Date: Mon, 5 Jun 2023 23:05:16 +1000 From: Gavin Hurst Subject: A life less than ordinary - Chapter 15-18 Thanks for some great feedback guys. I am really blown away by the support. A big favour to ask, Nifty.org is run for us, by a group of dedicated team members and do so with very limited funds. Let's see what you can give back. Donate here at - https://donate.nifty.org/ Chapter 15 Our days were leisurely as we cruised the Med. Food & drink were aplenty as we caught up with dear friends and celebrated Jacksons Birthday. We swam, we laid about in the sun, we played tourists and we never got bored. Our friends remarked on how little wealth had changed us. Little did they know I was up at 4am doing work until 7am so I could enjoy the days with friends. As pushing as it was, it was definitely worth it. Walking around Santorini at sunset was definitely one of our high lights, has history unravelled every step of the way. And as we knew our trip would be over soon, we were trying to fit in every thing we could possibly could. Our girls had turned shopping in to an artform and every stop they hit the shops with friends who had the same habit. They were on holidays, who I was to complain. As day 10 arrived we were entering the port of Split in Croatia and I was saddened that our reunion was slowly coming to an end. I was not only enjoying being away from it all, but I was also enjoying tie to relax and catch up, not just with friends, but with Jackson as well. Our scheduling meant we were often in conflict and spending less time together than we ever had before. Then it dawned on me. I pulled Sam aside and asked him to clear both our schedules for the next few weeks. We hadn't finished cruising. As we were saying good bye to everyone, which, trust me, took forever, there was only the 4 of us plus Sam & James still on board. I then announced that they were going home, and were staying onboard and cruising through to Dubai via Turkey, Israel, Egypt, the Suez Canal. We'd see them in a few weeks. I gave James the option of staying or going. Obviously as my lead protection, he was staying. I'm sure it had nothing to do with the fact that Sam would stay on to keep up with work and keep me up to speed. Chris was also on board as Jacksons lead, and as a group we got along well, which was really a big plus considering how much time we spent together. After a week of ancient ruins in Turkey & Israel I was a little warn out of the topic, so we decided to skip Egypt and head down the Canal enroute to Dubai. The Canal was an amazing place to sail through and the historical significance of this body of water played heavily on us and was savoured the moment. Chapter 16 Exiting the Canal we refuelled in Saudi Arabia and toured some of the port area around Jeddah. I was feeling uncomfortable with some of the people who were staring at us, but a few in particular creeped us out. Hoping back on to the yacht, and our sense of safety, we cruised further down the Red Sea and towards the Indian Ocean. Watching the sunset was spectacular over the horizon, and the glow of Red was magnificent. We decided on an early night, filled with passion and lovemaking which the likes we hadn't had in ages. Heading to a deep sleep we were awoken by loud screams and yelling, and followed by gun shots. What the Fuck was going on? A wounded James came bounding in to our Stateroom to make sure we were ok. It appeared that Somali pirates had attacked our ship, which is a common occurrence in this area. They had killed 3 crew, including the 1st officer and our captain had been shot, but was still alive. James was unaware where Sam was, but his and Chris' main concern was our safety and wellbeing. Chris was unharmed and was involved in a shoot out on the aft deck, and James had taken two bullets to his leg. Our fears were realised when two armed pirates barged in to our stateroom behind James demanding money and valuables. Suddenly 3 loud gun burst echoed around us. Chris had shot them both. Dead. He and James then locked us. In our room and went to survey the yacht to see if any more were left on board. What seemed like hours was just over 20 mins. James returned with Sam in toe. He was unharmed and had survived by hiding in the wardrobe in his suite. Thankfully. I was still concerned as to what was going on and it was an hour before James or Chris let us leave the sanctuary of our room. Surveying the carnage on deck was horrific. 9 dead bodies, 3 belonging to my crew, plus two more in our Stateroom. James issued a mayday over the radio with the help of our engineer who had hid out in the engine room. Whilst he was knowledgeable, he did not know how to operate the yacht. So here we were, a captain loosing blood, a dead 1st officer, drifting in the Red Sea as a sitting target. I guess my main concerns were the welfare of my team. And as I looked at James I could see the pain he was in and was worried if he lost any further blood, we'd be adding to the death count. I signalled to Jackson to grab James and elevate his legs to styme some blood loss. He threw him on our bed and used the sheets to tie off torniquets on his legs. I headed for the wheelhouse with Chris and the engineer to see if we could get this barge moving. Having absolutely no idea on what to do, I moved what appeared to be the throttle forward, which reved up the engines, but didn't move us. Our non English speaking Engineer kept