STORM
— James Sinclair
The dock should have felt safe.
Families wandered between the waterfront shops.
Music drifted from a restaurant overlooking the harbor.
A little boy stood near the railing, laughing every time a wave splashed against the pilings.
Normal people.
Living normal lives.
But after everything we’d seen...
Normal didn’t feel real anymore.
Frank lifted the first suitcase from Sea Whisper.
Nathan immediately took it from him.
“I can carry my own luggage,” Frank grumbled.
“I know.”
Nathan glanced toward the parking lot.
“But right now, I’d rather you keep your hands free.”
Frank followed his gaze.
“For what?”
“In case I tell you to run.”
Rose stopped halfway down the gangway.
“You expect us to run carrying these bags?”
Nathan looked at the three enormous suitcases stacked behind her.
“I don’t expect anyone to run carrying those.”
Rose narrowed her eyes.
“There are two people’s belongings in those bags.”
Frank leaned toward Ben.
“She packed enough clothes to survive a year.”
Rose pointed at him.
“And you wore every shirt I packed.”
Frank wisely said nothing else.
Despite everything...
I smiled.
Grandpa used to say laughter was the one thing fear couldn’t survive.
For a moment, I almost believed him.
Then I looked at Ward.
He stood near the stern, one hand resting against the rail as he studied the boats entering the marina.
He hadn’t relaxed since we left Thomas.
None of the SEALs had.
Ben checked the parking lot.
Nathan watched the buildings.
The other three men had already walked the length of the dock and disappeared among the shops.
Five men covering every possible direction.
Protecting us without making it obvious.
At least...
Not obvious to anyone who didn’t know what to look for.
Calle stepped beside Ben.
“The hotel sent a car for Frank and Rose.”
“Description?”
“Black SUV. Maui Coast Hotel emblem on both doors.”
“Driver’s name?”
She checked her phone.
“Daniel Kealoha.”
Ben nodded toward Scott.
“Verify it.”
Scott was already moving.
Rose sighed.
“We’re going twelve minutes away, not crossing enemy territory.”
“We don’t know that,” Ward said.
Something in his voice erased the humor from all of us.
Frank looked toward him.
“You really think those men followed us here?”
Ward finally turned from the water.
“I think whoever left that lure knew where Thomas was.”
His eyes moved over each of us.
“And they knew we were with him.”
The words settled heavily over the dock.
They had found Thomas after forty years.
They’d watched us leave
And somewhere out there...
They might still be watching.
Scott returned a few minutes later.
“Driver checks out. Hotel confirmed the vehicle and pickup.”
Rose reached for her purse.
“Good. Then we can go.”
“No,” Ben said.
She stopped.
“No?”
“We’re taking you to the hotel.”
Frank frowned.
“That isn’t necessary.”
“It is now.”
Ben’s tone wasn’t harsh.
It was simply final.
Besides you’re both our friends.
“We’ll make sure you get inside safely. Then two of us will check your room and the surrounding floors.”
Rose blinked.
“You’re checking our hotel room?”
“For listening devices, cameras, and anything that shouldn’t be there.”
Her face changed.
The reality of what had happened finally breaking through.
Frank reached for her hand.
“All right.”
Then he looked at Ben.
“Do whatever you need to do.”
I looked toward Ward again.
His attention had shifted to the parking lot.
Or at least...
I thought it had.
Then I noticed the phone vibrating in his hand.
He stared at the screen.
For one second, the hardened Navy SEAL disappeared.
Something uncertain moved across his face.
Something almost like guilt.
He turned away from us and walked toward the end of the dock.
I didn’t mean to watch him.
I told myself I was checking the harbor.
Watching the boats.
Searching for the white fishing vessel that had followed us before.
But my eyes kept returning to Ward.
He stopped beneath a palm tree near the edge of the parking lot.
Then answered the call.
“Hello, Tonya.”
Her name struck somewhere deep inside me.
His fiancée.
Of course, she would call him. I couldn’t forget he was getting married.
He had a life beyond Sea Whisper.
A life beyond danger and secret charts.
A life beyond me.
I turned away.
Then the wind shifted.
Carrying his voice across the dock.
“I’m safe.”
A pause.
“No, I can’t tell you where I am.”
I should have walked away.
Instead, I stood frozen beside the rail.
Ward lowered his voice.
“I know I should have called.”
Another pause.
His shoulders tightened.
“I didn’t exactly have a choice.”
Whatever Tonya said made him drag one hand over his face.
“I understand that.”
The words sounded tired.
Not angry.
Not loving.
Just tired.
Calle stepped beside me.
She followed my gaze and immediately understood.
“Storm.”
“I’m not listening.”
“You’re standing perfectly still while pretending to inspect a rope that’s already tied.”
I looked down.
My hand was wrapped around the dock line.
“I was checking the knot.”
“Ward tied it.”
“That doesn’t mean it’s right.”
Calle lifted one eyebrow.
“Ward could probably secure a yacht during a hurricane while being shot at.”
“He might be terrible at knots.”
“He’s a Navy SEAL.”
“That doesn’t make him perfect.”
“No,” she said quietly. “It doesn’t.”
Ward’s voice reached us again.
“I know what I promised.”
My chest tightened.
The wedding.
The life waiting for him.
The woman he had promised to marry.
