Page 6 of Austen

Even now, some two months later, the locals struggled to rebuild their lives.

When he’d leased rights to the Russians, he’d known they weren’t mining for sulfite inside the volcano like they claimed, but rather for obsidite.A rare mineral found only on Mariposa, a superconductor of electricity, and the hottest commodity in the terrorist market.

To get to the obsidite, the Russians decided to destroy the tunnels that ran through Cumbre de Luz like Swiss cheese.Which, as it turned out, caused the entire mountain to tremble, break free...

And slide down into the village.

The mining, the landslide—it was all his fault.And he had to do something about it.Especially now that they’d mined enough to create their first shipment off the island.

Declan blew out a breath, hung a hand on the back of his neck.“You sure they won’t know we switched the boat crews?”

Zeus set down the remote control.“I hired our crew.One of the captains is Russian—he can do the talking.He can be trusted.”

“And then?”

He turned.“Then we play a little game.We send out two more ships, one equipped with the AIS they expect?—”

“Which will be the route they expect?”

“Cuba.”

Of course, Cuba.The closest communist country and still in cahoots, apparently.

“Right.And our ship?”

“Two of them, using the same AIS?—”

“They’ll have different positions and speeds and courses but will offer the same basic signature.”

“Yes,” Zeus said.“They’ll go two different directions, so even if the Russians do manage to find out the AIS, they won’t know which one it is.I named them theNiña, thePinta, and theSanta Maria.”

“And the mining company?”

“Rigged, sir.Most of the workers will be leaving the island for R&R.Just a few security, but we’ll escort them away before the mine is destroyed.”

“Very good.”Declan glanced again out the window, at the nearby orphanage, also positioned above the village.The slide had, providentially, narrowly missed taking out the centuries-old former monastery.A few of the kids played outside in the soccer field.Probably Rosa was making some of her delicious jerk chicken.

Maybe he’d have enough time to head over there after he picked up Doyle and Tia...

He stood up.“I’m leaving this with you, Zeus.”He held out his hand.

“Very good, sir.I’ll be in touch.”Zeus shook his hand, then headed for the door.

Declan locked his office, then headed to his bedroom.

The thick stone walls of his home collected the cool breezes off the ocean, the doors to his expansive terrace open to the lush tropical smells and salty breeze.

Shanice had just finished changing his sheets, and now she gestured to his packed suitcase.“According to your list, sir.”

“I appreciate that.You can tell Javier that he can take it to the yacht when he’s ready.I’ll take the Alfa and leave it at the dock garage.”

She left him and he stepped out onto the balcony jutting out over the pool deck, white travertine tile bright against the sunlight.Sometimes the view still stopped him—the expansive blue water of the Caribbean, the endless unfettered sky.

“You’d like this, Mom,” he said, leaning on the glass railing, and he couldn’t deny the smallest thickening of his throat.This place was so very different from the tiny bungalow in New Hope, Minnesota, where he’d grown up.

A buzz in the air turned him toward the harbor, and he spotted the small seaplane descending, its red-and-white body an albatross gliding to a landing.

He headed downstairs, then outside to the steps, and finally out to his four-stall garage.Keying in the code, he entered, grabbed his keys, and slid into his restored 1969 Alfa Romeo Spider, a tiny Italian car that barely fit his body.But he liked it.

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