by Jolie Mason
It was breathtaking.
The rounded, transparent vessel sat just above the water line on a rotor lift and looked out over a stretch of blue sea that chopped wildly in the spring breeze. She was facing a wide double bed, night stand, lighting and desk like any hotel anywhere. A bathroom was clearly visible to her right on entry. To her left was a narrow, spiral of stairs made of metal leading to the below deck.
She dropped her trunk near the bathroom and took the staircase down to the underside of the boat.
Here, it was still completely transparent. It was somewhat discomfiting to look down and see the sea beneath her feet. The trick was to focus on the room.
There was a small, curved navigation console for manual control if needed, and directly behind that a small galley. She smiled. If she hadn't been here on such grim business this might have been an interesting trip.
She walked to the console and put the key box into the clearly marked slot.
A holo of a smiling woman with suntanned skin and wearing island themed dress appeared before her and started giving her the welcome and safety briefing. Most of it she'd already investigated, as was her nature. She'd also taken the liberty of studying up on how to work the controls of the capsule ship if need be.
Hayden wasn't one to take chances with tech any longer. The last few months had taught her caution when dealing with high function technology. It was so easily manipulated by those who put in the time to learn how.
Of course, it wasn't something just anyone could do. Only men with the resources and intelligence of the ones she was hunting would be capable of turning tech against her, and she thought they must have some idea she was coming.
What she was banking on was that they might not see her as a real threat now that the bombing case had been put to bed by the MPD. With her being off the force, she suspected they watched her with less vigilance. She'd gone out of her way to nurture the impression as well. She wanted to see looks of surprise on their faces when she found them and took them down.
While the holo talked, she had accessed the ship's systems to ensure they were like the one she'd examined before coming. Everything looked identical, so she closed the system and went to the cooler for a sandwich. They were lined up in a row on the left side of the cooler, and hot meals to be reheated were on the right.
She popped open a drink and sat at the bar separating kitchen and bridge to look out over the bright ocean view a while. As she chewed, her mind never stopped running over and over the possibilities, the steps of her plan, the contingencies she had in place.
She would be constantly uploading the results of her investigation and video surveillance where appropriate. If they killed her, her work would still be there ready for the next investigator. She had just the guy in mind.
Hayden decided to stay in the galley for launch. She found a music console and looked at the time. Ten minutes. She selected an album she liked. Smooth, acoustic guitar drifted through the lower deck. A warning bell chimed through out the ship, and the lift started to gently move downward into the ocean below her.
Thursday felt the prick of excitement in her belly at getting to experience this kind of boat trip. She'd always liked the water, and reefs were so protected these days that this was the only way you could see one. She'd set an alarm to make sure she didn't miss the reefs. Might as well enjoy something of her trip.
Once the water closed in around her, the docking clamps released and she felt a small burst propel her out away from the marina. Sunlight danced above her on the water's surface, and it was beautiful. Occasional sea life swam by her as she slowly set out for Gray and Blue Island. She just hoped he was still there to find.
*
A soft chime woke her in the bed. Hayden reached for her weapon, then realized she was in a cruise capsule at sea. Intruders were not the problem way out here.
The chime continued unabated, until she remembered what it was for. The reef.
Throwing of the covers, she looked out into the vast darkness. Sunrise was due any minute, and the cruiser was slowing as it approached its pre-programmed path around the reef. She felt the gentle rise as it emerged on the surface and bobbed there.
She waited to see what would happen breathlessly.
The last twenty four hours had been amazing. She'd seen whales and sea life closer than she ever thought possible, and there was something so liberating about this method of travel. It was like being one of those sea creatures for a while. She'd loved it, loved the feel of the water surrounding her in her safe little bubble.
In slow increments, dawn broke over the horizon. Once the light reached a certain point, the ship submerged shallowly. The reef became visible through the clear waters, a riot of life and colors.
She smiled, genuinely smiled, for the first time in a long time. It wasn't to spare feelings or make everyone think she was okay. It was just contentment, enjoyment. With the sun sifting down over the water like it was raining down on her just for the moment, she could feel the worth of the world again, something she had doubted for a long while. Maybe, possibly, as far back as before the bombing, she had felt doubt.
There had been moments when she'd wondered why the hell she'd been doing this so long? If she was honest, that predated losing Ace and the bombing.
A school of fish swam out of darkness and appeared to stare right back at her. She laughed at the sight lightly. For an hour, she sat at the console and watched life on the reef float by. When finally the cruiser started to push away toward her destination, she felt the fun of the trip slip away, and the cop settled back on her shoulders like a cloak.
The cruiser emerged from the water partway to continue the trip visible to the increasing boat traffic. Shortly after it did, her comm unit beeped to warn her of an incoming message. She checked the console to see it had no incoming ident.
She hit play.
Hayden had been right. She knew the voice as soon as she heard it. "Ms. Thursday, I understand that you've found your way to our little island. I was surprised when I heard you were coming, but pleasantly so. I would like to meet with you when you arrive, if that's acceptable."
Hayden could hear amusement in his voice at the next words. "Well, even if it isn't acceptable, I still require your presence, Hayden. I beg that you forgive my rudeness. I feel we can help each other. You are hardly here on vacation, and I believe our respective problems to be related."
"You'll be met by my staff at the dock, Ms. Thursday. Please, do not resist the escort.I look forward to finally meeting you face to face."
The audio beeped to signal the end of the recording. Hayden sat statue still at the console.
He knew where she was, and he was ready for her. So much for trying to blend in on arrival.
Hayden covered her brow with both hands, and breathed deeply to calm herself. She'd been in worse places, but she couldn't forget that the man attached to that disembodied voice was ruthless enough to kill his associates, clever enough to cover it up and powerful enough to get away with it.
What was she going to do?
She wanted to come up with a plan, but Hayden had to admit there was nothing she could do here. She would be taken at the docks, and she would meet with the man behind that voice. What happened after that would be up to him.
He hadn't sounded particularly hostile in the message. In fact, he'd inferred that they had similar problems which implied he had some idea of her real reason for this sudden vacation. He'd made it seem, in point of fact, like he might need her help with something.
Perhaps, he knew where Gray was. Perhaps, he had him.
She shook her head. It was all guesswork at this point. She watched the cruiser pull up to the island's docking authority and forced herself to relax and enjoy the stunning view of the maritime traffic bouncing over calm seas into a bustling port of call.
Somewhere ahead of her in that port, she hoped to find Dr. Gray Kerry and some good answers to a growing list of questions.
*
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