“Oh, yeah, as to that! If I jump off a cliff, don’t follow after me!”
She grinned. “I really did do competitive diving and I’ve done cliff diving and... You really were a lifeguard, right?”
He nodded. “Yep. Certified after my sophomore year of college.”
She grinned. “Well, maybe they did pick the right people for a ship.”
“Oh, great! Before that you didn’t think I was the right person?”
She groaned. “Class! Let’s get to class.”
They started out of the cabin, and she said, “I did think it was going to be a good idea for us both to attend the class that Daniel and Broderick are giving. Now I’m thinking that maybe I should see what Amelia Swenson is going to be talking about—and just how she manages a class.”
Wes hesitated. He stopped in the hallway, lightly, andpinned her against the wall, smiling in a teasing way as he spoke affectionately.
“Strange. I know at times we will need to divide and conquer. Right now... after this morning, after Edward was sent over the brink already, I think we should hang together. Maybe we can look out for Amelia later, try to see where she’s headed for dinner.”
He thought that she was going to argue.
But she smiled, playing his game.
“Okay.”
“Okay?”
She lifted her head up toward him, as if she was being a sweet and teasing wife.
“I’m feeling a bit of what you’re feeling,” she told him. “Right now, we’ll have one another’s backs. And... yes, tonight we’ll get all social and see who is doing what!”
He smiled, drew away, took her hand and continued down the hallway.
People were gathering to take their seats for the brothers’ lecture. He realized that they were coming to casually know several of the people who attended the classes; they all nodded or said hi to one another.
It was a cruise, after all.
Daniel, the younger brother, spoke first, though he and his brother, Broderick, stood side by side at the podium.
“Security! We all want to think that we don’t need it. Sadly, we all do.Sadly, things as simple as social media posts are hacked all the time, emails are hacked... then you get into hospital arrests, police records, business records and so much more! Unfortunately, there is nothing out there that can’t be hacked—including many important records and reports within the government. Now, hopefully, none of us ishiding any state secrets, but... we want whatever our work is to be safe! Onward to security!”
“Bulwark Cybersecurity!” Broderick announced. “And so, we begin! Let’s talk about when and where certain information can go out and then we’ll move on to firewalls!”
Wes glanced at Chloe. She listened. She took notes.
And he did the same.
They were good speakers; they were good teachers.
Wes learned things he didn’t know.
But sadly...
There was nothing about the brothers or their lessons that indicated in any way the possibility that they might be psychopathic killers.
Five
Chloe packed up her notebook and looked over at Wes. She was surprised that she could read him so well.
They’d come, they’d seen... they had yet to conquer, but watching the brothers give their lecture and class had, at the least, given them deeper insight into the pair.
