by Matt Lincoln
His eyes got wide, and I wasn’t sure if that was a good shock or an alarmed one. “Wait, are you moving to Miami for work now? When did this happen?”
“No, it didn’t, not exactly,” I clarified. “I’m only here to represent one client at the request of that client’s father.” I didn’t know how much I should say, and I didn’t want to go into detail here in a marina. I looked back at the office, wondering if there was someplace better to discuss all of this. Jake couldn’t have missed that and moved to fix it.
“Okay, just let me close up the barn, and we’ll head over to the office to talk and catch up.” He gestured back to the two-story building. “The door should be unlocked, so go in and help yourself to something from the mini-fridge. I’ll join you in a minute if that sounds good to you?”
It did, so I nodded, then I had to ask. “The barn?” I looked around, and I didn’t see anything that even vaguely looked like a barn around here.
Jake thumbed back over at the building he’d first come from. “That’s the barn. It used to be red and white, and the name stuck. But go ahead, I’ll be there in a few.”
I got the impression that he wanted me out of the way for some reason, so I did as he told me. I walked back to the office and tried the door. It was unlocked like he said it would be, so I walked in. The place was fairly nicely decorated with teal armchairs and a few end tables in the corners. There was a monstrous metal desk in the center of the room covered in tons of paperwork and stacks of forms. Either the office manager was a hack, or Jake simply didn’t have one.
I looked around, taking it all in. It wasn't bad, but it reminded me of a travel agent’s office. Maybe that was what he was going for. I didn’t know. The room had good lighting, and it was bright and welcoming. Other than the mess on the desk, it appeared to be well kept.
A few minutes later, Jake appeared at the door. I smiled as he came in, and I tried to act relaxed here.
“Sorry about that,” he said quickly as he shut the door behind him. “Sit down, please. Did you want anything to drink?” He pointed at the mini-fridge.
I shook my head no. “I’m fine, thanks.” I glanced around the room again. “This is a nice setup, Jake. But what prompted you to buy a marina? Isn’t it a little far from your condo?” Then that thought struck me. “Oh, do you still have the condo, though?”
“I still have it.” Jake slid into the chair behind the desk and motioned for me to have a seat on one of the others. “And yeah, it’s a commute, but it's not that bad. I wanted a small place like this for personal reasons, mostly having to do with my team.” He nodded to himself. “You may have noticed that yacht out there? Well, that’s Xavier’s, so there are some practical reasons for being so far outside of the city proper.”
I got the impression that this may not have been the whole explanation, but I wasn’t going to pry. At least not unless I found a reason to, and I sure didn’t right now. I nodded, sighed, and accepted his answer.
“But you have some explaining to do, ma’am.” Jake leaned in on the desk and smirked at me. “What kind of client would bring you all the way from Chicago to Miami? I’ve been racking my brain, and I can’t figure it out.”
I liked having his interest, and his curiosity piqued. But I wasn’t really good at pretending to be demure or mysterious. “In fact, it’s George. The doctor we all stayed with for a while during the Arik Fu ordeal?” I didn’t want to go into all of that again, and I hoped that Jake would remember George.
Jake looked a little alarmed when I said his name, and he nodded his head slowly. “Is George in some kind of trouble? Xavier didn’t say anything about it.”
That was encouraging to hear. “So, Xavier and George are still in contact? Oh, that’s good. What about you? Do you ever talk to George anymore?” I was hoping that the answer was yes. That could certainly help me with some background information I would need to get.
“Yeah! I do, as a matter of fact,” Jake said with a hint of worry in his tone.
I felt it best to reassure him now. “Okay, well, it’s not George that’s in trouble. Not that anyone is really in trouble yet, or anything like that.” Come on, Eve, get it together. “I’m here as a precautionary measure in case something becomes more than it is at present.”
Jake looked at me, and I could tell that my remarks intrigued and amused him. Sometimes, I just wasn’t the best at saying the right things around a good-looking guy like him. And he probably knew that.
“But it’s not George?” He was analyzing everything that I’d already said, I could tell. “You said that your client’s father was the reason you were here?” And with that, Jake’s face paled, and he began to look agitated. “Did something happen with Verity, his daughter?”
I gulped and tried not to look too concerned at how he knew that information. “Jake, I can’t tell you anything about what might be going on. George hired me, or rather, I’m on a retainer, and I’m only here in case something does happen. Right now…” I couldn’t say anymore. I was already saying too much. “Let’s not discuss the particulars, can we? I’m here in Miami for a while, and I was hoping that you and I could just catch up, hang out a bit, enjoy some time together… you know, that sort of thing. Can that work?”
Jake sighed, and I knew that he understood what I was asking. “Yeah. I get that you’re here on business and may not be able to tell me much, and I can respect that. Or at least, I will try to.” He grinned, more to himself than at me. “But I need to say something. I need to let you know that, if your… job here involves Verity, that she and I used to date.” He was quick to clarify. “It wasn’t serious, and it wasn’t a long-time thing, but we were seeing one another.”
