Undercover Mission

by Sharon Dunn

  As they walked, the dog took up a protective position wedging himself in between Maya and him. The canine’s black ears stood up as he padded along.

  “What did you say your dog’s name was?”

  “Sarge.”

  They took a flight of stairs, stepping out onto the promenade, the central part of the ship. The shops were closed at this hour, though some of the entertainment venues and midnight buffets were still open. “What deck are you on?”

  “My room is on the sixth floor.”

  “We can take the elevator.” He pointed off in a corner.

  “This ship is so big. By the time I learn where everything is, the cruise will be over.”

  They walked past a music venue where the strains of Broadway tunes spilled out. “True, I think you could keep yourself entertained without ever going ashore.”

  They got into the glass elevator which faced outward and provided a stunning view of the dark rolling sea as well as the glaciers and mountains in the distance. Though he missed the excitement of the military, the thing he liked the most about his job was how the scenery was always changing. The last thing he wanted was to put down roots anywhere. This ship was his home now. That suited him fine.

  Both of them stared out at the landscape. “Can you tell me anything about the attacker? You said he had a knife?”

  She let out a heavy breath. “I only saw it for a moment. I would guess that it was more of a hunting knife than something you would use to cook with.”

  They were still waiting on the forensic autopsy for Crystal Lynwood. All he could conclude from the crime scene was that she had been stabbed. Just like with an airport, all passenger and crew had their luggage run through a screener. How had someone managed to smuggle a hunting knife on board?

  The elevator came to a stop, the doors slid open and they stepped out into a carpeted hallway.

  “I’m just down that way. Five staterooms away.”

  Maya seemed pretty calm, so he decided to press her for more information. The best time to do an interview was as close to the crime as possible. Trauma and time tended to distort memory. “What can you tell me about your attacker’s appearance?”

  “He was wearing a ski mask. Average height and build, nothing distinct about his voice.”

  Again, David felt a hiccup in his assessment of Maya. The way she was describing the perp was very cop-like.

  She stood outside her room. Sarge sat at her feet and looked at David with probing dark eyes. One thing was for sure, the dog was protective of her.

  She pulled her card key out of her pocket. “There was one thing about him that was distinct.”

  “What’s that?”

  She met his gaze. “He had green eyes. If I saw them again, I would know it was him.”

  Something about the way she looked at him made him want to lean closer to her. He squared his shoulders remembering that he was on the job. “That’s helpful.” Though he didn’t want to tell her about the previous attack and Crystal’s murder, both of which he was sure were committed by the same perp, she had given him significant information. “Why don’t you try to get a good night’s sleep?”

  “Oh, I will,” she said.

  Again, something in the way she spoke suggested she intended to do the quite the opposite. Why did he keep going back to the idea that she wasn’t being forthcoming with him? His dating history had created a natural distrust of women; they always ended up being deceptive in some way. And he understood that that colored every interaction he had with women. Still, he could not shake the gut feeling that Maya was withholding something from him.

  She swiped her card key and offered him a smile. “You have a good rest of your night too.”

  She and her dog stepped inside. The door eased shut behind them. But he didn’t hear the dead bolt click into place. Odd. After an attack like she had endured, most passengers would have secured every lock available.

  David headed down the hall, turned a corner and continued to walk. He slowed and then stopped. Something was not sitting right with him. Maya Rodriguez was hiding something from him. He turned back around and headed toward the hallway where her room was. He got there just in time to see Maya and the dog headed up the hallway around a corner.

  TWO

  Maya hurried around the corner with Sarge in tow. She had one more thing she wanted to do before she could sleep—visit the place where the attack on the other passenger had taken place. And she had had to wait until David Garrison was out of the way. Really, he seemed like a nice enough guy, but if she had to be hush-hush about the investigation so be it.

  In the report, the passenger had been able to provide no significant information about her attacker, but maybe seeing where the crime had taken place would give Maya a direction to go.

  She was sure they were dealing with the same perp. And that that man had probably also attacked her. As she ran toward the elevator, she remembered what he had said.

  I’m going to make you pay.

  The words gave her chills. But they didn’t make any sense. She’d boarded the ship only this morning. Why would someone already have an ax to grind with her?

  She stepped into the elevator. The other attack had taken place on the eighth floor solarium. Before the elevator doors closed, a man raced toward it and stepped on. Her heart beat a little faster. The guy was of average height and build. As they both stared straight ahead, she couldn’t see what color his eyes were. All the same, being alone with a stranger in a closed space she couldn’t escape from made her aware of the need to remain on guard.

  “Which floor?”

  “Eight, just like you.” He stared straight ahead as the elevator numbers lit up.

  Sarge let out a low-level growl and then moved so he was in between her and the man.

  “Your dog is well behaved, I assume.”

  “When he wants to be.” Maya hoped her comment would deter the man if he did have sinister intent. She glanced sideways at him, taking note of his indistinct appearance.

