King's Bay, Madagascar
In the hour-long drive to the watchtower on the docks of King's Bay City compared to the one in the city centre market, Sara routinely checked in with Shoreline teams. Samuel was surprised that none of them had worked out yet that Sara wasn't one of them, with the man making remarks every time she got a response.
"What if they know?" Samuel said after a while as they drove closer to the tower.
"Know?" Sara looked at him. The radio had been placed on the windscreen between them, lying sideways.
"Yeah," Samuel said, adjusting himself in the seat. Sitting in the same spot for an hour wasn't comfortable. "What if they know it's us, so they're lying to trick us." Sara frowned but nodded. She understood that the fear was there, that they could be leading them into a trap.
Sara sighed, finally looking away from her brother. "Only one way we're going to find out." Samuel groaned in response. Sara's body jerked as Samuel pressed on the accelerator, driving the Jeep faster. Clearly, the man just wanted to get to the tower and back to Nathan as soon as possible. Sara looked at him again. "You wanna know something?"
"What?" He spoke gruffly.
"You're a much better driver than Nate," Sara smirked. Samuel turned to look at her, the pair sharing a look before they burst out laughing. Samuel found himself relaxing a little. It was nice that he and his sister were finally getting along, the tension that once existed between the siblings dispersing.
When Nathan told him that he'd found Sara, he didn't know what to feel at that moment. There was joy that she'd been found after so many years, but there was guilt. Guilt that he wasn't there for the moment, guilt that he wasn't there for her the last fourteen years as Nathan had been. As they looked away from one another, he kept wondering if their relationship would be different had he not been in that prison for the last fifteen years, but then again, had Nathan not assumed his death, the urge to find their sister would never have happened.
"Did you ever think to look for us?" Samuel asked out of the blue.
Sara's brows furrowed. "Look for you guys? You mean like hunting down my birth family?"
"Yeah."
She sighed, rubbing her forehead. "I didn't even know I had siblings." He sent her a look, which only made the woman roll her eyes. "I was abandoned as a baby Samuel. A ward of the state. All I knew was that my parents didn't want me. Hell, for all I knew, my mum was a single mother who left me on the steps of the orphanage."
Samuel frowned. In contrast, he wanted to be upset with her for not looking for them as they did for her in their youth before Nathan used his connections through Victor Sullivan to find her. He couldn't judge her if she never knew they existed or if she assumed she'd been abandoned by a mother or parents who didn't want her. Samuel knew that their mother cared for them. He remembered how she doted on her three children, even when Nathan had been too young to remember and Sara was just a newborn. "She loved us." He stated, sparing a glance at her from the corner of his eyes. "She would always tuck us in and read to us. I remember her singing lullabies to you every chance she got."
"Thank you, Sam." Sara smiled, a warmth taking over her body at Samuel's words. Nathan had nothing to speak about their mother. All he had was Cassandra's old journal to hand down to Sara. Cassandra had been a learned woman, someone well educated with a great love for history, such a love that it led her to want to find ruins and artefacts that had been lost to time. Sara had admired that about the woman. She wanted to be just like her, to follow in her mother's footsteps despite Nathan's objections due to the dangers of the treasure-hunting lifestyle.
Samuel was smiling from the reaction he got from Sara, glad he could pull a smile from her. While he was initially concerned about bringing her along, he was happy she was here, giving them a chance to connect and build a bond just like she had built with Nathan.
They spent the rest of the drive in silence, with Samuel parking the Jeep away from the watchtower for them to make the last bit of the journey on foot. No need for them to announce themselves with the sounds of a loud engine. Before exiting, Sara made one final radio call, learning that there should be around ten mercenaries at this tower and that they had yet to find anything. Both siblings didn't know what they expected to find at the old tower, but what mattered was that they found whatever it was first. Samuel took the lead, gun at the ready down by his side as Sara followed behind, her own weapon drawn. They used the surrounding buildings and shacks to their advantage, sneaking through the shadows where the guards couldn't spot them.
"Wait here. Let me clear out the area." Samuel whispered, not taking his eyes off a guard that stood a few feet from them.
