Page 388 of Hidden Depths

“Ivy. Willow taps too fast when she’s frightened. Ivy always pauses between numbers.”

“What did she say?”

Storm counted the next sequence.

Her face changed.

“What?”

“Five. One. Four.”

Elanore tightened her grip on Storm’s hand.

“What does that mean?”

“The engine room.”

Nathan looked toward me.

I understood.

“The sisters aren’t hiding together.”

“No,” Storm said. “They split up.”

Pride and terror filled her voice.

“They’re hunting the men who boarded our yacht.”

Another transmission broke through the radio.

This one wasn’t tapping.

A man’s voice spoke calmly.

“Captain Storm Sinclair.”

She reached for the radio.

I held it away from her.

“Who is this?”

A soft laugh answered.

“You must be Ward Allen.”

“Where is Calle?”

“Safe.”

“If you hurt her⁠—”

“I won’t hurt any of James’s granddaughters. I need all five in good health.”

Storm took the radio from me.

“What do you want?”