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The restaurant sat right on the beach, the waves lapping up against the pylons below the expansive decking. Gi leaned against the railing, looking down at the reflection of the moon and waiting patiently for her contact to arrive.
Behind her, the decking was quiet. Couples were scattered here and there, and there was a larger group closer to the walls of the building, laughing and clinking their glasses together as they sat in the pool of light spilling from the wide windows of the inside dining area.
She toyed with the half-empty glass in her hands, wishing she was there for pleasure. She looked down at her dress and blew out a soft, mournful sigh as she realised she'd probably only have a chance to wear it for another hour or so before she had to leave for less-glamorous surroundings.
The restaurant was at the high-end of town and boasted a waiting list of six months. Looking around at the half-deserted deck, Gi wasn't sure if that were true or not. Regardless, its popularity mattered very little. What did matter were the rumours of money laundering for a company like Sternkill Industries.
Gi had harboured a deep resentment for Sternkill, even before her life as a Planeteer. It had been that company which had forced her and her parents to move from the coast. It had been that company which had built the smelter too close to the beach, poisoning the water and killing off the sea creatures Gi had been friends with as a girl.
She had never run into them again, though they were never far from her mind. She had often expressed a desire to get even, but everything they did – though appallingly bad for the environment – had been nice and legal. There had been nothing she could do.
She looked down at her bare fingers, wishing she had the other Planeteers with her now. It still seemed odd, having a life without them. The dangers she had faced at the time seemed less traumatic when looked at in hindsight. She often wondered if she had made a mistake, finally caving to the pressure and handing her ring back to Gaia. She often cursed herself for focusing more on the near-misses and the danger rather than all the good she had done and all the fun she had experienced.
It didn't matter now. What was done was done. There was another Water Planeteer with them now – a girl from Japan – and Gi was hardly going to force her home and admit to everyone she'd made a mistake and would like her ring back.
She did miss them, though; especially at times like this – waiting for a chance to strike a blow for the environment. If she could attach any illegal activity to Sternkill Industries, she'd have a shot at closing them down for good – including their numerous smelters and factories.
It was getting late, but the restaurant seemed only to grow more crowded. The larger group of diners was made up of men, celebrating some sort of business deal. She had kept one ear on their conversation in case it offered her any valuable information, but it appeared they were only interested in drinking and having a good time – not talking about work or money.
She checked her watch irritably. Her contact was running late and if she had to stand there alone much longer it'd start looking strange. She took another sip of the drink in her hands and turned to run her eyes over the restaurant, just in case he hadn't spotted her and was standing nearby.
She caught the eyes of one of the men at the table and he adjusted his tie and stood up.
She cringed and took another hasty drink, almost draining her glass completely. She wasn't there to be flirted with or hit on. She was there to gain information that might bring Sternkill down, and she was in no mood for anyone to hinder her progress.
He wove his way between tables and other diners, keeping his eyes locked on her. She tried not to look too exasperated.
"You're too beautiful to be alone," he said, leaning against the railing beside her.
"I'm waiting for someone," she explained.
"You've been waiting a long time." He gave her a smile. "I think you're alone. Why don't you come and sit with us?"
She glanced at the table of men by the wall of the restaurant and barely managed to resist wrinkling her nose. "No, thank you."
"Kyung," he said, holding his hand out and introducing himself.
"Really, I'm just waiting for someone," she said desperately, unsure of how to get rid of him.
"I'm just after a name," he said, smiling at her.
She took his hand and sighed. "Gi."
He smiled at her and kept hold of her gently, motioning back towards his table. "Come and join us, Gi. We have drinks and food to share..."
Gi caught the movement of a figure out of the corner of her eye, and turned her head. Her eyes widened in amazement as she recognised the tall, relaxed posture of Wheeler leaning back against the railing. He was watching her in amusement.
"Is he bothering you?" he asked.
Kyung scowled and switched to English, flawless and impassioned in his anger. "She is busy talking to me, Mr. America."
Gi's heart started hammering as she watched Wheeler take a sip from the drink in his hand.
Kyung tugged at her, urging her to take a step away from the railing. "Let me buy you a drink," he said, still trying to convince her to join his table.
She pulled her hand free. "No, really. I'm fine."
Wheeler grinned at Kyung and shrugged. "Sorry, chingu. Looks like you're out of luck."
Kyung scowled and turned to Gi, lowering his voice. "This is the one you were waiting for?" he asked in disbelief.
She shook her head automatically, but suddenly she wasn't so sure.
"Well, let me wait for you until your friend shows up," Kyung said, giving her a smile.
Gi caught another look of amusement on Wheeler's face. Her brain was still sluggish – she wondered what he was doing there and why he didn't come straight to her and hug her hello. She wondered why on Earth he seemed willing to let time go wasted with Kyung hanging around and why he seemed to enjoy her discomfort so much.
Wheeler caught her eye and winked, giving her a small shrug. "He's persistent."
She opened her mouth and closed it again, still in shock after seeing him walk so breezily across the restaurant decking.
"What's your name?" Wheeler asked, grinning at her.
Kyung glared at him, but Wheeler appeared oblivious.
"Gi," she answered, feeling almost shy. She glanced around to see if anyone else was approaching them. Their side of the decking was almost deserted, though the noise and clatter from the restaurant indicated that everything beyond the shadows was still busy and crowded.
"No kidding," Wheeler answered, giving her a wide grin. "I used to have a friend named Gi."
She felt a smile creep across her own face. "Really," she answered.
"Oh yeah." Wheeler gave her another wink and grinned when Kyung bristled with anger. "She was a lot of fun."
Gi laughed and Kyung gave up, snorting and dropping her hand, stalking his way back to his friends, who were still drinking and cheering loudly.
