By Sea by Carly Fall

you, Brody, and you need me. When we can both agree on that, my proposition wins. If you decide you don’t need me, then it doesn’t work.”
    “What about a crew? I can’t run a yacht by myself. And who are these clients?” Brody asked. He didn’t want to get involved in anything illegal.
    “The boat carries a full crew, and being captain, you, of course, will be in charge. As for the clientele, there are many wealthy people in the world, Brody, and unfortunately, many get themselves in a lot of trouble.”
    “Like what? What will I be dealing with?” Brody asked.
    “Most of my clients do stupid things like try to stiff their drug dealer or anger their mistress who then makes the movie Fatal Attraction look like a Disney film. We just need to keep the client isolated for a week or two so they can’t do any further damage and the other half of my company can clean up their mess if needed.”
    Brody considered what the ‘cleanup’ involved, but wasn’t sure he wanted to know. “Seriously? That’s it?”
    “Yes, Brody. You simply captain the yacht, make sure the client is cared for, and you will be well-armed in case things get a little hectic.”
    With his blood racing, he asked, “How often does that happen?”
    Joe backed up from the table as Thomas walked in. “I run a tight business, Mr. Teller. However, sometimes things don’t work out according to plan, as factoring in human nature can be a wildcard. I can tell you that I do everything to the best of my abilities to ensure all my agents’ assignments are smooth sailing, so to speak.”
    “And what about my ability? Will the others on the boat know about it?”
    Joe shrugged. “That’s up to you, Mr. Teller. If you wish to tell them, fine. If not, that’s okay, as well. It’s your secret, so do with it what you wish.”
    Brody studied the man, deciding he liked the idea of keeping his own baggage to himself. He didn’t know the rest of the crew, and although Joe obviously deemed them trustworthy, Brody had a hard time putting his trust in anyone, especially after what had been done to him by the government he had pledged his life to.
    “What about my . . . keepers?” Brody asked. “They’ll come looking for me.”
    Joe nodded. “Yes, they will, but I can assure you, I will make certain that you simply disappear. There won’t be any leads for them to follow.”
    “And how do you plan on doing that?” Brody asked.
    “I have my ways, Mr. Teller, and just like how I obtained your file, they aren’t your concern.”
    Brody stood as Joe wheeled himself toward the door. “There will be a car by to pick you up in five minutes, Mr. Teller. Please consider my offer, and I will hopefully speak to you soon.”
    As he heard the door to the van open and close a moment later, Brody’s heart thudded in his chest. He would be active again, doing what he needed and what he wanted.
    It really all did sound simple, too good to be true. As the van drove away, he slowly walked across the dusty floor, stepped outside, put his sunglasses on and firmly shut the door.
    The sedan arrived four minutes later. Brody slid inside, feeling the soft, black leather beneath his hands. The driver, a man in his fifties or sixties, greeted him with a smile, and they rode in silence until they reached the marina parking lot.
    “Please stay in the car for a minute, Mr. Teller,” the driver said, glancing around.
    A moment later, his cell phone rang. “Yes? Okay, thank you.”
    The driver turned to him, his blue eyes kind under thick, grey eyebrows. “Mr. Teller, you can leave now. We wanted to be certain that no one was watching and we hadn’t been followed.”
    “Thanks, man,” Brody said, reaching for the door handle.
    “Mr. Smith also wanted me to remind you that the offer is good for twenty-four hours, no longer.” The driver handed Brody a business card. “Here’s a new number for you to call if you should decide to work for Mr. Teller. Remember, it will only