Page 153 of The 9th Man

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LUKE WAITED UNTIL THE CREW DISAPPEARED INTO THE DARKNESS,puttering away. He’d even told them where to find Lewis Peters. To be sure, he searched all the crew cabins and found them empty, then crept to the end of an upper-deck passageway, Rowland’s cabin according to the plans, and pressed his ear to the door.

He heard nothing. But lights were on past the door.

For this to work he had to go in unarmed. Foolish? Maybe. But it was his only chance. So he laid the gun on the floor and knocked softly.

“Enter.”

He turned the knob, pushed the door open, and stepped through. Rowland was seated behind a polished kidney-shaped desk in an elegant on-the-water bedchamber that doubled as an office.

“Luke Daniels,” the old man said. “I’ve been waiting.”

“Good to know you expected me. I thought it was time we met face-to-face.”

Rowland glared. “What happened to my crew?”

“They’re halfway to the beach by now. As it turns out, not a single one of them wanted to die for you. It’s just a hunch, but it might have something to do with your poor interpersonal skills.”

“The reports on you were correct. You are a smug son of a bitch.”

Rowland sat, one hand on the leather desk blotter, the other in his lap. Which surely held a weapon with the safety off. Especially considering he’d been expected.

“I’m unarmed,” Luke said.

Rowland’s hand came up into view.

Yep. Gun.

“I’m not.”

“Where is she?” he asked.

A door to his left opened and Jillian stepped out.

“I told you, my dear,” Rowland said. “He knew all about you.”

He’d hoped he was wrong. But that was not the case.

“Why?” he asked.

“Money. What else?”

She also held a 9mm, finger on the trigger.

He was seriously outgunned.

But he had to play this out.

“When did you know?” she asked.

“For sure? After you shot Eckstein.”

“Who says I did?”

“Everybody else there had high-powered rounds. Your Beretta, though? It would leave a nice neat hole. So unless you’re like Rowland, and accidentally pulled the trigger, you shot him dead on purpose.”

She shrugged. “That was the right opportunity. I didn’t think you’d be so observant.”

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