Wheeler crossed to her, but didn't hug her as she'd hoped he would. Instead he leaned his elbows against the railing, cupping his glass in his hands and looking down into the water.
"Hi," she breathed, still wondering what on Earth he was doing there.
"Hey." He smiled, but kept his eyes focused on the water. "You okay?"
"Confused," she admitted, leaning against the railing like he was. "What are you doing here? Are the others here?"
"They've gone ahead," he said softly. "A little bird says you've been digging around in the affairs of Sternkill Industries."
She wrinkled her brow. "Uh-huh. How'd you know that?"
He leaned close, casting a careful eye over the crowd behind them. "You're in big trouble, little mermaid," he whispered. "You've got people watching you and following you... This thing goes deep."
She shivered and looked at him with wide eyes. "But I've barely done anything..."
"Enough to get 'em worried," Wheeler answered, giving her a small smile.
She chewed her lip and frowned. "They are attached to this restaurant, right? Using it to make all their profits and business seem more legitimate?"
Wheeler nodded and drained his glass. "We should go."
"Where?"
"Somewhere away from here, in case they've heard about your meeting and they want to stop you. Come on. I'm supposed to take you to meet the others." He took her hand and led her across the deck, shooting a triumphant grin at Kyung, who glowered at the both of them. Gi blushed, but was too surprised and anxious about Wheeler's presence to feel too much else.
"Shit." Wheeler stopped in the doorway of the restaurant, his eyes fixed on a group of men by the bar at the opposite end of the room. He changed direction and started leading Gi along the wall. "Recognise those guys?"
"No," she answered nervously. The sudden change from gentle flirting and role-playing to the serious nature of flight and danger had left her reeling. "I'm supposed to meet someone. Has he given me up?"
"Maybe," Wheeler whispered apologetically. "Your informant has probably been lost to bribery and corruption." He kept his eyes trained on the group of men by the bar. "Or worse."
Gi felt sick. "Where are the others?"
Wheeler shot her a grin. "At Sternkill headquarters. I volunteered for the restaurant part. I was hoping to have a nice meal with a girl in a pretty dress, but I think we'd better hurry up and just get the hell out of here."
She gave him a nervous smile and let her eyes sweep the room. She wondered just how blind she had been to the danger she was supposedly in, and how deep everything really did go.
"This restaurant is just one of many owned by Sternkill to give the appearance of legitimate funds." He cleared his throat softly. "What are you like when it comes to running in high heels?"
She bit her lip. "I guess we'll find out, if we have to..."
He kept a firm grip on her hand and started leading her towards the doors again, keeping a careful eye on the group of men by the bar – who all seemed to be staring back at him intently.
Gi swallowed, suddenly realising her secretive investigations hadn't been secret at all. She was obviously being watched, and she cursed herself for being so stupid and not noticing until now. "Who are they?" she asked nervously, using her free hand to hitch the hem of her dress up.
"They like to think of themselves as the executives," Wheeler whispered. "It's their money going through this restaurant and someone's made them wise to the fact you want to stop it."
"Who?" Gi asked, sounding panicked as they hurried past more tables. The exit seemed forever away. "I haven't told anyone!"
"Your name was already flagged," Wheeler explained. "Sternkill took over your parents' lab, remember? Your name is in their system. Even a slight suspicion sets off huge alarm bells."
Gi cursed and sent a worried look to the shifting crowd of men at the bar. They were draining their drinks and patting their pockets, preparing to leave. She suddenly felt very naked without her Planeteer ring, missing it more than she ever had before. She glanced at Wheeler's right hand and was relieved to see his ring still firmly in place on his first finger.
"They're going to follow us," she said worriedly, trotting along behind him and cursing her idiocy. She should have known things couldn't go so easily. She should have at least worn shoes that allowed her to flee in relative speed and comfort.
Just because she was no longer a Planeteer didn't mean she wouldn't face danger now and then. She'd been caught unprepared, feeling safe in the shadow of being an unimportant civilian.
They hurried back out into the warm night air and Wheeler flagged a taxi with a look of relief, just as it pulled up to drop off existing passengers outside the restaurant.
Gi couldn't help but look back over her shoulder as Wheeler pushed her into the backseat. The looks on the faces of the men in the doorway indicated to her that Wheeler had been right - they knew who she was and that she was a threat to them.
She breathed a sigh of relief as the cab pulled away and joined the rest of the traffic in the street, cruising through a green light and leaving the restaurant behind them.
She turned to Wheeler, expecting some sort of explanation, and was met with a crushing hug instead.
"You okay?" he asked. She could feel him grinning against her neck, and for some reason all she wanted to do was cry.
She nodded and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, fighting back tears and the tightness in her throat. "Are you?"
"Never better," he declared breezily, easing back to look at her. He grinned again. "I've missed you."
She laughed, and tears spilled down her cheeks. She rubbed them away with the heels of her hands. "I've missed you, too. All of you."
"The others will join up with us as soon as they're done hacking into Sternkill's system."
"Did I really screw up?" she asked pitifully, looking up at him in the shadowy light of the cab.
"Nah," he answered, slinging his arm around her shoulders. "They had an unfair advantage. They were keeping an eye on you before you made any moves at all. Once you started digging, they figured they should stop you..." He shifted uncomfortably. "Gaia sent us to make sure you were okay."
Gi felt a wave of embarrassment. "God," she muttered. "I guess I lost that subtle, sneaky touch I had as a Planeteer."
"It's harder without Planet Vision," Wheeler said, grinning at her. He looked over his shoulder and out the back window, frowning. "They're still chasing us," he murmured. "You got somewhere we can go?"
She wiped her eyes and shrugged. "Not really. Home?"
He shook his head. "Not safe."
"I don't know, then," she said worriedly.
He shrugged and leaned forward, speaking to the driver in low tones and dropping a handful of crumpled notes into the front seat. Gi listened in amazement. His Korean was basic and anything but fluent, but there was still no hiding he was speaking it.
