Chapter 3 #2
“Chronic cruise complainers,” Millie joked. “After the disaster last night, this is probably only the tip of the iceberg.”
“I’m preparing a report for corporate to explain what transpired,” Donovan said.
“What happened to Angelo Bautista?”
“He’s been taken to the hospital for a medical evaluation. If he’s found competent, he could face criminal charges under maritime law, including endangering maritime safety.”
“Punishable by fines or imprisonment,” Andy said. “Because of the seriousness, the matter will be turned over to the FBI.”
Millie let out a low whistle. “The dude could be in big trouble.”
“Very big,” Donovan said. “Back to the love and marriage show. We suggest you give it a rest.”
“Replaced by?”
“Whatever you come up with.”
“You’re creative,” Andy said. “I’m sure you’ll find something clever to take its place.”
Ding…ding…ding…ding…dinggggg. The backstage bell sounded, reminding her the headliner show would be starting soon.
“That’s your cue.” Andy slowly stood. “The show must go on.”
Millie took a quick bathroom break and dashed to the changing room where she found organized chaos, a scene that took place day in and day out, week after week, right before the headliner shows.
Danielle was in the mix, surrounded by dancers, radio in hand. She caught Millie’s eye and waved her over. “This is a big bummer.”
“What?”
“Gilberto isn’t here.”
Millie’s heart skipped a beat. “Our illusionist?”
“He called out. He’s in his cabin with a fever.”
“Since when?”
“This morning. He’s already visited medical. His fever is pretty high,” Danielle said. “He’s self-quarantined. I asked Annette to have room service deliver chicken noodle soup.”
“Good idea. Hopefully, it’s a bug and not the flu. He could be out of commission for days,” Millie said.
The bell chimed again, counting down the seconds before she introduced the Welcome Aboard Show. “I’ll worry about it later.”
Easing the curtain aside, she strolled onto the stage. Her gaze was drawn to the front row. Donovan sat alongside Nic and next to Dave Patterson. She winked at her husband and approached the microphone. “Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. Have you enjoyed your cruise thus far?”
A thunderous round of applause ensued.
“Wonderful. We have a fabulous taste of this week’s entertainment coming up. As a reminder, all events can be found on Siren of the Seas’ app as well as the paper copy of the Cruise Ship Chronicles, which will be delivered to your cabin each evening by your cabin steward.”
The prelude from the ship’s house band grew louder.
“Without further ado, I’m thrilled to introduce our very own Siren singers and dancers.” Millie clapped loudly while exiting stage right.
The curtains parted and the show began.
She stood off to the side, watching the flawless performance: acrobatic lifts, twists and turns, sprinkled in with singing and dancing.
As soon as the show ended, she returned to the stage to welcome the comedian.
Back and forth she strolled, introducing the team who practiced tirelessly to entertain guests with perfectly executed performances.
Wrapping up the show, she reminded passengers about a few of the evening’s highlights and made a beeline for the dressing room.
Completing her inventory of the costumes and props, Millie walked to the end of the hall, where she paused to check her scheduling app.
The ship shuddered.
Mayday, Mayday. She turned her radio up, listening in horror as the security team issued a mayday call.
Millie jogged to the nearest exit and ran outside. Peering over the railing, she noticed the water around the ship churning. Siren of the Seas had made a sudden stop.
She shifted her gaze out into the pitch black night sky. A flash of bright light flickered. Loud voices echoed from directly below. Her first thought was a passenger had fallen overboard.
She ran inside, nearly colliding with Annette and Amit. “What’s going on?”
“I am not sure,” Amit replied. “I noticed Sutali from maintenance running past and asked him what had happened. He said something about a vessel in distress. The rescue team is dispatching a boat.”
Descending as quickly as possible, the trio reached the crew-only deck. They found the emergency exit door wide open. A Zodiac boat was being lowered into the water.
Sharky and several other crew members stood nearby operating the lift. Slowly…slowly…the boat disappeared from sight.
Millie crept closer and peered over the side. The rescue boat with a small crew on board loosened the ropes and sped off. She held her breath, offering a prayer for whoever they might find.
Sharky caught her eye and made his way over. “Hey, guys.”
“What’s going on?”
“We’re searching for a vessel in distress. I would’ve taken my PRV but figured the Zodiac will work better if the crew needs to make a rescue.”
Millie cast an anxious glance toward the open door. “How far out is it?”
“Not far, although the signal was starting to grow faint. Hopefully, it didn’t sink.”
The group grew quiet, waiting for word. Long moments passed. Ten. Fifteen. Twenty minutes. Half an hour.
The whirring sound of a helicopter grew louder, so loud Millie had to cover her ears.
“The Coast Guard!” Annette hollered.
The whirring continued, growing louder and fainter until finally fading away.
“I’ll check to see if there’s an update.” Sharky started toward the watch group when their radios blared loudly.
From her vantage point, Millie could see the crew working the lift levers. The rescue team reappeared. Working seamlessly, the safety crew secured the Zodiac.
Nic and Donovan Sweeney arrived. The crowd parted, making way for the captain. Talking in low voices, the men motioned to the water.
Although Millie, Amit and Annette were only a few feet away, their voices were too low for them to hear what was being said.
Nic spun around, finally noticing his wife and her friends.
Millie waited for him to walk over. “I felt the ship shudder and heard the mayday call. What happened?”
“We found a vessel on radar and received a mayday call. The safety team promptly dispatched a rescue crew. Unfortunately, the Coast Guard as well as our rescue team weren’t able to find anything. The search has been called off.”
A sick feeling settled in the pit of Millie’s stomach. “The vessel in distress sank?”
“Sank or somehow vanished into thin air.”