pointing to another leaver, and eventually pushed me out of the way and moved it forward. This got us moving. And by moving, this bitch was running at its peak power, heading in the direction of which we believed to be Dubai, and the Arabian Sea. After about an hour, Chris came back to tell me that the Captain was unresponsive, presumed dead. My gut was churning and whilst I washed I was anywhere else, I was so glad our girls were safe back home. We received radio feedback that a ship would be nearing us within the hour and would be escorting us to Dubai. I asked for helicopter assistance to take the wounded to land, but due to our location, it would not yet be possible. We were still 8 hrs away. The sun rose in the distance, and whilst we still had some distance to go, it filled us with a sense of relief that everything would be ok. I refused to leave the Wheelhouse, as it was the one place I could keep busy and try to forget what had happened. Jackson came up with Coffee for us, and he'd reported that James was doing ok, and another crew member and Sam were keeping an eye on him. Especially Sam who was frantic and both his lover and soulmate having been shot. Chapter 17 Chris was not in the mood to play games. He was pacing frantically the length of the ship as he was trying to make contact with his home office back in London. Eventually he did, and was given the clearance to take the lead, and that a full detail were being deployed to Dubai ASAP. Instructions were given that all Family and Crew that were uninjured were not to leave the ship at all. This was fine by me. In the distance we could see a vessel flashing a light box at us. It seemed to be a mile or so away, but gaining pace rapidly. I decided to pull back on our engines and drift in their direction, hoping it was the rescue vessel that was in the area. Sure enough after what seemed 15 mins, this vessel appeared net to us with heavily armed, what appeared to Military guards, jumping on to our yacht. The senior officer introduced himself, and I gave a brief description of what I knew. Chris filling him in on more. One of his team took over the operation of the yacht and started to power her up to get us to land. The officer made the decision to throw overboard all of the dead Somali pirates, as he held them with disdain and wanted no respect shown. I was a little shocked, but understood what his thinking was. He then moved all the other deceased into a separate room. As they picked up the captain, he coughed, showing some sign of life. He was quickly moved to a vacant suite and one of the rescuers started to attend to him. My main concern was still James. In such a short time, he became my Mr Dependable. He was the guy that made sure I was ok, and in a way a calming influence on not just me, but my whole family. I took one of the rescuers up to my stateroom and all I said was, "I don't care what you do, but this one has to survive." James just looked at me an tried to smile, whilst I knew he was not well. I could hear a helicopter in the distance, and knowing that the Lady Lucia was equipped with a helipad, I was comforted to know that James and the Captain would probably be ok. As she landed the yacht rocked and the noise appeared deafening. 4 Medics trained in Evac descended on to the yacht and whilst two stabilised James, the other two stabilised the Captain, who was in a far worse condition than James. Within 20 mins they were gone, and as I watched them off into the horizon, I could only pray they'd be safe and would survive. It was a long 8hrs before we sighted the docks in Dubai. Probably one of the longest days in my life. But, we'd made it. As we were mooring, I could see 10-12 heavily armed guards standing dockside awaiting our arrival. A welcome site in my eyes. They were from the home office and had received clearance from the UAE to be armed as protective services during their visit. Their office had secured a safe house in one of the more protected neighbourhoods in Dubai, and we were to be taken there before heading home. I needed a shower, I needed a sleep, I needed a hug. I also was self assessing my mental health and of the crew and others during this time, and I made a note that I would need to offer all some help to deal with what we had just been through. I instructed the guards to make sure that all crew were put up in a hotel, with top security and safety paramount to their needs. After all this was taken care of, Jackson, Sam and I were escorted to the safe house. After our showers, some fresh clothes and a bite to eat, we were informed that international media were starting to form near our house as our distress signals had been picked up. I knew we couldn't hide it for long, but I thought we might have had a little more time to get our thoughts together. I dived for my phone and rang the girls to let them know we were ok, and we would be home soon. My instructions were clear. Don't talk to the media, don't leave the house, and listen to what their protection was telling them. I spoke to Paul briefly and gave him the same instructions and to make sure the girls were safe. I then spoke to Michael who was acting as lead whilst Chris took some rest. "I want to go to the hospital" I said as more a demand than a request. Whilst he has deeply hesitant, we worked out that just he and I would go, after making a brief statement to the media. "The last 24hrs have