Page 42 of All The Way Under
Saylor clears her throat and then asks, “But have youactuallymoved on?”
Her voice sends a chilling threat into the air. The threat of having to tell her more…the truth.
Of course she connected the dots. No one has ever read me so well.
“Yes, of fucking course I’ve moved on. It was a long time ago, when I was in college. I was a kid.”
Jocelyn was my first real girlfriend. My first love. She was also a midshipman at the Naval Academy, two years younger than me. We had a lot in common, and she had a wit far superior to mine. We’d been together for a year when the accident happened—long enough to plan my future with her, and long enough for her to break my chest wide open and give me something else to live for.
Saylor’s blue eyes widen as she stares at the side of my face. I don’t dare look at her. She shovels a bite of food into her mouth, and I can see her wince in my peripheral vision. This conversation with her isn’t finished.
Turner leans over and whispers something to his brother, and I don’t even try to listen in. Our conversation has drawn looks from all the guards who have their gazes poised on us in a way I’m not used to. The distrust I see on Ravelo’s face gives me pause. I aim a lopsided grin his way, trying to let him know there’s nothing to see or hear over here.
Collin is the one who speaks now, aiming a finger at me like a weapon. “Get us out of here. There are no excuses now.”
My breath hitches. It makes sense that in their minds, I am the police, merely here to swoop in and save them. SEALs are known to come in and save the day. They aren’t supposed to know that about me. Heat crawls up my neck as my gaze dances between the brothers.
Saylor stands up loudly, grabbing her tray.
“I need to go tell Ravelo something I thought of with the irrigation system in the vegetable garden. I just thought of it.”
She leaves, without saying another word, walking toward the back of the room, toward the group of guards.
“We know who you are. Why haven’t you gotten us out of here yet?” Turner hisses, a confidence I’ve yet to see from him. When humans are desperate, they resort to behavior that is unlike their norms. I can confidently say that’s accurate. To a fault.
I watch Saylor talk to Ravelo and Nery closely while deciding which way to go with the brothers. Gaslight. Manipulate. Reverse.
“You don’t know motherfucking shit about anything. I was kicked out of the Teams,” I say, my words sharp as a razor blade.
I watch their lips drop, and then the light dwindles from their eyes.
“I got rolled up by these motherfuckers spreading the ashes of my friend, because I’m a shit sailor, and I ended up here instead of Australia. I didn’t know the waters well enough. I can’t help you.” Shaking my head. “I might have been someone back when you read a news article about me and Jocelyn and the accident. When I graduated from the Naval Academy, I did go on to try out to become a SEAL, but I didn’t make it all the way through training. I got hurt and was sent to be a mechanic. I use my damn engineering degree now. I’ve had no training for this.”
I wave my hand around the room. I know enough to know that there’s nothing about me online after I became a SEAL. Operational Security forbids it. Turner saw a graduation announcement posted by the Naval Academy and took a leap that I made it through training. This is the hill I must die on.
“You’re saying you don’t know how to get us out of here? I call bullshit. You got yourself out of that cage in record time. You know something we don’t.”
It’s true. During my time on this base, I’ve learned nearly everything there is to know using my keen sense of observation and just by listening when no one thinks I am. I know how many guard shacks are on this base. I know how many men are in those shacks at any given time. I know that there are two men above Ravelo who run things here. I also know where they sleep and what they look like. I also know I might have to kill them to get off this island with Saylor. Now, I realize, duty binds me to getting these jokers out of here too.
“We’ve been here a long time. You have to get us out of here.”
Sometime during my half-convincing charade, I realize Saylor left the room, and a wave of panic sweeps over me. It’s an odd feeling to feel this protective over another person. I haven’t left her side for more than a couple of minutes here and there, and she’s always been in my line of view or my peripheral.
Collin notices my shock.
“You are having a little island romance in this hellhole?” he says, shaking his head. “You’re sweating.”
My gaze flicks to all the doorways, and somehow, I know she’s no longer here.
“He’s sweating,” he says to Turner.
“Listen, fuckers. She’s our only hope of getting off this island, so yeah, it does make me nervous,” I say, trying to spin another story. Admitting my feelings for her isn’t something I cancomfortably do. The thought of having a conversation about my feelings with her makes my stomach tilt and flinch.
“Who is she?” Collin asks.
“She’s rich. Richer than both of you can imagine. Her family is why we’ll get out of here. If you both don’t fuck it up before then. It will be on you if you keep blabbing,” I add the warning because they’ve pissed me off. “If you want me to get you off this island when we leave, keep your mouth shut.” I swallow hard. “About me and my past and everything you think you know.”
They nod. I grab my tray and try to be casual as I walk up to a guard.
