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  “Lance also builds tree houses in his spare time,” Sam said.

  A text chime signaled and Nico grabbed his phone. He scowled. “Hollingbrook just received another threat. This one is specific to the Pacific Star.”

  CHAPTER SIX

  Joe studied the emailed threat to the ship Zane had forwarded to the members of Shadow and Curt. He sighed and glanced at his fellow operatives on the other side of the conference table. “This threat isn’t specific enough to help us avert the next attack.”

  “I don’t like the wording.” Ben frowned. “Got a feeling this round of sabotage might be more serious than ruined desserts, lack of hot water, or spray-painted graffiti. The reference to an explosive surprise makes me wonder if there’s a bomb on board the ship.”

  Nico stiffened and glanced at Mercy. “Maybe I should send you back home with Curt.”

  “I’ll be fine.” The artist laid her hand on her husband’s arm and kissed him. “Shadow will figure out what the threat means and deal with it before anyone is hurt.”

  “I don’t like it.” On the table, his hand fisted. “I don’t want you anywhere near this ship if there is a bomb on board.”

  “If there is a problem, Shadow will find it.”

  Trace blew out a breath. “While we appreciate your faith in us, that ship is a floating city.”

  “Too many nooks and crannies in which to hide a package.” Ben shoved a hand through his hair. “A bomb would be easy to miss.”

  “But you said the cruise ship is large. Wouldn’t a large bomb be needed?”

  “Too hard to smuggle a large bomb aboard,” Nico explained. “A small explosive device in the right place would do a lot of damage.”

  “The point might not be to sink the ship,” Curt said.

  “So, what would be the point?” Mercy asked.

  “Terror. Chances are the saboteur is aboard ship. Sure, he or she could take down the ship, but why bother if terrorizing passengers causes catastrophic economic fallout for the cruise line? Simple can be effective. And bonus? The saboteur won’t die as a suicide bomber.”

  Mercy stared at the operative. “I can’t say I’m reassured here, Curt.”

  He held up his hands. “I’m not good at reassurance. I’m a facts and statistics man.”

  “We need the ship’s schematics,” Ben said. “We don’t know there’s a bomb on board, but we should be able to narrow down the areas where one might be hidden.”

  Sam stared. “How?”

  “Cruise passengers are awake at all hours of the day and night. Employee-only access areas are the most likely target to plant a bomb, especially if a crew member or one of the executives is involved in the problems attacking this particular cruise. Less chance of the bomb being discovered and a smaller likelihood of someone seeing you plant it.”

  “Best place is the engine room,” Joe said. “Sabotage the engine or the propulsion system and that ship’s going nowhere.”

  “Do we have direct contact in ship security?” Ben asked.

  Nico shook his head. “I’ll call Maddox and get you the information on security and the schematics as soon as possible.” He paused when the pilot announced the jet was on final approach. “Strap in. We’ll find out what we’re facing soon.”

  Joe followed Sam to their seats. “Nothing like coming off three months of medical leave to face a possible bomb on board a cruise ship.”

  “No kidding. I considered taking a cruise later in the year. I’m seriously rethinking that vacation plan.”

  “Cruise ships are soft targets with minimal protection. A small boat loaded with explosives could sink a ship or injure a number of passengers. Those ships have up to 5,000 people aboard.”

  Sam blew out a breath. “Oh, yeah. Definitely changing my plans. I think I’ll go skiing instead.”

  “Sounds like fun. Have you been skiing before?”

  “Two years ago. I’m definitely not an expert, but I manage to stay on my skis.”

  Joe would love to see Sam on the slopes. With her natural athleticism, she would be a pleasure to watch. Right. Who was he kidding? To him, Sam was always a pleasure to watch. No excuse needed. Man, he had it bad for the woman at his side.

  After the jet taxied to a stop, the operatives gathered their gear and headed for the large SUVs waiting for them. They loaded their equipment quickly and drove toward the Port of San Diego.

  Joe checked his email and found more information from Zane. “Z sent the schematics for the ship.”

