Beneath the Surface

Chapter 4

He remembered those last moments in his mother's life-the sound of her terrified screams, the chaos as the water engulfed the ship. Horrifyingly clear, the images swam before him. He bit his lip, fighting to keep down his emotion, fighting to push such memories away. "You don't scare me," he said, though his voice shook with suppressed anger.

"Really?" The man sneered, stepping closer, the blade shimmering in the moonlight. "Let's test that.

The man blinked his eye, and launched himself forward, plunging the knife squarely at Jeremy. In slow motion, Jeremy instinctively sidestepped and barely dodged the blade. Carried by his momentum, the man tumbled beyond him, and Jeremy quickly took advantage of the opportunity, diving forward at his attacker, his hand clamping down on the attacker's wrist in a vice-like grip.

The two men struggled, the knife flying to the wood planks as they tumbled backward against the railing. Military training inside Jeremy kicked in, a lifetime of hand-to-hand combat overriding his thinking as he wrestled the man around and away from him. Otherwise paralyzed with shock, Jake snapped into action and picked up the fallen knife, holding it out toward the stranger.

"Get off of him!" Jake screamed in a panicked voice.

The stranger struggled, squirming around to get free from Jeremy's hold. Then Jeremy tossed him backward. He went down with an oof against the pier railing but was back on his feet in a hurry. Jeremy was faster, though, and he flung himself at the stranger in a fighting rage.

He was just about to regain his stride when the man suddenly reached in his jacket and pulled out-a gun. The gun sent a jolt of fear through Jeremy instantly.

"Back off!" he snarled, pointing the weapon right at Jeremy. In that instant, the altercation had turned in a different direction; Jeremy froze as his mind yelled out to let go and let the man have his way.

Easy now," the stranger said with a twisted grin etched across his face. "I don't want to hurt you. Just understand that with every action, there comes a consequence. You are playing a dangerous game."

"Let him go!" Jake shouted, brandishing the knife but his hands shaking in place, not taking one step out of his position.

Drop it," the man ordered, his eyes flicking between the two of them. "You don't want to get involved in this. You don't know what you're doing. I'm only giving you one chance to walk away from this."

"Who are you?" Jeremy demanded, voice steady though his gut was shaking with fear. "What do you have to do with the wreck?

Now, the smile was gone from the stranger's face, his features cold and calculating. "I am the man who understands the way of the world, Caldwell. I know the deals made in the dark, the lives sacrificed to a profit. And I know you're digging too deep."

"What does that mean?" Jeremy pressed for an answer.

"It means let sleeping dogs lie. Continue digging around and you'll find those who died on that ship weren't just accident victims. There were those working in opposition. Powerful people who aren't nice when secrets about them are dug up."

"What forces?" Jeremy pressed, unabashed by the warning. "What are you so afraid I'll find out?

Let's just say that knowledge is a dangerous thing, and right now, your curiosity is going to get you killed. Walk away, Jeremy. You have no idea what you're dealing with."

Jake's face went white, and he stepped back half a step, his features etched with fear. "Jeremy, we should listen to him. He's right. This isn't worth it.

"Shut up, Jake!" Jeremy snarled, riveting all his attention on the stranger. "I am not afraid of you nor anybody else. If you know something, it's owed to me you tell it.".

The man laughed; the voice turned bitter, mocking. "Oh, you think you are brave, Caldwell? That you can handle the world all by yourself? You have no idea who you're dealing with. You really think this is just between you and your parents? It goes so much deeper than that. You'll drag everyone you care about into the dark with you if you keep this way."

The words fell like lead, and for a moment, doubt fluttered across Jeremy's features. He thought about Rosette, this little spitfire of a girl he met in Italy. The thought of her being drug into this chaos sent him spiraling into dread. That wasn't allowed to happen.

But before he could say a word, the man's head jerked toward the darkness beyond the pier. "Appears we're not alone," he growled low. "Time to go."

"What do you mean?" Jeremy asked, his brain whirling in confusion.

But the man was already backpedaling, his eyes no longer set on Jeremy and Jake. "Consider this a warning, Caldwell. If you value your life, stop digging. The past is best left buried."

Suddenly, footsteps swelled from the shadows, and Jeremy's heart started to pound. "What's going on?" he yelled, adrenaline coursing through him as he whirled into the darkness.

The next thing he knew, two other figures emerged from the shadows; faces masked in dark hoods. One seemed to lunge at the stranger, pulling him back into the dark, and another began to advance on Jeremy and Jake, a cruel grin spreading across his face.

"Looks like you two are in the wrong place at the wrong time," he said, eyes glinting with malice.

Get away from us!" Jake shrieked, clutching the knife tightly but shaking with fear.

The man paid no heed to him, coming closer because his presence was as if eclipsing everything else that existed around him. "You should have listened to him, Caldwell. You are not cut out for this game.

Instinct then became the main attraction the following second. Jeremy dove onto the man in a bid to get him to the ground ahead of his reaching them. Both fell into each other on their descent to the ground, scuffling and fighting for dominance. Jeremy fought with all his might, knowing his most vital rage and desperation would be most vital in defending himself and Jake.

"Help!" he shouted out, not too articulate since he was straining hard to keep the heavier man from overpowering him.

Jake hopped forward, though scared to death, with new-found determination and clenching the knife. He lashed out at the attacker but misjudged his step in the scuffle on the slick wooden planks of the pier and lost his footing.

"Watch out!" Jeremy yelled across the night to him as he saw the second attacker coming up behind Jake.

In but one swift glance, Jeremy knew he had to rush. With all his strength, he heaved on and pushed as hard as he could against the man lying underneath him. He was finally able to flip him off and get up to his feet.

"Jake, behind you!" he yelled, his heart racing as he sprinted toward his friend.

But before he could reach him, the second man lunged forward, his fist flying toward Jake's head. Jeremy's instincts kicked in, and he launched himself forward in time, tackling the attacker. They crashed into the railing of wood; the impact sent jolts through Jeremy's body.