Les took a water, swallowed a mouthful, and nodded. “Yep. Whatever’s out there on the horizon is still out there. And they’re still just runnin’ sweeps below.” He nodded down as he spoke to indicate the continued scanning of the ocean floor. “No change.”
Shane hollered at him from across the deck.
“Have fun,” Alex told Les as he trotted off to choose a glove and join in.
Will was in heaven having so many to play with, and it showed in his glowing grin. Alex smiled again and finished her water. As she laid the empty bottle down beside her, she discovered that Les had deposited a small cooler behind her on the crate. She opened it to find twelve beers and a couple of sports drinks inside. About to close it up again, she stopped when Jimmy walked up. He pulled out a beer, popped the tab, and took a drink.
“Hey, sis.”
“Hey, you.” She nudged his arm. “You look like you’re ready for some time off.”
“Oh yeah,” he replied with a hearty sigh. He set the half-finished beer down beside her. “Definitely ready.” He jogged out to his son, who greeted him with a hug and Jimmy’s regular glove.
It had been two and a half weeks since the first sighting of the mystery vessel, almost three weeks into their mission. Having determined the object on their skyline was not trash, as said garbage would have either floated out of range or closer to them soon after initial discovery, the radar showed it maintaining a too precise, even distance from their position. All had settled into the uneasy routine of going about their business and trying to get in some occasional relaxation, all the while keeping a watchful eye on the horizon and that blip.
Soon after breakfast, Alex stood on the upper deck at the rail. Warmth of the early-day sun refreshed her where it touched her skin. For the moment anyway. Another hot day lay ahead, and with any luck the current light breeze would remain to help comfort them. Sea air, soft and tranquil, swaddled a perfect morning. Swirling, invisible zephyrs shifted her hair and shirt. Closing her eyes for a time, she allowed the feeling of that present coolness to wash over her.
A stronger flurry gave her a chill, and her eyelids fluttered open to reveal Aaron on the deck now, farther forward. Sitting at the rail, legs over the edge, he leaned on the middle rung, chin resting on crossed arms. His feet dangled, swaying like a child daydreaming in a tree house, as he stared out over the steel blue of the water. Now-familiar black tactical clothed lower extremities. Lean muscles the length of his relaxed back contoured refined yet powerful lines into the thin gray material of his T-shirt. Sunlight glinted gold on tanned, sinewy biceps. The gust that had startled her ruffled the tousled top of his hair.
Wow. Momentarily transfixed, she blinked herself back and rubbed her eyes.
Though seeming distant at first, since he’d opened up more to her, their now-frequent talks highlighted her days. He was quite fun if still somewhat mysterious. While eager to share stories with her, he always held back. Like he wanted to say more but couldn’t. Purposely vague descriptions of assignments past, many radically different than their present, only scratched the surface with just enough detail to provide intriguing tales while still not revealing murky truths. Deep secrets that would cloud cheery smiles from time to time. He was always quick to disguise the less savory details with humor, but the implications didn’t evade her notice when those sufferings escaped his eyes.
She marveled at the variety of assignments he shared with her, the many specialized portrayals he’d taken on. An ease of transforming to what was required of him. Handsome, in a rugged sort of way, he was a man who would be just as comfortable in a flannel shirt and Levi’s or a Tom Ford suit, depending what the situation called for. So many places he’d been, so many experiences. Despite the harsh conditions and dramatic events that had long been his life, he had a way of making her feel at ease, in a way she’d never known. A calmness, a soft side that brought her a sense of comfort and home.
After this trip, would she see him again? Would this go anywhere? Or was it just a sweet, passing friendship? For all her intent to avoid romantic entanglement for a good long while, this one had sure changed up that scenario. Alex found herself more and more longing to stay in touch. There was something different here, about him, a curious and unusual pull. The depth of their connection had grown so fast it at times left her mind reeling. Could this be real?
