Truth About Caymen

I realize that it sucks to end with cliff hangers, but that's okay. I'm taking a short break from Caymen to do Tango and Taz, which I will post shortly. Caymen's not done, and I will come back to it soon.

Dan Rimshot@planetaccess.com

The truth about Caymen 12:

Merit felt the blood rush to his face, and his pulse raced. He ran up the steps to the dock intent to put himself between Caymen and his half brother, Darius. "What the hell are you doing here?" He snarled, Caymen's arm stopping him from moving any further. "You should've learned your lesson last time."

"How theatrical." Darius sneered. He looked at Caymen and smiled sarcastically. "Really, dear brother, I would've thought your taste would've improved in the last year." Merit tried to get past Caymen to take Darius' throat out, eliciting a laugh from Darius. "Relax, killer, and you might live to see tomorrow."

Caymen was not smiling. He was in fact very calm considering the emotions that boiled in his mind. Darius' smart-ass comments to Merit caused something to snap, and Caymen lifted his hand, inhaled, and directed his mind at his brother. Darius slammed against the small shed that housed the scuba gear, his eyes wide with shock. Caymen smiled slightly.

"My tastes were excellent to begin with, and if you can't behave, Dare, I'll turn him loose." Caymen lowered his arm and crossed it with the other across his chest. "Now, why are you here, and I would be goddamned careful about your answer. Merit is a lot fucking nicer than I am today." Behind him, Cay heard Cody and Randy walk up.

Darius brushed at his printed tropical shirt and cargo shorts, eyeing Caymen differently than he had intended to. "Actually, I would like to go over that in private with you. I don't care to have an audience."

"That's a first." Caymen turned at met his protectors each with his eyes to theirs. "Go up to the house and tell Grandma we have a guest that may stay for lunch, please." Merit narrowed his eyes and looked past Caymen. Raw hatred churned his stomach. Caymen opened the link just briefly, and Merit relaxed slightly and nodded. They filed off the dock; shooting glances back as they went.

"Well, you certainly have them trained, don't you?" Darius said quietly.

Caymen wheeled around and locked eyes with Darius. "I wasn't bullshitting you, Dare. You're down to five minutes to explain why you're here."

"You may have tinkered a bit with those nifty powers, Caymen, but I wouldn't push your luck." Darius stood away from the wall he had been leaning on, anger entering his voice. "I have as much right to be here as you do, maybe more, and I seriously doubt your ability to make me leave."

Caymen blinked, and Darius landed against the wall near where he had hit the first time. "I guess you're to damned dumb to take my word for it." He said, advancing towards Darius. "I decided I didn't like what you did to me, Dare, my favorite cousin, best friend, and brother I always wanted." Caymen's voice oddly contained little mockery. "I felt betrayed by you, Dare. I loved you." Caymen lifted his hand, and Darius bent over with an oof, as though he'd been punched in the stomach.

"Caymen wait!" Darius wheezed, holding up his hand. "It wasn't my fault." He watched Caymen's hand come up, and it was like a cinder block hit him in the head. Darius landed near the door of the little shack, clinging to the doorframe. "Cay, I COULDN"T STOP! HE WAS CONTROLING ME!"

Caymen lowered his hand. "If you're going to tell me it was all Marrin, That's shit, buddy." He watched as Dare pulled himself up and worked his jaw. "I don't believe in mind control, and you don't either, so how 'bout you just get back in that little boat, and go to hell, okay?"

"Caymen, listen to me. Marrin knew I was really Andrew's son. He was going to use me to take over all of the family interests when your dad,.....our dad died." His voice trailed off. He sat on a bench and put his elbows on his knees. "I was on drugs, Cay. He found out, and gave me anything I wanted. After awhile, he started telling me how you were going to inherit everything, and how it should be me. I started to believe him."

"When did you find out you weren't his son?" Caymen asked, interested but leery.

"About a year after Andrew died. I was fourteen." Darius ran his hand through his hair and sighed. "My mother was on one of her world famous drunks. She told me to piss off my fath...Marrin. It worked. He backhanded her through a plate glass window. She never felt a thing. It took twenty seven stitches to close her arm."

"Darius," Caymen said quietly, "I want to believe you more than anything, you know that? I really do..."

