Montu yanked his wrist from Xander’s grip. “I’ll cut your throat.”
Still holding the oxygen tank, Leila sucked in a deep breath and strode across the deck to the two men. She stopped a few feet in front of them, her free hand curled in a fist. “Enough. Both of you. We don’t have time for this. Soliman is out there, in danger or possibly dead. He needs our help, and we’re not going to be able to do that if we’re constantly fighting. We are on the same team. We all want to stop Faris and save Soliman. Let’s put aside our differences for a couple of days and just get it done. Montu.” She faced him and lifted the canister, then pointed at a metal wheel on the top. “What’s this part do?”
He scowled at her for a moment. She thought he’d turn around and vanish back into the cabin, but instead, he rolled his eyes. “That’s a valve, you idiot.”
“A valve for what?”
“It controls the gas flow in and out of the tank.” He took the canister from her and set it on the deck. “It’s connected to the regulator.” He pinched a black tube attached to the tank between his fingers and jiggled it. He released it, then picked up the gauge hanging on the side. “This gauge tells us the pressure. It’s monitored before, during, and after filling. Even while underwater.”
Now that he was on a roll, Montu explained the other parts of the cylinder, then showed them how to put on the harness, use the mouthpiece, and which flippers and goggles they could use.
Leila wondered if she’d be able to remember everything, but since Pete and Montu were coming with them, at least she’d still be able to follow their lead. Maybe she’d take a few scuba courses after all this. Apparently knowing how to dive came in handy when planning a heist on a well-guarded island in the Aegean Sea. Who knew what else she could use it for?
By the time Montu seemed to be winding his lesson down, there was still no sign of Pete. It had been at least two hours and Leila’s head was starting to feel light. Xander seemed to have the same issue.
“Right.” Xander clapped his hands together. “It’s after one. Let’s take a break for lunch. After lunch, we can put our new knowledge into practice. What do you think?” He glanced at Leila.
She nodded. “Sounds good to me.”
Montu’s footsteps clacked as he retreated into the cabin without a word.
Leila took a step after him, then stopped. Asking him if they could bring him any lunch would be the friendly, polite thing to do, maybe even ease the tension a bit. But the knife threats… He’d threatened both her and Xander. He wasn’t interested in being friends, and frankly, neither was she. She shook her head and turned back to Xander, who watched her from the railing.
“Ready?” he asked.
He took her hand and they walked down the harbor boardwalk, then stopped at the zebra stripes to cross the road. It didn’t seem like any of the cars would stop for them, so they waited until there was a break in traffic to dash across the street. Once safely on the opposite sidewalk, they followed the signs toward the city center.
As they walked, glimpses of the Acropolis sitting high on its hill flashed between buildings and trees. A pang of longing twisted in her chest. A part of her wanted to skip lunch and go see the ruins up close, but that wasn’t the reason they were here. They had work to do. Her throat tightened at the thought that, if Faris had his way, they might never come back.
She pushed the thought away and squeezed Xander’s hand. He squeezed back but didn’t look down. His focus was on the people that bumped past them as they strolled down the sidewalk. The streets of Athens bustled with activity. Tourists and locals merged together in the streets—walking in and out of various European chain stores, lining up for takeaway, sipping coffee outside cafés, taking a pause on a bench beneath an olive tree. This wasn’t helping her yearning for normalcy at all. More than ever, she wished she could join them.
Xander tugged her hand as he gravitated toward a Greek takeaway window. They both ordered a gyros meal, then took their food-filled Styrofoam containers toward a patch of green farther down the pedestrian street.
All the benches in the park were occupied, so they settled on top of a stone wall that lined the perimeter. Leila popped open her Styrofoam box and studied at the pile of fries and the shaven meat-filled wrap, the scent of grease and spices filling her nostrils.
“Not sure this was the best idea right before we go scuba diving for the first time,” Leila said, popping a fry into her mouth.
“The only problem with this,” Xander replied with his mouth full, “is that we should have bought some extra mayo.”
“These fries are already dripping in fat.” She picked up the sandwich and took a bite, savoring the meaty goodness. A walk around the city would help digestion before they attempted to dive. Plus, it was the best excuse to at least see some of the city. She could sort of check it off her bucket list.
She turned to Xander. “Do you want some of my fries?”
Without answering, probably because his mouth was full, Xander grabbed one from her Styrofoam container.
She pulled a floppy slice of red bell pepper out of her sandwich and placed it next to the fries, then took another bite. They ate in silence, watching as people walked by, chatting in Greek, English, French, and other languages Leila couldn’t place. Eventually, she stopped eating and simply watched the crowd. Would she and Xander ever be able to share a moment like this again? Two travelers enjoying a quick meal in a buzzing city center?
“Needed a little more sauce,” Xander said after taking his last bite, his voice sounding strangely distant.
“Mine is okay.” Leila shook herself out of her trance, though the cloud of impending doom lingered. So be it. There was only one way out of this, and that was to go through the storm.
“You going to eat all those chips?”
She handed him the container, still half-filled with fries. “Nope. I’m done.”
“I don’t trust him,” Xander said as he busied himself with polishing off the rest of the fries.
“Who?” Leila knitted her eyebrows together, her first thought being Pete.
“Montu.”
She nodded. “I know. He’s a pain. I don’t think he’ll ever forgive me for his fingers.”
“It’s not just that. It was when I had his wrist. The look he gave me… I wouldn’t trust him with a pet cactus if I had one.”
“Was it the knife in his hand that gave him away?” Leila lifted an eyebrow.
“I’m serious, Leila.” He held her gaze. “I don’t like it. Don’t put your guard down around him.”
Leila swallowed. She’d never liked the guy either, but his hostility only seemed to worsen the more she saw him. With the way he acted, he would drive that knife between her ribs the moment she gave him the chance. Was it just about his fingers? He had mentioned Bastet… Did he suspect foul play?
“I don’t know what else we can do, though.” Leila rubbed her arms as if she were cold. “Maybe he’ll stay behind when we leave for the island. Or we could tie him to the dock.”
Xander smirked. “Now we’re talking. What about tying him to an anchor?” He rose and walked to the nearest trash can. A moment later, he was back, but something had changed. His expression had hardened. Darkened.
What’s up with him?
Before she could ask, he pulled her to her feet. “Whatever you do,” Xander said, his voice deathly serious, “don’t look behind you.”
