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I stepped off the boat, my eyes taking in the other competitors, and my mind cataloguing them by threat level, from most dangerous appearing on first glance to least. I didn’t know what this competition was, but over the years I’d gotten in the habit of cataloguing people based on their threat level rather than how attractive I found them after I’d nearly had my head blown off by a tweaker when I was in my early teens, and honestly the memory was still annoying ten years later at age twenty five. It had also caused me to start paying better attention to the people around me, like right now when I could see a varied cast of characters gathering on the doc.

The first people to catch my eye were a group that were obviously some kind of paramilitary wearing civilian clothes to blend in. I don’t know what exactly it was that gave them away, maybe it was the way they carried themselves, or the fact their eyes were constantly surveying both those of us getting off the boat and the island around us. Alongside them was a large woman who looked like she was looking for a fight wearing a black leather jacket over top of a punk rock shirt, and leather pants that honestly were attracting the gazes of a few of the men around me. Then there were the quintet of party girls wearing crop-tops, painted on booty shorts, and that it was hard to tell what was natural and what was plastic surgery.

I pulled my eyes off them and instead focused on a guy who most likely had no idea that you weren’t supposed to draw attention to a hidden weapon. He kept touching the inside of his vest as if making sure something was there, and by the fact he’d done a poor job of hiding his pistol’s stock, that was obviously what he was messing with. Then there was the party of college kids wearing getup you’d expect of people enjoying a tropic vacation, Hawaiian shirts and tank tops over board shorts and cutoff jeans with the strings of the girls’ bikinis showing above the waistband of their shorts.

I couldn’t help but think that we had quite the eclectic cast of characters on the island, not counting the few families that honestly made me REALLY hope this island was nothing like Epsteins, otherwise those poor kids were in for a hell of a time. Then again, I had a feeling that the owner of the island wouldn’t have allowed families to come if that were the case, so I couldn’t help but wonder why my boss had said his friend was “eccentric, especially in recent years.” I’d originally taken the term eccentric to mean something like “He’s into very illegal things,” but now I was more thinking he was eccentric in the “my friend is an insane billionaire who has too much time on his hands.”

Of course, I had no proof one way or the other, especially as my boss had just told me to be careful when coming to the island after I’d won the stupid raffle he’d put on in the cafe. Of course some of my Epstein Island worries had come from my boss refusing to let my coworker come with me. The peppy twenty one year old waitress had grown on me in the last two years I’d been working at the cafe, and while I’d like to say it was like mold, her peppy attitude completely prevented me from seeing her that way. Honestly she’d grown more on me like an excitable puppy a friend had foisted off onto me and I couldn’t get rid of.

The warning signs about the island had first appeared when my boss, upon me winning, had told my coworker that she was NOT allowed to go with me. Of course she’d only been joking when she’d brought up joining me on my trip to the island, or at least I think it was a joke, hard to tell with her sometimes. The weird thing was my boss had literally gone so far as to tell her she couldn’t take the same vacation days as me, because he knew I’d be using them to visit the island which at the time my brain was calling a tropical death trap due to how he was acting. Of course, when she reassured him she’d rather keep her job than bum off work to join me on my little island getaway his attitude changed and he said he was just worried about a pretty girl like her getting tangled up with his eccentric billionaire old friend.

He’d told me to enjoy my vacation, which of course caused my coworker to demand I bring back pictures of the “island paradise” mentioned on the ticket’s I’d won in the raffle. My boss also was really weird when he told me “If he gives you instructions on the island, unless they seem like they’ll put your life at risk, no matter how odd they are, follow them to the letter.”

When I’d questioned why, he’d said “Just, trust me. He never does anything for no reason, even his weirdest directions may save your life on his island, so PLEASE just listen to him, Jacob.” I’d quickly agreed, though I was honestly weighing whether it was really worth going to the island, however my boss said “While it’d be dangerous for the lass, I think it’d do you good. Now I know you’re probably wondering why it’s dangerous for her, but I can’t explain, just trust me that it’s best she doesn’t go to the island anytime soon. Hell I honestly started that raffle hoping you or one of the regulars who were young men would win it, the fact you did is honestly a bit of a blessing.”