"Okay," Sara whispered back. She watched Samuel move forward, waiting for the man to turn his back on his brother. As he did, Samuel launched forward, wrapping a hand around the guard's mouth to smother protests as his other hand gripped the man's neck. A popping sound could be heard as the guard's body went limp in Samuel's arms. He dragged the body back around the corner to Sara, hiding it from sight. Sara went to check the man's pulse, her eyes widening as there was none. She looked to Samuel, her brother, not caring that he'd just killed a man. If the guard had spotted them, it would be their life or his. All these mercenaries had been given the order to shoot on sight when it came to them. Rafe and Nadine didn't want to take any chances with the Morgan siblings and Victor Sullivan finding Henry Avery's treasure. Nathan was a legend in the treasure-hunting community. Everyone knew of him and his success.
Samuel noticed her discomfort. "You good?" All she could do was nod, afraid to trust her own voice at that stage. "Stay here." He ordered again, sneaking off and leaving her alone with the body. She glanced down at the dead man, grimacing. With a shake of her head, she moved away from the body, putting some distance between her and the corpse. She didn't want to be anywhere near it.
She had been waiting a while when she started to hear the gunfire. Sara frowned. She moved out of the foliage, staying low as she moved through the ruins, following the trail of bodies Samuel had left behind. Sara rolled her eyes as she noticed Samuel got careless as he went, starting to hide the bodies only to leave them in plain sight. It was obvious as to how he got caught and now had men firing at him. As she neared the location where the sounds of gunfire originated, she moved her gun up, ready to fire. As she turned the corner, she found herself standing behind three guards, firing up at a ledge where she assumed her brother was taking cover.
With a deep breath, she aimed, shooting fast and nailing a guard in the back of the head. He fell forward, alerting the other two to her presence. She jumped back, taking cover back around the corner as they began firing on her. "Sam!" She yelled out to her brother.
"Sara!" Samuel looked over the ledge, seeing one of the men die on the ground and the other two moving on where he assumed his sister was. "Fuck." He began firing, making the two mercenaries take cover or risk being shot. With his and Sara's positions, they had them pinned. Samuel took time to fire, ducking back behind the ledge whenever one of the men would move to fire on him, and Sara did the same from the broken wall she was hiding behind. Samuel could land enough shots, removing one of the guards and leaving a single man standing.
Sara peeked out around the wall, noticing that the mercenary was reaching for his radio. The last thing they needed was the man calling out for reinforcements. As the guard stood, radio in one hand and his gun in the other, he fired off some rounds at Samuel. Sara bolted forward, ripping the radio from his grip before he could press the receiver, not trusting herself to take a shot in the stressful situation. The man spun on her, his gun raised at her face, ready to fire. A single shot rang out, the gun dropping from his hands as a bullet tore through his shoulder. Sara grabbed the man's head in both hands, slamming his skull down into her raised knee, using the moment of disorientation to slam his head into the brick fence beside him, a loud crack hitting her ears as she shattered his skull. The body slumped to the floor by her feet, her breath heavy as she stared down at the man.
"Fuck, Sara. Ya good?" Samuel yelled out to her, watching her as he now stood. His eyes widened as he watched his baby sister demolish the man's skull. "Nate really should have warned me about you being able to handle yourself."
"Guns are a no. But I can find other means to kick your ass." She yelled back, smiling up at him.
Samuel laughed. "Yeah, I can see that." He jumped down from the ledge, rushing over to his sister and observing her as she continued to calm her breathing. Sara looked at Samuel. She threw her arms around him when he got close, her arms around his neck and pulling the taller man down to her. "Woah!" Samuel yelped, not expecting the embrace.
"Thank fuck you're okay!" She mumbled into his chest. "Fuck Sam, this is why Nate didn't want you going alone!" Guilt overwhelmed Samuel as his sister squished him tightly in her arms. Sighing, his arms slowly wrapped around her, holding her close. When she finally pulled away, he let her. "Fucking hell, Sam!" She shoved him. He chuckled at how easily her mood shifted due to her concern for his well-being. "Next time, I'm not sitting with my ass in the dirt while you risk getting shot at! I've heard enough second-hand stories about Nate's shenanigans that I don't need them from you too!"
"I'll try not to get shot anymore." Samuel continued to chuckle, only earning more shoves and light hits from the smaller woman. "Okay! Okay! Enough! I've got enough bruises from you!"
