The Pirate cruiser Equinox bobbed gently to the flowing motion of the calm central pacific seas. Sunlight glinted off the smooth white hull of the double-decker yacht as the sun slowly sank into the deep blue waves. The sky was filled with wisps of white clouds that glowed pink and orange as the sun painted its masterpiece across the feathery tips, and a cool evening air swept through the deck of the boat like breath on those still outside the generous comfort of the cabins. From a distance, the ship would appear to be a normal cruiser, perhaps owned by a rich investor from New York, but at a closer inspection, one could make out score marks on the hull, barnacles latched to the bottom of the boat, and a bumper sticker on the rounded stern that read �Tahiti or Bust.� Between the battle scars, in black bold print, was the name of the vessel; For a ship is cursed unless she�s given a name. The Equinox was the pride and joy of Colonel Eric Corvain.

          He stood in a near placid state looking out a solid glass pane window, easily swaying with the ship as swell after swell lapped against the hull. It had been like a mother�s rocker to him since he�d discovered the beauty of the sea and the tranquility it holds. Yet in less than a year out of the Academy, he�d taken that beauty to its very depths, to its heart in search of precious minerals, bacteria samples from black smokers, and other goods that he could sell for a decent price, and one day make his future from the bosom of the sea. He had figured there would be steps to take, and so he had taken them and earned his place as the leader of the pirate faction Winter�s Raid. He held high standing, but the pirating business could take you only so far with small attacks on outposts and colonies to gain enough riches for his imagined nirvana. He wanted more. And the SeaQuest had given it to him, weither she�d wanted to or not.

          He watched one of the warrior subs surface on the port side and slowly swirled the auburn colored liquor around the glass clutched in his left hand. A report from the sub that picked up Jeffries lay on the table in front of him.

          �It worked like a charm, Colonel,� Captain Jack Madack said in a triumphant bass voice. He stood behind Corvain. �Jeffries was right on time. Our sub computers adapted well to the information on the VR piloting system, and the Navigators have proven their worth. It�s one fancy nugget you took from the SeaQuest.�

          �Yes. Fancy indeed. And the Kl-24p?�

          �We�ve almost enough to complete the shipment. Jeffries brought back four kilograms from the SeaQuest. Now all we need is six and our Mr. Phalwell will be a happy man.�

          Corvain grinned. �Very good. One more UEO storage facility should do it.�

          �What if we should, say, acquire more than planned?� Madack suggested with a sly sneer.

          Corvain, however, remained resolute. �We deliver only what�s required to run the VR systems. No more. Phalwell has big plans for this one.�

          �I could care less what that rich old geezer does with it, as long as I get my money,� Madack growled.

          �Oh, you�ll get your money captain,� Corvain assured, sipping his liquor. �What of the SeaQuest herself?�

          �She hit bottom--sunk to 18,000.� He whistled in admiration. �Damn if that ain�t impressive.�

          �She�s an impressive vessel. Only the best can serve on her.� Corvain sipped the liqueur. �Set a course for Catalina Island.�

          Madack shifted to his right foot. �Shouldn�t we wait for her to come up and finish the job?�

          �It would be a waste of our time, Jack,� he stated, setting the half empty glass down on the table beside the report. �We�ve got what we came for and the UEO�s prize mouse got caught with its foot in the trap. No. We�ll get our money�s worth out of this piloting system and let the SeaQuest lick her wounds for a bit. But,� he added, �keep two subs here out of radar range. Just in case.� Keeping his voice cool, he turned back to the window.

          �Aye, sir,� Captain Madack nodded. �Searching for something?�

          �No,� Corvain answered. �The sea is sometimes too beautiful to speak of, with too many inconstancies, unpredictable and teaming with possibilities. She holds more secrets and gilded mysteries than any man can dream. It awes the soul to merely gaze upon its greatness, and all one can do is look and hope you remember.�

          �Whatever you say, Colonel.�

          Madack had only involved himself for the cut of the money from the VR navigation system, and often times, he didn�t understand the Colonel�s view on things. But as long as he got the job done and they got paid, mutiny was still suppressed. �Jeffries is in fair condition, but I think he�ll pull through. He�s a tough lad and a hero to Winter�s Raid now.�

          �Aye, and not a martyr.� He turned to Madack. �Because of what happened to that Kinkade girl, we�ll add a precaution to the package and Mr. Phalwell can do with it as he pleases.�

          �At least he gets a warning, eh?� Madack joked.