"Where'd you learn Korean?" she asked, taking his hand again after he leaned back.
He grinned at her. "Ma-Ti thought it'd be a nice surprise. I'm the worst student, though. Wait until you hear the others."
Her heart warmed and she laughed, more tears threatening to spill over. "I can't believe you, sometimes."
"Now that I think about it, though, Kwame is also surprisingly bad at remembering different languages," Wheeler mused. "He makes me feel better when I fuck it up."
She laughed and buried her face against his arm. "Where are we going?"
"To a hotel," he said. "Though I think we'll be followed wherever we go." He glanced out the back window again.
She rubbed her face, worried and embarrassed about the sort of trouble she'd brought down on herself and had now involved her friends in.
Wheeler gave her a reassuring smile and put his arm around her again. "Nice dress," he said.
She laughed and looked down at herself. "I figured I'd better look the part. It's a pretty snobby restaurant."
"Must be all that money filtering through it," Wheeler muttered, squeezing her and sending another glance back through the window behind them.
"I am right, then?" she asked, needing more reassurance.
"Uh-huh." He sighed and shifted uncomfortably in his seat, tugging his tie loose and shoving it into his pocket. "We think Plunder is involved in this somehow – but don't ask me for anything more concrete than that. His name has cropped up a couple of times, but these guys are smart enough to bury the truth under twenty tons of lies. Sorting through it all was going to take us too much time. We came straight to you instead."
"To rescue me from my mess," she groaned. She rubbed her brow, realising a headache was starting to develop. "I can't believe I've been so stupid. There was no informant coming to meet me tonight, was there?"
"There probably was," Wheeler comforted, "until the executives found out about it and put a stop to it."
Gi blanched. "How far would they go to stop someone bringing them down?"
Wheeler shifted again and didn't answer her.
She sighed and draped her legs over his lap, twisting to look out the back window. The car following them was staying close, the headlights glaring against the back of the taxi. She chewed her lip and ducked her head again.
Wheeler looked down at her sympathetically."It's not your fault," he said. "Someone's gotta stop 'em."
She just shook her head and closed her eyes, leaning against his arm again. "How's my replacement working out?" she asked, immediately regretting the question but desperately wanting an answer.
Wheeler grinned and shrugged. "She's okay."
"You like her?"
"Not as much as I like you," he answered truthfully, looking down at her with a smile. "You wouldn't believe how much we miss you."
She sighed and shrugged her body closer to him. "I wish I hadn't left."
"Me too."
"It was that last time..." She swallowed and closed her eyes, feeling sick at the memory of the heat and the fumes and the rough ropes around her hands and ankles. "It gave me nightmares. I don't want a job that gives me nightmares, Wheeler."
"I know, Gi." He squeezed her hand.
"Though, this is hardly better," she grumbled, looking back at the car trailing them.
He chuckled and shook his head.
The taxi coasted to a halt in front of a tall, lit-up hotel. Wheeler thanked the driver and shuffled Gi along the backseat, helping her out and sending a wary look to the car behind them. It sat there, the engine idling quietly.
"What should we do?" Gi asked nervously.
"Let's go inside." He prodded her forwards, keeping a tight grip on her hand.
"Stop."
The voice rang out from behind them, authoritative and confident.
Wheeler winced and gripped Gi's hand in his, so hard she muttered a brief complaint. They both looked back.
The back door of the black car had opened and a short, stocky man wearing a black evening coat stood on the pavement, his hands in his pockets. He gazed steadily at Gi.
"I would like a talk," he said. His English was stilted, but there was no confusing his meaning.
"Come on," Wheeler said nervously, tugging at her hand. "Let's get inside."
She nodded in agreement, but stilled again as a second man staggered his way out of the car. He stood with his hand hidden just inside the folds of his jacket, and there was no mistaking what he was hiding beneath.
"Stop," the first man said again. "Or we shoot."
Gi glanced nervously through the glass doors of the hotel. The late hour meant the lobby was deserted and the desk was unmanned, at least for the moment. She bit her lip and looked up at Wheeler helplessly. She could see him trying to plan various movements in his head – she could see him trying to figure out a way to use his ring to get them out. But they were outnumbered, and the glare of the headlights meant they couldn't see exactly how many foes stood in front of them.
"Are the others okay?" Gi whispered timidly. "If we go with them, will the other Planeteers be able to help us?"
Wheeler gnawed on his lower lip and then nodded, conceding defeat. They approached the car nervously, hand-in-hand, and were ushered into the backseat.
They found themselves cramped between two hulking men either side of them, facing towards another three, including the stocky man who had spoken before. Gi was forced almost into Wheeler's lap, and she clung to him tightly.
"You are showing wrong interest in my restaurant," the stocky man said, gazing at them coolly from where he sat. "You meddle."
"I haven't meddled," Gi replied hotly. "I've done nothing wrong."
The stocky man smirked. "Your parents meddle, too. I have labels on them."
Gi glared at him. "My parents did nothing wrong, either. You came in and revoked their grants just so you could build a smelter! And the coast is ruined, because of you."
He chuckled and shrugged. "Money," he explained, "is important to me."
Gi muttered something under her breath.
"Hand over your evidence," the stocky man said. "I let you go."
"I don't have any evidence," Gi snapped.
The man smiled and shrugged. "Then we have problems," he said.
Gi glared at him. "Where's all the money come from?" she asked. "Last time I looked, Sternkill Industries were keeping themselves inside the law. Why do you need a whole setup designed to make your profits seem legitimate? What changed?"
"Plunder got involved," Wheeler muttered. "Loopholes and cutting corners make nice, tidy little profits, but you need a background and an explanation about where all the extra money is coming from. That's what the restaurants are for."