I’d blinked and asked what he meant and he’d just said “Trust me, my friend and you will get along rather well, but the young lady? She’d drive him up the wall and cause his eccentricities to go out of control. You’re a calm young man, as are most of our regulars, while the young lady is a chatter box who doesn’t know how to keep her nose out of other people's business. Just remember what I said about following my friend’s directions to the letter, and everything should turn out just fine barring extreme circumstances.”

I remember those words more than anything else, “barring extreme circumstances,” why the hell had he specifically said that rather than saying something about regular unforeseen circumstances? I shook such thoughts away as I noticed our host had appeared at the edge of the forest bordering the beach and was making his way toward the pier alongside a bunch of people dressed as service staff. It was honestly an interesting and picturesque scene so I snapped a few pictures with my phone, figuring my coworker would love to see it when I got back, then shoved my phone in my pocket as our host approached the pier proper.

My mind started to wander as he approached, going back to my last day before boarding the cruise ship that would lead to the island, where my coworker had literally barged into my apartment and made all sorts of crazy demands. She made me promise to bring her back any “rich people food that won’t spoil before you get it to me,” and other souvenirs. I’d tried to point out that it wasn’t exactly a resort I was going to, but rather someone’s private island and she just ignored me saying she also wanted stories about everything I did on the island, and as many pictures as I could take, even if it meant overloading my phone’s memory.

I’d eventually given in and agreed with a sigh since I realized if I didn’t she’d probably make my life hell when I got back, then she dragged me to my couch and forced me to watch a movie for a few hours before going home and telling me she’d see me when I got back. However, something she said when she was leaving stuck with me like the old man’s words about extreme circumstances she said “Hey, just, if something happens that puts your life in danger, do whatever it takes to survive, ok? I honestly don’t think anything bad’s going to happen, but the owner’s reaction to me wanting to go makes me think that if you’re not careful you might get into some serious trouble. Hell, just you being you gets you into all kinds of trouble here in New York, so if Mr. Cross was worried about me going with you, that probably means the two of us would be in even MORE trouble than you are by yourself. Just, try to be careful, ok? Oh and try to have lots of fun since I’ll be stuck manning the cafe by myself while you’re gone.”

I couldn’t see her face as she’d been halfway out my door when she said that, but the way her voice changed from sombre at the start of the conversation to what I was now suspecting was forced cheer at the end, kind of made me think that the old man had told her things he hadn’t told me, because for some reason he considered this entire trip to be some kind of character building exercise or something.

That was something I’d noticed over my two years at the cafe, the old man always had his employees best interests at heart, even when we had no idea what those interests were ourselves. So he must have considered this as some character growth experience for me, that would probably have done my coworker no good. Hell, I had the feeling that the entire reason he’d run the raffle, which I was starting to suspect was rigged, was because he couldn’t give me the damn ticket to this stupid island himself because he knew I’d never accept the charity. The old man knew me far too well for that, hell I had a feeling he’d known me better than anyone else since I’d walked through his cafe’s doors two years ago with nothing but the clothes on my back after losing my scholarship and having to worry about my apartment’s rent going forward.

I shook such thoughts away as our host finally came within speaking distance of the group, though a part of my mind wondered why the hell I’d flagged certain people as paramilitary, and if I was just basing it off videogames and whatnot, which if so well damn I needed to cut back on the horror games. I quickly focused on our host as he said “Hello my dear guests, and Welcome to Isla De Mutatio, my private island and your home away from home for the next three weeks. I am Doctor Fernando Dela Muertan Ignacio, and I hope your time on this island will be an enlightening experience. You may call me Doctor Fernando or Doctor Ignacio. That said, I know we have quite the varied group here, but I’d still like all of you to listen to what I have to say before I let you all go about your own way around the island.”

