Page 37 of Honor Code

Ellie's heart pounded in her chest, and she found it hard to breathe. Panic rose, choking her, as her mind raced with a thousand frantic thoughts. The betrayal, the danger, the uncertainty—it all swirled together in a dizzying maelstrom that threatened to overwhelm her.

Her hands shook as she gripped the tiller, her knuckles turning white with the force of her grip. Her pulse raced, blood roaring in her ears as her breath came in short, sharp gasps. It was all she could do to keep the inflatable on course, her vision blurring as tears of frustration and fear pricked at the corners of her eyes.

Not now.

She couldn't lose it out here in the middle of nowhere.

Ellie forced herself to take a deep breath, closing her eyes for a moment as she tried to calm the chaos in her mind. She pictured Phoenix, his strong, steady presence a lifeline in the storm of her emotions.

She could almost feel his arms around her, his voice a soothing murmur in her ear.

It's okay. I've got you.

In her mind's eye, she saw his face. Got lost in those piercing blue eyes that always seemed to see right through her, to the heart of who she was. She remembered the way he'd held her during that last panic attack, his touch gentle but firm, anchoring her to reality.

She focused on the memory of his hands, rough and calloused but always so careful when he touched her. She imagined the warmth of his skin against hers, the way his fingers would trace the lines of her face, brushing away the tears that threatened to fall.

Slowly, gradually, her heartbeat began to slow. Her breathing evened out as the panic receded. The shaking in her hands subsided, and the world around her came back into focus.

She took another deep breath, letting it out slowly as she opened her eyes. She still felt shaky, but the worst of the attack had passed. She was back in control.

And it was all thanks to Phoenix. Even though he wasn't here with her physically, the thought of him had been enough to pull her back from the brink. Somehow, his strength, his steadiness, had become a part of her, something she could rely on when everything else seemed to be falling apart.

Up ahead, the gray form of the Discoverer loomed into view. She was nearly there. She squared her shoulders and pushed the inflatable as fast as she dared. Given what she now suspected, it was more important than ever that she get onboard and verify the data.

But once she’d verified it, who did she report it to? Henderson could well be involved. He was the one who'd hired her. A flush of anger made her grimace. How dare he think she was a pushover? Well, she was going to show him. As soon as she got back, she’d speak to Phoenix and together they could contact head office, or maybe they could contact someone in his organization and ask them what to do. Surely, they’d know how to handle something of this magnitude. The most important thing now was not to let Henderson know she was on to him.

Pulling up alongside the Discoverer, she gestured to one of the roughnecks manning the launch station. He beckoned for her to moor, and she threw him the rope to fasten to the makeshift dock.

The Discoverer was larger than the Explorer, but not by much. In fact, the two rigs were very similar in design, with their towering derricks rising high above the main deck, and the sprawling matrix of pipes, valves, and machinery that made up the drill floor. Like the Explorer, the Discoverer was equipped with state-of-the-art technology for deep-sea drilling and exploration, including advanced seismic imaging systems and remotely operated vehicles for underwater surveying.

She guessed they'd also be on skeleton crew due to the weekend, which meant fewer prying eyes as she made her way to the geologist's office. But as she climbed onto the deck, a sense of unease settled in the pit of her stomach.

The stakes had just gotten a whole lot higher. And if her suspicions were correct, she wasn't just fighting for her job anymore.

She was fighting for her life.

CHAPTER 18

Phoenix's hands gripped the ladder rungs of the rig’s underbelly, his palms slick with sweat. It was a scorching hot day, but at least he was done. The blowout protector was fixed, and he could relax for a while before going on shift later tonight.

After Ellie had left on the inflatable that morning, he’d found Boomer and told him his suspicions. Boomer agreed it was possible Ellie’s interest in the geographical anomalies had put her in the firing line. Like Phoenix, he was worried about her safety. They’d decided that when she got back, they’d escalate the issue, have the project shut down, and get Ellie to safety.

It couldn’t happen soon enough for his liking.

As he climbed, he instinctively knew how much time had passed since she’d left. Twisting his neck, he peered out to sea, hoping to spy the inflatable coming in. So far, nothing. Not even a speck in the distance.

His gut tightened. He hoped to hell she was okay.

It would take half an hour to get there, another half an hour back, and however long it took to check the survey data with their on-board geologist. Of course, she’d have to sweet talk her way on then ask for their help—but he couldn’t imagine they’d refuse a woman alone on an inflatable boat.

She should be back by now. He’d give her another half an hour and then he’d take the second inflatable and go and look for her. The only reassurance he had was that no one had left the rig that he knew of. Henderson hadn’t made an appearance since this morning and was probably still holed up in his stuffy office. Unlike the shift staff, the boss rarely went back to the mainland on weekends.

Giving up on seeing Ellie return, he continued his climb to the top of the platform. Halfway up, a strip of duct tape wrapped around one of the support beams caught his eye. What the hell was that? It looked makeshift, like someone had tried to tape up a section of the beam. Leaning off the ladder, he took a closer look. He could see around the back of the beam now, where a rectangular object had been fixed to the structure.

His breath hitched, and an icy chill went down his back.

It couldn't be…

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