Gi bit her lip and frowned, embarrassed and upset about how much she had missed in her brief investigation.
The stocky man was looking at Wheeler with interest. "I have no name for you," he said. "American."
"Bond," Wheeler answered. "James Bond."
One of the hulking bodyguards beside Wheeler sent an elbow crashing into his ribs, and the Fire Planeteer coughed, his forehead drooping to rest between Gi's shoulders as he fought to regain his breath.
"Look," Gi said nervously, clutching Wheeler's hand as she sat precariously on his knees, "We have no real proof of anything. I swear. Please let us out, and we'll just –"
The man in front of her laughed. "Everyone insists innocence," he said. "Innocence is usually lies."
"No," Gi said desperately, "I'm telling the truth, I swear. I know that the restaurant is set up as a money-laundering operation, but I don't know the ins and outs of it and I certainly don't know about any other companies or industries you own." She swallowed nervously and kept a tight grip on Wheeler's fingers. "We're no real threat to you," she promised.
The man in front of her smirked and settled back in his seat, refusing to take the conversation any further.
Wheeler's arms were tight around Gi's waist, and she could feel the hot tension in his muscles beneath her. She wondered if he had contacted Ma-Ti yet, and then figured it wouldn't hurt for her to try, either.
Ma-Ti? I'm really sorry...
She glanced at the man opposite her, wondering just how cruel he really was and whether or not his thoughts would be enough to block Ma-Ti from hearing her or finding her.
"What did you do to my informant?" she asked after a moment, keeping a steady eye on him as he gazed back at her.
He gave her a smile that made her skin crawl, but offered nothing more substantial in the way of an answer. Gi slumped back against Wheeler and tried to see through the car windows in an attempt to figure out where they were going.
The ride seemed long, but Gi couldn't be sure if that were truly the case. She kept quiet, shifting whenever she thought her position was causing Wheeler discomfort. He was quiet too, and it worried her. She hoped he was focusing on contacting the others, and that he would have more luck than her, because Ma-Ti hadn't even sent a hint of an answer towards her.
The car rolled over an old boardwalk, the beams rumbling and shifting loosely beneath the wheels of the car. Gi looked out at the sagging silhouettes of warehouses and storage sheds. Further along the coast, she could see the lights of the city. Somewhere in there shone the lights of the restaurant she had been investigating.
She cursed herself for trying so hard to bring Sternkill down after so many years. The coast had been ruined long ago - nothing would repair it or bring it back to its original state. Her need for some sort of revenge had turned purely selfish, and now she had dragged Wheeler into trouble with her.
She clung to his hand as the car came to a stop, and he squeezed her fingers gently.
The stocky man spoke up again, fixing his eyes on Wheeler, who was glaring at him over Gi's shoulder. "Out of the car," he said softly.
Wheeler's arm tightened around Gi's waist. "I'm comfortable here, thanks."
Gi had already figured these men were not in the mood for negotiation, but she still gave a yelp of fright and pain at the sudden movements that wrenched her out of Wheeler's lap and into the arms of one of the hulking figures beside the stocky man.
She looked back at Wheeler desperately, and the fear and helplessness on his own face told her he knew far more about these men and their operations than she did. She cursed herself again for thinking she could do this herself, without the Planeteers, without her ring, without any outside help at all.
"Leave us to talk."
Wheeler was hauled out of the car, though he gripped at the seats and seatbelts firmly, resisting as much as he could until they pulled him free and slammed the car doors closed again, leaving Gi inside with the stocky man and the bodyguard with the steel grip on her arms. He tossed her easily onto the opposite seat and she fell like a ragdoll, sending a desperate glance towards the windows to see what had happened to Wheeler. She knew if he were given a chance, he'd use his Planeteer ring, but they were outnumbered and he wouldn't want to risk her getting hurt because he'd made a hasty mistake.
"What will they do to him?" she asked, sweeping her hair out of her face and giving the two men opposite her an angry look.
"It depends on how well you cooperate with us." The smaller man had switched to Korean now, and he looked confident and comfortable. "I am Hyo Song, and I am the executive manager of Sternkill Industries." He tilted his head at her, as though waiting for her to continue the introduction.
"You already know who I am." She narrowed her eyes at him. "Let me out." She reached for the door handle and was stopped by an angry kick from Song's bodyguard. She winced and rubbed her knee, peering through the tinted windows in an effort to see Wheeler. The docks were dark, however, and she neither saw nor heard any sign of him.
"What prompted you to look into my restaurants?" Song asked curiously. He leaned forward and Gi found herself shrinking away from him.
"I was researching your company name," she answered truthfully, seeing no point in lying now. "There were so many different businesses and outlets it looked suspicious."
He chuckled and nodded. "Perhaps we have gotten a little too arrogant when it comes to what we hide and what we do not hide. Still - owning restaurants is not illegal."
"No, it's not," she agreed. "But money laundering is. All of your illegal funding from the smelters and factories you own disappears into the system of your restaurants and retail chains and comes out looking like clean profit."
He smirked. "This is just speculation."
"Anyone who looks hard enough will find out," she snapped, curling her legs up and sending a fresh glare to the bulk of muscle beside him, who had been eyeing her body with a wide stare.
"Why would anyone look?" Song asked carelessly. "You had a personal vendetta against my company. Very few others will go to the trouble of probing into my company's records."
"Sometimes it only takes a very few people to change the world," Gi answered sharply. She clenched her fist and once again missed the cool feel of her Planeteer Ring on her finger. "Let me out. I want to see my friend." She sent another worried glance through the car windows. "Don't hurt him."
Song chuckled and gave a small sigh. "I have no intention of giving mercy to those who seek to bring me down," he said. "Your poor little informant learned that the hard way."
Gi felt a chill run through her bones. "What did you do to him?"
He smiled. "I took care of him."
