บท 2: Chapter I
Toxicity by System of a Down was playing as Thea and Zara were clean the cabin and cooking breakfast. I watched the women work naked and enjoyed the sight of their delicious bodies when my phone rang.
"Aiden... We have a problem. Get to the CALLIOPE and take her fishing. We need the standard and something a little extra." said Augie.
I sigh and look at the time. I could tell the asshat forgot his sister was coming home today. Oh well. I roll out of bed and get dressed.
I don't ever wear much. I spent good money on tattoos. So I show them off regularly. A pair of pants and boots is usually my go-to. Today I opted for a loose-fitting navy blue button-up. The sleeves were cut short, and the shirt was never buttoned up.
I put my hair in a man bun and grab the keys to my truck. I leave a few bills for the ladies to shop and then split.
At the CALLIOPE, I get it ready to set sail. It was an old fishing boat with the same name as Calliope. Her father passed it down to Augie when they finally declared his death. The boat was mostly used for shipments, but whenever shit went wrong, Augie would tell me to take her fishing.
Fishing meant that a problem needs to be sorted, and I literally had to go fishing so that we would have a product to sell to make up for the weight we were lacking. Fishing came easy to me for certain reasons. It made catching rare and exotic fish a lucrative side business whenever Augie needed to balance the books when shipments didn't go as planned.
Speaking of making money on the deep, three years back, I started filming underwater shots and making documentaries and short films under a pen name. One film every three months, and business was booming. I even planned to start doing archeology dives, but Bill was adamant about keeping me away from such things. To much limelight for a man that doesn't age.
When the boat was ready, I took her out deep into the sea. I dropped the anchor, and then I dived in. I liked being far out. The further out I went, the clearer the water became.
Most of the time I spent was swimming in the abyss. I could hear them down there, the Sirens, singing or talking. I would just float there for hours listening to them. At times I could even feel the gaze of the Sirens.
When my watch finally beeped, I swam just beneath the surface and sang my song. Fish that could hear me swam in schools to sacrifice themselves to my net. Of course, I chose only the best specimens.
Then something amazing happened, the sea went silent, one siren sang a song like no other I had heard. I looked at the source of the song in hopes of catching a glimpse of the Siren. However, greatness broke my concentration when it nudged my back.
I turned to see a Platinum Arowana. A four feet long, deep water fish coveted by many. "Augie wants rare fish, but I will add you to my personal coffers. five hundred and fifty thousand is your worth."
Though the fish could not hear my thought, I spoke in my mind as if it could. I then turned to the black abyss, and sirens could be heard once more as if they had resumed their daily lives.
When I had caught enough fish, I made a list of everything I would give to Augie then I made my way inland. On the way, I was on the satellite phone, trying to find buyers wherever I could.
By nightfall, I had the boat docked and clean. My truck was loaded up. Then I got another call from Augie.
"You with the boat?" he asked.
"Yeah, I was just about to take off," I replied.
"Stay with her. I'm on my way. We need to take her out," Augie finished.
We have a shipment, but Augie didn't sound pleased. He sounded anxious. Most of the time, I wouldn't care what was happening. I do a job, take my money, then leave. But something had Augie rattled, and that made me anxious.
___
I was in the water as I waited for him. The past few years, I couldn't get enough of it. And whenever I needed to relax, it was my go-to. But I suddenly heard movement on the boat. When I got out of the water, I was pleasantly surprised.
"Cal.." I gasped.
She was beautiful, even more so than she was ten years ago. I don't know if she was lost for words or just didn't remember me.
I towel then hit my chest. And I realized I was standing in naked glory.
"Wrap up. Get dressed. we need to go." said Augie
I laughed as I covered myself. I move quickly to dress, but Cal stopped me.
"Who are you?" she asked.
"You don't remember? I know we haven't spoken in 2 years, but I'm still hurt." I tell her.
"Aiden?" she asked with shock. "You're...bigger."
I chuckled. "I grew up. Just like you."
