Island of the Sun by Matthew J. Kirby Read Free Book Online Page B

on with their lives, with faith that there will be a tomorrow. That is what drives me. That is what inspires me.”
    Dr. Powers snorted. “That is what I call a great big pile of bull—”
    â€œShh,” Eleanor’s mom said.
    â€œBut how do you respond to your critics?” the anchor asked. “The ones who say you are using this crisis to, in their words, trample on our rights and freedoms? As in Egypt, for example.”
    â€œThere will always be disagreement,” Watkins said. “Personally, I think that’s a wonderful thing. I welcome it. We need every idea on the table, so long as it is presented in a constructive way. But recent actions, like those of the criminals who destroyed our facility in Alaska, are not the answer. Those tactics will do nothing but speed our demise. And make no mistake. We at the G.E.T., with the full authority of the UN, will do everything in our power to find and stop such people.”
    Eleanor felt a chill as much from his words as from her memories of the Arctic. “Let’s hurry,” she whispered. “I want to get out of here.”
    â€œI agree,” her mom said.
    They walked the rest of the way to the ATM, and then Eleanor waited as her mom inserted her debit card into the machine, a slight tremble in her hands. She followed the prompts on the screen, and then she flinched.
    â€œOh no.”
    â€œWhat is it?” Dr. Powers asked.
    â€œLook.”
    Eleanor peered at the screen with Dr. Powers, where a message flashed.
    For security reasons, your card has been suspended.
    Please contact your bank’s customer service for more information.
    Then the screen returned to the welcome message. The machine kept the card.
    Eleanor’s mom stared at it. “Luke was right. They’ve blocked my account.”
    â€œLet me try mine,” Dr. Powers said, sliding in front of the ATM. But when he inserted his card, he received the same message. “This is bad,” he said.
    Eleanor looked up at the security camera mounted above the ATM and imagined in that moment people were watching them from somewhere, alarms blaring. “We need to get back to the plane,” she said.
    Her mom nodded. “Okay. Let’s hurry.”
    They turned away from the ATM and set off through the terminal. Eleanor expected armed guards to come racing at them any second, and at one point, she heard footsteps and the static mumble of a radio around a corner. Dr. Powers hauled the two of them into the shadows of a closed and empty gate just asthree TSA agents came trotting by, heading in the direction of the ATM.
    From there, the three of them simply ran for it until they reached the exit to the tarmac outside, and then they sprinted for the plane.
    â€œWhat if they won’t let us take off?” Eleanor’s mom asked.
    â€œLuke will, anyway,” Eleanor said.
    When they boarded, they found the others relaxing in their seats, Luke back in the cockpit.
    â€œWe good to go?” he asked.
    â€œHave you refueled?” Dr. Powers asked.
    Luke nodded.
    â€œThen I suggest we take off immediately,” Dr. Powers said.
    â€œThey blocked our accounts.” Eleanor’s mom pushed Eleanor forward toward their seats. “And security was onto us.”
    â€œRight,” Luke said.
    The three of them buckled in along with everyone else, and Luke woke Consuelo and guided her toward the runway without radioing the tower. By now, Eleanor guessed the whole airport would be looking for them, and it wouldn’t take long for security to figure out they were already back on the plane. She kept her eyes out on the tarmac, waiting for security vehicles tocome barreling toward them with lights flashing. But none appeared, and Eleanor soon felt the pressure of their takeoff forcing her into her seat. Once they were back in the air, she tried to shake some of the tension out of her arms and shoulders.
    â€œThis is a blow,” Luke