Ghost Writer(26)

The officer stepped towards me.

“Lieutenant Redding?”

“Ms. Kirby. It's good to see you.”

“Good to be seen.”

He smiled. “I know you want to rest, but Captain Tinsdale is anxious to get the memory chip from the tactical camera and Petty Officer Parker's dog tags.”

“I totally forgot.”

The look on his face was comical.

I took pity and clarified quickly. “The chip and Petty Officer's personal effects are wrapped in vintage cellophane in one of the inside pockets of my flotation jacket. I forgot to take them out before they were taken away.”

I looked at Captain Campbell, who transferred the gaze to a group of armed crewmen standing nearby three Canadians to balance the three Marines. One stepped forward.

“This way, sir,” the man said, his deep, smooth voice immediately identifying him to me.

I gave Rankin a smile. He responded with a slight nod of the head.

Redding nodded and signalled one of his Marines. “Take care of it, Gunny.”

Dippel separated from the trio and followed his Canadian counterpart. Redding turned back to me.

“Captain Tinsdale has ordered,” he hesitated and his tone inserted quotation marks around the next few words. “He ordered the temporarily confiscation of all research materials aboard the émil Gagnan pending a thorough investigation.” That includes the hand-held camera Parker was using.”

“It's also in one of the pockets of the jacket,” I told him.

“The captain is also making a formal request to debrief Ms. Kirby.”

Captain Campbell's tone and posture was stiff. “Not in the foreseeable future.”

I didn't heave a sigh of relief, but I wanted to.

Redding took the news stoically. “Fair enough. Maybe we can have an informal chat later, Mrs. Kirby.”

He took his leave and the captain started pushing me, presumably to sick bay.

“Captain, I still have to talk to you.”

“I know. Do you think you can walk? Otherwise, you're in for a bumpy ride.”

I remembered all the coamings I had to step over when I was brought onboard last time, and decided that I could walk. With only a little shakiness, I stood. Automatically, I put the satchel over my shoulder.

The captain took my arm in such a way that he supported part of my weight, without making it obvious. I was grateful for the help.

We didn't go far. There was a small canteen on deck for crew to take breaks. No one was in it. He signalled one of the armed seamen to stand watch and make sure we remained undisturbed. He helped me sit so that the warm blanket stayed on my shoulders. Then he brought me coffee. I was so grateful, I started to cry again. He sat and put an arm around my shoulders until I calmed down.

It was very comfortable and comforting, but I knew I needed to pull myself together. That meant pulling myself away.

“Thank you for coming to my rescue, Captain. I suspect Captain Tinsdale would have let me go down with the ship.”

He turned and looked at me sharply. “No. Not that.”

I shrugged, unconvinced. “Did the Americans scuttle the base? Will they?”

“I don't honestly know. His team found something in C and C before the explosions. I don't know the particulars yet. You and your group are safe. They are all on board and Gravell has sent a few men to join the crew of the salvage ship to ensure they are secure—which raises a problematic issue.”

“Am I going to blow his cover?”

He nodded.

“Probably. I won’t be able to hide the truth from Dora. She knows me too well.”

“Will Dr. Leland keep the information to herself?”

I thought about that. I wouldn’t put it past Dora to have spotted Chief Gravell’s deception by now. I worked it out and she was a helluva lot smarter than me. “She might have been keeping his secret all along. Or she might not have sussed him out, in which case she’ll be too angry to keep quiet. On the whole, I think Gravell should come clean. It would be simpler.”

He nodded. “That’s what Captain Franchot advises too, and I concur.”

I nodded, then sighed. “They took the artifacts we collected on the station, didn't they?”

He nodded. “I am going to get the material back—intact if possible. I am making the safety of the émil Gagnan and your research group a sovereignty issue.”

“Thank you.”

He covered one of my hands with his. “Captain Tinsdale isn't a bad person. He has a job to do. That's all.”

I looked down at my hand, engulfed in his. He was not an exceptionally tall man, but his hands were big and his shoulders broad, besides which, I am a rather short woman. I felt small beside him, which was odd because generally I had enough ego to overcome my deficiency in height. My ex never made me feel like this, though he towered above me physically. Maybe that’s why I chose my next words carefully.

“Captain, I don't want you to take offence. Know that I would trust you with my life, and I appreciate, more than I can tell you, what you did for me, but I need to know, can I trust you with something a bit more…” I fought to find the right word. “…controversial?”

“How will you know you can trust my word?”

“If you give it, I'll trust it. I'll also understand if you feel you can't give it.”