Cal's face was mature, beautiful with dark green eyes. She had long curly brunette hair and a slim body that made her ass and tits look delightfully bigger. She was really a far step away from her younger self.
I, on the other hand, acquired some mass and grew taller than I had expected. I'm 6 feet and 5 inches tall and built like a sea warrior with well defined cut muscles. My platinum white hair now touched my shoulder blades, and my eyes were bluer than they ever were before.
I tucked the towel and just hugged her while I could. It took Cal a moment to respond, but she hugged me back, and it felt better than sex to have her in my arms after so many years. We stood suspended in time. Then the boat finally left the dock and brought us back from wherever our minds drifted off to.
After some time out to sea, it hit me.
"What is she doing here?" I asked Augie.
Augie looked at Cal and then me.
"I'm joining the business," Cal replied.
"Just like that?" I ask. "You find out what the family business is, fresh out of jail, and you just sign up."
Cal pursed her lips. She looked to Augie for back up, but he was looking for an answer as well.
"Well, everything is half mine. And if this was my dad's business, then I want to be apart of it. It's my right. Why? Are you worried about me, Aiden?"
"You're a grown-ass woman. But you also spent a decade in jail. And this is your first day out. I'm just making sure you're thinking right. But, hey, do what you want." I then went back to rolling my joint in silence.
A moment later, Cal's small arm nudged me, and she gestured to go out to the deck. Once, she closed the door behind us. She asks if I was upset.
"Why would I be upset? It's good to have you here. Augie always looks like he's going to pop a vein. Having you here might ease him out." I replied and took a hit to mellow myself out.
"That's not what I'm talking about." Cal moved to close the distance between us, "Are you upset with me because I stopped writing and calling?"
I would rather not give a shit if I'm honest. "Should I not be?" I ask her.
"Look, Aiden, it's complicated."
"So complicated that you had to ghost me? For two years?" I felt my blood boiling. I just wanted to be her friend when she got out, But Calliope made me feel things I couldn't understand.
"You know what? Don't answer that, because I don't care anymore. With all that complication, just one call, five seconds, in two years, Calliope. It would have been enough to tell me that I still meant something to you. You used to say that you felt abandon by Rosa and Augie, but you abandoned me. I was all alone without you, Cal."
I stopped and walked away, talking any more, and I wouldn't have been able to stop.
As I walked away, I heard Calliope call me, but I ignored her. I just smoked my herb and watched the dark sea as we passed it by.
At some point, Calliope hugged me from behind and rested against my back. "I'm sorry, Aiden." She whispered.
"But you recovered well. I met Thea and Zara at the Devil's Tail. Rosa made sure to introduce them to me as your girlfriends." Cal tried to laugh it off, but she is a raw person. Faking feelings isn't apart of her. Calliope is like the sea, unapologetically, unvarnished, and intimate. Every wave and current, gentle or harsh, high or low, is exactly what it is meant to be without deception.
As I said, Calliope makes me feel things. I slowly broke the hug and turned around to face her. I loved having her close. The moment I met those green eyes, I told her, " Thea and Zara are great, but they aren't you."
I then lean forward to place a soft kiss on her forehead before leaving her alone on the deck.
-----
The waters were dark, and we were miles away from land. Augie cut the engine, and we floated.
"How is anyone gonna find us out here in the middle of fucking nowhere?" Cal asked.
"Just wait," I reply.
A second later, a boat appeared with a bright light. The Tidelanders had arrived. On the small boat, Dylan and Leandra, two beautiful Tidelander runners, looked the crew over.
Dylan was usually tense as he was second in charge of the Tidelanders. Leandra, on the other hand, always serious and in a bad mood. She was like the enforcer of the bunch.
"Who the hell is this?" Dylan asked with big eyes, referring to Cal.
"What do you care? " Augie replied, unfazed.
"You brought a stranger without asking?"
"You killed one of my men without asking," said Augie.
"What?" I asked, surprised. "Who did you kill, Dylan?"
Before Dylan could answer, Cal stepped in. "I'm Cal McTeer, Augie's sister, Pat's Daughter."
