Cruisin' for a SEAL

by Sharon Hamilton

  “Not your language skills I’m looking for.” She leaned into him and whispered, “It’s your body I want.”

  She swore she could see a blush surge under his coffee skin. “Oh, my golly, Jesus. I cannot believe you are answering my prayers, Miss Sophia.”

  “Not what you think, Kumar. I just want you to do your best as my dance partner, for one night.”

  “I shall endeavor to be your partner every night.” The man was grinning from ear to ear, standing up straighter, his eyes were wider and he showed more big white teeth than a person had a right to.

  “Bless you. See you at six thirty, then.”

  “Most definitely. Most definitely. Your humble servant. I shall look forward to it…” she heard as she walked down the crew hallway, past the medical office, to her room.

  She wondered where Mark had gone, if he was back on board or caught up with his group. Li was in the cabin, stretching out from an earlier rehearsal. Sophia knew nothing about the little Chinese contortionist, since language was somewhat of a barrier.

  “Shower?” Sophia asked.

  “Please,” Li said. “I use later.”

  She washed her hair and indulged in a long, hot shower. When she emerged from the little cubicle, Li was gone. Sophia put on her old, favorite terry robe, the one her father had bought for her mother and was a hand-me-down, the go-to piece of clothing whenever she needed a good cry, and climbed the bunk. With lights off, she might be able to get an hour’s rest before the rehearsal and demonstration. Rest was what she needed now.

  She drifted off to sleep hearing the water lap against the side of the ship. How the bright light sent crystal shards dancing around the walls of the little red lifeboat. She heard him speaking to her, whispering things in her ear. It was a pleasant dream. He was begging her to share his bed, and his life. She forced everything else out of her mind and just went with it.

  WHEN LI OPENED the door, Sophia was startled.

  “Excuse me, Sophia, but I must get ready,” Li said as she turned on the light over the desk.

  “What time is it?”

  “Nearly six.”

  “Oh. My. God. I have to be down at the theatre at six thirty.”

  “You first, then,” Li said, pointing to the bathroom.

  “I’m showered, just need a moment for the hair dryer and some makeup.”

  “Certainly.”

  Sophia emerged from the cabin ten minutes later and ran down the hallway to the zero deck elevators, punching six.

  She rode with several of Mark’s buddies returning and their wives to five deck. Kyle cleared his throat. She avoided eye contact.

  “Mark on board, do you know?”

  “No. Haven’t seen him. He did not finish the tour with us.”

  Kyle looked slightly alarmed. Several of the other members of their group exchanged glances. When the elevator unloaded them to Deck 5, Kyle stood in the doorway, holding the elevator.

  “He all right, Sophia? What happened after we left?”

  “They got into a fight. Nobody was hurt, but Roberto was arrested and taken by the police.” She looked down at her black dancing shoes with the one-inch heels. “We thought it best he should come back in the taxi.”

  “I know he’s back. He texted me. But did he hurt Roberto in any way?”

  “You don’t know Roberto. He’s been hurt so many times he now brings it on himself. Mark did come to my defense, and then we thought it would be best if I stayed to complete my job.”

  Kyle was assessing her. She felt the stare into her soul, all the way down to her toes. He was an honest man. A true hero. Thinking about everyone else first. Maybe too caring. But she knew Mark would die for this man, and that gave her the courage to be honest with him.

  “I was foolish, I’m afraid. I’m confused.” She couldn’t help but show him the tears she hadn’t shed during her nap. “I think he’s a little angry with me. He deserves better.”

  Kyle motioned to a couple dressed in formal attire who waited by the elevator, indicating they needed to find another one.

  “Mark is one of those guys with a sixth sense about character. From what I saw today, he’s pretty hung up on you, Sophia. He’s not often wrong.”

  “I’m not sure I’m good for him.”

  “Well if he is, you have a problem.” Kyle started to smile. “A problem most the female population of this ship and the entire world would love to have. But you gotta do what you gotta do.”

  She found it in herself to smile back.

