Cloud Invasion: R-D 2 (R-D #2)(31)
*
"You're not going alone," Auggie thundered in our cell-phone conversation.
"Then who do you want to go with us?" I asked as calmly as I could. Yes, I wanted to tremble at his anger, but struggled to overcome it.
"Opal can go," I heard Matt Michaels in the background.
"I'll send Nick, Maye and Jeff," Auggie sounded defeated. "The idea is sound, I just want you to have backup in case it's needed. Matt and I can send someone else to search for Marcus."
"Then disguise the ones coming with us," I said. "I'll be there in an hour to pick them up. Make sure they have passports with them. I'll change them to reflect their disguises.
"Who the f*ck can do that?" Leo asked.
"I the f*ck can do that, Dr. Shaw," I said. "Stop worrying. I'll get us off the boat if anything goes wrong."
*
"How much did this cost?" Rafe asked as we sat on the balcony outside our cabin.
"You don't want to know," I said. "We're registered as Chuck and Wendy Scott, by the way." I held up my ship-issued ID card. "Here's yours," I handed the second one I held to him. "You have to have this to eat, drink and be merry on the boat."
"At least we have two sunlamps in the closet," he grumbled. Even in July, we'd be sailing through cloudy, misty days to reach our destination.
Maye and Opal shared a cabin on the deck below ours, while Nick shared his with Jeff, who'd been briefed by Auggie at the last minute.
All of us had watched as the Mary clone boarded the ship earlier, heading for her cabin at the back of the boat. Opal had already managed to place a discreet bug on the outside of Mary's cabin door-it would let us know whenever anyone went in or out. Opal had the bug connected to her phone, so she-and Matt at the facility-would have a visual. Matt Michaels had some very cool toys, looked like.
The thing was-we needed another bug inside her cabin. That was my job, although Rafe insisted on coming along. I discovered it was a good thing I'd shielded our presence when I transported us into the cabin in question-the bug she'd already installed would neither see nor hear us as we placed our own above her window.
"She has her own bug placed in the cabin, in case anyone comes snooping," I said, sliding into a seat at the main bar on level three. Located at the center of the ship, the bar was surrounded by rising balconies on every level up to the top of the ship.
"Want a drink?" Rafe asked, taking the seat next to mine.
"How about a mimosa?" I asked.
"Hand me your card."
I gave him my ship ID-they'd scan it before making my drink.
"MC's coming out of her cabin," Opal said softly.
"Probably headed this way," Maye said. "It's almost time for dinner."
Maye wasn't wrong. Five minutes later, our clone walked up to the bar and ordered a Manhattan.
Rafe barely glanced Mary's way before accepting our drinks from a bartender and heading back to our table.
Asked for rye whiskey in her drink. Our girl wants to take the edge off, Rafe informed me.
I can see that, I responded. Rafe and I watched as Mary gulped her drink quickly and asked for another.
"I wonder if she was an alcoholic before," Opal said softly.
"Might make sense," Nick nodded.
After downing a third drink, Mary left the bar. We waited a moment before rising and going after her. The buffet on level six was her destination. Maye rode up the elevator with her, after mentally sending the floor Mary punched before the doors closed.
Windows surrounded the buffet dining room, allowing us to watch as Western Canada slid past the ship. At least the buffet had prepared something for vegetarians-after a fashion. Mostly it was Indian and Asian selections, but I wasn't choosy when it came to food while following a target.
Mary sat by herself at a window table; we chose a larger one near the center.
"Have you ever been on a cruise before?" Opal asked me.
"No. My husband was terrified of boats and deep water, for some reason."
"I'm not," Rafe breathed against my cheek.
Does deep water turn you on? I asked.
You turn me on. I just have to look at you, he said. I can swim, he added.
Honey, most days, I want to crawl all over you, I responded.
I want you to.
I will. I smiled.
Finish your food. I doubt our clone is going anywhere for the next two days.
I doubted it, too. Our first stop wasn't scheduled until then-at Ketchikan.
"Says here we can see eagles in Ketchikan on one of the tours," Opal opened a brochure. "Bears, too, if we're lucky." She grinned over the top of the unfolded brochure. I wanted to laugh-she'd grown up with both those things. Opal was far older than most people could ever guess.
*
Notes-Colonel Hunter
"This is from the bug Corinne placed in the Mary clone's cabin," Matt set a tablet on my desk. I found myself gazing at a live transmission of her empty cabin. "Opal says this one is drinking and eating at the moment."
"So no word on Marcus," I sighed. "If Corinne didn't think it important to follow this one, I'd have asked her to stay in Vancouver to help track Marcus."
"You could have left Nick behind," Matt said.