by Sharon Dunn
They all started walking while they brainstormed a plan.
“If we position cameras on the upper deck, he’ll figure it out,” Maya warned.
“We have almost no additional surveillance equipment anyway. We’d have to work with whatever the electronics shop had.” David shook his head in frustration. “He’d figure out he was being watched anyway. I feel like our hands are really tied here.”
They continued toward an open area with a view of the water and mountains in the distance. The light in the distance was their port city of Seward. Maya stopped and Sarge sat down beside her. “David what about the North Star? You would have a view of the upper deck from there if it was up high enough right?”
“Probably,” he replied. “But I couldn’t get down fast enough to come to help you.”
“We’d have to create some sort of relay system. Noah up in the North Star where he has a view of the deck. And then you hiding somewhere so you could get to me as quickly as possible...but not where Joel would ever figure out where you were.”
“That might work,” Noah said. “We take the North Star up with me in it. Put out a notice that says it’s broken and locked in place, so Joel doesn’t make the connection. And if I stay up there an hour or so before Maya goes out on the upper deck...”
“We know that Joel stalks his victims and waits for an opportunity. Before I head to the upper deck, I’ll give him plenty of opportunity to see that neither Sarge nor David are close, but I will try to stay in public areas.”
“If I see that Maya is in danger, I can text you, David.” Noah’s inflection indicated excitement about the plan.
Maya could tell from David’s body language that he still wasn’t on board with the plan. He crossed his arms and his jaw hardened. “I don’t like the idea of Maya being so vulnerable. And can we even find a place where A, Joel won’t figure out I’m hiding and B, I can get to Maya fast enough.”
They were standing outside the security office. David swiped his card key.
“Are there blueprints or a map of the ship that would show details, possible hiding places?” While she understood David’s resistance and even was touched by how protective he was of her, she felt like they were running out of options and his stubbornness was costing them valuable time.
“The maps are very general, drawn up for the passengers. I would need to go up to the upper deck and scout it out.”
David seemed to be coming around.
“You two figure out the details,” Noah said. “I need to get into position. I’ve got to track down the operator for the North Star. Text me the exact plan. If I need to be up there for a while, we don’t have a lot of time.”
Noah took off.
They stepped into the security office. David shook his head. “I’m not totally on board with this plan.”
She gazed at him. “It’s the only way.”
“I got a text from Hans that he is out of the infirmary. I’m going to have him watching the security cameras that are still operational. After what he’s been through, I think he needs to be at a desk. He can contact us if he spots Joel. The safest thing for you would be to catch him before he even gets to the upper deck.”
“I agree.”
“After I check on Hans, Sarge and I are going to try to find a hiding place. Noah’s only going to have a partial view of the upper deck, so you’ll have to stay toward the east side.”
“Got it,” she said.
“I’m worried about you.”
“Don’t be. I can handle this.”
He reached up and cupped her cheek. “I know but I care about you...a lot.” His features softened as light came into his eyes. He leaned in and kissed her, brushing his lips over hers.
When he pulled away, she was breathless. He left the office with Sarge in tow not saying another word. Maya collapsed into a chair, still lightheaded from the kiss. What did David mean by I care about you a lot? And then a kiss. How ambiguous. It wasn’t I love you. It wasn’t I want to be with you. She shook her head. Maybe David didn’t even know what he was really feeling.
She was still thinking about the effect David’s kiss had on her when Hans entered the security office ten minutes later.
“David called me. Guess my job is to watch the cameras,” Hans said. “David hasn’t texted you yet that he has a hiding place?”
She shook her head.
“Guess we wait then.”
Maya took in a breath, trying to soften some of the tension in her muscles. “Yes, we wait. How are you doing?”
“I have a bit of a headache, but I’ll be okay.” Hans clicked through the screens turning on the ones that were not black. “We won’t be able to replace the disabled cameras until we’re in port.”
She stared at the screens. One of them revealed that the North Star was already being fully elevated. She studied the other screens catching a glimpse of Sarge right before he was out of camera range as he trailed behind David on the leash. The location revealed that they were still about a five-minute walk from the upper deck.
She pointed to the screen where she’d seen David and Sarge. “There are no more cameras to show us where they have gone?”
“The only other one in that area has been disabled.”
She pulled out her phone and set it on the counter. When she clicked on the screen, she saw she had a text from Helena Maddox, one of the other K-9 officers.
What a day I’ve had. Luna and I went looking for Eli’s survivalist family that his godmother so desperately wants to locate. While looking in a remote area of Chugach State Park, I ran into two men and showed them photos of the Seaver family. They said they didn’t know the Seavers, but I think they were lying. Later when I was leaving, I was shot at. I think we are getting close and that is making someone nervous.
Luna was Helena’s Norwegian elkhound. Maya stared at the phone for a long moment and said a silent prayer that she would get back to shore alive to help track down the Seaver family before it was too late.
