17. Chapter 17
17
Chapter 17
Sean
As Sean, Wolfe, Gray, and Knox made their way out to the wreck site the next morning, Sean couldn’t keep his eyes off the horizon. Dark clouds filled the sky, writhing, churning, and raging their way closer and closer. Large, black whisps of clouds reached out from an epicenter, like octopus tentacles searching for prey. Rain fell in streaks across the sky, and lightning lit up the darkness in bursts of fury. Over there was a storm like none they’d ever seen before. Here it was calm and silent as the grave. A physical representation of what was happening inside Sean’s mind and body.
Blue was getting married today.
Not to him.
She would wear that stunning dress that she’d doodled and designed one afternoon, her head on his stomach as they lounged under a tree on campus. She’d hummed nonsense and he’d dozed in perfect bliss with his woman within kissing distance. He was there when the dress was conceptualized, he should be the one who stood at the end of the aisle, brought to tears because of her beauty.
“How far off do you think that is?” Knox pointed to the storm.
Gray pulled out his binoculars. “Three hours, maybe. Four if we’re lucky.”
“So much for the national weather broadcast,” Wolfe muttered.
“We have, what? Maybe six hours before that thing hits Diamond Cove?”
“Maybe,” Sean said, trying to keep himself in the conversation—the last thing he wanted to do was worry his friends by being uncharacteristically glum. Fortunately, the nerves of the oncoming hurricane and the severity of their problem loomed over all of them like that storm cloud growing on the horizon. He hoped the broadcast system at least updated the townsfolk about the storm. They wouldn’t know out here if there had been an announcement; their cell service cut out about an hour ago.
Not too far in the distance, at their destination, Sean’s salvage boat sat over the wreck; an older boat with a brand-new paint job in blue. It had a cabin and a crane and crank attached. The Bluebell. A sense of relief fell over him. They were already here. After talking to Ryker and Aaron last night, they’d both agreed to come help. They didn’t have a lot of time, less than they’d originally thought, and they were at real risk of losing this boat if the hurricane hit it. And based on the current trajectory of the storm, it was going to happen.
As they got closer, they spotted Aaron and Ryker, Aaron in his typical cargo pants and t-shirt, and Ryker looking as regal as ever. And there were others.
“Who . . .?” Sean squinted and then grinned. Mack and Liam stood at the bow of the boat. Sean had never been so glad to see them in his life—they were the real diving experts and would be the most helpful to Sean of their group. Liam leaned over the side, reaching into the water and petting a—
“Is that a dolphin?” Gray asked.
“That’s our little Liam for you,” Knox laughed.
Yep, Liam had made friends with a dolphin in the middle of the open ocean. They should have been grateful it wasn’t a shark.
Mack stood in the middle of the bow with his arms folded over his chest. The brother’s reddish-auburn hair came like a beacon of fire in the darkening sky.
Knox let out a yell when he saw them, his voice carrying out loudly in the scarily quiet air. The men on the other boat all gave quick waves.
“They came,” Gray said, sounding as relieved as Sean felt. Things would be much easier with Mack and Liam here.
They pulled their speed boat up alongside Sean’s old salvage boat and tied them together.
“What are you doing here?” Sean asked the brothers.
“Wonderin’ if you were ever gonna bloody arrive, is what we’re doin’,” Mack said in a grumpy tone with his Scottish accent, though he couldn’t keep the smile off his face as he said it.
Liam pushed a strand of red hair that’d fallen out of his ponytail back behind his ear and spoke with his one-hundred percent American accent—the brothers shared a father but had different mothers. “Barrett let us go when he heard about the hurricane.” Barrett was their Commanding Officer. “Figured we’d want to get back and help secure things.”
“Not that you dropped any hints,” Aaron said with a laugh.
“Ach, we’d never.” Mack swatted a big hand through the air.
“Not unless they were the size of boulders,” Wolfe added. And that was the truth of it. The brothers weren’t exactly known for their subtlety and finesse.
That sent the team off chattering and harassing as though they hadn’t seen one another in years, instead of a couple of weeks.