She fought tears. She had no real idea of who she had spoken to, but he had sounded young, and he had desperately wanted to do the right thing by the law and the environment. His death, if it had indeed happened, would be on her shoulders.
She started to cry, despite her best efforts. "Please don't hurt my friend," she wept desperately, looking through the windows for Wheeler. "He came to warn me away – he has no idea about anything else you're involved in. You can let him go and he won't do anything to hurt you or your business..."
Song laughed and shook his head. "Ridding myself of the two of you will tie up the loose ends threatening to unravel my business."
Oh, Ma-Ti, please find us, please...
Song checked his watch and sighed, waving lazily at her as he reached for the door. "Watch her," he ordered. He stepped out into the dark and left Gi alone with the bodyguard.
She tensed immediately, watching Song fade away into the night. If she acted too soon, he'd simply come back and stop her. She bit her lip and looked at the bodyguard, tugging the hem of her dress down over her ankles in an effort to keep his eyes off her skin.
The only weapons she had were her fists – which she immediately dismissed as non-effective – and the heels of her stiletto shoes. As soon as Song disappeared, the bodyguard reached for her ankle, intent on dragging her nearer and baring her legs of the silk material of her dress. Gi jammed her foot forward and screamed in terror as the sharp heel of her shoe sank into his thigh.
His scream outdid her own, fading away into a cracked wail as she wrenched backwards and staggered her way out of the car.
The wind whipped her hair around her face and she looked anxiously around the shadowed buildings for any sign of Wheeler. The sound of the bodyguard stumbling out of the car urged her on. She wrenched her shoes off her feet and pounded her bare soles across the splintery boards of the docks, ignoring the pain of the rough wood on her skin.
She let the shadows of a towering warehouse hide her as she wove in and out of teetering stacks of crates and barrels, keeping a sharp ear out for footsteps behind her. The water beneath the boardwalk was black and deep and it sent shivers up her spine as she glimpsed it between the cracks in the planks.
It was the same water she had been gazing at while at the restaurant – but somehow it seemed so much more menacing now, here in the dark with danger pressing in all around her.
She wiped her eyes, barely aware she was crying, and tiptoed forward, seeking Wheeler and the other men between the maze-like structures of buildings and storage crates.
It struck her suddenly that she had left the Planeteers precisely because of situations like the one she now found herself in. Danger and death had haunted her in her final weeks and she had cited that as her reason for wanting out –yet here she was, doing the same work without the safety of her Planeteer friends or powers behind her.
For the first time since handing her ring over, she felt the full force of her regret, and it almost sent her to her knees. She wiped her eyes again and shook her head, forcing herself to focus on the task at hand – getting Wheeler to safety.
Somewhere behind her she could sense the bodyguard limping about, cursing and grumbling to himself as he searched the shadows for her. She stayed in front of him, light and nimble, her dress blessedly helping her to blend into the darkness.
When the moon slid out from behind the clouds, she ducked down behind a row of crates and looked out along the shore. The docks ended and the coast curved away with a steep beach of pebbles and sharp stones – and it was there she saw Wheeler and Song, flanked by the other men who had been crammed in the car with them.
She bit her lip and squinted, but it was too dark to see much. Wheeler looked sick, or in pain, dragging his feet and falling about limply as they hauled him along the beach towards the underside of the docks and the deeper water.
"Shit." Gi glanced behind her and caught sight of the limping bodyguard, stalking angrily between the barrels and crates. In a split second she made up her mind and hurriedly dropped off the side of the boardwalk, plunging in a neat pin-drop to the black depths below.
The night air had been warm, but the water was ice-cold and felt like knives against her skin. She broke the surface with a gasp and felt the tide suck at her, threatening to drag her out into the wide water, away from the relative safety of the shore.
She clung to a pylon that was thick with wet slime and sharp-edged, broken seashells of creatures which had long-since been torn free of the wood. She kicked her legs in an effort to stay near the surface and felt her dress clinging to her. After a moment she tugged at the knot around her neck and kicked the material away, trying not to feel too much grief at the thought of her best dress floating away into the murky water.
She clung to the pylon, shivering and kicking her legs in an effort to stay warm and fight the ferocious tide. She blinked salt-clogged lashes and cursed the sudden lack of moonlight. Timing her movements to the pulling motion of the waves, she let go of the pylon and let the water carry her in further under the boardwalk, closer to where the tide washed against the rocky beach, which fell away so steeply she'd have no chance of her feet touching the bottom until she reached the ledge of sand Song was standing on.
She passed from pylon to pylon, keeping her eyes nervously on the group of men on the shore. Wheeler was on his knees, passive and quiet.
Gi let another wave carry her closer. The water was rougher here; the beach close and exposed at low tide, causing shallow sandbanks and driftwood to pile up and catch beneath her. She put her hand out to stop herself against another pylon and found herself gripping wet cloth. She looked up in alarm to find herself face-to-face with the bloated, water-swollen body of the informant she had arranged to meet at the restaurant.
Horrified, she let go, opening her mouth to scream. The tide sucked her under and for a terrifying moment she bumped against the bloated body tied against the pylon, before she untangled herself and kicked away, choking and vomiting into the water, gasping for breath.
She had never seen his face, but she knew now it was him, and she knew now that Song was going to strap Wheeler to a pylon in the same way and let the tide drown him.
She hugged a slime-coated post and squeezed her eyes closed, unable to move any further. Her heart was pounding painfully in her chest.
I'm responsible for that. She looked back over her shoulder, able to see pale glimpses of the young man's shirt in the dark. He looked no older than she was and she knew that it was her fault Song had tracked him down and left him there to die.
This thing goes deep.
Wheeler's earlier words echoed around in her head and she hiccupped and looked back towards the beach, her eyes seeking him to make sure he was still okay. She wondered if he had known just how deep everything went or how ruthless and desperate Song was to keep his profits and his spotless record.
