Beneath the Waves

by Ali Vali

  “Do you usually swim at night even when you’re alone out here?”

  “I’m not alone now,” Kai said in a way that sounded like a challenge. She wondered again how Kai knew her so well after such a short time. She definitely didn’t like to back down from anything.

  “Should I bother with a suit?” she asked, giving herself away from the first night.

  “Miss Palmer, oil baron and Peeping Tom,” Kai said with an expression she could only describe as playful. Slowly Kai turned around and put the dishes down and dropped her shorts. Her T-shirt hit the deck as she went over the side. The splash made her laugh.

  If she didn’t join Kai, and considering she was a Palmer employee it wasn’t a good idea, she’d regret acting like she always did. Her normal routine was to act like a rebel but never to venture too far outside the life her parents had given her. That Vivien would’ve stayed aboard and been happy she was there at all, so she stood and undressed, shedding her inhibitions and fear along with her clothes.

  The water was cool but not overly cold, and it completely alerted her to the world around her. Usually she didn’t swim at night since the ocean became a different world then, a world she didn’t have too much experience with and wasn’t ashamed to admit she feared. Like in some places around the world, the larger, more deadly predators came out at night, but one glance at Kai and she forgot that fact.

  “Did I pass the test?”

  Kai was treading water and appeared almost roguish when the corners of her mouth turned upward. “Hopefully I didn’t bully you,” Kai said.

  “Now what?”

  “I’m not sure why you keep thinking I’ve got an agenda—I don’t.”

  “Should I be insulted that getting me out of my clothes isn’t part of your agenda?” she asked as she swam closer to Kai. Eventually she’d figure out what had come over her and when she’d stop surprising herself with her actions and the things popping out of her mouth.

  “That’s more of a plan than an agenda,” Kai said, and she couldn’t control her laugh.

  This was either part of an agenda or Kai really didn’t care about anything she or anyone else thought. “Are you falling behind on anything regarding your grand plan?”

  “Depends on how much fun you’re having.”

  “You mean you can’t guess?” She moved a little closer and tried not to blush at the fact she was naked. She didn’t think she had a problem with modesty, but she wasn’t usually naked with a near-perfect Amazon either. “And if you can’t, I’m having a blast.”

  “Then tomorrow I’ll kick it up a notch on my evil plan to get you to like me.”

  *

  “You do that, and I can’t guarantee she won’t resent you for the rest of time,” Cornelia Palmer said to her husband over the breakfast table. She was mindful of the servants milling around, but sometimes Winston needed a dose of reality and not the instant giving in everyone else around him did. “I know you don’t want to hear it, but the way you’ve handled all this so far will take months to cool off.”

  “It’s no different than what my father did to me,” Winston said, whacking his hardboiled egg so hard it cracked the cup it was sitting in. “Vivien’s too old to be coddled, so I gave her a good shove in the right direction to get her moving.”

  “And she shoved right back,” she said and caught herself before she rolled her eyes. “That didn’t surprise you, did it?”

  “Do you want her working on rigs until she starts spitting at the table and scares someone like Steve away? He’s in love with her, for Christ’s sake, and she treats him like a leper.”

  She stayed quiet, having no desire to be drawn into this conversation again.

  “What, no comment on that one? Good. You know I’m right.”

  “Winston, you’re a great many things, but right when it comes to Vivien or Franklin, that is seldom the case. You resented your father for years for bullying you in every aspect of your life, but you’ve not only become him. You’re much worse.” She quickly pointed at him, having had enough of his intimidation tactics like staring her down. “I’m not an intern, darling, so lower the glare a few notches.”

  “With time you’ll see I did the right thing.”

  “With time she’ll go to your funeral because it’s expected of her, just like when your father passed on, but then all she’ll feel is relief and not an iota of grief. I refuse to bring my children to the point that all they think when it comes to me is a welcomed conclusion to a nasty part of their existence when I drop dead.” She seldom spoke this way, but she’d gotten up with a new sense of herself that morning. She missed being a mother, and Winston was standing in her way of that. “If that’s really what you want, now’s the time to say so I can stop wasting my time.”

