Page 58 of Wild Tempest

“And you saw the gold with your own eyes?”

“Held it in my hand,” Tempest said.

A mischievous sparkle glimmered Demi’s eyes. “Do you recall the exact coordinates where that ship went down?“

“Don’t even think about it,” I said.

She exchanged a look with Tempest. The wheels turned in both their eyes.

35

We returned to the Avventura.

Two CIA officers waited in the parking lot for us, wearing navy suits. I’d given them a call and told them about the bio weapon. I’d had dealings with Officers Jones and Johnson before.

“This is a potential antidote,” I said, handing Johnson a serum kit. “I can say with a high degree of certainty it’s effective. This pathogen is likely in the hands of terrorist groups as we speak.”

“We need you to come in for a full debrief,” Johnson said.

“Sure.”

Johnson motioned to their black SUV with dark-tinted windows.

“Not right now.” I was tired and hungry. “We’ll set something up.”

“We’ll need every detail you can remember about that ship and its current location.”

“You’ll never find that ship. Even if I tell you where to look.”

“Trust me. We’ll find it.” After an awkward moment, he said, “We’ll be in touch.”

They walked back to their vehicle, and we continued to the Avventura.

“Are we really going to tell them where it is?” Tempest asked.

“All I know is it’s at the bottom of the ocean. Our navigation equipment malfunctioned. Who can say with any certainty where we were?”

The Avventura was empty and quiet. Teagan had been taking care of the animals on our journey. The three of us stepped aboard, and Jack made a beeline for his stateroom. He was ready to get cleaned up. We all were.

“I’m going to sleep for the foreseeable future,” he said.

"If you need anything, just holler," I replied. "Are you sure you don't want to see a doctor?"

"I'm positive." With that, he disappeared.

Tempest and I were alone in the salon.

"I really can't thank you enough for everything," she said in a soft voice, stepping close. She looked up at me with those adorable eyes. “I have my father back. He might be going to jail for the rest of his life, but he’s alive.” She took my hand and squeezed it tight. After an awkward pause, she said, "I guess this is goodbye."

Her eyes stared into mine, looking for any excuse to extend the moment.

"I’m sure we’ll see each other around."

She smiled. "You should let me buy you a drink sometime."

"I’d love to," I said with a smile. “But I just arrested your father. I will be called to testify at some point. Seeing you in anything other than a professional context would be a conflict of interest.”

Tempest frowned.