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“Hasn’t this yacht already been searched a few times?” Lacey asked.
“Yes, by several insurance assessors, and a few crime scene investigators, and by Jeff, Whisper, and I,” Aria said. “But those searches were all done while the yacht was submerged, so we could have missed something.”
“We have no idea what we’re searching for, so it could be as small as a USB,” Aria said. “One of the secret rooms was so well concealed, I missed it last time I was in there. So, check every wall, cupboard, under carpet. Rip the place apart.”
“Sounds like fun,” Whisper said, waving a ball-peen hammer.
After selecting our chosen ‘weapons’, we took turns climbing the ladders that the transportation crew had rolled into position against the sides of the yacht. Pungent scents of salt and decay assaulted my nostrils as I stepped aboard the algae-covered deck.
“Maya, you show everyone around down there,” Aria said. “My guys, follow me.”
She indicated for her team to follow her up a set of curved stairs.
The remaining six of us followed Maya in a line along the main passage with wood paneled walls that were bloated with moisture and covered in slime from months beneath the waves.
With the beams of our flashlights leading the way, we crossed a large entertainment area with decaying remnants of luxury that had been ravaged by the harsh ocean.
Cobra whistled. “It doesn’t look anything like it did last time I was here.”
“It looks better if you ask me.” Maya giggled.
The water had been an indiscriminate destroyer, leaving behind only fragments of the lavish life Chui had led aboard his floating palace. Soggy velvet cushions, discolored wall hangings, and fixtures dangled precariously from their mounts.
We entered another passage.
“Captain Watts,” Maya said, “this is Chui’s office. All yours.”
“Thanks.” Watts strode into the room, and Cobra and Jeff followed.
“And you guys follow me.” Maya led Whisper and me farther along the passageway.
As we passed each room, I shone my light inside. Each cabin looked more disheveled than the previous one. Mattresses were sliced open, wallpaper stripped, and drawers yanked out. My gut told me the destruction was created by more than just nature. Someone had searched for something while the yacht was submerged.
Maya turned into a massive stateroom, and the grandeur of the bedroom was evident despite the layers of grime and mold that covered everything. A massive bed dominated one side of the room, and the mattress had been torn apart. What was left of it and the sodden linen was green with algae.
“Jesus,” Whisper said. “Viper’s explosion looks much worse this time.”
I blinked at her. “When were you on this boat?”
“Aria and I scuba dived down to this yacht a few months ago.”
Maya clicked her fingers. “That’s right. And you were there when Aria nearly died, right?”
Whisper released a nervous chuckle. “Yeah. She scared the crap out of me. I thought for sure she was dead.”
“She got lucky, that’s for sure,” Maya said.
I followed her around the massive bed, stepping over a pile of chalky residue that I assumed was once part of the ceiling that was clumped around the floor. It was so widespread I wondered if it had fallen in the explosion.
“When I was with Aria on her second dive down here, that’s when we found the second secret room. Someone had beaten us down here, and they had blasted their way into another section. I’ll show you.” Whisper took the lead, shining her flashlight ahead of her.
Wet carpet squelched beneath our shoes as we passed through what had once been Chui’s massive walk-in closet. Viper’s detonation had demolished a large section of one wall, and the center set of drawers had a massive chunk taken out of it. On the opposite wall, the shelving sagged so much it was a wonder it remained connected to the sides, and I was surprised to see so many clothes still attached to hangers.
The clothes that were dislodged in the explosion or the yacht’s collision with the bottom of the ocean were reduced to mushy piles on the sodden carpet. A black leather boot was on its side, and a curved chunk was missing at the ankle.
Is that a shark bite?
Unlucky fish had been caught in pockets of the wardrobe and some of the fabric when the yacht was salvaged, adding to the other pungent odors in the room.
