Chapter 2: I've Got a Bad Feeling
"Son of a bitch, did you see the computer?"
"Yeah, I see part of it over there, some of it behind me on the wall, and I'm pretty sure a few of the keys from the keyboard are under the chair. Bloody hell, who would do this?"
Emma could hear the raised voices of Liam and Killian at the back of the shop as soon as she entered. "Hello?"
As she walked into the office, her mouth dropped. There was glass everywhere, the laptop was twisted into a shape that it definitely should not be in, and there was a slow steam of water pouring from atop the shelves. "What the hell happened in here?"
"Probably some teenagers having a last hurrah before summer break is over." Liam groaned.
"Teenagers? Even I wasn't this rebellious." She said seriously, unsure of who would cause this kind of carnage to their business.
"I beg to differ." Killian began as Emma shot him a dirty look.
"Look, let's just get this cleaned up, we have a noon birthday party, and you know we always push off on time." Liam interrupted, putting them back to work as he stomped around the room.
"Brother, who are you kidding? This is a mess; it's going to cost a fortune to replace…"
"I said, get this cleaned up." Liam's voice rumbled above Killian's before he paused, running a hand through his hair. "Just…just get a broom and make yourself useful for a change." Killian growled angrily as he brushed past her into the other room, leaving her alone with Liam.
"He's just concerned about you, as am I."
Liam growled. "You think I don't know that this is going to set us back?"
"I know that you know that more than any of us. But don't lash out at him for pointing it out. You won't tell us what is going on, but we both know something is wrong. And we both know this isn't going to help the situation."
He sighed. "You're right, I know that. I just…" He sat down hard in his chair. "It wasn't supposed to be this hard." He whispered softly.
"It doesn't have to be, Lee. Talk to me." She pleaded with him, his sad face still that of the young boy who had consoled her after her parents had died.
"I never wanted the two of you to worry about anything, it's always been my job to protect you both." He said sadly.
"Because you made it your job, not because anyone asked you to. We're adults, Lee. We don't need you to protect us anymore."
"Don't remind me." He said with a chuckle.
Killian entered the room quickly, looking between the two of them. "Monkey boy is back."
"Son of a…" Liam stood and left the room angrily.
"Monkey boy?" She inquired as Killian started to sweep the floor of the remaining glass.
"Some guy looking for Blackbeard's bounty, offering a pretty penny for it too. But as expected, Liam turned him down yesterday."
"You know he has rules, no real treasure hunters." She shrugged, tossing some of the garbage into the trash can.
"Yeah well, if things are as serious as he's acting right now, you gotta follow the money, or else we're goin' under baby." He said with a terse smile, trying to lighten the mood and failing miserably.
She started to reply when they heard Liam's voice ring out from the other room. "I already told you mate, we're booked."
Emma shrugged as Killian stared at her again. "He has rules." She replied with a final shrug.
Killian finished cleaning the deck as Emma ascended the stairs from below. "I think everything is done, finally." She exclaimed as she wiped the sweat off her forehead. Killian bit his lip, ignoring the way his stomach flipped as sweat beads dripped down her chest, disappearing beneath her white tank top.
He swallowed. "'Bout time, I've been done for ages, ya slow poke."
"Bullshit." She countered.
"I'm starving." He patted his stomach. "Fancy a grilled cheese at Granny's? I'll pay." He sang.
"You had me at grilled cheese, Jones." She smiled and he wrapped an arm around her shoulder as they headed down the plank toward the docks.
"I do know the way to your heart, Swan." He mused, enjoying the quiet walk the rest of the way to Granny's. When they entered, he saw the grey-haired woman nod in his direction before taking a worrisome glance in the direction of their usual booth. Seated in the spot usually reserved for them was the man that Emma had flirted with at the bar, the rich monkey man, and a woman he had not seen before.
The three of them were deep in discussion until the man recognized Emma, the rigid male seated across from him turned in their direction. Emma slid into the booth behind them, and Killian felt everyone's gaze shift to her.
