Page 5 of Austen

“Calm down,” Austen said.“My boat is hardly a yacht worth attacking.And I’m not looking for Aztec gold.”She stood up.“I’m looking for the statue of Santa María de la Paz.”She picked up the rope, ready to catch the dock.“It’s a sixteenth-century statue of the Black Madonna, about three feet tall, inlaid with pearls and rubies, sent by the King of Spain to a monastery on the island of Hispaniola—a.k.a., DR.It was sculpted by Diego de la Piedra, one of the king’s private artists.He died shortly after he sent the statue to Hispaniola, so it’s a one of a kind.TheSan Miguelwent down on the Silver Bank after breaking up on coral in a storm.A few relics from the wreck have been recovered, but not the statue.”She jumped onto the dock and wrapped the mooring rope around a dock post.

“And you hope to be the one to find this statue?”Hunter got up.

Hopemight be a strong word.

“It’s just a vacation.”She jumped back into the boat and headed to the back to unrig the gear.

“Sounds like a job for Ethan Pine.”Hunter gathered up their gear.Elise had already climbed out of the boat.

“The treasure hunter?No.I’m not looking to get rich.”

She just wanted...Aw, shoot.

She stood, her gaze landing on a man standing at the end of the pier, long blond hair held back in a bun, wearing shorts and a tank.Mo.

And with him...Oh boy.Built like the ex-SEAL he was, dark-blond hair, sunglasses, and not appearing at all like he’d taken a bullet to his chest a couple months ago.

“Is that your brother with Mo Winters?”Hawkeye had hoisted the BCDs onto the dock.

She sighed.“Yes.Yes, it is.”

So much for escaping town.

“Right.I forgot what the date was,” Hawkeye said quietly as he unhooked another BCD from its tank.

Yep.

Mo and Stein headed her direction.

Hunter had gotten out.“Thanks again, Austen.Have fun on your trip.Should I say hi to Declan for you?”

While she debated her answer, her twin brother walked up, took off his sunglasses, held out his hand to Hunter, and said, “No.You most certainly shouldn’t.”

Then, even as he shook Hunter’s hand, he glanced at Austen, his mouth grim, a definite we’ve-got-trouble expression on his face.

And she had the strangest urge to turn around and run.

* * *

Please let this plan work.

Declan stood in his office, leaning on his black marble desk, arms akimbo, listening to Zeus, his head of security, outline the operation.Operation Shell Game.

Whatever.The former SBS operative could call their bait-and-switch plan anything he wanted.As long as it worked.

He cast a glance out the window.His property sat atop a bluff overlooking the small seaside town of Esperanza, and now his gaze searched the harbor.He spotted his yacht, theInvictus, anchored to shore.

Crew loaded it up with food supplies, gas, and water.He checked his watch.

They should be landing soon.

Zeus was still talking.“The cargo ship will dock on the far shore, but only after it clears customs in the Mariposa harbor.”Zeus wore a black T-shirt that seemed too small for his body, a pair of jeans, and a cap over his dark curly hair, his Bermudian English accent heavy.“We’ll replace the crew with our own, then head over to the dock on the north side of the island.”He brought up a picture of the mining company.

The mining company owned by the Russian mob.

Declan’s mouth pinched.He shouldn’t have let it get this far.

Beyond his property and up the hill rose Cumbre de Luz, the now-dormant volcano that had created the tiny island of Mariposa.A terrible scar of rock and debris cut down the face of the mountainside, the once-lush tropical forest at its base ripped up, shredded, and deposited into the small unsuspecting town along the harbor, taking out homes and destroying businesses.

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