* * *
David walked the upper deck with Sarge, not finding any hiding place that wouldn’t be obvious. His only option was a supply closet filled with lounge chairs. The closet was around the corner and down a hallway from where Maya would be standing. He’d have no visual on her at all. At a dead run, he estimated it would take him about a minute to get to Maya if she needed help. Sixty seconds was time enough to kill someone. Plus, there would be an additional time delay if Noah had to communicate what he was seeing.
The closet was stuffed so full he and Sarge had to squeeze in. His hands were pressed close to his side. It took some maneuvering to get the phone to his face after he dialed Maya’s number.
She answered right away, “Yes.”
The sound of her voice renewed the memory of the kiss they’d shared. Without intending to, his voice took on a smoldering quality. “Hey, I’m in place. When you get to the upper deck if you think that Joel is near, I need you to press in my number and keep it on so I can hear what is happening.”
“I might not have time to do that if I wait until I hear him coming. What if I just turn it on when I get to the upper deck?”
Not having radios was proving to be a challenge. “Okay, Noah can give me the play-by-play via text up to that point. If Joel does show, I am worried that the delay for Noah to communicate what is happening will be too great. I can’t see you from my hiding place.”
“David, I know you’re worried, but remember I am a trained police officer.”
The warmth in her voice made his heart beat faster. He had not lied when he said he cared about her, but was there something even deeper between them?
“I know you can take care of yourself, Maya. I’m just making sure every precaution is in place.”
“I’ll leave the security office in about two minutes. I’ll make my way toward the upper dec
k slowly. If Joel is watching, he’ll have every chance to see me.”
David gripped his phone a little tighter and breathed in a wordless prayer. “I’ll let Noah know the plan is in place and that you are on your way.”
“Got it.” A silence fell between them, but Maya stayed on the line. “I care about you too, David.” She hung up.
Her words seemed to reverberate in his head. Had she confessed her feelings just in case she was killed?
NINETEEN
After saying goodbye to Hans, Maya left the security office and headed toward the upper deck. She chose a path that would make her visible from a distance and where there were still cameras so Hans would be able to track her and alert the rest of the team if she was attacked. It was hard to say if Joel would even take the bait.
She walked past a room with wide open doors. Classical music spilled out and when she glanced inside, she saw a strobe light and ballroom dancers moving across the floor. Her eyes traveled up to the balconies that looked down on the promenade.
Though most of the shops had closed down, some restaurants and bars were still open. There were enough people to ensure that Joel wouldn’t try anything unless he could remain hidden.
By the time she made her way to the upper deck, her heart was racing and sweat trickled past her temple. Before she got to the upper deck where the railing was, and where Noah would have eyes on her, she passed a family. A mom and dad and two girls who looked to be under the age of five. The father held one of the girls in his arms.
“Have fun. We’d thought we’d come up for the view of the stars since they opened the deck up, but it’s a little too windy and cold,” the father said.
Maya drew her coat around her. “Still a nice night though.”
The older of the two girls held her mother’s hand. She pointed at Maya with her free hand. “I saw you with your dog.”
“Yes, that’s Sarge. He’s with a friend right now.”
As the voices of the family and footsteps echoed and faded, she was keenly aware of how vulnerable she was without Sarge. She walked more slowly. When she glanced around, she didn’t see the supply closet David and Sarge were hidden in. That made her nervous. It must not be very close. Her heart pounded a little faster.
She could see the railing up ahead not far from the spot where Crystal Lynwood had been killed and the other woman had been attacked. She walked past the lounge chairs, stopping for a moment to look at the entry door where Joel had probably escaped after the attacks. There were multiple ways to get to the upper deck. Maybe Joel wouldn’t follow her.
She stepped toward the railing and gripped it. A gust of wind made her jacket balloon and then deflate. She looked over her shoulder and up. Though the twilight made it into a silhouette, she could see the elevated North Star where Noah was. Lights of the port city they were headed toward glowed in the distance.
Maya thought she heard a noise behind her by the lounge chairs where the other entrance to the upper deck was. She hurried back there but saw nothing in the dim light.
Returning to the railing, she peered out, listening to the sound of the waves. Her hand rested on the side pocket of her jacket where she’d put her phone. If Noah saw anyone moving toward her, he would alert David.
After waiting about five minutes, she began to wonder yet again if maybe Joel wasn’t going to show. Would he just lie low until they were in port and then find a way to slip off the ship unnoticed? He had to know they would ramp up security as the passengers got off. But she had to believe that his compulsion to go after women who reminded him of the one who had rejected him would override common sense. It had so far. Attacking women on a ship where he could not hope to escape, only hide, held a high level of risk.
Maya stared up at the twinkling stars and the outlines of mountains in the distance. Why at such a moment did she wish David was standing beside her and that they were just sharing a tender moment together, not entrenched in a sting operation? Her feelings for him ran so deep. Would she go so far as to say she loved him? Maybe. The kiss had caught her off guard after all his resistance to anything romantic. She shook her head at the memory of how his lips felt on hers.
