Page 22 of Rescuing Mia

Not anymore.

Still, I can’t tear my eyes away from him. There’s somethingmagnetic about his presence, something that makes me feel safe despite the chaos swirling around me.

I watch as he approaches a ship, theSerenity, its name emblazoned in bold scripted lettering on its side. It’s part of the Aggressor fleet, a well-known diving expedition company. He hands his ticket to a crew member at a gangway and boards, disappearing from sight.

A sudden thought strikes me. If I could get on that ship, if I could make it to the next port, maybe I could find my way to Sydney from there.

My gaze darts to a small kiosk at the end of the dock. That must be where they’re selling tickets. If I can just get a spot on that boat…

Chapter Twelve

RIGEL

As I makemy way to the marina, the morning sun is just starting to peek over the horizon. My dive gear is slung over my shoulder, and the air is already thick with humidity.

Excitement thrums through my veins.

It’s a perfect day.

The perfect day.

Today, I embark on the dive excursion of a lifetime. I’ve been looking forward to this for months, dreaming about this moment since the day I officially submitted paperwork to separate from the Navy.

TheSerenity, part of the renowned Aggressor fleet, awaits me at the dock. It promises underwater adventures and breathtaking sights.

As I walk, my mind drifts to the dives ahead. The colorful coral reefs, sleek sharks, playful dolphins—I can almost feel the cool embrace of the water, the weightlessness that comes with diving deep into the blue.

After leaving Manila, we head to Coron, famous for its world-class wreck diving from WWII. Then we’re on to Palau, world-renowned for the diversity of its marine life and iconic sites likeJellyfish Lake. Then, on to Papua New Guinea with some of the most pristine reefs in the world.

From there, we head to the Solomon Islands, home to coral reefs, more WWII wrecks, and seawalls with sharp drop-offs into the abyss. We’ll visit Vanuatu, New Caledonia, and finally, the Great Barrier Reef, the world’s largest coral reef system.

Talk about the grand finale of the cruise of a lifetime.

But even as I lose myself in these thoughts, my mind keeps circling back to the woman from the street yesterday, the one with the haunted eyes and midnight-black hair.

I can’t shake the memory of holding her in my arms, the way she felt both fragile and strong at the same time. I wonder if she’s okay and wish I had gotten her name and learned more about her.

There was something about her, something that drew me in and made me want to know her story. To understand what put that look of fear in her eyes, what made her seem so skittish and unsure.

As I near the port, the chaos of the city gives way to the steady rhythm of the sea. Here, the air is salty and cool, offering a brief respite from the heat. The water is a shifting mosaic of blues and greens, with boats of all sizes dotting the surface.

Lugging my gear across the bustling marina, the heat wraps around me. Sweat beads on my forehead and runs down my face and chin in rivulets as I maneuver through the crowd.

My dive bags are a cumbersome weight on my shoulders.

Around me, the marina thrums with life. Fishermen, skin bronzed and weathered from years under the sun, expertly mend their nets, their hands moving in rhythms passed down through generations. Children, unfettered by the concerns of adults, dart between the stalls and boats, their laughter ringing out, a pure sound that brings an involuntary smile to my face.

As silly as that sounds, I scan the faces in the crowd, half-hoping to glimpse my mystery woman. The chances of seeing her again in a city of millions are slim to none.

With a sigh, I adjust my grip on my gear. The weight of it grounds me in the present. I need to focus on the here and now, on the adventure ahead of me…

Not on a woman I rescued from a nasty fall in the street.

Despite the civilian setting, old habits die hard. My gaze instinctively sweeps the area, a remnant of years spent in environments where vigilance was as necessary as breathing. My attention flits from face to face, assessing, searching for any sign of threat out of instinct rather than necessity.

“Not in the teams anymore, Rigel.”

I can’t help but laugh, a soft chuckle lost in the cacophony of the dockside. This isn’t a war zone, and I’m not that man anymore.

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