"Clearly, you don't!" She snapped, smacking him again. Samuel pulled her back into a hug, silencing the woman as her voice became muffled in his chest. She stopped fighting him, her arms limp at her side as she gave up trying to escape his embrace. "You're a dick." She spoke, finally able to speak as his grip lessened.
"Love you too, Sara," Samuel spoke at the top of her head, earning a loud groan from his sister. When he let her go, he was surprised when she reached up to peck his cheek, leaving the man stunned as she moved away from him. He smiled at her. He wanted the relationship Sara and Nathan had, that sibling bond. He had fourteen years to catch up to Nathan but a lifetime to catch up to in general. Samuel chuckled to himself, shaking his head when Sara asked if he was coming. "Yeah, I'm comin'." He jogged up behind her as they entered the main floor of the watchtower, Sara leaning down to wipe away the dust that had gathered over the sigil.
"This dust is new. I think they've been using dynamite here." She sighed, feeling the softness of the sand between her fingers. It wasn't weathered down and compacted. "Surprised none of the local police have home poking around."
Samuel scoffed. "They're just as bad as the criminals they arrest. They won't come running to gunfire and explosions." Samuel moved past her, opening up a crate and inspecting its contents. "Looky here!" He held out its content, dancing a single stick of dynamite between his fingers. Samuel smirked at the frown that formed on his sister's face. The woman was really beginning to hate dynamite. "Upset they were blowing up the precious historical tower?"
"Yes," She seethed, continuing to move the dust. "Thought you'd be upset too. What if they destroyed important evidence that helped us find the treasure?"
Samuel scoffed. "We'd find it. We're smarter than Rafe, Nadine and Shoreline combined."
"Maybe Nate and I are." Sara teased, winking at her brother.
"Hey!" Samuel looked at her with mock hurt. "You know you just included Victor in with me, right?" Sara shrugged, standing up once the dust was finally gone. Samuel put the dynamite away, coming over to his sister to stare back at the sigil. Joseph Farrel. "Damn. Nate was right…we got the wrong tower."
"Well, at least we know now," Sara commented, patting the man on the shoulder.
"Yeah." He sighed, clearly not happy about having picked the wrong tower. Samuel really wanted to find that treasure.
Sara wanted to chuckle at his clear disappointment but paused when her phone dinged. Pulling it out of her back pocket, she noticed she had a missed call from Sullivan. She blamed the lousy reception. She held the device out, Samuel watching as she tried calling the older man on speaker.
"Sara! Finally, you okay?"
"Yeah, we're good. Had some goons we had to take out, but our tower was a dead end." Sara answered, looking at Samuel.
"Yeah, well, we're definitely in the right place. Make your way over here."
"Are you serious? Okay, we're on our way." Samuel interjected. He was already running back to the Jeep before Sara could end the call. She shook her head. The man was just a giant child. Before stuffing the phone into the back pocket of her jeans, she snapped a photo of the sigil, texting it through to Sullivan for Nathan to see. When Sara jumped into the passenger seat, Samuel already had the vehicle's engine going. Their next stop is the King's Bay market.
As Samuel drove, Sara grabbed the radio, turning the device on and listening for any noteworthy reports. During the drive, Nathan would text her through Sullivan's phone occasionally, needing assistance identifying pirates and their sigils. It wasn't until they were on the city's outskirts that they heard the radio buzzing to life.
"Nathan Drake's location confirmed. Market clock tower. Kill on sight."
Sara and Samuel shared a look, her phone dinging as Nathan rang. She didn't hesitate to pick it up. "Nate, they have your location!"
"I know. He hacked our phones! He has everything and our locations! Destroy your phones!"
Sara's eyes widened. "When you say hacked, and he has everything, what do you mean…?" She asked hesitantly.
"Sara, what do you have on your phone? Rafe asked about the messages between you and Emma."
Sara didn't hesitate to use all her strength to snap her phone in two, the action earning a swear from Samuel as he watched. Sara felt her cheeks heat up as the blush began to form on her face. The bastard had hacked her phone. Hacked her phone and read the text messages she'd sent to Emma about how the two almost had sex back in the cathedral and how she wanted him to continue. She wanted to scream and punch something.
"Sara?" Samuel asked, trying to keep his eyes on the road.
"Fine," she seethed between her teeth. "Just going to clock that bastard in the face when I see him." Samuel let out a bark of laughter. He would pay good money to watch his sister rip Rafe Adler to shreds.
