Search for the Phoenix: Phoenix Series Book 2

by Jim Proctor

  Nolan stared at her, shocked. “Then why are we having this discussion?”

  “The news story! Remember? Many of the people who were listed as executed actually got shipped out to Bellansi. He could be there now,” she said.

  “He’s been gone for twenty-five years, Megan.”

  “Yes, but that would make Carl about seventy years old, right?”

  “Seventy-three,” Nolan said.

  “So he could still be there.”

  “Can’t Niles tell us if this Yeardley guy was shipped to Bellansi?” Nolan asked.

  “No. There are no official records of the people shipped out. The AI found out he had been convicted and executed by scanning news stories from their archives,” she said.

  “So, the only way I’m going to find out is to go there and ask if anyone knows Leon Yeardley,” Nolan said.

  “Yes! Don’t you think it’s worth trying?” she asked. “You can be there in a week in the Griffin. Less, if you cheat and take a jump inside the system,” she added with a smile.

  “Then I guess I’m going to Bellansi,” Nolan said. “Will you go with me?” he asked.

  “Someone has to stay and run the business. We have salvagers and buyers coming in every week for the next two months. Go. I’ll be fine here. If I need help, I’ll message Boo and she’ll be here in a couple of hours.”

  * * * *

  The bitter cold air blew, whipping snow up into a nearly blinding wall of white. Nolan shivered, bundled up in as many layers as he could manage. It wasn’t enough. Finding his way to the processing facility, he stepped inside and felt the warmth from overhead heat lamps. The snow on his jacket melted. Stepping through another door, he found himself in something like an auditorium. A man came through a door at the far end and walked toward him.

  “Are you Nolan Peters?” the man asked as he approached.

  “Yes. You must be Director Perkins,” Nolan said.

  “I am. I received your message. I was able to find an address for your friend, Leon Yeardley. He is living in Grove City with his wife,” Perkins said.

  “He has a wife?” Nolan asked.

  Perkins consulted a document he was holding. “Yes. His wife’s name is Denice. They have two adult children.”

  “How do I get to Grove City?” Nolan asked.

  “It’s down the coast a ways. I can give you a map. There’s no spaceport there. You’ll have to find a suitable open space on the edge of town to land your ship,” Perkins said.

  Nolan set the Griffin down on a frozen field just north of Grove City and stepped out. The snow was only half a meter deep here, which was an improvement. The wind, however, was still bitter cold. As quickly as he could manage, he trudged through the snow toward the nearest building.

  By the time he reached the door, his feet were stinging and his face was numb. The warmth inside was welcome. It appeared to be an apartment building, or perhaps a hotel. He sat in a chair, pulled off his shoes, and let the warmth soak into his feet.

  A woman stepped in from outside and headed for the elevator. Noticing Nolan, and realizing he was not dressed for the weather, she paused and asked, “Can I help you?”

  “I’m trying to find a friend. He lives here in town.” With half-frozen fingers, he struggled to pull a scrap of paper from his pocket. The woman walked over to him and read the address.

  “Oh, yes, that isn’t far. Come with me. There’s an underground walkway that will take you to a building across the street from that address. I’ll show you.”

  Nolan pulled his shoes on and stood up. His feet suddenly felt like they were full of needles. He struggled along, doing his best to keep up. The woman took him down the elevator to the basement. Stepping into the corridor, she pointed. “Keep going straight for about half a kilometer. There are signs. When you get to the Klugman Apartments, take the elevator up to the lobby. The building you want will be across the street and half a block south.”

  “Thank you. My name is Nolan. What’s yours?” he asked.

  She smiled. “Robin. I have to go now. I hope you find your friend.” She stepped back into the elevator, and the door closed. He began walking, reading the signs as he went.

  When he reached the Klugman Apartments lobby, he looked out at the blowing snow. “Wonderful weather,” he mumbled as he stepped outside and dashed across the street. Turning south, he watched the building numbers as he went.

  Number 215 Davis Street was a tall apartment building. Without stopping to study the architectural details, he rushed into the warmth of its lobby. Apartment 429, the note read. He got into the elevator and rode to the fourth floor.

