Cruisin' For A SEAL: SEAL Brotherhood #5 by Sharon Hamilton

last to arrive at the gangway. The Team always rode in back, so they were the last to say farewell to Mohammed, their guide. The rotund man in his beige robe was short with them, but eyed the women with a special sparkle, especially lingering on Mia. Fredo’s protective arm over her shoulder didn’t allow their eyes to meet. The grin on the guide’s face looked devious.
    Mark noticed a group of new crew members embarking at the second gangway, burdened with multiple bags with instruments, flags and costumes that overflowed like stuffing on a well-done turkey.
    One of the members, carrying a large black duty bag similar to what the Team used, had some stringed instrument and several silver swords extending out two feet from the zippered opening. Mark could tell the bag was heavy. On the guy’s other shoulder was slung two stubby drums tied together. But what seemed odd was that he wore a set of full lace-up combat boots. Mark had a hard time imagining a dancer or a musician wearing that kind of gear.
    The entertainment troupe disappeared into the bowels of the lower decks just as the Team made their way in. They placed their bags on the metal detector and had their cruise card scanned and verified by the security agents. Kyle chatted with a couple of Moshe’s detail, but Moshe was absent.
    At zero deck passengers stood in line for the elevators up, but the troupe Mark had noticed earlier turned right and filed down the narrow halls of the crew quarters, past the medical station. The black duty bag was sitting in the hallway and the booted man hitched it up to his shoulder and followed his friends down the hall.
    At the last minute, Mark saw the man turn around and eye him carefully, then reverse direction to follow his group.
    Mark looked for Moshe and didn’t find the security officer at the crew gate, either. Two dark-skinned Indian security agents were assisting the rest of the dancers and crew on board, scanning bags.
    Mark’s group headed down the narrow rows of cabin doors to the back of the ship on their deck. A cleaning cart was midway down the corridor. Several of the cabin doors were propped open and empty of passengers. The Filipino cabin steward had knocked on a door and then opened it. Inside was the dark lady Mark had seen in the coffee house in Marrakesh, half dressed and being kissed by a man in a single-striped ship’s officer’s jacket. That’s when Mark realized the plain-clothed man in the marketplace had been the same man, and was apparently one of the ship’s junior officers.
    He looked away before the couple could notice that he saw them. The cabin steward was flustered and making apologies, and they heard the door slam after he retreated back to his cart.
    Mark approached Kyle, who hadn’t noticed the cabin drama. “You see that?” he asked his LPO.
    “What, man?”
    “I just saw a couple in one of the cabins. Officer cavorting with one of the passengers? That sound right to you?”
    “I think it happens, my friend. You’re about to go find that lovely Italian lass, and I’m guessing she’ll let you do pretty much anything you want with her,” Kyle answered.
    Mark blushed. “An officer, Kyle. I know for a fact that’s not kosher.”
    “I’ll have to ask Moshe about it, then. He’s joining us for dinner.”
    In the hallway outside their cabin doors, Kyle gave directions. “At eighteen-thirty we meet up at the ninth floor Club Romanza. Moshe has a special table for dinner. Dress up. You’ve got a little more than an hour, okay, ladies and gents?” Kyle surveyed his Team and their wives. He inspected Fredo standing beside Mia outside her door. Jasmine was next to Christy. “Everyone shows up. Everyone,” he said as he nodded meaningfully at Fredo.
    Had he not met Sophia, Mark would have been only too pleased to let Jasmine shower and dress in their cabin, since it was obvious Fredo and Mia had made some plans for the next few minutes. He didn’t think Sanouk would mind,