As soon as the sibling hit the city, Sara and Samuel split up. While Sara wasn't fond of the idea, Samuel was correct when he informed her that he'd have better luck saving Nathan alone. It was true. While Sara had training in hand-to-hand combat, she was nothing compared to Nadine's army of gun-wielding mercenaries, especially as they had orders to shoot on sight when it came to Victor Sullivan and the Morgan siblings.
With the Shorelines radio attached to her belt, Sara stole a scarf from an abandoned market stall to cover her head with. The entirety of the city had been abandoned as people had fled gunfire, made obvious by the various bullet holes that had destroyed stalls and furniture and marked buildings and footpaths. Sara could easily trace Nathan and Sullivan's route in their escape from the watchtower, which Samuel would have followed to go after his baby brother.
Sara needed to make it back to their motel. Hopefully, she could be safe there if she could somehow find her way there. King's Bay City was large, but the layout was cluttered and maze-like, with the buildings being so close together, with just enough space between them for a single car to move past. Sara had to use it to her advantage to sneak past any Shoreline guards patrolling her group's area. She wondered if Rafe had hacked their phone so he knew about their motel. If he did, had he been there? Had he discovered Nathan's research pinned up on the wall of the shared room with Samuel and Sullivan? Sara frowned at the thought.
Every time she reached a corner, she had to stop, listening as she peered around the corners on the lookout for Shoreline. They would travel around in groups of four, armed with heavy artillery like they were entering a war zone. Either Nadine was expecting the Drakes to fight back hard, or the woman was really holding a grudge after the last two run-ins she had with Nathan. The first involves a fight at the Rossi Estate that ends with her throwing Nathan out a window, and the second, when he tricked one of her men into activating a trap that almost had her falling to her death. Yeah. The Brit was clearly holding a grudge.
The radio hanging off her belt would occasionally buzz, giving her tidbits of information. Thanks to those reports, she knew that Sullivan and Nathan had separated, and the bulk of Shoreline troops were chasing her brother, allowing Sullivan to slip away and hide. Sara was thankful for that. The man was in his late sixties now. He didn't have the same level of strength and stamina as Nathan did to keep up with all the danger, even if the older man said otherwise. When the motel was in sight, the radio buzzed again. Nathan and Samuel Drake were together. It made Sara smile that Samuel was able to find their brother, fulfilling his promise to save Nathan. She just hoped the two could keep out of danger long enough to escape the armies of Shoreline that Nadine was throwing down upon them.
Sara raced for the door of her motel room, pulling out the old and old worn metal key she'd gotten when she checked in. She bolted inside, slamming the door with enough force to shake the door frame and sliding the deadbolt lock into place. Turning her back to the timber, her body slumped against the wood, her head thrown back, and her eyes closed. She tried to calm her breathing as her heart thundered within her chest. The fear, adrenaline and humidity weren't agreeing with her at the moment.
When her green eyes finally opened, she swore, ripping the scarf from her head and tossing it to a small table by the front door. She shuffled into the room and flicked on the light switch.
"Hello, Sara." The voice is just as charming as ever and oozes smugness.
There on her dingy motel bed sat Rafe. He was staring up at her with such a mischievous glint that she immediately knew what he was thinking about. The heat rose to her cheeks again as the blush spread. She was going to kill Emma. That blasted woman always had a knack for bringing out the stupid in Sara, leading the brunette into regretful actions.
Rafe glanced down briefly, typing away on his phone with one hand. He was calm. He didn't expect Sara to try and run. Shoreline was already waiting outside the motel if she did. She knew this. This man had planned for that because he knew she would flee, just like she did the last two times.
"Tell me," He spoke casually, finally looking back at her as he closed his phone. "How did you manage to get out of those handcuffs?"
Her mouth formed a tight line as she bitterly told him. "I was hiding a lock pick in my bra, which you clearly missed while you were copping a feel."
Rafe stood, striding towards her and leaning down close to her ear to whisper. "I clearly remember you mewling like a cat in heat while I was 'copping a feel'." She could feel the smirk in his breath. Rafe took the radio and pistol from her belt, taking extra steps to remove the bullets and break down the weapon, tossing the items on top of the abandoned scarf.