I wasn’t sure how I should take that exactly. “Um, okay then…” What was I supposed to say now? “Well, thank you for telling me, Jake. I guess that’s… going to be important for me to know… in the long run.” I was surprised, yes, but not upset. I mean, it wasn’t like we’d really been together either. But I needed to know something else before I made a fool out of myself with him.
“Eve? Are you okay?” He asked, and I realized that I kind of froze while trying to figure out what to say and how to react to this.
“Yeah, of course, um… awkward question, considering I was making out with you on the dock earlier, but um… are you seeing her, or anyone… because…” Boy, did I feel silly. I really should have asked Xavier about this before I jumped the gun to see Jake. “I mean, it's great if you are, and I’ll completely understand, and we don’t have to hang out like I said if you are…” I really wish he’d say something before I put another foot in my mouth.
Jake laughed and leaned back in his desk chair. “Eve, I’m not seeing anyone. I just wanted you to know about Verity so that things wouldn’t get weird, but, well, I messed that one up, didn’t I?”
“No, no, I’m just, I feel… I don’t know.” Then I finally heard what he’d said. “So then, you aren’t seeing anyone?” I breathed again. “I’m not going to have to worry about an angry girlfriend coming to kick my ass when she finds out I was kissing you earlier?” I sighed in relief. “Oh, that’s good. I was picturing a hot, buff supermodel type with a pet alligator coming to fight me for your attention. And I was going to lose, because, well…” I knew that I was rambling, and I needed to stop right now.
Jake had gotten up out of his chair and was coming toward me. He knelt down in front of me, took my face into his hands, and smiled. “There isn't any kind of girlfriend in the picture, Eve. And I would be incredibly happy to get to spend some time with you, alone, or with a chaperone, or in any way that would make you feel better. Is that acceptable, Miss Sarabia?”
He leaned in to kiss me, and I melted into a silly puddle of goo. When our lips parted, I was convinced that I wasn’t going to have to fight for him, at least not at present. And that made me very happy.
6
Jake
The next morning found Xavier and I getting Wraith ready for this next
day of trying to locate the supposed wreckage of the Hester. It gave me some time to reflect on Eve’s unexpected return to Miami. I did find myself smiling a bit more when I thought about spending time with her again. I didn’t know where it would lead, but having her back in my life wasn’t a bad thing.
Rosa had texted that she was going to be a little late in her arrival, so we had decided to get all the prep work, loading of gear, and anything else we could do out of the way before she got there. The day’s weather was looking really good, clear, and warm, so I was anxious to get out on the water.
I had restocked the water, medical supplies, the extra clothing in case of emergencies, and all the other stuff we’d used while doing this location search. We’d spent a couple of day trips out there already, surveying and scouting off of the maps that Mr. Speirs had given us, but so far, we’d still not found anything worth diving for.
Xavier assured me that today was going to be different as he’d borrowed some underwater images from a friend of his and had come up with three very strong possibilities for the accident site. I trusted him to know what he was talking about, so that was where we were going to search today. Maybe we would have better luck than we’d been having.
By the time he and I had finished and gotten Wraith warmed up and ready, Rosa burst through the barn’s side door and onto the metal grate catwalk. I was outside of the boat about to walk inside when I saw her.
“Just like you to make a big entrance,” I teasingly greeted her.
Rosa started signing at me in a huff. I hate Miami.
This was unexpected.
“What happened?” I asked, a little disbelieving in her statement.
She signed furiously. The AC in my rental car died last night, so I took it in and got a replacement. No problem. This morning, they said that it works fine and that I can bring the new vehicle back in, so I do. When I got there, they changed their mind and offered me a completely different model, which I don’t want. But the one they gave me last night was also scheduled for maintenance, and they apologized all over themselves for the mix-up, but now I’m driving a minivan! As she told me this, Rosa stalked up and into Wraith and threw her bag into her co-captain’s chair, rather roughly.
I wasn’t unconcerned about her situation, but I had to ask, “So, how is that ‘Miami’s’ fault?”
The AC unit in the car, Header. She looked at me as if the answer were obvious. It’s just inadequate for the climate. The rental place should know that. Proper, basic upkeep is all that I’m asking for. Rosa stomped to the rear and grabbed a bottled water. She twisted off the cap, took a drink, and sighed as she set the bottle back down. Okay, I’m done venting. Are we all ready to go?
“We are, but are you?” I eyed her carefully, wanting her to be mission-minded before we set off.
Xavier had been wisely quiet and occupied with his own work during her tirade. Now, he leaned back in his chair at the comm station and nodded at Rosa. “Good morning. Is there anything that we can do for you or to help? I can look for a better rental company while we’re out. Or even find you a deal on something more to your style and taste?”
That was his patent answer to this. Research a better outcome or option. There was nothing wrong with it. I just wasn’t sure that’s what the situation called for right now.
I added my two cents into the matter. “Maybe for the next few hours, we just put real-life concerns on the back-burner and focus on the mission? Stepping away sometimes brings clarity.” I hoped that might help.
