{"id":321,"date":"2014-12-30T05:44:13","date_gmt":"2014-12-30T05:44:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.dreamers-sanctuary.com\/00carter\/?page_id=321"},"modified":"2021-11-29T20:37:24","modified_gmt":"2021-11-30T02:37:24","slug":"part5","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/00carter\/episodes\/episode7\/part5\/","title":{"rendered":"Part 5"},"content":{"rendered":"

Episode 7: \u00a0Here Ye Be Pirates<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n

Part 5<\/strong><\/h4>\n

 <\/p>\n

Nick, Jay, and Emerald had finally boarded the kraken and begun searching for the ship\u2019s control room. They eventually came upon a large room packed with monitoring equipment being operated by several muscular men dressed as pirates. One man walked around the room and occasionally glanced at the screens being watched by his subordinates.<\/p>\n

Nick and Jay stood on one side of the doorway, while Emerald stood on the other, as they peered into the room to observe the surroundings before deciding on a plan of action.<\/p>\n

Suddenly, one of the machines beeped, and the pirate sitting behind it typed feverishly for a few seconds. \u201cSHIP HO!\u201d he screamed.<\/p>\n

\u201cWill you please<\/em> stop talking like that while we\u2019re on the ship?\u201d the head pirate said, hitting the other one over the head. \u201cYou sound like an idiot.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSorry, sir,\u201d the other pirate said sheepishly, clearing his throat. \u201cThere\u2019s a ship approximately half a mile away, sir. It\u2019s not a cruise ship, but I really think you should take a look at this one.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIs that a\u2026 ferret on their flag?!\u201d the head pirate exclaimed, getting as close to the screen as he could to view the flag flying from the highest mast of the ship.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s what it looks like\u2026\u201d the other pirate replied, typing and clicking again until a clear view of the ship appeared on a large screen mounted on the far end of the room. All of the pirates in the room stared at the larger screen. \u201cIt looks like it\u2019s loaded with some pretty sophisticated weapons.\u201d<\/p>\n

The head pirate nodded. \u201cA ship like that could really help our operation.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAye,\u201d another pirate said, \u201cand a ship that fine should be flyin\u2019 the Jolly Roger!\u201d He scoffed. \u201cThe captain of that ship must be one landlubbin\u2019, barnacle-brained sea monkey to be sailin\u2019 under a ferret flag.\u201d<\/p>\n

The head pirate held his head in his hand and sighed with annoyance at the pirate-speak. After approaching the large screen, he fixed his gaze on the ship and pointed to his comrades. \u201cYou, you, and you — alert the rest of the crew that we\u2019re preparing to board another ship, but make sure they don\u2019t load any torpedoes. This one\u2019s for keeps.\u201d<\/p>\n

The three pirates simply nodded and left to alert their crewmates, while the others remained behind to continue their surveillance. Jay, Emerald, and Nick immediately moved away from the doors and pretended to be walking by as the pirates approached them.<\/p>\n

\u201cHey, you three!\u201d one of the pirates called as the agents began to walk in the opposite direction. \u201cGear up; we\u2019re going topside to raid another ship.\u201d Jay, Emerald, and Nick nodded, then turned around the corner and waited until the pirates were out of sight.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou heard them; we\u2019re going topside,\u201d Jay said.<\/p>\n

\u201cFinally, something to do besides sitting around,\u201d Emerald said.<\/p>\n

Ten minutes later, they stood among the crowd of pirates, waiting for the kraken to dock alongside their target ship. The pirates had armed themselves with swords, antique pistols, and bayonets. The kraken jolted slightly as the tentacles attached to the side of the ship and propelled them upwards until the mouth of the kraken was level with the top deck. Emerald looked out one of the large windows and saw the words THE JOLLY TWITCHES<\/strong><\/em> painted in black lettering.<\/p>\n

The door opened with a quiet, mechanical hiss, and the pirates stepped out, ready to scare and raid the tourists they thought were on board.<\/p>\n

Instead, they found about two dozen men, also dressed as pirates, also angry, and also ready to fight. The pirates drew their swords and raised their pistols, screaming as they charged at the ship\u2019s crew, who also pulled out weapons and screamed as they fought.<\/p>\n