  “Did I miss the memo where it said take potshots at me, it’s really okay?” Another eggcup cracked under Winston’s lethal spoon and she sighed—loudly. “I expect you of all people to understand and be on my side about this.”

  “No, you expect me to fall in line like every other lapdog in your life so you can act however you want.” She was about to continue when she heard someone clear their throat behind her.

  “Am I interrupting?” Steve Hawksworth asked, and she came close to losing another eggcup when she had the urge to throw hers at Winston’s head. “I can come back,” Steve said, sounding as if he was offering because it was expected and not because he had plans to do so.

  “I’d think you’d have better things to do than to join us for breakfast,” she said as she shook her head slightly at her husband.

  “Winston insisted, and there’s so much going on I thought we could get some stuff done without the phones and constant interruptions at the office.”

  “Yes, Mom, like that irritating pest on wheels. Such a dead weight, that one,” Franklin said as he pushed himself in. “I hope I haven’t missed anything.”

  “Not yet, but don’t blink,” Steve said and laughed, but he was alone in that joke.

  “Do you have time to check out the roses? It’s why I called you,” she said to Franklin. “The older bushes are in full bloom and I think you’ll enjoy them.”

  “Sure,” Franklin said, and she had no trouble hearing his confusion. She’d called him, but not for that. “Lead the way.”

  “I’d like to talk to you before you leave,” she said to Winston, getting only a grunt of acknowledgment.

  “Are you okay?” Franklin asked when they were out of the house.

  “Your father’s being your father, but eventually I’ll get over it.”

  Franklin laughed and stopped close to the bench she’d mentioned inside. She sat and took a moment to remember Franklin as the little boy who loved being out here with her digging in the dirt. She used to lift him from his chair and give him a trowel so he could get as dirty as he wanted. Why hadn’t she noticed before now how big a hole the absence of not having a close relationship with her children had left in her psyche?

  “He can be somewhat overbearing when he wants to, but it’s never seemed to affect you.” Franklin reached for a branch and bent it closer so he could smell the blooms.

  “That’s an awfully nice way of saying someone’s an asshole, isn’t it?” she asked, enjoying Franklin’s shock. “I’m sorry for not acknowledging that fact sooner, and it’s why I wanted to talk to you.”

  “This isn’t a new twisted version of good cop bad cop, is it?”

  The accusation hurt but she’d expected it. “I’ve been both of those in the last few years, so maybe I should start with an apology. It’s the weirdest thing, and I don’t expect you to believe me, but it’s like I woke up from a fog recently. As excuses go, it’s not a very good one, but I also don’t want this distance between us to get any worse.”

  “What do you mean fog?” Franklin asked, still sounding wary.

  “That’s the best way to describe it.” She raised her hands and let them drop to her knees. “For a while I’ve been so focused on getting
you and Vivien to do certain things and act a certain way that I lost sight of why I had children in the first place.”

  “I thought perpetuating the Palmer name and legacy was the main reason for that.”

  “All I can do is give you my reasons and it’s up to you whether to believe me. I had you because I wanted to bring children into the world and teach them to be happy. That wasn’t exactly a priority for mine and your father’s parents, but I wanted to be different.”

  Franklin came closer and reached for her hand. “You were exactly that until a few years ago, and then you turned into Dad.”

  “You’re being kind,” she said and couldn’t help the tears the admission caused. “The fact you are makes me think I haven’t been as horrible a mother as I thought.”

  “I wish I could forget about it all,” Franklin said, his eyes glassy as well, “but some of what you’ve both said and done has really hurt.”

  “Can you forgive me?” She grasped his hand with both of hers and squeezed. “The words I’m sorry are so easy to say, but if you give me another chance, I’ll prove to you how sorry I am.”