"Cay, please. Just listen, okay? Those summer trips to see you and dad were the reason I lived. I would start counting hours until I got to go. I loved you, too. I did." Tears formed in Darius' eyes, and he swallowed hard. "But after Andrew died, Marrin was less inclined to let me go. I rebelled against him, trying alcohol and marijuana, but I found a true friend in cocaine. It made me feel ten feet tall and invincible. No one mattered but me." His face screwed in to a tortured grimace as he spoke. "Marrin found out about it, and I know two of the guys I met were set ups. He was supplying me through them, and controlling me through them. I craved power because of him, and I had to defeat you, to satisfy both of us."

"You put on a helluva show just now." Caymen said. "I don't know what to believe."

"I'm not asking for absolution, Cay, I just wanted you to know what happened. Believe what you want." Darius sounded tired and resigned.

Caymen's mind raced a hundred miles an hour. This Darius sounded like the old Dare, and he desperately wanted to believe that. On the other hand, it was the older but wiser Caymen that had practiced his mental arts for the last several months, not wanting to alarm anyone, but wanting to be ready for the inevitable. He pulled his wet suit the rest of the way off and tossed it into the shed.

"I think you ought to talk to Deidre. If anyone can tell you're full of shit, it's her." Caymen held out his hand to help Darius standup, then leaned in very close and whispered in his ear. "But I warn you, dear brother, if you hurt anyone here, I will fuck you up, and that's a promise. Do you understand me?"

Darius nodded, then smiled a little. "You're so dramatic."

"Just remember, Dare. Remember what I said."

As they walked up to the house, Caymen couldn't help but chuckle. Cody and Rick were still in their swimming suits, sprawled on the wicker furniture, puffing cigars. They looked like opposite sides of the same coin. Randy was just coming out of the house carrying drinks as they walked up the steps. "Guys, this is my brother Dare. He'll be staying with us tonight, and possibly longer."

Darius shook hands with each of them and accepted the offer of a glass of coke. Rick offered a cigar, and Caymen was surprised when he took one, said thanks, and then smelled it. "Ah, Michelleo Goldo. Damned good stuff."

"You like cigars?" Caymen asked, wrinkling his nose.

"Certain ones, yes. These are very decent blends." Darius allowed Rick to light it, then leaned back in his chair puffing. Caymen shook his head and went to the door. "Haven't you tried one, Cay? They really are good."

"No thanks. They smell like a mossy forest fire. I'm gonna change. Be right back." Caymen sprinted up the stairs and found Merit in their room. He closed the door and pealed of his Speedo, tossing it towards the bathroom. Merit's face was dark and un readable, and he barely reacted when Caymen leapt on the bed and began kissing his neck and chest.

"Wow, you must be dead." Caymen leaned up and sat next to Merit. "Usually if I jump on you naked, you go into a lust filled frenzy."

"Is he still here?" Merit asked, knowing the answer. Caymen nodded, and Merit sighed. "Why?"

"I'm not sure. He seems like the old Darius I knew before. I told him that he needed to talk with Grandma before he could stay. He has a sort of logical story about his behavior, and I want to believe him, but she'll know if he's lying." Caymen stood up and pulled on a pair of nylon jogging shorts and a loose tank top. "I at least want to talk to him, Merit, and try to make sense of what he did. If you don't want to be around him, I understand."

"I don't want him around you, Caymen!" Merit said harshly. "I haven't forgotten what he tried to do to you, and I don't forgive that easily."

"I don't either." Caymen sat back on the bed and ran his fingers through Merit's rapidly sun bleaching hair. "But if what he said is true, then I want my brother back. If it's not, then he saved me the trouble of hunting his ass down, and I have all the help I need finishing him off, don't I?"

Merit smiled slightly and met Caymen's eyes. "Like there was any doubt, right?"

"Right." Caymen stood up and pulled Merit's suit off, tossing it after his own. "Now put on some clothes, and let's go down and find out what's going on."

They descended the stairs hand in hand, a united front against any would be attackers, real or imagined. They could hear laughter as the approached the doors, and Caymen groaned ass he heard Darius' voice finishing a story. He knew he shouldn't have left them alone. Dare was a real charmer.

"....and then when the car pulled away, Caymen stood up, looked around, and race like his life was ending back to the tree house." Dare finished, putting the cigar in his mouth for effect.

"Is that true?" Randy giggled. "Did you really paint the neighbor's dog green, Caymen?"

