Chapter 11
11
Since McKay “officially” spent the day on leave, he had to work a night shift. Alvaro failed to mention the extra shift when he gave McKay the assignment to get the camera. McKay would have still agreed, but the extra hours were going to be hard to keep. Since Martina had worked a portion of his day shift, it was only fair that he work hers. If Alvaro was right, and a security team member was involved, any other work solution would be out of the ordinary. Not for the first time, McKay wished the ship served Dr. Pepper. In the end caffeine was caffeine, so he guzzled the ship’s cola of choice as he monitored the new camera through Alvaro’s tablet. Nothing unusual.
McKay covered a yawn. His body rebelled against being awake at two in the morning. The ship was quiet this time of night, with most of the activity happening in the casino where gamblers played round the clock, heedless of time or location.
He stood more to keep himself awake than anything. In the other room, two crew members monitored the CCTV feeds.
“Anything to report?”
“Nothing of import. A passenger left their power scooter in the hallway again. This will be their third warning.”
“Too bad we don’t have boots like they do for cars parked in the wrong zones,” said Ian.
“Wouldn’t solve the problem. It would still be in the hall,” said a crew member McKay rarely saw as they worked opposite shifts.
“An impound lot. We’ll tow it to the luggage area on deck 3.” Ian had a point.
McKay brought up the feed of the scooter on his tablet, then crosschecked with the cabin information. “It is a rental with our contracted company. The passenger signed the acknowledgement. I also show they had two verbal warnings from housekeeping. Who wants to play tow truck? We have a master key.”
“You’re serious? We can do that?” Ian turned to face him. Three months on board, Ian should have known the policy by now.
“Yes. Usually people stop after one warning. It’s been at least three sailings since the last time we had to take drastic steps. The cruise line has an arrangement with the rental company, so we can impound it for the rest of the trip.”
“Wow, Mac. I didn’t know you had a fierce side,” Ian stood. “May I have the honors? I delivered the first warning, and the woman was a first-class Karen.”
“Sure. I’ll print out the letter explaining that they are in violation of the agreement with the ship and the rental company.” It was petty, and if he had more sleep, he might have waited until morning. However, it was a fire hazard, so he felt justified. In the back of his mind, he knew the lingering annoyance with the groomsman that had bothered Dana fueled his actions.
By the time 0500 rolled around, McKay was ready to prop his eyes open with toothpicks.
Alvaro entered the office. He laughed at McKay’s report of impounding the scooter. “I get to deal with an annoyed passenger as your payback for having you work a double?”
McKay made a show of looking at his watch. “I predict they’ll be down by 0700 demanding their scooter back.”
Alvaro sat down at the computer. “According to the notes, the passenger was abusive to the crew members who warned her. Sure you don’t want to stick around? It’s been a good six months or so since we have had to remove a passenger from the cruise and she bears all the hallmarks of the candidate to be the next one.”
McKay covered his yawn with his hand. “I’ll pass. I’m back on at noon. I need as much sleep as I can get.”
He made it two steps out the door when Alvaro called him back in. “Mr. F is active on the camera.”
This early in the morning? “I’ll head over there now.”
“Keep me updated over the comms.”
McKay hurried through the crew prep areas to the eleventh deck. He stepped out into the hall.
Alvaro’s voice came through the earpiece. “He is leaving.”
McKay quickened his step, only to find the hallway empty. “Missed them.”
“Better luck next time.”
A door opened and Dana stepped into the hall dressed in leggings and a t-shirt.
“Good morning.”
“Are you following me?”
“No, I was just checking on a problem.”
“The banging on the wall?”
“You heard something?”
“More like someone who needed to find a room.” Dana rolled her eyes. “Was that your problem?”
“Maybe. We are a family friendly cruise line.” He tried to force a yawn down, but it escaped anyway.
“You look tired. Don’t you ever sleep?”
“Usually. In fact, that was where I was headed.” He needed to say something kind or witty, but his brain wouldn’t work.
“Well then, I hope you sleep well. I’m off to do a quick workout.”
“Walking all over Belfast won’t be enough for you?” He hoped the question came out teasing.
“I need to strengthen my ankle. Stretches mostly.”
“Have a good workout then.” He paused at a crew access door, not caring which one it was. He was in danger of saying something stupid, like complaining about how good she looked in her work out leggings.
“Get some rest. I’ll see you later.”