  “You don’t have to try so hard,” Franklin said as he kissed her knuckles. “You’re my mother and I love you—I never stopped even if I didn’t like you very much. What brought all this on?”

  “Like I said, I realized recently that you and Vivien were getting out of reach, and it panicked me. I didn’t even realize I was acting so poorly until your father started this relentless campaign to mold you two into the perfect Palmers. The more bizarre he got, the more I woke up. It sounds crazy but it’s true.”

  “If you need to hear me say it, then you’re forgiven.”

  She put her arms around him, loving his solidness. “Thank you for a generosity I don’t deserve.”

  “You gave us a good foundation so you deserve that and a lot more, Mom. Maybe you can work on Dad so he can come to the same conclusion.”

  “That’s the other thing I wanted to talk to you about.” She kissed his cheek and released him. “Do you think your father’s a little off? I don’t mean completely insane, though some days I’m not so sure, but he’s not himself, and I can’t really reach him anymore. At least not often.”

  “I agree with you, but I’m not sure what good it’ll do to admit it. Even if he was a raving lunatic, the board would ignore it because calling attention to his insanity would hurt the stock price, and they’d never tolerate that.” Franklin’s shoulders slumped as he spoke. “He became more like what you’re describing after Steve started working for us, but that’s just my own prejudice against that guy talking.”

  “Your father’s fixated on Steve and his family, so I can understand your feelings.” She shook her head at her own misgivings for the bright young man her husband was so infatuated with. “I’m sure Vivien’s feelings toward him haven’t changed, right?”

  “Viv would rather date me than Steve, and there’s a major ick factor there. Dad’s pushing them together is starting to creep her out in more ways than the obvious. The world where parents sell their daughters off in marriage ended a long time ago.” Franklin stopped talking and put his finger up when she started to say something. “How about lunch when Viv is back in town? We’ve both been so busy we haven’t had a chance to catch up.”

  The change of subject made no sense to her, but Steve’s sudden appearance was explanation enough. “I’d love to.”

  “You’ll have to let me know when, Mrs. Palmer. I’d love to come along as well,” Steve said, clearly not concerned at his invasion of their privacy. “Mr. Palmer wanted you both to know he had to go, so he’ll see you tonight.”

  “You’d make a great assistant, Steve,” Franklin said, and she smiled at the dig.

  “Funny,” Steve said with a neutral expression. “I look forward to that lunch,” he said to her before bending and kissing her cheek. “Maybe Vivien, you, and I could make it a date so we can all talk.”

  “Vivien makes her own dates, so I wouldn’t count on that anytime soon since she’s so busy.” She stood and placed her hands on Franklin’s shoulders. “Don’t let us keep you.” Steve hesitated but plastered on his smile before turning and leaving. “If Vivien never forgives me I can’t blame her.”

  “All you can do is ask, and if she refuses, offer to buy her a new boat.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  “Anything promising?” Vivien asked, her hands wrapped around one of the big mugs from the galley and her shoulder pressed to Kai’s. “And this has to be the best cup of coffee I’ve ever had.”

  “It’s a family recipe,” Kai said, pointing to her cup, “and a couple of places have anomalies, but Fido’s not done yet.”

  “Your family grows coffee, and you named the sub Fido?”

  “My family buys coffee like everyone else. They just know how to mix better than anyone selling the stuff.” She glanced at the top of Vivien’s head, liking the smell of citrus from her shampoo. The night before she’d done her best not to tease Vivien as they came out of the water and Vivien’s blush colored what appeared to be her entire body. “And the name was better than Rover.” She pointed to the two spots she’d picked out of the grid the sub had run during the night.

  “That’s a sand pile and not a very big one,” Vivien said as she ran her finger along the ridge of the spot. “It’s worth a look, though.”

  “I can always go down and put a big red X on it if it’ll make you more enthusiastic.”

  Vivien pressed closer to her and laughed. “You’re reminding me why I work alone.”

