Jealous Storm, Jack Stroke [best sci fi novels of all time .txt] 📗

to, Grubs.”

“I don’t think he’s going to run out of charge, Grubby,” Amber said.

“Nah. Why was he asking about charge if he didn’t need it?”

“It’s just Shake. He’s just that type of person.”

“No way. Did you see how he was dressed? He thinks he knows everything and is better than he is. They’ll break down for sure.”

Shake fired up the Tesla and took off far quicker than necessary, spraying bits of gravel behind.

“You sure this is a good idea?” Vaughan asked.

“What?”

“Ben going off with this guy?”

“Why? Is this about how you told Ben you don’t want him to turn out like me? Yeah, I heard all about that.”

Vaughan nodded, not put off by Amber’s revelation. “Or him.” He pointed towards the fast-disappearing Tesla. “I don’t want Ben to turn out like that either.”

Megan pulled up in Joan’s little hatchback. “Who was that in the white car?”

“It wasn’t a car, Megan. It was a Tesla.”

“Whatever, Grubby. Idiot almost ran me off the road.”

“It’s a guy from work. Diamond Logistics,” Amber said. “He’s taken Ben for a few days for a training thing.”

Vaughan was the only one who seemed concerned by this. Megan had moved on almost as soon as Amber finished talking.

“Hey, what are you guys up to tonight?”

“Usual. Watchin’ telly’n baked beans on toast.”

“Not you, Grubby. You’re not invited.”

“I’m gonna follow ’em,” Grubby said. “Find ’em and laugh.” He took off towards the bait shop, yelling over his shoulder. “Wanna come, Vaughan?”

“No, thanks. You have fun though.”

“Invited where?” Amber asked Megan.

“Dinner at the Half.”

“Dinner?”

“Sure. You know, go somewhere nice, have a meal.” There was a definite twinkle in Megan’s eye. “Just the three of us.”

“Sounds lovely,” Vaughan said when Amber didn’t respond.

“Does, doesn’t it?”

Amber kept her mouth shut. She didn’t like the sound of this at all.

17

The Tesla snaked through the green hills, away from Paradise Cove.

“So, where are we going?”

Shake responded with a smile, which wasn’t really an answer at all. “What do you think of the car?”

“Ah, it’s nice.”

“Is that a question?”

“No. It’s nice.”

“Tesla X.”

“Okay. If you say so.”

“No, not if I say so. It just is. Nicest car you’ve ever been.”

“True. I’m not… really into cars.”

Ben attempted to think of something to say that would make him sound intelligent. Shake beat him to it.

“Who were those two rubes? With Amber.”

“Oh. Grubby and Vaughan.”

“They your friends?”

“Sure.”

“You don’t have friends your own age?”

“Not really. I mean, a few. Not in Paradise Cove.”

“Paradise Cove,” Shake repeated, sounding out the syllables.

It seemed likely they were headed to Port Simmons, except Shake didn’t take the turn. They travelled about ten miles past and took a nondescript turnoff, which led to a small airfield.

“Well. I never knew this place was here.”

“Why would you?”

The airfield had a single runway, overrun with weeds. A gleaming private jet waited. The white jet matched the Tesla, like a matching set, sold together. Shake parked by the stairs leading up to the plane.

“Okay, Benny. In you go.”

“Are you… Aren’t you coming?”

Shake didn’t respond.

“Do I take my bag?”

“What do you think?”

Again, not really an answer. Ben reached into the back and grabbed it.

Wind buffeted him as he climbed the jet’s stairs. He moved as confidently as he could. The plane was nice on the inside, more like a lounge room and considerably nicer than the lounge room in the owner’s cottage back home.

“Hello, Benjamin.”

Mother’s voice prickled his skin.

“Hi.”

“Please, call us Mother.”

“Hi, Mother.”

She was in one of the leather seats and indicated for him to take the seat opposite.

“How are you feeling?”

“Good, yeah. Good.”

“The drive here was okay?”

“Nice, thank you.”

Mother took her time. She appeared to be looking at Ben, although he couldn’t be certain through her sunglasses.

“Did Amber tell you what happens now?”

“I don’t… I don’t think she knows.”

“Or did she just not tell you.” The words hung in there. “How is she?”

“Amber? Good, I think.”

“We don’t get to see her as much as we would like anymore.”

“Okay…”

“You need to look after her for us.”

“Really?”

“Why not?”

“Because… It’s Amber. She looks after herself.”

“Maybe so, but she is a decidedly strange mix. As fragile as she is tough.”

“You think? Okay.”

More silence.

“What do you think happens now, Benjamin?”

“Well, I thought this was a job or something. Or a training exercise. But now I’m wondering if you are going to send me back home again.”

“Why would we do that?”

“I don’t know.”

Mother took her time. “We need you to take care of something for us. Can you do that?”

“I can try.”

She shook her head. “This is a yes or no proposition. You either do it or you can’t.”

“But I don’t know what it is.”

No response.

“Do… do you think I can do it?”

“Would you be here if we didn’t?”

“Okay, then. Yes, I guess.”

“Good man.”

Mother stood and walked past, tapping Ben lightly on the shoulder she she went by.

“Do I… Do I wait here?”

She ignored him and there was no one else on the plane to answer.

18

“Dinner?” Amber said when she and Vaughan were back on his boat. “With Megan?”

“What’s wrong with that?”

“She’s up to something.”

“Because she invited us to dinner?”

“Did you see that look in her eye? The invite was like a weapon she was attacking us with.”

Amber sat on the side of Vaughan’s bed, mind racing.

“Could just be dinner.”

“But it isn’t. It’s revenge. She is trying to do to me what I did to her.”

“She’s trying to set you up with me?”

“Vaughan…”

“That’s what you did, wasn’t it? Tried to set me up with Megan.”

“Presumably this has something to do with her new man.”

“You’re not going to accuse me of knowing things again, are you? I can’t be bothered having you mad at me.”

“I wasn’t mad because you knew things.”

“Sure.”

“It was because I thought we shared stuff. I thought we were a team.”

“Oh, we’re a team now? Before we were together.”

“You know what we are going to be if you keep acting like this?”

“Whatever.”

Vaughan shuffled through his positions on the floor, looking for something.

“Might be easier to find things if you cleaned up occasionally.”

“My boat, my rules. I don’t come to the cabin