Sara bit the inside of her cheek. She had to play this smart. One wrong move, and she could end up dead. "The adrenaline got to me." She remarked. Fuck playing it safe. She was a Morgan. It was sarcasm all in, like the chips at a casino cards table. Rafe chuckled, the sound tickling the side of her face. He grabbed her chin in a single hand, angling her head toward him as his own was tilted to the side in a flirtatious manner. "Does Nadine know you're misbehaving?"
"I pay her enough not to question me." His eyes were tracing her delectable little pouty lips. Rafe's thumb moved from her chin, running along her bottom lip near-bruisingly. The thrill sent that familiar chill down her spine. "And I can pay you enough too."
Sara's brows furrowed. "You think you can buy me away from Nate?"
Rafe chuckled, finally letting go of her chin. His lips were pursed as a smug grin stretched across his face. "Sara Evelyn Briggs. Daughter of Jonathan and Sherry Briggs. Lawyers out of Boston who run their own law firm." As he explained the information he'd gathered on her, Sara's blood began to run cold. "Fourteen years ago, Nathan Drake recruited you when you were freshly graduated from Stanford University with a Bachelor's in History. Since then, you have played a major role in providing him with information you've researched to support his discoveries. Imagine what great things we could do together."
Sara stared at him. Some of his information was wrong. While yes, she started helping Nathan after she'd graduated, but it was still months early that she'd met him during the final weeks of her university days. Her eyes widened when the realisation hit her. Rafe didn't know that she was Nathan and Samuel's younger sister. If he did, she doubted he would still be flirting with her, and he would instead be using her as a bargaining chip to get her brothers back off Avery's treasure. Sara moved past him, lounging back on the bed, well aware of her position's effect on the man. "You just want me to help you gain some glory."
Rafe stood before her, leaning down over her form on the bed, his muscular arms holding him above her. "There are many things I want from you." The words slipped from his mouth like predatory growls, and his hazel eyes locked onto her green orbs. "And many things you want from me. Your texts with that Emma woman made that quite clear."
Sara pursed her lips at him. She wondered how long he would take to bring up those text messages. "Can't exactly lie my way out of those. But you do owe me a new phone, thanks to your hacking."
He was staring at her lips again. "I can arrange that in exchange…" Rafe left the statement open. She knew what the man wanted in exchange. Fuck, Sara could be easily tempted to give it away for free if her actions at the cathedral were anything to go by. He was closer to her own, his lips just hovering millimetres from hers. She couldn't help the lull that came over her, her lips parting, welcoming him. Rafe wasted no time in forcing his mouth on her, tongue dashing between her lips and relishing in the moans he pulled from her as he forced her back onto the bed. Her hands found themselves instinctively going to his hair again, a need to destroy that perfect slicked-backed hair every opportunity she got. Sara wasn't aware of when his dominant hand had slipped under her shirt, but she yelped into the kiss when he pinched the sensitive bud of her breast. Her sounds were only edging on his actions, his left hand finding her hip and slowly tracing down the length of her leg to her knee, hooking under and lifting, creating access between the apex of her thighs.
Sara swore as his lips found themselves on her neck, nipping at that same spot that was still tender from his last assault. "Rafe…" She rasped out his name, her free hand curling the shoulder of his t-shirt and with the other gripped tightly at his locks.
Rafe ripped himself away from the woman below him as the phone in his pocket went off. It was the second time he'd found himself interrupted while engaged with Sara, and it was two times too many for his liking. As he sat up on his knees, Sara's left leg between his hardened crotch, he pulled out his phone, Nadine's name flashing on the screen. He swore before answering. "Nadine…" Rafe hissed her name, his breathing hard. "This better be good news…"
"They got away."
Rafe looked down at Sara, observing as she tried to calm her own breathing, her chest rising and falling in a way that only made him want to throw the device across the room and fuck her right there. "Tell the men to meet at the rondeau point."
"You want us to retreat?" Nadine's tone was cold.
"Unless you can track them down, then yes." Rafe closed the phone, tucking it away. His eyes didn't leave Sara, a smirk forming on his lips as an idea hit his mind. Instantly, he gripped her wrist, pulling her up from the bed. Sara fought against him as he began to drag her towards the motel room door.
"Rafe! Let me go!" She tried using her weight against him, leaning away from him as he pulled her forward, the haze of arousal completely dispersed. When they didn't work, Sara tried jerking her wrist out of his grip, but it was too strong.