Nick, Jay, and Emerald figured they should probably do something to at least look like they fit in with one side or the other. And so, they joined the fight, hitting, kicking, and stabbing anyone who attacked them.<\/p>\n

As Nick punched a pirate in the face, he realized he recognized some of the men he was knocking out. He grabbed one of them by the collar and lifted him up off his feet. \u201cHey, I know you! Didn\u2019t we sing a musical number together at Disney World a few months ago?\u201d<\/p>\n

The scrawny man nodded, and Nick threw him overboard before charging at another pirate with a kick to the stomach.<\/p>\n

\u201cCarter!\u201d Emerald shouted as she knocked one of the pirates over the head with his own pistol. \u201cQuit socializing with the pirates!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut I\u2019m setting up a blind date for you, Avril!\u201d Nick replied as he ducked, letting two pirates collide with each other as they tried to charge at him simultaneously. The scrawny pirate had given Nick all the confirmation he needed to know that the ship they were on was being operated by FANS.<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Dr. Rough observed the scene from the upper deck at the stern of the ship. He grinned, his eye twitching with excitement while he watched his minions fight the very pirates he\u2019d been planning to capture.<\/p>\n

Although it looked as though this new development would destroy his plan, he couldn\u2019t have been more satisfied with it. Now his faithful minions would subdue the pirates, and he could not only take over their ship but imprison them in his servitude.<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

Nick looked up at the poop deck, spying a short yet fearsome man.<\/p>\n

Dr. Rough.<\/p>\n

His presence meant FANS had come to try to get in on this plan. FANS… That meant Drums was there. Nick\u2019s jaw set in determination. He now knew his next move.<\/p>\n

He had to find Drums.<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

In the midst of the mayhem, Jay looked up. He looked past the crew of aspiring pirates who had swarmed the deck, brandishing swords, daggers, and cutlasses. He looked through the legions of FANS minions who had engaged the former in novice swordplay with weapons of their own. He looked beyond it all, and his eyes fixed upon the man who swaggered down the stairs from the poop deck.<\/p>\n

The high heels of the man\u2019s meticulously-polished boots clacked loudly against the wooden steps, making him appear taller than Jay knew he really was. He wore a flamboyant waistcoat made of purple velvet and a wide-brimmed hat adorned with an oversized plume, which flopped in front of his face as he walked.<\/p>\n

The face beneath the hat was the same one that had stared up at him from the pages of the FANS file Nick had recovered in Antarctica. It belonged to a man who called himself Dr. Rough. But Jay had known the face before that moment. In fact, he had known the man by his given name: Howard Dorough.<\/p>\n

He\u2019d gone by Howie back then. Back when he\u2019d tried to pass off his ever-present eye twitch as a charming wink toward the ladies and his only other nickname had been \u201cSweet D.\u201d Said ladies would have laughed at the suggestion that there was anything \u201crough\u201d about their Sweet D.<\/p>\n

But now Jay stared at that face and saw nothing sweet about it. The dark eyes blazed, the left one twitching with ferocity. The smile was a twisted sneer. Jay had heard about K and Carter\u2019s encounter with Dr. Rough at Disney World. And now, coming face to face with the man for the first time in more than six years, he could see that they had been right about his madness.<\/p>\n

He felt the sudden compulsion to turn and walk in the other direction, to lose himself in the pirate brawl and leave \u201cDr. Rough\u201d for someone else to duel. But he knew he couldn\u2019t turn away. There was going to be a fight, and it would be his. He knew Howie\u2019s strengths and weaknesses better than anyone else on the ship. Someone had to stop him. And whether he wanted it to be or not, that someone had to be him.<\/p>\n

Adjusting the three-cornered hat atop his head, Jay squared his jaw and stepped forward rather than back. Louder than the shouts of those running amok around him, louder than the metallic clanging of swords, louder than the thump of his own boots against the deck, he swore he could hear his own heart, hammering against his ribs.<\/p>\n

Howie hadn\u2019t spotted him coming yet, had no idea he was even there. Jay quickened his pace, hoping he could catch his newfound nemesis off-guard on the steps and corner him to the upper deck. There, perhaps, he could negotiate a quick surrender before someone got filleted with a sword.<\/p>\n