  “Sometimes, though, having someone with you makes the finds more interesting.”

  “Yeah.” Vivien leaned back enough that she could look up at her. “How can you understand me so well after a few days?”

  “Because we’re alike, which means we were born too late.”

  “Too late?”

  She lifted her hand slowly and brushed Vivien’s hair back, surprised when Vivien leaned into her touch. “Too late in that we could’ve sailed searching for treasure and adventure, and no one would’ve thought it strange decades ago.”

  “We’re pirates at heart, you mean?”

  “The world still has plenty of those. We’re not stealing anything. We’re saving history for all the uninspired people who don’t want to look for it. You know the type that likes to glance at it in museums with champagne and little crab puffs and think they’re doing their part to further mankind.”

  Vivien smiled and nodded. “I know plenty of people like that, but the rest of that analogy is how I like thinking about it. As much as I like to complain about my father, my job does give me the freedom to hunt for all that history.”

  “Next time invite me along,” she said as she closed the laptop and gave Vivien her full attention. “Might be fun.”

  “You may be sorry you said that.” Vivien lowered her eyes as she spoke, and Kai decided then to go way beyond what her mothers expected of her and help Vivien find her inner strength.

  She deserved so much more than for her to make up for some childhood mistake. Vivien Palmer reminded her of her mother Galen in that she was intelligent, engaging, beautiful, and a joy to be around. The night before when Vivien had joined her in the water, Kai had realized she was truly starting to enjoy Vivien’s company. No one had ever made her laugh that much.

  “Being on the water with you isn’t a hardship, and I’m looking forward to being under the water with you even more.” She covered the hand Vivien had placed on her forearm and held it there for a moment. “Are you ready?”

  “Let’s go find your clue.”

  “Don’t you mean our clue?”

  “If you find something, it’ll be yours. It’s only fair since you’ve been searching longer. I understand that.”

  “If we do find something you’re not going to leave me to go it alone, are you?”

  Vivien immediately shook her head.

  “Good, discoveries, like so many things in life, are be
tter when they’re shared.”

  “You’re right. I love this, and it’ll be fun to have someone next to me who loves it just as much.”

  Kai’s shell warmed again, and she greedily tapped into Vivien’s excitement. “Then let the adventure begin.”

  *

  “Anything new?” Hadley asked. She and a number of advisors were in the most secure room within the realm when it came to military secrets. They ran and monitored all their covert operations from here.

  Natal typed in a few commands, and the planet appeared on the main screen with a map grid over it. “Once we figured out the random pattern of the pings, we found them in three distinct locations, but we’re monitoring globally.”

  Three sections of water were highlighted, and the Gulf of Mexico was one. “So the English coast, the southern shores of Australia, and the Gulf,” she said slowly as she looked from one to the other. “Is there some connection I’m not seeing?”

  “No, Highness,” Natal said, and the others remained silent.

  Mari Merlin, one of Galen’s parents, folded her hands together. She’d retired from the military but was still one of Hadley’s most trusted advisors. “Can one of you tell us what the heck this is then? Should I remind you that the princess and future of the realm is smack in the middle of one of those hot spots?”

  Everyone stood and came to attention when the door opened and Galen entered. Hadley smiled when her wife went over to her mother and kissed her cheek. “Please, everyone, sit and try your best to answer my mother’s question.”

  “Your Highness,” Natal said, waiting on her feet despite what Galen had said about the use of her name. “When the signals are on, they resemble our communication pods, but they’re off slightly from all our known signals, so we know they’re not ours. Whoever’s responsible, they’re smart enough to keep the messages brief enough that we can’t pinpoint where they’re originating from.”

  “If I were speaking to someone topside I could understand, but we have the most sophisticated equipment in the world, at least this world. How’s it possible you have no clue as to what this is?” Galen asked, but she was so nice about it, Hadley could see that Natal, as well as everyone, really wanted to respond.