CHAPTER NINE #2
Each man gave her a respectful acknowledgment, such as a slight smile or a nod, except for Snow.
Nova’s gaze locked with his for a split second.
She couldn’t help it. Those light blue eyes were impossible to ignore.
But whatever warmth she thought she had seen earlier on the plane was long gone, replaced with a chilly glare.
One corner of his mouth tipped up in something that wasn’t quite a smile—arrogance, maybe?
She felt that weird sensation in her belly again. But the intensity of his glare made her look away quickly, and she focused her attention back on the commander.
“All right. So, we’ve got Bear, Duke, Joker, Aussie, Nails, Playboy, Jay Bird, and Snow. Tell me this doesn’t sound like the cast of an R-rated Disney reboot.”
A few chuckles echoed around the table. Even Mr. Silverman was hiding a grin behind his hand.
“I like her,” Nails said with a grin.
At least one person here liked me, Nova thought to herself.
She looked at Derek again. “So, Commander, what exactly do you need from me? Because I’m guessing this isn’t just a meet-and-greet, nor am I here for just a regular acquisition review.”
“You would be correct,” Derek said. “We need eyes inside the rig, and after speaking with Mr. Silverman, along with the heads of several other agencies involved, we’ve determined that having you and one of my guys go out to the rig would be the cleanest way to do it without raising any red flags.”
Nova looked at Derek as if he had two heads. “Wait a minute. You want me to go out to the rig? As in the middle of the Gulf?”
Derek nodded.
“What would I be doing out there?”
“You’ll be there under the pretense of the acquisition, like reviewing contracts, personnel files, vendor agreements, everything an attorney would normally dig into before a deal closes.
My guy will be embedded as an engineer with Silverman Petroleum, performing routine equipment inspections and maintenance.
This will give us access to all areas of the rig.
As you do your job, if you see or hear anything that doesn’t seem right, let our guy know.
The two of you will be working together and will always have a way to contact each other at all times. ”
Derek’s voice was calm, like he was laying out a routine assignment. And maybe to him, that was natural.
Nova nodded slowly as her brain tried to absorb everything.
“Okay. So, two covers and two access points.”
“Exactly. The goal is to keep everything looking legitimate while you both investigate. I understand this isn’t what you signed up for.
But we wouldn’t be asking if it wasn’t important.
If there’s something dangerous happening out there, we need to know before it’s too late.
And do it without tipping off anyone who might be behind it. ”
Her heart pounded in her chest. This was insane. She took a deep breath and then exhaled slowly as she leaned back in the chair.
How did a simple corporate acquisition turn into a James Bond movie?
“How long would I be out there for?” she asked.
“I can’t give you a firm timeline. It could be a few days, maybe a little longer. The goal is to gather enough intel to justify a full federal investigation. We don’t want to raise alarms too early.”
“I’m assuming that Gulf Tide isn’t aware of this.”
Derek shook his head. “No. However, some of the agencies do have people inside their corporate headquarters poking around.”
Nova looked at Mr. Silverman. “Will Gulf Tide suspect anything by you sending people out to their rig?”
Mr. Silverman shook his head. “It’s actually standard practice. When a company is acquired, especially in a high-value deal like this, it’s expected that the purchasing firm, which is us, will send representatives out to examine the assets. It’s written into the pre-acquisition terms.”
“And will Gulf Tide be sending their own legal counsel to oversee the visit?”
“No. We offered, but they have elected not to, citing that since the rig wasn’t fully operational, they feel there is nothing our people could find that would jeopardize the sale.”
“Wow,” Nova stated, sounding surprised. That was surprising and a very stupid decision on Gulf Tide’s part.
Nova sat back in her chair again, letting the weight of the situation settle in her chest. She didn’t want to say no, especially if she could help. But what were the risks?
“Is it dangerous?” she asked, looking at Derek. In her peripheral vision, she noticed Snow shake his head and mumble something to the guy next to him.
“I won’t sugarcoat it. I can’t promise you zero risk,” Derek said.
“But as long as your cover holds, there’s no reason for this mission to go south.
Plus, you’ll have one of my guys with you, and the rest of the team will be stationed offshore on a shadow vessel just out of sight.
We’re also coordinating with government agencies and the Coast Guard.