          Corvain smiled slightly. �Lay in a course and lets get the hell out of here. We have money to make and sitting here isn�t going to make it fly to our fingertips.�

          �Yes, sir.� Madack turned and left Corvain alone in his cabin with thoughts of how he was going to spend the money, and how he was going to use the systems installed on the subs for his own advantage.

* * * *

          �I didn�t know one man could ask that many questions,� Lucas remarked, tossing a burned out circuit board onto a pile of useless components, and installed its replacement.

          *Tim�s a curious person. Naturally he�d be interested to know what it was like to have a woman inside you.* The circuit board passed through her foot where the ethereal Samantha sat watching.

          �You put it so eloquently.�

          *Tapadh leat {Thank you},* she answered with the remembrance of a smile.

          Lucas grinned as he reconnected the new wires to the circuit board and secured it in place. �I think his mouth hit the floor when you answered him in Gaelic.�

          She laughed, though only he heard. *Yea, I figured that would go a long way to convincing him you were telling the truth.* She moved his hand a half inch so he�d grab the tiny soldering iron instead of the laser cutter. *No offense, but you know as much about Gaelic as a three legged dog knows about the steeple chase.*

          �Yea, well. At least I�m higher than a three legged dog.� Having Samantha to talk to actually seemed to make the repairs go faster, if only by a few seconds. �He didn�t have to keep asking all those embarrassing questions,� he breathed slightly, taking away the soldering iron and picking up another piece of replacement equipment.

          *Over half of them were embarrassing,* she pointed out. *Ya wanna narrow the field a bit?*

          He rested his arm on his raised knee and looked at her, the circuit board hanging loosely in his right hand. �Ok, pick a category: Sensory perception, memory access, motor control, how it feels to eat, going to the bathroom� he laughed, going back to his work. ~I still can�t believe he asked that one. ~

          *I can. The day to day living questions are what make it real,* she said, shifting as if settling down for the long hours these technical repairs would take. *Well, everyone did say we needed to spend more quality time together instead of trying to tear each other�s heads off.* She blinked. *Blue, red--switch. cut, twist. Yellow, left. Replace transistor.*

          Lucas made the repairs even as she said them. �Ok, but this was not what I had in mind.� He jerked his hand back from a spark in the plasma flow, but kept at working on the interior of the system, head stuck inside one of the access panels in the adjoining hallways on D-deck.

          *Agreed. I was thinking more a tennis match where we would hit little green balls at each other at high velocities and call it bonding.*

          He laughed out loud.

          A crewman working with the team assigned to that section handed Lucas another batch of wires and circuit boards. �Here ya go. Lt. Hitchcock says it�s exactly what you asked for. We had to take apart some of the vidcoms and strip down the sensor relays from one of the Marauders�, but she�s sure they�re compatible with the system.�

          �Tap {Thanks}. Tell her this section should be up in another couple of hours,� Lucas replied in a tired tone.

          �No problem,� the crewman answered, and left to resume his work.

          Unbenounced to him, someone else was standing quietly by the bulkhead out of Lucas� sight, arms crossed, and sporting a curiously amused expression.

          *Let me switch and take control for a while, Lucas,* she offered.

          �Hmm, let me think. No,� Lucas answered shortly, going back to his work.

          *You�re tired.* Samantha felt his knee pop from being bent for so long.

          �No, I�m not.�

          *Don�t lie to me, Wolenczak.*

          �Sleep is a luxury I can�t afford,� he answered defiantly.

          *Sleep is a necessity.*

          �So you sleep.�

          *I can�t when you keep moving.*

          �Well, try.�

          *stop moving.*

          �Try harder.�

          *Do you always do this to yourself?* she asked without much bitterness. *Is it in your nature to torture yourself like this?* Though she would pull all-nighters such as this, she at least had a cup of coffee sitting aside to keep her awake.

          �Only when someone�s sabotaged the main computer and stranded us at the middle of a 30,000 foot trench. We have minimal power, life support maintained by battery operated generators, no communications, no navigation control, oh, and we�re out of Twinkies,� he added in a smart-alec tone. �It�s a common occurrence. You should be use to it,� he snapped, throwing another useless circuit board aside.

          *What, the lack of Twinkies?* She matched his tone perfectly and Lucas rapped the soldering iron harder against the panel with a clank.

