10. Seb
Chapter 10
Seb
After reaching Ibiza, we made our way to the island. At first we stayed at a distance while checking all the pathways up the cliff side.
Then we dropped anchor where the house wasn’t in view from where we moored in the sea, and we hoped weren’t visible either.
Now I watch as Ava gets ready to scout the island.
Using the scuba jet, first she swims around the boat, where I check her visibility and depth. We don’t want her to be spotted when she’s checking out the island.
Her head pops out of the water and she removes the mask from her face and breathing tube from her mouth. “Could you see me?”
“I couldn’t, but the water is murky today.”
“It’s an excellent time to check out the island then,” she says.
I glance at the monitors I have on my screen. “Your heart rate is normal, but your blood pressure spiked a little. Don’t be out there too long.”
She nods as she places the mask back over her eyes and sucks on the breathing tube.
Ducking under the water until she gets to the correct depth again, and I ask her, “Can you hear me?”
She gives me the thumbs up, letting me know the earpiece is working.
“Okay, only fifteen minutes. The scuba jet has half an hour of battery, but we can’t risk it.”
She gives me an okay sign and then one finger, four fingers and then three.
“I love you, too.”
She turns on the scuba jet before she maneuvers the machine to swim underwater and before I know it, she’s disappeared.
The sun glints off the water, making it impossible to track her movements. I grip the railing, willing myself to stay calm. But I can’t help that my heart is in my throat as she stays beneath the waves.
And when my laptop dings, I know she is fine.
Ava is checking out the island with a camera attached to the top of her air pipe. That information is recorded straight on my laptop.
After a moment of searching, I finally relax when I see the top of the tube and watch her from the deck.
She’s practiced this before. She knows what she’s doing.
Still, every minute she’s gone feels like an hour. I watch the monitors, but mainly I scan the shoreline, looking for any sign of security patrols or surveillance equipment.
The island seems quiet, almost too quiet for a billionaire’s private retreat.
Finally, after what seems like an eternity, I spot a disturbance in the water. Ava surfaces near the island, graceful as always as she slows her movements as she checks out the rocky beach.
While she is doing that, I check her vital statistics, because we can never forget that Ava thinks she’s invincible, but the omega inside her is still vulnerable and could rouse at any moment.
But as usual, everything is fine.
I finally relax when she makes her way back to the boat, extending out a hand to help her aboard as relief floods through me as her fingers clasp mine.
“How’d it go?” I ask, trying to keep my voice casual as she removes her gear.
Ava grins, her eyes sparkling with excitement. “Better than expected. The security’s tight, but there are a few blind spots we can exploit. I found an excellent place to hide the scuba jet, but we should leave some snorkel gear around the island in various places, just in case I can’t get off the island the same way I get on.”
“Let’s take a look,” I say, kissing her forehead. “And well done. Your vitals were perfect.”
We head to the cabin to review the footage.
While I recorded everything from the camera attached to the snorkel, she also had a small camera attached to her mask, so we could see how things looked underneath the water.
Ava connects that camera to our laptop, and I can’t help but marvel at her focus and determination. I love these qualities in her, even if it sometimes scares me.
The footage flickers to life on the screen, revealing underwater rock formations and the island’s foundations. Ava points out potential entry points, her finger tracing paths along the cliff side.
“There,” she says, pausing the video. “That crevice could lead to an underground entrance. It’s not on any of the blueprints we’ve seen.”
I nod, studying the image. It’s a risky move, but then again, this entire job is a risk. “What about security patrols?” I ask.
Ava fast-forwards through the footage, showing a pattern in the guard rotations. “This happened over by the beach.”
She points to the left of the boat and I squint to see the beach she is talking about.
“One guard left the beach and it was a few minutes before I saw another walking down the pathway, so I suspect they passed somewhere on the cliff top.” She shrugs her shoulders. “We can’t assume anything more than a four-minute window.”
“It seems too easy,” I muse as we continue to analyze the footage. I can’t shake a nagging feeling of unease. This job feels different. Like there’s a sting in the tail to come
But looking at Ava, seeing the iron will in her eyes, I know there’s no talking her out of it. All I can do is make sure we’re as prepared as possible.