His eyes surveyed the group looking for any dissent, and when he apparently didn’t find any he said “First, the staff are here to serve your every need, HOWEVER, that does not mean you can force them to do anything against their will. I hold my staff to impeccable standards, and I shall hold you as my guests to those same standards. This means that IF a staff member tells you know, then that is the end of the conversation, you do not push, you do not try to bribe them, you merely accept them at their word. This is non-negotiable. I know some of you are probably enamored with their looks, and as such I will say this alongside the No means No rule, if my staff choose to have a dalliance that is their choice.”

He focused on meeting everyone’s eyes as he continued “As long as they are off the clock, or are serving their assigned guest in a way that doesn’t go against their personal principles, I have no complaints. By that same token, my staff may try to approach some of you if they find you to suit their tastes, you are also allowed to say NO, on this island consent is key, and no drunken consent does not count. If someone says one thing while sober and another while drunk, that does not mean that their drunken thoughts are their real thoughts, it merely means they’ve lost all inhibitions due to the alcohol or recreational substances they may have imbibed.”

He went on to say “With the consent rule out of the way, I’ll talk about a few other rules you shall obey while on this island without needing to be constantly reminded of them, hopefully. The first is, my laboratory in the Mansion’s basement is off limits. I have very important experiments going on down there, and the slightest change in the environment of the laboratory can completely destroy months worth of work. Second, depending on the day different parts of the island may be roped off and considered off limits. DO NOT ENTER roped off areas, they are roped off for both your safety and the safety of the staff who will be working in those areas. Third, some areas will always be roped off, these areas are ALWAYS off limits, as they are home to a wide variety of endangered species whose habitat I’d rather you didn’t destroy with your presence."

He paused to make sure we were all still paying attention, as he seemed to ascribe to the belief that modern people’s attention spans were rather short, which I couldn’t honestly agree with if the way some of the party kids were looking at him with boredom was anything to go by. When he was sure we’d all memorized his earlier words he continued “Other than that, either I or the staff may occasionally tell you to do something, it’d be in your best interest to do what the staff or I ask of or tell you to do. Now with that out of the way, I believe I can get to what all of you truly care about, which is the amenities of the island that are available for your perusal. First is of course the most obvious, the beach, which as this is a private island, the beach will be divided into two sections, one for those who wish to partake in the practice of wearing clothing to swim, and one for those who wish to divest themselves of said clothing. Or, in other words for those of you who don’t have a large grasp of the English language, the beach will be divided into a family friendly area, and a nudist beach, which will be separated by a dividing wall that will extend into the ocean.”

The party crowd cheered at that, while the people with families sighed and rolled their eyes at the party crowd’s excitement. I couldn’t help but snort at the fact that the doctor had honestly already ingratiated himself to the party crowd with just that action. The doctor held up a hand to forestall the cheering of the party crowd and continued “The mansion’s amenities are also open to each and every one of you, including the three different game rooms. One has the latest in videogames, the other has boardgames, pool, and other recreational activities, and the third has a variety of indoor sports.” This caused the kids to cheer, and their parents to smile slightly, making me realize that the doctor really knew how to play up the crowd.

When the kids were done cheering, the doctor continued “Of course you will all be eating the same things I do every night, unless you ask your personal servant to change your menu which they will take your requests to the island’s personal kitchen staff. Next for those of you who enjoy the outdoors, there are a lot of lovely hiking trails on the island and as long as you avoid the closed off areas, you may partake of them to your heart’s content. Some of them even lead to natural spots for rock climbing, or areas where you may camp if you ask for the materials to do so from your personal servants. Finally, each of you will be allowed to stay in your own bedroom, which is soundproofed, will have a special call button for your personal staff, and is meant to be as comfortable as possible.”

