“If you don’t fucking believe me, go and try Luis again. But make sure Ali and his pals don’t suspect anything is wrong, or we will all end up as fish food.”
“Maybe I will try and call him. You better be telling the truth.” Perez slammed the door of the cabin as he left.
Ryan met Tracer’s eyes and waited. Sophie, however had other plans.
“You’re American. Why are you working with these people?”
Tracer smiled. “You want to introduce us, Ryan?”
“What the fuck is going on, Tracer?” Ryan hissed.
“Wait. What? You’re Tracer? The man that helped my sister?” Sophie asked.
“Yes, ma’am. Nice to meet you, Dr. Sophie Summers. Too bad you were not my doctor when I was at Westside.”
“I don’t understand. Why are you here? You helped Chloe and me, but you’re working with them?”
Tracer moved behind Ryan. “I can’t take the restraints off, but I’m going to loosen them, so when the time comes, it’s easier for you to get out of them.”
“Time comes for what exactly?”
“Alejandro is dead. Luis probably is by now, too. Perez doesn't know that, though. I’ve been sending him texts from Luis’s phone. Raven knows where we are, and they’re planning an assault.”
Ryan demanded, “How many on board?”
“Reborn? Maybe a dozen. Then there's the crew and handler of the ship who are not a part of this. They are as much hostages as you guys are.”
“Dex knows that?”
“Yes.”
“When is the deadline?”
“Four hours, so they will be moving soon. Dex will text me when they’re ready. Our job is to keep Sophie safe. That’s it. They’ll handle the rest.”
Tracer moved behind Sophie; she visibly tensed.
“Honey, it’s fine. He’s on our side. He’s going to loosen your hands a little, make it more comfortable.”
Sophie looked at Tracer warily. “OK. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. Now, in front of Perez and Reborn, we need to keep up appearances.” Tracer looked at Sophie. “I apologize in advance for the things I might say and do, but I know Ryan’s priority is your safety, so I will do whatever it takes to keep you safe.”
“Do what you have to do, Tracer. Don’t let them touch her,” Ryan said. Tracer nodded.
“Why can’t we just go now and hide somewhere else until your team comes?” Sophie asked.
“Because there’s is only three of us and at least a dozen of them, all armed. It makes sense to play along, for now, and wait for my team. We need to ensure the safety of the ship’s crew, too.”
“I don’t want any of us getting hurt,” Sophie said. “Well, you can hurt that asshole Ricardo. Give him a slap from me.”
Tracer chuckled. “I’ll be sure to remember that. Tough lady you got here,” he said to Ryan.
“I know. She’s the best.”
“Runs in the family. Chloe was amazingly strong and brave. Is she doing alright?”
“Yes. She’s going to be fine,” Sophie said.