Marvin regretted choosing the yacht over going to the mansion with Theo. At first, everyone was impressed by the luxury of the vessel. It was nice hanging out on the sun deck with the girls and Abhay. However, after several hours, Marco and Darius, and Larry and his crew began to creeped him out. Kick was obviously an idiot and a bully, Marco was a zombie, and Larry could not stop talking about his golf course. Two other men with Larry, forty-year-olds dressed like special agents from a movie, seemed to be at work: they didn’t say much, they barely walked out into the sun, and instead they stationed themselves around a table set up for poker. Larry would shuttle around the yacht, from that table, to rooms downstairs, to the decks where he would strike up conversations with the younger people tanning and listening to music.

It became obvious to Marvin that Larry, given his morose and threatening crew, wasn’t only into golf courses and property. It dawned on him that he had made promises to wrong people. He wanted to get off the boat. The girls too were starting to get spooked, and over time they drank and talked less. If it wasn’t for Marvin and Abhay keeping a basic level of cheer, the whole trip would have been unbearably awkward for them.

When Larry pointed out McCracken mansion to everyone, and suggested jokingly that they drive up to it, both Marvin and Abhay backed the idea with enthusiasm. As they pulled up to the wharf, Marco took Marvin aside and told him that he wants him to keep close eyes on Theo while they are there. He thought that Theo is dealing major drugs, and he wanted Marvin to see if he can confirm that. He wanted him to take very good note on who is buying. The more detail the better: any witnesses, what exactly is he selling, how much is he selling it for, anything. He then slipped a couple of hundred-dollar bills in Marvin’s shirt pocket and told him that was only half; he would get the rest afterwards.

Marvin was too scared to say anything in protest, but in his mind this last request was the last straw. He was burning with a desire to end his association with Marco and the whole lot of them. When Theo and the rest of the Twinnie’s crew boarded the yacht, Marvin felt liberated. He hugged Theo warmly upon greeting him, though Theo didn’t seem to notice his friend’s sense of relief. Later, when Theo seemed to figure out the connection between Marvin and Larry, Marvin felt bad about spying on his friend, and resolved to come clean at the first opportunity and to warn him against whatever he was doing. Then, they can together figure out a way to get disentangle themselves from whatever mess they were both in.

Later in the party though, Marvin was summoned by Larry himself. He knew that Marco told him to keep a close eye on Theo.

- Theo is going to do a big transaction tonight and we need to know who it’s with. Take this – Larry discreetly slipped a recording device, size of a tiny remote control, in Marvin’s pocket – if you can record it, you get two grand in cash from me. You understand?

Marvin was now really scared, but the more scared he felt, the more obedient he acted. He will do whatever they tell him tonight, and as soon as it all ends, as soon as he is free, he is going to leave town and disappear off the face of the earth.

Later, when Theo got ill and went down to the washroom - as we recounted - Marvin went after him, but without making it known to Theo. For one thing, Theo had threatened him minutes earlier; for another, he wanted to see if there really was some big secret that Theo was hiding. While Theo was stuck in the washroom Marvin waited outside, hidden behind a bedroom wall. It was a long wait. He pulled out the recording device; it didn’t seem to be recording; it looked like one of those journalist devices and had buttons to play and to pause. He put it back in his shirt pocket.

Theo finally exited the washroom, and Marvin followed at a safe distance. When he climbed out onto the back deck he realized that the yacht was not empty, or almost empty. He moved carefully towards the stairs to the main cabin and at that moment heard a crash and some angry words. He froze in his tracks and hid behind a wall, terrified. Minutes later he heard cracks of what must have been bullets, and abandoning all reason, he dashed off the yacht and down the wharf, safely into the darkness of the shore.

He walked into the party on the lowest level of the mansion, where hardly anyone noticed him. It was loud and dark, and everyone’s attention had been whittled down by drugs and alcohol to to themselves and whoever was within a six-foot diameter. Some horny bastards would of course be ogling people from across the room, but that was tunnel vision. Though he was much more of a smoker than a drinker, the occasion called for a shot of liquor, probably a double or triple shot, which he drank in one go from a water glass. He then showed his face to Twinnie’s friends and tried to act as cool with them as possible, drink in hand. A few minute later, Larry himself popped into the circle: 

- Have you guys seen Theo?

- What?? 

- Theo. Where is Theo?

- Oh, he went to his room – said Pauly – Yeah, he got really sick at the yacht… He looked all pale and sweaty, so he went to his room to rest – the rest of the friends pitched in.

Larry turned to whoever was on the phone: - He want to his room… Yes… Everyone saw him go to his room. He looked sick; he was really sweaty. Sweaty! And pale!

