Tom lay on the cushioned bench of the boat, his eyes closed and his mind relaxed. He suddenly became aware of the ocean breeze as it streamed over his face and through his brown hair as he began to return to consciousness. The sound of the motor blared loudly in his ears and in the distance seagulls could be heard fighting over dead fish that had washed up on shore. The boat was moving swiftly through the water, heading south down the coast. It was moving with the waves, bobbing lightly up and down, causing the hull to rock back and forth, peacefully. Tom opened his eyes and stared at the brown tarp over his head. His body was aching all over as he tried to remember what had happened to him. How long had been sleeping?
Tom sat up and shifted his gaze to the people on the ship. They were all busying themselves with something. One person was at the helm steering the boat, while another person was standing by the edge of the boat, operating a pulley system. She was reaching over the side, messing with something. It looked like a strap of some kind. Tom couldn’t tell what she was doing, but it looked complicated. The last person was sitting across from him, giving him a concerned look. Tom blinked his blurry eyes a few times before speaking.
“Where are we going?” asked Tom.
Brian leaned back in his seat and stretched his legs out.
“We’re going back to my home on the coast. My father has a personal physician on call at all times. We’re going to have him take a look at you. You’ve been through a lot.” He smiled, allowing his teeth to show.
Tom tried to sit up but moaned a little and grabbed his head. It was throbbing. He hadn’t noticed its somber beat until now.
“Do you have any pain killers?” He ruffled his hair and rubbed his temples. It felt like there was a microwave oven inside his brain.
“Yeah we do, hold on a minute,” said Brian. He scooted over to the edge of his seat. “That must have been some ride back there for you.” He bent down and pulled out a few capsules from a little red box at his feet. He handed them to Tom. “You say your taxi fell over a cliff?”
Tom put the pills in his mouth and swished them around his cheeks. He winced as he swallowed them. It looked like he had just taken a hit of lemon juice. He started to cough and clear his throat. He looked at Brian with questioning eyes. He was surprised that he knew what had happened to him. He couldn’t remember having a conversation with him about his incident with the cliff. There was a little suspicion in his voice as he spoke.
“How do you know what happened to me?”
Brian threw his hands up at the tone; Tom had accusation in his voice.
“Hey, settle down! There’s no deed to get all crabby with me. I didn’t see what happened to you personally. Maren and Rose told me that you told them about your accident. You know, about falling over a cliff.” He put down his hands and shifted in his seat. “Was there anyone else in the taxi when it went over?”
Tom thought back.
“Yes, there was another person… He didn’t make it…” his voice trailed off. Tom closed his eyes tightly. He could still see the jagged rocks so clearly and feel the powerful ocean crashing over his body, throwing him in all directions. He shivered at the memory. It was a miracle that he made it out alive. It was as if someone had been watching out for him. A question popped into Tom’s head at the thought. Why had he survived the whole cab incident? Why hadn’t he died like Runt? He should have been torn to pieces. Why was he spared?
“Would you like some more water?” asked Brian. “You look thirsty.” He held up a jug of water. Tom looked over at him and nodded. He grabbed the thing from his hands and placed it to his lips, drinking deeply. When he was done he set the thing down by his feet. He started breathing in and out in great heaves. The water had felt so good going down his throat.
“You looked like hell when we pulled you out of the water,” said Brian. “I thought you were dead. How are you feeling now?”
“Better, I guess.”
“We’ll be home in about ten minutes.” He pointed out over the ocean in front of them. “Our house is just behind that ridge over there.”
Tom sat up straight. He looked over the edge of the boat and studied the coast as it passed. Tall gum trees and big shrubs seemed to be obstructing most of the mainland. They were a long way away from the city; he knew that because very little could grow on the coast near the industrial docks. Things were different out this far.
“How are you doing?” asked a soft voice.
Tom turned and looked at the lady standing before him. She was holding onto the pulley that held the brown tarp in place. Her brown hair was fluttering wildly in the wind. Her hazel eyes seemed to glow with life and happiness, but there was more to her than what met the eye. Tom could feel there was a deep intelligence there. It showed in her countenance and in the way she conducted herself. She wasn’t only looking at him, she was studying him; taking him in.
“I am feeling all right.” He forced a smiled though his mind felt tired and his body was still sore. “It’s a miracle you guys found me when you did. What were you doing out this far from your home?” He looked out over the ocean, then back at her.
Brian and Maren laughed.
“We were hunting the shark that almost ate you. He had something we wanted.” She walked over to Tom and sat down beside him. She turned slightly and rested her arms on the back of the seat.
“That crazy beast ate Brian’s watch, and we were determined to get it back – no matter what the cost.” She smiled and pointed to the far end of the boat where the harpoon gun was. “We bought that thing over there for the purpose of retrieving it, and I must say, it worked like a charm.” Tom looked surprised at this.
“Are you serious? You guys were out here hunting sharks with a mounted harpoon gun? That’s crazy, aren’t those things made for whale bait?” He looked back and forth between the both of them. He was looking for anything that would tell him they were joking.
