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Chapters (86)
  1. Cover
  2. Praise
  3. Booklist
  4. Dedication
  5. 1
  6. 2
  7. 3
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. 7
  12. 8
  13. 9
  14. 10
  15. 11
  16. 12
  17. 13
  18. 14
  19. 15
  20. 16
  21. 17
  22. 18
  23. 19
  24. 20
  25. 21
  26. 22
  27. 23
  28. 24
  29. 25
  30. 26
  31. 27
  32. 28
  33. 29
  34. 30
  35. 31
  36. 32
  37. 33
  38. 34
  39. 35
  40. 36
  41. 37
  42. 38
  43. 39
  44. 40
  45. 41
  46. 42
  47. 43
  48. 44
  49. 45
  50. 46
  51. 47
  52. 48
  53. 49
  54. 50
  55. 51
  56. 52
  57. 53
  58. 54
  59. 55
  60. 56
  61. 57
  62. 58
  63. 59
  64. 60
  65. 61
  66. 62
  67. 63
  68. 64
  69. 65
  70. 66
  71. 67
  72. 68
  73. 69
  74. 70
  75. 71
  76. 72
  77. 73
  78. 74
  79. 75
  80. 76
  81. 77
  82. 78
  83. 79
  84. 80
  85. 81
  86. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Ryan whipped around to scowl at her. “Would you have the nerve to question Zsóke about anything?”

Remembering that still, focused, deadly face, DeAnna said, “No. Still, I wonder what was so important they’d go to such lengths to get it back.”

“Or...or maybe that’s the wrong question,” Daniel said. “Who did they lose? Did Stephen Penderghast get hurt fighting with somebody?”

Ryan grabbed their arms. “Don’t speculate!”

“Hey, that hurts.” DeAnna pried his hand off her.

“Don’t you two get it? Zsóke is scary. I don’t know what went off the ship that they want, or who, but anyone who talks about it...might take a visit overboard, too.”

“C’mon,” DeAnna scoffed. “Not that scary!”

“Shut up and forget you heard anything.” Ryan walked away.

“He’s right,” Daniel said. “I’ve got a baby on the way. I’ve got to be careful.”

“Sure...” DeAnna struggled to comprehend. “As badly as Stephen was hurt, if it was somebody and not something, it had to be a guy. One of the crew?”

“Don’t speculate.” Daniel was low-voiced and insistent.

But DeAnna loved a good mystery. “Maybe someone was stealing research from the ship?”

“Keep talking, and you’re going to get us all in trouble.” Daniel walked after Ryan.

“Wait!” Her original complaint still stood. She hurried after him. “If Elladora Varela isn’t going to use her crawl time, I want it. She’s so top secret, we don’t even know what she’s doing. I know what I’m doing. You know what I’m doing. I’m mapping the ocean floor along the trench. I’ve found so many new features that Eric is reviewing my tapes, and he’s excited about the new creatures I’ve captured on camera. Double the bang for your crawl-time buck. Geology and biology. You’re in charge of the schedule. Give me her time.”

“How many sessions has she missed?”

“Two in a row.”

“Have you asked her about it?”

“We’re not friends.”

Daniel made up his mind. “Tonight the crawl time is yours.”

“What if Elladora shows up?”

“Tell her I said she forfeited this evening. This equipment is too expensive to leave it idle.”

“I’d say she forfeited tomorrow evening, too.”

“There are other scientists who would like the time.”

“I asked first. The squeaky wheel gets the grease.”

“Yes, but whatever it is Elladora is doing, she’s intense. She’ll show up.” This time, Daniel walked away without a backward glance.

He was right about that. Elladora was intense about her project. Like it or not, DeAnna supposed she would show up.

But DeAnna had tonight. She walked away, smiling.

She liked being the squeaky wheel.

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