Page 12 of A Second Dawn
Can’t say I blame him. I’ve known her for less time and haven’t been intimate with her, but she’s been on my mind constantly from the moment we met.
De Marco won’t leave anything to chance. And I won’t leave a stone unturned to make sure he’s not going to get to her again.
“I can’t get any more men to you on such short notice,” Carl continues. “Marni will support you as best she can. It’s up to you two to get Ella out. Let’s hope they haven’t found her yet.”
“They haven’t. I spoke with her before takeoff. There’s a complication.”
“Why was her phone turned on?” Carl immediately asks. “She was under strict instructions to only do so in an emergency. If she turned it on throughout the cruise, it might be how De Marco found her.”
It’s been a question running nonstop in my mind. How did he find her?
Where was the slip up?
Was it Ella herself, or do we have a mole?
That thought stings. I’ve been through this before. It was a devastating blow, one I’m not sure I could handle again.
I try to push the memories aside, but they keep flooding back. The sense of betrayal, the anger, the helplessness. It’s all there, simmering beneath the surface.
I thought I’d worked through this and had forgiven Ginger, had forgiven myself. Is this yet another layer being exposed? The timing is atrocious.
“We need to fix any leaks,” I say firmly.
“I’m onto it. The guys are already going through every piece of information with a fine tooth comb.” Carl’s office phone rings in the background, but he ignores it. “What’s the complication?” he asks.
“Ella confided in another passenger on the ship,” I tell him, my anger resurfacing that she was so foolish.
Carl swears under his breath. “Why would she do that? She knows to keep her identity under wraps.”
“I don’t know the particulars. I’m going to find out. Ella knows what’s at stake.”
“Aiden, she must take this seriously. Make sure she understands.”
“I will. The person in question is the ship’s psychic who goes by the name of Claudette. Have a background check run on her. See if there’s anything linking her to De Marco.”
The scribbling of pen to paper comes through the phone, then the clicking of a keyboard. He’s forwarding the information on to our team. Carl is one of the most efficient operatives I know. Working with him was one reason I signed on with Freemont.
“I’m onto it. In the meantime, I’ll organize a getaway car for you. Flying is not an option. De Marco could easily gain access to the flight plans. You also can’t bring Ella back to Atlanta until this situation is resolved.
“I’ll work on new arrangements. Report back when you’ve got to Halifax and assessed the situation. Unless conditions change significantly, we implement backup plan C to retrieve Ella. I’ll call our contact and set things in motion.”
My nose wrinkles, but he’s right. It’s most likely the only way for Ella to leave the ship undetected.
“And Aiden, that criminal must not get to her.”
I’m surprised by Carl’s last comment. He seems unusually invested in getting Ella to safety. What kind of favor is he owing Lex? Or is there more to it he’s not sharing?
“I’m on it,” I reply before hanging up.
Next, I call Marni to check in with her.
“Hey Marn, any news?”
“No. They’re waiting just like me for Riley to get off the boat.”
Riley?
It takes me a moment to remember that Marni has only been given Ella’s new name, Riley Tate.