There were four bars up there to check, some of them probably open all night. Cedar stepped out onto the deck—and froze.
Wind whistled in his ears. The entire length of the ship stretched before him, silent and deserted. Not one passenger was up here. The pools were still, the lounge chairs vacant, the bars empty—when just yesterday the deck had been packed.
“That’s weird,” he said. “Did they close the area?”
“I told you there was an emergency drill,” said Brynn, her tone irritated. “We need to find someone and ask them what’s going on—hey, there’s someone!”
Cedar followed her finger to the aft observation deck presiding over the back of the ship, where two figures waved.
Brynn raised her hand to wave back.
Before she could, Cedar grabbed her elbow and hustled her back indoors, out of view. “Don’t draw attention to yourself,” he spat. “You don’t know those people and you don’t know what they’re capable of. Come on. He’s not out there anyway.”
“Get your hands off me,” she said, whipping her elbow out of his grip.
“The Solarium Bar’s just around the corner,” he said.
“Cedar, we’re not supposed to be up here.”
He ignored her and led the way past the elevators to the brightly lit forward part of the deck. Glassed-in and strewn with lounge chairs, empty pots, and hot tubs, the entire Solarium Bar was privy to panoramic views of the ocean. Sunshine streamed in through overhanging trusses, dappling the planks with patterned shade.
This room too had been closed off. At its center, a circular counter served a dozen empty bar chairs.
“We’re really not supposed to be here,” said Brynn, her eyes darting around the empty space.
Cedar dragged her to the bar and knocked loudly on the countertop. “Bartender!” he shouted. “Bartender, where the hell are you?”
“Cedar, shut up,” said Brynn, again yanking her hand out of his grip. There’s no one here.”
“Well, they’re supposed to be.”
A second later, the two figures they had seen aft burst into the bar, out of breath. Cedar recognized them both—Naomi, the girl he had hung out with last night, and Jake, the douchebag he’d caught hitting on Brynn.
Well whoop-de-doo.
Jake’s eyes flicked from Cedar to Brynn—and stayed there. Imperceptibly, the guy raised an eyebrow at her. Brynn turned away from him and blushed bright red.
No, he did not just see that—
“Whoa, whoa . . .” Cedar strode forward and planted a palm on the guy’s chest, halting him. “Slow it down there big guy. What’s that look you just gave my little sister?”
The guy had two inches on him. “I didn’t give her a look.”
“You gave her a look.”
“He didn’t give me a look,” said Brynn.
Cedar spoke to her over his shoulder. “Why so quick to defend him, Brynn?”
“Cedar, stop being an asshole,” she said.
Cedar tilted his head back, regarding the guy from a different angle. “Do you think I’m an asshole, Jake?”
“I know you’re an asshole.”
“That’s right, I am,” said Cedar. “And that’s my sister. That means you don’t touch her, you don’t look at her . . . got it?”
Jake opened his mouth an if to say something but must have thought better of it. He raised his palms in surrender and stepped back. “Okay, you win.”
“Smart man,” Cedar muttered. “Smart man . . . I always win.” He turned to the girl. “Hi, Naomi.”
She was glaring at him, her mouth agape. “We’re in the middle of an emergency right now, Cedar. You need to chill the fuck out.”
“Yeah, there’s an emergency drill or something,” said Brynn.
“There’s no drill,” said Jake. “We’ve checked everywhere. We’ve been checking all morning. You guys are the first passengers we’ve seen. As far as we can tell, we’re the only four people on board.”
“Where’s everyone else?” asked Brynn.
“Gone,” he said.
“What do you mean gone? ” said Cedar. “They’re
Wind whistled in his ears. The entire length of the ship stretched before him, silent and deserted. Not one passenger was up here. The pools were still, the lounge chairs vacant, the bars empty—when just yesterday the deck had been packed.
“That’s weird,” he said. “Did they close the area?”
“I told you there was an emergency drill,” said Brynn, her tone irritated. “We need to find someone and ask them what’s going on—hey, there’s someone!”
Cedar followed her finger to the aft observation deck presiding over the back of the ship, where two figures waved.
Brynn raised her hand to wave back.
Before she could, Cedar grabbed her elbow and hustled her back indoors, out of view. “Don’t draw attention to yourself,” he spat. “You don’t know those people and you don’t know what they’re capable of. Come on. He’s not out there anyway.”
“Get your hands off me,” she said, whipping her elbow out of his grip.
“The Solarium Bar’s just around the corner,” he said.
“Cedar, we’re not supposed to be up here.”
He ignored her and led the way past the elevators to the brightly lit forward part of the deck. Glassed-in and strewn with lounge chairs, empty pots, and hot tubs, the entire Solarium Bar was privy to panoramic views of the ocean. Sunshine streamed in through overhanging trusses, dappling the planks with patterned shade.
This room too had been closed off. At its center, a circular counter served a dozen empty bar chairs.
“We’re really not supposed to be here,” said Brynn, her eyes darting around the empty space.
Cedar dragged her to the bar and knocked loudly on the countertop. “Bartender!” he shouted. “Bartender, where the hell are you?”
“Cedar, shut up,” said Brynn, again yanking her hand out of his grip. There’s no one here.”
“Well, they’re supposed to be.”
A second later, the two figures they had seen aft burst into the bar, out of breath. Cedar recognized them both—Naomi, the girl he had hung out with last night, and Jake, the douchebag he’d caught hitting on Brynn.
Well whoop-de-doo.
Jake’s eyes flicked from Cedar to Brynn—and stayed there. Imperceptibly, the guy raised an eyebrow at her. Brynn turned away from him and blushed bright red.
No, he did not just see that—
“Whoa, whoa . . .” Cedar strode forward and planted a palm on the guy’s chest, halting him. “Slow it down there big guy. What’s that look you just gave my little sister?”
The guy had two inches on him. “I didn’t give her a look.”
“You gave her a look.”
“He didn’t give me a look,” said Brynn.
Cedar spoke to her over his shoulder. “Why so quick to defend him, Brynn?”
“Cedar, stop being an asshole,” she said.
Cedar tilted his head back, regarding the guy from a different angle. “Do you think I’m an asshole, Jake?”
“I know you’re an asshole.”
“That’s right, I am,” said Cedar. “And that’s my sister. That means you don’t touch her, you don’t look at her . . . got it?”
Jake opened his mouth an if to say something but must have thought better of it. He raised his palms in surrender and stepped back. “Okay, you win.”
“Smart man,” Cedar muttered. “Smart man . . . I always win.” He turned to the girl. “Hi, Naomi.”
She was glaring at him, her mouth agape. “We’re in the middle of an emergency right now, Cedar. You need to chill the fuck out.”
“Yeah, there’s an emergency drill or something,” said Brynn.
“There’s no drill,” said Jake. “We’ve checked everywhere. We’ve been checking all morning. You guys are the first passengers we’ve seen. As far as we can tell, we’re the only four people on board.”
“Where’s everyone else?” asked Brynn.
“Gone,” he said.
“What do you mean gone? ” said Cedar. “They’re
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