He then drifted away, still on the phone. Not a minute later, he then grabbed Marvin to the side. 

- Your job is to watch Theo. Is he in his room? 

- Yeah, yeah he’s in his room. 

- Are you sure? Listen… Just go check if he’s in his fucking room and call me back. Type in my phone number… Go!

Marvin stumbled outside and walked away from the building, into the darkness. His mind began to race. Theo was on the yacht. Did he escape? Was he dead? Did he kill someone? He began to despair, to walk around in tight circle and hold his head. He may even have hyperventilated for a while. He finally decided he needs to get out of there before he himself ends up shot. There will be bloodshed. He hatched a plan, he will go to Theo’s room, taking his car keys, and just drive off. There was one problem. He had no idea where was Theo’s room.  

So he walked back inside and asked the Twinnie’s people, all the while avoiding being seen by Larry, which was easy, because Larry was looked very much absorbed and amused in a conversation with a Neil and his group. Twinnie’s people explained to him that Theo was staying in the guest building, the one building next to the one they were in. They told him he was staying in a room with Laura. So Marvin found Laura walking to the toilet, or wherever, and asked her if she can give him her room key because he wants to check up on Theo. Laura gave him over a key card. That’s was to get into the building; the room was number 205 on the second floor, facing the lake on the far side. The door was not locked.

Marvin went out finally with a key in hand. He got into the building, he found the room, and got in. The lights were on and there was a mess all over the bedroom. He tossed around for the car key but in a moment, couldn’t find it. He glanced beyond the transparent curtains onto the terrace; the light was on there too. He walked over the the sliding door, and to his shock, saw back of Theo’s head and shoulders, then man himself casually sprawled in a rumbling jacuzzi.

* * * 

- Buddy, you alive? Wake up! Wake up! – Marvin slapped Theo on the cheek, first lightly then a little harder.

Theo came to and begun murmuring, eyes half closed. He mentioned something about being screwed.

- Theo, you’ve got to wake up man. They are looking for you! We’ve got to talk buddy, come on!

- What? Who’s looking for me?

Marvin tried to drag Theo out of the jacuzzi but he couldn’t. He went back to the room and found ice cubes in the icebox in the fridge. He rubbed ice on Theo’s chest, and this seemed to help.

- What happened on the yacht buddy? – Marvin whispered – I heard gun shots. Tell me what happened.

Theo grabbed Marvin’s by the collar.

- What do you mean you were there? 

- I followed you downstairs but didn’t say anything. Then I heard gun shots from the main deck and ran like hell to the party.  

- Listen to me carefully, Marv. Very carefully, I was here the whole time. I got sick and I went to my room. Not to the yacht washroom, to my room. Do you get that?

Marvin began to speak but at that moment one of the forty-year-old bodyguards was heard entering the room. In a moment he was out on the terrace.

- What’s going on here? Why is he in the jacuzzi? 

- Dude, why are you in this room? – asked Marvin.

The bodyguard walked up aggressively to the two friends and pointed a threatening finger at Marvin.

- Answer my fucking question before things get ugly!

- Man, can’t you see, Theo got to wasted, he almost passed out when we were all on the yacht. I took him to his room and I dumped him in the tub to freshen him up.

- So you were here with him the whole time?

- No, hell no, I want to enjoy the party too! I left him here, but then Larry made me come here check up on him for some reason.

- All right, the two of you are right now going to haul ass and join the rest of the people in the big house, downstairs.

Marvin protested, Theo moaned, and the bodyguard pulled out a pistol. Whoa, all right, Marvin agreed that they go, but Theo was soaking vet. Marvin really put in effort to feign shock and confusion at the pistol with body language and comments, and Theo did the same, to the degree that his comatose state allowed him.

Bodyguard would wait one minute for him to change into something dry. They went back into the room, Theo’s arm around Marvin’s neck, his body half-carried by his friend. Marvin did most of the work in making Theo change, like a nurse; he found clothes for him under some guidance, including underwear, and helped him put them on the washroom. He found a baseball cap in his wardrobe and put that on Theo’s head, and found slippers for him. He made him drink a plastic bottle of water, and they walked out of the room, Theo finally walking on his own, but slowly. The bodyguard told them they’re dead if they tell anyone what happened, and he would be watching them. When they got to the loud party room, they crashed on an empty couch. Marvin filled a red plastic cup with water and made Theo drink some more. The bodyguard stepped away from the couch but made it clear he is watching them from afar.

Marvin noticed that Larry, Marco, and Darius were missing, as was the other bodyguard. Were they dead? What does Theo have to do with it, and are they going to kill him? Are they going to kill both of them? He was flooded with terror but tried his utmost to look cool and stay cool.

