Chapter 11

Mike and Sam were worried about Mia. "I suspect this is her first time in a storm this bad and she doesn't even know where the storm shelters are," Sam siad. "We will have to wait for the storm to pass to find her," Mike said.

The next morning as the sun came out the wind had died and the rain had stopped. Mia woke up feeling wet and cold. She looked around and was confused as to why she was sleeping in a cave but instantly regretted even remembering what had happend. She remembered the base told her to leave and almost being killed by a falling tree.

She looked at the ashes next to her and realised she didn't have any more firewood to burn. She got up and looked outside but the surrounding area was almost unrecognizable. While she was sleeping a flash flood came down the mountain and it destroyed everything in its way.

Trees and plants were lying everywhere. There were home's that were still flooded and the roads weren't even accessible. She sat down on the ground and realised how lucky she was. It was a miracle that she wasn't caught in the flood. In the distance, she could hear someone calling for her. She focused and recognized the voice, it was her uncle who was looking for her.

She looked around and realised she had no way of even reaching as going back into town isn't an option since she was on the other side of the river. She looked up towards the top of the mountain and wondered if she would be able to see a way across the river.

Mia climbed up the mountain slowly. Her uncle was looking towards the mountain when he saw a person climbing the mountain. He picked up a pair of binoculars and looked towards the mountain. He lowered the binoculars and looked at Sam. "We dont have to look for Mia anymore only for a way to get to her," Mike said.

Sam puzzled looked at what Mike was looking for and siad, "what she is doing is dangerous." Mike looked at the river below and said, "yes but this river is impossible to cross. I suspect she is looking for either a safe way across or a safe shelter. I suspect she took shelter in one of the hidden caves," Mike siad.

Mia found her way to the top of the mountain and feeling hot she looked around the mountain. For a safe way across the river. She walked around and around but the more she looked the more impossible crossing the river seemed. She remembered her dad said that crossing rivers are dangerous especially during a storm. Mia looked at the sky and noticed more dark clouds approaching.

She looked around and saw her uncle and Sam was looking at her. She pointing to the sky hoping they would see another storm coming but she stopped and looked around. There were no safe buildings on top of the mountain. She instantly knew she needed to get down the mountain and fast. Another storm could mean trouble for anyone that isn't in a safe shelter.

Mia looked for the safest and fastest way down the mountain. Since she was alone she didn't need to think about taking someone else down the mountain. She found what looked like stairs down the mountain and looking at the river spotted a safe way to cross. "I only did this when my dad was with me and my mom was looking out for me. Oh how I wish they were here now," Mia thought out loud.

Mia slowly went down the mountain's side using the rocks like stairs. She used her wind element to keep her balance and found her way savely to the ground. Once she was on the ground she went to the part of the river she saw what the safest to cross. She looked at several fallen trees and wondered if she could use them to cross. Her mother would probably tell her that this is a bad idea but she needed to cross the river before another storm came in.

Mia looked at the trees and noticed a few were moving but something was keeping them from breaking apart. What made the situation dangerous was the water that was building up behind the fallen trees. Mia started to cross the river and used each branch to cross the river. Sam and her uncle Mike was looking at what Mia was doing very closely.

"John trained his daughter well," Sam said. "Yes but I believe they both trained her well," Mike said. Mia got to the last branch and her uncle Mike helped her down. "You did a great job, Mia," Mike siad. "What happend now?" Mia asked. "What do you mean?" Mike asked.

"There is another storm coming our way and well I am not allowed onto the base," Mia siad. "Nonsense, that man-made a mistake. Besides, where are you planning on going?" Mike siad. "I dont know but that man had everyone taking his side even Luna believed him," Mia siad.

Mike took Mia back to the main base and found the man waiting at the entrance of the building. With him was a group of people. She didn't know who they were but they looked like important people. The uniforms and badges was a dead give away and Mia remembered her mother telling her about this group. Her mother got into trouble on several occasions as she was growing up.

"Mom told me about them. They are in charge and if they are here. I think we are in trouble," Mia siad. "Your mom told you about them?" Mike asked. "Yes, she got into trouble on more than one occasion as I was growing up," Mia siad. Sam parked the truck and Mike got out followed by Sam and lastly Mia. "Why is she still here?" one of them asked.

"She is my niece and well she is still here because she has nowhere else to go," Mike said. "I told you this girl is a liar. She is not your niece and she does not belong here," the man siad. "The court dismissed the case after doing a dna test," Mia siad. "That's more than enough out of you, young lady," a member of the group said.

"Mike what do you think?" a woman asked. "I believe her, my sister and her husband has been keeping secrets of late so I do believe she is my niece. Even the skills she is using are skills I recognized my sister and her husband used during missions," Mike siad.

The wind picked up again and Mia could hear the trees moving in the wind. She could hear the branches breaking and she could see the rain was starting to fall again. Mia looked at her uncle and said, "well looks like the next storm is here." Mike looked out of the window and said, "time for you to get to the shelter and for us to go back to work," Mike siad.

"Yout taking her to the shelter?" a man in the group asked. "Yes, even if you believe she isn't my sister's daughter the fact is my sister will be looking for her. She will be looking first with me or Zack but I am afraid there's evidence that Zack might be partly responsible for what happend. So it saver for her to stay with me," Mike siad.

"Very well Mike but if she is going to stay with you she needs to be registered. You do understand that?" one of the council members asked. "Yes, she has finished school so getting her registered isn't going to be a problem. Her parents also trained her well. We saw that today so I dont think it will be a problem," Mike siad.

"Very well but keep her in line and out of trouble. If she causes trouble for other teams again we will be asking her to leave permanently," they siad. The group was about to leave when Mia asked, "I understand you want to keep my parent's stuff but can I at least get my clothes?" Mia asked.

The council members looked at the man and asked, "what did you do with the stuff?" they asked. "Well, Mia's mum owed me some money so I sold everything for what they own me. Including the girls clothing. I didn't realise she would need them again. Surely she has more clothes hidden somewhere?" the man siad.

"The clothes I am wearing is all I have. We fled the base with only what we really needed and I didn't have the opportunity to go into town to buy more clothes. As you know I do not have a drivers licence so I am counting on my uncle or Sam to take me," Mia siad.

"How was I suppose to know she would still need the clothes?" the man siad. "Maybe if you stopped and listened to what she was telling you, you would have understood," the woman in the group was saying.

"Do you need a few things my dear?" the woman asked. "I will be okay, once the storm is over I should be able to find a shop to buy clean clothes from," Mia said but the council kept their eye on Mia as she left the room."

"Mia you are too kind in a situation like this. What you did was wrong and I demand you give her back the money you earned from selling her parents belongings. It wasn't your place to sell them. What you should have done was give us a bill and explained what exactly my sister and her husband owed you. Mia has nothing what she is wearing is what she has. How would you feel if you couldn't even change into a clean outfit? Some of the stuff my sister had was family heirlooms. You didn't even let her keep one thing as a reminder of her parents. All you said was she is the liar," Mike said.