“We’re dead serious. But we weren’t hunting just any old anchor shark. We were looking for just that particular one.” She looked over to Brian. “You should ask this moron over here to tell you how his watch got into the shark in the first place.”
Tom shifted his gaze to Brian. The young man was glaring at Maren. He looked like he wanted to get up and leave.
“What happened?” asked Tom. He was curious now.
“We were out shark fishing two days ago and I was chumming up the water when my watch fell off.” Brian thought back. He recalled seeing two glowing red eyes beneath him as he swam. It had startled Brian more than anything, that was when his watch became loose and it had fallen off his wrist. But he couldn’t say this for fear he might sound crazy so he sheepishly continued. “I think there might have been a defect or something in the metal band. I think that’s how it came loose and dropped into the water.”
“More like a defect in your brain!” said Maren. “You forgot to clip it; just admit it.” She looked at Tom and there was a playful fire in her eyes. “Have you ever heard of the brand of watch named ‘Sequester’?”
Tom nodded.
“Yeah, they’re supposed to be really good.”
“Yep, they are.” Maren smiled. “They’re supposed to be unbreakable, un-jammable and completely idiot proof.” She leaned in and whispered. “Apparently, they’re not Brian proof. If something goes wrong, he has to blame someone.”
Tom looked over to Brian. He could tell that Maren was getting under his skin.
“Don’t listen to her, Tom. She’s completely crazy,” said Brian. “I know it was stupid of me to be chumming the ocean with a five thousand dollar watch, but that’s all that happened. It was a defect with the band.” Brian confidently lied. Maren shook her head at this.
“Keep telling yourself that.”
“It’s not like I was swimming with the sharks or anything. That would be dumb, this is what you call an accident.” He paused, bit his lip and looked over to Tom who looked curious.
“The watch was given to me by my father for my birthday last year, so it has a lot of sentimental value. I thought I had lost–”
Maren chimed in.
“It’s a good thing that that watch had a tracker built into it. If not, we would have lost that thing forever. This ocean is really big, not to mention full of anchor sharks. We would have had to kill the whole population, which really isn’t a bad thing in my mind…” She thought for a second and then turned and pointed to Tom; her eyes were alive with inspiration and there was a sense of seriousness in her voice. “And you would probably be dead meat right now if that watch didn’t have a tracker in it. It looks like everything has worked out for the better. It’s amazing how things that seem like an inconvenience can turn out to be a blessing. Totally pull a one eighty on you.”
“Ah, ha!” exclaimed Brian in triumph. “Then me losing my watch wasn’t dumb.” He pointed at Tom. “It saved a life! If I hadn’t lost it, he would be dead!”
“Touché,” said Maren. “But this doesn’t mean that you’re not dumb.”
Brian waved her off with his right hand.
Tom shook his head. He didn’t want to imagine where he would be right now if Brian had not lost his watch. He would have been food for the anchor shark.
“Did you get the watch back?” asked Tom. “Was it the right shark?”
“Yeah, it was the right shark. The signal’s coming right from his belly.” She pulled her hair back. It was whipping her in the face too much. “We’re going to open the thing up and pull it out, but we thought we might get you home and looked at before that happens. You still don’t look so good.” She stretched out her legs.
“Are you hauling the shark with you right now?”
Maren smiled at the stifled fear in Tom’s voice.
“Yep, we are. It’s over there on the other side of the boat. I strapped it in nice and good.” She rested a hand on Tom’s shoulder. “But there’s no reason to be intimidated by it. It’s as dead as a doornail. That thing has eaten its last meal.” She studied Tom’s face. He didn’t look as dried up anymore, but he was far from complete recovery.
“You don’t look as bad as you did a few hours ago. Are you doing all right?”
“Yeah, I think I just need rest.” He folded his arms and looked down at the ground. He shuffled his feet back and forth and thought about Runt. He still didn’t know how to break the news to Marten and Lee. He felt suddenly sick.
“We will be reaching the house shortly,” yelled Rose from the helm. Her leather coat and blond hair flapped in the wind. She looked like an old sea captain. “Brian, when we dock I want you to take Tom and get him to the physician quickly. You still have to get ready for your party…” Her voice trailed off into the breeze. “Your father would kill me if you were not all cleaned up for the festivities!”
The boat was approaching the shoreline now. In the distance could be seen a massive house sticking up from the trees. It looked expensive and rustic. It reminded Tom of a nice villa he had seen in a glamour magazine. Tom turned to Brian, his eyes were wide. He had no idea that the kid was this rich. It made sense now that he thought of it, what with a mounted harpoon gun that could kill an anchor shark and a personal boat large enough to haul it.
“Is this your father’s house?”
Brian smiled.
“Yeah. I am also having a birthday party today. My dad has hired a few people to set up some stuff in back. Everything should be ready by seven thirty. The guests should be arriving around that time. I hate all this attention though. Being in the spotlight is just not me. My father goes all out with these types of things. It’s almost like tradition to do so; it’s in my family history.”