* * *

On the other side of the room, the Four were slowly getting separated from each other. Laura was getting a lot of attention from random men, who crowded around her, asking her about her background and telling her theirs. When she would say that she was a nurse, many of the men seemed to get especially excited. Pauli tried to butt in, but he slowly gave it up. He realized that he’s not into Laura after all. What attracted him was the corner table with the big boys: Neil and Larry. Once he noticed that Larry had disappeared, he slid over into his vacated seat and sat next to Neil. Abhay and Lisa were at the table as well, together with a couple of other guests, and engaged in separate conversation beyond the loud hip-hop music. 

- Neil, what’s up! I finally get to talk to you!

- Hope you are enjoying the party?

- The party is top shelf, absolutely. I love your digs: the Irizaro, Boca do Lobo, Veuve Clicquot.

- Thanks. The truth is, I only chose the Irizaro paintings, the rest of what you said is my wife’s choice.

- Well, cheers to your wife’s exceptional taste! Last month I attended an auction during a charity gala with our Local Chapter, and they actually auctioned a painting by Del Vicente. You know him?

- Yes, of course. If you like Irizaro, you like Del Vicente.

- Hehe, exactly. Actually, they will be auctioning another of his paintings at the next event. If you are interested in another purchase…

- You know, I would be interested in a Del Vicente, but the thing is buddy, I loathe both charity events and auctions. Can’t fucking stand them.

- Oh, well... sorry, I didn’t mean to be selling you anything.

 - No, it’s not that. Look, in the past I was all about charities. Even nowadays I’m forced to attend one here and there because of corporate obligations. But at some point, I just got sick and tired of it all on a personal level; all these rich pricks pretending they are saving the world, condescending to the underprivileged while never meeting nor wanting to meet any of them.

 - Well, I meet average persons all the time, and I can tell you they aren’t much to look at.

Neil smiled distantly.

 - It’s the twenty first century and the old stuffy ways of moneyed elites are over. I’m all about the new age of information, radical accessibility and disruptive entrepreneurship. This is where the future lays.

- Got you. Well, that’s awesome. I’m also of the opinion that the fourth industrial revolution is the main story for humanity right now. Are you investing in Eli Pan? - Pauli’s face twinkled with smiling anticipation.

 - Eli Pan? God no! That fraud? That snake oil peddler? What kind of sucker do you think I am?

This response left Pauli nonplussed for a good several moments, during which he tried to hide it by sipping on his wine. Was Neil being earnest, or was he playing some terrible joke, mocking him? Was this a way for Neil of telling him to piss off? Eli Pan is one of the richest man in the world, a universally recognized genius, how can anyone other than a two-bit troglodyte from Twinnie’s think otherwise? Pauli finished by thinking that perhaps he is being tested, and that he needed to show that he is not a troglodyte.

 - Well, the guy admittedly likes to appeal to emotions. But I’ve read his book Singularity Now and there he lays out some hard facts. Research from MIT and from China already demonstrated proof-of-concept on gene modification and IQ augmentation of IQ through quantum-computing augmentation of the brain…

- Jesus Christ, kid, are you a fucking eugenicist?! The thirties are over, bro – at this Neil shook his head bitterly and walked off the table.

“Bastard!” thought Pauli. At first, he wasn’t sure if the word was directed at Neil or himself, he was simply stunned by the raw snubbing. The numbness then gradually resolved itself into indignation, and then also in wrath. “This prick is some spoiled rich idiot, and I thought he was some sort of a captain of the industry,” Pauli was angry at his own naivete. “And I’m not going to let him get away with talking to me like that.” He left the table and puffed on his vape as he observed the party from a corner. It looked like Lennon was on coke again, as he was hitting on Maya and her girlfriends with loud confidence that he does not possess in everyday life. Laura had completely drifted away from him, talking to some slick bankers. Theo looked wasted as usual, this time slumped on a couch with Marvin sitting listlessly at his side.

Not long after Lennon joined Pauli in his shaded corner. He reported no success with the ladies and enunciated not a few choice insults at their expense. Pauli said how little he liked the party, and Lennon agreed. Pauli then recounted his conversation with Neil, and he did it with a persuasive zest that left Lennon firmly on his side, supporting the thesis that Neil is a fraud.

- Tell you what I’m going to do – said Pauli – I’m stealing his Irizaro. Want to come with me?

- Dude! You want to go to jail? – giggled Lennon.

- There are no cameras in this house, but it is chock full of drunken idiots. Who is going to know?

