Page 41 of Austen

“Mariposa Base, this is Declan on theInvictus.Over.”

Static, and his gut tightened.What if the Bratva had already raided his house on Mariposa?—

“This is Mariposa Base, go ahead Declan.Over.”Zeus’s voice.

“I need the current GPS coordinates for theNiña.Just verifying position.”

“Copy.One moment, I’ll pull up the latest communication.”

He glanced at Sergei.“He’ll send them over EDCIS.”

“No tricks.”

Declan held up his hands.

Zeus came back on the line.“Coordinates sent.Over.”

“Thanks for the quick response.How’s the weather over there?Over.”

“Blue skies.But reports are there’s a weather front moving in.We’re watching it.You?Over.”

He didn’t look at Sergei.“Storm on the horizon, sailing right into it.”

And just to prove he wasn’t lying—although he hoped Zeus picked up his meaning—he pointed at the radar.Fuzz on the screen showed an incoming squall.

“Anything to worry about?”

“Not at this time.Just keep an eye on the front.Invictusout.”

“Safe travels.Mariposa Base out.”

Declan hung up, then went over to the electronic chart where Zeus had sent the coordinates and zoomed in on theNiña.

She sat in waters east of Haiti, on her way to the Caymans.

Sergei swore and Declan stepped back, hands up.He turned to Declan.“Where is she docking?”

“I don’t?—”

Another cuff.This one jerked him back, bounced him off the console.

And that was just it.

He ran at Sergei, slapped the gun away with both hands, then grabbed his throat in his hands.Slammed him up against the console, stepped up to him, holding tight.“You don’t get to hijack my boat, kill my people?—”

A blinding pain exploded in the back of his head, his knees buckled, and he hit the floor.

Instinct made him put his hands over his head to protect himself as Igor stood over him, holding the butt of his semiautomatic, an HK G3 probably pulled off a NATO soldier fighting on some Russian battle line and sold in the black market.

And why that thought swept through Declan’s head, he didn’t know.Just—yeah,it left a mark on him.Gray dots speckled before his eyes, his head spinning.

Igor grabbed him up just in time for Sergei to add his fury.His punch hardly registered, however.

Still, Declan tasted fresh blood as Igor hauled him out of the captain’s roost, nearly pushed him down the two flights of stairs, then flung him headlong into the salon.

His blood probably wrecked the white carpet.His bell had certainly been rung, because the world tilted even as Igor grabbed Captain Teresa and forced her out of the room.

Probably back to the helm to chase down theNiña.

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