Medina took a deep breath and controlled his fear. His hand fell on the fanny pack, and he felt the small cordless drill through the fabric. He gathered his resolve and moved across the tank to the cargo-tank bulkhead.
Twenty minutes later, Medina eased his head out of the manhole and surveyed the main deck. Whoever had been there was gone, and he pulled himself from the manhole and stood on deck. His legs ached from climbing, but he felt the weight of the remaining charge in his pocket and pressed on. A half hour later, he exited the last ballast tank, sweating and dirty but exultant. He entered the deckhouse and went to the Cargo Control Room, where he walked to a control panel labeled “Mariner Tek — Model BT 6000 — Ballast-Tank Gas-Detection System.”
He extracted a pair of needle-nose pliers and a spool of wire from this fanny pack, then secured the power to the panel and opened it. This was the easy part. He’d studied the schematic in the technical manual for days and knew it cold. His fingers flew as he wired in jumpers, then arranged them within the existing wiring so that nothing looked amiss. He stepped back and admired his handiwork before closing the panel and powering up the system.
Green lights glowed, showing all ballast tanks safe and gas-free. He smiled again, knowing those lights would stay green, regardless of conditions in the tanks. He powered down the system and hummed a little tune as he climbed to his cabin for a shower.
Dugan wrinkled his nose at the faint smell of fresh paint and watched through the door as Anna scooped up folders from her own desk and maneuvered around a ladder in the outer office. Over Alex’s objections, Dugan was working full days, even though his new office was a work in progress. Conversion of the storeroom to office space was all but complete, and throughout the process, Anna deferred to Mrs. Coutts completely. She’d managed to assuage the older woman’s antipathy by following suggestions to the letter, including counsel as to proper dress. Unfortunately, Anna’s sensuality defeated even Mrs. Coutts’s wardrobe hints. The elderly secretary concluded the poor child was destined to look a tart, with no help for it.
“Last of the lot, Tom,” Anna said, dumping folders on his desk.
“Thanks,” Dugan said. “Computers?”
Anna sighed. “I’ve been on to Sutton four times today.”
“OK. Keep on him,” Dugan said.
As Anna left, Dugan stole a glance at her well-shaped backside before forcing himself back to work. He opened the folder on top of the stack to find a note.
Dugan, ask me to dinner tonight. We must talk.
Dugan pocketed the note. About time. Ward said contact would be through Anna. So far, there hadn’t been any. He felt isolated, and for the first time, ill at ease in Alex’s presence.
He pressed the intercom.
“Yes, Tom,” Anna said.
“Can you stay late? I may need you to pull more files for me. I’ll make it up with dinner. You pick the place.”
She laughed. “Quite the best offer I’ve had all day. Bring your gold card.”
“No problem. Thanks,” Dugan said, picking up the phone to call Alex.
“Yes, Thomas,” Alex answered, looking at his caller ID.
“Alex, I’m working over. Please give Mrs. Hogan my regrets.”
Alex paused. “I’ve things to do as well. She’ll put something back for us.”
“Alex, that’s not necessary. I’ve made—”
“No problem, Thomas. I’ll just call home—”
“Alex. I have other plans.”
A silence grew. “Very well,” Alex said at last. “I’ll see you tomorrow then.”
Dugan hung up, troubled by his friend’s behavior. He sighed and returned to the file he was studying.
“It’s seven,” Anna said from the doorway. “Starving me is nonproductive. I’m more agreeable on a full stomach.”
Dugan stood and walked to the door. “Sorry. Lost track. You picked a place?”
Anna nodded and gathered her things. As they walked out, she pointed to light leaking beneath a door. “Captain Braun’s working late.”
Dugan shrugged. “He’s always here when I leave.”
About bloody time, thought Braun, irritated at Kairouz’s failure to control Dugan. Not that he was too concerned. Working late was an obvious ploy to have a go at the slut. Took him long enough. Braun smiled. If they became lovers, bugging her flat might be worthwhile.
Anna listened as Dugan talked. After deflecting his attempts to discuss business with a quick hand squeeze and almost imperceptible head shake, she’d hung on to his every word. She deserved an Oscar. Despite knowing it was an act, he was enjoying himself.
“Dessert?” the waiter asked.
Dugan gave Anna a quizzical look.
“I’m stuffed,” she said. “How about coffee at my place?”
Dugan asked for the check.
In the cab, Anna crawled onto his lap and kissed him, keeping at it all the way to her building. Dugan exited the cab, unable to hide his arousal from the smirking cabby, as Anna pulled him into the lobby for a smoldering kiss and kept at it in the elevator, kissing his neck and giggling. She dragged him to her door and fumbled with the key before pushing him in, lips on his, and closing the door behind them with her foot. Then she stopped.
“Sit.” She pointed to a sofa as she threw the bolt, then moved to a chair.
Dugan stood in the entryway, his confusion complete.
“Surely you knew that wasn’t genuine,” she said.
He glanced down. “Part of me was hopeful.”
Her face turned cold. “Yes, well, hope springs eternal. Sit.”
Dugan complied. “OK. What now?”
She softened. “First, I’m sorry if I overdid it. We don’t yet know how closely we’re being watched. I was unsure you could fake it. So I aroused you.”
“Superbly,” Dugan said.
Anna colored. “Understand, Mr. Dugan, I’m happily married. I will deal with you professionally and expect no less.”
“Married? Really?” Dugan said. “Must be tough.”
“That’s none of your business.”
“You’re right. Sorry,” he said. “Let’s just consider this, for the purposes of our cover only, our first spat and put it behind us?”
She ignored the sarcasm. “Tonight we set our cover. We can speak freely here. This place will be swept daily. Assume you’re under surveillance elsewhere, for sure at the office.”
“Are you sure?” Dugan asked.
“We put an undercover on the janitorial staff to do a sweep. Our offices and Kairouz’s are bugged. From Braun’s office.”
“So Braun’s running things. And he’s bugging Alex, so Alex isn’t involved.”
“He’s involved. Maybe he’s using Braun to create deniability.”
“I can’t believe Alex is a willing party to terrorism.”
Anna was noncommittal. “We’ll see. Anyway, this is where we communicate. As lovers, it’ll be natural to come here evenings or even to sneak off for afternoon trysts. We’ll raise eyebrows but not suspicions.”
“But won’t whoever it is just bug this place?”
“We’ll handle that. I’ll tell you about it if and when necessary.”
Dugan bristled. “Do let me know when I’m deemed trustworthy.”
“Tom, we compartmentalize. You needn’t be so touchy.”
He considered that. “Yeah, I understand. Sorry I overreacted. Let’s put the hostility behind us and go back to being Tom and Anna.”