Suddenly the idea of investigating anything with or without her Planeteer powers seemed entirely stupid and dangerous. She squeezed her eyes closed again, willing her heart to slow down and her mind to focus on the one important mission in front of her: Getting Wheeler away.
Why the hell aren't you guys here yet?
The hysteria in her mind spilled out towards the other Planeteers. She glanced up at the old boards of the jetty above her, wondering if the geo-cruiser was up there somewhere. She prayed it was. Suddenly she didn't think she could do this by herself. Suddenly she wanted to do what she had watched so many other civilians do over the years – just leave everything to the Planeteers.
She kicked and struggled her way over to another pylon, hiding herself behind it. She could see Song shouting angrily, but the crashing waves drowned the sound of his voice out. She could see the bodyguard she had stabbed in the thigh, clutching his leg and gesturing violently. Wheeler's shoulders shook with laughter.
Gi shivered, watching on as Wheeler was dragged towards the nearest pylons to the beach. The tide was still quite low, but Song's men were waist-deep in the water as they knotted the ropes around Wheeler's wrists. She crept closer, paddling to a pylon within earshot. The high-tide mark was several feet over Wheeler's head and Gi could see him looking up at it with slight fear on his face.
His bravado, however, was yet to be stifled.
"This shit happens to James Bond all the time," he declared. "All in a day's work, fellas."
Gi felt some of her hysteria leave her in a breathless, whispery giggle. She pressed her cold cheek against the rough wood of the support beam she was clinging to and watched as Wheeler was roped securely to one identical, several feet away.
"You can't let me die somewhere warm and dry?" Wheeler complained, flinching as another wave swept in over his stomach.
She heard Song's men muttering between themselves in Korean about shutting him up. Wheeler quickly responded with something so crude and uncouth she refused to believe his teachings came solely from Ma-Ti.
She winced as he suffered several hard punches to his stomach and chest, leaving him hanging loose in the ropes holding him up to the pylon. Song's men waded their way back to the shore, looking irritated.
Gi felt her heart rate speeding up again. As soon as they left the beach she'd be able to swim over to Wheeler, untie him, and they could both escape. She waited impatiently, shivering and trembling in the cold water. Once again, she ached for her Planeteer ring.
She felt another wave break against her back, pushing her into the pylon, and watched Wheeler brace himself as it hit him half a second later. Song and his men stood on the beach. She could see the glow of cigarettes in the dark.
Trusting the shadows of the boardwalk to hide her, she kicked closer, holding her breath and disappearing under the black waves for the briefest of seconds until she emerged just a few feet away from Wheeler. The water was high up against his chest now, and rising steadily. He looked pale and frightened. He was trying to twist his wrist around to aim his ring at the ropes holding him tight, but he didn't appear to be having much luck.
Gi let the tide carry her straight to him. She crashed her palm gently over his mouth to cut his startled scream. His eyes bulged and she felt him huff a sigh of relief.
"You took your time," he breathed, tugging at the ropes holding him fast. He grinned at her, but she felt too sick to smile back. She looked up at the ropes knotted around his wrists.
"How am I going to get them undone?" she asked helplessly. She clenched her fists into his shirt to stop the tide pulling her away and tried not to think about the body being torn back and forth against the pole further out.
"Take my ring," he whispered, trying to crane his neck around. "Are they gone?"
"No," she whispered. "But I don't think they can see us. It's too dark." She reached up carefully and slid his Planeteer ring from his finger. She clenched it in her fist, not trusting herself to do much else. She was trembling so violently she could barely keep her grip on him.
Another wave washed over them, forcing them under. Long seconds passed before it dragged out again, and they both gasped for air.
"Quick," Wheeler breathed. "Burn through it and get me the hell out of here."
She slipped his ring onto her trembling finger. It was miles too big. She held it up and nervously sent a strip of hot light towards the ropes. They hissed and smoked as she cut through them and she knew the beam had lit up their faces. Their escape had probably been noticed.
Wheeler dropped his arms with relief, grabbing hold of her. "Let's get out of here." He looked at her in surprise. "Are you naked?" His hand ran up her bare back and caught the strap of her bra.
"No," she answered through chattering teeth. She held his ring towards him, clinging to him as he slipped it back onto his finger. The water sucked them away from the pylon; away from the beach. She heard Song give a shout as he realised Wheeler had been pulled free.
Not taking any second chances, Wheeler sent balls of fire crashing through the poles beneath the boardwalk, letting them explode and sink with clouds of smoke that further shielded them from the men on the beach. Planks clattered down into the waves, adding to the confusion.
Gi was tiring. Fighting the constantly-moving water and current was causing her muscles to cramp and ache. She clung to Wheeler, desperately trying to keep her head above water. She was a stronger swimmer than anyone she knew, but she was quite literally out of her depth in these waters.
Wheeler grabbed hold of a pylon at the end of the jetty, one arm tight around her waist. His eyes were on the sky, and suddenly Gi heard Ma-Ti's voice.
Stay there, we're coming.
"We can't just leave," she gasped, hooking her fingers into his sodden shirt. "They'll get away. And there's – there's a body..." Her voice cracked.
Wheeler looked at her carefully and licked the salt from his lips. "The police will be on their way, Gi. We won't let 'em get away. But we have to get out of here." He shivered, and even in the dark she could see that his lips were blue.
She leaned her head miserably against his shoulder. "This is my fault," she whispered.
Wheeler hefted her lightly in the water. "Nah," he answered. "Nobody knew it'd be this dangerous. You did great." He grinned and pressed a cold kiss against her bare shoulder. "I wish I could have seen you stab that guy with your shoe."
She gave a bitter laugh and closed her eyes. "I was scared they were hurting you."
