Episode 73
EPISODE 73
WE’RE IN THIS TOGETHER
Sebastian
Twenty Years Earlier...
It’s late. The moon is high in the Montana sky and the fireflies are whizzing past me as I ride my bike to River’s family’s land. I’ve had some thoughts about what we’re about to do tomorrow, and while I should probably go to Jake—our moral compass—my legs seem to have a mind of their own as I pedal to Riv’s.
Or maybe it’s not my legs driving me out onto the country roads.
It’s worry.
Jake seems more into this than he’s even been into one of Brett’s hare-brained schemes before. And something about it isn’t sitting well with me.
So I’m going to River—River, who always seems to understand what I’m feeling even if he doesn’t agree. Even if he rarely goes against what Brett decides. I’ve never quite understood the bond between those two. They’re different like oil and water, but somehow they emulsify into something that works for the two of them. Sometimes I envy their closeness. Alex and I are both artists, close in our way, but not the way Riv and Brett are. They’re almost like brothers, except more so.
I pedal up toward the house and find Riv alone outside in the dark, staring up at the vast starry sky. He doesn’t notice me at first, so intent is he on...something.
“Riv.”
He shakes his head as if to clear it. “Seb. What are you doing here at this hour?”
“Just thinking. Need to talk to someone.”
He nods. “What’s up?”
I don’t answer him. Instead, “You were a million miles away.” I swing my leg over my bike and pull down the kickstand.
“Just thinking.”
“About what?”
He draws in a breath. “Nothing. What do you need to talk about?”
“Tomorrow.”
He nods. “I figured.”
“You trust Brett,” I say. It’s a statement, not a question.
“I do.”
“Why?”
“He’s the smartest guy I know,” River says with certainty. “And that old motherfucker deserves to rot in hell broke as a pauper after what he did to old Ern.” He scratches the loyal mutt behind his ears.
“Can’t say I don’t agree, but?—”
“Brett’s thought of everything,” he says. “It’ll go off without a hitch. As long as we stick together. All five of us. Do our jobs.”
“As long as we stick together...” I echo.
He turns on me like a rattler ready to strike. “You’ve got to be all in, Seb, or this won’t work.”
“I’m in,” I say, “but I need to ask you about Brett.”
“Of course Brett’s in. It was his idea. His brainchild.”
“I know that, but...don’t you think he’s gone a little too far this time? Doesn’t the fact that he came up with this scare you a little bit?”
River pauses, stares up at the sky again. Just when I’m sure he’s not going to answer me at all, he finally looks back at me, meeting my gaze, his dark eyes full of fire. “I trust him. I trust Brett. I trust him with my life, and the rest of you should too.”
“I trust all of you,” I tell him, “but this seems like more than just a simple crime to Brett.”
“Crime is never simple, Seb.”
“That’s not what I mean. It’s almost like an obsession with him. Like his future depends on it or something.”
He pauses again. Then, “It’s not necessarily Brett’s future that depends on it.”
Already I know he’s talking about Jake. Jake, who was so quick to agree to this despite being our moral compass. “What aren’t you telling me?” I ask.
River shakes his head, spits on the ground. “I’ve said all I can.”
I don’t reply. No use trying to force River to talk. I’ll be here all night.
Then he glares at me, his jaw rigid, and curls his hands into fists. For a moment, I think he’s going to attack me, but that’s not River’s style.
A moment later, he relaxes. “It’s got to be all of us, Seb. We’re in this together. We start together, and we finish together. It’s the only way, Seb. Tell me you understand that.”
Present Day...
Funny how things reverse themselves sometimes. River said those words to me so long ago, and I repeated them to him last night.
Look, we’re in this together. We came together, and we leave together. It’s the only way, Riv. Tell me you understand that.
After which he told me to fuck off and stormed out of my room.
Evangeline is apparently helping to arrange Sienna’s departure, but I feel confident she’ll return. Rachel and Ginger, though? They seem pretty dead set on leaving.
