Page 17 of The Situation Ship
He grabbed his gun holster and wrapped it around his shoulders, cursing himself for falling asleep after an evening of searching through Poppy’s belongings and finding nothing. He had tried to stay awake until they returned to the suite, but the seasickness had got the better of him, and he had drifted off.
“Why are you banging on the door? It’s like 4am,” Mina groaned, opening her door. She was wrapped in a bathrobe, her eye makeup smudged.
“Don’t you hear the sirens?” he demanded, barely able to hear himself think, let alone sleep.
“I fell asleep listening to a podcast; what’s wrong?” she grumbled.
“Is Poppy with you? We’ve got to get to the muster point.”
“No, she must be in her room.”
Wasting no time, Isaiah used his smartwatch to enter Poppy’s room. Her empty room. He picked up her charm bracelet from her pillow; he was going to kill her.
“Where did you last see her?” he snapped,putting the bracelet in his pocket. The sirens only heightened his frustration, and Mina’s semi-drunk state wasn’t helping.
“Don’t snap at me! I didn’t know she left that thing here. We were at the bar like we said we would be. I started feeling sick, but she wanted to stay longer. Tequila and a rocking ship aren’t a great combination, so I returned at around… midnight? I thought she’d be right behind me.” Mina eyed the turtle-shaped clock on the bedside table.
“Four hours ago? Damn it. I shouldn’t have given her so much space.” Isaiah ran his hand roughly through his hair. Any trust he’d gained with Poppy wouldn’t matter if she vanished on the first night. He left the suite and hurried down the hall, weaving through other guests as he headed in the opposite direction of the emergency lights.
“Where are you going?” Mina followed him in her bathrobe. The way she struggled to keep up told him she was still drunk.
“To the bar where you last saw her.” He pounded the lift button, but the light flashed red in response. Had Poppy manipulated Mina into drinking so much to have some time alone? Given that someone had plotted to kill her less thantwenty-four hours ago, the idea of her being alone and intoxicated on a ship made his stomach knot.
“Sir, you can’t use the lifts during the drill. Please follow the emergency lights; all guests must go to their muster points,” a man in a navy uniform said, blocking the lifts. He looked far too composed for so early in the morning.
“I need to find my client,” Isaiah argued, looking at the door marked ‘Stairs’.
“There’s no need to panic about your client. This is a drill, and I’m sure they’ll be waiting for you at the muster point on B-deck.” Guessing his next step, the crew member blocked the door to the stairs with a forced smile.
“I just want to go to the bar and ensure she’s alright. If it’s just a drill, then where I go shouldn’t matter.”
“I’m sorry, sir, but there are several bars on board, and I can’t let you check all of them during the drill.” The man’s false smile only added to Isaiah’s irritation.
“What bar was it?” he asked, turning to Mina. She hesitated.
“I think it was opposite the theatre. The Pearl Bar?”
He understood how easy it was to get turned around on the ship. All the corridors looked the same, and with so many different amenities, it was hard to keep track of where everything was.
“The Pearl Bar, located in the Entertainment Lounge on A Deck, has already been cleared. All guests in that area have been escorted to the muster point. Please follow me, or I’ll have to call security.” The man’s smile was tightening with every word.
“Isaiah, don’t cause a scene,” Mina urged. “They won’t let you run all over the ship, and I’m sure Poppy will be with the other guests.”
Taking a deep breath, he decided to trust Mina and followed her and the crew member to the deck. Poppy had better be there, or he would permanently weld the bracelet onto her wrist.
The exterior B-Deck was crowded with lined-up cranky guests shivering in the cold, who, in their bright orange life-jackets, looked as pleased to be there as he was. Once they reached their assigned row, his stomach sank when there was no sign of Poppy.
“I should’ve checked the bar; she isn’t here,” Isaiah said, his tone earning him a disgruntled look from the guest beside them.
“They won’t keep us long – then we can look for her,” Mina murmured quietly back.
“He said they cleared the bar, so if she wasn’t there when the alarm sounded, she must have left before. Did she say where she might go?”
“No, but I was too busy trying to get back to my room without throwing up amongst the elite.” Mina’s teeth chattered as crew members talked them through the emergency protocols.
He scanned the crowd of shivering guests, hoping to catch a glimpse of her. “Once this is over, we’ll have to split up. If you find Poppy first, bring her back to the suite. I’ll meet you there,” he instructed, wishing he had a way to contact her.
Once the drill was completed, a crew member addressed their row. “Thank you for your understanding and patience. I’m sure you all understand the importance of drills to ensure your safety and that of your companions. Feel free to explore the ship or return to your cabins.”