Ryker didn’t join in the conversation, only stared at Sean. He circled a hand through the air in a regal manner that reminded Sean that Ryker was not only a talented barber but also a prince . “What is wrong with you? You seem to be . . . malfunctioning.”
Knox came up behind Sean, hooking an arm around his neck. “His girl’s getting married today.”
Sean slouched Knox’s arm off as the guys stared in his direction. He was so not up for this. Thankfully, the sound of motors closing in on the location called everyone’s attention off of him before he had to say something because he had nothing. How did you explain an ache in your chest so fierce, it made it hard to breathe, to think, to even see straight?
“Listen, before the others arrive, are you sure you want to do this?” Ryker asked, signaling to the water below and wreck under that. “We could just hand it over to the government.”
The guys exchanged glances. Sean was sure the thought had occurred to them all. They were facing something much bigger than just a coup from a walnut-sized European country—whatever was happening now involved at least fifteen countries and a heck of a lot more families than that. Common sense said they hand it all over. Get more people involved. It’d be safer for them and Ryker in the long run, but . . .
“No,” Mack said. “I dinnae think we can do that. Barrett has made it more than clear that they’re looking to confiscate and keep everything they find—as payment for protecting Ryker.”
Gray nodded. “The way I see it it’s our job to protect you, Ryker. We had this over, and our biggest lead to find out who tried to kill you—who took this in the first place, is gone. Taken over by a team of Washington bureaucrats.”
“And the moment we ‘and over the treasure,” Mack said. “Your protection detail switches ‘ands to The Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration.”
“You’d be lost in the system in days,” Knox said.
“With no protection,” Aaron added. With this much money at stake, Sean wouldn’t be surprised if Ryker were dead within a week.
Ryker nodded his understanding, an uncharacteristic frown covering his face. He’d wanted to be more optimistic than what they were all being about what would happen if they handed this all over now.
“Agreed,” Sean said. Their unit had been together so long, they sometimes forgot that not everyone understood the shorthand, or sometimes no-hand, of the way they operated. They’d all come to the same conclusion and had skipped the talking about it bit. Ryker hadn’t been with them long enough to interpret that. Not all of it, anyway. No, they needed more time. Time to figure this out. He clapped Ryker on the shoulder. “You’re stuck with us,”
They returned the gazes to the four boats that moved their way at an impressive clip. The boats were black with chrome trim. There were two speedboats and two larger boats, like Sean’s salvage boat, but newer, with cranes. Since the last time they’d seen them, Titan Green had switched out his nondescript flag with a picture of beer on it, for a flag with his company’s name. That wasn’t the only thing that’d changed. Since the space shuttle incident, Titan had gone from two boats to four, from six employees to ten. And they were bringing in bank with all the publicity they’d gotten.
Sean opened the gate to the Bluebell, his hand caressing over the smooth wood he’d sanded down to perfection. Mack stepped over to the speed boat making it rock in the water and lowered his voice. “Who invited the roaster?”
“Knox,” Gray practically growled under his breath.
“Because I’m a genius.” Knox said stepping up between the two men. “You’re welcome.”
The boats slowed as they got nearer, and Titan Green stepped up to the bow, resting a foot on the bench seat as if he were posing for a magazine photo shoot. As soon as they were in hearing distance, Titan called out with a big cocky grin on his face, “If I had a dime for every time the Navy called the Marines for help.”
Gray fisted his hands at his sides. “I’ll kill him.” He stepped forward, but Knox yanked him back by his arm.
“We need his help, remember?” Knox asked.
“In your dreams, laddie,” Mack yelled back.
Titan tossed a rope to Mack, who tied it off. His other boats pulled up, and the men tied them all off until they’d formed a circle around the dive spot. Titan stepped into Sean’s boat with an empty green bean can in his hand. It rattled. He handed it to Gray.
“I believe these are your nuts.” Titan grinned and stepped away.
After the article in the paper came out, Sean and Gray had dumped a bunch of nuts and bolts onto the deck of Titan’s main boat. As soon as he started driving, he would’ve heard them rolling around and spent half his time out checking the engine. Looked like he was finally able to take down his sign.
