Reggie leaned across the weathered dock manager's cluttered desk. "Look, we need to find out everything you know about a passenger who came through here few months ago"
The grizzled old sailor squinted at Reggie suspiciously. "I get a lotta faces passing through here daily, pal. You'll have to be more specific than that."
"His name's Blake," Gunther cut in impatiently. "Nice looking guy, dark hair, probably seemed a bit...weird, and lost maybe."
While Reggie and his brothers were still having a conversation with the manager, a young sailor quickly walke over the counter and excused the manager to report that Jordan is still not back from his last trip.
***
Before the brothers could inquire further, the door to the office burst open and a frantic young sailor burst inside, eyes wild.
"Pablo? The hell's gotten into you, boy?" the manager barked.
The wiry sailor named Pablo struggled to catch his breath, bracing himself on the desk. "It's...Jordan..." he finally gasped out. "He ain't back from that trip he took a few days ago!"
The dock manager's bushy brows shot up in surprise. "You don't mean...?" His expression turned grave. "Boy, please don't tell me that idiot went and paid that forbidden island a visit."
Pablo nodded frantically. "He did, I swear it! Some snoopy lady named Tessa came through here chartering him to take her there - offered him a big fat pay packet he just couldn't turn down!"
Randall stepped forward, eyes narrowing. "What about Jordan? He back from that trip yet?"
The old man shook his head glumly and told Pablo to excuse him. As Pablo walked out of the office leaving the manager with Reggie and his brothers..."Got some bad news on that front, I'm afraid. Young hothead Pablo came running in here, scared out of his wits." He paused to take a swig from his ever-present flask. "Seems Jordan still ain't returned from wherever that lady hired him to take her..."
The three brothers exchanged a worried look before Reggie urged the manager to go on. "What else did this Pablo guy say? Any idea where Jordan and this lady might've ended up?"
"Well now..." The manager stroked his whiskery chin thoughtfully. "From what I gathered, Jordan took the Tessa girl to that ole forbidden island despite Pablo's warnings not to."
"Wellllll alrighty then," he muttered instead, shuffling around his desk in search of some maps and charts. "Just don't go saying I didn't warn you folks about how nobody comes back from that accursed place..."
The manager suddenly furrowed his brow, shooting Reggie a pointed look. "Hold on a minute there, son. Weren't you fellas asking me about some guy named Blake just a few minutes ago? What happened to that? You gonna tell me you're not interested in finding him anymore?"
Reggie exchanged a knowing glance with his brothers before turning back to the manager with a charming smile. "Of course, we haven't forgotten about Blake," he replied smoothly. "But right now, our priority is different. If Blake happens to be on that island, then we'll kill two birds with one stone, won't we?"
The manager scratched his head, still looking skeptical. "Well, I'll be damned," he muttered under his breath. "You boys sure got a funny way of going about things. But who am I to judge? Long as you know what you're getting yourselves into..."
As he rummaged through a pile of maps and charts, the manager couldn't help but voice his nagging suspicions. "Say, you fellas ain't cops, are ya? 'Cause I gotta say, y'all don't exactly look the part. Cops ain't usually built like the freaking Terminator!"
Reggie chuckled, a twinkle of mischief dancing in his eyes. "No, we're not cops," he admitted, his tone conspiratorial.
The manager raised an eyebrow, his curiosity piqued. "So, what are you fellas then? The Avengers or something? Going around looking for missing folks left and right?"
Reggie's smile widened, but there was a hint of something darker behind it. "Let's just say we're concerned citizens," he replied cryptically.
With a subtle shift in his demeanor, Reggie released a surge of intense energy, causing the hairs on the back of the manager's neck to stand on end. A chill ran down his spine as he suddenly felt the weight of Reggie's presence bearing down on him.
The manager swallowed hard, his bravado faltering in the face of Reggie's imposing aura. He quickly cleared his throat, eager to bring their interaction to a close. "Right, well... I'll just go fetch those maps and charts for you then," he stammered, scurrying off to retrieve the requested items.
Reggie watched him go, a sense of impatience gnawing at him. Time was running short, and they couldn't afford to waste any more of it with idle chitchat. It was time to get down to business.
The manager returned, mind already made. These men were absolutely good looking men even though it rubbed him off the wrong way that he had to admit that. But even with their beauty, they were downright scary. He knew it was best not to pry any further.
"Here you go," he muttered, handing Reggie a weathered map with a few X marks scattered across it. "Here's what I got on that island. But don't say I didn't warn you - you're headed into some seriously dangerous territory."
Reggie accepted the map with a grateful nod, his mind already racing with plans and strategies. "Thanks for the heads up," he said sincerely. "We'll take it from here." With that, he turned to his brothers, a determined glint in his eyes.
Unknown to the manager, Reggie and his brothers are well aware of this island and the mysteries behind it...