          �Don�t start. I�m not in the mood.� He pointed the soldering iron at her.

          *Irritability. Common sign of fatigue.*

          He growled.

          *I rest my case.* She stayed back with the feeling of content victory and he sensed her smile.

          �Having fun in there talking to your invisible friend again?� Ben asked smoothly.

          Lucas jerked his head up in surprise and was rewarded when it collided with the bulkhead. �Ow.� He backed out of the access port and looked up, idly rubbing his head. �Ah, Ben, don�t sneak up on me like that.�

          �Sorry. Didn�t mean to startle ya.� Ben started flipping a small data disk between his knuckles as he leaned against the wall that supported the access port, legs crossed at the ankles. �Ya know, people here have been asking questions. It seems there�s been some kind of strange phenomena occurring with one of the crew, and it�s got a lot of people talking.�

          Lucas stood and wiped at his lip, leaving a smudge of grease on his chin. �Is this going somewhere? Cause I have work to do.�

          Ben caught the small disk and pointed it at the sixteen year old. �Don�t play dumb with me. I know you�re up to something. Don�t try to con a con.�

          Lucas sighed. �Look around, Ben. We�re in the middle of a crisis. I don�t think whatever you�re hunting for is important right now. Go...follow the yellow brick road or something. I�m working, � he waved lightly away and went back to work.

          Ben held up the disk between the index and middle fingers of his right hand. �Whatever you say, kid. I got what I need right here anyway. I�m sure some of the others would really love to see what�s on this bad boy,� he shrugged then started walking away from a stunned Lucas.

          Lucas jerked back to attention and Samantha made his eyes narrow. *Oh, he�s dead.*

          �Wait!� Lucas caught up to the Lt. just as Ben turned around. Taking a breath, Lucas looked him in the eye. �What�s on it?� he asked calmly.

          �Seeing as how you�ve been acting so strange recently, I did a little surveillance of my own,� he began, fingering the disk. Lucas was hungry to snatch it from his hand and take off running.

          �I don�t know about you, but this is pretty heavy stuff, I mean, who would believe it? Though I do know about a dozen crewmen who�d go nuts for this kind of thing.� He turned to go, but was yanked back by an eager, paranoid teenage hand.

          �Ben, don�t,� he warned.

          �Alright, here�s the deal: You confirm what�s on the disk, and I hand it over. You refuse, and the whole boat gets to hear the story word for word.�

          *One shot, Lucas, that�s all I need. No one will ever find the body.* Samantha clenched his fist and moved uneasily.

          ~I don�t believe this. ~ �Alright! Alright. Just...be quite, please,� Lucas urged through gritted teeth, releasing Ben�s arm. It went against every logical reasoning in his being, but it was either spill the beans or have the whole boat know. Either way, it was an ultimatum. He opted for the safest route. �It�s true,� he relinquished. �The accident caused a surge in the VRN that transferred Samantha�s consciousness from virtual space to my brain. There. Are you happy now?�

          A sense of shock and sudden skepticism sprang up from the pit of Ben�s stomach, but he kept a cool composure so as not to shatter his perfectly planned act. �In your head. As in, inside you?�

          �If you say anything at all......� Lucas threatened.

          Ben stopped him with a wave of his hand. �Wait, wait, whoa, wait. So let me get this straight--just for the record: Samantha Kinkade, the girl you swore you�d never spend more than ten minutes in a room with, is shacked up in your noggin, sharing your body?�

          Samantha snorted. *Now he puts it eloquently.* Lucas saw her hand pass through Ben�s head as she tried to smack him. *I can�t believe he would do that! The jackass.*

          Lucas nodded reluctantly. �Yes, yes, she is, she�s here, and she says you�re a jackass, so fork it over. You got what you wanted,� he demanded, holding out his hand for the small bit of technology he was sure would cause him more embarrassment than he already had being the black sheep on the ship.

          Ben whistled and gave Lucas the disk, shaking his head. �That�s a story for the books. I never would have guessed.�

          �You never would have--� Lucas looked at the disk, then to Ben, his eyebrows knitting together as a theory grew. �What�s on the disk, Ben,� he asked slowly and cautiously, enunciating each word.

          Lt. Krieg let a grin creep across his face. �WSKR surveillance logs from four weeks ago, actually,� he mused.