"I hated that dog." Caymen's face colored as he sat down, shooting a withering glance at his brother. "And, yes, I really painted it green. Mrs. Christensen still has no idea who did it, and I told Grandma it was Dare." Merit sat down next to him on the couch.

"Well, the little beast had it coming if you ask me. It hated Baggy, and Baggy hated it." Darius stroked the head of the affore mentioned cat, which was sitting in his lap. Caymen could pick up no fear, no negative feeling from her at all, even though his heart skipped a beat when he first noticed her there.

"I like your accent. It's cool." Cody said to Dare, then got a light smack in the head from his father. "What?" He said defensively. "It is cool!"

"Your social graces are those of a red neck, Cody." Rick shook his head. Cody grinned widely and nodded his head. "There's got to be a recessive gene in our family. That's all I can say."

"Well I did provide the bullet, Pop." Cody said smartly, then leapt over the back of the couch and took off running, followed closely by Rick. They wound through the yard in a race they were used to, Cody stopping and dodging, and Rick feinting and twisting. Cody stopped one to many times, and Rick caught him around the chest. They went down on the grass, and Cody's pleas for his dad to stop tickling him could be heard for miles around.

"I wish my dad was like that." Randy said quietly.

"Ours was." Dare responded, watching the wrestling match.

Caymen looked at his brother, and a lump came to his throat. They had always had good times with Andrew, who liked to laugh, wrestle, hike, play practical jokes, and spend his time with them. Darius didn't get near the time with Andre that Caymen did, and without meaning to, he felt pity. "You mentioned that things had changed after you left us last time. What did you mean, Dare?"

Well, it's a rather involved story." Darius was embarrassed, and he blushed. "I got a little psychotic when I realized what I'd done, and to whom, and I tried to kill myself." He held out his arms, palms up, and displayed several long scars running from his wrists up his arms.

"Holy shit." Merit whispered, then quickly looked up into Darius' eyes. Randy flinched, then looked at Caymen.

"When they found me, I was about gone. I spent nearly three months in a psychiatric ward in London. After that, Dad....., Marrin had me committed." Darius' eyes went red and teared up. "He told me that I had failed him, and that I could rot there. I believed him, so I sort of made myself, well, crazy."

Caymen tentatively reached out for Darius' mind, not wanting to get trapped, but needing to feel that special link with his brother again. Their minds touched, and overwhelming gratitude washed back at him from Dare. It was like Caymen was trying to fill a bottomless pit as he sent wave after wave of condolence, support, friendship, and finally love.

Dare smiled, and the tears flowed down his face. He sobbed and leaned forward, feeling Caymen's arms go around him. "Oh, god, I thought you were lost to me!" He buried his face in Caymen's lap. "Please forgive me, Cay. You're all I have in the world."

Merit swallowed hard and met Caymen's eyes. Caymen was crying, too. It was hard to decide if Darius was playing them for fools, or if this was genuine. He wanted to be on his guard to protect Caymen, to keep it from happening again, and it would have been easier to just assume this was some elaborate hoax on Darius' part. It didn't feel like it, though. He caught Randy's eye and motioned with his head. They got up and left to give some privacy.

By dinnertime, Caymen seemed himself again, although Merit was still being watchful. Deidre had returned from the market with Lila, and they were barbequing steaks on a large patio at the side of the house. Rick and Deidre sat at the table and talked of some business or another, and Randy and Cody tossed a Frisbee with Darius.

Caymen took a drink of iced tea and set it down, watching. His emotions were at war, and it made him very quiet. He tried to enter into a conversation with merit about the boat they were renting for tomorrow, but they both knew that his heart wasn't in it. They played chess instead, enjoying the quiet, and giving them each time to think.

After dinner, Deidre and Darius disappeared into the house. After an hour, Cody and Randy laughed quietly, then said their goodnights and headed for their room. Rick went into the library and typed away on his laptop, leaving Merit and Caymen sitting silently on the porch holding hands.

At almost eleven, Merit saw someone walking down the path to the guesthouse and elbowed Caymen. "Isn't that him?" He asked, pointing.

"Looks like it. I better go find Grandma." Caymen went to stand up, but was caught by Merit and kissed. "Thanks, I needed that."

Merit smiled and put his hand on Caymen's butt as he stood up. "I'll be upstairs."

Caymen nodded and went into the house. Deidre was in the small parlor next to her room on the phone. She motioned Cay into a chair and finished the call. "Thank you, Tammic. I understand. We'll see you in two days."

