Dean swore, and let her go. He returned to his instruments and charts, making sure he had their position fixed before turning on the autopilot.
“What are you doing?” Annie asked, her voice anxious. “Didn’t you hear what I said?”
Dean turned to her, barely able to contain his rage. It was mostly directed at himself, but she was wrapped up in there as well. “I heard what you said. I’m making sure we don’t crash while you take me down and show me what you found.”
They took the forward stairs from the deck so they didn’t have to go by the sleeping quarters, approaching the storage room from the door that linked the hall to the engine room. His quarters were tucked in between.
“I didn’t realize it was all connected down here like this,” Annie said.
Dean didn’t say anything. He was too furious. But it was far worse a few moments later when he was staring down at enough C4 to blow this ship to fucking kingdom come. He was apoplectic.
He’d known this job was a mistake. He should have listened to his instincts. But his damned hero complex had gotten in the way. He’d suspected that Annie was in some kind of trouble and hadn’t been able to walk away. And now what she was telling him could ruin everything and put lives at stake—the least being his own.
Lie low. Keep your head down.
Becoming involved in an ecoterrorist plot was about as far from that as he could have managed. The authorities would be all over this. His cover was good, but notthatgood.
Damn it, why the hell hadn’t he followed orders? He’d screwed up big-time. Again. Hadn’t he learned his lesson? Brian’s face flashed before him, and Dean’s self-directed anger only grew worse. He should have listened to the LC, but he had to go rushing in. Forward was the only direction he knew.
“Aren’t you going to say something?” Annie asked. “Is it bad?”
Somehow he held on to the last thread long enough before snapping to drag her into the engine room, where they wouldn’t be heard. “What the hell do you think? Yes, it’s bad. Your little friends have enough explosives in there to blow up a couple ships, killing God knows how many people, and putting all our lives in jeopardy.”
And so much more.
“I’m sorry,” she said, wringing her hands anxiously. “I didn’t know. I didn’t have any idea what they planned. I would never have gotten involved with them if I had.”
“No, you were too busy running around saving the world to actually stop and think about what you were doing. Do-gooders like you are so damned naive. You sit in your idealistic ivory tower bubble, pontificating and passing judgment with no conception of how the real world operates. Well, this is the real world, Annie. It’s full of horrible people like your friends out there who are waiting to take advantage of you. But your heart was too busy bleeding to see what was right in front of you. And then when the shit inevitably hits the fan, you expect someone to be there to come to the rescue and clean up your fucking mess.”
She didn’t shrink from his anger—or from his tirade. It was almost as if she’d heard it before. “You sound just like my father. But what’s the alternative? Not caring? Should I sit aside and let all these beautiful islands be destroyed by corporate greed for something we need to be trying to conserve, not keep drilling for more? Maybe I was naive and got involved with the wrong people, but I won’t apologize forstanding up for what I believe in whether you think it’s worthwhile or not.” She stopped and suddenly seemed to realize something. Her eyes shot to his. “You have an accent! You aren’t Canadian—you’re American.” Her eyes narrowed accusingly. “Texan if I’m hearing it right. God, that’s perfect!”
It obviously wasn’t. What did she have against the Lone Star State? The best state in the damned country?
But Dean didn’t say anything. Forgetting to cover up his accent was the least of his worries right now.
His biggest was figuring out how to get out of this mess without bringing half of Scotland’s police force down on top of him. No one could know he’d survived the blast—no one. Not until he figured out how the Russians knew they were coming, and why they’d been set up—if that was indeed what had happened.
If anyone found out that not all the platoon had perished in that explosion, they—whoever they were—would come after him. He was a loose end.
And if there was one survivor, they might ask if there were others. He didn’t need any more deaths on his conscience.
Dean swore, knowing exactly what he had to do. He had to get the hell off this boat.
He started toward his cabin, putting Annie out of his mind—or trying to—until she latched hold of his arm. “Wait. Why did you lie to me? Who are you?”
“No one you want to know. So if I were you, I’d stay the hell out of my way.”
Annie dropped his arm, obviously startled by his tone. Later maybe he’d feel guilty for taking his anger out on her, but not right now. Right now he was too pissed. Pandora, all right. She had no fucking idea of the potential shit storm she’d just opened.
He went into his room, threw a few things in a backpack, and looped it over his shoulders before moving back into the engine room. He looked around at the pipes, hoses, and vents stacked around twin diesel engines. On the far wall, he flipped a few safety switches and removed a cover to undo a few thick red wires, before replacing it. That should do it. As soon ashe cut the engine, it wouldn’t be starting again anytime soon. Not without someone who knew what they were doing—and the Euro trio didn’t strike him as the mechanical types.
“Is that the ignition system? Why are you disabling the starter?” Annie asked with all that accusation he’d been trying to avoid.
Apparently shewasthe mechanical type. For some reason that didn’t surprise him. First diving, now boats? If she wasn’t tossing back all that granola, he might be in love.
He was aware that she’d been shadowing him, but he’d been trying not to notice. Right.
“I’m getting out of here, and I don’t want anyone following me.”
