Page 65 of Honor Code

They banked, and she turned to look out of the window at the azure blue ocean far, far below. There was still the matter of who was trying to kill her and why. But she wanted to enjoy this moment, this slice of freedom for a little longer, before they had to think about what to do next.

When they landed in Corpus Christi, Texas, they were met by two more men just like Phoenix and Boomer. They were both tall, broad shouldered, and drop-dead gorgeous. Honestly, where did they find these guys?

Ellie could tell straight away they were both ex-military. Something about the way they held themselves, that quiet confidence that Phoenix had in spades, and the reserved smiles that held so many dark secrets.

After the backslapping and hand shaking, Phoenix introduced them as Pat and Blade.

Pat's eyes crinkled as he grinned at her. "Good to meet you, Ellie. We heard you guys might need some backup." She guessed he was in his early forties with salt and pepper hair and a handsome, rugged, face. As Ellie gazed into his steely-gray eyes, she found herself warming to him. He exuded strength and competence.

"I think we're going to," Ellie replied, trying not to show how relieved she was to see them. They needed all the help they could get to take down the organization behind this.

"When we heard about the explosion, we jumped on a plane as fast as we could,” said Blade, who could have been made of granite, he was so chiseled.

"Appreciate it." Phoenix thumped him on the shoulder.

“Who’s that?” Blade pointed to the semi-conscious mercenary in the chopper.

“One of the guys who tried to kill us,” Phoenix said. “We’re going to turn him over to the authorities.”

They called the Coast Guard, who were involved with the oil rig’s clear-up operation, and explained what had happened. They, in turn, called the police. As expected, there was a ton of red tape to get through, but after she’d given her statement, Ellie let Pat and Blade take her back to their hotel.

Phoenix and Boomer, it seemed, still had a lot of explaining to do since they’d left three dead mercenaries on the barrier island and had a fourth, semi-conscious one in tow.

“They’ll be okay,” Pat told her, clocking her worried frown in the rearview mirror. “After what’s happened, they’re going to have to give statements about the IED they found on the rig as well as what happened on the island.”

She nodded, unsure what to make of these two hulking men who Phoenix had entrusted her to. She hadn’t missed the curious glances they’d been giving her since she’d landed in the chopper.

“How’d you meet Phoenix?” Blade asked conversationally, as they drove toward the hotel.

“On the Explorer,” she said, figuring it was too long a story to start at the beginning. “After the bomb went off, I pulled him out of the water. He was concussed and bleeding, but we managed to get to the island where we found shelter and medical supplies.”

“Lucky for you,” Pat said.

“Is that when the hit squad found you?” Blade asked.

She cringed at the term, and saw Pat elbow him in the ribs. “There were two of them. They’d followed us to the island, I’m not sure how. Phoenix… dealt with them, and we escaped to the beach to see if they had a boat waiting, but that’s when the others arrived in the helicopter.” She took a shuddering breath. Four men, including the pilot. Phoenix said they were mercenaries hired by the organization responsible for all this.”

“Does this organization have a name,” Pat asked.

“Gilded Futures LLC. That’s who hired the hit squad, as you put it. We don’t know who they are or what they do, but we think my boss, the man who hired me, is part of it.”

“What makes you think that?” Pat glanced at her in the mirror.

She took a shaky breath. “I think he hired me on purpose, hoping I’d be too inexperienced or intimidated to question the anomalies in the test samples. That way, nobody would have found out about the falsified survey reports until much later.”

“Huh?” Blade spun around, his brow raised.

“Oh, sorry. I forgot you don’t know what I’m talking about.”

She filled them in, starting with the fake geographical data and ending with the IED. She even told them about the attempt on her life during the storm, when Billy had been knocked overboard.

“They’re trying to cover their tracks,” Pat said, and she could see his forehead was deeply furrowed.

“Most of my evidence was lost in the explosion,” Ellie told them. “I don’t have anything that can prove the reports were faked, or that my samples were useless.”

Saying it out loud made her heart sink. If they couldn’t prove any of it, how were they ever going to catch these guys?

“Well, the Coast Guard and relevant authorities have launched a full-scale investigation into the oil rig explosion,” Blade told her. “Maybe they’ll find something.”

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