“Okay,” I say finally. “Let’s make our way back to the mainland and start planning our approach. We’ve got a lot of work to do.”
Ava nods, already lost in thought.
After a few hours of agreeing on our plan, Ava lifts her arms in the air before diving off the boat for an evening swim. The fading sunlight catches her lithe form as she arcs gracefully into the water, barely making a splash.
I lean against the railing, watching her powerful strokes as she cuts through the waves.
She flips onto her back, floating effortlessly. Her laughter carries to me on the warm breeze, and it’s moments like these that remind me why I fell for her.
Fearless, beautiful, and utterly free-spirited.
She’ll need to be. We have the heist of a lifetime awaiting us, and I can only hope we’re ready for whatever lies ahead.
I’ll keep her safe, no matter what it takes.
“Come in!” she yells as she swims back to the boat, her wet skin glistening in the twilight. “The temperature is perfect.”
“I’d prefer to come in you,” I say as she grabs the ladder, pulling herself up with practiced ease.
“You are a dirty beta.” Water cascades off her body as she climbs aboard. I hold out my hand, which she takes. “You’re also the one who is adamant we have to go over tomorrow’s schedule again.”
I groan. “I know, and I want to make a call about the island owners.”
She takes the towel. “Thanks,” she says, flashing me a smile that makes my heart skip. “The Dupont’s have owned the island for centuries, haven’t they?”
“That’s not as clear as we first thought.”
Ava raises an eyebrow but doesn’t push. She knows I have my sources, just as she has hers.
As she heads below deck to change, I pull out my secure phone and dial a number I know by heart.
It rings once, twice, three times. My unease grows with each unanswered ring. Finally, the voicemail picks up. “Leave a message,” a gruff voice instructs.
“It’s me,” I mumble. “I need more intel on the Dupont estate. Something doesn’t feel right. Call me back ASAP.”
I end the call, staring out at the darkening horizon.
The island looms less than two nautical miles in the distance, a black silhouette against the purple and red sunset sky.
As I turn to head below deck, a flicker of light catches my eye. I squint, trying to make out its source. I grab my binoculars and peer through.
On the clifftop, a flash of red is trained ahead, directly on our boat.
My blood runs cold.
“Ava!” I shout. “Come here!”
Ava’s footsteps pad on the stairs as she quickly ascends, responding to the urgency in my voice. She’s still damp from her swim, hair slicked back, concern etched on her face.
“What is it?” she asks, joining me at the railing.
Without a word, I hand her the binoculars, pointing towards the cliff. She raises them to her eyes, adjusting the focus.
“Shit,” she breathes after a moment. “Is that what I think it is?”
I nod grimly. “Looks like a laser targeting system. High-end, military-grade stuff. Not your average rich person’s security.”
Ava lowers the binoculars, her expression thoughtful.
“They must have spotted us when we were scouting the island earlier. But why wait until now to target us?” She hesitates. “Do you think they know what we’re up to?”
“I hope they’re assessing whether we’re a threat,” I suggest, running a hand through my hair. “We did just look like tourists. Nobody would’ve seen you.”
“Yeah.”
We share a look. The job suddenly seems a lot more complicated, more dangerous, than we initially thought.
“We need to move to another port,” Ava says, her voice steady despite the tension I can see on her shoulders.
I nod in agreement, already moving towards the cockpit. “We’ll move, find an alternative approach. I’ll contact Silas and ask how much he knows about the island. He’s not telling us something, and it’s probably the reason he doesn’t want to do the job himself.”
Ava follows, her mind clearly racing. “And your underground contact? Any word back yet?”
I shake my head. “Nothing. Which is unusual. He’s always quick to respond.”
She bites her lip, a habit I know means she’s weighing our options. “This doesn’t feel right, Seb. The Dupont’s, the advanced security, your contact going dark. We’re missing something big here.”
“Or they are extra careful because the museum on the island has the most expensive jewel in the world,” I say, firing up the boat’s engines. “We can either be extra cautious or we can walk away from it now and return Silas his money.”
Ava’s expression hardens with determination. “I’m not backing out, but don’t contact Silas again. We’re doing it tomorrow.”
“Are you sure?”