"Now, why would I do that?" His voice was just as smooth as it always was. He quickly unlatched the door and threw her out the door. As his grip lessened, Sara broke free and made to bolt, only to have Shoreline mercenaries aim their weapons right at her face. "Where will you go, Sara?" Rafe chuckled, slamming the door behind him and returned to her side, his hand now gripping her forearm. She didn't fight against him as he guided her to an awaiting Jeep, which must have pulled up after she arrived. Shoving her inside first, Rafe stepped in after her. The vehicle was fully enclosed, and if Sara had any guess, the shoreline Jeep was both armour-plated and bulletproof. Just extra enough for a group that tended to use dynamite whenever possible. Rafe put his arm on the back of the seat behind her, leaning in close. Her glare only made him chuckle again. "Nowhere to go. You and I are going to become quite close, Sara."
She would have punched him if it had not been for the two armed men in the front seat.
Ikopa Motel - King's Bay, Madagascar
Nathan gripped Samuel's waist as they drove into the motel parking lot, Sullivan waiting for them with the rented Jeep Nathan had left in with. The older male waved at them as he smoked one of his cigars. Samuel looked around as they parked, glad they hadn't been followed.
"All right, I think the coast is clear." He sighed, glancing back at his young brother.
Nathan was still trying to come down from his adrenaline high as he spoke. "Yeah. All right…" He pulled out his mother's journal and turned to the page with the latest entry, showing it to Samuel. "'Pro Deus quod licentia'. This looks like a simple cipher."
"'For god and Liberty'," Samuel quoted back in English. "It's their damn motto. All the 'paradise' references. I can't believe we missed it."
Sullivan walked over, having finished his cigar, smiling as he watched them talk. "See, you two made it out, okay? Where's Sara?" He turned to Samuel.
"We split up. She should already be in her room." Samuel explained. "And way better than okay. We found Libertalia." He and Nathan laughed, thrilled at the discovery.
"Liber— Liber-what-ia?" Sullivan looked at the pair, confused about what they were talking about. "It's not right to leave her alone, Samuel. There were gunmen everywhere."
"Hey! No one was more protective of her than me, but she was fine. She was far away from the danger. Those Shoreline fools were following us." Samuel barked, rolling his eyes. Sullivan just stared at him in disbelief. Sullivan wanted to smack the man, and he knew Sara would. Samuel had only known Sara for a few weeks now, so his claiming to be the most protective of the girl was utter bull.
"Enough!" Nathan interjected, silencing the men. "Libertalia. Seems Avery founded the legendary pirate colony. Sara's going to love it."
"It's more of a pirate utopia, really." Samuel continued on. "And yeah, her historian brain is gonna go nuts."
Sullivan sighed, feeling like they were getting off track. "Okay. But what about the treasure?"
A huge grin broke over Samuel's face as he began to explain. "See, as the story goes... this place provided a safe haven for hundreds... maybe even thousands of pirates. And they shared everything. Property, resources…"
Sullivan laughed, finally catching on. "So Sara was right. They were pooling their treasure together?"
"In one giant treasury!" Samuel commented. He was talking to Sullivan as the three of them made their way to their motel room door, Nathan ahead of them, jotting things down as he continued to work out the cipher.
Sullivan eyed the man, still sketchy on the idea, even though the promise of treasure collected from twelve pirates was so much more than just one pirate captain. "Okay. So...Where is this...Commie pirate sanctuary?"
Nathan stopped in front of the door, map at the ready as he pointed to show to the men. "Right here. That island. Just northeast of King's Bay."
Sullivan sighed, taking the map and journal from the man. "And Rafe has a copy of this."
"Yeah, tell, by the time Rafe figures it out…" Nathan pulled out the room key and unlocked the door for them. "We'll be well on our way to Libertalia. Tellin' ya that treasure...is as good as ours—'' Nathan paused as he entered the room, Samuel and Sullivan stopping behind him. "Shit."
There, at the far back of their motel room, stood Elena, pouring over the documents that Nathan had left out. "How's the Malaysia job going, Nate?" She turned to face Nathan, disappointment clear on her face. "Seems like you're a hair off course."
Sullivan and Samuel moved cautiously in the background as Nathan approached his wife. "Elena, it's...it's not what it looks like."