  The ride up two floors seemed to take forever. Finally, the door slid open. The guy moved back to let her go first. She and Sarge stepped out. While she checked the map on the wall for how to get to the solarium, the man stepped out of the elevator and turned down a hallway. His footsteps faded. So he probably wasn’t up to anything.

  Maya let out a breath. The attack on the upper deck had made her feel vulnerable.

  She found her way to the solarium which featured deck chairs facing floor-to-ceiling glass. They were in the forward part of the ship. The view at night was breathtaking. The fog had lifted, and she could see stars and a crescent moon.

  There was only one other passenger. An older woman covered in a throw who had fallen asleep on one of the lounge chairs. Maya padded softly past her. The solarium wound around in a half circle. The report said the female passenger had come up here late at night for some solitude when she’d been attacked.

  Though Maya wasn’t sure how much stock she should put into the comment, the victim had mentioned that she had the feeling she was being followed at different times of the day prior to the attack. If that was the case, this perp stalked his victims waiting for the chance when they were alone and vulnerable. A feeling, however, was not hard evidence.

  She walked around the solarium. She could no longer see the old woman. Up ahead was a door, and she reached for the handle. As she was opening it, a force pressed on her from behind propelling her across the threshold. Amid all the chaos, she dropped Sarge’s leash. The door automatically closed. Sarge was on the other side, his barking muffled but intense. Pounding footsteps indicated that the man who had pushed her was right behind her. She found herself outside on a deck with a railing. A blast of cold air greeted her. There was a door at the other end of the deck that probably led back inside. The wind caught her hair and she could hear the waves beating
the side of the ship. She turned to face the man who had pushed her. He lunged toward her. The ski mask he wore made it impossible to see his face.

  She prepared to land a gut punch to her assailant. He anticipated the move, blocking her hand as she raised it, then pushed her against the railing. Cold metal pressed into her back. She kept waiting for him to brandish the knife, but he didn’t.

  Sarge was still barking on the other side of the door, and it sounded like he was flinging himself against it.

  With a furious intensity she dove at the man, lifting her hand to grasp his mask. But he was too quick for her.

  Her assailant swung her around and pushed her toward the railing. She felt the cold metal press against her stomach. When she looked down, she could see the turbulent water below.

  He lifted her up, so she was on her tiptoes. The man was strong. Did he intend to throw her overboard? Her heart pounded as her hands gripped the cold railing. She tried to push away from it. Wind whipped her hair around across her face. He held her by the waist and neck. She locked her elbows, putting distance between herself and the railing.

  He leaned close and hissed in her ear. “What are you up to?”

  Desperation clawed through her. If she couldn’t get away, she knew he’d throw her overboard.

  A hand grabbed the back of her jacket and lifted her up. She saw only the sea rolling down below.

  Please God, help me break free before he kills me.

  * * *

  The sound of the dog’s barking alerted David to where he needed to go. Once Maya had turned the corner by her room, she could have gone in one of three different directions. He had wasted precious time looking for her. Though he had pursued her to find out why she’d lied to him, Sarge’s urgent barking alerted him to the fact that she might be in some kind of danger again.

  He entered the solarium where an elderly woman resting on a chaise lounge chair was just waking up. He ran around the half circle created by the solarium layout. At the other end of the solarium, he saw Sarge barking and bouncing against a door.

  He raced across the expanse and flung open the door. Fear shot through him when he saw a man in a ski mask pressing Maya’s body against the railing while she struggled to get away. Her front faced the railing while her hands gripped it. “Security, let go of her right now. Back off.”

  Turning, the attacker saw Sarge and David. He lifted Maya from the waist and pushed her over the railing. Before David could get to him, the attacker ran to the opposite end of the boardwalk through a door.

  David made a split-second decision to let the attacker go and save Maya. He couldn’t do both.

  Maya’s hands gripped the railing and David sprinted to where she was hanging on for her life.

  “Hold on! I’ve got you.” He reached down and grabbed her wrists.

  He pulled her up, and she swung her legs over the railing, falling into his arms.

  “I thought I was going to die,” she gasped. “You saved me...again.” She pulled away and looked up at him.

  He felt a bit breathless when she gazed at him with such gratitude. “Maybe we can still catch him.” Perhaps it was just the energy he’d expended pulling her up that made him lightheaded. He turned his attention to the door where the attacker had run.

  “We’ll go with you.” Maya tilted her head toward Sarge who was standing at attention waiting for instruction. “Sarge can help. People who are running in fear emit an odor that dogs can track.”

  “Let’s go.” He turned and pushed open the door.

  “Good.” She reached up and squeezed David’s arm just above the elbow. Then picked up Sarge’s leash and commanded him. “Go.”

  The dog took off running, leading down the passageway and out onto the floor where there were closed shops and seating areas. Only a smattering of other people were out at this hour. Most everyone was asleep or at least in their cabins by now. The dog stopped to sniff around a children’s play area. Lots of places to hide.

