career of examining the most dangerous predators in the world. He knew about various insects and reptiles and what their poisons could do, and because of them I had had to endure a scary amount of vaccines in preparation for the trip.
We greeted each other warmly and both of them were eager to get going.
“I’m glad we’re finally getting underway. It feels like you’ve had this expedition planned for years,” Vincent said.
“In my head I have, ever since my parents first disappeared,” I replied.
“Well, don’t you worry, we’ll finish what they started. We did hear that we’re going to have two extra passengers,” Duncan said. I glowered at this.
“Yeah, unfortunately, but they’re paying the bills and they want to come, so Ford couldn’t really say no, and I’ve waited too long to put off the trip together. I just hope they don’t expect to steal my thunder or take control.”
“Just make it clear to them as soon as we set out. I don’t think anyone will stand in your way when they get a sense of your temper,” Vincent said with a wink. He and Duncan moved off to continue making sure everything got on the plane correctly. I watched as the airport workers were carrying big boxes of equipment onto the plane, and smiled as I saw Bobby directing them, getting annoyed with them when they were being too rough with the equipment. I strode outside and let the warm sun kiss my skin. I squinted at the brightness and enjoyed the sound of distant thunder as a plane zoomed along the runway and took flight, its white hull gleaming as it soared through the sky. Even though planes had become commonplace, there was still part of me that enjoyed a thrill whenever I saw it happen.
“Give ‘em hell Bobby,” I called out to get his attention. His tense expression relaxed when he saw me and he came up, shaking his head.
“You’d think these people don’t have any idea of the significance of this equipment. I’ve tried my hardest to make sure that everything is safe, but if anything is broken, well, you know who to blame,” he cast a disparaging glance at the men hauling the crates onto the plan, and we both winced when one of them crashed against the ramp. Bobby sighed and turned away, shrugging at me helplessly. “How are you feeling?” he asked.
His eyes sparkled and I felt the tension rising between us. There had long been an attraction, which neither of us had acted on until it was too late. After our passionate embrace at the party, rational heads had prevailed and we’d agreed that we wouldn’t do anything until I returned, else it would be impossible for either of us to concentrate on our work.
“I’m okay, a little annoyed at the latest developments,” I said.
“Yeah, Dani just called me saying to expect you in a bad mood. You’re handling it better than I thought you would though.”
“Thanks…I think. But yeah, I mean, what can I do? If it wasn’t for them, I wouldn’t be able to go on this expedition in the first place, so I’ll just have to swallow my pride. I’ve already made compromises with having Vincent and Duncan along, so two more won’t make too much difference. I just hope they realize that I’m in charge.”
“I’m sure you’ll make it clear to them pretty quick,” Bobby said with his easy smile. I was going to miss that smile.
“Bobby, about the other night…”
He shook his head. “You don’t have to say anything. We agreed we weren’t going to say anything. Let’s just let it lie and we’ll worry about all that when you come back.”
“But what if…”
“When you come back. You’re not like your parents, and what happened to them won’t happen to you. You’ve done your prep, you know what to expect. You’re going to finish what they started and then you’re going to come back and reap the rewards. Your name is going to be said in the same breath with all the greats, right back to Schliemann.” He cupped my cheeks in his warm hands and kissed me lightly on the head. My body flushed with arousal and a warm feeling rippled to the ends of my fingers and toes. All my life I had been happy with being alone by myself, but only recently had I actually begun to explore the option of being in a relationship. I decided that once this expedition was over, I’d try it out properly and see what all the fuss was about.
Our farewell was interrupted by a car as it pulled up, its tires skidding along the ground. I couldn’t believe that the Mapother brothers had bypassed the usual ways of getting into the airport like this, but then again, the rich and wealthy always lived by different rules. I scowled as they got out of the car, still dressed in their suits, looking more like they were ready for a business meeting than an expedition.
“You’ve got your work cut out for you,” Bobby said.
The Mapother twins came up to us and handed Bobby their bags, before marching straight past us onto the plane. I went to call after them to correct them, for I didn’t like how they had assumed Bobby was a part of the airport staff, but Bobby shook his head and told me not to worry.
“You’re going to clash heads with them a lot, don’t waste time doing so over me,” he said.
He tossed their bags onto a crate and watched as they were carried in. Almost all the luggage had been taken onto the plane, so there was nothing more for me to do, other than say goodbye. When I looked at him, I was taken back to that moment all those years ago when my parents had said goodbye to me. I was never usually one to let myself get swooped away by emotion, but I found myself saddened by the possibilities I might be missing out on. I knew that in romance it was important to strike when the iron is hot otherwise the feelings might change. I could be gone for months, and I certainly didn’t expect Bobby to wait for me, even though he probably would, for he was a gentleman.
“I’ll see you when you get back,” he said softly, and kissed me on the cheek. I nodded at him and then walked away, not wanting to turn back. That was something else I learned from my father. When you made a decision, it was important to commit yourself to it and walk forward without regrets, without looking back. I walked along at a clipped pace and entered the plane, the shadow of the inside swallowing me up, and I gazed at the motley crew in front of me.
The pilot, Daniel Barnes, was making the final checks, while the others were arranging the crates and strapping them down, so they didn’t slide about. Neither Thomas nor William were helping, which didn’t endear them to Vincent and Duncan. The brothers were standing to one side, engaged in a deep discussion. I took one look at Vincent and Duncan, and then realized what I had to do. If I didn’t make the order of things clear now, it would only lead to problems later down the line.
