Page 38 of Honor Code

But as he moved closer, the tangle of wires, container, and duct tape confirmed his worst fear. It was an improvised explosive device. He’d seen enough of them during his time in the Middle East to recognize it.

Heart pounding, he swung off the ladder and on to the scaffolding to take a closer look. Scrambling across the support beams, he maneuvered his way underneath the rig, his eyes never leaving the device.

Sweat beaded on his forehead as he studied the bomb, searching for the trigger. Was there a timer? Or was it a remote activation? The plastic holder concealed the explosive material, making it impossible to determine the type or quantity. His mouth went dry at the implications. This wasn't just sabotage. It was complete destruction. Whoever was defrauding the company was getting desperate. Their ploy to get rid of Ellie hadn’t worked, and now she'd verified the survey reports and was preparing to go public with what she knew, they were out of options.

They’d taken drastic steps to hide the evidence. A blast would destroy her samples, her data, everything—and send the rig to the bottom of the Gulf.

Phoenix's mind raced, his SEAL training kicking in. Basic IED composition, yes, but disarming the device was too risky. He didn’t have the expertise. Booby-traps designed to prevent tampering were a real threat. There was only one man onboard who could disarm this bomb, and that was Boomer.

He scrambled back onto the deck, adrenaline surging through his veins. Spotting Billy tidying up, he called out, his voice steady despite the urgency. "Where’s Boomer?"

Billy shrugged. “I thought he was with you.”

“No, he came up twenty minutes ago.”

Billy looked around. “There he is. Hey, Boomer! You’re needed over here.”

Thank fuck. He wasn’t far.

Boomer ran over. “What’s up?”

Phoenix lowered his voice. "There’s a fucking IED attached to the bottom of the platform."

The explosive expert’s eyes widened. "You're kidding?"

Phoenix shook his head. "We've got to get everybody off this rig, pronto."

Boomer's jaw clenched, and he nodded. "Let me take a look."

Phoenix went to talk to Billy while Boomer hurried to the ladder.

The Ops Manager’s eyes grew wide as the implications dawned on him. “Okay, I’ll sound the alarm.”

Thankfully, there were only a handful of people still on board. Phoenix hurried back to Boomer.

“Where is it?”

“Halfway down, five feet in, attached to the support beam. You can’t miss it, it’s covered in duct tape.”

Boomer descended the ladder, his mouth pinched in a thin line.

“I see it,” he called, once he was in position. “I'm going to take a closer look."

Phoenix made to follow him. "I'll come with you. You might need my help."

Boomer held up a hand. "No. Let me take a look first. Stand by. I'll holler if I need you."

Phoenix didn't like it, but he nodded. Boomer was the expert.

Above them, staff members began to appear on deck, preparing for evacuation. “Take the second inflatable,” Phoenix ordered. It was already tethered to the landing dock and was big enough to carry the remaining seven or eight people on board. They’d used it earlier to get underneath the other side of the rig. “Launching the lifeboat will take too long.” He didn’t know how much time they had.

Then, he heard the words he’d dreaded.

"It’s counting down. Less than two minutes." Boomer’s voice was quiet, but Phoenix could hear the finality in it. There wasn’t enough time to defuse it.

Shit.

Phoenix yelled to Billy in the inflatable. “Go, now! Get away from the rig.”

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