Page 23 of Raven's Nest
Mac shook her head. “That was you a couple months ago.”
“And I finally grew a set.” Kash looked at Jordan and damn, he beamed. Actually beamed. “Best decision ever.”
“If you discount Rook trying to kill us a few times over, sure.” Jordan winked. “Definitely my best decision.”
Zain groaned. “And now, I think I’m gonna be sick.”
Kash flipped him off. “Based on what I interrupted outside, I give it a week before we’re the ones who want to puke.”
“Unlike you, I’ve got restraint.”
“If that was restraint, I don’t want to see you unhinged.” Kash looked over at Chase when he walked back in and slid onto his chair. “Well, buddy?”
Chase placed his phone on the table. “Obviously, that was Greer.”
Saylor perked up. “Any news on that salvage vessel?”
Chase glanced at everyone else before releasing a slow breath. “The Coast Guard just called her.Unfortunately, the ship was gone by the time they got there.”
“What?” Saylor pressed her palms on the table, barely stopping herself before she’d stood and made a scene. “The ship was dead in the water. I tried the engines. It wasn’t going anywhere. And it wasn’t sinking that fast, even with the shitty conditions.” She raked her fingers through her hair. “What about the registration?”
“Apparently, it came back to a ship that sank a decade ago.” Chase held up one hand. “All I can do is repeat what Greer was told. They didn’t find even a trace of that vessel, or the pirate boats.”
Saylor groaned, sparing Mac a quick glance. “I knew that second boat was too small and nimble to be shore-based. The bastards had a mother ship.”
Kash coughed, pounding on his chest a few times as if he’d swallowed funny. “Mother ship? As inbeam me up, Scotty?”
Mackenzie laughed. “Not that kind of mother ship, Kash. It’s what they call the main vessel pirates use so they can attack boats farther from shore. It’s usually an old platform boat, or even a decommissioned cutter that can hide in plain sight. One that holds a bunch of those small boats, or skiffs, which they use to do the actual assaults.”
Saylor nodded. “Damn ship was likely just out of sight and hauled ass once their crew reported we’d been onboard. Probably towed the salvage vessel just far enough to avoid the Coast Guard before scuttling it.”
Chase sighed. “Sorry it’s not better news. Greer stillneeds us to make official statements, in case they connect the bullets to a crew, but that’s doubtful.”
Zain huffed. “It also means we won’t identify that guy we found. After seeing those armed assholes, I bet my ass he was one of them and not part of the crew. Might have helped steer the investigation in the right direction.”
Footsteps echoed in her mind, that eerie tone sounding inside Saylor’s head, again, and she had to physically stop herself from racing to the window — scanning the grounds.
Zain placed his hand over hers, arching a brow when she snapped her gaze to him. “You, okay?”
She forced a smile. “Fine.”
He frowned but didn’t press. “Hey, Chase, did Greer find anything at Saylor’s place?”
“She searched the property and the boathouse, but everything looked untouched.” Chase leaned back in his chair. “She was thinking about stopping by later, so you can ask her yourself, if you haven’t carried Saylor off to your place, yet.”
A round of chuckles eased some of her nerves, until Chase glanced at Mac. “Didn’t another vessel disappear along the coastline this time last year? Some kind of Coast Guard ship.”
Mac locked gazes with Saylor, her lips pressed tight, eyes wide before she glanced at Chase. “It was a contract research vessel.”
“What ship was it?”
Mac stared at her, again, silently asking Saylor if she wanted her to answer.
Saylor forced herself to swallow, her heart already kicking into overdrive. “TheVigilant.”
The name sparked another round of hinges creaking and lights bobbing on the water. That face staring at her from the shadows as a dull pop echoed through the air.
She pushed away the images as she stared at the table — focused on breathing. In, pause, out.