What am I thinking? Would he even have room for her in his life, for a real relationship? Or the time? Much as she would love to find out, he would have to be the one to express such an interest. He would likely be off to another part of the world after this, then another. But if he did show the sentiment, she would make a go of it. She had to. This felt… right. Her imagination guided her through several of his more daring adventures and ended with her visualizing him in a tux. And less. Heat grew in her cheeks. Oh stop! We’re not even close to that yet… She pulled herself together and walked over to join him.
Aaron looked up as Alex approached. “Hey.”
“Hey.” She sat down next to him, swung her legs over alongside his, and scooted up to lean on the rail. Sunlit ripples sparked the water’s surface, cheerful and carefree. “Anything new today?”
He shrugged. “No change in them,” he said and nodded out in the general direction of the distant vessel. After a moment, he spoke again. “It’s just odd though.”
His furrowed brow was obvious, but the deep concern in his dark eyes struck her most.
“What’s odd?”
“Well,” he continued, “generally—and I do just mean generally as there are really no hard-and-fast rules when it comes to pirates—they only watch and wait a few days max before they make a move. They’re greedy. And impatient.” He shook his head. “These guys, you know, it’s been over two weeks since we first saw ’em. It’s like they’re waiting for something. They know we haven’t moved much. That makes us an even easier target for…” He trailed off as he caught her gaze. “Hey, it’s okay.” He put his hand on hers. “They’re still way out there. It may stay that way.” He gave her a wink and a smile. “No reason to worry unless they head this way.”
Alex breathed the care off her face, glanced out at the ocean, back to him. Guess I must’ve looked a little more freaked than I thought. “So you say,” she commented, sarcasm edging her tone. “But you guys are what, ex–Special Forces or something?” She eyed him. “If you’re worried, I’m worried. Just sayin’.”
Looking back out at the ocean, he chuckled. “Well, I guess you do have a point.” He returned his eyes to her. “But seriously, try to not let it bother you too much. We’ve all gone over what to do. You, everyone, know exactly what to do.” His hand still covered hers on the rail. The tenderness of his touch and his steady eyes helped comfort her concern. “It will be all right. Trust me.”
She shook her head and smiled back at him. “Okay. If you say so.” His words and confidence brought her more to ease, but that little edge of worry remained. Well, maybe not so little.
“We’ll just take it day by day,” he said. “Do what we gotta do and make the best of it.” He eyed her. “Hey, where’s your camera? You’re never without that.”
“Will’s still got it. I gave it to him again for the day yesterday,” she replied. “He loves taking pictures. He was so excited.”
“Yeah, he was bugging us pretty bad for pics yesterday,” Aaron recalled. “Well, good. He should’ve had fun then.”
“Yep. I told him not too many, but I know he burned through the rest of my card,” she said with a laugh. “Luckily I always bring a spare.”
They talked for a while, about things, about nothing. After some time, Alex’s curiosity got the better of her. She’d held off so far, but with their incessant daily chats, grew brave enough to ask. “You’ve told me some really amazing stories. So, what did you do? Officially. Before this, being for hire.”
Something flashed in his eyes that was just as quickly shut down with a tight smile and shake of his head.
Aaron once more turned his gaze out over the ocean. He didn’t answer, his vision now seeming focused on the distant line of the horizon, that subtle demarcation of hue that differentiated sky from sea.
Oh God, did I just piss him off? “It’s okay, never mind. I just assumed military, Special Forces, special ops, something like that. You don’t have to talk about it.”
He chuckled, gave her a warm grin that put her back at ease, and after a moment replied. “Well… special something. You’re kinda right. It’s complicated.”
“Hmm. ‘It’s complicated,’ he says. Now I’m really wondering.” She nudged him with her shoulder, relief flooding through her that she hadn’t upset him.
He looked over at her, one corner of his mouth still turned up, the creases at the corners of his eyes deepening as he squinted against the brightening sunlight.
“Okay then,” she said, studying him. “So… what do you do now when you’re not doing this? Or is that some big secret too?”