Cal then tossed a large brick of cash to Leandra. It was 380,000 dollars in total. One by one, we took small blue barrels filled with drugs. Exchanges were that easy.
As Dylan and Leandra pushed off. Leandra looked up at me and said, " Aiden, you were out in the water today. What were you doing?"
"Went for a swim. It's always quiet out here. I enjoy it." I reply.
Leandra gives Dylan a look. When I had started to mess around with Thea, the Tidelanders had learned of my existence. But Augie was now looking at me with a shocked expression when I said the sea was quiet. He had personally heard the songs of the sirens before.
I then said, " Of course, everything is quiet with earplugs. It helps with the pressure when I free dive."
Dylan and Leandra still had questions, but they probably assumed I had gone to find my mother as most Tidelanders did in their young life.
"Aiden, stay out of the water. Thea would be upset if something happened to you." Leandra then sat down in the small boat, and Dylan sped off.
"Who are they?" Cal asked.
"Tidelanders," said Augie as he organized the barrels.
"Those hippy weirdos from the commune?" Cal asked.
"L'Attente, yeah," said Augie. "And I know they look good, but that is the meat you don't eat."
Cal looked out at Sea and then over at me. "Thea's a Tidelander, right?" she asked.
Augie looked between then focused on the barrels.
"Yeah, she is."
Cal hummed. "I thought it was meat we don't eat."
"My preferred choice seems to be alluding me. Tell me, what should I do to satiate my hunger?"
Cal stared for a brief moment, then placed all her attention on relocating the Barrels. I turned away to take us back inland.
"Cut him some slack, Cal," Augie whispered before into the wheelhouse.
----
Back at the docks, we unloaded the shipment. The atmosphere was pretty tense. Augie had told me that Zach Maney was found crucified on his boat. No eyes or tongue to be found.
Augie told me that the Tidelanders killed him for spying. Now, everyone had their own theories, But Augie and I usually had the same thought process. Zach Maney is a fucken' pussy. Augie was putting the wood to Zach's wife, and she loved it. Zach knew everything but acted oblivious. And it wasn't because he was fucking around either. Zach just didn't have gull.
This meant someone sent Zach out there to spy. And that meant someone was turning Augie's men to push in on the business.
Anyway, to break the tension, Jared, the youngest of the group, asked me about the fish.
"Where are they? I thought Augie sent you out earlier?" he asked.
The men looked at me with expectant.
"You fucking bottom feeders," I call them. "The fish are for Augie to balance the books. Nothing more. If you want to sell the exotic shit, go catch 'em yourselves."
"Ahh, come on, Aiden! Don't be a prick." Grayson Raxter shouted, " You know we don't swim these waters."
"Yeah, you have balls of steel, mate. " Jared added.
"Aiden," Augie called out.
I look over, and he gave me a good nod.
"Fine, only because the shipment came, the fish can be this month's bonus," I tell them, and they all cheer.
"Why are you so happy about fish money. Isn't that why you smuggle? Fishing isn't as good." Cal spoke out.
The crew just shook their heads at the ignorant girl.
"It isn't dead fish he's selling. Aiden dives in to catch rare deepwater fish. Like the ones he films in his movies."
"Documentaries." the men corrected Augie before I could.
I looked at Calliope. "You have seen them, right? I sent you copies." I tell her.
"All of them," she replies. Cal steps off the boat and walks off. Of course, I chased her down and offered her a ride, which she declined.
I wasn't fazed much as I had to head to the city, anyway. On my way out of town, I stop at L'Attente to pick up Thea, and then we take off.
"So what are we selling today?" Thea asked me.
"I found a Platinum Arowana," I tell her.
Thea smiles and gently bites her bottom lip as she stares at me.
"What?" I ask.
"Somethings might be changing at L'Attente, and Violca wants to have a chat when we get back."
"Does this have anything to do with Zach Maney?" I ask her.
"No, I swear. I heard Leandra killed him for spying." Thea quickly set the record straight. "This is about you and what you do. And about...Adrielle."
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