Caymen waited for her to sit down before he said anything. She looked very tired, and he felt concerned for her.

"Don't be, lad. I'm fine." She read his mind easily. "I suppose you saw Darius on his way out."

"What did you think?"

"I know why he did what he did, Caymen, and I know what was behind it. I won't share his personal details with you, as that wouldn't be proper, but I will tell you this. There but for the grace of god goes you." Deidre took her grandson's hands in her own and looked intently into his eyes. "Caymen, that could have been you so easily that it scares me. Your father and I brought you to the states precisely for that reason."

"What happened?" Caymen asked, uncomfortable with her intensity. "This sounds like a soap opera."

"Exactly what he said happened, but worse. Marrin convinced him that he was insane, and locked him in that awful place for six months. Some doctor took a liking to him, and started working with him, or he would still be there." Deidre put her hand on her chest. "It makes my heart weep, Cay."

Caymen blinked. She only very rarely called him Cay, which she considered a bastardization of his proper name. "So what do I do, Grandma? I have a hard time trusting him."

"I don't suggest that you should, but I do suggest that you be open to the idea. It may be a long time before you want to be his cousin again, or his brother, but I think you've already decided to be his friend, am I right?" Caymen nodded slightly, and she continued. "He hid nothing from me, Caymen, nothing. The only thing that he wants is to go back to a happier time, and to have family, specifically you. I didn't feel any deception."

"It's hard, Grandma."

"And who said it wouldn't be, son?" Deidre wrapped her arms around her treasure, her Caymen. "You are the grandest of them all, Caymen McCandles. You have the room in you heart, and good judgment. Follow what is says. It won't steer you wrong."

After kissing her goodnight, Caymen went to his room and opened the door. Merit was reading a book, and baggy slept on the bed next to him. Merit looked up and raised his eyebrows in a question, and Caymen opened the link between them, assuring him that all was well.

After a quick shower, Caymen gathered up their dirty clothes and tidied the room in his nightly habit, then stretched out on the bed. It was so quiet, and he had almost drifted off when there was a knock on the door.

Cody poked his head in the door. "Can I.....can we ask you guys something?"

"Yeah, come in." Merit put his book down and pulled himself up in the bed. Caymen did the same. They watched as Cody and Randy walked in in their robes, both looking somewhat embarrassed. "What's up?"

"We were wondering, um,well,...We.." Cody looked at Randy, and then looked at Caymen, clearly having a hard time with what he wanted to say.

"What's the matter?" Caymen asked.

"Oh, nothing's wrong. Please don't think this is stupid, but I, we sort of wondered if you could give us some advice." Cody finished, and Randy nodded.

"What sort of advice?" Merit set Baggy on the floor and patted the mattress, offering them a place to sit down. They climbed up on the bed.

"We want some ideas on things we can do, you know, together." Randy said.

"You mean sex?" Caymen laughed, then instantly clapped his hand over his mouth, sorry he had said it. Cody blushed deep red and nodded his head. "What kind of things are you talking about?"

"We don't have any experience!" Randy moaned. "Listening to you guys is like torture. You go at it all night, and we're done in like three minutes."

Merit laughed out loud, unable to stop himself, and was soon joined by Caymen. "It takes awhile to learn what to do and what not to do. That's the best part, actually. It took Caymen and I months to learn what we liked."

"But we don't even know what to try." Cody put his hand on his forehead. "Last night I fell on the floor twice."

"Well what are you doing? It's not supposed to be a contact sport." Merit shook his head.

Caymen smiled a devilish grin at Merit, and then spoke in mock seriousness. "Why don't you demonstrate on Merit what you're doing, and I'll give pointers." He stifled a laugh as Merit's eyes went wide. "That way, you can learn something and then try it on each other."

"Uh, would you guys mind? That'd really help." Cody said quietly.

"Not at all." Merit glanced at him, then back at Caymen. "In fact, you can practice on Caymen, and we'll help you." He smiled a wolf's smile, showing his teeth in a sarcastic leer.

Randy moved up on the bed towards Merit, twisting his foot in the process. Merit grimaced, slid his leg over, and caught Randy by the shoulders. "First off, dump the robe before you bust my other foot, 'kay?" Randy smiled sheepishly and took off his robe and dropped it on the floor. "Now, are you just attacking me, or are we supposed to be making love?"

"Making love."

