"Sorry, gentlemen, we can't let you go. You already know too much, and because of that, you're going to be with us until we leave this island. Now, send the others to bring one of those pick-up trucks," Mr. Norman stated with a mischievous grin.
"What? That's not fair!" the man who had been answering our questions protested in disbelief.
Mr. Norman fired another shot nearby and continued with a threatening tone, "Life isn't fair. To be honest, you guys are the ones who decided to steal from us in the first place, so just think of it as karma – you're reaping what you sow." He then turned his attention back to us.
"Nolan, take one of these guys with you and get a pickup truck. Once you have one, return here. Lucas, go with Nolan, and Frankie, you help me look after these guys," Mr. Norman assigned our roles.
We all nodded in agreement. Nolan took one of the locals with him and headed off with Lucas. Meanwhile, I kept watch alongside Mr. Norman, holding the Aquarius at the ready.
I couldn't help but wonder about our next steps, so I asked Mr. Norman, "What should we do once Nolan and Lucas return?"
"Hmm… I want you and Nolan to go back to the NS Scorpion to bring some extra supplies. Also, grab a couple of assault rifles, one or two grenade launchers, and a few grenades. I even found a few landmines around; bring some of them as well," Mr. Norman instructed me.
I raised an eyebrow and asked, "Why do we need landmines?"
Before he could respond, Nolan and Lucas returned with the local and the pickup truck.
"Looks like they're here. Let's discuss it later," Mr. Norman said as he approached the pickup truck, and I followed suit.
As I approach the pickup truck, I can't help but notice its weathered exterior. Years of exposure to the harsh elements have left their mark on this old vehicle. The once vibrant paint has faded into a dull, dusty beige, blending seamlessly with the desert landscape. Its surface is covered in a layer of grime and sand, a testament to its long and rugged history.
However, as I open the door and climb inside, I'm met with a surprising contrast. The interior of the truck is remarkably clean and well-maintained. It's as if someone has taken great care to ensure that the cabin remains in pristine condition. The dashboard is free of dust, and all the controls appear to be in working order.
The air conditioning system, a true desert savior, hums to life as I entered the pickup truck. It's a relief to feel the cool, refreshing air against my skin, given the scorching heat outside.
This pickup truck is slightly larger than your typical delivery vehicle, with two rows of seats in the back. It comfortably accommodates up to four passengers in the rear, though if you don't mind a bit of a squeeze, you could fit up to six. The beige-tinted glass windows offer some respite from the blazing sun while maintaining the truck's desert camouflage.
In the open cargo area at the back, a beige cloth was there probably to conceal the goods stored there, protecting them from the relentless sun and sand. This pickup truck may show its age on the outside, but inside, it's a reliable and surprisingly well-preserved vehicle.
"This thing looks old on the outside but it's surprisingly good on the inside. It even has AC," I exclaimed my surprise to Nolan.
"I know, right? That's why I picked this truck. There were a few of these trucks the local showed us, but they were all very similar—old on the outside and clean and good on the inside. The reason I picked this truck is because of the color; it will be really good for camouflage in the desert," Nolan explained the reason why he chose this truck. Then he turned to the local who went with him and asked something.
"How come all the trucks you showed us were in good condition? Didn't you guys say you were going through a drought?" Nolan asked him curiously.
"Well, as we mentioned being a delivery truck driver to the merchants is one of the jobs that is still available, if we could somehow satisfy the merchant then they will pay us a lot more. That's why many of the locals invested in the pickup trucks", he explained to us about the situation regarding the pickup truck.
"Anyway how do these things run, to begin with?", I asked Nolan curiously.
"Well, it uses the same technology as everything else HydrVortex technology, this pick up truck also uses the same technology and uses any kind of water to basically power it, since these guys are near the ocean they don't have to worry about water for the pickup Truck", Nolan gave me a brief explanation.
I see that makes a lot of sense, as I was thinking about this Mr. Norman interrupted us with an irritated tone, "That's enough you two, you both do these kinds of things all the time. Frankie if you are curious about something then ask about that when we are free, and Nolan as for you can't you consider the situation we are in before start explaining?", he gave us both a stern scold to remind us about our behaviour.
"Sorry about that Grandpa, we will make sure to fix that, anyway what's the plan?", Nolan apologized to Mr. Norman and asked about the further plan.
"I told Frankie about what to do, go with him and bring all the things I told him. As for me and Lucas we will stay here and keep an eye on these guys", Mr. Norman told Nolan about the plan.
"Alright, Frankie hop in, let's go and bring the supplies", Nolan said to me.
I did as he asked and got into the pickup truck, then Nolan also got in and said to the others, "All right you two we will be back as soon as possible", he said that and started the engine and we left that place.
We were on our way to the NS Scorpion when Nolan suddenly said something, "Do you know how to drive Frankie?"
"Well, I can drive the cars back on earth but I am not so sure about the ones in this world", I told Nolan about it.
"Is that so? Well, I will teach you how to drive when we have time but before that call either Lara or Miss. Ava and let them know that we will be arriving soon", He told me to call the NS Scorpion and let them know about our arrival.
I did as he asked, I pulled out my EcoSync and called Lara within a few minutes she picked up the call, "Hello Lara? It's me Frankie Nolan and I are on our way to the NS Scorpion we need to take a few things so we just wanted to give you guys a heads up", I told her about our arrival.
"Alright, I will let Miss. Ava knows about this", she said and hung up the phone.
After a few minutes, we arrived at the spot where we docked the NS Scorpion, we went inside the NS Scorpion took the extra supplies, and started loading them on the Pickup truck, and just as Mr. Norman said we even took a few assault rifles, grenades, grenade launchers, and even few land mines, we packed all these in a bag except for the assault rifles we just hung those on our shoulders and returned back where Mr. Norman and Lucas was.
"We are back you two", Nolan declared to Mr. Norman and Lucas.
"Alright alright, did you guys bring everything?", Mr. Norman asked us curiously.
"Yes, we did take a look at this", Nolan said and removed the cloth that was put over the goods, once it was removed it revealed a few kegs of rum along with water and a few boxes of food.
Mr. Norman gave a sly smile and said, "This is more than enough, As for what to do with you guys", Mr. Norman said this and turned toward the locals who tried to attack us.
"Wha-what's going on", the guy who I knocked out before woke up along with the guy who I punched in the stomach, he saw us and our new weapons and crawled a few steps back out of fear and said something.
"I am sorry about what I did please let me live, If you let me live I will make sure to not show my face to you guys for the rest of my life", he started begging for his life while trying to protect himself using both his arms.
*Sigh*
Mr. Norman let out a weary sigh and said, "We are not going to kill you guys, there what's your name?", he said this to reassure the locals and asked the guy who gave us information till now.
"M-me? My name is Samuel", he replied with a hint of surprise.
"All right Sam you are coming with us as our guide as for the rest of you", Mr. Norman said this and took something from his hip.
The locals were a little terrified and tried to protect themselves with their hands but Mr. Norman took a small pouch and threw it onto the ground.