I shed my silk pajama pants and take a hot shower, trying to wash away the turmoil of the past twenty-four hours. This event has to continue on its course for many reasons—some of which are purely my own that I haven’t shared with the other three men.
Fuck. There was a time when we never had secrets from each other.
That time ended that night, twenty years ago.
I wash quickly, leave the shower, and towel off, dressing in green board shorts and a white tank. My hair stays down, hanging in damp waves around my shoulders. I hope Evie’s done dealing with Sienna, because I need further words with her.
I glance at my satellite phone sitting on my nightstand. I could easily call Shelley and have her look further into Evangeline, into what happened to Rachel while she was snorkeling. But I won’t do that. Not yet, anyway.
I tuck the phone into the nightstand drawer, out of sight of any wandering staff eyes, and then I leave my suite and head to Evangeline’s.
I knock.
Loudly.
She opens the door, still looking pale and gaunt. She’s either physically ill or overly stressed out—perhaps both.
“Sebastian,” she says wistfully. “What is it now?”
I barge into her room and close the door. “It’s time for you to ’fess up, Evie. What the hell is going on here? Brett told us you had a match go wrong at your previous place of employment, so your schedule was open. You were supposed to be hungry to make this work for us. Maybe that’s all he knows, though I doubt it. Brett doesn’t fudge on his due diligence.”
She swallows audibly. “That’s correct. And it’s all information you can certainly verify. In fact, I’m surprised you didn’t.”
“Oh, I did. But there’s more to the story, Evie, so spill it.”
“There’s nothing more,” she says quietly, not meeting my gaze.
I tip her chin up, forcing her to look me in the eye. “Did you commit a crime? Is that what you’re hiding? What does Misty have on you? What is she threatening you with? Is that why you made Rachel and Ginger leave?” I narrow my eyes. “Don’t lie to me, Evie, because I’ll know.”
“It’s nothing like that,” she says. “It’s exactly as I told you. I caught the girls hooking up and I was worried about the integrity of this event that you gentlemen have invested so heavily in.”
“Evie, I’m tired of the same old song and dance. Either you tell me what’s going on, or I’ll blow this whole thing up.”
I’m bluffing, of course. I can’t unilaterally end the event.
“I’m telling you the truth,” she says.
“Why did they have to leave?” I press. “It was the first night. So they hooked up. They were probably just having some fun. That doesn’t mean they didn’t want to be here.”
“I’d say they don’t want to be here if they’re busy with each other. Frankly I’m surprised you don’t agree.”
“Damn it.” I step away from her. We’re getting off track. “I want them back. Rachel got scared after the snorkeling thing, and who can blame her? She was a champion swimmer. Something here isn’t right.”
“A simple malfunction?—”
“Damn it, Evie!” I rub my forehead, my whole body tense and rigid. “Do you realize what you’ve done here? Both these women are doctors, for God’s sake. They’re intelligent. And right now they think they were put into harm’s way on purpose.”
In my mind’s eye, I see headlines about the lawsuits. The investigation into all of us.
We can’t afford such scrutiny.
We need those women back. We need them back so we can do damage control.
“They’re going to sue us, Evie,” I say. “And we’ll go after you for every penny they want from us.”
“No, no, no.” She shakes her head vehemently. “There are non-disclosure agreements in place. Your attorneys took care of everything. They can’t?—”
“Evie, they can . And they might. A fucking piece of paper isn’t enough to stop a woman who thinks we put her in danger, and pockets don’t come deeper than ours.”
“I assure you?—”
“You can assure me of exactly nothing.” I turn toward the door but then look over my shoulder. “I’ve had enough secrets for twenty lifetimes. I want all of Rachel and Ginger’s bills and expenses covered, and then I want you to get them back here on this island. Do whatever you have to do. I want them back on this island to continue what they started.”
Evie drops her mouth open, but I leave, slamming her door behind me.