“You really think you’re going to get away with this?” I struggled to get comfortable. The camera inside my backpack felt like a rock against my back.

Sully laughed. “You have no idea who you’re dealing with, Ms. Lawson. And yes, I do think we’ll get away with it. We’ve been getting away with it for years. And now, we’re on our final trip, and nobody, least of all, some hack reporter from a third-rate travel journal and a creepy old battleaxe like Dede here is going to get in our way.”

“I beg your pardon.” Dede kicked one of the towels on the floor in Sully’s direction. “You can say what you want about Kat’s magazine, but I am not a creepy old battleaxe.”

The Inspector picked the towel up off the floor. “Take it easy, Sully. There’s no point in getting them all riled up. It’s going to be a long night.”

“Well then, chew on this, why don’t you?” Dede kicked her legs from under her and crossed her ankles. “I’ve known what you were up to all along, and I’m steps ahead of you.”

“What are you talking about, Dede?” Sully pointed the gun in Dede’s direction.

“I’m talking about the gold coin you had Greta hide in my bag. You think I didn’t know about it? You fool. Why do you think I came back when I did? Because I got bored with my cooking class? Please… If you think it’s just a few of us who know about you, you’re in for a big surprise.”

I started to squirm. I had no idea what Dede had in mind, but outspoken as she was, I feared she was about to get us all into deeper trouble than we were in already.

“And what kind of surprise is that?”

“The kind that will land you and your little Gang of Eight in jail.”

“Gang of Eight?” Sully scoffed. “Is that what you’re calling us.”

“Has a nice ring to it, don’t you think? But don’t quote me. It’s not me that’s going to write about it. You think it’s some accident Kat’s on board. That she’s some…what did you call her, hack journalist?”

“Dede, please.“ I struggled against my ties.

“Relax, Kat. They already know. Or think they know. She’s not just a journalist. She’s an investigator, you idiot. An undercover agent working as a travel reporter. Touch one hair on her head, and you’ll spend the rest of your life hiding. That is if you’re lucky enough to get off this ship before she’s boarded by the entire Mediterranean Coast Guard.”

“You’re bluffing, Dede. Kat Lawson’s nothing but a disgraced reporter who couldn’t get a decent job with any credible publication unless she paid them to hire her. We checked her out. She was fired from her last job.” The Inspector waved his gun in front of Dede’s face.

“I’ve said enough. I’m not saying another word. Not until I talk to Neil.”

“Oh, you’ll talk to Neil, alright. But he’s not going to be able to help you.” The Inspector holstered his gun and turned to Sully. “Come, we’ll leave the guard at the door. We have some business to take care of upstairs.”

I waited until both the Inspector and Sully shut the door.

“Dede, is there something you need to tell me?” There was no way Dede could have known about my previous work as an undercover operative with the FBI. I hadn’t mentioned it to anyone nor written a word about it in my notes. How could Dede possibly know?

“I should have listened to Ida long ago. Poor woman. She was right all along. And now she’s dead, and here we are handcuffed below deck in Athena’s bowels at the mercy of a bunch of no-good, thieving pirates.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. I never would have known if you hadn’t shown me the coin.” Dede sounded more angry than frightened.

“Believe me, I was hoping I could keep what’s been going on with the Gang of Eight quiet until I got off the ship in Positano and alerted the authorities.”

“Well, it’s not turned out that way, but it might be a good thing yet. Call it a lucky move that I agreed with Elli to arrange for a travel reporter to sail with us when you did. And if this Gang of Eight was suspicious of you, all the better that I should add to their concerns and let them think I hired a spy to bust up their operation.”

“Bravo, Dede.” Marco chuckled. “Convince them poor Kat here is some undercover operative, and maybe they’ll think twice before dumping our bodies at sea. At least, let’s hope so.”

