Page 234 of Hidden Tide
And five Navy SEALs are waiting beneath the water.
The helicopter carries me toward the abandoned ferry landing.
Agent Marquez sits across from me while a federal medic secures the transmitter beneath my shirt.
The replica compass hangs around my neck.
It looks almost perfect.
The brass is too bright. The engraving lacks the tiny mark Grandpa made near west after dropping it on the deck of Sea Whisper.
From several feet away, Simon won’t notice.
If he holds it, he will.
“You do not board the Argent Star,” Marquez says over the headset.
“I know.”
“If Naomi does not leave the ship, you remain behind the marked line.”
“I know.”
“If Simon detects the insertion team, we remove you immediately.”
“I know.”
She studies me.
“You’re frightened.”
“Terrified.”
“Good.”
“That’s a strange thing to say.”
“Fear keeps intelligent people alive. Pretending you don’t feel it makes you reckless.”
The helicopter begins descending.
Below us, the abandoned ferry landing juts into the dark water. The remains of an old lighthouse stand above it. Federal marksmen are hidden among the rocks, but I can’t see them.
The helicopter touches down long enough for Marquez and me to exit.
She checks my transmitter one last time.
“Ben’s team enters the water in sixty seconds.”
“Do they know the ship is rigged?”
“Yes.”
“And they’re still going.”
“They’re SEALs.”
The answer sounds simple.
