In the distance, thunder rumbled as sheet lightning spread across the sky.
“Get outta here,” Sinclair said. “There’s a storm coming tonight, and I’ve got to batten down the hatches.”
“Need any help?” Wagner asked.
“I can handle it myself,” Sinclair said. “We’ll discuss our plans further tomorrow.”
“Aye, aye, Cap’n,” Wagner said with a mock salute.
“Good luck tonight,” Caron said, flashing a thumbs-up sign.
“Go,” Sinclair said sternly. “I’ll call you both tomorrow.”
Sinclair followed them up the stairs and watched them both exit onto the dock. Madeline came out of the glass doors on the second deck and waved goodbye. Sinclair looked up at her.
“Do you want to stay here tonight?” he asked.
She turned and looked in the direction of the storm. “I think I’d rather go back to your house. I’m not interested in tossing and turning all night if I can help it.”
“Gather your things and meet me back at the house,” Sinclair said. “I need to take care of a few things before I call the crew back to prepare the ship for the impending storm.”
“Sure thing, Admiral,” she said before returning inside.
Sinclair took a deep breath and drank in the bustling scene on the water. The wind whipped across his face. Flags on adjacent ships rustled in the strong breeze. A storm was coming, and it was one of the few things on this earth that he couldn’t do anything about.
Madeline descended the steps and exited the boat before turning toward Sinclair.
“Don’t keep me waiting long,” she said. “My moods don’t last forever.”
Sinclair gave her a mock salute before spinning on his heels and heading back inside. He called one of his crew members and ordered him to get back down to the docks to prepare the ship for the evening. When Sinclair was finished, he made one final round through his yacht to make sure no one else had stowed away. Satisfied that the boat was empty, he waited inside until the crew member arrived and handed him the keys.
“Completely clean, both inside and out,” Sinclair said. “That’s how I want it.”
“Of course, sir,” the young man said. “However, in my rush to get down here, I left my cleaning supplies at home. Is it all right if I hustle home to get them? I’ll be right back.”
“Very well,” Sinclair said. “As long as you hurry straight back.”
Sinclair watched the man dart toward the docks and then into the direction of the public parking lot. With the crew member gone, Sinclair descended to the lower deck to gather a few items. When he was finished, he walked up to the top deck and surveyed his boat. She was grand, still lit from the party.
He smiled as lightning flashed overhead and wind bent some of the sailboats moored nearby. Then he stopped. He thought he heard something, and not from the wind, but he couldn’t be sure.
CHAPTER 34
Sydney, Australia
SHIELDS SETTLED INTO her spot on the hill overlooking the dock and then peered through her binoculars. She counted two guards standing near the boat, both of them carrying weapons that bulged from the side of their blazers. As the party emptied out, she noted one woman struggling to stay upright, a martini glass still in her hand.
One of the guards relieved the woman of her drink and offered a friendly wave as she staggered away. The other man lit up a cigarette.
“From what I can tell, there are just two men guarding Sinclair’s yacht,” Shields said over her coms to Mia.
“Roger that,” Mia replied. “Wish I could help you, but you know I’m not much good in that hand-to-hand combat stuff.”
“Actually, I do need your help.”
Mia sighed loudly. “You know I do my best work from behind a computer screen, right?”
Shields chuckled. “Look, if I had two decent legs to strut in front of these Neanderthals, I’d do it, believe you me. But flashing carbon fiber and titanium just doesn’t have the same effect on a man as a woman with a nice set of legs.”
“Fine. I’ll help. What do you want me to do?”
“Just stroll by casually and give them a suggestive look.”
“I’m not very good at that,” Mia said.
“You don’t have to be. You’ve got nice legs and a curvaceous figure. There’s not a whole lot you need to do other than act coy.”
“Coy?” Mia asked.
“You know, be a tease.”
“My brother used to always call me that, but I had no idea what I was doing when he called me that.”
Shields shook her head. “Act like you might be interested in talking with the guy. Can you do that?”
“I guess so.”
“Good. Now, get the one on the right interested and keep his attention on you so his back is to the other guy. You’ll know when I’m finished.”
“I can’t promise anything, but—”
“Be friendly,” Shields said. “That’s all I’m asking you to do.”
“Heading down now.”
“Wait for my signal before you get closer to the boat.”
Shields kept her head down as she walked past Sinclair’s yacht, unable to attract even a second glance from the guards. The wind picked up as sheet lightning spread across the sky. One of the men chatted on his cell phone, while the other struggled to light a cigarette due to the stiff breeze. After she was in position, she gave Mia the signal.
“Go for it,” Shields said. “And remember to just act casual.”
Mia walked down the dock, her tight figure sashaying in the moonlight. The first guard pocketed his cell phone as he looked Mia up and down.
“Hello, there,” the man said in a thick Australian accent. “Where are you headed tonight?”
Mia smiled and stopped.
“Excellent,” Shields said in the coms. “Keep his back to me.”
She crept up on the other man, who was working on another cigarette some twenty meters away. Shields eased up from behind the man before slashing his throat. He tried to call for help, but nothing came out. As he gasped