"Hey Ems, just the sexy woman I was looking for." Killian narrowed his eyes in the man's direction, he was sure Emma had told him the man's name was Nick, or perhaps Norman.
"Hey Neal."
That's right, the bastard's name was Neal, Killian thought, sliding into the seat across from Emma but directly behind bastard Neal and the woman seated next to him who seemed to be the only one not staring appreciatively at the marvel of the woman beside him, his Emma.
His.
Normally he wasn't this protective of Emma, but there was something about that bugger, bastard, Neal that made him want to shield Emma from his advances. The attentive male was straining himself in his seat to face her. "I was wondering what you could do about getting your partner to let us rent your boat?"
"Oh…" Emma glanced at Killian anxiously.
"Sorry, we're all booked." Killian shrugged.
"Did he let you know I offered him five hundred thousand dollars for a week of his services?" Monkey man started to speak before words stopped making sense, and Killian almost fell out of his seat.
"Bloody hell, did you say five hundred thousand?" Killian looked at Emma who had her mouth practically on the table. That kind of money would get them through more than one off season, they could survive on that for a while. He couldn't believe that Liam was refusing something that clearly could help them out.
"Surely that would pay for whatever cancellations he would need to tend to in order to accommodate."
"He won't do it." Emma shrugged.
"You seem so sure?" The man inquired.
"I know Liam." She met the man's gaze with such assurance that even Killian wouldn't dare question her.
"What if I could sweeten the pot, based on the state of your shop this morning, it seems you might be in need of some extra cash."
Killian glanced at Emma, and she shook her head, he knew he should let it rest, Liam was never going to take them out on the ship, but he was curious now. "How much sweeter are we talking about?" He felt Emma kick him under the table, but he turned anyway toward the group in the booth behind them.
"I'll double it." He said coolly.
Killian whistled appreciatively. "You really want to waste that kind of money searching for something that can't be found?"
"I'm good at finding things that can't be found." He remarked with a serious face.
"It doesn't matter. Liam doesn't take out serious treasure seekers." Emma stepped in and Killian shot her a warning glance.
"And why is that?" Neal asked with a shrug. "What does it hurt him if we look?"
"Liam sees that treasure as nothing but trouble. He used to spend every summer when he was a teen, sailing those islands looking for that damn treasure with his dad. That's all they did until it consumed them, and then his dad was gone, all those years spent searching for something they were never going to find instead of embracing what we already had." She shook her head and Killian swallowed heavily, he remembered how lost Liam was after his father passed, how angry he was when he would go sailing, how much he cursed the treasure for things that had nothing to do with any of it. "Anyway, he swore we would focus on fun for the family adventures, and that's what we do. So as much as we'd love to waste your money, it's not our decision to make."
"Pity." The monkey man said dryly, and suddenly it dawned on him what the man's name was.
"Where's the monkey." Killian asked, changing the subject.
"Nikko was tired tonight."
"Is it like a gimmick?"
"I beg your pardon."
"The monkey. Isn't it kind of ironic that your last name is Ozman and you have a monkey? Doesn't anyone else find that just a tad hilarious?"
"No." he said, returning his attention to his food.
Killian turned back to Emma and shrugged. "I thought it was funny." Emma grinned but resisted laughing. He whispered across the table, "Seriously though, a million dollars, there's a lot of things I'd do for that kind of money."
"Honestly, that really doesn't surprise me." She said with a playful raise of her eyebrow, just as Granny sat their usual food in front of them and wandered away with a distrustful glance at the table behind them.
"Sod off and eat your food, smart ass."
Emma's alarm clock continued blaring as she rubbed her eyes. She could see a glint of sunlight peeking through her curtains, the breeze blowing lightly against the fabric. This was her favorite time of year, the end of summer when the temperatures cooled a bit, and the tourists started to make their way back home, leaving them with the peace and quiet of their oasis.
Emma had never known any other home except for the island, she had been born here, and she remained here after her parents died. There was nowhere else that she wanted to wake up in the morning.
