Page 90

The kid shot up straight. Dec could almost hear his heels click together.

“Sir. Yessir.”

Dec turned to get a look at the man who’d caused such a reaction. The guy was tall and thin, with an equally thin mouth. Hell. It was Stuart. Who else would be wearing an army uniform adorned with silver eagles on board a US Navy ship?

“Corpsman,” Stuart barked. “Dismissed.”

The kid started to salute, apparently realized y

ou weren’t supposed to salute indoors, managed a hoarse Yessir and scurried away.

Stuart had not taken his eyes off Dec. His gaze was cold, focused, and accusatory.

“What are you doing here, Lieutenant?”

“Sir. I came to check on the princess.”

“Did I not order you to report to me as soon as you boarded this ship?”

“You did, sir. But I promised the princess…”

Stuart did a classic about-face. “Follow me,” he snapped.

“Colonel Stuart. I was assigned a mission. It involved the welfare of—”

The colonel swung back towards Dec. “How does ten days in the brig sound?”

“The welfare of the princess is my responsibility!”

“Twenty days,” Stuart snapped. “And if you think I can’t do it, just try me.”

The man meant what he said. That was clear. Dec was almost uncontrollably angry, but what good would he be to Annie if he were locked up?

Stuart strode away. Dec had no choice. He followed.

Three minutes and several decks later, they were inside a small office. A desk, two chairs, a file cabinet. Nothing distinguished it from any other office Dec had ever seen except for the slim gold laptop computer that sat on the desk.

Stuart sat down. Opened the computer and glowered at the screen. Dec stood across from him, his posture stiff. He knew that keeping him standing this way, unacknowledged and silent, was deliberate.

Did the colonel consider himself an expert at tactical games? If he did, he’d never had a STUD for an opponent.

Seconds passed.

Dec kept his cool. He concentrated on thinking about Annie, what he’d tell her when they finally let him see her, how it would be when they were in California, when they began their new life together.

“You are entitled to know that the subject of your rescue mission will recover.”

Dec let out a breath. Stuart had yet to look up from the computer.

“She has a bacterial infection. Something she probably picked up from the filthy conditions her captors kept her in. It has a fancy name, but it’s treatable.”

Dec nodded. “Thank you.”

“Thank you, sir.”

“Thank you, sir.”

Silence. Stuart kept looking at the screen. Finally, he closed the computer and raised his gaze to Dec.