Bobby shook his head. “They have no online or digital records to search. My guess is if you want those answers, you’ll need to go to Lesotho to find out.”
Ike reached for the key.
Bobby placed it in his hand.
Stuffing it back into his pocket, Ike said, “As soon as I’m back on my feet, that’s what I’ll do.”
Chapter 55
Rocco stood waist-deep in the tepid waters. The self-propelled semi-submersible, a low-profile silhouette against the backdrop of twilight, seemed part of the sea itself. Its matte black finish absorbed the moonlight, becoming a shadow, nearly invisible to the untrained eye.
The trip to Rocket Island would take one hour.
One hour until he could see Jemma again, wrap her in his arms and tell her how he’d felt about her from the very first moment they’d met. He didn’t know it back then, but she’d stolen his heart from the start and he had no fucking plans of letting Nomar take her from him.
Hoisting his body onto the glass-reinforced hull, glistening with droplets beading and running off its surface, he followed Tatiana and Everett toward the open hatch leading into the bowels of the SPSS. The top of the sub was dotted with small, sealed hatches, tubes, pipes, and a minimal conning tower with a periscope that was vital to the SPSSs operation. The lifeline to the world above that allowed them to breathe and navigate while remaining hiddenbeneath the waves. The vessel hummed with a quiet power, a promise of the speed and agility of the top-of-the-line engine. Once they departed, a mere three inches of the vessel would be discernible above the water, virtually guaranteeing that no one would track their movement to the private island.
Several feet away, Sebastian, Lachlan and Kane were entering a twin SPSS. No one said a word, attuned to the precision required for the task at hand. Rocco took purposeful steps across the hull as the SPSS undulated with each passing wave.
Tatiana had given the team a crash course in navigation. Sebastian had gone over the plan dozens of times during the hours before dusk. Rocco knew the likelihood of success was low. Despite the odds, Rocco had seen enough in the men of Stingray Security to know there was no better team he’d want by his side to execute this rescue mission.
Jemma’s life depended on them operating at their best and that was what he and the Stingray guys planned to do.
As Tati, then Everett disappeared down the hatch, Rocco took a deep breath, said a silent prayer, then eased down into the cramped space of the vessel. The hatch closed behind him with a clang, sealing him into the sub’s dimly lit interior.
The air was thick and stale, a cocktail of diesel fuel, salt, and sweat. His eyes adjusted to the sparse illumination inside the cramped space. Tatiana faced the control panel, the glow of navigation screens and digital displays lighting her face as she set the sub in motion.
“The conditions of the sea and the navigational path has us arriving sooner than we planned,” Tati said.
The hour passed in a blur as the waves jostled and shook them closer to the private island. Through the narrow, distorted views from the periscope, the island came into view. A shadowy massagainst the starlit sky. The grotto loomed ahead. Tati steered the vessel deftly through the narrow opening, then idled the engine. Rocco’s heart raced as he disembarked through the narrow hatch, every sense on high alert.
One thing was for sure.
He wasn’t leaving this island without Jemma.
Chapter 56
Huddled on the floor next to the majestic king-sized four-poster bed, Jemma stared at the burner phone. One single signal bar. She pressed the call button and tried to reach Proteus on the secure line once again. Like all agents working on a Proteus operation, the number was seared into her memory for a time as this. The phone displayed “connecting” and a series of dots shimmered. She prayed the call would go through this time.
After her unexpected meeting with Eddie, the guards had been on edge as she ate breakfast. The usual casual toughness had been replaced with deep frowns and furtive glances around the property. They’d escorted her back to her bedroom rather brusquely. She was left with only a terse message that the rest of her meals for the day would be delivered to her room. The soft click told her she was locked inside and likely wouldn’t be checked on for hours.
It would’ve been the best outcome if the damn phone could keep a signal. Moving around the room had yielded no better service. Standing by the large French doors that offered breathtaking views of the sparkling waters hadn’t helped. Going out on the small balcony wasn’t an option as the doors were locked,taunting her with a view of the outside without letting her experience it.
As the call dropped once again, she checked the text messages. Her attempts to reach Proteus were undelivered. The battery was down to fourteen percent.
She’d have to find a way to smuggle the phone outside for a chance to get a better signal.
Tomorrow.
It would be risky since the only time she was brought out of the room was to spend time with Nomar. She had no other choice.
Rising from the rug, Jemma searched for the best hiding spot. Her gaze drifted from the quaint wrought-iron table with glass top to the leather ottoman. A stately wooden desk with several drawers and a caramel leather chair rested across from where she slept. A charming, coastal-inspired prison.
She sat on the crisp white linens of the bed and leaned her head against the pillows. Clutching the phone to her chest, she debated her options, then realized the best location was right next to her. Literally.
Reaching for the decorative ocean blue pillow, she slowly unzipped the cover and forced the phone between the cotton plumes of stuffing. Zipping the pillow closed, she pressed into it and tossed it around until she was satisfied that no one would be able to detect the device inside. Placing it back on the bed, she lay still and watched the sun dip below the horizon as an inky purple spread across the island sky.
Her evening meal would be arriving soon?—
