Her Lieutenant Protector

by Lara Lacombe

  His reticence must have shown on his face because she let out a small sigh. “This is the best place for them. They’re restrained, and they’re about to be sedated.”

  “I suppose,” Everest said, conceding the point. “But I want you to page me if they so much as look at you funny.”

  She nodded. “Will do. Where are you going?”

  He felt the barest hint of flattery at her interest in his plans but brushed it aside. She probably just wants to know if I’ll be nearby in case there’s any trouble, he told himself. “I’m going up to the bridge to inform the captain of this development,” he said. “And to call the police in Jacksonville so they can take custody of these two when we make port in the morning.”

  Mallory nodded thoughtfully. Jeff chose that moment to let out a yelp, and Everest glanced over in time to see one of the nurses taping the IV in place on his hand. “If it’s all the same to you,” Mallory said, her voice drawing his attention back to her, “I’m not going to tell them what’s in store when we dock in Jacksonville.”

  “Good thinking,” Everest said. He didn’t imagine these two would take kindly to the news their vacation was about to be cut short, and in such dramatic fashion.

  “Thanks for your help,” she said softly.

  His stomach did a little flip, and he shook his head. “I didn’t do much. It was all you.”

  She smiled, and his heart thumped hard against his breastbone. When was the last time he’d noticed a woman’s smile?

  “I’m glad you were here, though. Just in case.” A shadow crossed her eyes, there and gone in a blink. That’s interesting, he thought. Maybe she wasn’t as calm as she’d appeared to be. But was it just the stress of the situation bothering her, or was something else going on?

  “Hey, man,” Jeff called out.

  Everest glanced over and met his eyes. “Are you talking to me?”

  Jeff nodded. “Yeah. Are you the police or something?”

  “Or something,” Everest said easily. “Why?”

  Jeff sat up as much as the restraints would allow, trying to get closer to him. “There’s a problem with my room. You’ve gotta fix it.”

  “Oh?” This ought to be good, Everest thought. What kind of issue had Jeff’s drug-addled brain concocted? “What’s wrong?”

  Jeff met his gaze, his eyes serious even as he struggled to focus. “The body,” he whispered, real fear in his voice. “There’s a body in my room.”

  Chapter 3

  The exam room fell silent in the wake of Jeff’s announcement. After a second, every head in the room swiveled to face Mallory, each person looking to her for guidance. The two nurses wore identical quizzical expressions, clearly wanting to know how they should respond to the patient’s latest delusion. Jeff and his friend looked at her imploringly, wanting her to acknowledge the legitimacy of their claim. And Everest? He looked astounded, confusion and disbelief warring for dominance over his features.

  Under any other circumstances, his expression would make her laugh. Even though she had just met him his morning, Mallory got the impression Everest was a sober, composed man. To see him so flabbergasted now struck her as funny, and she bit her lip to keep from smiling.

  “A body?” she said, keeping her tone neutral. “What kind of body?”

  Jeff frowned at her, apparently taken aback by her question. “A dead body. Is there any other kind?”

  Mallory sighed. “Okay, fair enough. But what type of animal was it?”

  The young man shook his head vigorously, his eyes wide. “Not an animal. A person.” He nearly whispered the last word, as if he was afraid of summoning a ghost.

  Everest shot her a questioning look, and Mallory subtly shook her head. Jeff and his buddy must have gotten their hands on some pretty potent stuff to be experiencing such vivid hallucinations. She might need to up the dose of sedative to get them through the next several hours...

  “Okay,” she said soothingly. “Everest will take care of it.”

  “That’s good,” Jeff said. He rested his head against the pillow, his voice growing dull as the drugs took effect. “Have him patch the walls, too.” He kept talking, but it was the jumbled nonsense of intoxication, a last-ditch effort before he succumbed to sleep.

  Mallory waited until both men were unconscious before she turned to Everest. He regarded her with a bemused expression. “So...” he began. “Is this something I need to take seriously?”