McKay reached his room and his bed. As tired as he was, he should have fallen asleep instantly. Instead, his brain served up images of Dana. The move she used on that creep of a guy was more than impressive to him. He wondered if anyone not in security would find it as hot as he did. And the leggings… Sleep, he needed sleep. Time to start counting sheep like he’d told Gracie to do.
One day in Belfast wasn’t enough. Dana would have preferred to explore the sites without everyone in the bridal party gawking like typical tourists. However, Cheyanne wanted photos in front of city hall. They hadn’t planned on some sort of festival taking up most of the lawn space with food vendors. Chandler moved the photo opportunity to the steps of a cathedral. Then everyone returned to the city hall for lunch at the booths.
Left with a half day to explore, Dana made the best of it, choosing a tourist bus to give her the quick highlights. The guide, a retired teacher, had very strong political opinions about Belfast’s difficult history. Although little remained of the bombings that had once torn the city apart, the guide’s words brought much of the contention to life.
Too soon her phone alarm reminded her it was time to head back to the ship. She joined the long queue of passengers waiting to board. The woman ahead of her complained loudly to all who would listen about the cruise confiscating her scooter and then threatening to expel her from the ship. Dana opened her reading app and stared at it hoping to avoid conversation with the woman.
Concentrating on the words of the first chapter of her new book on the screen was useless. By the time she boarded the ship, Dana decided that the woman deserved to have her electric scooter impounded. Parking it in the hallway was a fire hazard.
The woman quieted as they neared the security check to scan their room cards. The rhythmic ping, ping was the loudest sound in the area.
Dana swiped her card.
“You!” Screeched the woman in front of her pointing at McKay. “You and your security men took my scooter away!”
“Ma’am, if you would please continue on.” McKay gestured to the x-ray machine.
“I will not. I want to see you fired. Taking a way an old woman’s scooter!”
Dana wondered why the woman had a scooter at all. She’d walked the length of the dock, if not more, since taxis weren’t allowed beyond the port entrance.
The woman continued to hold up the line of passengers.
“Please, step aside. We have passengers trying to board.” McKay’s voice was calm and soothing.
A crew member in a security shirt and the chief security officer came down a side hallway.
The woman continued yelling. “I have my rights.”
“Mrs. Rice, so nice to see you again. Will you please step aside?” Officer Alvaro’s words were not a request.
One of the woman’s friends prodded her. “Just drop it before they kick you off.”
“No one is going to make me walk the plank. Do you know who I am?”
Dana bit her lip to keep from laughing.
“Mrs. Rice, you have two choices. Either move on or have us remove you from the ship.”
The friend tugged at Mrs. Rice’s arm. “Come on Jill. They are just doing their job.”
“They wouldn’t dare kick me off.”
Not a wise move on the woman’s part.
“Yes, they can. Look at his face Jill.” The friend tugged harder, and the angry woman followed her to the X-ray machine.
Dana tried to catch McKay’s eye, but he was focused on Officer Alvaro. One nice thing about working for Hastings is that her principals rarely yelled at her. And when they did, it was a child having a tantrum and she could pick him up and move him if necessary.
The crew member working the scanner stopped it and reversed the belt.
“Do you have a sandwich in your bag?”
“I didn’t finish my lunch,” responded Mrs. Rice.
“I’m afraid we need to dispose of it. It contains foods we can’t bring aboard. Will you please open your bag?”
“I will not. I paid good money for that. I am not letting it go to waste.”
Officer Alvaro moved to the scanner. “If you would like to finish it you may go back ashore and eat it.”
“What is wrong with you people?” asked Mrs. Rice.
McKay switched places with the crew member who’d come with Officer Alvaro and joined the tech behind the scanner. McKay held out his hand to the security tech running the scanner so he could get the woman’s bag.
“Don’t you touch that, you thief.”
“If you will please come with me.” McKay pointed to the section of the gangway that allowed people to leave the ship.
Mrs. Rice looked from McKay to Officer Alvaro, weighing her options.
Was it terrible to wish for a full self-destruct? Dana wanted to see how McKay would handle things. So far, he’d kept a professional demeanor.
The woman harrumphed and walked over to the exit. McKay returned her bag to her. She paused and looked down the line of those trying to board. She fished a mustard stained napkin bulging with various meats from her bag and thrust it at McKay. “Forget it. Just throw this thing away.”