Weaving vigilantly through pairs of dueling swashbucklers, Jay came to a halt in front of Howie, just as he\u2019d reached the bottom stair and was about to step down to the deck. Jay saw his boot hesitate in mid-air as he paused in surprise, recognition dawning. With Jay\u2019s feet planted firmly on deck and Howie\u2019s a step above, they were virtually the same height, and their eyes met levelly.<\/p>\n

Jay stared into the familiar brown eyes, refusing to blink. Howie didn\u2019t have that option; flustered, his left eye started to spasm worse than ever. And still, Jay stared, his gaze boring into Howie\u2019s eyes. His heart pounded in his throat, his mind racing as it recapped all of the crimes this man had committed and all of the times he\u2019d eluded capture. The takeover of Disney World. The theft of the giant laser in Antarctica. The hypnosis scheme at Global Idol. The transformation of Drums. In a way, he was even responsible for the death of JC.<\/p>\n

The last realization made Jay want to grab him by the throat, collar him against the deck railing, and scream at him, \u201cWhy? Why?!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

But he didn\u2019t scream. When he did speak, his voice was amazingly flat and calm, calmer than he felt. He said only, \u201cHey, Howie.\u201d<\/p>\n

Howie tipped his large hat in a sarcastic mockery of etiquette. Jay saw the blood vessel pulsing visibly in his forehead, but his reply was just as flat, just as cold.<\/p>\n

\u201cAJ.\u201d<\/p>\n

A grim smile flickered at the corners of Jay\u2019s lips. No one called him \u201cAJ\u201d these days; even his initials had been shortened to a single syllable. But there had been a time when he\u2019d insisted on it.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cYou must be Alexander. Do you go by Alex?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

The guy asking was pretty dorky-looking. His polo shirt was patterned with bright, vertical stripes. He had a poofy haircut and a goofy smile that showed lots of teeth. Big teeth. But the smile was warm, and he seemed friendly, so AJ smiled back.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cOnly if you\u2019re my mom. Call me AJ.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

The guy chuckled. \u201cSounds familiar. I\u2019ll always be \u2018Howard\u2019 to my parents and their friends. Howie to everyone else. It\u2019s nice to meet you, AJ.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

He winked as he shook AJ\u2019s hand.<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Looking at him now, Jay shook his head. It was hard to believe he was addressing the same person. \u201cMan, what are you doing, Howie? First you\u2019re prancing around Disney World dressed up like Jafar, and now you\u2019re a pirate? What\u2019s the deal, dude?\u201d<\/p>\n

Howie remained unfazed. \u201cI should have known your organization would be here. Dressed as pirates also, I see.\u201d His dark eyes flickered disdainfully up and down Jay\u2019s costume.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou know what they say.\u201d Jay shrugged. \u201cGreat minds…\u201d<\/p>\n

Howie recoiled, twitching. \u201cGreat minds?\u201d His eyes bulged from their sockets, and so did the vein in his forehead. \u201cGreat minds? You dare insult my intelligence by suggesting that my mind is merely of the same caliber of greatness as yours?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI do apologize.\u201d Jay\u2019s voice dripped with flat sarcasm. \u201cSo, do you always talk like that now, or is it just the fancy costume?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI wouldn\u2019t expect you to appreciate the eloquence of the English language. You were never an intellectual.\u201d His voice was as condescending as Jay\u2019s was sarcastic. \u201cBut as you and your organization shall soon learn, brains conquer brawn.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jay smirked. \u201cHow come you keep calling it \u2018your organization,\u2019 huh? Why can\u2019t you say its name? Are you afraid to say it or something? Does it hurt to say \u2018Himitsu Takana\u2019?\u201d<\/p>\n

The dark eyes blazed more fiercely. A flush crept up the neck. The vein throbbed.<\/p>\n

Jay knew he\u2019d hit a nerve.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cHi-mi-tsu Ta-ka-na?\u201d AJ squinted at the seal on the document in front of him, sounding out the name aloud. \u201cYou ever heard of this?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cSounds Japanese,\u201d was Howie\u2019s insightful answer.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cWell, thanks, Captain Obvious, that helps a lot,\u201d snickered AJ.<\/em><\/p>\n