been horrific" I started as I addressed the media. "Everything that is good about the world failed to protect my crew, and those who were just going about their job. I will not be stopped by living my life, because evil has descended upon us. My thoughts are with those deceased, and the recovery of my Captain, and my protection member. I have nothing more to add at this stage, and I ask the media to please give us the space we require to heal from this ordeal." With that I turned around and hopped in the car, as we were taken away to the hospital. As we entered we were greeted by many with respect. A Dr was waiting for us as we arrived and he filled me in on what was happening. Our captain was currently in surgery where they were trying to repair and stop many internal bleeds. James was resting after having shrapnel removed from both legs, and had been set in plaster where one bullet had shattered his bone. I rushed to James. As I walked in he looked at me and with a wry smile said, "hey Boss, what took you so long!" I smiled in his direction and laughed, breaking the ice and giving me hope after a long day. We talked at length at what had unfolded. Whilst I knew of his military background and his strength in dealing with death, I also knew the human side of him had taken a beating. I want to make sure he was safe, protected and loved. The Dr's agreed that tomorrow he could be transferred to the house we were at, with daily medical visits to make sure he was ok. This cheered him up and I knew Sam would be overjoyed with such news. At was at this moment that the Dr came in. After many attempts and hours of surgery, our Captain had passed away on the table. This was really upsetting for me. In a short time, I had come to respect and understand his craft, along with his acceptance and humour. I rang Sam straight away and informed him that I wanted a discrete payment made to the captains family so they never had to worry about money again. He had left behind a wife and 3 children to captain my yacht. The least I could was repay his family. I also asked Sam to make similar payments to the family of the first officer and the other two crew her had been killed. Serving me and my family, should never have led to them losing their lives, and whilst this wouldn't bring them back, it was the least I could do. The next day as we made plans for James to move to the house, there was no let up of the media asking questions. I now had a full time PR team dealing with the fallout, which had happened through no fault of our own. It was about noon when the UAE authorities arrived to take our full statements, having already spoken to the crew. Whilst they were sympathetic, it didn't make it any easier, with Jackson cracking half way through. I knew it had taken a toll on him and I had to remain strong in light of everything so we could keep everything together. The ambulance arrived at 2pm with a relieved James on board, and an even more eager Sam at the door, chomping at the bit to see his lover and partner. The reunion told me everything I needed to know about their relationship, and whilst I was concerned about the age difference at first, I knew it was solid, loving and trustful. Setting him up in a down stairs bedroom overlooking the pool was just what he needed. I knew he couldn't be airlifted for some days, if not weeks, that I made the decision for he an Sam to remain whilst Jackson, Chris and I, along with Michael returned to Ammersee and the Villa. I left clear instructions with Michael that the house had to remain under guard, and that Sam and James were to be shadowed, much to James' disgust. I was setting the rules. I was now protecting him, nit the other way around. After hugs and some emotional farewells, we called past the hotel to check in on the crew. It would be some time before the Lady Lucia would be cleaned and repairs made, but Dubai's reputation to carry out such repairs was world class, and I had no issues with that. The crew would just assist and stay close until it was completed. Arriving at DWC Airport, it was so good to see the Jet sitting there basking in the sun of the middle east. Her gold engines idling as we pulled up close to board. We had been given pre-clearance by customs. Captain Hendrickson was behind the controls, and seeing him was a relief a long time in the making. "Hi John" I said beaming with a smile. "Let's kick arse and get us out of here. I need to go home." Chapter 18 Home. The Villa. Ammersee Munich, Bavaria. It was good to be back. The gardens became a respite over the next few days as we took some time out to talk through what had happened and try and regain our lives back in to some normality. This morning I was heading in to the office to check on progress as it had been almost 4 weeks since I had been in. As I dodged the scaffold at the entrance, and made my way to the 10thfloor, I was shocked, stunned and in admiration to the transformation that was my old office. Everything I had mentioned had been accommodated, and now Sam & Inga also had their own offices, allowing them to function better. Inga met me with a smile. "Welcome back Herr. I have missed you. We all have missed you. It is so good to see you." Knowing how my relationship with Inga was frosty at best, I was slightly emotional by her words. Leaning in to give her a hug, was the tonic needed to break the ice between us which had been obvious since day