It’d been a brilliant idea. Only, it caused Titan to retaliate. This morning, Sean had found his boat’s ropes glued to the dock. Which is why they’d been late getting here.
Titan stepped past Gray and Knox and up to Sean. “So, what are we doing here?”
Sean stared out at Titan’s men.
A small smirk lifted Titan’s lips on one side. “I’d trust them all with my life.”
“You may have to,” Sean said.
Titan frowned.
“Come on, let me show you what we’re up against,” Sean said.
There was a quick shuffle of boats, with Gray, Wolfe and Knox going over to the Bluebell and Aaron, Liam and Ryker coming onto the speedboat. Sean pulled up the video from last night’s dive and walked them through the whole thing. Including, and namely, the treasure.
Titan scrubbed a hand through his brown locks, Mack breathed into a fist, and Liam rested his hands on his hip as he hunched forward almost like he was going to be sick.
“Why didn’t you tell us?” Liam asked.
From Aaron’s boat, Wolfe called out, “What should we have done? Come to the base with a loudspeaker and say ‘We have an announcement’?”
Tighten narrowed his eyes. “What are you planning on doing with all this money belonging to who knows who or how many different countries?”
Sean shook his head. “We don’t care about the money.”
Ryker stepped forward and opened his mouth, but Titan pointed at him. “You be quiet. I’m sure you were about to deliver a very well-rehearsed lie about this treasure, but don’t think I didn’t notice the crate with the Isola del la Famiglia flag on it, or that I haven’t seen what’s happening over there, or noticed that you have a very distinct Italian accent, and also don’t happen to be a part of this SEAL team but are still here all the time,” Titan said.
Ryker snapped his mouth shut, then turned to Gray and Mack. “He is good, si?”
“Is this a mission?” Titan asked, his green eyes piercing.
Gray shrugged. “No.”
“Yeah, sure,” Titan gave them a scrutinizing look that slowly morphed into a smirk. Always with the smirks. “All right, fine. If it’s not official, then I want half.”
“What?!” The guys all yelled at once.
Ryker lunged forward only to have Aaron pull him back.
Sean stepped up to Titan. “We can’t split it up.”
“Why not?” Titan arched an auburn brow.
Sean let out a deep breath. “We can’t tell you.”
Ryker mumbled in Italian behind him. Something about a buffoon? Or maybe it was a fool. So hard to tell when Sean didn’t speak Italian.
“And why can’t you tell me?” Titan asked, enjoying pushing all their buttons way too much.
Sean glanced at Mack, and then so did Titan.
Mack gritted his teeth but nodded. “It’s not our secret to tell.”
Titan’s emerald-green eyes practically glittered with giddiness as his gaze shot to Ryker. Ryker became instantly stoic.
Sean took a deep breath. Titan was too quick for their own good.
Titan scrubbed his hands together. “All right, then, you’ve got yourselves a deal.” Titan stuck out his hand for Sean to shake. “I’ve always been a sucker for a little vigilantism and a good cause.”
“Who said it was a good cause?” Gray asked, assessing.
“No one had to say, your records speak for themselves. Even if you are Navy.” He shrugged a shoulder. “Nobody’s perfect, right?”
Sean shook his hand, and despite the turmoil inside him, managed a little smile too. “I’m glad my instincts about you were right.”
“Don’t you make friends with him. He’s still the enemy.” Gray pointed at the water between boats. “This is the Yser Front, and it’s Christmas.”
Titan let out a big belly laugh. “And what, tomorrow we start shooting each other again?”
Gray shook the green bean can—half threat half promise.
A huge clap of lightning sounded off in the distance. Everyone turned to the storm as it writhed and roiled closer, going faster and faster. The water beneath them started to get a little choppy, and the earthy musty smell, created by large storms grew stronger.
“We may have to hold off on that for a couple of days,” Aaron said. “That hurricane’s moving a lot faster than we thought it was.”
“Thirty-six hours my arse,” Mack said.
“I second that,” Liam said.
