“I have found some relief in her arms. The pressure is getting to me a bit, I admit.”
“Time enough for fucking when this is over with. I know enough of Helena not to be concerned. She values her lifestyle, even if she doesn’t value your lives.” There was a pause and the man on the other end sighed as though it pained him to do so with patience. “So how did they find out about the bomb, Maksym? I hold you personally responsible for this.”
Mark saw Maksym react. “Sir, you told me there was no bomb.”
He realized then that the captain’s call to the main office must have tipped this man off. That meant he was connected with the home office. At least they now knew where the enemy was hiding. Or had been hiding.
“It’s the delivery device, assuring us the plan will take place. They can’t stop it now if they can’t find it.”
“Wolf, how can you be sure they found out about it? I’ve heard nothing.”
“Because your captain relayed a suspicion expressed by some Americans on board. You know any such Americans?”
Maksym looked at the SEALs.
“There are several American couples I’ve met. Strictly tourists, I’d say.”
Mark could see Maksym start to sweat. The officer closed his eyes and swallowed. “What is it you would have me do?”
“I want you to guard it with your life.”
“Yes. But what if they contact me?”
“If they contact you, that means you are a dead man. If they know about you, then you are of no use to me. Make sure that they don’t.”
The man called Wolf hung up.
Maksym dropped his head into the palms of his hands, elbows braced on his knees.
“Where is it, Maksym?” Moshe demanded.
“It’s safe. Locked in the engine room.”
“That’s the worst place for a bomb, and you know it, Moshe,” Kyle snapped. “We gotta get it out of there.
“There’s no way without alerting the crew. Someone will talk. At this point, I don’t know who to trust,” Maksym said.
“You can trust us,” Kyle said.
“The chief engineer is my ally. We know there are others.”
“When is this supposed to take place?”
“After the next stop, at Cape Verde. When we cross the Equator. The ship will be stopped. Ransom demands will be delivered to the company. The insurance company always pays. I don’t even think there is a bomb, just something to make it look like the threat is real. I’ve seen it.”
“Would one bomb, if it’s big enough, sink this ship?” Moshe asked. He looked around to the faces of the SEALs.
“No. It would take several. It could disable it, but the ship is quite safe, and there are lifeboats to launch, plenty, not like on the Titanic,” Maksym added. He buried his head in his hands again.
“Who stages the takeover, Maksym?” Kyle asked.
“There are supposed to be more coming on board in Cape Verde. We’ve reported engine trouble and a team of eight ‘mechanics’ are supposed to arrive in the morning when we dock. We’ve been given clearance to allow them and their tools on board.”
“Sir,” Mark spoke up. “We can’t allow those men to board.”
“I know it, Mark,” Kyle said. “Moshe, you got anyone else you can call about this? We need some backup. We got nothing U.S.-connected nearby. You have any shipping companies that could be an ally in times of danger?”
“The Maersk lines, a Danish company, they might. But I wouldn’t know how to reach them, or what ships are in the area. They’re all over the world. Captain Phillips, do you remember him?”
“We remember. One of our guys was there,” Kyle said.
That brought Maksym out of his misery. His tear-stained face looked up at Kyle with an almost hopeful expression. “You guys are SEALs?”
“Nah, man, we’re UPS drivers,” Kyle replied and winked at Mark.
Moshe and the Team regrouped in Mark’s room. Armando joined them and was brought up to date.
“I don’t like leaving Maksym on his own. I don’t trust the guy,” Kyle said.
“He’s a dead man, and he knows it. His best bet is to align with us,” Moshe said. “I’m going to go upstairs and start making calls to see if we can get some support from somewhere. I’m also going to notify the U.S. Authorities, not that they are likely to have any assets nearby. Closest would be the Mediterranean, and that’s at least two to three days away.”
“Maybe some air support,” Tyler suggested. “What we did in Somalia.”
