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He groans. “No! Definitely not. Taking another person along complicates things.”
“Aiden, I can’t leave her here. If we get away, Tiero will hunt for anybody who talked to me to get information. If he found her, he might take his anger out on her. I can’t risk that.”
Another groan makes me shift in my seat. I know it’s his frustration talking, but for a brief second, my brain conjured up other scenarios for this sound.
Oh Ella!
“Telling her wasn’t your best move,” Aiden admonishes again. “What if she works for De Marco and is responsible for giving your location away?”
What? Claudette, a spy for Tiero? Never.
“Don’t be ridiculous. Claudette was booked on this cruise long before I arrived. She’s never even been to Sicily.”
“Fine then. But just so you know, Carl is having a background check done on her.”
“He won’t find anything.”
“Good.” But he doesn’t sound convinced. Though after a moment, he concedes.
“I think you’re right. It wouldn’t be safe for Claudette to stay behind. We’ll take her along. Now get going.”
This makes me want to salute him.
“Time is of the essence, Ella. Dress in your kitchen uniform, so nobody questions you going to the staff-only decks. Claudette needs one too. Also, wear a cap to hide your face as best as you can. Keep your gaze down to avoid the cameras,” Aiden instructs, his voice calm.
Oh my god, this is it.
“You and Claudette need to act relaxed. No running unless necessary. It’s a sure way to draw attention. De Marco’s hacker is likely monitoring the ship’s security cameras and is watching out for anything unusual, as will the men he’s got onboard.”
My pulse begins to thrum. “He’s got men on the ship?”
I wish he hadn’t told me that. My head swims with that new piece of information, my heartbeat drumming loudly in my ears.
“We know of two, but there could be more. Just be careful, okay? You don’t have far to go… only a few stories lower and you’re there. Take the stairs. In an elevator, you could be too easily cornered.”
Right. It sounds easy enough, doesn’t it?
“This Mario? Is he really waiting for us? What if Tiero’s men get to him?” I ask as I take out a baseball cap from my bag and put it on.
“They won’t know about our plan, trust me. None of our contingency plans are documented online or even on a computer to ensure they don’t fall into the wrong hands. Mario will be there. He’s in position now.”
“How is he going to get us off the ship unnoticed?” I ask, noting Aiden has kept that part of the plan quiet.
“He’s going to hide you. I’ll be waiting at the other end. Follow Mario’s instructions to the letter.”
“Hide us how?” I don’t have a good feeling about this.
“You’ll see.”
“Aiden, that’s not much of an answer,” I argue, my mind grasping at anything to prolong this call and not having to leave this cabin.
“Ella, you’ve got this,” Aiden reassures me. “It’s unlikely you’ll come across anybody. It’s a huge ship. Still, be mindful of your environment at all times. Once you reach Mario, he’ll take care of everything, and before you know it, you’ll be off this ship, and I’m picking you up.”
Aiden’s calmness eases my nerves. I let out a long breath.
“Okay,” I say. “See you soon.”
I hang up and turn to Claudette. “Did you get any of that?”
