stomach churned as his worst fear stared him dead in the face. The Sunset Rose was the ship Marlee was on.
“Don’t worry, Mike, Marlee’s a smart girl and knows how to take care of herself,” Reid said.
While Mike tended to agree, there was only so much taking care of yourself one could do while stuck in the close quarters of a cruise ship, even as large as the modern ships were. He wanted to know why there had been no news before this, no calls or even an email. He suspected the media had stayed quiet at the government’s request and the ship’s communications had been shut off. Transfixed by the television, Mike felt fear and anger rising. He would make someone pay if Marlee was hurt or sick. His friends stood silently beside him, knowing there was no point in filling his head with fabricated encouragement or telling Mike it would be okay. He had never appreciated comments said simply to provide false hope when everything pointed to a different result. He had always been a man of action, not words.
Eric broke the uncomfortable silence. “Mike, we should call the cruise line and see what they can tell us.”
“Thanks, good idea,” Mike agreed tersely. “Let’s get back to my office and see what we can find out. Grab your stuff on the way,” he practically barked as he strode off with determination and fear driving each step.
More city-workers had arrived by this time and many were staring at Mike, wondering what had gotten into him. Others were looking at cell phones as local news alerts started to ping. As soon as the team was inside Mike’s office they grabbed chairs and fired up their laptops and cell phones.
“I’ll check the cruise line’s website,” Ashley volunteered. She pulled her blonde hair back into a ponytail and set to work.
“While she checks their website, I’ll call and see what I can find out,” Reid said.
They were already slipping into their mission personas. Eric pulled a chair up close to Mike’s desk. He would provide the moral support Mike would need. Reid looked for the main number to the cruise line so he could make his call while Ashley banged away on her laptop, searching for any nugget of info she could find. Mike knew Eric was looking at him and guessed he was trying to figure out if Mike wanted to be left alone or talk through the situation. Eric must have decided he needed a few minutes to himself, because he got up and walked over to see how Ashley and Reid were coming along with their tasks.
Ashley looked up at Eric as he walked up to her. She shook her head, indicating no new information. Eric turned to see if Reid was faring any better.
Reid looked back at Mike and silently mouthed the words, “All circuits busy.”
Mike picked up the remote from his desk and flipped on the large television bolted to the office wall. The media was still covering the drama unfolding in the Gulf, and they now had a helicopter airing detailed footage of the various decks along the Sunset Rose’s sizable flanks. One immediate and eerie abnormality that caught Mike’s attention was the lack of passengers visible anywhere. His next thought was how quickly the helicopter had arrived on location. That could only mean the Sunset Rose wasn’t far offshore.
“Do either of you have anything yet?” Mike asked again, looking at Ashley and Reid.
“Can’t get through on the landline, Mike,” Reid told him.
“The cruise line website has nothing related to the Sunset Rose posted, Mike,” Ashley said, sounding perplexed.
Mike knew full well that in this case, no news was bad news. As Mike glanced back at the television, the loud booming thrust of multiple F-16 fighters taking off from MacDill Air Force Base brought them all to their feet, and they rushed to the window.
“What the …” Reid and Eric exclaimed at the same time.
“Why the fuck are F-16s taking off from MacDill?” Mike said, sounding alarmed.
“Yeah, this shit is getting real serious real fast if the
“Don’t worry, Mike, Marlee’s a smart girl and knows how to take care of herself,” Reid said.
While Mike tended to agree, there was only so much taking care of yourself one could do while stuck in the close quarters of a cruise ship, even as large as the modern ships were. He wanted to know why there had been no news before this, no calls or even an email. He suspected the media had stayed quiet at the government’s request and the ship’s communications had been shut off. Transfixed by the television, Mike felt fear and anger rising. He would make someone pay if Marlee was hurt or sick. His friends stood silently beside him, knowing there was no point in filling his head with fabricated encouragement or telling Mike it would be okay. He had never appreciated comments said simply to provide false hope when everything pointed to a different result. He had always been a man of action, not words.
Eric broke the uncomfortable silence. “Mike, we should call the cruise line and see what they can tell us.”
“Thanks, good idea,” Mike agreed tersely. “Let’s get back to my office and see what we can find out. Grab your stuff on the way,” he practically barked as he strode off with determination and fear driving each step.
More city-workers had arrived by this time and many were staring at Mike, wondering what had gotten into him. Others were looking at cell phones as local news alerts started to ping. As soon as the team was inside Mike’s office they grabbed chairs and fired up their laptops and cell phones.
“I’ll check the cruise line’s website,” Ashley volunteered. She pulled her blonde hair back into a ponytail and set to work.
“While she checks their website, I’ll call and see what I can find out,” Reid said.
They were already slipping into their mission personas. Eric pulled a chair up close to Mike’s desk. He would provide the moral support Mike would need. Reid looked for the main number to the cruise line so he could make his call while Ashley banged away on her laptop, searching for any nugget of info she could find. Mike knew Eric was looking at him and guessed he was trying to figure out if Mike wanted to be left alone or talk through the situation. Eric must have decided he needed a few minutes to himself, because he got up and walked over to see how Ashley and Reid were coming along with their tasks.
Ashley looked up at Eric as he walked up to her. She shook her head, indicating no new information. Eric turned to see if Reid was faring any better.
Reid looked back at Mike and silently mouthed the words, “All circuits busy.”
Mike picked up the remote from his desk and flipped on the large television bolted to the office wall. The media was still covering the drama unfolding in the Gulf, and they now had a helicopter airing detailed footage of the various decks along the Sunset Rose’s sizable flanks. One immediate and eerie abnormality that caught Mike’s attention was the lack of passengers visible anywhere. His next thought was how quickly the helicopter had arrived on location. That could only mean the Sunset Rose wasn’t far offshore.
“Do either of you have anything yet?” Mike asked again, looking at Ashley and Reid.
“Can’t get through on the landline, Mike,” Reid told him.
“The cruise line website has nothing related to the Sunset Rose posted, Mike,” Ashley said, sounding perplexed.
Mike knew full well that in this case, no news was bad news. As Mike glanced back at the television, the loud booming thrust of multiple F-16 fighters taking off from MacDill Air Force Base brought them all to their feet, and they rushed to the window.
“What the …” Reid and Eric exclaimed at the same time.
“Why the fuck are F-16s taking off from MacDill?” Mike said, sounding alarmed.
“Yeah, this shit is getting real serious real fast if the
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