Page 22 of Harbored by the SEAL
“I thought the radio wasn’t working,” said Cowboy.
“There are protocols to be followed. If we completely stopped transmitting, they would send help to find us, but no one has come. They must be in contact somehow.”
Charlotte tapped her fingernails on the table. “So the radio isn’t out, it’s just been rerouted.”
“That’s right,” said Harrison. “And we know they’re controlling the navigation system. But what if there’s more?”
Cowboy furrowed his brow. “Come again?”
“What if it isn’t just the radio that’s been moved? We know their virus affected our security cameras. Who’s to say they haven’t tapped into those, too?”
The idea that a hidden enemy could have eyes all over the ship was beyond unnerving. Cowboy thought of the first mate preparing the helipad for HERO Force’s arrival and felt a sudden rush of concern for his teammates.
“Almost like a second bridge,” said Charlotte.
Cowboy shook his head. “So let me get this straight. This ship has been taken over by somebody — or a bunch of somebodies — without ever showing their faces? How the fuck is that possible?”
“And what are we going to do about it?” asked Abby.
“How many cabins are there on the ship?” asked Cowboy.
“Two thousand seven hundred eighty, not including the crew.”
Too many to go door to door, especially considering the people they were looking for could easily move from one room to another. Cowboy’s mind was whirling. They had a seemingly insurmountable task ahead of them and nowhere near enough resources to accomplish their goals.
Charlotte leaned forward. “You know, when I went to dry my hair this morning, I couldn’t believe how few outlets there are in the staterooms. I’ve got pretty nice digs, and I only counted two.”
“Five thousand people use a lot of power,” said Harrison. “We try to limit consumption.”
She pushed her sunglasses to the top of her head. “But these things you’re talking about — monitors and radios and computers — they use a lot of power.”
Harrison’s head shot up. “That’s it! We don’t have to search all the staterooms because most of them couldn’t supply the amount of power these guys need to operate.”
“How many of the staterooms does that eliminate?” asked Cowboy.
“Almost all of them. There are only a handful of luxury suites that could handle it. A dozen, maybe less. And the restaurants, the casino, the theaters with all their lights. But this narrows down the list of possibilities significantly.”
“Then we start there.” Cowboy stood up. “I say we stay together. It’s too risky to split up when we can’t communicate with each other.”
Harrison nodded. “Agreed. Let’s get started.”
19
Charlotte already hadher hair in a ponytail and she was beginning to wish she’d worn sensible shoes. The three-inch wedge sandals were cute, but after traipsing around a boat the size of her hometown for almost four hours, she’d pay good money for a nice pair of sneakers.
None of the luxury suites had panned out, and they’d moved on to searching areas of the ship that could provide power and some sort of secrecy.
The Stargazer Theater was home to Broadway-like shows and a French acrobatics troupe. On the main stage, two women were twirling on ropes hung from the high ceiling while the crowd oohed and aahed over the music.
Harrison led the way through the backstage area and a series of hallways, ending up in what seemed to be some kind of lighting control room. “Nothing,” he said. “Let’s head to the arcade.”
Charlotte rolled her eyes. She knew where the arcade was, more than half the ship’s length away. Why couldn’t he go in some kind of order instead of traipsing all over hell’s half acre? “Wait.” She walked toward the window overlooking the theater, the performers mesmerizing even from here. “I need to take my shoes off. I can go after bad guys barefooted, right?”
She bent down to unbuckle her sandals, a small red light catching her eye. She squatted and peered under the console, making out a rectangular shape with wires and a digital timer.
It looked like a bomb.
No. Surely actual bombs didn’t look so bomb-like. It was probably a prop.