Looking around her messy apartment, the stark white sheets of the bed around her, she amended her thought, perhaps she wouldn't mind waking up with something warmer in the bed next to her.
Emma hadn't dated in years, not since she spent that one summer with August Booth, who visited the island with his father. She had just graduated high school, working on the ship with Liam and Killian, it was the first time she filled out her bikini top and boys began noticing her on the tours. She hit it off with August almost immediately, it was like she had known him her entire life. They spent every moment they could together, and Emma was sure that she had never felt this way before and would never feel anything like it again.
And then summer ended, and he went back home to the mainland, and Emma never heard from him again. After that she stopped taking relationships seriously, she'd date a tourist here and there, but they never stayed, it was safe, easy, and totally unsatisfying.
She knew all the locals, had grown up with every man on the island. Besides, dating someone you had known your whole life wasn't as easy as just dressing up for dinner and forgetting your entire past.
And then there was Killian…her…brother, perhaps. Only he didn't feel like her brother. She had known Killian for as long as she could remember, and after her parents died, they basically took her in, gave her a home, a family, memories…Liam and Killian became her brothers, her best friends, her partners, and well…anything else would just be weird right?
Except sometimes, the way Killian looked at her, had her heart stopping, and her head thinking that maybe it was more than that.
Only it wasn't. Because it couldn't be, they were practically related, and besides, he was Killian.
Emma yanked a shirt off the ground and sniffed it. Thankfully it still smelled acceptable because she hadn't done laundry in a week. She wandered through her apartment, gathering items from the floor, and dragging them to the bathroom to get ready for another day on the ship. She loved her life, she wouldn't trade it for anything, only sometimes when she was looking at her reflection in the mirror, like she was this morning, she wondered if there was something more, something she was missing.
She tugged her shirt over her head and ran a brush through her hair. She was going to be late for work, she would need to ponder the mysteries of her life another time.
Twenty minutes later, she was parking her yellow bug in her spot at the dock, slamming the door shut as she ran toward the shack at the end of the pier.
"You're late…again." Killian groaned as she walked through the door.
"And you're still ugly." She spat back, throwing her bag under the counter.
"You wound a man, Swan. This face is a work of art."
"Yeah, a Picasso." She teased as Liam slammed the front door, causing both Killian and Emma to jump at the intrusion.
"Change of plans." He announced with a frown. "We need to pack for a longer adventure, we're taking the Jolly out for a week."
Killian sat up and stared at his brother. "The Blackbeard expedition? I thought you turned them down."
"Yeah well, money talks." He grunted, opening one of the crates lined up against the shack's walls.
"Hell yeah." Killian exclaimed excitedly. "Five hundred big ones."
Liam looked up with a gleam in his eye. "Double that, little brother."
"Bloody hell." The brothers both looked up at Emma as she spoke. "Sorry, that's just a lot of money, and I honestly thought they were joking yesterday."
"Aye it is, and frankly, we need all the money we can get." Liam remarked as he threw some supplies in a few duffle bags. "I don't like involving either of you in our finances, but this excursion will change all of that. We won't have to worry about selling the business now."
"Wait, you were going to sell the business?" Killian paused, staring at his brother.
"Like I said, we don't have to do any of that now, all we need to do is get through the week and we're set."
Emma and Killian exchanged a worried glance, Emma knew that things had been bad, but she had no idea that the entire business was on the line. Liam grabbed a few of the items and carried them out of the shop to the ship as Killian followed behind her. She went to the back to grab her extra duffle where she kept her clothes and threw some items in the bag.
One million dollars for one week of sailing. Surely, it wasn't going to be that simple, she thought as she slammed the door closed behind her.
Liam looked around the deck the moment they dropped anchor, watching his new guests as they wandered around the boat, staring out at the horizon. He had a nervous feeling about the group he agreed to take out on this excursion, but a million dollars was a lot of money to turn down. That kind of cash would ease their troubles for the rest of their lives and allow him to invest in a lot of equipment that needed repaired or replaced.
