Page 51 of Terminal Voyage

"Good," I said with a nod, forcing myself to believe it. "I was a little shaken up there for a while, but that's all in the past. Onward and upward."

Luciano smiled. "That's the spirit. We must move forward in the world, unencumbered by the challenges of the past. We must keep our minds fresh and open to new experiences. I hope that experience hasn't turned you off of diving.”

"No. I'm just not in any hurry to put myself in that position again."

"Understandable. I recommend doing it soon. The longer you wait, the harder it will be to get back into the water.”

"I feel partially responsible," Declan said. It was a surprise coming from his mouth. "I booked the dive master. I had used him before. I always thought he kept up with maintenance. But perhaps not."

"It's not your fault," I said, hiding my suspicions.

I'm sure Vanessa had spoken to him. It seemed, for now at least, we were going to be nice to each other on the surface. Friendly faces, but enemies at heart.

For lunch, we chowed down on grilled spiny lobster, and for dessert, mango coconut sorbet. It took my mind off everything for a moment, but then I began to wonder. If someone really wanted me dead, how hard would it be to poison myfood? It was the kind of thing that could drive a person mad, worrying about it all the time. Every little thing seemed deadly.

After lunch, Declan’s head of security, Silas, sent Kyle ashore for recon and threat assessment. Along with Julie, Silas handled all transportation and logistics.

I grabbed a handbag and loaded it with sunscreen, a few protein bars, and bottled water. I took my wide-brimmed hat and oversized sunglasses and rejoined the others.

We boarded the tender and headed to shore.

25

Black luxury vans waited for us in the parking lot of the marina in Puerto Maya. Silas and Kyle scanned our surroundings with watchful eyes as we climbed aboard and slid into the comfy leather seats. The air conditioning

blew cold.

Felix, the driver, greeted us with a smile. "Welcome, my friends," he said in broken English. "I have a special adventure for you today. You will love!"

I’d had enough special adventures for a lifetime, but I was hoping this would be casual and relaxed.

Declan and Vanessa sat in the two chairs behind the driver. I sat in the third row, by the window. Luciano, Sophia, Sebastian, and Hannah all took the second van with Antonio.

Silas closed the cargo door, then climbed into the passenger seat.

"Where are we going?” I whispered to Vanessa.

She shrugged. "I don't know."

“Tzun Kaan,” Declan said.

"I’ve never heard of it."

"I'm sure there are lots of places you've never heard of.”

I frowned at his condescending remark.

Then he added, "It's special. Not a tourist trap. It's only accessible on foot, and you need a guide. Deep in the jungle, it keeps the riffraff out. I have arranged for a private tour.”

"Nobody told me we were going hiking through the jungle."

"I'll have the driver pull over. You can get off and walk back to the marina. I can have someone from the Vesper pick you up in a tender.”

"No. It’s fine. I just didn't know. I would have brought bug spray.” Then I added, “Not to be difficult, but we did have a deep dive. We’re still probably off-gassing nitrogen. Strenuous exercise and elevation could be an issue.”

“Would you relax? It’s not an issue.”

I couldn’t help but add in a tentative voice, “There is a non-zero risk.”