"Then, what are you going to do to start? Do you know what foreplay is?"

"Not really."

Merit sighed and smiled. "Tell you what. How 'bout if Caymen and I work on you two first, then you show us what you learned. Lay down." Randy did what he was told, and Caymen had Cody take off his robe and do the same.

"The whole idea is to built anticipation. That way it lasts for awhile." Caymen started putting little kisses on Cody's foot, causing him to jump. He worked around each foot, up each calf and shin, slowly working his way up each leg to the knee.

"Damn, I had no idea that you could do that to someone." Cody moaned.

Merit stretched out next to Randy and began moving the tip of his tongue up Randy's arm and chest, around his ear, and under his jaw. With his hand, he gently traced patterns on the other's thigh.

Oooooh, shit. That's cool!" Randy squeaked, trying not to squirm.

Caymen had Cody roll over, and began with the kisses on the back of his legs, his ass, and his back. Merit did the same to Randy, and he and Cody had both started to moan softly. Cody rolled back over, his hard on waving in the air, and kissed Caymen hard, putting his hands on Caymen's cheeks. Caymen pushed him gently back down and began rubbing his chest and licking his nipples.

Randy squealed as Merit gave his dick a gentle squeeze. They kissed, slowly and passionately, and Merit slid his finger inside Randy. "OH MY GOD." Randy grunted, pushing his hips towards Merit's hand. He arched his back, lifting his ass off the bed, and gripped hard on Merit's finger.

Fluids had begun to seep out of Cody as Caymen used his tongue to do circles around the base of Cody's cock. It took a second, but he realized that Cody had shaved his pubic hair off, and that the skin was so smooth, it had to have been just to night. He ran his tongue up the under side, feeling Cody shiver.

Randy was also shaven, and Merit glanced at Caymen and shook his head with a smile. Caymen kept his hair trimmed, but he couldn't imagine him without it. Randy and Cody must have decided together that they wanted to try this. Matching motions with his fingers, he put his mouth over Randy and started to suck. Randy groaned so loudly he almost laughed, glad that Rick and Deidre were on the first floor on the other side of the house.

Caymen put his mouth over Cody, and moved very slowly, not wanting to go to fast. Cody trashed from side to side, pumping his hips and trying to increase the rhythm. Caymen decided it was time, and quit trying to control Cody. He used his hand to help, and with Cody humping faster, he came.

"Aaaagh!" He cried, emptying his load into Caymen's mouth. He couldn't stop his hips from moving, and he spread his arms, trying to stop. His stomach knotted, causing him to lean up in a crunch, and he squeezed his eyes shut and shuddered. He was almost crying when he finished, and Caymen cradled him in his arms. It had been so intense; he had no idea what they'd missed out on. They watched as Merit finished up on Randy.

Randy arched hard, driving himself into the back of Merit's throat and exploded. Merit caught him in the air and held him, feeling each contraction. There was a surprising amount of fluid, and Merit barely contained it. Randy sagged in his arms, exhausted.

"We've been missing a lot." Cody mumbled into Caymen's chest. "We've just been getting' off, you know?"

"Yeah, I seem to remember that." Merit smiled and looked at Caymen. His eyes twinkled.

"Why don't you guys go get us some cokes from the kitchen." Caymen patted Cody's stomach. They got up, not moving to fast, and put on their robes. Caymen barely had time to stretch out by Merit before they where back. He accepted a coke from Randy and popped the top, then damned near spilled it when he felt a tongue on the bottom of his foot. "Whoa!" He gasped.

"Pay backs a bitch. Don't move." Cody grinned at him like the Cheshire cat, then went back to work on his feet. He heard a hiss, and glanced over to see Merit getting similar treatment. He smiled as Randy licked in one motion from Merit's ankle to his groin, knowing what that kind of thing did to him. A bit mischievously, Caymen opened a link between all four of them, then slid around so that he could go to work on Cody again. It was going to be a long night.

Caymen woke up at a little past seven and untangled himself from the pile. Merit was on the bottom with Randy draped over him, and Cody wrapped around them both. It was apparent that Cody was still inside Randy, and Caymen shook his head, wondering how Randy's ass was going to feel. There was dried evidence of their free for all caked on everyone, and he wrinkled his nose at the musky sour smell. A shower was definitely called for.