"Just roughed me up a bit," he answered, peering up at the sky again.
The water out at the end of the jetty was calmer on top, but the undertow was still strong, so when Wheeler saw the geo-cruiser, he simply let go of the pylon and let the tide drag them both out into the open water.
Kwame dropped a rope ladder right into his hand.
"Up you go," Wheeler said cheerfully, helping Gi up. She glanced towards the shore and saw the strobe of police lights. She breathed a sigh of relief, but the sick feeling refused to flee from her stomach. She concentrated instead on clambering up the rope ladder, vaguely aware that Wheeler was probably getting an eyeful of her skimpy underwear as she climbed above him.
The look on Linka's face was a confusing mix of joy and worry. "Bozhe moy, you are like ice!" she cried, pulling Gi into the geo-cruiser. "Are you hurt?"
Gi shook her head, shivering and giving Ma-Ti a weak smile as he swathed her in blankets. Linka hugged her tightly before she sent a worried look towards Wheeler.
"Are you all right?"
"Uh-huh." He stripped out of his sodden shirt and took the blanket Ma-Ti handed to him. He gave Linka a grin. "Worried about me?"
She frowned at him. "You said you had the easy part."
He chuckled and shrugged, wrapping the blanket tightly around his shoulders and winking at Gi. "We took an unscheduled detour."
Gi gave him a weak smile in return and let her head loll against Linka's shoulder.
Wheeler shivered again and started to kick his trousers out from beneath the blanket. "If you catch a glimpse," he said to Linka, "remember the water was really cold."
She muttered something in Russian and turned back to Gi again. "Are you sure you are all right?" she asked worriedly, fussing with Gi's wet hair. "We were so worried when we could not find either of you. Ma-Ti knew something bad had happened, but we had no idea what it was..."
Gi swiped a tear away. "We have to go to the police," she said, trembling with cold and fear. "There's a body tied to one of the pylons down there and it's all my fault."
Ma-Ti was at her side immediately, smiling at her kindly. "It's not your fault at all," he murmured, brushing her cold cheek with his fingertips. "Those who were responsible are being arrested." He nodded towards the flashing lights that were fading away on the coast. "We'll take you in to give an official statement tomorrow. Right now it won't hurt to get some rest."
"But someone needs to find him and untie him," Gi wept.
"They know he's there," Ma-Ti promised softly. "They'll take him down."
She caved then, sobbing into Linka's shoulder as the events of the past few hours finally caught up to her and dragged her under. When she finally looked up, responding to their concern, she saw all four of them bent over her – Kwame, Ma-Ti, Wheeler and Linka – and her heart ached to be back with them, to be one of five instead of just one.
Jo, her replacement, was silent at the front of the geo-cruiser, steering them through the night air, and Gi could almost feel her worry and nervousness. Ma-Ti glanced between them and smiled, touching the top of Gi's head lightly before he went to sit beside the new Water Planeteer, offering her almost as much reassurance.
Wheeler leaned his head tiredly against the back of one of the seats. "So you guys obviously found enough to turn the police onto 'em, huh?"
"Da, we did," Linka sighed gratefully. "Though it was not easy. There are so many false records and doctored statements... The restaurant you and Gi were at earlier seems to hold the best proof against them."
"Good," Gi answered weakly. She frowned, feeling sick and dizzy. "They can't get away with this. Any of it. The coast, the money laundering..." She closed her eyes, close to vomiting. "The poor boy in the water..."
Linka stroked her hair soothingly. "Sleep, Gi. Do not worry about it now."
"Plenty of time for that tomorrow," Wheeler agreed, giving her a tired grin.
She didn't sleep, but she allowed Linka to gently transfer her weight to Kwame's shoulder. He put a secure arm around her and she watched as Linka moved over to Wheeler, fussing around him as he grinned and made remarks about how bare he was beneath the blanket. She told him to shut up before she went up the front to sit with Ma-Ti and Jo, looking tired and worn. Gi suspected she was going to huddle into a seat out of sight and have a soft cry.
Gi tilted her head up at Kwame. "Hi," she whispered.
His thumb stroked over the blanket against her arm. "Are you all right?"
She wasn't, but she nodded, and he seemed to know what she meant.
She shifted uncomfortably as she realised Jo was steering them towards Hope Island. Suddenly she felt like an intruder; like she didn't belong. She wondered if she should ask them to drop her home before it got too late to turn back.
She distracted herself from any hard decisions or worries by watching Wheeler fall asleep opposite her. The hum of the geo-cruiser was constant and comforting, and now that she was warm and safe it was easy to simply do as the others had suggested and push her troubles out of her mind. She let the weight of sleep grow heavier and heavier.
She was dozing when the geo-cruiser touched down on the landing pad on Hope Island. Kwame helped her to her feet and she caught Jo's eye as they all disembarked. She could feel the awkward energy between them and it added to the knot in her stomach. They had met before, but never in such sudden or tense circumstances. Gi knew it wasn't fair to harbour any resentment towards the new Water Planeteer, but it was difficult.
Regret was bitter in her mouth.
"I'm sorry for dragging you guys into this," Gi said, hugging the blanket around her despite the warm, early-morning air on Hope Island. "I should have just called you and asked you to take a look."
"Once a Planeteer, always a Planeteer," Ma-Ti answered cheerfully, handing Linka her overnight bag as he unloaded the geo-cruiser.
"I didn't think I wanted to be a Planeteer anymore," Gi mumbled. "The whole point of leaving here was to avoid situations like the one I was in last night."
She dug her toes into the sand as she realised how short-sighted she had been.
"I'm wiped," Wheeler said apologetically. "I gotta sleep." He bumped a rough kiss against the crown of Gi's head, inspecting the raw skin around his wrists as he staggered away towards his hut.