“Not unless there’s a real threat. We don’t know for sure it’s a bomb, or even if there is going to be a takeover. I don’t think they’ll commit on a hunch, sad to say,” Moshe added.
They agreed to station Jones and Fredo near the cabins to guard the women. Everyone else was to be out and about, looking for signs of foul play, things that didn’t make sense. Scouting out places to hide, to stage a firefight. Looking for anything they could use if they had to defend the ship from terror attacks every man knew was definitely going to happen.
Mark made a beeline for the Kasbah lounge. The sound of disco music wafted his way. A small combo was playing on a raised stage. The singer was a bit off-key and the volume needed to be turned way down, Mark thought. The screeching-fingernails-on-the-chalkboard singer stopped annoying him when he saw Sophia dancing with the Indian security guard.
Kumar’s shiny satin shirt was undulating in moves Mark didn’t know the guy possessed. His eyes were wide and alert with excitement, like a five-year-old in a chocolate factory, he gazed at his lovely partner, the soft and sensual Sophia. Mark’s heart turned to putty as his libido kicked in. Though he liked the Indian and had spoken to him many times, he did not like the way the guy swung her around, sashayed up to her middle and held her tiny waist as he undulated his hips to their rhythm.
Mark could see she was actually enjoying herself, that is, until she spotted him in the corner. She faltered for a second, drawing the attention of Kumar, who raised his chin in polite greeting to him, as if to say, “Look at me, I’m dancing.” Poor Kumar was oblivious. Mark actually felt for the man. His finest hour was happening just when all hell was about to break loose.
The set ended and the seated audience loved it. Couples who had watched from the edges of the dance floor, looking like garnish on a buffet table, clapped and cheered for them. Kumar held Sophia’s hand and they took a deep bow.
Mark was there in an instant. “Sorry, dance party is over for Sophia,” he said to the tall Indian, who looked puzzled and more than a little disappointed.
“Mark, please, don’t.” Sophie started to protest. But she glanced up and saw the look he gave her and closed her mouth. He led her off the dance floor and down to Deck 5.
Cruisin’ for a Seal: Chapter Twenty-Six
She hoped the look in his eyes was urgency to be with her. She certainly felt that strongly about him too, but something else was present. Some kind of danger or unseen evil about to envelop them all. Mark had a message for her of some kind, and it was more than that he loved her. It was something stemming from deep inside his soul, from who he was as a man.
She felt like she was seven, that day when she and her dad had rushed to the hospital when her mother had taken ill suddenly. She trusted her daddy, but he was driving too fast, he wouldn’t look at her with the reassurance she needed. He was scared for her mother, and because of that, she was scared. They ran to the Emergency Room, desperate to hear about her condition.
He only looked at her once he knew her mother was out of harm’s way. He’d grabbed Sophia and wept into her chest. And now something awful was happening again. She could feel it. Just when her life with Mark should be starting, something had gone very wrong. She needed to be brave for whatever it was he was going to tell her. Whatever it was.
He had a vise-like grip on her fingers and it hurt, though she doubted he realized. He pushed through the door to outer Deck 5, their love boat number 26 very close by.
>
“Stop.” She said as she pulled away her hand. “Tell me. Tell me what’s going on, Mark.”
“There isn’t time, sweetheart.” He pulled her into his chest, and that’s when she heard the rumble of his stomach and the fast beating of his heart. The man was running on adrenaline. He was sweating, breathing heavily. “Please, just follow me right now, and I’ll explain everything, baby.”
He led her to the boat. She was surprised to see military-looking supplies stored there. Some large black nylon zippered sacks were tucked into the corner closest to the doorway, angled against the wall like they were sitting in a gun rack. She recognized some of the scuba equipment and ammunition boxes tucked under the orange life vests. Several white boxes with red crosses on them were stacked in the corner. She saw a wet suit and fins, several dry blankets and various other satchels.
It looked like Mark was planning a small war.
