Chapter 8 - THE PRICE OF SILENCE
Warren Pike looked nothing like a corrupt federal official.
That was probably why he had survived so long.
Gray suit.
Calm voice.
Polished shoes.
The kind of man people trusted before he even introduced himself.
“Put the notebook down,” Pike said.
Hale stepped in front of me.
“You sent Daniel information.”
“I sent information to people who paid for information.”
“How many women died?”
Pike shrugged.
“I didn’t ask.”
Rebecca stared at him.
“You knew I was alive.”
Pike finally looked at her.
“I knew you were inconvenient.”
She lunged.
I caught her before she reached him.
Pike smiled.
“Still emotional, Rebecca.”
“You buried my case.”
“I redirected resources.”
“You let him keep killing.”
Pike’s eyes moved back to me.
“Claire, hand me the case.”
“No.”
“You’re not military anymore.”
That stopped me.
He knew.
Pike saw the reaction.
“Daniel knows far more about you than you think.”
“How?”
“Your classified service record isn’t classified to everyone.”
Hale raised his weapon.
“You’re under arrest.”
Pike laughed.
“By whom?”
Then Hale’s radio crackled.
“Agent Hale, report to the bridge immediately. We have Coast Guard contact.”
Pike smiled.
“That would be my team.”
He had already prepared his rescue.
If Pike reached federal custody first, evidence could disappear.
Witnesses could vanish.
Again.
I looked at Rebecca.
She understood.
We needed something Pike couldn’t erase.
“Livestream,” I whispered.
Rebecca pulled out her phone.
Pike saw it.
He fired.
The bullet shattered the phone.
Hale fired back.
Pike dove into the passage.
We chased him.
He knew the ship almost as well as Kessler.
At the next junction, Pike slammed a steel door behind him.
It locked.
Hale kicked it.
Nothing.
Rebecca pointed upward.
“Vent shaft.”
I climbed.
The shaft opened into another service room.
Pike was there.
So was Daniel.
And Kessler.
Daniel smiled when he saw me.
“See? This is why I married her.”
Pike looked furious.
“You said she was harmless.”
“I said she looked harmless.”
Kessler held a detonator.
Hale appeared behind me.
Pike aimed his pistol.
Daniel raised another gun.
For three long seconds, nobody moved.
Then Kessler said, “We have a problem.”
“What?” Daniel snapped.
“The Coast Guard isn’t coming to rescue us.”
May you like
His face went pale.
“They’re coming to board.”