one. I asked her to bring her pad in to my office as we had a lot to catch up on. "Herr" She started in her strong Germanic brogue. "Stop" I said in respone. "Inga, I know it's not easy for you, but I am Grant. Not Herr. Not Sir. Not Mr Morgan or Mr Van Garbner. Jut Grant. I really hate titles, and whilst I am cautious of your level of respect, I call you Inga, and you call me Grant. Settled?" She let out a slight chuckle, and didn't respond. I knew she agreed by the rosy cheeks that appeared. I fired off a heap of notes I needed to have addressed. I needed a 101 updates on various projects. Her hands were flapping about being over worked, and whilst I knew she would complain, I knew she was relishing the idea of being in control. I suggested until Sam returned we have one of her other girls come in and take dictation of a heap of drafts I needed completed. Whilst not completely ok, she agreed to "try it on a trial basis" to see if the junior girls could keep up to her standard. "That's my girl" I said with a wink. Inga was finally coming around. I reached out to Steve in New York, and whilst his first concern was our welfare, I assured him we were ok, and I needed updates on the America's and where we stood on several negotiations with regulators in different countries so we could start our operations. We agreed I would fly out in a weeks time as I wanted to work with him on where our corporate offices would be located, and I was also thinking of buying a town house in the City so we could have our privacy and comfort, rather than hotels. New York was our first big gamble outside of Europe. It needed to be a success. My day ended by going to an old warehouse we had owned for decades that we were converting in to homeless accommodation for LGBTIQA+ youth on the edge of the city. It was our first big project that Jackson and Jo were working on. The space was amazing, and my pride in Jackson was beaming as he and Jo walked me through it. It should be ready to go in two weeks, and would house roughly 180 people in twin room accommodation. We also had counselling office, drug and welfare officers, support groups, and even a classroom to assist those that were missing out on education due to being kicked out of home, victims of abuse & other issues that prevented them from having a safe place to sleep and eat. Our contribution so far had been $20m and I was not one bit concerned about the price, as I knew the benefits would far outweigh them in the long run. Our grand opening was date was set, and I was so looking forward to it. Jackson asked me what my speech that night would be based on. "No honey, this is your baby, not mine. The opening is all about you and Jo. This is your legacy, your work, your credit." As I watched him tear up, I grabbed both men in for a group hug, and as we stood there, I added, "Jo, I hope you have one prepared to, you anent getting out of this either." Jo laughed and raised his head to acknowledge that he had some work to do. Driving home to the villa was strange as Jackson and I were in different cars. He had fallen in love with the Range Rover that was brand new in the garage whilst I was being driven by my driver with Michael riding shotgun. I laughed how Chris never drove Jackson, but I was driven everywhere. I missed driving as odd as that seemed. As I pulled up Paul was waiting on the stoop for me with vodka in hand. The man was beginning to know me well. As he walked me in giving me a heap of messages the only one I wanted to hear was that dinner would be 10 mins, the girls were joining us, and it would just be family. "Make sure we eat in the breakfast room. It's far more casual and we can be a family in there." Paul nodded as I walked upstairs to find Jackson naked heading in to the Shower. "Want some company, big boy?" I asked as I watched his giant manhood start to rise at the thought. Without saying a word we both walked in to our shower, turned on all the jets, as he forced me up against the wall and started to loosen my hole with his fingers. My hard cock was pressed against the tiles and I could feel the throbbing and precum leaking out like a fountain. Knowing what Jacksons like when he is super horny, I braced for him to ram his meaty 9" in to me and pump me hard and fast. It was a pattern we found both turned us on and satisfied us over the years when raising kids and getting private time near impossible. Feeling him enter sent shivers through my whole body, none more so than my cock, which exploded on impact. I shooting hot white come over the tiles and down the drain as Jackson continued to pump me until he was done. The sensations washing over me totally erotic, knowing I could always give myself to this man in whatever the circumstances until he said enough. In this case I could feel his cock start to throb after about 10 minutes. My hole by this stage was open and willing to take what ever he could give, but he stopped. Told me to turn around and get on my knees as he used his hand to finish himself off over my face. Whilst he stood before me breathing heavily, the grin that appeared across his face told me he was happy. He pulled me to my feet and kissed me some more before Jarrod knocked to let us know that dinner was to be served. "Shit, I forgot about that." I said and laughed. We quickly scrubbed down, through on some sweats and went down to catch up with our girls and just be a family again.