Unfamiliar Waters Read online

  “I’m sorry, but—”

  “Yes,” Garrett interrupted, flashing Carver a dirty look. “I’ll go with you.” The least he could do was see to it that Nigel and Jules made it all the way to the plane, and then he could watch it take off and carry them away. “Let’s get your things and button up the boat.” He wasn’t giving Carver the chance to argue with him.

  Jules went below first, with Phyllis following. Nigel’s shoulders slumped, and he went as well a few seconds later.

  “There isn’t a lot of room in the car and—”

  “Nigel and Jules have been through a lot, including attempted murder. So try to understand if they want someone they know around them.” Garrett stepped into Carver’s personal space. “Try to be a little understanding.” He crossed his arms over his chest and waited for the others.

  “We’re ready,” Nigel said, standing next to Jules, each holding the duffels Phyllis had packed for them on the island. Phyllis came up with her bag. Garrett got the papers and things he’d hidden earlier, closed up the boat, and they all filed off the boat, down the dock, and toward the parked cars.

  Carver led them to a black sedan. He stowed the luggage in the trunk, and they all climbed inside. Phyllis sat in back with the boys, and Garrett rode up front with Carver.

  Garret had forgotten that on St. Thomas, they drove on the left side of the road, which was unnerving since most of the cars had the wheel on the left side. Garrett couldn’t figure out how they could see to drive, and the absence of a lot of side mirrors on the cars spoke to the fact that many couldn’t.

  “It’s okay, boys,” Phyllis said as they both leaned on her.

  Garrett turned away and watched out the window as his own emotions rose to the surface.

  “There’s nothing to be worried about. We have—” The driver’s side window shattered and the car swerved. Carver gasped and grabbed his arm. “Shit.” Blood spilled out from under his fingers. “I’ve been shot.”

  “Pull over,” Garrett said as the car weaved from side to side on the narrow road. Carter did, and Garrett got out as another shot rang through the air, shattering one of the rear windows. “Everyone, get down!” Garrett raced around the back of the car and jumped into the driver’s side as a bullet whizzed by his ear, with Carver sliding into the other seat. Garrett yanked the door closed and floored the accelerator. The wheels spun before digging in and propelling them forward. He clutched the wheel, fighting his instincts to move to the right side of the road as he went as fast as he dared.

  “There’s someone behind us,” Jules said.

  “Stay down. Carver, call for some help and tell me how to get to the damn airport.”

  Garrett continued along the road, climbing into the hills. Carver explained that he needed to turn left in about a mile, then got on the phone as the car behind them tried to ram the back. Garrett sped up, nearly skidding to the side as he took a curve, checking the rearview mirror. The car behind them fishtailed, slamming into the inner rock face, bouncing off, and nearly careening down the side of the mountain. Garrett didn’t stop as he put distance between them.

  “We’re under fire,” Carver said. “I think we lost them, but I’ve been shot, and we need to get these people on the plane and away as soon as possible.”

  Jules groaned as Garrett took a corner as fast as he dared, following Carver’s directions out toward the airport.

  “Can you slow down?” Phyllis asked.

  “I wish I could. Carver needs help, and you need to get to the airport. Just hang on and I’ll get you there as fast as I can.” All he could think about was getting Nigel and Jules to safety once again.

  “Take this right. It’s the back entrance. Our plane is parked just beyond the hanger over there.” He gritted his teeth in pain. “Just get there.”

  “We need to go to a hospital,” Nigel said.

  “I’ll get this taken care of once you are all safe.” Carver turned to Garrett. “Just get us to that plane.”

  Garrett turned in and braked to a stop at the security checkpoint. Carver did the talking, and they continued on and pulled up to a Gulfstream jet.

  Two men stood at the entrance. They hurried to the car and presented their identification.

  Garrett got the bags from the trunk, then helped Nigel and Jules to the steps into the plane.

  Nigel stopped at the top. “I’m not going anywhere,” he said loudly, hurrying back down. “Unless you come with us.” He grabbed Garrett’s hand. “I know there isn’t time, but we need you. We both need you, and I don’t trust anyone else. Not after all this.” Nigel pulled him up the stairs, and Garrett was powerless to stop him.