"You should get some rest too," Linka said, her arm around Gi's shoulders again. "You can take my bed."
"No, she can have mine," Jo said, speaking up for the first time since leaving the Korean shore behind. She gave Gi a shaky smile and then nodded her head back towards the row of cabins the Planeteers slept in. "Come on."
Gi followed her quietly, feeling more and more out of place and awkward. "You don't have to give me your bed," she said. "It is yours now, after all."
"I'm not sure," Jo said, giving her a rueful grin. "Most of the time I feel like I'm just keeping things warm for you." She sat in the chair at Gi's old desk as Gi sank onto the bed. Her room had been decorated with posters and photographs when she had been a Planeteer. Her country's flag had hung at the head of her bed.
The walls were rather bare now, though Jo had been there almost a year.
"They all like you," Gi offered lamely.
"I know." Jo gave her a crooked grin. "But it's hard for them. I'm your replacement, and they miss you. I don't think they mean to look at me the way they do, but I'm not sure they can help it, a lot of the time."
"It'll get better," Gi said reassuringly. "I should probably give you guys some space so you can bond..." She trailed off despairingly, knowing she'd never be able to convince Jo that giving the Planeteers space was something she actually wanted to do.
"Weren't you scared, tracking down guys like Song without your Planeteer powers?" Jo asked suddenly.
Gi shrugged. "I honestly didn't think it'd be that dangerous. I guess I tricked myself into believing that nobody would hurt me if I didn't have a Planeteer ring on my finger – like they'd see me as less of a threat." She shook her head tiredly. "I thought it'd be so easy, leaving the danger of this job behind. That was what I wanted. Normality, you know?" She rolled her eyes slightly and gave Jo a small smile. "Guess I've got something in me that can't help seeking danger out."
"Not danger," Jo said comfortingly. "Just what's wrong. It's not a bad thing, trying to put everything right. It's just easier with friends behind you." She looked down at the ring on her finger, and after a moment, tugged it off. She offered it to Gi with a smile. "This is yours."
Gi shook her head tiredly. "Not anymore."
"It is," Jo insisted. "Really. Please take it. Because I've never really considered it mine – and neither have the others. It's always been yours." She placed the ring gently in Gi's palm, and it glowed happily.
"Don't you want to be a Planeteer?" Gi asked desperately. "I can't take that from you, Jo. I walked away from here. Gaia chose you. You deserve to have this."
Jo smiled and shrugged. "I love it," she admitted, "but like I said – I was only ever keeping things warm for you. The others really want you back, and I think the Planeteers will be stronger as a team if you're holding the Water power."
Gi chewed her lip and looked down at the ring in her palm, longing to put it on but unable to justify taking it from Jo.
"Believe me," Jo said, "Ma-Ti has had such trouble keeping in touch with the others since you left. I think you drained him a little and he finds it hard to focus without the link you put in the Planeteer chain. And Linka is nice, but she's never really taken to me the way I see she loves you." She gave a small smile. "You should have seen Wheeler jump at the chance to pick you up from the restaurant."
Gi smiled and blushed.
"And Kwame..." Jo sighed and smiled. "Kwame just doesn't like me. He's been in a bad mood since you left."
Gi wrinkled her brow, finding it hard to believe Kwame could have a bad mood that lasted so long.
Jo got to her feet. "Take the ring back," she said, giving Gi a bright smile. "I'll go and ask Gaia to sort everything out." She stopped in the doorway and looked back. "That is, if you really do want to come back."
Gi looked down at the ring in her palm. She remembered the dangers which had forced her away in the first place, and she remembered the dangers she had faced over the past 24 hours. She remembered the way Wheeler had gripped her hand and the way Linka had thrown her arms around her. She remembered the way Ma-Ti had quietly reassured her in her worry and she remembered the soft trace of Kwame's thumb against her arm as she slept.
"I do," she said, slipping the ring onto her finger. "I do want to come back. I'm sorry, Jo." She looked up at the other girl with eyes that were bright with tears, and received a shrug and a smile in return.
"It's okay," Jo promised. "Really. I liked being a Planeteer, but I don't live it and breathe it like you. I'll let go of the ring and I'll go home and stop the Planeteer missions." She grinned. "I'll leave them to you guys."
Gi gave her a watery smile and Jo left with a small wave.
Gi curled up on her bed, too exhausted and exhilarated to sleep. She felt guilty about taking the ring back, but it meant too much to her for further protests. She ran her thumb over the top of it and closed her eyes with a sigh, feeling whole and safe.
It had been hasty, leaving like that. But her reasons had been good ones. It was dangerous being a Planeteer. Gi just hadn't realised that being a Planeteer was something she'd always be – with or without her ring.
She gave up on sleep quickly, slipping out of her hut and padding barefoot to Wheeler's, finally starting to feel the pain in her feet and her muscles from all of her earlier exertion.
He was still awake, sitting on the edge of his bed, looking down at his wrists, which had red, raw circles around them. She could see bruises and marks on his chest – some old, most of them new.
"Hey," she said softly.
He looked up and smiled at her. "You okay?"
She nodded and sank onto the bed beside him. "Too tired to sleep. Does that make sense?"
He chuckled and put an arm around her shoulders. "No."
She laughed and leaned into him, finally lifting her hand to show him the Planeteer ring on her finger.
"I thought she might do that." He sounded relieved, and Gi felt both pleasure and guilt.
"Really?"
"We like her, and we've tried to make her feel welcome..." He trailed off and shrugged, smiling down at her. "She ain't you."
Gi gave a breathless laugh and hugged him tightly. "Next time I get you into a tight spot, I'll get you out again," she promised, motioning towards her Planeteer ring.
He grinned and stretched back onto his bed. "Just make sure you pick a better restaurant for dinner and drinks, okay?"
She laughed and squeezed his hand. "Deal."
xXx