Page 12 of All The Way Under
I blow out an annoyed breath.
“I can deal with females. Why does everyone think I’m this Neanderthal without any social graces?”
He chuckles under his breath.
“You kind of are, no offense. I didn’t say anything in muster, but we got a little more intel about what kind of female this is. She’s from one of the wealthiest families in the States. All we knew when we jammed her navigation system was that it was extremely high-tech and suspicious given her coordinates. Therewas no reason for us to believe that was a civilian boat. We aren’t in the wrong here, but we weren’t right either. As such, her family is demanding her back unharmed. They’re demanding it pretty emphatically too. You must succeed.”
Hissing out a breath, I close my eyes.
“Fantastic. The Coast Mafia knew exactly what they were doing when they took her then. We needed a kidnapping for ransom to get in. We didn’t needthisone, though,” I say. “At least we know her family will pay if things don’t go according to plan. If I need to get her out of there quick, for say, medical reasons, her family can be a backup plan if I need to stay there longer.”
The way Commander is looking at me tells me he hopes it doesn’t come to that.
“Hey, we have no idea what’s going to happen when I get there. There could be more than one organized crime syndicate in play if she’s worth that much. The crime rings don’t all operate the same. You know that.” I pause. “How much are we talking for ransom?”
Commander grunts and shakes his head.
“Millions. The mother demanded to talk to the captain of our ship because she thought that he was in charge, and they let her believe that. The FBI put her through because I guess she’s got a screw loose and hollering about who she knows on the inside. But McCoy,” he deadpans. “If, when you get there, she’s unharmed, you have to make sure she stays that way just to be on the safe side.”
“I get it. That was always the plan. What’s her profile?” I ask.
Commander shifts the stack on the desk in front of him and hands me a cream folder with paperclips sticking out.
“She’s a talented sailor in her own right. She won the America’s Cup. That is an incredible feat,” he states.
I open the folder and see a photo of her holding a silver bowl-shaped trophy with a wide smile. The picture is black and white, but I can tell she’s blonde and thin. Basically, she’s exactly what I thought she’d look like. A fucking moron who sails alone in dangerous waters.
“She is twenty-eight and has a degree from Columbia,” he says.
Okay, maybe not a fucking moron, but still an idiot.
He goes on. “She is unmarried and owns more real estate than a monarch. Her dad served in the Navy for ten years while having a trust fund with nine zeros at the end, so not all typical stuff in here. She works as an engineer at the family company. Wyndham is the last name,” he says as I scan the words, trying to soak everything in that may be of any importance to me.
What makes her tick? Does she have pets? What can I say about her world to have something in common with her?
I meet his gaze when it registers.
“Like Wyndham Technology?” I ask, unable to keep the shock from my voice. “That family?”
“Same family,” he replies, tone low. “So when I say keep her safe, it’s less of a suggestion and more of a direct order.” He laughs as he finishes his sentence.
They developed the software that created AI, along with a laundry list of cutting-edge technology the military uses daily. It is the biggest tech company in the world.
“The mom really meant she knew people on theinsidethen,” I remark, reading over the rest of the notes.
She has a sister, I notice, and store that information for later.
“I’m going to take this with me to look over tonight.”
I tap the file on the desk, and it makes an echoing noise.
“You picked the right guy, Commander. It’s going to be great to finally nail these assholes to the wall and dismantle this.”
Another kidnapping-for-ransom band will more than likely pop up, but taking apart the criminal ring that is being funded is our end goal.
Commander grabs my shoulder.
“I know you’ll make me proud, McCoy. I think putting you outside of your comfort zone is going to be good for you, for our squadron. You’ve been on the Teams a long time. This is exactly what you need to propel you to the next level of development. Something that challenges every part of you.”
