Uncharted: The Price of Revenge[ Old Version]

Chapter Eight

We found a boat that would bring us to California. From there, hopefully we could book a flight to Paris. I stood next to Cassie, her blonde haired tied up like her mother used to wear. I remembered back to the first time I'd met Elena, a hotel in Madagascar. Nate had never told her that he'd had a brother, I didn't put it past him. It must have been pretty shitty thinking I was dead all those years. We'd only ever had each other, then I'd 'died' and been locked away for fifteen years- and to be even more shitty I'd lied about how I'd gotten out of Jail. Nate had forgiven me, but I still felt like a piece of shit for a long time. My determination to honor my mother had blinded me, I'd almost gotten my only brother killed numerous times... and the treasure had been buried under thousands of pounds of rock along with the spawn of Satan- Rafe. The one who'd broken me out of Prison.

We boarded the fishing boat. It was hardly first class passage on a private jet, but it would do. With someone trying to murder us this little fishing boat would slip past them undetected. The captain welcomed us abroad, he was old his black beard stained with streaks of white and gray. Eyes pale blue, going blind. His attention was focused on the lovely woman who had paid for this. She was still as beautiful as the day I tried to kill her. Her hair was shorter now; flecks of gray could be spotted amongst her auburn locks. She was aging, just like everyone else. I ripped my eyes away from her, reminding myself how much she hated me. I earned it. I told myself. That treasure hunt had brought nothing but pain to me and everyone around me. I was thankful that it was long over. The boat began to move away from the shoreline and into the deep blue sea.

I pulled a cigarette from my jean jacket, smoke drifted up around my face as I lit it. Memories of taking the boat with Nathan to Libertalia flooded my mind. I shut them out, I had to focus on the task at hand. Not being murdered by an angry French ex-girlfriend. Victor approached me, lighting his Cigar. "Its interesting how life works, huh." He said. "Of all people, we are stuck on a boat with your niece and your angry ex-girlfriend... and, by the way. Cas seems to be taking a liking to our lovely French woman." He said. "I don't know if I approve of that." I shrugged. "Well, I'd hope Cassie realizes that Alaya wants to brutally murder me and that she's probably going to have to run like hell as soon as this thing is over." I chuckled. Victor shrugged his shoulders. "Well, we'll protect you Sam. Maybe we can get her locked away before this thing is over. Save your dumb ass from the consequences of your stupid actions." Victor muttered. I let out a sigh, smoke bellowing from my lips and puffing into the clear blue sky. The island was slowly fading into the cobalt backdrop, I watched it disappear. "Cassandras life will never be the same now." I said. "She'll be another fugitive." Victor nodded. "I know."

We stood in silence for a few moments, gazing out into the pacific ocean, waves spilling from the bottom of the fiberglass boat. I watched the water moving in a mesmerizing pattern. "Do you trust her." I asked Victor, glancing over at the old man. His eyes lowered and face wrinkled slightly in discontent. "No.... but I don't think she'll betray us, at least not if we do it first. She is paying for this boat ride, if she wanted to kill us all she would have already." I narrowed my eyes. "Perhaps she's trying to get us to France, because that's under her jurisdiction to arrest us." I said. Victor shrugged. "Well, I don't think so. She seems to like Cas, and she wants to kill you herself. I doubt she'd turn you two into the police... Myself however." I patted his shoulder. "You're her, contact- I don't think she'd betray you. Its me I'm worried about."

Victor snorted slightly. "That's probably wise 'ol boy." Then he left me to my thoughts and the sound of the sea.

-

I sat on one of the beds, they were hard and uncomfortable. Nothing like the beds back home, I missed my house. I missed Vicky. I missed mom and dad. I wanted to cry, but I wouldn't. I had to stay strong, for them. Alaya was sitting on the lower bunk across from me. She was elegant, her legs long and crossed at the ankles. Heeled black boots tied around her feet. Black jeans ran up to her waist, a brown fur coat covering her slender abdomen. Red hair straight and falling just past her ears. I was starting to idolize her, which was foolish- because she wanted to kill my uncle. I had a plan, I would attempt to get them to atleast become friends again. I had no idea how I was going to do that, but I'd figure it out. "Do you have a boyfriend." I asked her. She glanced up at me, green eyes filled with surprise at my sudden question. "no. I had a husband but he died in a plane accident." I nodded, silently thinking. Good.

My thoughts went to my honorary grandfather, Victor. Stories of how he had mentored my father at only fifteen, perhaps I could get Alaya to agree to do the same thing- but I would need her to be on better terms with my uncle first. I didn't want a mentor who wanted to murder a family member. "Why do you hate Sam so much." I asked her. She looked at me, her eyes growing cold. "because he tried to murder me, he lied to me and stole from me. I spent half my life looking for him, only to find that his trail went cold at Panama. When infact, he was alive and breathing. I wasted millions of dollars trying to track him down, and I find that he 'died'. I'd wasted ten years of my life at that point, but I accepted defeat. If he had died then there was no point in wasting any more time, twenty years later I get a call from Victor Sullivan telling me that he needs my help- I show up to find the asshat who had tried to kill me standing in the kitchen. Still breathing." She said, her voice icy with hatred. Shes going to take a lot of work. I thought while nodding at her story.Alaya had grown tired of my questions and left the room, as she walked up the small set of stairs I saw her gun strapped in its holster on the lining of her belt.

I sat in silence in the compartment of the boat, listening to the motor and the sound of the waves crashing against the hull of the boat. I'd been on my dads boat countless times, but it was a small sailboat- this massive thing had no sails to speak of. Just a noisy motor. I laid down on the bed gazing into the low lying roof. I missed my room. I closed my eyes, pretending to be back in my life.

The day they were taken, I remember that morning.

"Mom" I called from across the house. It was the last day of school I wanted to go and celebrate with my friends at the local frozen yogurt shop down the street. "Yes Cassie?" She replied from somewhere in the kitchen. I raced in, my hair pulled into a pony tail and flip-flops clacking across the wood floors. "I'm going to meet my friends now." I said to her. My dad sitting at the table, reading the magazine. I had found out about their pasts a year before, I think to the date almost. It was hard to picture my father running around and shooting people- but it was pretty cool, in theory. "Stay safe sweet heart" she kissed my head. "Bye!" I raced out the door and that was the last time I saw them.

I felt tears well in my brown eyes but I fought them down, I would remain strong. For them.

-

Sam and Victor chatted away below me, I stood next to the captain as he steered the boat through the water. "Its going to be a couple days before we get there, you realize." He said to me. I nodded. "I'm aware, we are prepared to wait. This is the safest way to travel at the moment." He was chewing on a toothpick, making a lot of noise. I was tempted to smack it out of his mouth, but I resisted. "What makes a well endowed lady like yourself have to take a fishing vessel to California." I looked down at him my face still as stone. "People blowing up my jet in an attempt to kill me." I said. He stiffened and looked back towards the water. He was probably just now realizing what he'd gotten himself into. "I am a powerful woman Captain, I suggest you get us to California quickly before my enemies realize what's happened." He nodded, sweat rolling down the side of his face. In a weird way I enjoyed making those less than me squirm. It was fun.

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