  “I do have to go. Meeting someone for rehearsal at the theater. If you run into him, you can tell him I’ll be there, or at the dance instruction in the Kasbah bar from seven to eight for the dance lesson.”

  Kyle nodded. “Know where he is, then? Any guesses?”

  She wanted to tell him about the lifeboat, but thought better of it. “Maybe text him?”

  Kyle stepped back and allowed the beeping, complaining elevator doors close, to close as he waved goodbye with two fingers.

  Sophia got to the theater five minutes early, but Kumar was already there. He had showered and had put on a pair of black slacks and a white satin shirt, buttoned a couple of buttons too low. He wore a gold chain with a medallion around his neck. She saw shades of Saturday Night Fever in his eyes.

  Upon seeing them both, the engineer began playing some disco music, getting Sophia’s drift. She smiled up at the Ukrainian disc jockey in his sound booth.

  “Very nice, Kumar. Not sure your costume will work for the waltz, but I’m sure our students will love it.”

  “Do you love it, Miss Sophia?” he said eagerly.

  “Yes.” She had to admit he made her smile, and the welcome distraction of dancing would take her mind off her troubles. “I like,” she said as she stood in front of him and extended her arms in dance position. “We start with some basics, and then we’ll have some fun.”

  KYLE GOT A return text and met Mark at his room, as directed. Everyone else had gone to wash up for dinner. Armando and Gina were dressed for a private dinner and were going to take in a show beforehand. Fresh from what Kyle knew was an afternoon of lovemaking, the glow on Gina’s cheeks was unmistakable. He’d never seen two people so into each other before. But then, he hadn’t been the observer when he and Christy first got together, either.

  He checked in with Coop, who had just emerged from his cabin.

  “How’s Libby?”

  “Pretty sick, man. I’m a little worried, to be honest.”

  This wasn’t good news. “Maybe should take her to the medical office?”

  “Fuck, no. Not letting anyone else touch her. If she can get through the next couple of weeks, I think she’ll be fine. Guess we underestimated the effects a bobbing ship would have on her stomach.”

  “Roger that. Perhaps you should consider cutting early and flying home?”

  “She doesn’t want to. She keeps thinking she’ll be okay.”

  All their women were tough and extremely stubborn, Kyle reminded himself.

  “Can she sleep?” Kyle asked.

  “Barely. I’m going to go get more ginger ale and some dry toast.”

  “When you get back, meet us in Mark’s room. Something’s happening you gotta know about.”

  “What?” Cooper asked.

  “Take care of Libby and meet me back in Mark’s, okay?”

  “Sure thing.”

  Coop nearly ran down the hallway toward the lobby elevators. Kyle knocked on Mark’s door and walked inside when it was opened.

  “What’s this about a bomb?” Kyle demanded. Jones, Tyler and Fredo were already there waiting.

  “Just what I overheard, man. This guy Maksym, the Ukrainian Moshe talked about? He was on a cell phone call with some dude, and he was asking him about a bomb like it was a surprise to him. Like there was some plan to take over the ship, but he hadn’t been aware there was a bomb involved.”

  “Go on.”

  “Well, that’s it. Just a two-minute
conversation. Couldn’t hear the other side, but Maksym sounded pissed.”

  “I say we do a high-level target interrogation,” Fredo said. “And we get Moshe involved right away.”

  “I intend to call him. I guess I’d like to learn a little more about the plan until we get all Snatch and Grab on the guy. Any idea when?”

  Mark shook his head.

  “I don’t understand what their motivation is,” Kyle said to the floor. “This is a fuckin’ cruise ship, man. Mostly international passengers, not a lot of Americans. Not exactly a military target.”

  “Sounds like this Maksym’s motivation is money. Like a hostage for ransom. That’s why the bomb has him spooked.”

  “It’d spook me too. Any idea where it is?” Jones asked.

  Again, Mark shook his head. “The Moroccans brought it on board today. I saw them do it, Kyle.”

  “No shit. They brought it from shore?”

  “Yup. Sucker was heavy, too. They came through the crew gangway. That cargo container was too big for the x-ray machine.”