  “Zane’s quick,” Mercy commented from the shotgun seat.

  “We have thirty minutes before we reach the port,” Nico said. “Download the schematics and familiarize yourself with the layout of the ship. If Ben’s right, we’ll need every minute to find that bomb.”

  While Shadow’s leader weaved through traffic, Joe and Sam studied the ship’s layout.

  A cell phone rang. Nico grabbed his phone and tapped the speaker button. “Go, Ben.”

  “Bart Winestock, head of security on the Pacific Star, called me. His people are beginning a search of the public areas. Passengers are boarding the ship so there’s a lot of chaos. Winestock’s hoping the heightened security activity will go unnoticed. Doesn’t want to tip off the wrong people and trigger an early detonation.”

  “If there is anything to detonate. I still wish we knew exactly what we were up against.”

  “What about the employee areas, especially the engine room?” Joe asked.

  “Two of his people have been assigned to employee-only areas. Winestock is searching the engine room himself.”

  “Will he recognize a bomb if he sees it?” Curt asked.

  “Probably. He’s a military vet.”

  “EOD experience?”

  “Unfortunately not. He knows to secure the area and make sure no one stumbles into the danger zone. Otherwise, he’s to do nothing. His people will be told to follow the same procedure.”

  “Copy that,” Nico said. “We’ll be at the port in five minutes. Unless one of Winestock’s people has located a bomb elsewhere, you and Joe head for the engine room. The rest of us will search areas not being covered by the security people.” He slid a pointed glance to his wife. “Mercy will stay close to where we board the ship in case of trouble.”

  “Yes, sir,” Ben said. “Where should we store our gear?”

  “Leave it with Mercy.”

  “I’ll keep an eye on everything,” she said. “What should I do if there is an explosion, Nico?”

  “Get off the ship. Our gear can be replaced. You can’t.”

  “I can’t replace you, either. Keep that in mind while you’re saving the world.”

  He smiled. “I hear you, sweetheart.”

  Within minutes, the Fortress operatives were unloading the SUVs and walking toward the B Street cruise ship terminal. “I hope Hollingbrook cleared the way for us to bring our gear on board the Pacific Star,” Trace said. “Otherwise, security is likely to think we’re the threat.”

  “That sniper rifle of yours will raise a few eyebrows,” Joe said.

  His friend glanced over his shoulder, one corner of his mouth curled. “And yours won’t?”

  Joe grinned.

  Despite the concern, as soon as Nico talked to the security officer screening passengers for boarding, he waved the six operatives through the checkpoint. “Good luck,” the security guy murmured as Joe passed him.

  Hopefully, they had attached more significance to the threat than was warranted. The way things usually worked in their world, though, that hope was likely to be dashed. Joe prayed one of the Fortress operatives found the surprise before a passenger stumbled on it or before the ship headed out to sea again. He didn’t want to fight off a bunch of circling sharks.

  As they boarded the ship, they were greeted by a perky cruise line employee who asked for their names to direct them to their cabins. “Later,” Ben said. “We need Winestock. Tell him Ben is on board. He’s looking for me.”

  She
looked puzzled but grabbed her phone and turned away to make a quick call. When the worker turned back, alarm filled her eyes. “Mr. Winestock is outside the engine room. He said to hurry.”

  Joe’s gut tightened. Not a good sign.

  Curt and Trace took Ben and Joe’s duffel bags, leaving them to carry their Go bags with all their equipment.

  “The engine room is.…”

  Ben cut off the woman’s spiel. “We know where it is.” He glanced over his shoulder at Joe, hoisted his Go bag higher on his shoulder and set off at a fast clip. Joe squeezed Sam’s hand briefly and followed on his teammate’s heels.

  Once they were out of the main flow of foot traffic, Joe and Ben picked up the pace to a jog. They traveled into the bowels of the ship until they reached a long corridor. Turning right, they spotted a tall, muscle-bound, dark-skinned man standing in front of a red door. His attention zeroed in on the operatives.

  “Ben Martin?”