Maren leaned over and pushed Tom.
“If you are healthy enough you can join us at the party. I am sure Mr. Tash wouldn’t mind having you. I am sure he would love to hear your story about the shark and the taxi cab.”
“I am sure he would, but I have to contact the authorities about my friend,” said Tom firmly, as his voice began to crack. He tried to control himself. “Someone has murdered a dear friend of mine, and I will not stand by until something is done about it. I want justice.”
The people on the boat got silent. The only thing that was heard was the engine switching over to low gear. They were pulling up to the wooden dock now. Rose cut the power and let the thing drift slowly into place and the boat bumped the side of the dock. When it came to a stop Rose grabbed a rope and tied the thing down. Maren came out of her seat and walked over to the pulley system. She started messing with the straps that held the shark in place and began to hoist it onto the dock.
A man in a black suit was waiting for them at the edge of the pier. He had his hands behind his back and he looked rather large and intimidating.
“How was the trip?” He called out when the boats motors quieted.
Brian stood up.
“It was amazing, Mark. We actually found the shark! He was a few miles down the coast. We didn’t have to tread deep waters like my father said; we didn’t even get that close!”
“That’s good news.” He looked over to Tom and his expression went cold. “Who’s your new friend?”
Brian turned around.
“Oh, this is Tom.” He walked over to Tom and helped him to his feet. “We found him floating in the ocean, near the bay in the city. He needs help.” He turned to Mark. “Can you give me a hand with him? I want to take him to Dr. Flint.”
Mark nodded his head.
“Certainly, Brian.” He jumped into the boat and walked over to them. Tom let his body rest on top of their shoulders as they helped him out of the boat and started down the pier. The Fantas Estate loomed high in the air before them.
“Is my father home?” asked Brian
“He is,” said Mark. “I believe he’s entertaining some guest’s right now.” They stepped off the wooden dock and headed up the sandy embankment. Their feet crunched down on the nicely groomed lawn. “There should be a motor car around the tree here. We can put Tom on that and take him to Dr. Flint.”
“Have the guests already started arriving? I thought they weren’t coming until seven or so.” Brian looked over to Mark with concern. “Am I late? I wouldn’t want to seem rude or anything.”
“No, you’re fine. The guest’s that Mr. Fantas is entertaining, are not party guests. They’re here strictly on business. I doubt they will even go to your party.”
Tom mentally tuned in at the word “Fantas”. It sounded a lot like the name on the address that the dock worker had given him. He remembered Lee talking about how his uncle had a big house by the coast, with a lot of boats. He remembered him calling it the Fantas Estate in the note. Was this really the house? Were Lee and Marten here? He turned and there was excitement in his voice.
“Are the guests that Mr. Fantas is entertaining, are the by chance Marten and Lee?”
Mark stopped suddenly as the names were mentioned. The muscles at his jaw began to expanded and twitch uncontrollably. His eyes looked questioningly at Tom for a second. He let go and stepped back a few paces. He placed his hand inside his suit coat and gripped his semi automatic tightly. He slowed his breathing down to steady himself. He was charged up and ready to go. The Fantas family was well known in the crime community of Aggerton City, and had a lot of enemies.
Brian struggled suddenly under Tom’s weight.
“Mark!” he gripped Tom and turned slightly. “Where did you go? I need help!” Suddenly Mark’s semi-automatic was against Tom’s chest and Brian was forced back out of the way as Mark lifted Tom by the neck of his shirt.
“How do you know their names?” demanded Mark.
“They’re friends of mine.” Tom said, confused and frightened by the sudden turn of events.
“They’re your friends, huh?” There was a lot of skepticism in Mark’s words. He didn’t seem to buy the story. “How do I know that they’re friends of yours? How do I know that you’re not a spy sent from the Rican family?” He asked pressing his gun a little harder into Tom’s chest.
“What’s the matter with you, Mark?” asked Brian. “We found him in the ocean, miles away from anything. He was on the brink of dying!”
“Sounds like a good alibi to me,” said Mark. He looked Tom up and down. He didn’t trust him. “Sounds like they planned it this way.”
Brian was getting frustrated.
“He’s not armed, and he’s not a part of the Rican family. Give me a hand with him or I’ll have you fired!”
Mark paused, he looked as if he were contemplating the situation. After a minute he withdrew his hand from his coat and walked back over to Tom. He searched his arms and chest for any weapons or tattoos that might link him to the Rican family in the city. No emotion crossed his face as he did so.
“He’s clean,” said Mark almost disappointedly. “I am going to tell Mr. Tash about this. He might want to question Tom, here, personally.”
“Okay, fine, whatever. Just help me get him to the cart.”
Mark took Tom by the arm again and helped carry him to the motor car; once everyone was inside, they drove toward the Fantas Estate in the distance. Mark didn’t take his eyes off of Tom the whole time. No one said a word and the tension was still strong.
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