          Lucas� face went from shock to anger. �You tricked me.�

          Samantha pushed forward to control Lucas� speech and gripped Ben�s uniform in his fists. �You creep! {Ben, so help me if I ever get out of this, I�m going to make your life so miserable, you won�t even be able to sit down without a plush donut under your arise and a bag of ice stapled to your head where your eyes should be!}�she cursed at him in Gaelic. Lucas had to force her back before she carried out her threat and released him, stepping away.

          Ben held up his hands and stepped back. �Whoa, hey, take it easy, kid. Calm down.� Hearing Lucas speak that much Gaelic that fluently with that much heat behind it seemed to confirm the already bizarre story. �Look I won�t tell anyone. I promise.�

          Lucas glared.

          �You can trust me.�

          Lucas glared.

          �Really.�

          �Ben, please don�t tell anyone. I ask you as a friend. Please.�

          Ben held up three fingers. �Scouts honor. Catch ya--I mean--you guys, later,� he added, and quickly walked around the corner.

          �Man,� he mused to himself, whistling one more time to let it all sink in. �Sam in Lucas.� Then he laughed. �Talk about your odd couple,� he sniggered as he walked away. He had to remember to thank Miguel later for the data disk.

          Lucas� shoulders slumped and he looked down at the small reflective disk laying innocently in his palm--his betrayer. In a small motion, he flicked it aside and watched it bounce along the metal grating of the deck plate like a coin.

          �Remind me one of these days to put arsenic in his food.�

* * * *

Later that same day...

          Commander Ford had to hand it to them. In a matter of twenty-four hours, the crew had managed to patch together enough of the systems that they had partial internal lighting, the vocorder was almost functioning properly again, the cook had his oven back online and finally ditched the Holman�s camping stove, and by the gods they had air conditioning! Reports on minute, yet gratifying accomplishments to the damages were still being handed in, and all seemed to be proceeding exceptionally well on the good ship Lollipop, except for one minor detail...

          �This thing is a piece of junk!� Frustrated, Katie Hitchcock kicked the outlet for the VR core hard enough to create a dull ring from the metal casing. �I�ve tried everything in the book, out of the book, between the lines, around the lines, and through every engineers manual for Virtual Reality sub systems available on this ship, and it�s still non responsive. I�m this close to throwing the whole damn thing out the nearest air lock, commander.� The irritation was evident in her voice and she did nothing to hide it from the tall man beside her.

          �Maybe you should just take a break, Katie,� Commander Ford suggested, wiping the sweat off his brow with a red rag. �You�ve been at this for six hours.�

          �It�s probably something simple,� she rationalized. �If I could just find it, then there would be no problem.�

          �I�m not questioning your ability to fix it, Lt.�

          �Then give me more time.�

          �Ok,� he agreed. �After you�ve had a break.� Ford tossed the rag aside.

          Katie�s exasperation shown through in a deep sigh. �Fine. Maybe eating will clear my head. Want something?� she asked on her way out.

          Ford shook his head. �No thanks. I already ate.�

          Katie nodded and left her tools on the floor, tossing a wrench back in the tool box and wiping a forearm across her forehead. She placed her hands on her hips. �I can�t believe it was Jeffries,� she uttered, shaking her head in regret.

          Maxwell Jeffries had been the only new crewman unaccounted for after the battle. Ford recalled the day before that O�Neill had managed to recover a broken data stream sent via satellite on a secured comm channel after security had been searching through Jeffries� cabin. Chief Crocker had discovered various forms of proof that confirmed Jeffries� connection with the pirate faction �Winter�s Raid� and indelibly started them on a wild goose chase for the missing pieces of the comm puzzle. Tim had his hands full with maintaining power to the communications station anyway. The best he could milk out of the receivers and satellite uplink was below average for a 1980�s fishing trawler.

          �His UEO record was clean,� Ford said. �They couldn�t even pin him for a speeding ticket. It�s not your fault.�

          �I know, but still. He was one of my team. I chose him myself and then this happens. The captain will never let me do anything like this again,� she huffed, tossing the rag by the commander�s.

          �The captain knows his crew,� Ford answered, looking Katie in the eye.

          Katie recognized the praise in that small sentence and allowed herself a smile. Of course the captain wouldn�t hold this one incident against her. The explosion hadn�t been her fault, and there was no way she could have known Jeffries� game was espionage. Katie was a damn good engineer and the captain knew it. �Thanks, commander,� she smiled, and left for the galley.