  “Get in,” Carver echoed from inside. “We have to go. Now!”

  Garrett followed Nigel inside, took the seat next to him, and barely had a chance to fasten his seat belt as the attendant pulled the door closed. The plane engines started and revved, the plane taxied to a runway, and soon they were in the air, climbing quickly and steeply. Only then did Garrett dare to release the breath he’d been holding.

  “Nigel, you and Jules are going to be fine,” Carver said from the seat across the way. A man in the chair next to him looked at his shoulder.

  “You were lucky. The bullet went through pretty cleanly. I’m going to bandage you up, and when we land, we’ll have doctors there to get you to a hospital.” He finished bandaging the wound and fit Carver for a sling.

  Garrett turned to Nigel, took his hand, and squeezed it. He hoped Carver was right, but Garrett had a feeling they had just gone from the frying pan into the fire, and there wasn’t a damn thing he could do about it now.

  JULES YAWNED and spread out across two of the seats. One of the FBI agents accompanying them found a blanket and pillow, helping to make him comfortable.

  Phyllis had put her feet up and reclined her seat, closing her eyes.

  Garrett leaned against Nigel, yawning. “It’s been a very active and busy week.” They were all tired.

  “Do you need anything to drink?” Carver asked, pointing. “Tell Jenkins here and he will get whatever you need.”

  “Why don’t you get Nigel and me a Coke? That would be great.” Garrett sat back, trying to still his racing thoughts.

  “I remember those from when I was a kid.”

  Jenkins brought two cans. Garrett opened them and handed one to Nigel, who drank too fast and burped loudly. Then he drank more slowly and smiled.

  “This is good.”

  “Haven’t you had Coke before?” Jenkins asked.

  “Not in a really long time.” Nigel drank some more and burped softly.

  Garrett let Nigel finish his drink, then undid his seat belt and went to the front of the cabin. Nigel joined him, leaving Phyllis and Jules to rest, as did Jenkins and Carver, the agents sitting across from them. “Nigel deserves to know what you’re planning,” Garrett said, meeting their steely gazes. “As you saw firsthand, their uncle will stop at just about nothing to keep these boys from returning home to claim what’s rightfully theirs.”

  “We have notified their parents’ law firm that the boys have been located and that Nigel is of age. They have prepared court documents and have all the required procedures ready to go once Nigel presents himself.”

  “But what about my uncle?” Nigel asked.

  “The people who chased you in St. Thomas were apprehended and are being questioned, or will be once they get medical attention. It seems their car went off the embankment. They survived and are in federal custody on the island,” Carver said after checking his phone. “We will use that information, along with the statements that have been provided, to bring charges against him in federal court.” He winced as he sat back. “I have been after something on that man for years now.” Carver didn’t look much older than Garrett, but he might have been gifted with good genes.

  “Do you know what happened to the men who chased us in the boat, or Fairfield and the men on the island?” Nigel asked.

  “We don’t k
now about the boat, but….” Carver turned to the agents, who began typing on computer keyboards—either requesting information or taking notes, Garrett wasn’t sure. “The others were reportedly found.” He swallowed, his gaze alternating between the two of them, and Garrett knew that was his way of saying they were dead while trying not to upset Nigel. “We suspect the others met a similar fate.”

  Nigel lifted a nail to his lips and bit it nervously. “Uncle Hilliard will stop at nothing….”

  “That’s true. And he isn’t going to leave anyone to testify against him if he can help it.” Carver’s hard expression told Garrett he understood just how important and dangerous this whole situation was.

  “How big is his organization?” Garrett asked.

  “Well, there’s the manufacturing and corporate interests that were the basis of his fortune. Actually, those are what Nigel and Jules will inherit. They have boards of directors and other shareholders that have kept Hilliard from truly corrupting them. What he has done is take the money he got from running those and use it to further his own private interests, and it’s those that cause us the most concern. He doesn’t care who he hurts or what he has to do in order to get what he wants.”