I suddenly felt as though I were intruding on something private.
Something that had nothing to do with me.
Then Ward spoke again.
“I can’t leave them, Tonya.”
My breath caught.
“They’re still in danger.”
Another pause.
“I don’t know when I’ll be back.”
I released the rope.
“I’m going below.”
Calle gently caught my arm.
“You don’t know what she said.”
“It doesn’t matter.”
“It matters to you.”
“It shouldn’t.”
Her expression softened.
“But it does.”
I looked toward Ward.
He had turned slightly away, but I could still see the tension in his shoulders.
“He’s engaged.”
“I know.”
“He made her a promise.”
“Yes.”
“And when this is over, he’ll go and marry her.”
Calle didn’t answer.
She didn’t have to.
We both knew the truth.
Whatever existed between Ward and me...
Whatever passed through his eyes when he thought I wasn’t watching...
It couldn’t become anything.
Not while another woman wore his ring.
I stepped aboard Sea Whisper.
Before I could disappear below deck, Ward’s voice stopped me.
“Storm.”
I turned.
He was walking toward me, his phone still in his hand.
His expression was unreadable.
“Everything okay?” I asked.
The question nearly broke my heart.
Ward looked at me for a long moment.
“No.”
Just one word.
Honest enough to make it difficult to breathe.
But before he could say anything more, Ben’s voice cut across the dock.
“Ward.”
Something in his tone changed everything.
Ward turned immediately.
Ben stood near the black SUV, staring at the pavement beside the rear tire.
Nathan moved toward him.
“What is it?”
Ben crouched and reached beneath the vehicle.
When he stood again...
He was holding a small black device.
No larger than a coin.
A red light blinked once in the center.
Then went dark.
The driver’s face paled.
“What is that?”
Nathan took the device from Ben.
“A tracker.”
Rose covered her mouth.
Frank stepped in front of her.
“Was it already on the vehicle?”
Ben studied the adhesive backing.
“No.”
He looked toward the marina entrance.
“It was placed recently.”
“How recently?” Calle asked.
“The adhesive is still clean.”
Ward shoved his phone into his pocket.
“Someone knew which vehicle was coming for them.”
All five SEALs and Nathan moved at once.
One headed toward the street.
Another disappeared between two parked vehicles.
Nathan pulled the driver behind the SUV.
Ben drew his weapon but kept it low against his leg, hidden from the families walking nearby.
Ward came directly to me.
“Get everyone aboard.”
“Frank and Rose too?”
“Everyone.”
Rose grabbed her suitcase.
Nathan stopped her.
“Leave it.”
“My medication is in there.”
“I’ll get it.”
“I’m not leaving my—”
A motorcycle engine roared somewhere beyond the parking lot.
Ward’s hand closed around my arm.
“Now, Storm.”
I jumped onto Sea Whisper.
Calle helped Rose across while Ivy and Willow brought Frank aboard.
Nathan followed with Rose’s suitcase.
Ben remained on the dock, eyes fixed on the road.
Ward untied the stern line.
“We’re not taking them to that hotel.”
Frank stared toward the SUV.
“Then where are we going?”
Ward looked at him.
“You’re staying with us until we know who planted that tracker.”
Rose sank onto one of the cushioned seats.
“But they know we’re on this yacht.”
“Yes,” Ward said.
“That’s why we’re not staying here.”
The motorcycle engine faded into the distance.
One of the SEALs returned from the parking lot.
“Black bike. No plate. Rider had a full helmet.”
Ben looked toward the street.
“He wasn’t trying to attack.”
Nathan handed him the tracker.
“He was making sure we found this.”
Ward’s jaw hardened.
Another message.
Another warning.
Calle started the first engine.
Then the second.
The familiar vibration traveled through the deck beneath my feet.
Frank looked toward the hotel in the distance.
“What about our reservation?”
Rose gave him an incredulous look.
“Someone put a tracking device on our car, Frank.”
“I know.”
“You’re worried about the cancellation fee?”
“It was a very expensive room.”
Even Ben almost smiled.
Ward stepped aboard and pulled in the final line.
As Sea Whisper eased away from the dock, I stood at the helm beside Calle.
I could feel him behind me.
Close enough that I knew exactly where he was without looking.
But I didn’t turn around.
I couldn’t.
Not after hearing him say he knew what he’d promised.
Not after remembering that somewhere beyond the ocean...
A woman was waiting for him to keep that promise.
We cleared the marina and headed toward open water.
Ward came to stand beside me.
“Storm.”
I kept my eyes on the channel markers.
“Shouldn’t you call Tonya back?”
His silence lasted too long.
“The call was finished.”
“It didn’t sound finished.”
“It was.” I finally looked at him.
Something painful flickered in his eyes.
“Is she angry?”
“No.”
That answer surprised me.
“Then what’s wrong?”
Ward stared toward the horizon.
“I don’t know.”
The words were quiet.
But I understood them.
Something had changed.
He could feel it.
Maybe Tonya could too. Before I could ask anything else, Nathan called from the stern.
“We’ve got company.”
Ward turned.
A boat had emerged from behind the rocky point outside the marina.
White hull.
Dark windows.
Moving fast.
The same fishing boat that had watched us from outside Thomas’s harbor.
Only this time...
It wasn’t keeping its distance.
It was coming straight toward Sea Whisper.