Archipelago N.Y.: Flynn Read Free Page A

the
beginning of time, and they were here to stay. There was no replacing them,
everyone knew that… When Marcus died, or if he decided to step down, Leo was
going to be his successor, then Leo's children, and so on… People had no say in
who would govern them. There were no elections… as if anyone even remembered or
knew what an election was… And Leo was every part the spoilt heir to the Van
Zandt throne, already acting like he was in charge.
    “Good!” Leo
continued, “Are you aware you have no business out here? That everything
underneath these waters is Government property, and I can have you two scum boys
charged with trespassing?”
    Flynn and Tony had
no choice but to nod again.
    “I'll be watching
you two!” said Leo, pointing a finger at Flynn. “Especially you, Perry boy! You
look like trouble to me… And I can smell trouble from miles away.”
    Leo Van Zandt gave
Flynn a long cold stare.
    Flynn stared back,
trying hard not to flinch. Nobody knew, not even Tony, that he and Leo had
crossed paths before… back when they were little kids… Flynn had been
practicing his free dives off the edge of the Main Pier when a bunch of Upper
Side boys had arrived. They were speeding on their jet-skis, fooling around,
showing off, recklessly zigzagging round moored boats and floating pontoons. One
of the jet-skis had made a sharp turn, flinging a boy with long blond hair into
the water. Two heart beats later, when the kid had not resurfaced, Flynn had
sprung into action. He had found the boy sinking fast with his hands ensnared
in the leather straps of a pair of binoculars still around his neck. Flynn had
managed to cut him free with his diving knife and bring the boy back to the
safety of the pier. With the help of some fishermen, they had hoisted the limp
body out of the water and made sure the boy was breathing. ‘You just saved Leo
Van Zandt! Bet you’ll get a reward for that,’ Flynn had heard the men say… But
instead of gratitude, Flynn had received only hatred and abuse. He still
remembered Leo's eyes flashing with anger and wounded pride as he snatched at
his binoculars... ‘I could’ve reached the Pier all by myself, you prick! Don’t
you know who I am?’ Leo had spat in Flynn's face and then yelled, ‘I didn't
need your help, scum boy! And you’ve also ruined my binoculars! Look! The
straps are gone!’ Before Flynn could say anything, Leo was screaming for his
guards and calling Flynn a thief. ‘You’d better make yourself scarce kid,’ one
of the fisherman had whispered in Flynn’s ear and he had taken off like the
wind. Leo’s guards had chased him up and down the pier, until Flynn finally
managed to give them the slip. Instinctively, Flynn knew he had made a powerful
enemy that day… Later, Flynn’s father had explained it best: ‘You showed
everybody that the Van Zandt boy’s weak. And that was a mistake… But the good
news is Leo never took your name down, so you’re safe.’
    Had Leo Van Zandt
recognized him now? Flynn hoped not. They had both changed, grown up… looked
different… Flynn was just one of the many anonymous faces from the Lower Side… And
as much as he hated the feeling, he felt safe in the knowledge that he was
simply another “scum boy” and nothing else.
    “Err ... Mr. Van
Zandt,” one of the guards broke the silence, “we should be going, sir. Your
father said ...”
    “I know what my
father said!” Leo cut him off. He sat down behind the wheel of his powerboat,
started the engine and pushed down on the throttle. The engine roared, and the Fury took off, followed closely by its companion.
    Flynn watched the speeding
vessels as they faded into the distance. “Privileged bastards!” he yelled,
shaking his fist at them.
    “There’s no point
getting angry, amigo!” Tony stepped next to him. “It’s just the way it is…”
    “We’ll see about
that! Things are going to change after we win the Trials,” said Flynn. “Leo Van
Zandt won’t ever