The two friends then elaborated a scheme. First, they would ask for Theo’s car keys with the pretext that Pauli left his vape juice in it. They would park in right next to the front entrance to the main mansion, which was now deserted. Then they would go to the main drawing room, also deserted, except perhaps for some drunken stragglers, when all is clear, Pauli would snatch the painting from the wall while Lennon kept guard at the stairs to the basement. They would spirit the painting into the car, and Pauli would drive off to a motel they saw on the way, where he would rent a room and hide the painting. Lennon would stay behind to distract anyone in case they want to hang out in the drawing room, and generally keep an eye on any contingencies.  

* * *

Theo was starting to stir from his stupor and surprisingly to Marvin, enter a cheery mood. He took up his water cup and began to chat at those who happened to stop near the couch. The move acted to calm Marvin, who himself realized that it is in their best interest to act cool, at least for the time being.  

At some point Larry slumped himself brusquely on the couch right next to Theo. He talked to him while looking with him onto the crowd around them.

- Marco’s looking for you. He called me asking where you were.

- Oh yeah? Where is he?

- I left him to mind the yacht.

- Should I go there to talk to him?

- No, not at all. He’s busy at the moment. But he wouldn’t tell me why; said he can’t talk about it on the phone.

- Hmm. Oh, I know. I ran out of merchandise, and I told him I needed some more. He must have been calling me about that.

- Guess that makes sense. You make sure you sit here and get a really good rest, okay buddy? You look like you saw a ghost.

Larry then got up and walked back to the table with Neil.

Later, Lisa joined them all by themselves. She wanted to talk to Theo about something. She was really worried about him overdosing. What they were doing throughout the summer was fun, but they have taken it too far.

Laura then showed up with a couple of guys. She sat down but when she saw that the discussion is personal, she apologized for interrupting and tried to leave. However, Lisa insisted that she stays, explaining that she had to take care of some business, and after kissing Theo on the head she left.  

- Looks like she really takes care of you – said Laura.

- Yes, she is like my mom, isn’t she?

- That’s not what I meant – Laura blushed.

Pauli popped up to where they were sitting and asked Theo for his car keys, so he can go fetch the vape juice he left in the SUV. Theo said he can go get them from his room, they were on the writing table. 

- No, Lisa does take care of me. She hired me, you know, and I made so much money. That’s where I got that Cayenne.  No more dead batteries!

- You broke motherfucker – laughed Marvin – we are both broke motherfuckers. You see Laura, that’s why Theo and I love each other – Marvin then hugged Theo as well.

Maya joined them too, alone this time. She complained how it’s too late and she just wants to go back to the yacht, but one of Larry’s men stopped her at the patio and told her that they can’t onboard now for some reason. Laura commiserated with her, saying that she too at this point only wanted to go home. Laura’s companions protested, trying to cheer her up.

- Everyone is getting tense – said Theo – look, let’s all just enjoy the moment. Everything is going to be all right, trust me.

At that moment was a loud crash of the door leading out to the patio, immediately followed by savage screaming of a gruff male voice, and then, cracks of what were clearly indoor gunshots, and not outdoor fireworks. The voice yelled:

- Everybody! Hands up behind your head and get the fuck down on the floor now! Down on the floor! This is a robbery! If I see a cellphone in your hands you are dead on the spot!

Three shadowy figures swarmed through the door, and one of them rushed to the DJ set and crashed it with the butt of his shotgun. The screams and shouts of surprise dimmed down as the intruders continued yelling orders to lay down on the floor, and the participants, their surprise transmuting into terror, began to obey. One of them immediately began collecting cellphones into a plastic bag – he would continue on this task until he made several rounds and risked several people to make sure they have been deprived of their smartphone.

Someone on the other side of the room was stricken on the face and fell down in a painful scream. Two more assailants appeared from the stairs leading up. One of them found the lights and turned them on.

The room was now a brightly lit hall of hostages, laying on their bellies, many of them casting sidelong glances at each other across the carpet, trying to see if their friends know what had just happened. They saw only terror in the eyes of others. As some still fidgeted and murmured here and there, the loud voice moved briskly towards wherever he saw or heard commotion, pointing an assault rifle at the unruly captives and threatening them with obscenities, sometimes kicking them in the legs or ribs. 

Soon enough everyone caught a glance of the assailants. Everyone caught sight of leather biker vests that spelled “Demons” in red-on-yellow letters. Everyone noticed that they were hooded, burly, and hairy. They swarmed around the room breaking bottles and plates with their large black weapons, mostly assault rifles or shot guns.

Within three minutes, three more bikers dragged in strayed revelers into the room. The last biker brought in Pauli and Lennon, with Pauli carrying the bull painting by Irizaro. His captor laughed through the hood and told to his colleague: 

- Look at these punks here were carrying out of the house when I caught them.

-  Ooh. That must be one of them Rothko’s!