A Very Eventful Summer
Chapter 12
by Freya

Criminals attack the resort!

As he stepped into the lobby Rick saw three men with guns pointing them at Bobby. Rhonda was crouched down behind him. She looked relieved when she saw him. Rick put a finger to his lips and she nodded. Rick slowly sidestepped to the wall looking around for Maria. He was happy was he saw she wasn't involved. Her only offense was entirely too obviously a mutation and she wasn't as tough as either Bobby or Rick. He slowly stepped along to the wall towards the men as Bobby spoke.

"You've got everything we have already why not just leave?" His voice sounded weary rather than angry and Rick shared that sentiment. If they gunmen left now he could safely leave them to the reservation police. However the next words out of the criminal's mouth dispelled his hope along any chance of peaceful resolution.

"Well she may not have any money but she still has something we want," the leader said leering at Rhonda. The others chuckled nastily and grinned as Bobby frowned and clenched his fists.

"I won't let you harm her," he declared. It was a very real threat but the three men didn't know that anymore than they knew Rick was sliding slowly closer along the wall. He was concentrating on filling the guns with sand but was unsure as to how well he was succeeding if at all so he continued to slowly inch closer as Bobby continued to hold their attention.

"Think you can stop us boy? You ain't got no weapons at all and we can tell," the leader laughed at his own humor, followed shortly by his cronies. "That's why we picked this here resort, because we could be sure that no one but the guards would be armed and there ain't many of them. By the time they get here I'll have me some hostages and the boys will be having fun with your friend there." He gave a grin that would have matched any supervillain for pure evil and said, "You might as well just give up since we hold all the power here."

Rick was almost even with them now and debating when he should step away from the wall to be closer still when he heard a female voice, "There are many types of power villain."

Everyone looked towards the voice and there was Maria standing with legs well braced and her fists on her hips. The leader laughed again, "That pose is less effective when you're nekkid you know. If you're trying to scare us then I'm afraid all you've done is add yourself to the list after the blonde there." He gestured with his gun and suddenly noticed Rick stepping quietly forward. He pointed his gun and said, "Nice diversion kid, if you'd had a gun it might even have worked." Then grinning maliciously he pulled the trigger; unfortunately for him the trigger barely moved and that with an audible grinding sound.

Rick smiled, "Sand in your gun? How could that have happened?" He and Bobby stepped closer and the other two goons found their guns likewise fouled as they tried to shoot. After that the hardest part was not hitting them too hard.

The manager thanked them and comped their stay, refunding everything they'd spent in gratitude. Then he asked them to meet him in his office before the police arrived. "Although I am grateful to for your help and I'm sure the tribe as a whole would be proud of Maria for her part in things it has also come to my attention that you four are mutants. Now I'm not going to call the MCO on you and wouldn't even if you hadn't just saved the resort. I'm Timbisha myself and enough of a student of history to see parallels between how our tribe was treated and how people treat mutants today. However I am going to ..." he paused briefly as if searching for the right word, "expedite your travel to your destination."

Seeing suspicious looks on their faces he hastened to reassure them, "I only mean that it would be in the interest of both you and me that you not meet the police and that we cover up your part in things. I've arranged for my driver to take you to the nearest Amtrak station in my limo. I'm not sure you should head back to your rooms even once so with your permission I'll send my assistant her to pack your belongings and bring them down here. We can take the service elevator to the garage and meet her at the limo." He gestured to a cheerful blonde in a teal suit, "If you'll just hand her your keys?"

Rick frowned and thought for a bit, "Well I can't fault your logic however little I like it so we'll agree to go." He handed over his keycard and the others followed suit, "Thank you for not charging us for the stay and not calling the MCO. This might have ended better but it might have ended far worse too." Rick shook the manager's hand and followed him to the service elevator. Once at the limo they dressed and Rick pulled out his new smartphone. "I'll see if I can book us on a train going to Dunwich," he smiled, "Who knows? Maybe a train will be safest after all. I know I'm not anxious to get on another chartered plane."

The others agreed with that. With a train at least to could get off early if you had to without needing a parachute. By the time they arrived they were all dressed and had four tickets and two sleeping compartments waiting for them.

"I tried to get one sleeping compartment for us all," he started then blushed, "for safety's sake only." Rhonda snickered and he blushed darker then continued, "But they won't do it since we are underage. So we have two sleeping compartments right next to each other and we'll sit together in the dining car. Good enough?"

"More than good enough," Maria kissed his cheek, "You're doing great. When does it leave?"

"Three o'clock. One hour away, it was the soonest I could find one going our way."

An uneventful hour later they were on board storing their meager belongings. When the train arrived it was more full than they'd expected and less luxurious but they were still happy to be getting on and happier still when it pulled out on time with no problems. They gathered in the boy's sleeping compartment to talk. "I'm glad I stored my sentimental stuff back at ECG headquarters," Maria said and Rhonda nodded. "Yeah," Rhonda added, "otherwise we would have lost it all. As it is we have little enough. I never knew being a superhero would be so hard on the clothes."

They chatted about possible costumes and codenames and relaxed. It seemed that their eventful detour would be over soon and they were already imagining what life would like at school. Eventually they wound down and headed for the dining car.

"I'm sorry Maria but if we are going to stay under cover I don't think you should go back for thirds," Rick said frowning and whispering. "I know you're still hungry but people nearby are already whispering about us and I don't think we can afford to stand out. Let's head back to the rooms and I'll go see if they have any place to buy snacks." He hated the thought of her going to bed hungry when there was food but if she ate like a hungry energizer on the train it might lead to much worse.

"It's okay Rick," Maria replied. "I shouldn't have asked. Don't look so worried I'll be fine with two plates full. I could eat more but I don't have to." She smiled, "Thanks for watching out for us."

That night there was some discussion, in both rooms, about whether to sneak over to the other bedroom but, brave as they were, none of the four were audacious enough to risk the rejection that might come. it was even for the best as they would need to be well rested for what came next.