"Really." She seethed, turning back to the documents. "Because what it looks like...is that you're searching for Henry Avery's buried treasure."Elena threw down the page she was holding, turning to face one of the beds where a bunch of guns sat on top. She picked one up, examining it. "And given the Shoreline soldiers that are all over town...I'd bet you're not the only ones looking for it."
"All right, well I…" Nathan turned to look at Sullivan, the older man frowning at him, sending Nathan an 'I told you so' look. "I guess it's kinda what it looks like. But…but I can explain. Look, it's gonna sound crazy."
"Try me." Elena pursed her lips, dropping the gun back onto the bed. She stepped up to him, intimating her husband despite her small stature.
"Well, for starters, um…" Nathan looked behind him, gesturing to Samuel. "This is Sam. Sam Drake. My brother."
Samuel gave the woman a tentative wave, his hand barely moving from where they were clasped in front of him. "Hi."
Elena looked at Samuel, staring at him in disbelief. Her gaze moved to Sullivan, who could only send the woman a look of his disappointment at the situation. "I'm sorry." Sullivan shrugged, sighing.
"I…I thought he had died in a Panamanian jail." Nathan tried to explain, taking hesitant steps towards Elena. The woman was overcome with emotions. She tried to move past Nathan, needing out of the room, but he stopped her. "But I was obviously very wrong. He's been stuck in there for fifteen years. And it's because of me. And the guy who broke him out wants a lot of money. And the only way we can pay off the debt is Avery's treasure. But that's the good news, we found it! It's on an island just off the coast."
"Okay, just stop." Elena braced herself on the desk behind her, a single hand raised to silence Nathan. "When I called Emma, I was hoping she was wrong that you went galavanting after some treasure, dragging Sara along while telling me about the Malaysia job."
"Emma…?" Nathan asked, eyes wide.
Elena sighed, pulling out her phone and starting a video call, the phone facing the boys. Emma answered fast, her angry face taking up the entirety of the screen. "Where is my girl?!"
"Uhh…she should be in her room…" Nathan answered the blonde, his gaze shifting from Emma to his wife.
"No…" Elena's brows were furrowed as her eyes traversed over the men in the room. "I tried her when I got here. Wait! When did you last see her?!"
Nathan looked to Samuel, his older brother leaning off the back wall, eyes wide. Samuel exited the room, bolting to his sister's room. Sullivan took a few steps after him but stopped, waiting for the large man to return. Samuel came rushing back in, fear overtaking his features. "She's not there. But her gun is…Nathan…"
Sullivan moved, gripping Samuel by the collar of his shirt and slamming him up against the motel room wall. "Where the hell is she, Samuel?! You abandoned her, and now she's gone!"
"There was a Shoreline convey leaving outside when I arrived…" Elena interjected, her voice a broken mumble as a realisation overtook all five of them. Rafe had Sara. He had been at the motel, and he had taken her.
Nathan stepped back, his hand reaching to cover his mouth as he fumbled with his steps. "No…" He didn't want it to be true. It couldn't be. Sara had to have gone for a walk or something. Rafe couldn't have taken her. Sullivan reached out for Nathan, guiding him to sit down, his anger towards Samuel forgotten for now.
"He won't harm her," Emma spoke from the video call. She had a reassuring smile on her face, trying to calm the group.
"Emma's right, kid." Sullivan patted Nathan's shoulder, the man still struggling to grip the situation.
"No, Sully…I failed her," Nathan mumbled, his gaze moving to Elena. "I failed you."
Elena shook her head. She ended the video call on her phone without a goodbye. She knew Emma wouldn't hold it against her. "You should have told me, Nate."
"I wanted to protect you–"
"Like you protected Sara?" Elena cut him off. "That is bullshit, Nate. You just didn't have the nerve to face me. Again. And now Sara is off being held captive by Shoreline, possibly hurt."
"He won't hurt her," Sullivan spoke again, his tone firmer.
"How do you know that?" Samuel hissed, moving off the wall where Sullivan had slammed him against just moments earlier. "How could you possibly know that?!"