  A few moments later, Nolan stood outside the apartment. His excitement grew as he realized he might be standing outside Carl’s door. He knocked.

  A woman opened the door. “Hello,” she said.

  “Hello. My name is Nolan Peters. I’m looking for Carl… no, I mean Leon Yeardley,” he said.

  “Please, come in,” she said. She stood aside, making room for Nolan to enter the foyer. “Wait here. I’ll get Leon for you.”

  Nolan’s excitement grew as he waited while the woman walked into the living room and then turned down a hallway. His heart was racing. This was it. He would see Carl again. A moment later, a man stepped into view and walked toward him. Nolan’s heart sank. This man was shorter than he remembered Carl being. Even given that he had not seen Carl in twenty-five years, he knew this man was not him.

  “Hello, sir. I’m Leon Yeardley. My wife tells me you wanted to see me.”

  “I’m sorry. I thought you were someone else. Forgive me for imposing on you,” Nolan said as he turned around and opened the door.

  “Wait just a moment, if you will. My wife said your name is Nolan Peters. Is that correct?” he asked.

  “Yes, sir. Nolan Peters.”

  The man smiled. “Nolan Peters, helmsman and chief engineer of the Salvage Vessel Independence,” the man said, and then laughed at Nolan’s shocked expression. “In that case, I expect you are looking for Carl Jenkins. No, wait a minute… Carl Wilkins.”

  “Yes!” Nolan said. “Do you know him?”

  “He’s my best friend, though if you knew our relationship twenty-five years ago, you might not believe it,” the man said.

  “Is he okay? Do you know where I can find him” Nolan asked.

  “Carl is doing well, in good health. I’ll take you to him, if you’d like.”

  “Please, I don’t want to be any trouble. If you can tell me where I can find him, I won’t take up any more of your time,” Nolan said.

  Leon shook his head. “Nonsense. I was going to visit my friend today, anyway. Give me a few minutes to get dressed, and we’ll be on our way.” The man looked Nolan up and down. “You’re going to need something to keep you warm.” He looked at Nolan’s shoes. “And boots. I think I have an old pair of my son’s boots that might fit you. Come into the living room, and I’ll see what I can find.”

  Several minutes later, the man emerged from the hallway wearing a jumpsuit with a face mask and a pair of boots. He handed Nolan a pair of boots and a heavy coat. “Try these on. They’re worn, but they’re a lot better than what you are wearing. I don’t have a heated jumpsuit in your size, but you can wear my spring jacket. You should have brought warmer clothes.”

  “I didn’t realize I would be arriving in the middle of winter,” Nolan said.

  The man laughed. “Mister Peters, this is late fall. You wouldn’t have survived five minutes outside in mid-winter.”

  The pair stepped out of the lobby, and Leon turned and set off down the sidewalk at a brisk pace. Nolan struggled to maintain his footing as he tried to keep up. He had a lot of questions, but the man had given him a scarf to wrap around his face. With that, and the howling wind, a conversation was not going to happen. They walked downhill for some time. Eventually, Leon turned left and Nolan could see a harbor two blocks ahead. They trudged on, with Nolan thankful for the warm boots and scarf. The extra ja
cket was helpful, too.

  When they reached the harbor, to Nolan’s surprise, Leon proceeded down a dock lined with boats. Near the end, he walked up a gangplank onto a fishing boat. Snow and ice clung to the stern, so he couldn’t make out the name.

  Leon opened the door to the wheelhouse and stepped inside. Nolan followed. Leon flipped up his face shield and pulled back his hood. A moment later, Carl came up the steps and smiled at Leon.

  “Well, now, it’s good to see you, my friend. How is Denise?” he asked.

  “She’s fine, as always. It’s good to see you, too. I’ve brought you a visitor.”

  Nolan was too shocked to say anything. It was Carl. He was older, with some gray hair, but it really was him. Nolan began unwrapping the scarf from around his face.

  “Carl, do you remember your old friend, Nolan Peters?” Leon asked.

  Carl stared at Nolan for a moment, and then he stepped forward and grabbed him in a crushing hug. “Nolan, I can’t believe it’s you! How did you ever find me?”