He dressed in a clean Speedo, the purple one that matched Merit's, and a loose tank top. Baggy met him at the door, and he scooped her up to his shoulder and trotted down the stairs. Grandma was at the table on the porch, her tea and biscuits barely being served by a pretty young girl, Lila's grandniece.

"Good morning, boy. Did you sleep well?" Deidre carefully spread just the right amount of honey on half a biscuit. Caymen kissed her cheek and sat down with a cup of coffee from the buffet cart.

"I did, although we were up all night." Caymen sipped the coffee.

"Why, dear? Was everything alright?" Deidre's voice filtered with concern, and she stopped what she was doing for a second.

"It was nothing, Grandma. Just Guy stuff. You wouldn't understand." Caymen winked at her, then stood up to get some fruit. The door opened, and Rick walked out, waving good morning to them. He clapped his hands together and rubbed them, clearly excited.

"I just got off the phone with Harbor Lines, and the boat I rented will be here in an hour." He picked up a plate and fixed his breakfast while talking to Caymen. "I thought we'd head over to the other island. There's a nature preserve over there that your family has endowed. I thought it would be a neat start off. There are one or two other things, but I think there's one you'd really like according to Merit. Something that we have in common."

"What's that?" Caymen set his plate on the table and turned back to Rick. The older man reached into his pocket and pulled out a D-ring and smiled. "You're shittin' me!" Caymen's face lit up like a child's. "We get to go climbing? Rick, you're a god!" He threw his arms around Rick's neck, nearly spilling the plate.

"My, we're definitely Brady Bunch this morning." Merit grumbled as he came out onto the porch. He squinted at the sun and put his sunglasses on before pouring a cup of coffee.

"Rick is taking me climbing today. Wanna come?" Caymen sat down beside Merit.

"Do I really get to vote, or are you just humoring me?"

"Come on, Merit. We've gone several times in Logan. You always enjoyed it." Caymen dug into his cantaloupe chunks.

"See," Merit asked Rick, who had taken his seat across from them, "He was humoring me."

"You look like seven miles of bad road this morning, oh nephew mine. Didn't you sleep well?"

"Yeah, but not very long."

"Ah." Rick nodded, then glanced at Caymen. "Caymen seems well rested."

"Caymen wasn't on the bottom of the pile."

Rick tilted his head to the side, and was going to ask for clarification, but was interrupted by Cody and Randy bursting through the doors. "I was wondering where you two were. The boat will be here soon." There was a chorus of cools from the two, and Rick watched them fix their plates. Cody piled his so high it looked like it would fall over, and Randy had a lot of food compared to what he usually ate. Cody dug in ravenously. Rick shook his head, amazed at what that kid could eat.

Caymen couldn't help but notice that Randy was having a hard time sitting, and he felt bad for him. Randy looked up and mistook the glance. "My ass is sore." He whispered. Merit coughed and sputtered, causing hot coffee to come out of his nose. Rick and Cody's jaws dropped at the same time, and Deidre blushed but ignored it. Caymen roared with laughter.

A horn sounded from the cove at the base of the yard. Everyone but Deidre jumped up and ran across the grass. The long sleek boat eased into the small dock and powered down, then gently bumped up. Caymen was surprised but not to surprised when Darius stood up at the wheel and climbed out.

"That ferry at six o'clock was awful, but this little baby was an absolute blast to drive." Darius was clearly very excited as he tossed the keys to Rick. "The petrol in the tank behind the shed is fine, Rick. I asked the tech man."

"Good. Top it off, then, and we'll pack and go." Rick turned and headed for the house, followed by Cody and Merit. Randy followed Dare over to the fuel tank and stretched out the line to the boat.

"How did you talk Rick into sending you to pick up the boat?" Caymen asked. He watched Randy open the gas tank and put the nozzle in, and then started the little pump.

"Um, well, he actually suggested that you and I go and sent my up to see if you were awake since you're generally an early riser, but you were...still asleep." Darius smiled, then looked away.

Caymen blinked, realizing what he'd just heard. He looked at Randy, who looked back in horror, and blushed deep red. "You...were up there...this morning..."

"Uh, yes." Darius confirmed. "For what it's worth, it looked like fun."

"Oh, shit." Randy mumbled and leaned heavily on the boat.

"Randy don't!" Caymen jumped to catch him, but Randy's motions pushed the boat away from the dock, and with his arms pin wheeling, he went into the water. He surface quickly, sputtering and swearing, and Caymen leaned down and pulled him out and onto the dock. "It's not tied off." Caymen offered, trying not to laugh. Darius couldn't help it, and turned away shaking.

