your investigations if you want. They make good guard dogs.”
“No, they don’t,” Eva said.
Marcus chuckled. “Well, not against you, obviously, but they’re not all bad. We’ll also make sure the kid stays safe. You saw how easily Jim and Duncan let him out of their care. Poor kid. I’ll make sure I’ve got eyes on him at all times until you find the killer.”
That was the tipping point for Eva. She couldn’t deny that Marcus’s influence covered most of the flotilla. He had people all over the place, keeping an eye on developments. If Danny was to remain safe while she was investigating Jean’s murder, it made sense to have Marcus’s resources backing her up.
She held out a hand. “Why do I feel like I’m doing a deal with the devil?”
Marcus bowed, took her hand, and kissed the back of her fingers.
“Maybe you are, love, but better the devil you know, right?”
Chapter 8
Jim put the last rivet back in place and sat on his bed. The sound of waves battering the side of the Bravo echoed into the small room, the steel amplifying the water’s kisses. Thunder roared in the distance. If the weather kept up, it would be even more difficult to send a ‘volunteer.’
He thought about visiting Frank, getting him to take Faust, but that would require too much trust. He couldn’t afford for Frank to come back to the flotilla with the truth.
A knock on the door made him start.
“Captain? Are you in there? It’s Duncan.”
Jim stood, looked around him to make sure he hadn’t left anything out, and unlocked the door. Duncan’s large frame filled the open space. Worry etched waves into his forehead beneath his long, wild hair. More a Viking as every day passed, Jim thought.
“What is it, Dunc?”
“Just wanted to give you a progress update. The hydropower should be back on in a few days. The engineering boys have figured out the problem. Someone smashed up the transformer. They’re putting together a new one.”
“That’s good. With the way the storm’s coming in, that should generate enough power to recharge the batteries. What about the wind turbines?”
“The main one took a real battering. Most of the gears and fins are damaged beyond repair. The guys say they can fabricate new parts, but it’s going to take a while.”
“At least it’s something. That bitch Faust’s plans won’t stop us all just yet.”
Duncan’s worry seemed to deepen.
“What is it, son?”
“We discovered the powered desalinators were destroyed last night. Even if we get the power back on, they’re beyond repair. Need parts that we just don’t have. We’re down to natural evaporation. We’ve got enough water stocks for about three days before we’re out.”
“Faust’s people?”
Duncan shrugged his hefty shoulders. “Hard to tell, but after her reaction this morning, I wouldn’t rule it out.”
“This is not good,” Jim said, rubbing his face, all the while thinking of sending Faust to the sharks as a warning to her congregation. “You think this could be part of her plans for mutiny?”
“Unless her idea of mutiny is to kill off most of the population, I don’t think so. It seems more calculated. You saw what she was like this morning. The woman’s nuts.”
“But she’s clever,” Jim added. “Don’t underestimate the intellect behind the fury. She knows what she’s doing. Her flock grows bigger every day as people cling to any meaning to all this. We’ve got to keep this place together, Dunc. United, we’re safe.”
“I know, Dad. I know.”
“How’s Danny getting on?”
“Oh, crap, I forgot to take the kid his breakfast.”
“Do that now, son. That poor kid is probably scared and overwhelmed with grief. You see that he’s okay. After that, let Stanic know I want a word with him. There must be some way those desalinators can be fixed, and if anyone knows, it’s him.”
“On it,” Duncan said as he dashed off down the corridor, ducking beneath the low beams and runs
“No, they don’t,” Eva said.
Marcus chuckled. “Well, not against you, obviously, but they’re not all bad. We’ll also make sure the kid stays safe. You saw how easily Jim and Duncan let him out of their care. Poor kid. I’ll make sure I’ve got eyes on him at all times until you find the killer.”
That was the tipping point for Eva. She couldn’t deny that Marcus’s influence covered most of the flotilla. He had people all over the place, keeping an eye on developments. If Danny was to remain safe while she was investigating Jean’s murder, it made sense to have Marcus’s resources backing her up.
She held out a hand. “Why do I feel like I’m doing a deal with the devil?”
Marcus bowed, took her hand, and kissed the back of her fingers.
“Maybe you are, love, but better the devil you know, right?”
Chapter 8
Jim put the last rivet back in place and sat on his bed. The sound of waves battering the side of the Bravo echoed into the small room, the steel amplifying the water’s kisses. Thunder roared in the distance. If the weather kept up, it would be even more difficult to send a ‘volunteer.’
He thought about visiting Frank, getting him to take Faust, but that would require too much trust. He couldn’t afford for Frank to come back to the flotilla with the truth.
A knock on the door made him start.
“Captain? Are you in there? It’s Duncan.”
Jim stood, looked around him to make sure he hadn’t left anything out, and unlocked the door. Duncan’s large frame filled the open space. Worry etched waves into his forehead beneath his long, wild hair. More a Viking as every day passed, Jim thought.
“What is it, Dunc?”
“Just wanted to give you a progress update. The hydropower should be back on in a few days. The engineering boys have figured out the problem. Someone smashed up the transformer. They’re putting together a new one.”
“That’s good. With the way the storm’s coming in, that should generate enough power to recharge the batteries. What about the wind turbines?”
“The main one took a real battering. Most of the gears and fins are damaged beyond repair. The guys say they can fabricate new parts, but it’s going to take a while.”
“At least it’s something. That bitch Faust’s plans won’t stop us all just yet.”
Duncan’s worry seemed to deepen.
“What is it, son?”
“We discovered the powered desalinators were destroyed last night. Even if we get the power back on, they’re beyond repair. Need parts that we just don’t have. We’re down to natural evaporation. We’ve got enough water stocks for about three days before we’re out.”
“Faust’s people?”
Duncan shrugged his hefty shoulders. “Hard to tell, but after her reaction this morning, I wouldn’t rule it out.”
“This is not good,” Jim said, rubbing his face, all the while thinking of sending Faust to the sharks as a warning to her congregation. “You think this could be part of her plans for mutiny?”
“Unless her idea of mutiny is to kill off most of the population, I don’t think so. It seems more calculated. You saw what she was like this morning. The woman’s nuts.”
“But she’s clever,” Jim added. “Don’t underestimate the intellect behind the fury. She knows what she’s doing. Her flock grows bigger every day as people cling to any meaning to all this. We’ve got to keep this place together, Dunc. United, we’re safe.”
“I know, Dad. I know.”
“How’s Danny getting on?”
“Oh, crap, I forgot to take the kid his breakfast.”
“Do that now, son. That poor kid is probably scared and overwhelmed with grief. You see that he’s okay. After that, let Stanic know I want a word with him. There must be some way those desalinators can be fixed, and if anyone knows, it’s him.”
“On it,” Duncan said as he dashed off down the corridor, ducking beneath the low beams and runs
Similar Books
