The Reef

repeated the location and the call numbers.
    “Yes. Tell Dr. Deel that I must speak to him, that I urgently need his help. Tell him I’ve found something of vital importance, and I need to contact Silas VanDyke. If I haven’t heard from Dr. Deel in a week, no, three days,” she decided, “I’ll make arrangements to join the Nomad. Tell him I need his help badly.”
    “I’ll see that he gets your message the moment he calls in, Ms. Beaumont. I’m sorry I can’t tell you how long that might be.”
    “Thank you.” She could back up the message with a letter, Tate thought. God knew how long it would take to reach the Nomad, but it was worth a try.
    She spun around, then stopped dead when she saw Matthew blocking the doorway.
    “I thought we had a deal, Red.”

C HAPTER 24
    D OZENS OF EVASIONS and excuses ran through her head. Plausible evasions, reasonable excuses.
    She was sure the man who faced her now would swat them aside like pitiful gnats. Still, by the way he leaned negligently against the jamb, she thought there was a small chance.
    “I want to check some data with Hayden.”
    “Is that so? How many times have you felt the need to check some data with Hayden since we found the Isabella ?”
    “This is the first—” She yelped and instinctively stumbled back when he straightened. It wasn’t the move, which had been slow and controlled. It had been the vicious temper that had leapt into his eyes. In all the time she’d known him, she’d never seen it fully unleashed.
    “Goddamn you, Tate, don’t lie to me.”
    “I’m not.” She pressed back against the wall, for the first time in her life fully physically terrified. He could hurt her, she realized. Something in his eyes warned her that he’d like to. “Matthew, don’t.”
    “Don’t what? Don’t tell you you’re a lying, double-crossing bitch?” Because he did want to hurt her, was afraid he would if he let that last link of control snap, heslapped his hands on the wall at either side of her head to cage her in. “When did he get to you?”
    “I don’t know what you mean.” She swallowed on a dry throat. “I just needed to ask Hayden . . .” Her excuse ended on a whimper when he closed a hand over her jaw and squeezed.
    “Don’t lie to me,” he said, spacing each word deliberately. “I heard you. If I hadn’t heard you myself, no one could have convinced me you’d turn this way. What for, Tate? The money, the prestige, a promotion? A fucking museum with your name on it?”
    “No, Matthew, please.” She closed her eyes and waited for the blow when his grip vised on her flesh.
    “What were you so anxious to pass on to VanDyke? Where is he, Tate? Keeping a safe distance until we play out the Isabella? Then with your help he’ll come along and take everything we’ve worked for.”
    Her eyes swam with useless frightened tears. “I don’t know where he is. I swear it. I’m not helping him, Matthew. I’m not giving him the Isabella. ”
    “Then what? What the hell else would you have to give him?”
    Staggered, she cringed back from the ripe violence in his face. “Please, don’t hurt me.” Cowardice had tears of shame spilling down her cheeks. Humiliated, she fought to keep her breath from sobbing.
    “You can face down a shark, but you can’t face yourself.” He let his hand drop, stepped back. “You know, maybe you figure you’ve got a lot to pay me back for. I wouldn’t argue with that. But I’d never have thought you’d betray the whole expedition just to get to me.”
    “I didn’t. I haven’t.”
    “What were you going to tell him?” She opened her mouth, shook her head. “Fine. You tell him this for me, sweetheart. If he comes within a hundred feet of my boat, of my wreck, he’s a dead man. You got that?”
    “Matthew, please listen.”
    “No, you listen. I’ve got a lot of respect for Ray and Marla. I know as far as they’re concerned the sun rises and sets in you. For their sake, we’ll keep this betweenthe two of us. I’m not going to be responsible for them finding out what you really are. So you’re going to come up with a real good reason why you’ve got to ditch this expedition. You make them believe you had to go back to the university, or back to the Nomad, or wherever, but you’re out of here within twenty-four hours.”
    “I’ll go.” She dashed at tears. “If you’ll just listen to me first, I’ll go as soon as Buck gets back with the tender.”
    “You don’t