“What were you saying about four hours?” Knox glanced at Gray, reminding him of his guess for how long it’d take the hurricane to hit their boats.
“I said if we’re lucky,” Gray snarled—he was getting grumpier and grumpier the longer Titan was here. Good thing he wouldn’t be diving now. Hallelujah their C.O. let Mack and Gray go. Also, he glanced toward Titan’s boats. He had several professional underwater salvagers here too. They probably didn’t even need Sean at this point.
Sean quickly laid out their plans to retrieve the crates from the ship. Last night, they decided cutting a hole in the hull would be faster than trying to attach the flotation devices and moving it through the halls and up the stairwell. Then they could use the crane to crank them up and the people at the surface would be able to do the majority of the work.
Titan turned to his men. “All right, suit up.” He hurried back over to his boat, but Sean couldn’t stop staring at the storm. Thinking about how their timeline moved up again, and . . . picturing Blue walking down the aisle to Jonah. All because he was a coward yet again.
Wolfe came up next to him. “You’re thinking about Blue, aren’t you?”
The rest of the guys gathered around him.
Knox clapped him on the shoulder. “You did everything you could, man.”
That snapped Sean out of it. He faced his friends. “No, I didn’t. I didn’t fight for her. I didn’t fight for her ten years ago, and I didn’t fight for her last night.”
Liam leaned closer to Mack, and stage whispered, “What’s happening? Who are we fighting for?”
Mack’s thick red brow furrowed in concentration. He shrugged.
“We’ll fill you in later,” Knox said.
Sean turned, with his left side to the storm, and his right to Diamond Cove. His gaze traveled from the stormy sea to the water somewhere back in the direction of Diamond Cove and it hit him, even as the weight of all the responsibility on his shoulders fell heavy. Yes, he and his guys were up against a serious deadline. Yes, Ryker needed help, and so did the people of Isola del la Famiglia, and maybe now, a whole heck of a lot of other countries. But if he stayed here, he’d live with a storm his entire life. Only Blue could calm these choppy waters.
The only time in his life he had ever done something for himself was when he’d chosen to date Blue, to prioritize her in his always crazy life, and it had been the best time of his life.
And like the idiot he was, and apparently still was, he kept letting her go. But not this time.
“I’ve got to go,” Sean said.
“Go where?” Liam asked.
Ryker smiled at him. “To fight for his woman.”
“What woman?” Mack demanded, his arm halfway into his wet suit.
“We need you here,” Aaron pointed to the deck.
“No, you don’t,” Sean said. “There’s more than enough people here to make this happen.”
Knox let out a cheer that had the men on all of the boats staring in their direction. Gray patted Sean on the back.
Mack lifted a hand. “Question: Sean’s got a girl? Question two: Is this some weird alternate universe?”
Sean grinned back at him. Now that he’d decided to go after Blue, he already felt lighter, better, stronger, happier. “Yes! Yes, it is my large Scottish friend. Anything could happen here.”
“You might even find a woman who would take your large sorry backside.” Gray bumped Mack from behind.
Mack scowled at him and zipped up. “No need for a woman,” he mumbled.
“Later guys,” Knox promised them. “We’ll explain everything later.”
“I leave for two weeks,” Mack continued to grumble as he strapped on his tank.
They did another quick shuffling of boats, with Knox and Gray, the two with the least amount of underwater salvage experience, deciding to come back with Sean just in case they needed to sound the alarm that the storm would hit Diamond Cove a full twenty hours sooner than they’d been told.
As the speedboat broke away from the Bluebell and the other boats, Titan called out. “Hey, where are they headed?”
“To get his lassie!” Mack pointed after them.
“Oh . . .” Titan scratched his head.
“I don’t get it either,” Mack assured him.
“Is she pretty?”
Sean dropped the shift into full gear at that, not waiting to hear what else was being said. Blue was pretty. She was also creative, sarcastic, addicted to soda, full of spice and on a special day full of giggles, and, most importantly good for him. She always had been. He just hoped he’d would be good enough for her or the rest of his life would be one dark sky after another.