* * * *

          �So, then I said to the guy, �Look. All I want is a little peace and quiet for a change,� and he goes off telling me how much of a slob I am, and that I shouldn�t be complaining about a little polka music now and then. Polka music! That name in itself is born out of the fires of hell.�

          Miguel Ortiz handed Tim a wrench out of the tool box they were sharing, and continued stripping the rubber from wires and twisting the metal together to transfer what minimal power he had from a battery pack to his station. A battery powered workman�s lantern hung by a jury-rigged hook between them, casting a soft white light around them.

          �Ensign Mayweather was always like that, I remember him back at the academy. He was Johnson�s roommate at the time.� Tim snickered, took the wrench and began tightening the bolts one by one on the side panel of his station. �So what happened?�

          �He moved out,� Miguel worked with the controls of his consol, testing it to see if the repairs had worked. �Took everything of his and split.�

          �You got your own room. I don�t see what you�re complaining about,� Lucas chimed in from his position on the floor by a gutted vocorder receiver he was repairing to get his mind off his previous project--navigation.

          Samantha�s image lay on her back, kicking her feet lazily against the panel in a beat no other ears could hear.

          �Maybe he should move in with you,� Miguel joked.

          Lucas laughed. �Yea, right. My room is a six by twelve rectangle. Nice try, but I have sensitive equipment, and there�s no way you could fit a double occupant in there.�

          *Well...*

          ~Shuddup. ~

          Samantha�s image smiled.

          �Do you know who got stuck with him?� Tim asked, pulling himself back into his chair as he handed the wrench back to Miguel.

          �I don�t know, and I don�t care. As long as I don�t have to listen to �The Chicken Dance� again, I�m happy.� Miguel dropped the wrench in the tool box and it clattered against the other myriad of tools.

          There was a moment of silence before it was split by a voice that sounded like it had just received three gumballs out of a quarter machine. �I think I got it. I got it!� Tim exclaimed as his screen regained full power. �Yes! Communications are back online,� he announced happily, and set to work instantly on deciphering the coded transmission sent through Jeffries� quarters. Miguel, on the other hand, was still busy jury-rigging his own station.

          Lucas hunkered back down with his project and switched to his laptop. He peered thoughtfully as numbers scrolled across the screen, then typed in a few commands.

          *If you added a loop to the program, it�d be easier.* Samantha�s image wasn�t even looking at the screen. She didn�t need to.

          ~I know what I�m doing, ~ he dismissed her easily, caught up in his work.

          *So do I, and I�m telling you, it�s easier than having to manually hunt for the noun. The loop will keep your previously entered words in the memory, that way you can go back and fix them later without having to enter in the entire equation. It�s a simple procedure.*

          ~So now you�re telling me how to do my job? If you forgot, Sam, I created this system and I know how to run it. ~

          *So run it. I�m just giving you a suggestion,* she offered, hearing the exasperation in his voice. She got up to lean against the panel. *Sorry for voicing my opinion.*

          ~No you�re not. ~

          She cocked her head a little, smiling. *You�re right. I�m not.*

          He got up and walked into the hallway where a pile of battery packs had been laid and started sifting through them for on operable one.

          *Don�t ignore me, Lucas, you know I�m right.* A crew member walked right through her, distorting her image slightly.

          ~Don't start. ~

          *You just can�t stand that I remembered it before you did.*

          �Bite me, Sam,� he uttered low enough so as not to be heard by anyone else on the bridge.

          *No thanks. I�m not in the habit of biting myself,* she shot back. Lucas� body was exhausted from too much work and too little rest, and it was making them both irritable and short fused.

          �Look. Why don't you go off and haunt someone else for a change?� he turned to her, speaking in a low voice, and pulled the connectors from another pack, replacing them easily.

          *Believe me, I wish I could.*

          He glanced to her, then back. ~Just be quiet. ~

          *Make me.*

          ~Get a life. ~

          *Get a hair cut.*

          ~Get a body!~

          *That was low,* she scowled as she watched him walk away, her face shifting to cold anger.

          �I don�t need this,� Lucas sighed as he sat back down at the lap top and plugged the new battery into place.