Howie slid the paper closer, frowning. \u201cWhere did you get this?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cThe mail. The envelope actually said \u2018For Your Eyes Only,\u2019 like it\u2019s real top secret stuff or something.\u201d He laughed at the thought.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cAnd so you\u2019re showing me?\u201d Howie joined in laughing. \u201cWhat if it\u2019s like a test? What if there\u2019s, like, a hidden camera or something rigged up in here to spy on you? \u2018Smile, you\u2019re on Candid Camera\u2026 aaaand you just failed.\u2019\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cAww, c\u2019mon, D, I thought we didn\u2019t have secrets.\u201d AJ offered a big, cheesy smile, batting his eyelashes. \u201cSo seriously, you don\u2019t know anything about this Himitsu Takana place?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cNever heard of it. Did you actually read the letter? What does it say?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cNot a whole lot. It sounds like some sort of secret society, and whoever signed this — he just signed it with a K, by the way, very secretive — wrote that he thinks I\u2019ve got what it takes to be in it and wants me to consider applying. There\u2019s an application enclosed. Sounds like a scam, doesn\u2019t it?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Howie shrugged. \u201cProbably, but who knows? Did you look it up on the internet? They\u2019ve got to have a homepage or something, don\u2019t they? Most organizations do these days.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cNada. There\u2019s nothing. I put it into WebCrawler, and all I got was all this Japanese anime stuff.\u201d He snickered. \u201cThere were, like, a couple pages with the actual words \u2018Himitsu Takana\u2019 put together, but neither of them would load.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cProbably because they don\u2019t want to be found if it\u2019s really this top-secret thing. Sounds kind of interesting. Maybe you should check it out.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

AJ shrugged. \u201cMaybe.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Jay jumped back as Howie, now \u201cDr. Rough,\u201d drew his sword, temporarily forgetting he had one of his own sheathed against his thigh. He was used to his gun, but a gun wouldn\u2019t do much good against a large saber swinging at his neck. Jay ducked, yanked his own sword out of its sheath, and raised it just in time to block Dr. Rough\u2019s second strike.<\/p>\n

\u201cBrains may top brawn when you\u2019re out to make it snow in Orlando,\u201d he shouted, forcing Dr. Rough to step backward onto the stairs as he got in a jab of his own. \u201cBut brawn\u2019s what counts in a swordfight, mate!\u201d He dodged Howie\u2019s return swing and got in another of his own, causing his opponent to jump up another step.<\/p>\n

\u201cOverrated!\u201d Dr. Rough retorted as Jay\u2019s sword splintered the banister. \u201cBrawn gets you–\u201d He thrust his own saber down. \u201c\u2026nowhere if you don\u2019t–\u201d Metal clanged as Jay\u2019s sword met his. \u201c\u2026think-\u201d Cling!<\/em> \u201c\u2026about what you\u2019re doing!\u201d Clank!<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cAnd brains!\u201d Jay shouted back, driving his sword toward Dr. Rough with force, \u201care worthless-\u201d Clash!<\/em> \u201c\u2026when you\u2019re completely fucked–\u201d Clonk!<\/em> \u201c\u2026in the head!\u201d<\/p>\n

Clang!<\/em> The two blades met again, and behind them, the former friends glared at each other with mutinous eyes. Finally, Dr. Rough could hold Jay back no longer, and he stumbled, scrambling up the rest of the steps in a sort of crab walk before Jay\u2019s blade could come down on him again.<\/p>\n

Jay pursued him back onto the poop deck. There, with room for fancy footwork, their duel intensified. \u201cHimTak is fucked!\u201d screamed Dr. Rough, swinging his sword wildly. \u201cMy organization shall bring yours down! You haven\u2019t been able to stop me yet! Tell Agent K he\u2019ll live just long enough to regret the day he let Dr. Rough get away!\u201d<\/p>\n

Cloing!<\/em> Their swords crossed, bracing each other with equal force, and through the X-shape of the two blades, Jay stared at his old friend in disbelief. \u201cSo that\u2019s really it, isn\u2019t it? That\u2019s what this is all about? Revenge on HimTak for turning you down?\u201d<\/p>\n

A fleeting expression passed over Howie\u2019s face, almost too quickly to be noticed, but Jay did. He\u2019d seen that look before.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

They sat in a nondescript room with the other hopefuls, waiting. Aside from Howie, AJ knew no one by name, only by the numbers on their shirts. He felt like he was at an audition, one of the many he\u2019d gone to for the theater end of his double major. Would someone come out to read off a list of numbers that had earned callbacks?<\/em><\/p>\n

