Page 28 of Honor Code

Then there was the mystery item that had shot across the platform and careened into Billy, sending him flying overboard. Along with Boomer, Phoenix had searched the deck and taken a rough inventory—everything was accounted for. So what had come loose?

He raked a hand through his hair, worried. He didn't like this. Could Ellie be at risk? Could her life be in danger?

Stiffening, he made a decision. From now on, he'd have to keep a very close eye on her—just until things settled down. He was posted out here for the duration of the project. If someone was trying to hurt her, they'd have to get through him first.

With grim determination, Phoenix turned to go back downstairs. He pitied the man who tried that.

Sticking close to Ellie was easier said than done. Now that normal rig operations had commenced and she'd received the test samples from the well, she'd locked herself in her lab and hadn't come out all afternoon.

Phoenix checked his watch. 1900 hours. He was going on duty soon and wanted to see her before he did. He told himself it was to warn her to keep an eye out for anything unusual, but deep down, he knew it was more than that. His feelings for her were growing, despite his efforts to keep them at bay. He wanted to protect her, to keep her safe from harm, but he couldn't let her know how much he cared.

He wanted to check if she was okay, that she hadn't had any more panic attacks, that she'd recovered from the earlier incident.

When had he started caring so much?

It was now or never. He stopped pacing outside her lab and knocked on the door.

"Come in."

He twisted the handle and went inside.

She swiveled around on her chair. "Hey, Phoenix."

The moment he walked into the room, he could tell something was bothering her. "Hey, I just wanted to see how you were."

"I'm okay, thanks." She managed a weak smile. "I got the test samples today, and I've been going through them. To be honest, I've gone through them several times."

"And?" he prompted, guessing it wasn't good news.

She sighed, her slender shoulders sagging. "It's the same as the others. No hydrocarbons. I can't find any trace of viable oil deposits in this area. It just doesn't make sense."

He frowned. "What exactly does this mean?"

"It means there’s no oil here. There never was. I don't care what the geological surveys say. This is not a commercially viable reserve."

He put his hands on his hips and stared at her, deep in thought. Eventually, he asked, "Is that usual?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, is it usual to not find reserves despite what the geological surveys say?"

"Not really. I mean, some sites have more potential than others, but usually, the samples back up what the geological data says."

He exhaled, his heart aching at the sight of her distress. All he wanted to do was pull her into his arms and tell her everything would be okay, that he would protect her no matter what. But he couldn't. He had to keep his distance, to remain professional.

"What are you thinking, Phoenix?"

"I don't know. It might be nothing, but do you think there's something wrong with this situation?"

She sat quietly, studying him. "You mean, could there be something shady going on?"

"Yeah, like with the survey reports or the samples?"

"I don't know. I suppose there could be. I mean, the surveys are extensive and conducted by a reputable company, but there's a possibility they're incorrect." She thought for a moment. "There is another way to check, but it would involve getting surveys from another organization and comparing the two."

"Can you do that?" he asked.

"I can, but there'll be questions asked. If you mean, can I do it under the radar? I don't know. I could try."

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