Page 25 of Invincible
Throwing away their trash, they climbed back into the truck, heading to get what they would need.After loading the piece of plate and the diving gear, they returned to a boat dock Dex wasn’t familiar with.
“Hey Ty, thanks for calling me,” a man prepping a boat with equipment said, waving at them.
“Dex, this is Steve.I usually rent his rig for this.He’ll watch our air and welder while we’re working.Steve, meet my assistant, Dex.”The men shook hands as they boarded the small work boat.
Within half an hour, he had brought them alongside the vessel they were to work on.“I’ve worked for this group before so I have no problem completing the work before meeting later for payment.I haven’t had them run out on me yet, though they really should consider investing in dry docking soon,” Tyler said.
Tyler helped Dex into the dry suit she had borrowed for him before adjusting his underwater welding helmet.With a thumbs-up to Steve, they slipped over the side into the water.
The piece of plate was attached to a small crane that was lowered into the water until Dex had it wrestled into place.Feeding Tyler the leads, Steve started the welder, then sat back to watch the equipment.Joining Dex at the side of the boat, she began to work.
By the time they finished with the job, he felt exhausted but exhilarated all at the same time.
“Steve will take us back around, then we can drive back over for payment,” she said, pulling her helmet off inside the boat.
“Hey, Steve, you know everything that happens around here.”Dex sat up a little straighter in the boat when Tyler gave him a knowing side-glance.“Have you ever heard much about smuggling rings around here?I was watching some oldDatelineabout human trafficking and it got me thinking.”
Dex decided that her skills might extend much further than welding.Maybe she should run the honey trap.No, the thought made him hostile.
“There was a group a couple years ago that got busted for shipping counterfeit merchandise.I’m sure there are lots of human smuggling going on here, but I don’t know anyone that does it.Trust me, the first call I would make would be to the cops if I ever did,” Steve answered.Well, it was at least worth a try.
Laying back against the side, Dex looked at Tyler in awe.He couldn’t remember the last time he had worked this hard, but she didn’t even look like she was tired.She even thought to question someone she knew was always around the docks.He hadn’t.Perhaps it was time for him to get out of the office a little more.
He loved his job, but he needed to find something he could get his hands dirty doing in his off time.Knock the cobwebs out of his mind.Climbing out of the boat when they docked, Dex shook Steve’s hand after helping Tyler gather her gear.
“So what is your favorite job to do?”he asked as they drove with the windows open back toward the docks.He had been watching her smile as her hair whipped around her in the late afternoon air.
“I really like the underwater stuff.Someday, I really want a place where I can keep a couple of boats on the water out back of my shop.Nowhere fancy, just a quiet place all my own on the water.I think somewhere around Seabrook would be nice, I’d be right in the middle of the channel.”
She smiled at him before looking back out the windshield.Pulling up to the gate, she handed over their cards, allowing them access to the ship she had just patched.“How about after we clean up, I’ll take you to the boardwalk?Knox and Greer can meet us there since she has the night off.”
“Sounds perfect,” Dex agreed, retrieving his card.It only took Tyler a few minutes to meet the captain of the ship for payment before they were heading back to her shop.
An hour later, freshly showered, they walked into a steak house on the Kemah boardwalk.Ordering drinks, they sat down to wait for the other two.
“Greer said they’re parking now.”
“Hopefully, they had better luck than we did today.Knox was supposed to talk to Memphis this afternoon.As long as nothing’s changed where Mia is, we still have time,” Dex said.
Tyler looked at Dex sitting next to her.She was almost positive he had some personal stake in this operation, but she couldn’t figure out what it was.Using the girl’s first name seemed a little too familiar for it to simply be another case.Before she could think about it any further, she was interrupted by the sound of arguing approaching their table.
“Have you lost your freaking mind?He leads in points per game, season MVPs, and five games with more than sixty points,” Knox growled at Greer as he pointed to the inside of the booth.
“Leads in total points, assists, and rebounds.Besides the fact that he has more trips to the championships,” Greer shot back angrily, sliding into the booth.
“You have to win them!How many has he won?Oh, that’s right, three out of nine instead of all six.You’re fucking insane.I don’t even know why I’m trying.”
“Wait,” Dex spoke up as Tyler watched the two arguing across the table like she was at a tennis match.“Are you having the classic James/Jordan debate?You know that’s a no-win argument, right?”
Tyler couldn’t help the laugh she barked out when they both spun to glare at Dex.
“Personally, I’m a Wilt fan myself.Tyler?”
“You know, I’m not getting in the middle of this, but I’m usually a little partial to whoever plays for the home team.”She grinned at Dex when their statements were greeted by two derisive snorts from across the table.“If I have to choose, though, I’d have to go with Jordan.I mean, that man could play baseball too.That’s just hot.”
“What!?”Greer yelled at her from across the table as Knox fake mic dropped at Greer in triumph.
“Crap, now she’s going to suffocate me in my sleep,” she whispered at Dex, who snorted a laugh.They both fought to school their features when they heard a growl from the other side of the table.
