“Aye, aye, sir,” Magnolia said.
“Captain Mitchells, you are in charge of the mission in the sky,” X said. “Commander Everhart, you’re going, but I want only two of the best Hell Diver rookies going with you.”
Michael and Les both acknowledged their orders.
“Once you arrive at the target, you will scan for the defectors. If they are there, you will destroy them. Then Team Raptor will dive from the sky and rendezvous with Magnolia and the Cazadores to search for the survivors requesting our help. Splitting up will give you the best chance of reaching and rescuing these people.”
“Sounds like a good plan, sir,” Michael said.
“What about the council?” Les asked.
“Disbanded until the mission is over,” X said. “No way in hell I’m meeting with just Moreto and that fancy pants merchant Tomar.”
“Tomás,” Rhino corrected.
“Whatever,” X said. He looked at Lieutenant Sloan.
“Lieutenant, you make sure our security is airtight by the time Discovery and the warship depart,” X said. “I don’t want any surprises here at home while our divers are away.”
“And what about the Cazador that killed DJ?” Wynn asked. “You aren’t just going to let him go free, are you?”
X had decided to go with his gut on this one. It would be tossing the Cazadores some red meat while dealing with the problem in a way they would understand.
“General Santiago is spoiling for a fight in the Sky Arena,” X said. “I say we let this Cazador murderer fight for his freedom. If he wins, he goes free. Otherwise, justice is served by his death.”
Rhino nodded and said, “That is a wise decision, King Xavier.”
“Glad you agree,” X said. “’Cause once this storm passes, you’re the one who’s going to kill the bastard.”
“You really have to go?”
Magnolia flinched at the unexpected voice, and out came the pistol on her belt. She looked up from her work on the deck of the Sea Wolf to see a figure on the dock.
A man stood in the shadows, away from the glow of the torches, not far from where DJ got his head bashed in.
“Just me, Mags,” said Rodger, walking into the light with his hands up.
“Jeez, Rodgeman, don’t scare me like that.” She holstered the pistol and took out her tin snips.
“Sorry, didn’t mean to.”
“It’s okay, I’m just finishing this roll up.”
She used the snips to cut through the roll of razor wire she was adding to the boat’s rail. Then she set the coil down and waved him aboard.
The storm outside had weakened, but she could still hear the wind rattling the door of the boat port. The sound gave her the creeps, and she was glad Rodger had shown up.
Not that she was new to violence or monsters, but the dark water slurping against the tethered boats made her uneasy. There was no telling where the Cazadores’ famous human-eating octopuses were right now. No one had seen them since el Pulpo took his last breath.
Rodger took the access ladder to the Sea Wolf’s deck and stood with his hands in his jumpsuit pockets, head bowed slightly.
“I really wish you didn’t have to go,” he said.
“I know. Honestly, I wish I could stay, but X needs me out there, and I want to be ready for whatever we might face on the seas and at the city.”
Rodger looked at the mounted harpoon gun, the razor wire, and the crates of supplies she had yet to take belowdecks.
He pulled a small cardboard box out of his pocket, looked at it, and handed it to her.
“What’s this?” she asked.
“Gee, I guess you’ll never know unless you open it.”
Magnolia untied the string and opened a flap. Inside was the head of a wolf, carved in exquisite detail. It looked just like the Hell Diver team logo, and the figure Samson’s team had added back to the deck of the boat after the Cazadores painted over it.
“Wow,” she whispered.
He raised a brow above his glasses, a half smile on his face. “You like it?”
“No, Rodge, I don’t like it,” she said, pausing a second before adding, “I love it!”
She reached out and gave him a fierce hug, then kissed him on his cheek. Rodger tilted his head, no doubt expecting another kiss, this one on the lips. But romance was the last thing on Magnolia’s mind.
Not with recent events.
She was staggered by the news that Ada had dropped the container of Cazadores into a watery grave. But learning of DJ’s murder had hit her even harder. The forty-year-old engineer had left behind two kids and a wife.
Magnolia’s heart hurt just thinking about it.
“I’m sorry,” she said, pulling away. “It’s not that I don’t want to be with you, Rodge. It’s just everything that’s happened, and the uncertainty of the future.”
“I understand. Trust me, I do.”
She held the wolf carving up to the light and smiled. “It’s going to look great next to my elephant. They’re so realistic, I hope they don’t scare each other.”
Rodger returned her smile, but she could tell he was disappointed.
“You really have a knack for this stuff,” she said. “Maybe you should open your own shop and try selling it to the Cazadores.”
“Maybe,” he said, slipping his hands back into his pocket. “Hey, I was thinking maybe we could have dinner with my mom and dad later tonight. They want to get to know you better.”
“Sure, I’d love that,” she said. “Maybe I’ll see if you get your humor from Bernie, or Cole.”
He smiled and looked at the razor wire coiled on the deck. “I’ve got something I need to finish for DJ’s funeral, but I should have a spare hour right now if you want some help.”
“Yeah, actually. Would be nice to wrap this up and get some rest before we ship out.”
“When’s that?”
“Two days,” Magnolia replied.
There was a lot to do before then, and she worried about what could happen when she left. She tucked the wolf carving into her bag and put her gloves back on.
“You got to look after X when I’m gone, okay?” she said.
“I’ll have his back, don’t worry.”
Magnolia snipped another section of wire and glanced up. “I’m serious. I’m really worried someone might try and knife him while he’s sleeping.”
“You’re talking about the Immortal, Mags. You think someone’s just going to waltz into X’s bedroom, somehow get past Miles, and stick him while he’s sleeping?”
Rodger had a point, but that didn’t mean someone wouldn’t try to ambush X when he was alone on a swim or in a dark hallway.
“I’m just worried, okay?” Magnolia turned to make sure no one was eavesdropping from the dock. “I’m worried about Ada, too. She’s young, and dumb like I was at that age. I doubt she really understood the repercussions of her actions.”
Rodger kept his voice low. “Did she really kill all those Cazadores?”
“I wasn’t there,” Magnolia replied. “I only know what Les said happened.”
“What do you think X is going to do to her?”
“I don’t know.”
“You think he’s going to banish her from the islands?”
“Like I said, I don’t know.”
Rodger must have realized he was annoying her, and stopped with the questions. He politely asked if he could borrow the tin snips.
After handing them over, Magnolia tapped her wrist monitor and pulled up the collection of music she stored on it. She scrolled through until she found her favorite album.
“You like rap when you’re working, right?” she asked.