Death Echo

larger boat’s tender.
    Harrow had no doubts about the competence of the team. He’d never met a group of better conditioned, smarter men in his life. Seasoned, too. All of them looked to be in their mid-thirties.
    Or maybe they’re in their twenties with a lot of mileage on them, Harrow thought. Hope this assignment doesn’t pile on more.
    What the hell are Emma and Durand doing on Blackbird? Polishing the decks with their tongues?
    Harrow pulled out his special cell phone. Good satellite signal. He punched in Joe Faroe’s number.
    â€œWho are you?” asked a male voice.
    â€œEmma Cross used to work for me,” Harrow said.
    â€œI care about that because…?”
    â€œShe’s working for you and St. Kilda Consulting now.”
    Silence.
    â€œLook, Faroe,” Harrow said impatiently. “ Blackbird is sitting dead in the water in Campbell River and I want to know what the hell is going on. The clock is running hard. You know it. I know it. Cut the bullshit.”
    At the other end of the connection in Rosario, Faroe kicked back in the uncomfortable motel chair and thought hard. Part of him and all of Steele had been expecting this.
    And most of Faroe had hoped they both were wrong.
    â€œWhat do you want?” Faroe asked.
    â€œBlackbird at the coordinates I’ll give you. And I want her there fast.”
    â€œIf you don’t get what you want?”
    â€œSt. Kilda Consulting is out of business. Permanently.” Harrow listened to the silence stretch. “Look, we’re taking over the running of the op. Help us and you’re golden. If you get in our way—”
    â€œYeah,” Faroe cut in, “I heard you the first time.” He paused, thought of Alara, and wished he felt better about cutting in a third party. Or was it a fourth?
    â€œFaroe?”
    â€œGive me the coordinates,” he said curtly. “Then call me back in ten minutes.”
    As soon as Harrow gave the numbers the connection went dead.
    Faroe, you son of a bitch, you’re everything your file told me to expect.

54
    DAY FIVE
DISCOVERY PASSAGE
10:21 A.M .
    S eymour Narrows was behind them. It had been a treacherous surge and boil of cold green and nearly black water sucking around Blackbird. They had powered through the rough, heavy currents and tidal whorls without waiting for slack water, something that many pleasure boats couldn’t or wouldn’t do.
    It had been an exhilarating ride. Once Emma had realized that Mac was watchful rather than worried, she had enjoyed the feel of Blackbird meeting conditions that changed from second to second. She was discovering that she liked challenging water.
    â€œI keep thinking the boat should feel lighter after you off-loaded all that junk,” Emma said.
    â€œLocator bugs don’t weigh much.”
    â€œStill…Do you think they’re waterproof?”
    â€œI think the plastic bag I tacked below the edge of the dock will get wet whenever a big enough boat goes by.”
    â€œBut until then,” she said, “the bugs will send reassuring signals of Blackbird tied to the dock in Discovery Harbor, Campbell River, B.C.”
    â€œToo bad it isn’t true. That was the most fun I’ve ever had in Discovery Harbor.”
    She didn’t hide the grin that spread over her face. “No wonder yachting is so popular.”
    Mac made a sound of strangled laughter. “Never heard it called that before.”
    â€œMy turn,” she said, reaching for the wheel.
    â€œYou said that last night.”
    She gave him a sideways look. “Turn about and all that.”
    â€œDid I complain?” He turned the wheel over to her.
    â€œIs that what all the groaning was?”
    â€œSo I’m noisy. Sue me.”
    â€œI’d rather take you to the stateroom and—” she began.
    Both their cell phones rang.
    â€œI’ll get mine,” he said. “Let yours go. This water can shove you around before you know what’s happening.”
    Emma eyed the deceptively calm surface of a huge circle of water nearby and kept both hands on the wheel. After the openness of the Strait of Georgia, Discovery Passage was like running upstream against a cold, deep, muscular river.
    â€œMac here,” he said into his phone.
    Emma’s phone stopped ringing instantly. She didn’t like thinking about what might be important enough for St. Kilda to light up both of their phones at