Page 110 of Hidden Depths

“We knew it wasn’t ours.”

Silence filled the wheelhouse.

Finally...

The older man whispered,

"Of course, we knew that."

"Who is it?"

The younger man swallowed.

"They're flying no identification."

The older man's eyes moved toward the distant silhouette of Sea Whisper.

Then he quietly spoke the words he had hoped he would never have to say.

"We're too late."

"They've found the Sinclair family."

20

BEN

There comes a point on every mission...

When observation ends.

And action begins.

I'd been waiting for that point since we left San Francisco.

I had a feeling...

We'd just reached it.

The Pacific was calm.

The sky was clear.

Sea Whisper sliced through the water with effortless grace.

Anyone looking from shore...

Would've called it paradise.

I'd spent too many years in the Teams to trust paradise.

Ward stepped onto the bridge carrying Ivy's latest photographs.

"You need to see these."

Storm spread them across the chart table.

Each image showed the trawler.