  Nolan just patted Carl’s back and cried, still unable to speak.

  “He found me, first. Luckily, my mind is still sharp as a knife, and I recognized his name,” Leon said.

  Carl pushed away from Nolan, but he held him by the shoulders. “I can’t believe it’s you. It’s really you.”

  “Carl, I think we would all be more comfortable down in the galley, sipping whiskey,” Leon said.

  Carl laughed. “You see, that’s why Leon is my friend. Denise won’t let him have whiskey in the house. He comes down here and puts up with me so he can drink mine.”

  Leon smiled. “Not true, my friend. I’d come to see you if you were serving warm seawater. But I wouldn’t turn down your whiskey.”

  “Come,” Carl said. He turned and led the way to the galley.

  Nolan stripped off his extra layers while Carl set glasses and a bottle on the table. He slid into the bench next to Leon so he could sit across from Carl. They picked up their glasses and toasted Nolan’s arrival.

  “So, Nolan, did you come here in your own ship, or did you kill someone?” Leon asked.

  Carl laughed. “I hope you came here in a ship. If I recall, you’re no fan of cold weather.”

  “I came in the Independence, though I renamed her Griffin,” he said.

  Carl’s glass stopped halfway to his mouth. “The Independence? I thought… didn’t SACOM destroy her?”

  Nolan’s smile grew wide and he beamed with pride. “I stole her from SACOM.”

  Carl roared with laughter. “Okay, I need to hear this story.”

  It was hours later when Leon excused himself to go home. “Denise will be wondering where I’ve been all this time.”

  “When she gets a whiff of your breath, she’ll know,” Carl said with a smile.

  “True. Don’t worry. She won’t hold it against you,” Leon said as he climbed the steps.

  “I can’t believe you found me. How did you manage it?” Carl asked.

  “It’s a long story. Megan and I had a lot of help from a friend.”

  “Who is Megan?” Carl asked.

  Nolan realized twenty-five years was a lot of time to make up for. “Megan is my wife. She was married to John Carson.”

  Carl’s smiled faded. “I remember her. She’s a wonderful lady.”

  “Yes, she is. Carl, we’ve been looking for you for twenty-five years. I’ve come to take you home.”

  Carl shook his head. “I don’t want to go back to Caldon. I’ll never forgive SACOM for what they did,” Carl said.

  “I don’t mean Caldon. I mean my home. Megan and I live on Pax,” Nolan said.

  “Pax… wow, it’s been a long time. We used to visit a scrap dealer there. Do you remember her?”

  Nolan smiled. “Boo. As a matter of fact, Megan and I run her business for her.”

  Carl nodded. “Good business to be in. Good location.”

  “It’s always warm there. Megan and I will take care of you, whatever you need.”

  Carl looked thoughtful for a moment. Finally, he said, “I have thought about retiring for the past few years. The problem is that I don’t want to sit in my apartment looking out the window, all alone.”

  “On Pax, you can go outside year round. We have plenty of room for you. You’d have your own room. You can do whatever you want,” Nolan said.

  “For the first few years after I crashed here, I hoped someone would come and rescue me. Rescued—that’s how I thought about it. But this is home, now. This is my life,” Carl said.

  “Yes, but you had another life before you came here. Carl, I didn’t come here to drag you back. I’m thrilled to know that you’re alive, and well, and living a good life. If you don’t want to go back, my efforts to find you won’t have been wasted. Megan and I will go about our lives, knowing that you’re okay. If you want to go back, you have a home with us for as long as you need it.”

  “This is a huge decision to make. Can I think on it overnight? You can stay here, on my boat tonight.”

  “Of course you can. I’m not leaving tonight. Sleep on it, and we can talk in the morning,” Nolan said.

  “Nolan… no matter what I decide, I can’t tell you how moved I am that you’ve looked for me all these years.”

  “You’re family, Carl. I’d have kept looking for another twenty-five.”

  Carl laughed. “This place would have killed me before then.”

  After serving a late dinner, Carl showed Nolan to a cabin he could use for the night, and then excused himself to go to his own to think about his options.