That caused everyone but the group I thought was paramilitary to whoop and cheer, then the doctor held up his hand and said “Ah, one more thing, for everyone over the age of 18 they will be able to partake of alcoholic beverages or recreational drugs that can be provided by the staff, if you are into that sort of thing. I myself will only partake of a nightly glass of brandy, but as this is your vacation so long as none of you break the rules, enjoy yourselves to your hearts content. With that said, I will now allow my staff to pair up with each of you and introduce themselves while I head back to the mansion proper. I shall see you all at dinner, and maybe depending on how this little invitational event to my island goes I may open it to other people, or I may invite some of you to return as repeat guests at the least.”

Everyone else cheered at that while I kept my eyes focused on the good doctor, noticing that throughout all of this, his eyes had seemed to be shining in a way that was quite mirthful, but I didn’t know if it was at our expense, or in joy at our reactions. I honestly couldn’t get a good read on the good doctor, making me very wary of him. I also noticed he’d never singled out the group that may or may not have been paramilitary, until the end when they’d actually approached him as the staff were approaching the rest of us. Thankfully I was at the back of the group so it’d take a while for my staff member to approach, allowing me to try and get a read on teh doctor and the paramilitary group.

A man who was built like a brick house seemed to be leading the group, and was talking to the doctor but I couldn’t see the doctor’s reactions to his words because he was in my way, though I did notice that despite talking quietly, he was making large gestures. Sadly my investigation was cut short as a pretty blonde girl with emerald green eyes, an E cup chest, and wearing a french maid outfit walked up and curtsied to me saying “Bonjour, I am your personal maid Evangeline. May I have the monsieur's name?”

I smiled politely and said “Hi there Evangeline, I’m Jacob Davis, but you can call me Jake. Since you’re my personal servant, I assume we can head to my room so I can unpack and unwind before dinner?”

Evangeline nodded with a bright smile on her face that amazingly reached her eyes, and said “Oui monsieur. If you’ll follow me I’ll lead you to your room, and let you unpack and unwind as you put it. I’ll retrieve you for dinner if you’d prefer to stay in your room until then, if not after you unpack. If you open your door I can lead you to anything you’re interested in participating in, whether that’s the gameroom, the beach, or a hiking trail. Also as the master said, if there are any dietary requirements you have, or anything you’d prefer to eat, please let me know so I may tell it to the chef before dinner. If you have no food allergies, may I suggest trying the mansion’s regular fare for tonight?”

I hummed and said “Sure, sounds good,” before motioning for her to lead on to my room. She smiled politely and turned around then led me up the beach and through the forest to the mansion, though along the way I noticed she was somehow traversing sand and overgrown forest in nothing but a pair of heels, honestly surprising me. I had to resist the urge to stare at her ass the entire way to the mansion, especially when she looked over her shoulder and winked at me as if it was completely normal to ogle the help when staying at a rich man’s home.

After we left the forest, which was rather beautiful and made me think of tropical rain forests I’d read about throughout the years, the mansion finally came into sight. The first words to come to mind when I saw it were enormous and beautiful. The mansion was a mix of gothic and victorian architecture, and was easily over 500 feet long, not square, I honestly couldn’t imagine the square footage of the place. It also had four above ground floors, and I noticed the front of the mansion had several flower beds that I was pretty sure had rare and exotic flowers within them.

Evangeline let me take in the mansion for a few moments then led me inside. I know she told me a bunch of things about the mansion’s interior, but I honestly couldn’t remember a word of it by the time we got to my bedroom as the mansion’s interior was more overwhelming than the exterior. To name a few features of the interior, the hallways were lined with famous art pieces, artfully placed potted plants, and more rooms than I could count. When we finally arrived at my bedroom for the length of my stay, I was so overwhelmed I just collapsed onto my bed without unpacking and closed my eyes trying to relax and calm down from the pure opulence of the damn mansion, and the mixture of worries and excitement filing me from my boss’ words before I left, and from how amazing this all ways.

I guess the stress leading up to, and the excitement of my first day on the island, were too much for me because I think I passed out shortly after laying in my bed, which was honestly so comfortable I’m not sure if a cloud could compare were they to be more than just water vapor.