No, he quickly realized. This was not like an audition. An audition was public; oftentimes, you performed your number or read your scene in front of everyone else who was auditioning, and you learned whether or not you\u2019d been cast in front of everyone else, too. This process had been completely different. Very private. Very secretive.<\/em><\/p>\n

It had started with a phone call nearly a month after he had submitted his application to the enigmatic organization known as Himitsu Takana. He had Howie to thank for that; AJ had been hesitant, but his friend had insisted that he apply. \u201cYou\u2019ll never know what kind of opportunities you may have missed out on if you don\u2019t apply,\u201d Howie had wisely pointed out.<\/em><\/p>\n

AJ\u2019s careless reply had been, \u201cI will if you will.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

The phone call four weeks later had been to set up a phone interview, and Howie had received one as well. They had both passed the preliminary background and reference checks and went on to ace their phone interviews. AJ knew they had because, two weeks after that, he and Howie were each sent a ticket in the mail. A plane ticket to Las Vegas. The ticket had come with a letter explaining that they were to fly to Vegas for a three-day screening session, which would include a face-to-face interview. They were to tell no one their purpose in going, and if they did, the deal was off.<\/em><\/p>\n

Now, on the third day in Las Vegas, they waited to see what, exactly, the deal was. AJ felt a little indignant about the whole shebang by now. Over the last three days, he\u2019d learned virtually nothing about Himitsu Takana while they had learned everything there was to know about him. He\u2019d been put through two interviews, a written exam, a physical, a psychological evaluation, a polygraph test, and he wouldn\u2019t have been surprised to find he was still being tested now, observed via hidden camera to see how he handled the stress of waiting. And waiting. And waiting.<\/em><\/p>\n

He and Howie kept waiting as, one by one, the other candidates were called by number into a small room hidden behind a closed door. Though half the people in the room had been led away by now, none of them had returned. AJ didn\u2019t think they were going to. There must have been another way out of the small room.<\/em><\/p>\n

And indeed, there was. AJ turned out to be the last one called from the otherwise empty waiting room into a small conference room, and when he finally entered it, he saw that there were not just one but two more closed doors, one on each side. The person who had called him here, a dark-haired, surprisingly young-looking man, who had identified himself only as \u201cAgent K,\u201d invited AJ to sit down across the table from him. When they stood up again, barely ten minutes later, he shook AJ\u2019s hand and directed him to go through the door to his left. \u201cTell the others I\u2019ll be in to talk to the whole group in a few minutes,\u201d Agent K added as AJ reached for the doorknob.<\/em><\/p>\n

On the other side of the door, AJ found yet another room in which people waited. This time, it was only a small fraction of the number who had been with him in the first room. Looking around, he felt a jolt in his stomach when he realized Howie was not among them. Disappointment neutralized the exhilarated feeling he\u2019d gotten when the man called K had offered him a position with Himitsu Takana (\u201cconditional, of course, upon your completion of our rigorous training program,\u201d he\u2019d added before any words of excitement or gratitude could spill from AJ\u2019s lips). AJ knew what had happened. The others in this room, like him, had been given the opportunity to stay. The rest of the candidates had passed through the other door in rejection. Howie, who had gone in before him, had to be among them.<\/em><\/p>\n

Taking another look around the room, he realized that everyone in it was watching him, expectantly. They were all still waiting, waiting to find out more about what they had gotten themselves into. He had no more answers than any of them. All he could say was, \u201cK said he\u2019d be in here in a few minutes.\u201d Then, noticing a second door off to his right, he added, \u201cI\u2019m gonna find a john — guess the damn nerves got to my bladder.\u201d He offered an impish grin to the room, earned a few chuckles in response, and slipped through the other door.<\/em><\/p>\n

Just as he had hoped, he found himself in a hallway. He looked around, not for the men\u2019s room, but for clues to his friend\u2019s whereabouts. Where had Howie and the others gone? Were they already on their way home? He suspected not. And his suspicions proved to be correct.<\/em><\/p>\n

His answers came quickly when a door down the hall opened, and people he recognized from the first waiting room began to filter out. Some walked briskly, seeming eager to leave. Others trudged slowly, heads down in disappointment. If Howie was still in the building, he had to be with this group.<\/em><\/p>\n

