Captain Storm-Breaker held his niece and nephew in his arms, the sound of his heartbeat to Ruby’s ear. She felt safe, like she was a castle and that he had wrapped a moat around her.
“So, what’s the plan?” Captain Storm-Breaker asked his family.
As night melted to morning, the gang (Bobo, Buddy, Ash, Captain Storm-Breaker, Leo and Ruby) sneaked out of William Scott’s camp and prowled to the vault. Bobo unleashed the covering, revealing the horrible cages. Ruby suddenly remembered how awful it was, but that made her more determined to save them.
Captain Storm-Breaker said, “I didn’t realize how bad this would be. Ruby, you’re right. We must save them.” Leo asked Bobo how to unlock the crates, but he didn’t know himself. A lightbulb pinged in Ruby’s head, as she grabbed one of her hair clips and jabbed it into the pad lock of a crate, rotating it. Click! Ruby had unlocked the first cage, as a golden eagle swept out.
“That’s my girl!” Captain Storm-Breaker said proudly.
“Well, that’s why I did girl scouts!” Ruby laughed. One by one, the gang unlocked each cage, until there was one left, with the most incredible animal they’d ever seen: a banshee. His claws were like coat hangers and his horns stretched to the heavens. His majestic wings were tucked in; there wasn’t enough room to show his true wingspan. His face was painted with sadness and his back was hunched, as he wrestled the chains around his feet. Buddy poked his nose through the gaps in its cage, rubbing its nose and barking joyfully.
“Leo, I think you should do the honours! After all, you are my amazing brother. We couldn’t have done this without you!” Ruby beamed.
Out of nowhere, Leo started crying, tears rushing down his cheeks like a never-ending waterfall.
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done what I have. I’m a horrible person!” he sobbed.
“What do you mean?” Ruby asked her brother, her face stone-cold.
“He told me about your pathetic, little plan,” William Scott’s voice said. “He said that you were going to save the animals and stop me.”
“Leo, why would you do that?” Captain Storm-Breaker spoke.
“He said he would help us find a way out of the island, if we let him keep the animals,” Leo replied. William Scott grabbed Bobo by the wrist and dragged him out along the floor, Bobo’s eyes sharing a glimpse with Leo. They were filled with fear, and Leo felt like he was the worst person in the world. The other explorers that worked for William snatched the animals and locked them back up, all of them screeching, and whimpering. “Okay, you’ve got your animals back. Now let us out of this island!”
“I’m afraid I’m not going to do that, Leo. I can’t have anyone in the way of my scientific discoveries. Therefore, I’m going to lock you all up. Your ‘baby phoenix’ will be experimented on!” William Scott cackled evilly.
“You beast!” Ruby screamed at him, as the gang were being taken by the explorers. Whining, Buddy rubbed noses with the banshee for a final time, as Buddy was dragged away by his collar.
“You tricked me!” Leo screamed.
Several hours later, the gang were locked up in their own cage, like a prison cell. Ash had been taken by William and was now in his study, stuck in a chest with many other small creatures. Ruby refused to even look at her twin, disgusted that they were related.
“Ruby, I’m sorry. I never wanted this to happen!” Leo whispered softly.
“Well, it has happened. Because of you!” Ruby snapped in return. Captain Storm-Breaker didn’t say a word; he was too busy reading a book titled: How to Get Out of Sticky Situations! Bobo lay on the ground, lifeless. His body ached in agonizing pain. He had sores running all the way up his spine. Curled up in a ball, was Buddy, wind whistling through his nose.
They had lost all hope.
“I’m not just going to sit here! We must do something!” Leo said abruptly. “Look, I know that I’ve messed up, but we can’t just do nothing!”
Silence echoed around the room.
“Fine, hate me. But I’m not going to stay in the cell, whilst animals are suffering.” Out of nowhere, Captain Storm-Breaker threw his book and agreed with his nephew, everyone else following, except for Ruby. “Come on, Rubes. We’ve got to do something!”
Ruby admitted, “Okay, I’ll help you. But just so you know…I’m not doing this for you. It’s for the animals.” Buddy’s tail wagged ecstatically, as they all gathered round to capture a plan.
The gang found a way out through the ventilation system and were now outside. Captain Storm-Breaker and Bobo were busy making a plane to get off the island and the rest were fetching the animals. After hours of unlocking, all the creatures were galloping to the plane, which was now ready. It was of titanic size, so that everyone would fit. They were about to sail off, into the tangerine-orange sunset, when Ruby yelled, “Ash! He’s still stuck in there!” Before his sister could, Leo bolted as fast as a cheetah, ripping a hole in the tent, that William Scott’s study was in, with his father’s pocketknife. Crawling on his hands and knees, Leo sneaked inside, praying that William wouldn’t notice him. Leo noticed a smoke bomb under William Scott’s desk and threw it like it was a shotput out the hole he had made in the tent.
“Oh, great!” William yelled, running out as smoke filled the camp, like a killer virus.
“Yes!” Leo whispered to himself, finding a key and unlocking the chest that Ash was trapped in. A single silver tear fell from Ash’s eye, a tear of joy that someone had saved him. Leo didn’t just escape with Ash, but all the tiny baby creatures in the chest, Ruby grinning as she saw Ash prancing back to her.
“Good job, Leo. Now let’s go!” Captain Storm-Breaker said, all the gang reunited and everyone got ready on the plane.
Ruby was stroking a lizard’s head, when she noticed her brother alone in the corner.
“You did a brave thing, you know, Leo,” Ruby whispered to her brother, to not disturb the slumbering animals. “Thank you.”
Leo stood up and said, “Ruby, I’ve been thinking. Why just save the animals on that island, when there are thousands in danger all over the globe?”
“You mean, go all over the world saving endangered creatures? Leo, that’s impossible!”
“Never say never! Come on, Ruby. You in?” Leo said, crossing his fingers.
“Okay, I’m in.”
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