The following day...
The small dock was full of small boats, waving gently at the movements of the sea. Flocks of gulls were leaving the night roosts to head for the open sea to fish.
Five people, four men and a girl, were calmly strolling along the wooden boardwalk. Phil Smith, Rama Avatar, Grissom Montag, Brianna Finnula and Edulcore Cicciotto. Five people that were all that remained of Vanguard International.
Stretching the wings, Brianna said: "Hey, Phil, why did you want us to get up so early?" The previous night the time to start to sleep for the girl seemed never to come.
Grissom Montang stayed silent, but the bags under his eyes were eloquent.
Phil, that was at the head of the group, turned 180 degrees and stopped. "I know that no one of you seems excited at the idea, but Sam Dowson has given us an island as a present, and the last we can do is going there to see it. And knowing how we are under observation by so many eyes, it's better if we depart from this obscure place, and at this time". He walked again for a few metres, and then stopped in front of a sleek, back speedboat.
Euro seemed the most enthusiast about the beast. "Phil! It's yours?"
Smith nodded. "Do you like it?"
"I can't understand your taste for cars, but this one is fantastic."
Phil produced an unnoticeable smile. "Let's go, the sun is about to rise".
There were dolphins playing in the sea. The air was fresh, and the colours were glowing in the orange light of the rising sun.
"Being observed my ass!" laughed Rama. "You wants us to see Dowson Island under the best light, Phil. You should sell estates to tourists, you will get millionaire in days!"
"I AM millionaire, Rama " laughed Smith in return. Ed was standing still, taking the air on his face. On his back, a big backpack that could have contained the needs for a week long trekking, and not a short trip of mere hours. Brianna was shooting dozens of photos at the dolphins, and grissom was simply looking at her.
"It's not with these golden sunlights that will convince us to build another headquarter, Phil" said, all of a sudden, Euro, his eyes still closed as he was taking the air in the face. "We have homes. We stay separated, Merlin will leave us in peace. And La Perdita too. And if an enemy will come, it will have to attack one for fist, and the other will have the time to regroup and defend".
"I am not telling of building something ON the island, Euro. There are many caves, we could go underground. Undetectable by anything. And your reasoning doesn't consider if the attacker are more than one. I have checked the files, the Complex has been attacked by what you dubbed the anti-MBL. They were many, a team of your worst enemies. If the MBL of today or the Strikeforce should attack, if we are separated they could take us down very easily" responded Phil, very calmly.
Brianna put down the digital camera, and sat next Grissom. The eyes of the three Vanguardians were moving from Phil to Euro, and vice versa.
Euro remained silent. The young agent had a point. something to which he had not though. "The best way to avoid the Strikeforce spying at us is to live always in the open, Phil..."
"My idea is not to live together... what I am proposing is to build houses in various part of Dawson Ilsand, and connect them to an underground cave... with intelligence and defensive facilities..."
"I, for instance, need to work, Phil. I have opened my restaurant, and I want my children to be raised among other kids. Your idea makes some sense, but also would turn us into monks, completely separated from the life of the island... They fear us enough, to isolate from them like this... They have to learn to trust us... many of them do that... but the UN decree is putting distrust on us again..." said Euro, turning back and seating.
"And that's why I think they would love us easily if we stay removed from them, so that they can't fear we'll bring attract any menace over the island..."
"Look, Phil, I can't say you are wrong. Probably, you are righter than me. But I have made my decision. I concede we must take a look at the island, but if we want to stay on La Perdita... and I think the same is for Rama, and also for Bree that has found that beautiful lighthouse..." and the two mentioned Vanguardians both nodded..."even building just a secret meeting place here would be impractical, because aside me and Bree that can fly here quite fast, and Rama with Erasmus, you and Grissom should take a boat to come here... not the easiest and fast way to arrive."
Phil smiled. "Never heard about helicopters? There is room for a landing strip. Griss could land with his jet, too."
"And you?"
"I would no need any transportation, Ed. I am going to build a villa for me and Leslie there in any case."
Ed nodded, and leaned back, to take the sun. There was no way to win consensus. And there was no need. each one of them five had taken a decision for his own future from long before. Just, like Phil wisely said, there was the need of a common meeting place, that was not the home on any of them... a place that everyone would feel his own, not just the five of them... also their two comrades still in the bed of the hospital, and also whoever in the future would have come to look for them and offer their help for their goal.
Vanguard could not be limited to the five of them... Vanguard had to grow again, find new members... or else it would slowly die.
Ed closed his eyes, as the sun was getting brighter.
he didn't noticed, like the other four, that from the coast of La Perdita, as they were passing by, two eyes were looking at them.
Two eyes with a light hint of purple, glowing fiery in a face nearly full covered by a black, savage beard.