  She shrugged. “I doubt it. I think it’s just another effect of the ketamine—the drug is known for triggering hallucinations, and some of them can be quite disturbing.”

  “That’s true,” he said. “Still, I should probably have one of my men check it out. Just to be on the safe side.”

  It was the responsible thing to do, and Mallory couldn’t help but approve. Most people would have been content to dismiss Jeff’s words as the unhinged ramblings of a man under the influence, but she liked that Everest was going to dot all the i’s and cross all the t’s. It was the kind of thing she herself would do, and she appreciated the fact he seemed to share her sense of duty.

  The sick bay door opened and two men stepped inside. Both wore the dark slacks and pale blue polo shirts sported by ship security officers, and Everest nodded approvingly. “Dr. Watkins, allow me to introduce two members of my team. This is Wesley Tatum, my right-hand man.” He gestured to the stocky, dark-haired man on the right, who acknowledged her with a nod. “If you ever need anything and you can’t get me, Wesley is your man.” Everest then turned to the second man, a tall redhead with kind brown eyes. “And this is Taylor Higgins, one of the newest members of my team.”

  Taylor smiled and offered his hand. Mallory’s stomach turned over, and she hesitated. He was only being polite, but she couldn’t bring herself to touch him.

  “Ah, I’d better not,” she said, shaking her head. “I haven’t washed my hands yet. Don’t want to spread anything around.” It was a weak excuse, but it was the best she could do. She glanced over to find Everest watching her, the look in his eyes far too knowing. Did the man miss anything?

  If he was curious about her refusal to shake Taylor’s hand, he didn’t mention it. Instead, Everest turned back to his men and briefed them on the situation. “Wesley, I need you to go check out the room. I’m sure it’s probably nothing, but I want to be able to assure the captain we’ve followed up on everything.”

  Wesley nodded, apparently unfazed by the order to search a guest’s cabin for a dead body trapped in the wall. Maybe it wasn’t the strangest thing he’d ever done in his line of work. Mallory certainly understood there were some odd things that happened on cruise ships. Or maybe Wesley’s immediate acceptance of Everest’s order came more from his respect for his boss. She studied Everest as he spoke to his team, noting the way he laid out a clear, concise plan and made it sound like he had every confidence his employees would succeed. It was no wonder he was the head of security for the ship—his manner seemed to inspire loyalty and trust, and even though he wasn’t asking these men to do anything terribly difficult or dangerous, Mallory had no doubt their reaction would have been the same if he’d proposed they storm a bunker carrying only water pistols for protection.

  “Taylor, I’d like you to stay here and keep an eye on these two. Make sure they don’t cause any more trouble for the medical staff.”

  The young man nodded eagerly, clearly excited for his first assignment on the ship. He reminded Mallory of a puppy, and she glanced discreetly at the seat of his pants, half expecting to find a wagging tail protruding from his slacks.

  “And you, sir?” asked Wesley.

  “I’m going to brief the captain. Any questions or issues, you can reach me on channel three.”

  The men nodded, and Wesley walked over to Jeff’s side, where he proceeded to search the man’s pockets, presu
mably for his room key. Taylor took up a post between the two beds and assumed a parade rest stance. Mallory wondered if he planned to stand all night, or if he’d relax enough to sit down.

  Everest’s voice cut into her musings. “You have my pager number?”

  “I think so—we have a form by the phone with contact information listed for various people.” Mallory waved a hand in the direction of the wall-mounted unit where she’d seen the information sheet posted. She hadn’t checked lately, but she was willing to bet Everest’s number was on it.

  Everest frowned. “Let me give you my personal cell number, as well.” He pulled a business card from his pocket and snagged a pen off the table. “If anything comes up, don’t hesitate to call me.” He passed her the card, and Mallory tucked it away. The paper was still warm from his body, and she felt the heat of it through the cotton of her pants. It was an odd sensation, this almost-contact between them.

