Roshaan
The Furies are merciless avengers. They are guilt incarnate. They never, ever stop. They will ceaselessly pursue and even drive a mortal into sheer madness, or to suicide, but even death will not offer escape from their relentless torment, because the Furies will follow into the afterlife.
No more hope of escape. She’s become one of Dr. Marsh’s victims turned villainesses. Doomed to go down with a devil.
“I’m here.”
“One of your elites, Arrabella Fairfax, went ashore this morning and has not scanned back in through security. Her fiancé, Patrick McGregor, is showing on the system as having returned, but he’s not answering either his phone or room line.
Please go directly to the Calliope, see if he’s there—check if he knows where Lady Fairfax is. Maybe it’s a system glitch.”
“On my way.” Roshaan starts immediately in the direction of the elevator bank. As she reaches the elevator, she hears the announcement go out over the PA.
“Attention, guest Arrabella Fairfax. Please proceed immediately to the embarkation area on Deck 2, Portside. Guest Arrabella Fairfax, this is your final boarding call. The vessel is preparing for departure.”
She reaches the Calliope, lifts her hand to knock on the door, and her phone rings.
Theo.
Her stomach clenches. She connects his calls as she raps on the door.
“Theo, I can’t talk now, I—”
“Abort!” Theo barks. “We have to abort! Stat. Kill the mission. Salvage the operation. Get the bugs out. All of them. Now.”
“What?”
“Go back into the rooms and remove the cams.”
“I don’t understand. I—”
“Listen. This is serious. Avi Galev’s onto us. He found the bug in his suite. And he’s dangerous. Trust me. Do not—I repeat—do not mess with him. Seriously—he’s hired-killer-type shit. He carries a garrote in his pocket. And some kind of injection pens. God knows what’s in them.”
“How did he—”
“I think he’s still in his suite, Rosh—I can’t see because he disabled the cam. Do not go to the Orion. It’s too late. Go to the Elysium. It’s still empty. Get all the cams before he does.”
“What on earth are you talking about? Why would he go for the other—”
A tone crackles in her earpiece. Maxine is trying to get through. Roshaan switches to the crew channel.
“Roshaan.” Maxine’s voice is sharp. “Have you checked the Calliope yet? Report back, please. We’re due to cast off in seven minutes.”
Another PA announcement follows immediately.
“Paging guest Arrabella Fairfax. Please report without delay. This is our final boarding call. Guest Arrabella Fairfax, please report immediately to scan in.”
Roshaan switches back to her phone. “Theo, I need to find a missing guest right now.”
“I don’t think you’re hearing me, Roshaan,” Theo snaps. “This is fucking triage. Life and death.”
“If I’m caught in a suite—”
“If you’re caught, come up with an excuse. You have a hundred reasons to be in a guest suite. Being caught is nothing compared to what’ll happen if those bugs are found first.”
Panic grips her. “But you said Avi Galev already found—”
“He’s not going to the authorities. Trust me. But he will search for others. Trust me on this, too. We can’t have him trace the cams back to us. At any cost.”
“What the hell, Theo?” she whispers. “Why would he find the others—why would he even go look in the Elysium? Or the—”
“They’re connected.”
Before she can reply, he kills the call.
Roshaan stands frozen, pulse hammering. Sweat prickles over her whole body.
Another message echoes over the PA.
“Final call for guest Arrabella Fairfax. The gangway is now closing. Guest Fairfax, report immediately. This is the last opportunity to rejoin the vessel.”
Maxine’s voice sounds again in her earpiece, curt and angry now. “Roshaan—report back. We can only hold the ship a few more minutes. After that we must hand her passport to port authorities and sail without her.”