While there’s separate dining rooms for patients and donors, several of the disgusting old bastardswantto dine with the people who are about to die for them. Two recipients in formal evening wear are eating at a table with some rowdy twenty-somethings, who are sporting casual shorts and luridly flowered shirts.
The patients aren’t allowed alcohol as part of the “wellness retreat,” but they’re still giddy about their free prime rib and lobster, and talking about a trip through the casino later. I fill their water goblets and take their empty plates, swallowing my disgust when one girl kindly pats the arm of the old arsehole seated next to her. “You should come with us, Sidney! It’s gonna be so much fun!” She’s maybe mid-twenties, American or Canadian with wide, guileless blue eyes and he’s grinning at her like he wants to swallow her whole.
“You’re so sweet, my dear,” he coos.
I’m killing that fecker first.
The most advantageous identity I can ever adopt undercover is one in the working class. We’re essentially invisible, moving around on our endless errands and with the five of us going through the ship, we’re getting the intel we need quicker than expected.
Good. Getting Bella out ahead of schedule is the best thing that could happen. I’m fighting every instinct to go storming into her stateroom and carry her away, thrown over my shoulder if necessary.
By eleven that night, Xenia and Catriona put in a request for room service. I’d really like to punch out the two eager waiters who’d caught glimpses of the girls earlier and now they’re fighting over who gets to take up the room service cart. Theo keeps baiting them and extending the argument while I wheel the cart into the service elevator.
“Finally!” Catriona rips open the door, “I’m fecking starving. They’ve stuffed the wee fridge in here with all the boring, healthy shite.Kale chips?What’s wrong with these people?” She stuffs a piece of steak in her mouth, groaning in pleasure.
“Perhaps it’s because your profile says you’re a vegan and a naturopath?” Ian says dryly. While he and my cousin devour their food, I make a plate to take over to Xenia.
“Ye haven’t left this spot since ye boarded eight hours ago, have ye?”
“Uh, huh…” Xenia reaches out a hand, groping blindly as her gaze never leaves her laptop. I put a sandwich in her hand and snap a linen napkin onto her lap. “Fancy pants,” she laughs.
“I’ve had a lot of practice with this shite tonight,” I say sourly. “One old lass kept dropping her napkin, demanding I get her a new one after I bent over and retrieved them for her.”
“How many times did she pinch your arse?” Catriona asks, starting in on her seafood linguine.
“The ancient Jezebel peppered my arse with a bruise or two. Or five. Give me a report, Xenia.”
“Most of the news is good.” She finally leans back, rubbing her eyes. “Thanks to you guys on the crew, we’ve got below deck all mapped out, especially where the guards stay when they’re off duty, they’re being very low key, which is good. Less immediate access to firearms. The Captain’s stateroom was easy to locate, and we have his staff captain, navigator, and the chief engineer’s cabins, too. I’m working on the shift changes for the bridge.”
“That’s brilliant.Youare brilliant.”
“I really am,” she agrees modestly.
“What about Bella and Mason? The chances of Dr. Arsehole, ah, Dr. Langell recognizing her is the biggest risk we have on this mission.”
“It’s extremely unlikely he would spot her since she’s been assigned to one of the other surgeons, there’s six of them in all.” She opens another window on her monitor. “A Dr. Alice Williams. Unless he is called in for a consult there would be no reason for them to cross each other’s paths. She’s getting her examination tomorrow early; this will give her and Mason a chance to film the surgical area for me. The security there is tighter than a nun’s ass. I can’t get a clear view of the layout, the security cameras there are on a different system I can’t get into.Yet.”
Xenia pops open a Celsius energy drink and gulps down half the can. “It’s critical that we find out who’s on the surgical roster for tomorrow. It doesn’t look like these sons of bitches intend on taking a relaxing day of pickleball before cutting people open. They’re getting down to business right away.”
“When can you start the system failures?” I ask. Xenia lights up like I’d just given her the keys and title to my Maserati. In fact, if she pulls this shite off, I’ll probably have to.
“Now that I got into the engineering mainframe, I’m going to start with some electrical outage issues in non-essential parts of the boat. Nothing big, nothing to rouse suspicion, just something to keep them busy. By afternoon when I have a better idea of the layout in the medical labs, I can start power outages and system freezes for the surgical equipment. By tomorrow afternoon…” her face lights up with an unholy glee, “I will get control of the navigation systems and the entire bridge, and then, you can kill the captain.”
“Finally, some fecking action,” Ian says longingly.
“I won’t need any of his crew to remote operate the ship.” Xenia’s plowing through her passionfruit cheesecake like it’s about to be taken from her. “I’m going to turn it in a nice, wide, slow circle that won’t be immediately noticed. This will make it easier for the chase boats to catch up and board the ship.
"Your Da and Lachlan have a ship’s captain and engineer coming with them for backup. I know you hate having Bella on this mission, but she’s doing a great job so far. She’s already charmed the nurse who stopped by to greet her tonight and get her medical equipment set up in their stateroom. I’ll alter the readings from here.”
Catriona slings her arm over my shoulder. “Ye gotta loosen up, cousin. It’s all going according to plan, aye? Even Kai, who issucha stickler for his mission plans, is happy.”
“I’ll take the cart back downstairs,” I say, “but first…” Flipping up the pristine white cloth covering the trolley, I pull out four handguns and an AR-15.
Ian lights up. “Now,that’swhat I’ve been waiting for!”
As a crew member, I have no business on the floor where Bella and Mason’s stateroom is. Still. I hover by the service stairs. I could just walk the hall, act like I’m looking for discarded trays…
“God-damnit.”I head toward the staff quarters.