He laughed at her question. “No, no big secret. Just planning, really. Kinda hoping this will be my last job, at least doing this type of stuff.” He stretched and pulled one knee up. Resting an arm on it, he began picking at chipped white paint on the rail with his thumbnail, all at once lost in his own world. “Then I know exactly the where and the what. Pretty much off the grid. But…” He gazed out at the ocean again before bringing marked attention back to Alex. “There are still a few details I haven’t quite nailed down yet.”
“Well, that’s still a little vague. But off the grid is sweet. Sounds intriguing,” she replied, curious.
He raised an eyebrow. “You actually like the idea of off the grid?”
She just smiled and leaned on the rail again, resting her chin on crossed arms. “You have no idea.”
Alex waited for him to offer more detail of his retirement plans or question her further on her reply, but he remained silent. She turned her head to face him, resting her cheek on her arms. For all his seeming straightforwardness, he remained a mystery. And it was so hard to tell from his expression sometimes what he was feeling. But his eyes were still showing her a genuine curiosity and lightheartedness at their conversation.
After a minute, she said, “Got anyone waiting on you to get out? Wherever home is?”
“Um, no. It just… doesn’t work out for me. This lifestyle’s not really conducive to what I’d call a real relationship. How ’bout you?” He bounced the question back, quick to get the focus off himself.
“No. Bad split a year and a half ago. Then a friend tried to set me up six months later, under extreme protest, I might add.” She groaned. “Then lucky me, that turned into kind of a stalker. So I’ve pretty much just said screw it for now.”
“Well, saying that isn’t gonna turn off some guys.”
His roguish comment didn’t register right off, but the humorous sparkle in his blue-green eyes at last brought her to understanding. “Oh! Crap. I guess that really didn’t come out quite right, did it?” She blushed at her poor choice of words.
He continued to stare at her, clearly trying to stifle a full-on laugh as he took in her rose-red face, her lower lip now in her teeth, her bashful eyes peering back at him.
“Quit!” she exclaimed and smacked his knee with the back of her hand.
“Hey, you’re the one who said it,” he shot back, actually laughing now, and grabbed her hand before she could whack him again.
She gave him a stern but playful pout as she yanked her hand back in protest.
They sat there a few moments, recovering from their giggles in silence before Alex asked him another question. “Do they know you’re getting out?”
“Les does,” Aaron replied. “I’ve worked with ol’ Care Bear off and on for years. Shane? I doubt it. This is only the third job he’s been on with us.” He snickered as he shook his head. “Loverboy wasn’t even supposed to be on this one. Our other regular, Simon? Had a sudden illness pop up. Shane was available, so we picked him up. Boy can be a little questionable with some of his methods, but he is awful handy in a firefight.”
Her hand rested on the deck beside her and he put his down next to it, his pinky finger covering hers. His gaze was once again on the ocean. Not that subtle there, bud. Her heart raced. Even without the sparkling rush of his physical contact, she’d have been drawn to him. This just enhanced the connection she felt even more. Now used to the curious sensation that emanated when he touched her, she put her attention on that warm, pulsating current. If he noticed it too, he wasn’t saying. And she wasn’t ready to address that subject just yet. Maybe a roundabout approach?
“So, question for you: What’s your opinion of paranormal?”
He looked over at her. “What, like ghosts, or more like destiny and fate?”
“Um… maybe both?”
“I’m open-minded. You have to admit, there’s plenty that goes on in the world that can’t be explained. I believe there’s more. A lot more to life than what we see.”
“Okay. Can I tell you something? And will you promise me you won’t be freaked out and you’ll still talk to me?”
He laughed and cocked his head at her. “Hmm. Don’t know. Might have to throw you overboard.”
“Fine. I’ll keep it to myself.”
He chuckled again and brushed her hair back off her cheek and shoulder. “No, tell me. Seriously.”