“What is all of this?” she asked.
“Come here, Sophia,” he said as he sank to the floor below the level of the window, patting his thigh. She sat next to him, rather than on his lap.
“Tell me.”
“The ship is going to be taken over by terrorists, who apparently have planted a bomb on board. We are assembling equipment…we are making plans…” He looked down at his hands, which were shaking.
She took his hands in hers and held them, kissing the palms. She searched his eyes and…yes, she did see fear there. Not for himself so much, but she knew he feared for her life.
“Mark, could it be possible this is just all a—”
“No. There has been a well-executed plan done in stages. We don’t even know the identities of everyone involved, but we have confirmed there is probably a bomb on board. We don’t think it is big enough to scuttle the ship, but it could cause damage or loss of life. What we cannot do is allow the ship and passengers to become the property of a warlord.”
“I thought the pirates were on the other side of Africa.”
“So did we. But this location makes sense, if you think about it. We have no naval presence here, yet we are a huge ship, with tons of passengers and crew, run by an American company. It’s a huge, soft target.”
“I don’t understand. Why? There isn’t much cargo that can be of value.”
“Life. The ship contains 3,400 souls. The most precious of cargoes.”
“Who is doing this?” She couldn’t believe something so diabolical could be happening when, just thirty minutes ago, all she had to worry about was giving the wrong impression to Kumar, who was emboldened with each turn and dip of her body, each little glance and smile she gave him as part of their performance.
“Teseo and Moshe are to be trusted, but no one else, other than our Team guys, and of course Sanouk and the girls. Trust no one else, understood?”
“So what is all this?” She gestured at the piles of equipment.
“Teseo has been bringing things to this boat as a precaution, in case his quarters are taken over. We’ve asked for everything he can spare us, and they’re stashing it here. It was the only place I thought safe enough to—”
The moment their eyes met the connection was made and the reality of the danger took a back seat to the love between them.
“I’m going to protect you, Sophia. Don’t worry. I’m going to keep you safe,” he said as he brushed his fingers against her cheek and then planted a sweet kiss on her lips. “I would die if anything happened to you. I can’t—”
She’d closed the distance between them again and wouldn’t allow him to finish, as if saying it would make it come to pass.
“Love me, Mark. Do you at least have time for that? I need to feel your arms around me, your hands on my body.”
“Baby, I’m here. We haven’t much time, but don’t worry, we have enough. We’ll have time. I just need to check on a few more things—”
“No. Now. I want you inside me now.” She knew somehow it would all work out, but she needed the warm courage of this man, needed to be enveloped in his love.
He brought her down against the life vests, which were lumpy on her back, but she didn’t care. He smoothed over her breasts and down to the juncture between her thighs, rubbing on her sex from outside of her dress. His fingers slipped under her hem and he slid up the inside of her thigh, to find and then explore her hot core encased in black panties. As he slid a finger underneath the elastic she closed her eyes and arched into his hand, a moan bursting from her chest when his finger found a home deep inside her. Stretching her arms above her, she tugged at the canvas beneath her head. Her knees were bent, heels digging through the pile of jackets to scrape against the plastic floor of the little boat.
Opening her eyes, she saw Mark’s clear blue eyes blazing down on her, brimming with desire for her. She’d not ever seen a man need her so much, had never seen a man she wanted to please so much.
“Ti amo con tutto il cuore, Marko. Tutto il mio cuore,” she found herself whispering to him, as he climbed over her body, slipped off her panties and positioned himself at her opening. “I love you with my whole heart, Marko, my beautiful Marko.”
He watched her face as his hands came up to hold her head, holding her steady against his hips as he slid his cock deep. He stopped, letting her feel the ardent strength of him. It was more than sex. It was way more than sex.
He dipped his chin and kissed the top of her breasts, kissed up along the side of her neck as she arched to receive him, licked and kissed just under her ear.