  That was worse than Garrett had figured. “It seems he likes to get his hands dirty.”

  “Yes. He likes to be feared. Oh, and he’s smart. Witnesses disappear and end up dead. He doesn’t leave loose ends. Until now.” Carver’s eyes flicked to Nigel, and a chill went up Garrett’s spine.

  “I’m not a loose end,” Nigel said firmly. “I’m his nephew.” He set his jaw for a few seconds and then turned away. “Even if he’s never seen us the entire time he was supposed to have been caring for us.” Nigel grew rigid. “He only wanted us out of the way.”

  “And alive…,” Carver said clearly. “Your parents’ will is very specific. Everything goes to you and your brother, but without you two, it goes to a charitable foundation. So he needed to keep you alive, at least for a while.”

  “Then why kill them now?” Garrett asked, gathering Nigel closer. He hated that he had to ask these questions in front of him, but then Nigel needed to know the truth about who they were up against. He wished he could take it away and bring Nigel back to that cave where it would be just the two of them again.

  “We believe that the boys had started to become a liability some time ago.”

  “Yes,” Phyllis said as she came over, taking an empty seat. “Fairfield was getting edgy and nervous, and I think that’s because Hilliard was as well. He had people in the village who reported to him, and when you went there and started talking to people and asking around, he nearly went out of his skin.”

  Garrett groaned. “So I’m the reason he sent people to hurt them?” The thought stabbed at Garrett’s heart.

  “Yes and no. Nigel is an adult now. Hilliard knew that, and so did Fairfield. They thought it would be only so long before Nigel wanted to leave the island, and once that happened, he’d figure out who he was. The whole situation would unravel.” She laid her folded hands on the table. “Fairfield was starting to suspect I wasn’t going to go along.” She turned away and wiped her eyes. “I couldn’t. Nigel and Jules were my family and have been for years. I kept them on the island to keep them safe. Hilliard would have hurt them if they left.”

  “I know that now,” Nigel said softly as Garrett nodded. He had little doubt that she was telling the truth.

  “But why kill them now if he gets nothing?” Garrett asked.

  Carver shrugged, and Jenkins took a deep breath. “We have a theory. With the boys dead, a will could be found at the last minute leaving everything to their beloved uncle. I suspect a fake will is locked away in a safe or strongbox somewhere and has been sitting there for years now, ready for when it was needed.” Jenkins turned to Nigel. “No one has seen you in over a decade, and any questions about your welfare were squashed or paid to go away.”

  “So my presence in part brought this whole thing forward?” Garrett asked, and the others nodded. He’d also put Nigel and Jules in danger. If he’d minded his own business….

  Garrett swallowed hard and tried to push the guilt away. It was useless, and truthfully, Hilliard would never have allowed the boys to inherit anything. This had been going to happen eventually. All he’d done was save their lives. He kept reminding himself of that.

  “All right.” Nigel’s voice sounded firm. “You believe that the core businesses, the ones my father owned and belong to us, are sound and….”

  “Legit? Yes. They have had regular audits by outside, nationally known firms. In one case the board moved to limit your uncle’s authority, taking more direct control,” Carver said. “And your uncle now has his own money.”

  “Then why does he care about Nigel and Jules?” Garrett asked.

  Jenkins stood and wandered through the cabin before returning to the table. “If he didn’t have the legitimate businesses to provide him some sort of credibility, he couldn’t do his other deals.” He shifted his weight like he couldn’t settle. “Trying to get in this man’s head… it’s nearly impossible and ugly.”

  Garrett didn’t doubt that. “So what’s the first step?”

  Jenkins sat back down and turned to Nigel. “We’ll get your parents’ attorneys to certify that you and Jules have claimed your inheritance. I suspect that will make national news, and that’s good. It means you aren’t being hidden in the shadows, and that gives you some safety. We are also assuming that you will want to claim guardianship of Jules, removing it from your uncle.”

