I stand in the sand and sniff in every direction, trying to pinpoint General Rupani before he can get too far. I lock on to him and hear the sound at the same time—an engine roaring to life down the beach.
I race out from under the command center and look downwind. There, in the light of the moon, I see the general sitting in a beach buggy. He revs the engine and takes off, thick tires kicking up sand.
“RUPANI!” I shout, but he’s turned off the comms gear so I can’t communicate with him.
I won’t let him get away.
I sprint after the buggy, my paws struggling to gain traction in the loose sand. His buggy is built for this terrain, but it can only go so fast, and I start to gain on him. He glances nervously over his shoulder and sees me behind him, so he pushes the engine hard, accelerating from ten miles per hour to twenty, to thirty.
That only makes me angrier, and I give it everything I’ve got, ignoring the burning pain in my legs as I chase him. The buggy is moving so fast, it hits a sand dune and goes airborne. For a moment I think he’s going to wipe out, but he’s an even better driver than Junebug, and he hits the sand and regains control, turning the wheel hard to keep from tipping over before accelerating again.
I’ve gained on him in the last few seconds, moving within striking distance.
I think I can make it.
I’m preparing to leap the last few feet when he surprises me by cutting the wheel toward the ocean and driving directly into the waves.
The engine roars as it hits water, and I watch with amazement as the buggy converts into an amphibious vehicle that can float.
He looks back at me standing on the beach, and I see a smile cross his face. He thinks he’s gotten away from me.
“Not so fast, Rupani.”
I run and jump high into the air, and I can see his eyes widen in surprise as I splash into the water. I immediately start to swim, the cold water shocking my skin. I’m determined to get to this man on land or sea.
I poke my head above the waves and start to doggy-paddle, racing after him as fast as I can. It seems like I might have a chance, but then a propeller whirs to life on the back of the buggy. It churns up foam, and within seconds the buggy gains speed and motors out to sea, moving faster than I could ever swim.
I have no choice but to tread water as I watch it disappear.
General Rupani is gone.
The emotions of the day catch up to me, and I look up at the moon, exhausted. I breathe in the moist air, letting the water cool my overheated body.
The waves lap at my fur, and I taste salt water on my lips. I laugh as I realize I’m in the Pacific Ocean, only a few miles from where the yacht sank, where all of this began.
It was only a few days ago, but it seems like a lifetime.
I spent days searching for my home, and then I found it. Maelstrom was my home. But not anymore.
I turn and swim back toward the shore.