Where to begin? Could she really tell him at this moment about what his physical touch did to her? How weird would that sound? She racked her brain for what to say, now faced with his intense focus. Maybe not that yet. Maybe…
She took a long breath. “When I was little, like three to five years old, I would wake up in the night with this horrible alone feeling. Not every night, but a lot. I have no idea where it came from, and I had no reason to feel that way. My family was close, and I always felt loved. But it was like I was, I don’t know, feeling someone else’s feelings? It always seemed like it was a little boy, like someone I knew but yet didn’t, you know? I couldn’t see him, but I could feel him, like a best friend I’d never met.” She stopped as tears started to form, and she rubbed her eyes. She refocused on him. “What do you think that means?”
Aaron stared, his look a mix of shock and understanding. “Wow. Well, I can’t say for sure. There’s the theory on quantum entanglement. There are plenty of myths and stories of people having an extraordinary connection. You… might have a strong connection to someone you hadn’t met.” He wrapped his pinky into hers. “My own take for myself? I used to wish for… when I was younger. Wished stuff like that was real. There were times growing up that I felt incredibly alone. Later on too.” His gaze clouded and he looked away to the water.
Oh my God. “Aaron, right when I first saw you guys at the dock, I felt—”
A flurry of activity erupted on the lower deck, excited shouts and called-out orders drifting up to them, interrupting the intimate solitude of their conversation.
“C’mon,” Aaron said as he jumped to his feet. He held out a hand for her. “Let’s go see. They might have found something.”
“We’ve got a great signature!” Jimmy exclaimed, jubilation lighting his face as Alex and Aaron walked up. He turned and spoke to the crew near him on deck. “That’s good. Let’s get sub two in the water and have a look!”
Several crew members who had surrounded one of the two submersibles on board continued prepping it for launch. If this was it, all they needed were confirmation pictures to go with the coordinates and they could all go home.
“Vacation over?” Shane made his appearance to stand with them.
Jimmy looked up from his screen again and nodded. “Maybe so. Here’s what we’re seeing.”
He handed his tablet to Aaron, and he and Shane studied it for a moment before handing it back.
“Looks good to me,” Shane replied. He craned his neck around in a rather dramatic, abrupt search. “Where’s Care Bear? I’m gonna go fill him in.” He slapped Aaron on the back and
strode off at a quick pace.
Shane disappeared through a hatch, and a shadow crossed Aaron’s features before he turned his attention back to present company. Alex caught his look. What was that all about? They continued to chat with her brother and several crew members. As the launch neared readiness, Aaron went to help steady a line. Alex and Jimmy stood together.
“We may be headed home tomorrow. You still glad you came along?” Jimmy asked. “I know it’s been a little worrisome here and there.”
“Absolutely!” Alex exclaimed and hugged her brother. “And thank you so much. Really. You know I’ve told you for years that I wanted to come on one of these trips. It’s been fun!”
“Good. I hoped so. And I know you were ticked about these guys being here at first.” He nodded over at Aaron and Les, the latter who’d now shown up and stood speaking with his companion. “But you seem pretty good with it now. Sorry I couldn’t tell you ahead of time.”
Alex smiled at him. “I know. It’s okay.” She paused and glanced over at Aaron and Les helping out the launch crew. “And let’s just say it’s been very interesting. Hey, I’m gonna go track down Will and my camera!” She hurried off, giving Jimmy a quick wave before he could reply.
“So, Shane fill you in?” Aaron asked as Les approached.
“About what?” Les asked. He grabbed a line near him while the man holding it stepped in closer to the sub to check instrumentation.
“Well…” Aaron pulled hard on his rope, helping realign the sub’s track. “He took off in an awful big hurry to find you. Figured he did.”
“Nope. Haven’t seen him. What’s up? They find it?”
“Maybe so,” Aaron replied, again with a quizzical knitting of his brows. Where the hell is ol’ Loverboy always running off to?
“Cool,” Les said. “Maybe some easy money after all.”
Off the Deep End Page 5