  “Yes,” Nigel answered firmly, squeezing Garrett’s hand under the table until Garrett thought his fingers would break. “But I don’t know anything about running a business or what my parents had.” He turned to Garrett, his expression lost, his eyes filling with fear. “I can’t do this alone. I just can’t.”

  Garrett wished he knew what to say. “Take one thing at a time.”

  Nigel nodded, biting his lower lip nervously. “Where does my uncle live?”

  “In a penthouse in midtown Manhattan. It was your mom and dad’s home. He moved in after they died and has lived there ever since.”

  “Do you remember it?” Garrett asked.

  Nigel paused. “Yeah, I think so. It was a long time ago, but there are things I remember. It had a private elevator, and Jules used to love to go for a ride. So I used to take him up and down in it three or four times a day.” Nigel smiled and looked over at his sleeping brother. “We each had our own room and a play area with toys, and there was a rooftop garden and terrace. I used to play out there all the time. There were these stone walls that looked like battlements, and I used to make believe that the terrace was my castle.”

  “That apartment is part of your inheritance,” Carver said. “So you and Jules can live there again if you want to kick your uncle out.” He smiled and then winced as the plane shook from a little turbulence. “We’ve wanted to get in there for a long time and got close on a couple of instances, but never managed to get quite enough evidence to get a warrant.”

  Garrett grinned. “Maybe you won’t need one.” He raised his eyebrows. “Since the owners are right here, they could give you permission to search the apartment. After all, he has no right to the estate or any of its assets and is living there illegally. The apartment has belonged to Nigel since his twenty-first birthday.” He glanced at Nigel. “What do you think? That would be a great way to meet your uncle and possibly get additional evidence on him. Get a look at his personal files, everything he’s got there.”

  Carver made a few notes, and Jenkins typed on his computer, probably messaging back to the department. “Yes. That’s a go. We can only do that once they have claimed the estate, and then we can go to help Nigel enforce his claim. If he invites us in and allows us to look around, we can do that since at that point he will own the property and has by right owned it since he was twenty-one.” Carver was smiling at that point.

  “What do you think?”
/>   Nigel nervously shifted his weight in the chair. “He’s my uncle… family….”

  Phyllis took his hand. “Remember what he did and tried to do.” She blinked and turned away to wipe her eyes. “That man is evil to the core. Have no doubt about that. This penthouse belonged to your mom and dad. He doesn’t deserve to live there, and has conspired to keep you away from it. Don’t be kindhearted where he’s concerned.” She knew him so well. Garrett nodded his agreement.

  A scream split the air. It chilled Garrett’s blood and sent him to his feet.

  Jules screamed again, and Garrett raced over to him and gently lifted him into his arms. “It’s all right.”

  Nigel joined him, trying to soothe Jules as he clutched at Garrett, practically clawing at him. “Jules, wake up. It’s just a dream.”

  Jules slid his eyes open and blinked, shaking in Garrett’s arms.

  “Is he okay?” Phyllis asked as she tried to get to him. Jules held Garrett so tightly, Garrett knew he was going to have marks.

  “He will be. Let’s give him some air,” Garrett said gently as Jules continued to wake up. “You’re okay. It was just a dream.”

  Jules closed his eyes again, still quivering in Garrett’s arms.

  “Jules, I’m here,” Nigel soothed, and Jules nodded but continued clinging to Garrett as though he were a lifeline.

  “What happened?” Garrett asked gently.

  “I was alone and people came to take me,” Jules said. “I don’t remember a lot of it.”

  “That’s okay.” Garrett was pretty sure that the last few days, with the running and being chased and the shooting in the car, were all mixed up in Jules’s mind, complete with losing the people he’d thought cared about him. Garrett was shocked he hadn’t been having nightmares before this. “You’re safe now, and Nigel and I, along with these agents, are going to do our best to see that you stay that way.” He helped Jules to sit back down.

  “Are you hungry?” Carver asked, and one of the two other agents, who had been sitting near the door the entire time, went into the galley area and returned with plates of sandwiches, spreads, veggies, and fruit. She set the plates on the table, along with the silverware and glasses, before returning to her place.