Chapter Thirty-Six

Sully had flipped off the lights as he and Inspector Garnier left the gym area, leaving the six of us, Elli, Irene, Dede, Tatiana, Marco, and me, to sit in the dark on the cold floor with our hands tied behind our backs, wondering what was next. An hour later, maybe more, Sully returned and pushed Neil through the door.

The Inspector followed and turned on the light. Neil was cuffed with his hands behind his back. Someone had tied a bloodied bandana around his head. It partially covered his eyes, and Neil struggled to stand.

“What have you done to him?” Dede tried to get to her feet.

“Stay where you are!” Sully pointed his gun in our direction, and Dede sat back. From the crazed look in Sully’s eyes, I had no doubt he would shoot first and ask questions later.

“Easy, Sully. You don’t have to shoot anyone. Nobody’s going anywhere.” I leaned back against the wall. There was nothing we could do to defend ourselves. If Sully shot us now and dumped our bodies overboard, no one would ever know what happened.

Sully nodded to the Inspector, then jerked his head toward Neil. “Put him over there.”

Garnier grabbed Neil by the arm and dragged him over to us, then let his frail body fall like a rag to the floor. Elli gasped as Neil’s body fell over onto her legs.

I whispered. “He’ll be okay. Don’t say anything.”

“Shut up!” Sully grabbed my hair, pulled my face to his, and shoved the gun’s muzzle beneath my chin. “You have anything else to say?”

“No.” My back arched against my backpack. Another second and I expected he would have pulled the trigger, except—

The stairway door opened.

Sully turned his attention from me. Captain Byard and Finn stumbled through the doorway, their hands tied behind their backs. Antonio followed with a shotgun, then motioned for Finn and Byard to join us against the wall. He waited until they sat down, then stepped back and surveyed us.

“So what have we got now, nine? Counting Neil, Captain Byard, and Finn. What a sorry group. I have to say I didn’t expect this when Neil and I returned to the ship this morning. In fact, I wasn’t expecting to come back at all. It wasn’t until I got a call from Professor Braun telling me there was trouble. Poor Ida. Can’t say that was planned. Made for a good excuse for me to return with Neil, though. Still…such a shame.”

Antonio paced in front of us, like a drill sergeant, resting his rifle loose over one arm with his hand on the trigger. Our heads were bowed, each of us too afraid to make eye contact. Then he stopped directly in front of me, and I stared down at his shoes.

“And you, Kat, I couldn’t understand why Neil would allow a reporter on board. He’s a very private person who doesn’t like to discuss his affairs. So I knew you weren’t here to interview him. In fact, when you and I first met, I wondered if you might be an investigator. But then I dismissed the idea after I checked you out and learned about your chequered past. What a loser. You’re not what I’d expect the FBI or the CIA to hire. In fact, I’d say you were lucky to find a job at all. I don’t imagine it’ll cause much of a concern when you suddenly disappear, and Athena issues a statement saying you and your friends here were lost at sea.”

“Stop it!” Dede spit on Antonio’s shoe. “You don’t need to do this.”

“No, we don’t. Or at least we didn’t plan to. But unfortunately, Dede, you and Ms. Lawson present a problem. And, if Kat here hadn’t gotten so nosy, things might have remained as they were. But now. I’m afraid we’re forced to make a decision.

“You won’t get away with this.”

“That’s where you’re wrong, Dede. We will get away with it. I’ll admit we hadn’t planned to end things this way. We’re thieves, not murderers—”

“Tell that to Ida!” Dede jutted her jaw at Antonio, and Sully stepped forward.

Antonio held a hand up. “Ida was a mistake.”

“And my father, too?” Tatiana screamed. “You’re going to tell me you didn’t murder him?”

Antonio shook his head. “Why would we kill Oleg? Your father was a dealmaker. Once he found out what we were doing, he wanted in. He said he had a buyer, some Russian thug your father had crossed in the past, who he thought he could use to settle an old score and guarantee a small profit for himself. If anything, your father got worried he had exposed himself and took his own life before the guy killed him. But we didn’t kill him.”

“I don’t believe you!”