Page 34 of Hidden Depths

She gave a small shrug.

"It'll probably change course."

She looked at the chart again.

Then at the sea.

Then quietly returned the binoculars to their hook.

The moment passed.

Neither of us gave it another thought.

But somewhere...

Far beyond the curve of the horizon...

Another pair of binoculars watched the Sea Whisper.

Waiting.

7

WARD

Ihadn't looked at my phone in almost six hours.

That had to be some kind of record.

Back home, it never stopped.

Emails.

Mission updates.

Wedding vendors.

My mother.

My fiancée.

The florist.

The caterer.

Somebody always needed an answer.

Out here...

The only thing demanding my attention was the Pacific.

And somehow...

That felt healthier.

I leaned against the rail as Sea Whisper cut effortlessly through the deep blue water.

The afternoon sun sparkled across the swells like someone had scattered diamonds across the ocean.