Rosa took in a few deep breaths and nodded at me. Okay, I will. She took another long drink from the water bottle and headed over to her station. She placed her bag of gear on the floor and rummaged through it after she’d taken the seat. After she had given up the hunt for whatever it was that she was trying to find, she turned to me. I got a text from Doc this morning. He should be back in the States by the day after tomorrow. He got an extended stay hotel for now but would like us to go house hunting with him if we can. I think he’s getting overwhelmed with all of this and could use a little friendly help.
“That’s good to know and hear.” I was relieved at this news. Getting Doc back had been weighing on all of us, I was sure. “Yeah, maybe after today, we’ll have a better idea of where to dive, and then we can spend less time in the searching aspect.”
Xavier cleared his throat noisily. “Is that a dig at me? I’m trying my best here, Header, I promise you! These new coordinates should check out.”
“No, that’s nothing against you.” I held my hands up defensively. “Calm down. I’m just saying that once we actually find the site, we can stop spending so much time looking and more time doing. I think we can all agree that’s a better situation for all of us.” And I was getting a little antsy to get back into the water again. It had been too long.
Rosa adjusted her panel to get us underway. Ready when you are, Captain Header.
I took my place next to her and prepared Wraith to depart. “Okay, team, let’s do this.”
“I’ve fed the new locations into the helm,” Xavier reminded us. “I went by the closest rather than the most likely. I didn’t want us to double back if we didn’t have to.”
“Good plan.” I eased the throttle forward to send us out on a smooth, effortless glide. I’d open her up once we cleared the coastal areas and could see the open water.
Xavier took this time to mention my recent visitor. “So, I hear that Eve Sarabia is back in Miami for a while. Are you going to be seeing her by any chance?”
Rosa glanced over at me, clearly fascinated to hear my response to this new event.
I wasn’t big on sharing all the intimate details of my private life, but as Xavier and Eve had already been in contact, I could assume that his vested interest was warranted. “I am, yes, and I have. She stopped by the marina yesterday, as a matter of fact.” I still didn’t want to get into too many specifics, though. “She’s on retainer for Verity, who may or may not be in some trouble. I plan to go see Verity and George tomorrow, just in case.”
Awkward, Rosa signed at me.
“No, it’s really not,” I insisted with a shrug of my shoulders. “We’re all adults here. Verity and I aren’t together and haven’t been seeing one another for a month or more, so there’s no drama, Rosa.” I hated when they pried into my life like this. “I told Eve upfront about it, and everything is good. Now, why don’t we chat about your love life for a change?” I gave her a challenging stare. She only raised her eyebrow at me and challenged me right back without lifting a finger to sign. “No? Okay, then. How about some actual mission information, then? Or anything relevant to what we’re being paid to do here today?”
Xavier jumped at the chance. “I found out some more about Mr. Speirs that might be useful. He and his brother, Declan, were speculative investors in communication. Basically, they helped fund the designs for modern cellular phones and tablet components, and that’s where they got all their money.”
“That’s unexpected. I thought it would be something more exciting,” I thought out loud.
“Well, they’ve invested in a lot of other things since, but that’s what got them started. Let’s see, what else…” Xavier typed at his keyboard and made odd, small noises to himself as he worked. “Declan Speirs, the man we’re looking for, was married and had two children that all preceded him in death. Claude, our actual client, never married, no children, and no other living siblings.” Xavier paused. “I wonder what he’ll do with all of their money then?”
Rosa had an idea. Probably something bizarre, like leave it all to a pet cat or dog. You did say he was pretty eccentric, right?
“Not that eccentric.” I slowed Wraith down as we reached the first new search location. “It’s none of our business. As long as he pays us for the job we’re doing, that’s all I need to know about his money.”
“Okay, starting the sonar sweep and the grid search,” Xavier said from his spot at the station. “Header, could you slow her down
a bit more? I don’t want to miss anything vital if I can help it.”
I did as he asked and eased Wraith down into a gradual cruise. “How’s that working for you?”
“Good, thanks.” Xavier typed some more, and we could hear his discontented sigh. “No, this doesn’t look too promising so far. Let me analyze it through a few different programs first, though. Just to make sure.”
“No problem. We'll just sit here and chill for a while.” I shifted my view over to Rosa, who met it. “I should have brought a deck of cards or something.”
You don’t even play cards, she reminded me.
“No, but I could learn. I can play poker, sort of.” No one goes through any kind of military basic training without at least learning a little about five-card stud or blackjack.
Rosa scoffed at me but didn’t say anything more about it. So, Doc and Zaid. Are you ready for a junior member of your team?
I chuckled humorlessly. “Yeah, I figured we could make the kid a sidekick, you know? Get him a mini cape, take a small, impressionable child out on our dangerous missions, and expose him to terrible threats. That sounds like a great idea and a very responsible thing for four adults to do.” I rolled my eyes and shook my head. “Doc’s grandson may be family, but I’m never going to endanger a child’s life, Rosa. There’s no such thing as a ‘junior member’ on Wraith.”
Snippy today, aren’t we? Rosa teased.
Maybe I was. And I shouldn’t be. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to be rude. There is just a lot going on, and I hate wasting this much time on a search.” I knew that every day we spent not finding the Hester just increased the chances of something getting an advantage over us or deteriorating within it.
I get it, Rosa said in return.