  “Moshe has to tell us who was on security at the gate. What time was that Mark?”

  “About fourteen hundred hours.”

  “Kyle, there’s something else, too. Maksym told the person on the phone the box was ticking. And it had snakes in it.”

  “Snakes?” Fredo wrinkled his nose. “I hate snakes!”

  “Me, too,” Jones said.

  “You let me handle them snakes. They don’t scare me none,” Tyler said. “My uncle used to have them in his church in Louisiana growing up. You get ’em from behind and you be quick about it.”

  “Good to know, Tyler, but right now I’m more concerned with a possible bomb,” said Kyle.

  They heard Cooper knock and let him in. They decided to separate and collect information, as much as possible, on Maksym. Kyle and Cooper would start with Moshe. Fredo would go speak with the cabin boy about Mark’s sighting of Maksym with the woman down the hall. Jones and Mark were going to find Teseo and ask him about Maksym. Tyler said he’d go look for Armando.

  The Team left, agreeing to rendezvous at the Kasbah in an hour. Kyle winked at Mark as he left. In parting, he said, “We’ll see if we can repair a little heartache along the way.”

  “Sir?” Mark asked.

  “Your lady will be there. She told us. I think you owe her an apology.”

  “Me?” Mark protested. Fredo and Cooper shook their heads and exited the cabin.

  “Come on, lover boy,” Jones said as he hauled Mark out by the shirt collar. “We got this. You just need to sit back and let your LPO hook you up.”

  Chapter 24

  ‡

  MARK WAS SERIOUSLY annoyed that his love life was front and center with the Team. He’d have been more comfortable with it strictly his own business. But he was encouraged that Sophia had reached out and offered Kyle information, and to somehow convey that she still cared for Mark. That part was more than okay.

  He and Malcolm Jones walked up to Deck 11 and then traversed the metal stairways toward the bridge level. This new, modern ship had an extended bridge with windows that could see in three directions. It took a full crew of eight to run it, not counting the crew below decks. Even at port the skeleton crew of four was needed, just to make all the required inspections.

  A gut-wrenching blast from the large smokestack above them nearly broke their eardrums. Mark always thought it was odd passengers liked to be outside and right under the damned thing when these big ships sailed. He was certain they would clock some loss of decibels in their hearing. But an adventure was an adventure. He’d also seen his share of stunts, even on Navy ships, where people mimicked the famous Titanic scene, “I’m king of the world.”

  To hell with that.

  Jones swore creatively, covering his ears with both hands. “You’d think they’d give some warning.”

  Of course, Mark then realized they’d also heard loudspeakers announcing the missing passengers who had failed to make the gangway in time. There were always a couple of them. Seemed like the same ones, too.

  That’s when he recalled hearing Roberto’s name.

  Damned straight.

  The asshole was probably the guest of the Policia Local. He hoped Roberto had been stupid enough to argue with the famously hair-trigger gentlemen who wore the blue uniforms. He knew they had a special distaste for foreign cruise ship workers who often ripped off locals by not paying their bills while on land and then disappearing. Mark knew they’d exact some pain on the Brazilian for all the workers they hadn’t caught. And it didn’t matter what form of martial arts you had, if you were restrained in a small room with five or six bullies intent on doing harm, you were toast. In fact, any knowledge of basic self-defense would sometimes inflame them.

  So that part was working. Now he needed to get with Teseo and warn him about what he’d overheard.

  The gate to the bridge was locked, and there was a guard posted.

  “Scusi,” Jones began, “Abbiamo bisogno di parlare con il responsabile junior Teseo in una sola volta. È più urgente.”

  Mark looked with new admiration at Jones, who shrugged.

  “Un momento. Dovete stare qui, mentre io verifico. Un momento,” the guard said as he pointed to the bridge the next deck up.

  “So you coulda saved me all that embarrassment back there with Sophia’s letter and all.”

  “And miss the excitement? Hell no,” Jones grinned. “Besides, I did language school. I’m good with the conversations, not so much with the written word.”

