Ward
I'd learned a long time ago...
The most dangerous people were usually the quiet ones.
The loud ones wanted you frightened.
The quiet ones wanted you comfortable.
The trawler behind us wasn't trying to scare anyone.
It was trying not to be noticed.
That bothered me a hell of a lot more.
The sun was beginning to sink when Ben found me on the upper deck.
He leaned against the rail beside me.
"You thinking what I'm thinking?"
"I probably am."
"They've maintained almost exactly the same distance for thirty-six hours."
I nodded.
"They're disciplined."
Ben looked toward the horizon.
"Military?"
"Maybe."
"Private security?"
"Could be."
"Pirates?"
I watched the gray silhouette through the binoculars.
"No."
He looked at me.
"No?"
"Real pirates don't spend three days introducing themselves."
Ben smiled.
"They're watching."
"They're learning."
"Waiting."
"Exactly."
Below us...
Scott was helping Frank untangle another fishing line.
"I think the fish tied the knot."
Frank chuckled.
"You think they're smarter than us?"
Scott looked down at the mess.
"I don't think."
"I know."
Rose laughed.
"So much confidence."
"I was a Navy SEAL."
Scott grinned.
"We're trained to blame fish."
Rose laughed even harder.
I lowered the binoculars.
"They're doing exactly what we need."
Ben nodded.
"Keeping everyone relaxed."
"They don't even know they're doing it."
He looked toward Frank and Rose.
"Sometimes that's enough."
A door opened behind us.
Storm stepped onto the deck.
The breeze caught a strand of her blonde hair.
She tucked it behind one ear before joining us.
"What have you got?"
I handed her the binoculars.
"Look at the wheelhouse."
She adjusted the focus.
"I only see one man."
"Keep watching."
Almost a full minute passed.
Then another figure crossed one of the front windows.
Only for a second.
Then disappeared again.
Storm lowered the glasses.
"They're staying inside."
"They don't want photographs."
Ben folded his arms.
"They know somebody's watching them now."
Storm looked back toward the trawler.
"So they're watching us..."
"...while making sure we can't watch them."
"Exactly."
She was quiet for a long moment.
Finally, she asked,
"Would you tell your captain?"
I smiled.
"If I were still in the Teams?"
She nodded.
"I would've told him yesterday."
That earned the smallest smile.
"I was afraid you'd say that."
"I don't think you've done anything wrong."
She looked surprised.
"I didn't?"
"No."
"You gathered evidence."
"You stayed calm."
"You protected your passengers."
Ben nodded.
"I would've done exactly the same."
Storm looked relieved.
"I keep wondering if I'm overreacting."
I shook my head.
"The ocean isn't forgiving."
"It rewards caution."
Her eyes met mine.
"Grandpa used to say that."
"I believe him."
For a second...
Neither of us looked away.
Ben cleared his throat.
"So..."
Storm blinked.
"What?"
"I hate interrupting..."
"But you two have been staring at each other for an uncomfortable amount of time."
Storm laughed.
"So have you."
"Professional observation."
"Uh-huh."
"I stand by it."
Later that evening...
Ivy spread another series of photographs across the chart table.
This time...
She'd enlarged them.
Hazel leaned closer.
"What's that?"
Ivy pointed near the stern of the trawler.
"I thought it was a shadow."
Storm bent lower.
"It isn't."
Ben studied the photograph.
"It's a rigid inflatable boat."
Ward looked again.
A black RHIB.
Mounted on davits.
Fast.
Powerful.
Made for boarding another vessel.
Not fishing.
Not sightseeing.
Storm slowly looked up.
"They're prepared to leave that trawler."
No one answered.
Because everyone in the room was thinking the same thing.
Nearly a mile away...
Inside the wheelhouse...
The older man studied Sea Whisper through powerful stabilized binoculars.
"The girl with the camera."
"The youngest one?"
"She's becoming a problem."
The younger man glanced toward the photographs spread across the yacht's bridge through his own lens.
"They're organized."
"They're smarter than our briefing suggested."
The older man smiled faintly.
"I was hoping they would be."
He reached for the radio microphone.
"Maintain distance."
"No mistakes."
His finger rested on the transmit button another moment.
Then he added quietly,
"They're almost there."
He released the microphone.
Outside...
The Pacific remained calm.
But everyone who truly understood the sea...
Knew calm water could hide the deepest dangers.