Sullivan sighed, taking in the trio that stared at him. He knew he'd be breaking his promise to Sara in a way, but right now, he needed to appease everyone. "Rafe likes Sara. I mean, you saw how all over he was with her in Italy. And when he caught her in Scotland, he didn't harm her then either." Samuel clenched his fists, fighting to control himself from having one of his outbursts. He didn't need to remember how Rafe had had his hands on Sara, how the man had caressed and touched her in such an intimate manner. "Face it, Samuel. Rafe wants her, and as long as he thinks he can, she's safe." Sullivan lectured.
"Elena. I didn't want to hurt you." Nathan stood, reaching for his wife, but she took steps back toward the door.
"Maybe you should have thought about that before you lied to me!" She screamed at him. "You lied to me...for weeks. If you were killed, I...wouldn't have even known about it. And now you have a brother? Who are you?" The emotions of the situation getting to her. First, Nathan lied, then he had a brother she never told him about, and now Sara was kidnapped.
"Come on. I'm me. C'mon, it's me. It's different this time." Nathan tried to reassure her, but it wasn't having any effect. Every time he took a step towards her, she took one back. "I have to save him. I don't even care about the treasure."
Elena swore under her breath. "The look on your face when you walked into this room...If you're done lying to me...then you should stop lying to yourself." She sighed. She was right. The excitement was there. Nathan had missed the thrill of the adventure, the joy of discovering something thought forgotten. "I got a plane to catch. You do what you have to do." Elena didn't bother to wait for him to respond. She left, the door slamming shut behind her. Nathan stared at him. Part of him knew he'd screwed up. He hadn't wanted to lie to her, but we didn't want to scare her either. He walked away from the door, returning to the desk, his mind needing a distraction. To throw himself into his research.
Sullivan looked at him in bewilderment. " Hey...hey, what are you doing? Go after her." He pointed to the doorway. He knew that if Nathan didn't, there would be a chance that Nathan would lose Elena forever.
"We're not done here."
"Well, maybe we should be." Sullivan gritted out, his own emotions about the situation getting to him. Sullivan and Sara had discussed how Nathan was handling things, his younger sister sharing her concerns with Sullivan that her brother had possibly retired too early and was acting out due to regrets. Sullivan knew it was hard to get out of the game. He'd been playing it long enough, after all. Nathan stared at him, waiting for the man to continue. "I'm saying maybe there's a smarter way to save Sam."
"Such as?"
"Such as, we give him a new identity. We...we...put him in hiding somewhere. I got contacts—"
"He's been in prison for fifteen years. He's not going into hiding." Nathan cut Sullivan off. Sara had been right when she said Nathan felt guilt over what happened to Samuel. Nathan got to live his life for the last fifteen years while Samuel had none.
"Okay, fine. You go after your wife." Sullivan lectured, hoping the younger man would listen to him. "Sam and I will head off for Libertalia."
"Without me? Come on." Nathan sighed, sparing a glance at Sullivan while he poured over his research. "You'll get both of you killed."
"Really?" Sullivan chuckled, finding it humorous that Nathan doubted his skills. "Kid, I've been doing this for a helluva long time. I think I might be able to handle—"
"Hey, you want to be helpful, Sullivan?" Nathan snapped, giving his old friend his full attention. "Go keep an eye on her." He gestured to the front door, which Elena had rushed through only moments earlier. He returned to his research as Sullivan could only watch him, his face grimacing, clearly annoyed with the young man.
Sullivan slammed Cassandra Morgan's journal, which he had held for the entire time since entering the motel room, down onto the desk in front of Nathan. "Whatever you say." Nathan sighed, listening as the man left the room.
"Need a hand with anything?" Samuel asked tentatively, watching his baby brother. He was guilty. It was Samuel's doing that both Nathan and Sara had come on this journey. His fault that Nathan and Elena fought. His fault that Sara was taken. His fault that Sullivan was upset with Nathan.
"I got it," Nathan spoke curtly, annoyed at being distracted from his distraction. "Just pack your bags." He had a plan. If Nathan could get the treasure before Rafe, he could give half to Samuel to pay off his debt to Alcazar and the other half to Rafe for his sister's safe return. That's if everything goes to plan. He still had to make amends to his wife and Sullivan somehow, too. Nathan sighed, dropping the documents and papers on the table, and rubbed at his eyes. Maybe he was getting too old for all this, but he held such a deep passion that each of his siblings also seemed to possess, a passion that was inherited from their mother and even from their possible ancestor, Sir Francis Drake. "Sara…don't do anything reckless."