          *Oh, and you think I do? Just like I need to feel that cold sore forming on your lip, or the cramp in your neck?*

          ~No wonder no one ever talks to you. ~

          She seethed and he felt it. *Lucas, stick your head between your knees and kiss my...*

          �How�s it coming, Lucas?� Bridger asked as he leaned on the pool�s edge.

          Lucas didn�t even hear the captain come in. The kid�s head snapped up in surprise and he paused, his thoughts scattering like spilled poker chips on a waxed table. He took a moment to gather them again. �The, uhm, the noun syntax is, uh, still messed up, and the, um, connection with the computer�s linguistical database keeps cutting out, but it�s moving. Slowly.� He sighed. �I don�t know, captain, this is a lot of damage.� He poked at the yellow receiver again, hoping for something different other than the scrambled garble the computer was spitting through the system to Darwin. �All we�re getting is something worthy of Dr. Seuss.�

          �We?� Miguel asked, glancing over at the young computer genius.

          Samantha made Lucas bite his lip.

          �Uhm,� Lucas began, biting his lip, ��we� as in Me and Darwin.�

          Nathan nodded though he knew who �we� actually meant. He also noticed the bags gathering under Lucas� eyes. �Why don�t you call it a night?�

          �But captain, if I could just...�

          �That�s an order.�

          Lucas sighed. With nearly every station undergoing repairs, the bridge pretty much looked like a train had wrecked in it, so reluctantly, but willingly, Lucas left his menagerie of parts and wires scattered on the floor with the gutted vocorder and shut down his laptop. �Yes sir. G�night, sir,� he said loosely, and left through the clam doors.

          Ben passed Lucas in the threshold of the doors with a wave, but couldn�t help but look back. Something minutely different forced him to take a second glance. �Is he wearing Sam�s necklace?�

          �I didn�t notice,� Miguel said. �I don�t keep track of peoples� jewelry.� He snapped his panel back in place and tried for the umpteenth time to piece together the memory logs from the WSKRs before they were destroyed like so much puffer fluff.

          Ben thought it would make sense if he was sporting her dolphin ring necklace. �Well, strange things like to happen around here. He�ll blend in nicely.�

          Nathan Bridger knelt by the vocorder, figured out where Lucas left off and picked it up from there. He knew the schematics well enough to at least try, and it gave him something to occupy his mind, though the bridge conversation seeped into his ears regardless.

          �You�re not in the least bit curious?� Tim asked.

          �Not a bit,� Ben answered smoothly.

          �I find that a little hard to believe,� Miguel said. �Correct me if I�m wrong, but most of the strange things that happen here find their epicenter around you.�

          �Yea, well, you can�t be the star all the time,� Ben smiled.

          �So what�s going on?� Miguel swiveled to eye Ben.

          Tim turned around as well. �You know something.� As he knew that Lucas and Samantha wanted their secret to stay that way, he played along with the �ignorance is bliss� game.

          �Guys, it�s nothing,� he laughed, sluffing it off.

          Both lieutenants continued to stare at him. The captain grinned slightly to himself and mentally braced for impending pandemonium.

          For a moment, Ben thought it would be wonderful to just spill the whole bizarre story; to watch it roil in the minds of his friends as they pondered the truthfulness in it. He could see the disbelief, then the humor, then maybe the shock cross their faces, and he would be God with all the knowledge in the world to dish out in as much or as little as he wanted. He�d be praised for not letting his friend suffer in isolation as the rest of the ship went about its business without even a clue as to what was really going on with the kid; he�d be worshiped for possessing the keys to the preverbal Emerald City.

          Instead, Ben simply shrugged. �Look, your guess is as good as mine,� he lied. He also wanted to keep his friend, however isolated he may be. �But,� he sought to change the subject, �I brought some recharging units for the batteries. Courtesy of Krieg�s Friendly Supply and Morale Service,� he said with a postal service smile, and set the packs down on the floor.

          �You�re a life saver,� Miguel said, leaving the conversation at that and helping himself to the small recharging units, though still believing that Krieg knew more of what was going on than meets the eye.

          Tim smiled briefly as Benjamin Krieg walked off the bridge, then turned back to his work at hand, which was halfway deciphered. The young com officer hadn�t expected that. Maybe Ben already knew. If that was the case, then the whole boat was in danger of discovery. Yet Tim had seen a different side to his friend. Still, he prayed his silence would hold.

          However spontaneous, devious, and fun-loving a person Ben may be, he�d proven clearly that his friend�s trust had come first.

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