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“It’s not ideal,” Bradensaid.
“No,” Ronan agreed, “but it’s all wehave.”
“Twenty-two passengers doesn’t allow for a lot of guests,” Juliasaid.
Ronan nodded. “The assumption is that the auction isonline.”
“So the boat will only carry crew, security, the women, and a handful of people running the auction for Manifest,” Nicksaid.
“That’s what I’m guessing.” Ronan hated that he was guessing about any of it. Guessing got people killed, and this time guessing could get Juliakilled.
But this was their last chance. The Elysium was in position ahead of the date of sale listed on Elise’s asset sheet. Once she was taken off the yacht, the chances of ever finding her again were slim atbest.
“At least we don’t have to worry about a bunch of rich fucks wandering the deck with champagne,” Nicksaid.
Ronan turned his attention to the interior view of the boat. “These are the cabins.” He tapped the blueprints where they showed bedrooms. “This is probably where Elise will be kept, and any of the other women if they’rethere.”
“What do we do about them?” Julia asked. “The otherwomen.”
It was a question Ronan had been dreading. “Getting Elise out alive is ourmission.”
“We can’t just leave the other women there,” Juliasaid.
“And hopefully we won’t have to,” Ronan said. “But we have to remember that getting Elise is our objective. We do what we can for the other women, but not at Elise’sexpense.”
He ignored the voice in his head that said he would never be able to leave the other victims behind. Those were the kinds of decisions he made on the fly, when he had no one to worry about buthimself.
Risking Julia’s life — and Elise’s, if they were finally in sight of saving it — wasn’t anoption.
He could see the internal war playing out on Julia’s features, knew that she wouldn’t go quietly if it meant leaving behind other women, but it wasn’t something he could worry about rightnow.
“Will we have comms once we get to the boat?” Nickasked.
“We’ll have comms with each other,” Ronan said. “Not with Nora. She’ll be anchored too far away from the Elysium.” He looked at his sister, glad at least one of the two women who meant the world to him would be safe from harm during their breach of the Elysium. “You’ll have to keep tabs via the satellitefeed.”
“How will I know when to call for help?” Nora was a professional, a seasoned former FBI agent who had an additional four years experience working for Locke Montgomery, but calling in help meant legal exposure forMIS.
There would be questions about who they were and what they were doing there. Those questions could lead to criminal charges, but if it meant getting Julia and Elise out alive, Ronan would accept whatever came, even the end of the business he’d built with hisbrothers.
Evenprison.
“Use your best judgement,” Ronan said. “The mission’s objective is to get Elise out alive.” He hoped his sister heard Julia’s name as an unspoken addition. “If it looks like that mission can’t be accomplished without assistance, call themin.”
“That’s putting me in a tough spot, Ro,” Norasaid.
“I trustyou.”
She looked at Nick, a question in hereyes.
Nick nodded. “At least if we go down, we take them withus.”
She turned to Braden, whosighed.
“Fuck it,” he said. “These bastards deserve to bedestroyed.”
“It’s a last resort,” Ronan clarified. “But do it if you haveto.”
“What’s the plan once we’re on the boat?” Nickasked.