  Ben nodded. “This is my teammate, Joe Gray. What have we got?”

  “Something out of my worst nightmare. I hope you’re as good as you say you are.”

  “Show us.”

  Winestock unlocked the door and led the way into the interior of the engine room. Machines hummed and the scent of oil filled the heated room. As Joe feared, the chief of security led him and Ben straight to the engine. On the back side of the engine in a darkened section someone had attached C4 and the timer had just ticked down to five minutes.

  Ben blew out a breath, a scowl on his face as he slid his Go bag off his shoulder and unzipped it. “Not enough time to evacuate passengers.”

  “Let’s just hope there isn’t another surprise package somewhere else on the ship,” Joe murmured.

  “Can you defuse that thing?” Winestock demanded.

  Ben found the tools he needed to work on the bomb. “I can defuse it. Call the bomb squad, though. Once I dismantle this thing, the components will have to be disposed of safely.”

  The security chief winced. “Mr. Hollingbrook isn’t going to be happy about that.”

  “Tough.” Joe shined the beam of his flashlight on the bomb for Ben. “A few hours’ delay in leaving the port is better than risking people’s lives.”

  “What do you mean by a few hours’ delay? We have a schedule to keep.”

  “The bomb squad will want to search the ship for more possible explosive devices,” Ben said as he slid into the narrow space to begin his work. “They won’t take no for an answer.” Ben talked Joe step-by-step through the procedure he was following and why. “This is like the bombs we dismantled two weeks ago.”

  Joe drew in a deep breath. Not so bad, then. Didn’t matter. As long as Ben was available, Joe’s EOD skills wouldn’t be needed.

  “I am so getting fired for this,” Winestock muttered.

  “Our boss will talk to Hollingbrook on your behalf. Can’t do anything about the cops and their procedure for dealing with this. Might as well be prepared, Winestock. My guess is the feds will get involved, too.”

  The other man groaned.

  Joe’s cell phone signaled a text. He checked the screen and his stomach knotted. “Oh, man.”

  Ben glanced at him before returning to his task. “Problem?”

  “Sam found another one. Winestock, hold the flashlight for Ben.”

  “Can you handle it?” his teammate asked.

  “I have to. The second one is timed to explode at the same time as this one.”

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  Sam’s heart beat in time to the relentless countdown of the digital timer attached to the bomb. She had hustled the staff from the kitchen amid loud protests and returned alone to keep vigil.

  She prayed Ben could defuse the bomb before it exploded. Sam didn’t want to end up in the hospital again from shrapnel wounds or on a slab in the morgue.

  She turned when she heard someone running toward her. Joe rushed into the kitchen. Oh, no. Not Joe. Yes, his job with Fortress was dangerous. But Joe usually worked behind a scope, not face-to-face with an explosive device. “Where’s Ben?”

  “Defusing a bomb in the engine room. Where’s this one?” Joe shrugged off his Go bag and pulled out what he needed to work on the bomb.

  “In here.” She led him to an oversized pantry and pointed to the bottom shelf. “The bomb is attached at the back on the underside of the shelf.”

  “Get your flashlight.” Joe shoved aside the supplies stacked on the floor, got on his back and wiggled underneath the shelf.

  Sam dropped to Joe’s left side and aimed the light toward the ticking clock and the housing filled with C-4. “Do you have enough time to defuse it, Joe?”

  “Yeah. Barely. Guess it’s a good thing I badgered Ben into training me.”

  “I suppose.” She hadn’t been thrilled with the idea of Joe handling explosives when he’d mentioned the dual training although she didn’t tell him as much. Sam thought it prudent to keep her misgivings to herself. No need to poke her partner’s ego by questioning his need or ability to handle bombs. Obviously, she’d been wrong. Turned out Shadow needed a backup EOD man.

  “Move that light a little to the right. Perfect. You worried?”

  “Why would I be?” she asked, tone tart. “You have two minutes or less to defuse a bomb with enough C-4 to blow a hole in the side of the ship and kill both of us. What do I have to worry about?”