  “I think we’re in for a quiet night now, but I’ll let you know if that changes.”

  He nodded and turned to go. For some reason, Mallory was reluctant to see him leave, and she called out before she could think twice about it. “Hey.”

  He turned back, one eyebrow lifted in silent question.

  Great, now what? “Um,” she stalled, her self-consciousness threatening to swamp her. “I want to thank you. For being here.”

  The corner of his mouth curved up in a smile. “I didn’t do anything. You had things well under control.”

  Mallory felt her cheeks heat and hoped her blush wasn’t too obvious. “Well, I still appreciate your backing me up.”

  “It was my pleasure,” he said. A spark of heat flared in his blue eyes, and Mallory was shocked to feel an answering tingle in her stomach. “Like I said, call me anytime.”

  Was there a hint of innuendo in his voice? Mallory dismissed the possibility almost instantly; Everest seemed far too professional for that. Even so, she felt a little wistful at the thought that he might flirt with her. She was quite out of practice as far as dating went, but the idea of spending more time with Everest was...appealing.

  “I will,” she replied. God, did he hear the quaver in her voice? Get it together! She was turning into a mess, and all because the man in front of her had somehow slipped past her defenses. But there wasn’t time for her to worry about that now. She’d think about it later, when she was in the privacy of her own room.

  Everest turned and walked out of the sick bay, closing the door quietly behind him. The room seemed to deflate with his exit, another sign that he’d gotten under her skin.

  Part of her wanted to celebrate; this was the first time in years she’d felt any kind of attraction to a man. She was curious to see how it would develop. Of course, there was no guarantee he had noticed her in that way, and perhaps that was for the best. If her attraction was one-sided, she could indulge in a little crush without having to worry about getting hurt. This might turn out to be a great opportunity to shake the dust off her emotions and finally put the rape behind her, once and for all. If she could see herself with Everest, she was one step closer to having a real relationship someday.

  But the small, scared girl inside wanted to slam the door on any kind of attraction. It wasn’t worth the risk. He was a physically powerful man—tall, broad-shouldered, his hands large enough to wrap around her arm in a painful grip. And she’d seen the evidence of his muscles earlier in the gym and knew he was in excellent shape. If he decided to hurt her, she wouldn’t stand a chance.

  “Dr. Watkins?”

  She shook her head slightly and focused on the nurse in front of her, grateful for the distraction. “Yes?”

  The woman launched into a question regarding drug dosages for Jeff and his friend, and a sense of calm descended as Mallory turned her thoughts back to work. Medicine was her refuge, and no matter how upset or emotional she felt, tending to patients was a surefire way to push the reset button on her inner turmoil.

  For now, anyway.

  * * *

  Wesley slipped into the room and was immediately assaulted with the stale, slightly sweet stench of weed. Apparently, Jeff and his buddy hadn’t limited themselves to only one drug tonight...

  Sure enough, two fat stubs lay discarded on top of the built-in dresser amid a scatter of pills. He poked at the display with his fingertip, searching for any marks that would indicate what the different-colored pills were. The blue ones were easy enough—the star shape stamped onto the surface made it clear he was looking at ecstasy. But the oblong white pills and the yellow tablets sported no such identifiers. He scooped a few into an empty plastic baggie and tucked it into his pocket. Maybe the doctor could figure out what these were. If not, the police in Jacksonville would probably know.

  He glanced around, a sense of disgust rising in his chest as he took in the mess. Two open suitcases sat on the desk, vomiting clothes onto the floor. Towels sat in damp piles on the bed and the recliner, and empty beer cans littered almost every horizontal surface.

  Wesley shook his head. The Abigail Adams was a premier ship, and what she lacked in size, she made up for in luxury. How had these two classless idiots gotten on board?