He stumbled with his Italian, but he whispered, “Amo tutti voi, Sophia, con tutto di me.” I love all of you Sophia, with all of me.
She realized how hard he’d practiced to make that short phrase perfect. “Mi amore.” She whispered back as he kissed her, plunging his tongue next to hers and sucking.
She lost herself in the luxurious feeling of this hard-muscled warrior who loved as hard as he played his deadly game. Her thighs rode his hips as he rocked them both into a rhythm that left her feeling timeless, floating and limitless. Every place he touched transformed her flesh into little jolts of energy. His kisses and wet tongue invaded her psyche, begged for love, for completion, for satisfaction. He was as relentless as he was deep. He was soft and hard. His body owned hers inside and out.
With another series of short strokes he spent inside her, just as she began to feel the fireworks erupt behind her eyelids, triggering her rolling orgasm, making her fall into the pleasure of his arms and the fullness of that space between her legs that had been so empty without him.
He arched and pressed himself, every last drop of him spilling inside her. With a gasp he fell to her chest, and they simply held each other, fully spent. After resting for a few seconds, he lifted his head and kissed his way up her neck to her ear again and whispered, “Marry me, Sophia. Let me take you home with me. I want you safe, living with me forever, Sophia. Marry me, please marry me.”
She needed to see his eyes to deliver her response. With her palms cupping his cheeks, she smiled. “Nothing would make me happier, my Marko.”
She could tell he’d prepared himself for disappointment, so his obvious delight thrilled her.
“I promise to get better with the Italian,” he whispered, as if it was important.
“I like your Italian, because it’s the way you say it. Only you say it that way. And I love it.”
“I like it when we speak Italian or English, or—” he peeled down the top of her dress to tease her nipple with his teeth, making her jump. “And when we don’t speak at all.” He sucked at her nipple and then followed it with a knowing smile. Did he know that every time he kissed her there it made her little peach quiver? Did he know that the place under her ear he liked to kiss was so delicately, urgently sensitive he could make love to her anywhere, anyhow if he just touched her there?
On any other night, they might have fallen asleep with happy dreams, but not tonight. She felt him stiffen as reality caught hold of him and, after several deep sighs, he sat up,
bringing her with him, holding her to his chest with both arms wrapped around her. He settled one hand at the base of her spine as he rubbed the back of her neck, fingers massaging her scalp.
“I can’t stay, but I think you’d be safer here.”
She leaned back to examine his face. “What?”
“I’d feel better if you stayed here until it’s all over.”
“How realistic is that, Mark? I can’t just abandon my job. I work for the cruise line. I’m supposed to protect the passengers in an emergency. You’re actually asking I abandon my responsibilities?”
Mark nodded. “You’re right, of course, just be careful. You are the only one, other than some of the ship’s officers, who know about this place. If Teseo gives you things to bring here, please do it carefully, and watch your back.”
She squeezed into his chest again, wishing it were not time to go, and hoping it wouldn’t be the last time they were together.
“You be safe, too. You don’t have to do anything heroic on my behalf. I’ll be fine. We have procedures we follow. I’m sure the captain has contacted Miami and plans are in place.”
She saw the faint smile on his face, indicating there was something up with that comment, but she let it go.
They heard the metal door to Deck 5 open and a discussion as two people who walked by. Mark and Sophia remained hidden beneath the window until the footsteps passed.
As they were getting dressed in the moonlight that bathed the interior of the boat in a surreal silvery light, they heard the faint whir of something mechanical.
Mark looked up as if he could see through the many layers of the ship.
“What is it?” she asked him.
“Helicopter.”
Her blood froze.
Cruisin’ for a Seal: Chapter Twenty-Seven
Mark heard the automatic gunfire before he could get halfway down the hallway to his cabin. He’d texted Kyle about the equipment in the boat, and contacted Fredo, who was standing guard over their women. He stopped briefly to see if he could hear anything at Helena’s door, but could not.
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