Page 8 of A Second Dawn

Worst-case scenarios of what could happen when I leave the ship bombard my mind.

“What if ‘M’ stands for Mateo and they’re trying to trick me? Or… oh my god, what if ‘M’ is Molinaro?”

The blood drains from my face, fear gripping me. I feel trapped, like I’m in the eye of the storm.

“Who are Mateo and Molinaro?” Claudette asks as I struggle to swallow my food, my throat too tight.

“Mateo is Tiero’s brother. I imagine he’s looking for me too. As is Molinaro, he’s Tiero’s number one enemy. He tried to kidnap me twice. He got close both times. If Tiero’s men hadn’t intervened…” I don’t finish the sentence.

The horror of that last attempt is still fresh in my mind. The memory of Oriana’s dead eyes staring at me is burned into my psyche. She died because of me. While I did nothing wrong, her death weighs heavily on me.

I take a deep breath, trying to calm my nerves. But adrenaline is pumping through my veins now, and my heart races with every passing second. I can’t help but feel this ship is being watched, either by friend or foe, or perhaps both.

“Whoever is out there, Ash… oops, I mean Ella. We’ll deal with it together. You’re not alone in this.”

How she thinks we can outsmart an army of mafiosos is beyond me, but I love her optimism.

We eat the rest of our meal in silence. My stomach is still churning, my thoughts occupied with what’s awaiting me.

When Claudette has finished her breakfast, she rubs her hands together. She’s completely unperturbed. She must be holding onto her belief that everything will work out in the end.

But that end could be years away. My life could be miserable until then.

She smiles at me, getting up from the couch.

“Right, time to find out who’s at the dock.”

I pace the room. Five steps up and five steps down.

Up and down, up and down.

Why are these cabins so damn tiny?

Shaking out my hands, I keep moving. Waiting for Claudette to come back is torturous. It gives me too much time to think.

The longer she takes, the more certain I become it’s Tiero waiting on the docks. I felt panic during that meditation… raw fear.

Aiden causes tingles and heat, just like Tiero. But he doesn’t cause panic. If anything, his presence was reassuring in the few days we’ve spent together. I felt safe when he was around.

How did Tiero find out I’m on this cruise and getting off in Halifax? Or does he have people at each port Neptune’s Princess anchors? But then why did I only get the anxious shivery sensations now?

It must mean he’s here.

Did someone at Freemont betray me?

But Lex trusts these guys. And so do I. But then haven’t I always trusted too easily?

Tiero’s hacker probably outsmarted Freemont. It’s the only explanation.

Should I ring Carl and tell him about my suspicion that my guise has been busted? Or Aiden?

I go to my bag and dig out the emergency phone Garrett gave me in Switzerland, staring at it.

Do I turn it on?

Perhaps they’re aware of a possible breach and sent a message to warn me.

But Garrett and Aiden were adamant I should only turn it on in an emergency. Is this one?

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