  Mommy and Daddy, he thought, taking in the expensive watches lying on the bedside table, the designer sunglasses tossed on the floor, and the roll of cash peeking out from one of the suitcases. All telltale signs of the “easy come, easy go” attitude exhibited by spoiled rich kids.

  “I wonder if Daddy can buy you out of this mess,” he said softly to himself, smiling as he imagined the fate in store for these two. They’d dock in Jacksonville in the morning, and it wouldn’t take long for the police to come aboard and take them into custody. Given the amount of drugs on display here, Jeff and his friend were looking at some very serious charges.

  “I hope the high was worth it.” Wesley gave the room a final glance. Despite the mess, he saw no signs of any kind of body. But they had said it was in the wall...

  With a sigh, he turned his attention to the walls. Everything looked fine as far as he could tell—nothing was out of place. Perhaps they had mistaken a shadow in the room for a body? He checked the bathroom with no results. Finally, he opened the door to the closet.

  He saw the hole first, a foot-sized punch through the drywall about twelve inches above the floor. One of the guys had probably kicked the wall for God only knew what reason. Was this the source of the problem?

  Wesley crouched down to peer inside the dark hollow and caught a glimpse of something shiny inside. Holding his phone up for light, he discovered he was looking at some kind of thick plastic. Remnants from the construction of the ship, maybe?

  He leaned closer to get a better look and realized the plastic was wrapped around something that looked an awful lot like... But it couldn’t be...

  Realization hit him like a slap to the face, and he jerked back, his stomach churning. The plastic was wrapped around a human foot.

  He sat on the floor for a moment, his mind racing. This certainly complicated things, to say the least. If word got out that there was a body in the wall of this room, the response would be immediate. The police and possibly the FBI would swarm the ship, turning her inside out in their search for evidence.

  And he knew they’d find more than what they bargained for.

  He couldn’t let that happen. His mission was clear: he was to ensure that the Abigail Adams did not deviate from her planned itinerary. It was imperative that she arrive in New York Harbor in time for the Fourth of July celebrations. After all, she had a starring role in the show, and it was his job to make sure she did not disappoint.

  He felt a small pang at the thought of destroying such a beautiful ship, but he dismissed it quickly. The Abigail had a greater purpose to serve, and if he was successful, the Organization would reward him handsomely for his efforts. It would all be worth it in the en
d.

  But for now, he had to deal with this unexpected wrinkle.

  Gritting his teeth, he gingerly stuck his hand inside the hole and pushed against the plastic. The foot underneath was firm and unyielding, and he nearly threw up as he felt it through the artificial shroud. Whoever this was, the person had been in here awhile.

  Moving carefully, Wesley maneuvered the macabre bundle so that it was no longer easily visible to anyone looking through the hole. Then he stood, wiping his hands on his slacks and eyeing his handiwork critically. It would do for now, but he was going to have to patch things up soon, before housekeeping caught sight of the problem. The last thing he needed was someone else making this gruesome discovery.

  First things first, though. He pulled his walkie-talkie from his belt and called up Everest.

  “Go ahead.”

  “I’m in the guest room. No sign of anything unusual.”

  “That’s what I figured,” Everest said with a sigh. “Thanks for checking.”

  “No problem. Over and out.”

  Wesley carefully shut the closet door, then turned and walked through the room. He paused by the desk, the open suitcases gaping up at him. With a shrug, he reached down and plucked a wad of bills free from a tangle of clothes and slipped it into his pocket. Jeff would have no need of money where he was going, and it would be a shame for it to wind up in a police evidence locker.

  With that, Wesley stepped into the hall and set off for the maintenance supply room. He’d rig up a patch for the wall, and that would be the end of it. No one, especially not any member of the Organization, need ever know how close two spoiled addicts had come to wrecking everything.

  Chapter 4

  The night passed without incident. The sedatives kept Jeff and his friend quiet, and they slept off their high in the relative comfort of the sick bay. The two men woke, groggy and hungry, but no worse for wear.