  Carl entered his cabin and closed the door. He stood for a moment, looking around. This was his life. This was home. On the other hand, he had planned to retire, sooner or later. Planned… that was an exaggeration. Truth was, he’d been avoiding retirement because he didn’t want to be alone. Oh, Leon would come to his apartment to visit, no doubt. Or he’d go to visit Leon and Denise. But what would they do? Sit around for an hour or two and talk about their ailments and pains, like a couple of old men? What would he do with the other hours of the day? He’d look out his window at the ocean and wish he were on it, on the Phoenix.

  * * * *

  Nolan found Carl in the galley cooking breakfast the following morning. “I thought the smell of food might wake you,” Carl said.

  “It smells good,” Nolan said.

  “Did you sleep well?” Carl asked.

  “It was the best night’s sleep I’ve had in a long time. How about you?”

  “I was up most of the night, thinking,” Carl said.

  “What have you decided?”

  Carl brought a bowl of eggs and sausage to the table, where plates and utensils were already set. “I’ve decided to go with you. The winters here are too cold and the summers are too hot for an old man.”

  “Do you need to make any arrangements before we go?” Nolan asked.

  “I need to transfer ownership of the boat to my first mate, and I need to say goodbye to Leon and Denise.”

  “That reminds me, Leon told me that you were his best friend, but if I knew your relationship twenty-five years ago, I wouldn’t believe it. What did he mean?”

  “You don’t know? I assumed you tracked him here, and you knew who he was. Does the name Artemis Lansing ring a bell?”

  “He’s Lansing? Ah… now it makes sense! I did track him here, but only because I thought he was you. Lansing vanished around the same time you did.”

  “Can you imagine the odds of us both ending up in this place? I crash-landed. He was sent here after killing some drunk in an alley on Ternose. When we crossed paths, he only figured out who I was when he heard the name of my boat—Veronica Phoenix,” Carl said.

  “The Phoenix! SACOM was looking for her. What ever happened to her?”

  “She’s at the bottom of this ocean,” Carl said. “She crashed and sank.”

  “And what about the plutonium?” Nolan asked.

  “I dumped it into a star. It’
s gone forever.”

  “I know someone who will be glad to finally know what happened to it,” Nolan said.

  “You can’t tell anyone,” Carl said. “I’m sure I’m still wanted for stealing it.”

  Nolan shook his head. “Don’t worry. That has all been cleared up. My friend assured me that you are no longer wanted for your part in the conspiracy.”

  “And which friend of yours can make such a claim?” Carl asked.

  “SACOM First Admiral Niles Jiorgenson,” Nolan said.

  “The first admiral of SACOM is a friend of yours?”

  “Yep. And he owes me, big time,” Nolan said.

  “Let’s finish breakfast. Afterward, I’ll get you some heated gear to wear, and we’ll go into town to see my first mate. I want to leave today, if we can.”

  “Of course. If you said you needed a month to prepare, I’d go home and come back for you next month.”

  Carl smiled. “I just need a few hours. If I take a month, I might change my mind. No, I take that back. With the weather we’d be having a month from now, I’d be long past ready to go.”

  * * * *

  Nolan looked around as he followed Carl through the town. Wearing a heated jumpsuit, he wasn’t spending all his time thinking about how cold he was or how much his muscles hurt from shivering constantly. The architecture was more varied than most of Dawson’s, but that wasn’t hard to achieve. The material looked like old-fashioned concrete, not plasticrete.

  Carl had a large duffel bag slung over one shoulder, which Nolan had offered to carry. Carl just laughed, telling him to watch his footing and try to keep up. That was right before Nolan slipped and fell—the first time. After his second fall, he stopped studying the architecture and paid more attention to where he put his feet. He also stopped offering to carry the duffel.

  Carl and his first mate had an emotional goodbye. She had been excited to learn she now owned the Veronica Phoenix, but she broke down and cried when Carl said he was leaving. Carl also gave her the codes for his bank account, telling her to keep it in reserve, since a bad fishing trip could be expensive. In the end, she had smiled and hugged Carl, promising to take good care of the boat and the crew.