AJ waited, and sure enough, there came his friend, the last one out of the room. He hesitated a moment, then, seeing no sign of K, hurried forward up the hall, hissing, \u201cHowie! Yo, D!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Howie turned, his left eye twitching the way it did when he was nervous or flustered. He didn\u2019t smile, hardly reacted to AJ\u2019s presence at all.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a no, huh?\u201d AJ asked, touching Howie\u2019s shoulder in sympathy.<\/em><\/p>\n

Howie didn\u2019t speak. He shook his head once, a short jerk to the side that could have passed as merely a spasm, a tic.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m sorry, man,\u201d AJ offered. \u201cI got offered something\u2026 I\u2019m not really sure what it entails yet, but I\u2019m gonna stick around long enough to at least find out. Who knows if it\u2019ll be worth it or not.\u201d He shrugged, trying to play it off as nothing to make Howie feel better. He hadn\u2019t realized how much his friend had wanted this, but the wounded look on his face was one AJ would never forget.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cWhere are you headed?\u201d he asked next.<\/em><\/p>\n

Howie\u2019s response was short. \u201cHome.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

AJ nodded, patting his friend\u2019s shoulder again. \u201cI\u2019ll catch up with you there then.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

But when AJ finally made it home to Orlando, some weeks later, Howie was nowhere to be found.<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

It had been six years since then. Six years since AJ McLean had joined Himitsu Takana, and Howie Dorough had all but disappeared from the face of the earth. As Jay had risen through the ranks of HimTak, he had used his pull as a double-0 agent to search for his old friend, but with no results. Over time, it had become clear that Howie simply didn\u2019t want to be found.<\/p>\n

To Jay, he\u2019d been something like an old, favorite t-shirt that has fallen from its hanger and gotten lost at the back of the closet. Jay had known he still existed, somewhere, but eventually, he\u2019d stopped looking for him, and then he\u2019d stopped thinking about him altogether. Howie Dorough had become a memory, a memory stowed away in the far reaches of Jay\u2019s mind, a memory which resurfaced only from time to time.<\/p>\n

Until he\u2019d seen Howie\u2019s photo in the FANS file some three months ago, Jay hadn\u2019t thought of his old friend in ages. It was as if he had died, and the stages of grief had long since passed. But now, seeing that familiar, pained look flicker across the face of his adversary, Jay knew that Howie wasn\u2019t dead, wasn\u2019t even missing. He was still there, hidden deep inside the armor of Dr. Rough.<\/p>\n

\u201cLook, D,\u201d he said, \u201cno offense, but what we\u2019re doing here is ridiculous. Let\u2019s just\u2026 let\u2019s just talk about this. Call your men off, and we\u2019ll go somewhere and talk, just you and me. We can work through this. I\u2019m\u2026 I\u2019ve got some pull at HimTak now, some authority. I bet we can work out some kind of deal. Whaddya say?\u201d<\/p>\n

For a brief few seconds, Dr. Rough\u2019s eyes had slid out of focus, faraway in reflection. Jay suspected that he, too, had been reliving memories, memories which, for him, were painful. Then, suddenly, his dark eyes sharpened again and ignited with fresh hatred and rage.<\/p>\n

\u201cNever!\u201d he howled, whipping his saber up and across. The gleaming blade nearly missed Jay\u2019s midsection as it slashed the air. \u201cMy minions and I will never bargain with the likes of Himitsu Takana!\u201d<\/p>\n

And so the duel went on, and, unwillingly, Jay defended himself against the ruthless sword strokes of a man who had once been his best friend and now acted as his worst enemy.<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Part 6<\/a><\/strong><\/h4>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Episode 7: \u00a0Here Ye Be Pirates Part 5   Nick, Jay, and Emerald had finally boarded the kraken and begun searching for the ship\u2019s control room. They eventually came upon a large room packed with monitoring equipment being operated by several muscular men dressed as pirates. One man walked around\u2026<\/p>\n

Read more<\/span><\/i><\/a> <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"parent":134,"menu_order":5,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","template":"templates\/template-onecolumn.php","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-321","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/P5xaHX-5b","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/00carter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/321","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/00carter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/00carter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/00carter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/00carter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=321"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/00carter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/321\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":902,"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/00carter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/321\/revisions\/902"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/00carter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/134"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/00carter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=321"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}