Her phone dinged. She pulled it out. The text was from Noah.
No sign of him from up here. You see anything?
She remembered the noise that had sounded like someone coming through the entryway by the lounge chairs. It could have been the wind jostling a lounge chair.
She texted back.
Not sure. Pretty quiet.
Maya stepped away from the railing. She’d never been good at doing nothing and that was what this operation had started to feel like. What if Joel had figured out they were setting him up and now he was stalking another woman on some other part of the ship? Yet as smart as he was, it didn’t seem like he’d be able to decipher what they had in mind to catch him. If her classes on criminal psychology had taught her anything, the note he’d left in the arcade meant he was honed in on her.
Still, just standing around was hard to do.
After putting her phone in her pocket, Maya remembered the lounge where the other victim had been with the kind older couple. That was on the other side of the ship where the upper deck wrapped around. She glanced up at the North Star. Noah might not have a visual on her if she went over there.
She returned to the railing and stared out at the rolling sea. The wind had intensified. She thought she heard a banging sound somewhere close.
Maya ran to check the entrance by the lounge chairs and found the door was open and banging against the wall. The wind could have done that. All the same she approached with caution. Noah would be able to see her go toward the door, but she’d be hidden under the eaves once she reached to close the door.
Why take the chance?
Let the door bang in the wind.
A voice as cold as ice pelted her eardrums. “I’d told you I’d come for you.”
She whirled around. Joel stood three feet from her grinning. He must have used the entrance by the lounge, or Noah would have seen him.
She reached into her jacket pocket, fumbling with her phone. Then she put her other hand in her pocket hoping Joel wouldn’t figure out what she was doing. She couldn’t find the button right button without looking. Noah would see Joel and signal David. That was her hope.
Joel lunged at her.
She angled away but her foot caught on a leg of the lounge chair and she fell forward. The stumble gave Joel the advantage. He grabbed her arm, yanking her back, and then pushed her toward the open door. Now they were both hidden by the eaves. Had Noah had time to register what was going on?
“It’s over for you.”
Joel pulled a knife out of his pocket forcing her to step backward through the open door or be stabbed. He must have taken it from the kitchen where he worked.
She turned to run down the stairs, but Joel grabbed the hem of her jacket. “Don’t you dare run from me.”
Still on the narrow landing, she turned, seeking to get the knife out of his hand before he could do any damage. She reached for it. They tussled. She managed to smash the back of his hand against the stairwell wall causing him to drop the knife. Metal banged on concrete as the knife slid down several stairs.
Joel’s expression communicated rage. “You will die.” He bared his teeth and slammed both hands against her chest and shoulder. She stumbled backward, unable to catch herself, and fell on her back.
Somewhere in the distance, she heard a dog barking. Sarge. The wind seemed to pick the bark up and carry it away. But they were coming for her.
Alarm spread across Joel’s face. Turning, he grabbed the door and latched it. Probably some sort of emergency latch for when there was a storm.
The delay gave her time to get to her feet. She looked around for the knife but didn’t see it. She hurried down the stairs. Above her, she hear
d banging noises that indicated David and Sarge were trying to open the door.
She had only run down four stairs when the banging stopped. David must have realized the futility of trying to break down the door. As she ran, she could hear Joel’s footsteps behind her.
She saw a door up ahead, though she couldn’t remember where it led. She pushed it open and as a gust of wind hit her, she realized she was on a tiny exposed viewing deck. She glanced one way and then the other, spotting the door that would allow her to escape. Joel grabbed her from behind before she could get to the door.
He yanked her around, so she was facing him. He shoved his arm under her chin, pressing hard and backing her against the wall.
Maya wheezed, unable to breath due the pressure he put on her neck.
His eyes were wild and unfocused. “Having trouble breathing, my dear?”
She lifted her leg to kick him. The blow felt weak and only seemed to enrage him more. Now he grabbed her and banged the back of her head against the wall.
Pain radiated through her skull. Knowing that his favorite thing to do was choke her, she was ready for him when his hands reached for her neck. Maya deflected the move. “You won’t get away with this.”
“That’s what all the pretty girls say.” He grabbed her hair.
She heard barking.
The door opened a sliver. Joel kicked it then swung her body around so her back was against the door and his hand pinned her there by pressing into her shoulders. His face was so close to hers she could hear him breathing.
David was on the other side of the door trying to open it while the weight of her body held it in place. Sarge’s barking intensified.
She scratched and clawed at Joel’s hands while she leaned forward, hoping to allow David to get the door open.
Joel reached for her neck choking her, pressing harder and harder. She saw black dots and felt light-headed.
The door separated from the frame then banged shut again. Joel’s grip on her neck loosened momentarily. She took in a breath and pushed off the door.