"It's not tied off. No shit, it's not tied off, Caymen! You don't even need fabulous mind powers to figure that out, do you?" He stomped up the dock towards the house, muttering and squishing. "Not tied off. Some goddamned special talent that took...."

Caymen glanced at Darius, and they started laughing. Tears rolled down their cheeks. Caymen gasped for breath, finally feeling the giggles subside. Rick walked out onto the dock carrying a cooler full of sandwiches, snacks, and pop.

"What happened to Randy?" He set the cooler in the boat as they explained. "I kinda wish I'd seen that. That's classic." Merit arrived and had with him a large canvas duffle bag. Rick took it and held it up for Caymen. "Lines, rings, and harnesses." He set it in the boat. "You might want to grab some pants to put on over your suit, though. Your skin will rub raw." Caymen sprinted for the house.

Everyone was waiting on the dock when he got back. He tossed Darius a tank top and Merit's purple Speedo. "Sorry, it's the only one that's clean and not in use." Darius looked at the suit, noticed it matched Caymen's, and laughed.

"It'll be fine. Thanks."

"I don't loan you clothes out." Merit smirked, climbing into the boat.

"That's not enough fabric to be clothes." Caymen kissed him on the nose after hopping down in. They helped put the gear and cooler in the little cabin under the nose of the boat, and Darius went inside to change into the suit. Caymen handed him the clothes for climbing, and he set them on a short bunk.

"Cody, you think you can drive this better than my truck?" Rick asked his son, gesturing at the steering wheel. While Cody was learning to drive, he had backed his father's new truck into a tree stump. It was on old family joke.

"Yeah!" Cody's eyes lit up, and he climbed into the seat and scanned the gauges and controls. He worked the throttle levers, and Rick showed him what gauge did what. They started the engine, which purred with a deep throaty rumble. "God, that's cool." Cody reached up around his dad's neck and kissed him on the cheek. Thanks, Pop."

Everyone sat down, and Rick helped Cody back the boat away from the dock and turn around. Darius appeared from the cabin and sat in the seat across from Cody, just in time to see the expression of wild joy go past his eyes. Cody pushed the throttle forward, and the nose of the boat came up.

"Jumpin' jesus!" Merit hollered over the scream of the engines. "Trust Rick to find the only boat powered by twin V-10s." Caymen laughed and held his arms up in the breeze, thrilled by the feeling of speed. He pulled off his tank top and tossed it into the cabin. The morning sun felt wonderful.

At a safe distance out, Darius volunteered to be the first water skier, followed closely by Cody. Since there were two tie-offs, Rick allowed them both in at the same time and took over driving. Caymen and Merit tried it, but had little success. Merit was able to get the hang of it, and Caymen took the wheel so Rick could ski with his nephew.

They ate lunch as they headed west towards the island of Little Cayman. Randy took a turn driving, and with a nod from Rick, opened up the throttles. The long heavy boat surged through the waves at top speed. Caymen and Rick went through their equipment and double-checked everything, and Caymen could feel anticipation burning through him. He hadn't realized how much he'd missed climbing.

As they neared the island, Rick took the wheel and found a nice quiet beach surrounded by cliffs. He looked at Caymen, who nodded, and turned the bow towards the sand. "You guys can take the boat out a little bit while Cay and I are on the rocks, but I want to be able to see you whenever I turn around, got it?" Everyone nodded. "Good. Cody, why don't you put the cooler in the cabin so the suns not on it."

"Got it." Cody picked it up and stepped down the small steps. Randy stood up to follow. A loud bang caused the boat to pitch violently to the right, fling him into the cabin. The boat swung violently to the right again, throwing Caymen into the doorframe, and with a shout of surprise, Merit collided with Dare, sending them both over the side. Rick hauled back on the throttles, trying to get control of the boat as it lurched out of control.

Cody stuck his head out of the cabin, his eyes wide. "Dad, we got water coming in! A lot of it!" Rick cursed as the boat shuddered again. One of the engines choked and quit, causing the boat to swing back around to the left. The bow ground across something in the water again, and Rick pointed it towards the sandy beach and killed the start switch. They coasted the last few yards towards the beach, but he knew they wouldn't make it. The boat came to rest and settled into the water, sinking.