He caught it too late and a blotch of yellow appeared on his pristine white uniform shirt. “If you will, please put your bag back on the scanner belt.”
The woman thumped it down. And marched on through.
Dana passed closer to McKay. Their eyes met briefly, and she felt a spark of something—admiration, attraction, or something more complex. “Well done.”
“Thank you.”
Dana returned to her room, determined to finish the book she’d started. She went out to the balcony catching the last of the evening sun. The book had to wait for the sunset, it was too glorious to miss. Her fingers traced the railing to the cadence of the waves. The cooling evening air carried a hint of salt and possibility. As the last rays bounced across the waves, the cooling wind, chased her back into her room. She checked the time. McKay got off around ten, didn’t he? What were the chances of running into him if she went top side?
There had to be more to what happened with Mrs. Rice. It was a flimsy excuse, and Dana knew it. She didn’t care about the details—she just wanted to talk to him.
Mrs. Rice was an excuse. But sometimes, the best conversations start with the flimsiest of pretexts. She left her room hoping to find the best-looking security officer on the ship.
“Goodnight!” Gracie waved and blew kisses at the screen, ending the evening call. McKay slid his phone into his pocket and leaned against the railing. Needing a moment to transition back to work brain.
He’d kept the call short since he was still on duty. Six and a half days and he’d be home. Perhaps then he could help remove the tired look from his sister’s face. He sighed and turned, intent on checking the aft bar before heading to the office.
Professional.
Focused.
His resolve wavered the moment he registered Dana walking toward him. Before his mind could catch up, a smile had already formed on his lips. “Good evening, Miss Knight.”
She stopped a few feet from him, hugging her cardigan to her. “Still on duty, I see?”
The simple gesture sent an unexpected spark of awareness through him. McKay locked his professional demeanor firmly in place.
“Until midnight.”
“Long day?”
“Odd day. I had shore leave yesterday that played a brutal game of musical schedules.” If only he could tell her more. However, Alvaro commanded him not to recruit Dana. Any details he could share would be a dangerous step in that direction. She was too smart not to put it together.
“Coming up in the elevator, I heard that they kicked a woman off the ship today.”
“Kicked off isn’t the term we use, but yes, a passenger had to be removed from the cruise today.”
“The woman in front of me when we returned to the ship?”
He waited for a moment to answer because he didn’t want to be too obvious about how aware he’d been of her presence earlier. “That’s right, you were there. She ruined my opportunity to say hello.”
“I assume you can’t tell me any details.” She leaned back against the railing and looked up at him.
“Since you were there, I can tell you that she received multiple warnings and is fortunate to be disembarked in a city with an airport.” He paused, not sure what to say next. “There is so much more to that story I can’t tell.”
Dana studied his face. “Don’t worry, I won’t pester you for details.”
McKay laughed. “How about word to the wise, demanding to see the captain rarely works out well.”
“She didn’t!”
“I couldn’t say.”
Dana laughed. “I’ll assume she did. That strategy never works on internet videos.”
“Honestly, I don’t think I’ve ever seen it work out for anyone.”
Dana picked at the sleeve of her sweater. “If you are still working, I should probably move along.”
“It was nice talking to you. See you later?”
“Maybe. Tomorrow we are staying the night in Dublin since the on board is so early and Cheyanne’s bridesmaids have convinced her that she needs to do a pub crawl.”
“You don’t sound overly excited.”
“I don’t drink. I’m mostly going to make sure Cheyanne doesn’t get talked into something she’ll regret later.”
“You’re the designated driver?”
“One way to put it. Better than a babysitter.”
McKay’s phone vibrated. He looked down to see a message from Alvaro. “I need to go. Have a good evening.”
“You too.”
McKay hurried to the nearest crew door and entered before reading the message.
Alvaro: Activity on camera. Do walk by.
Mac: Going now.
He raced down the stairs as he reached the bottom of the last flight and his phone buzzed.
Alvaro: They moved on.
To avoid the stares of fellow crew members, McKay descended one more deck at a more sedate pace before crossing over to the crew elevator and retiring to the security office. Even if he had caught people kissing in that corner, the only thing he could do is leave the couple embarrassed. Likely, all it would have done was chase them into a new hiding spot. He doubted that either of the couple were stupid enough to do more than kiss, which wasn’t against any cruise ship rules. There had to be another way to find the crew member that informed the fiancé about this spot. One that didn’t involve Dana. She didn’t deserve to be in the middle of this.