  David shone his flashlight all around the area but saw nothing. They kept searching, Sarge led them up another floor but lost the scent outside an elevator.

  David stared at the doors of the elevator. “I guess that’s it. I think he’s vanished.”

  “But he’s still out there!” she cried.

  He picked up on the fear in her voice. He turned to face her. “You’ve been attacked twice.”

  “I think he followed me.” Her hand fluttered to her head where there was a bruise. “How else would he have found me there alone.”

  “Maybe I can’t catch this guy yet.” The frustration he felt came out in his tone of voice. “But I can at least make an effort to keep you safe. If he’s been following you, he probably knows which cabin you’re in. The room next to mine in crew quarters is empty and there’s an adjoining door.” He didn’t want another woman murdered, not on his watch.

  “I suppose that would be wise. Sarge of course will stay with me.” Her voice had become monotone. She was in shock.

  “Of course,” he said. “Let’s go gather your things. I can arrange for a bellhop to meet us outside your door.” He pulled his phone out preparing to make the call. “We can swing by and pick up your new card key first. I have the key to where they are kept for the crew and the authority to issue them.”

  She rubbed the cross necklace that she wore around her neck as though she were thinking about her options. And then she nodded as her eyes grew moist.

  Compassion surged through him. “You’ve been through a lot tonight.”

  She squared her shoulders and lifted her chin. She swiped at her eyes.

  He placed his hand on her upper arm, hoping the gesture would offer silent support. He remembered that she had touched him in the same way just a moment before. Her touch had sent a spark of warmth through him.

  Sarge let out a whimper of support. Maya smiled down at him. “He’s my best buddy. What can I say?”

  David made the call to the concierge station. The man who picked up agreed to meet him at Maya’s room with a cart for transport.

  After picking up the new card key, which took about fifteen minutes, they walked through the corridors of the mostly quiet ship save for the few overnight janitors and people lingering after late-night buffets and the final shows of the evening. They came to her room. From the opposite direction, an older man was pushing a luggage cart toward them.

  She swiped her card key, pushed the door open and stepped inside.

  Though the door blocked his view of her, he heard Maya gasp. The dog barked in a rapid-fire fashion. He feared the worst as he moved to see what had caused such alarm.

  THREE

  Maya placed a hand on her chest and fell back against a wall as she stared at the total chaos that had become her room. Drawers were open. Clothes thrown around.

  “Everything okay?” David entered the room. “Whoa.”

  Maya tried to take in a deep breath to calm herself. She waved her hand in a slicing motion in the air where Sarge could see it, a gesture that told him to stand at attention and be quiet.

  “Robbery, maybe?” David stepped deeper into the room.

  Was this connected to the attacks? “Have you had any recently?”

  “There is always petty theft and pickpockets.” He shook his head. “Breaking into a room is on a whole different level though. Do you have any jewelry or anything of value?”

  Maya shook her head and stepped over to where the open drawers with the clothes hanging out were. Was somebody looking for something? Or was this meant to scare her? This did not fit the nature of the attack on the passenger or the murder of Crystal Lynwood.

  She remembered the attacker had asked her what she was up to the second time he’d come after her.

  The old man who had brought the luggage cart stood outside the door. “Looks like a break-in. Do you need help cle
aning up?”

  “I’ll handle it, Lester,” David said. “I imagine you have to get back to man the desk anyway.”

  “Yes indeed,” the bellhop said. “If you’re sure you don’t want my help.”

  “We’ll be all right. Thanks, Lester.”

  David’s voice seemed to come from very far away as she stared at the mess that had been made of her personal things. Her purse was flung across the floor, its contents emptied. She’d hidden the purse in a drawer beneath her clothes. Maya leaned down to pick up her fake license and a credit card. Nothing in the purse would reveal that she was law enforcement. Ensuring that her cover wouldn’t be discovered.

  “I can dust for prints. We won’t be able to do anything with the results until we’re in port though,” David said. “Maybe what we should do first is gather up your stuff and get you settled in the room next to me. At this point, I’m very concerned about your safety. I’m even more convinced that you shouldn’t stay in this room.”

  Maya had to battle not to give in to the rising fear she felt. She was a trained officer used to dealing with violence and the unexpected. The hard part about being undercover was not having the direct support of the rest of the Alaskan K-9 Unit When she got a private moment, she would check in at headquarters with an update. There was no clear evidence to link the ransacking of the room to the attacks, but her gut told her they were related. “Yes, let’s pack and get out of here.”

  As David helped her get her things in order, her head started to clear. Something about having him close made all of this easier to handle.

  She picked up the items that belonged in her purse and put them back. She found the little sterling silver locket her grandmother had given her underneath a chair. Even though the chain for it was broken, she always carried it with her. Her abuelita still lived in Puerto Rico, so Maya got to see her only every couple of years. Because family was so important to her, having that distance between them could be hard even with her parents and siblings here in Alaska. Bottom line...if the motive for tossing the room was robbery, the invader would have taken the locket.