So, if anything were to happen, we’re not that far away. ”
Nova sat there replaying everything she had heard. She looked around the table, seeing that everyone was looking at her as if she were the last piece of a very dangerous puzzle.
It was equal parts terrifying and humbling. However, she knew they were depending on her. If something did go wrong, at least she was skilled enough to defend herself.
But then another thought hit her.
She looked at Derek. “Who would I be working with?”
Derek hooked his thumb toward Mr. Sexy Blue Eyes. “You would be partnered with Snow. He has some background in the industry, so it won’t be as challenging to get him up to speed on things.”
Nova did everything she could to keep her eye roll in check. Of course, it would be him.
She glanced over at him, finding him already watching her from across the table with a look that practically screamed he didn’t think she belonged anywhere near this operation. It irritated her far more than it should have.
Still, she couldn’t deny a tiny spark of relief.
If she was being sent to an isolated oil rig in the middle of the Gulf with strangers and potential dangers lurking in the shadows, there were certainly far worse people to be paired with than the tall, broad-shouldered man who looked like he could snap someone in half without breaking a sweat.
Nova tapped her finger against the table.
She didn’t have to do this. She could say no, walk out, catch a flight back to Salt Lake City, and be back in her apartment before sundown.
But if there was even a chance that something dangerous was happening and she could help stop it, she knew she wouldn’t be able to live with herself for turning her back on it.
With her decision made, she took a deep breath, then looked at Derek.
“I’ll do it.”
He smiled and nodded in respect. “Welcome to the team. Unofficially, of course.”
Nova arched a brow. “Unofficially? What does that make me,007 and three-quarters?”
Bear let out a low chuckle. “More like 007.5”
Nova laughed. But then she thought of something else. She looked at Mr. Silverman. “What about my firm? Do they know about any of this?”
“No. As far as they know, you’ll be working in our office. You’ll have cell service on the rig, and if anyone calls the office looking for you, I’ll provide the cover and relay any messages to you.”
“Okay. Is there anything that I need to prepare for besides what Mr. Silverman wants me to look at?” she asked, looking at Derek directly.
“If you have some time tomorrow, we can sit down and go through some things that I think would be beneficial to you.” He looked at Silverman. “Can we use this building?”
Mr. Silverman nodded. “It is yours for however long you need it.”
Derek nodded and then looked at Nova. “Does noon tomorrow work?”
“That works for me. And when do we leave for the rig?”
Derek looked at Mr. Silverman. “Monday afternoon, correct?”
Mr. Silverman nodded as he pushed his glasses up his nose. “Yes. I’ll have a car pick you up at the hotel and drive you to the helipad. Once I confirm the time, I’ll let you know.”
The thought of taking a helicopter made her stomach churn.
“For the acquisition, are there any specific files I should focus on?” Her question was directed at Mr. Silverman.
“I’ve already had my assistant email you a list of what to pull and look over.
And if you have any issues or pushback from the rig supervisor, just call me.
” He paused for a moment. “Nova, thank you again for understanding. And I’m sorry I wasn’t more transparent.
But I assure you that this is needed for both the acquisition and, as the Commander said, national security. ”
“There is no need to apologize. I get it.”
“You’re a good person, Nova,” he said, patting her shoulder.
Damn, she wished her dad were there to hear that.
“Don’t tell anyone that. It’ll ruin the cold image I made for myself in the courtroom,” she joked.
“My lips are sealed,” he chuckled as he stood up. “When you’re ready, Harry is outside and will drive you to your hotel. I also had my assistant send over some documents we received from Gulf Tide’s lawyers that I would like you to look over.”
“Sure. I’ll take a look at them tonight.”
“And again, if you have any questions or need anything, please don’t hesitate to call me.”
She could tell the poor man seemed a little flustered. And he had a right to be. Hell, he was trying to purchase a company that was tied up in a government investigation that they didn’t even know about yet.
“If that is all, we will all regroup here tomorrow,” Derek announced.
At those words, the group stood and started chatting quietly amongst themselves, including Mr. Sexy Blue Eyes.
She really needed to stop calling him that.
Picking up her backpack, she slung it over her shoulder. As she walked toward the door, she heard Derek call her name.
“Ms. Hart.”
She turned as he approached.
“Commander, please drop the formalities. Just call me Nova.”
Derek grinned. “All right. Nova it is.” He gestured toward the door. “I’ll walk you out.”