  “Man, I could have used you for—”

  “Not on your fuckin’ life. I don’t interfere. Besides, I think you two communicate pretty damned well, you ask me. But of course, you’re not asking.”

  They chuckled as they looked up when they heard sea birds making alarmed noises and noticed the chopper flying overhead. Although small, it looked expensive, and possibly military. It faded into the darkness that was overtaking the sky. A bright peach sunset was imminent.

  “I’m getting a bad feeling about all this,” Mark said as he cracked his neck and rolled his shoulders.

  Teseo Dominichello followed the uniformed crewman down the steps two at a time. Mark shook his hand.

  “Can I have five minutes of your time, in private?” Mark asked. “It’s important.”

  Teseo turned to run back to the bridge but Mark stopped him with a tug on his elbow across the metal gate he could have easily scaled. “We have a medical issue with one of the wives we need your help with. Tell them that.”

  Mark looked at the guard and didn’t see anything register there that led him to believe he’d understood anything.

  Teseo returned a moment later and the three of them walked back to a little platform marked with a circle.

  “This a helipad?” Mark asked.

  “Yes. We occasionally have celebrity passengers or emergency head of state offloads. Sometimes people like to travel anonymously.”

  “So some of those overweight passengers—” Jones started in.

  “Could be ministers of defense or World Bank officers, yes. We have all kinds.”

  Mark stepped close to Teseo so quickly the man jerked back in reaction.

  “We believe you have a bomb on board.”

  He could see Teseo’s face tightened and darkened in an instant.

  “How do you know this?”

  “I overheard your friend, Maksym, speaking to someone on his cell phone on Deck 5 this afternoon. Sounds like a plot to take over the ship, maybe blow it up.”

  Teseo swore in Italian. “It just doesn’t seem possible. I never thought of him as that kind of a person.”

  “He’s got accomplices on board. Those Moroccans? The dancers that boarded in Casablanca? They brought a big, white crate onboard today. I saw it, Teseo, with my own eyes.”

  “Where is the box?”

  “Fuck if I know. But Maksym sure does, and he’s mad as hell about it. He was arguing with the
person I think hired him to facilitate the takeover.”

  “Where is Maksym?” Jones asked the handsome officer.

  “He’s overdue, actually. Took an hour leave, hasn’t come back yet. Captain’s pissed, since we’re pulling out.”

  “Any ideas?” Jones asked.

  “I got one,” said Mark. “I think I know exactly where he is.”

  He was thinking of the dark-haired, dangerous-looking woman in the cabin down the hall from theirs. Voluntary or involuntarily, she could have waylaid him. Or perhaps worse. Mark was filled with an urgent feeling that perhaps someone would start erasing trails before the caper began in earnest.

  “I have to get back. I want to inform the captain.”

  “You probably should do that. Can he be trusted?”

  “The guy is solid. He’ll want to check with our home office, though. If it’s going to be an incident in international waters, we have to inform them first, if we can.”

  “Then you do that.” Mark said. “But Teseo, this is no drill. I think we for real have a threat to this ship and everyone on board. And I don’t think we have much time. Kyle is speaking with Moshe right now, so he’ll be in on it.”

  “Good. I’d trust him with my life.” Teseo said. “I’ll make sure I have a private conversation with the captain as soon as possible.”

  “We don’t know who to trust, so probably a good plan, Tes.” Mark was turning to leave when he remembered something.

  “Your guys have any weapons?”

  “Not official. Not allowed. But some of us pack anyhow.”

  “Roger that. We don’t have much, either. But one thing I could use.” Mark searched Teseo’s face. The Italian officer’s features started looking surreal as the bright sunset bathed him in rosy light.

  “What?”

  “I might need your rebreather. Can you get me your two extras?”

  “Don’t know how I can do that, Mark.”

  “I’ve got a stash on Lifeboat 26. It would sure be nice if you could leave anything for me there. Don’t think there’d be anyone who would see you do it, know what I mean? Boats on that side aren’t in front of a restaurant. Private deck off the backside of the galley.”