  He chuckled. “There’s that spark I’ve been looking for since you were shot. Nice to have the real Samantha Coleman back in action.”

  “You can say that after I froze earlier tonight?”

  “A one-time occurrence,” he assured her.

  “I hope you’re right.”

  “Trust me. I know you. You won’t freeze up again.”

  Sam appreciated Joe’s utter faith in her abilities and prayed it was warranted. “How do you know?”

  “You’re rock steady right now. Most people would be running from this thing as fast as possible by this point.”

  “Yeah? I might be holding still to help you but I’m running away screaming on the inside.”

  Another laugh from her partner. “I’m almost there. Have any trouble with the kitchen staff?”

  “You could say that. They weren’t happy to be kicked out of here when meal preparation should be in full swing.”

  “I bet.” Joe was silent for several seconds, then blew out a breath. “Got it. Let me dismantle the pieces and we’ll contact Nico.” A moment later, he scooted out from under the pantry shelf and sat up.

  “Are you going to pull out the components?”

  He shook his head. “The cops will want to examine it in place. It’s enough that I took apart the pieces to prevent the countdown from restarting. They will transport the C-4 in a secure container and bag up the rest for evidence.”

  “What about the kitchen staff?”

  “We can’t let them back in here until it’s been cleared by law enforcement.” Joe called Nico and reported that the bomb had been dismantled. After he ended the call, he turned to Sam. “We’re to stay in place until one of the security people arrives.”

  When they informed the chef and his staff that the kitchen was still off limits, she and Joe were the recipients of a tirade of epic proportions. They left the kitchen after one of Winestock’s staff arrived to ensure no one entered the area, including the irate chef and his minions. Sam gladly handed off the explanations to Pacific Star’s security.

  They joined Mercy, Curt, Ben, and Trace as law enforcement teams arrived, many accompanied by what Sam assumed were dogs trained in detecting explosives. Passengers watched the new arrivals with growing alarm.

  “The captain needs to make some kind of announcement,” Curt said. “The last thing we need is a panic.”

  Nico walked up at that moment. He crouched beside his wife. “You okay?” When she nodded, he stood and turned to the operatives. “Captain Nelson will be informing the passengers soon that the crew found a suspicious package on board and that
it’s been dealt with by law enforcement. The search teams are looking for more packages.”

  “Where did they find so many teams?” Ben asked.

  “Local police, highway patrol, FBI, ATF, and I think the military contributed a couple teams as well.”

  “It’s still going to take a while to search the ship.” Trace frowned at a couple of men edging closer to the Fortress group, probably hoping to eavesdrop and find out what was going on. “It’s a big area to cover even with all these teams on board.” One of the men blanched under Trace’s scrutiny, grabbed his buddy by the arm, and steered him in the opposite direction.

  “The passengers will want food before long.” Mercy turned toward Nico. “Any chance the kitchen will be operational soon?”

  “Doubt it.”

  At that moment, the captain’s voice sounded over the speaker. “Attention Pacific Star passengers. This is your captain. Cruise line personnel discovered a suspicious package aboard the ship. That package has been handed over to law enforcement authorities. You’ll notice that we have several search teams aboard. They will search the Pacific Star out of an abundance of caution. The search will delay our departure from San Diego by at least six hours. Because part of the search area includes the kitchen and dining facilities, our culinary staff will not be able to prepare meals as scheduled. Please disembark and go to the terminal. Although the terminal does have dining facilities, we arranged for area restaurants to bring food into the terminal as well. We apologize for the inconvenience but feel the precaution is necessary for the safety of our passengers and crew members. When it’s safe to return to the ship, an announcement will be made inside the terminal. We’ll give instructions on the procedure to board the ship at that time.”

  Within a few minutes, passengers began to leave the ship. A few griped about the necessity for finding food in the terminal. Most took it as a minor inconvenience in light of heightened safety concerns. A group of women who passed the Fortress group debated whether or not they would have any luck seeing SEALs in training in the terminal.