He observed the group, mostly keeping an eye on the man who Emma had flirted with at the bar who seemed overly obsessed with pushing his attention on her. It wasn't unusual for men to find Emma attractive, but there was something unsettling about the way the man stared at her, almost animalistic and overly assertive.
However, he also observed the opposite behavior from the woman they brought with them, Tamara, who appeared to be watching the interaction between the two with a heightened level of jealousy. Liam had seen a few cat fights in his day, usually over his little brother, but this felt different.
And then there was Walsh, the man appeared to be out of place with the trio. He was clearly in charge of their operation, the money man, as Liam had taken to calling him. He could tell the man had barely spent a day out of a suit and tie by the way he continued to tug and yank nervously on his beach wear. Liam hadn't determined the motive behind this operation, but a team building exercise on a hunt for a fake treasure, clearly wasn't the goal.
"So, tell us Captain…" The man interrupted him as he approached, the creepy monkey glaring at him from the man's shoulder. "What is it with you and the mighty legend of Blackbeard that your little island seems so happy to keep secret from the world."
"I wouldn't say the legend is a secret, you found your way here." He paused before turning to the rest of the attentive listeners. "Years ago, a man by the name of Edward Teach washed up on this island. He claimed to have no recollection of his previous life, no memory of how he had come to be found down on that shore. He lived a quiet life alone on one of the more secluded corners of our big island. Until one day…pirates invaded the tiny town, burning everything to the ground."
Liam knew this tale like the back of his hand, it was the only way his father could get Killian to sleep at night, so it was told often.
"No one knew why the pirates chose this tiny island, why they attacked it so violently as the settlers there were simple folk, with a small village, and no resources to mine. But they told tale of a pirate, Blackbeard, who had turned on his crew and taken their bounty with him. When the townsfolk told them that they had not seen such a ruthless man, they warned of a man with a tattoo of a horned skeleton toasting the devil with a spear through a heart. It was only then that the town realized that the man they were seeking was Edward Teach."
"So, he lived on the island all those years, and no one ever saw any treasure?" Neal asked.
"The man barely had enough money to purchase ale when he came to town, no one suspected him of hiding anything. However, when the pirates were led to Teach's home, a fight ensued, and he was mortally wounded. Legend says that before he died, he told his former crew that they would never find the cursed loot, vowing that it would rest at the bottom of the ocean for all eternity."
"Surely they searched the island, how did they not find anything?"
"Many believe that he rid himself of the treasure long before he got to the island, after he washed ashore, no one ever found his ship or anything belonging to the man, so he must have hidden it somewhere else." Killian interrupted. "There are a multitude of islands around the big one we call home; it could have been anywhere. Many thought he might have hidden it in the cave of the abyss."
"My father and I searched them all, every island near our home found on a map, even the damn cave of the abyss, that treasure is a myth, plain and simple." Liam said assuredly.
"Perhaps it's not on the map." Walsh spoke up.
"I would think if there was an island around here not on the map, I would have found it by now. You don't really think you're the only person who has come looking in all these years?" Liam laughed.
"If you have enough money, you'd be amazed at the things you can find." He said seriously, causing the hair on Liam's neck to stand on end. There was something about the man that truly bothered him.
"Well, you aren't going to find any of those mythical islands on this trip, I'll take you to the ones on the map, but that's as far as we go." Liam responded, looking over at Emma. "Dinner?"
Emma stood and disappeared into the belly of the ship, Killian following her. "I hope you enjoy the food; we'll be sure to deliver it as soon as it's finished. You should find seating to your liking over there." He pointed behind him.
"Is your team not joining us?" Neal asked anxiously.
"My team has things to prepare for tomorrow. We'll see you in the morning." He turned, climbing down the stairs into the ship. He found Killian and Emma at the counter, setting food on trays to take to their guests. "Watch yourself around these people." He warned. "I've got a bad feeling about this entire expedition."
"Aye, Aye Captain!" Emma saluted with a wink. "We've got this under control. You just need to relax, Lee."
"Yeah, that's what they always say right before everything starts to go wrong." Liam grumbled, stalking toward his cabin to go over the maps one more time.