39

“How convinced are you it was him?” asked Ling, digging her toes into the soft warm sand.

She and Connor sat a little distance from the bonfire, the wood crackling and sending sparks like fireflies into the night sky. Bathed in the flickering glow of the flames, they kept a careful watch on Chloe and Emily dancing and chatting with the other guests at the beach party. Initially Mr. Sterling hadn’t been at all comfortable with the idea of his daughters attending. But Amanda had convinced him otherwise— either in an attempt to win favor with the girls or, as the sisters thought more likely, so she could have extra time alone with her future husband.

Connor shrugged in response to Ling’s question. “Fifty percent. It was more a gut feeling.”

“You know how unlikely this is,” she said, sipping from a can of Diet Coke she’d gotten from the snack bar. “I mean, we’re thousands of miles away from Sydney, virtually on the other side of the world.”

“I realize that,” Connor replied, beginning to doubt his own eyes. “I just wish you’d been there to ID him.”

Ling held up her hands. “Hey, I was busy fending off the boys swarming around Chloe.”

“You weren’t doing too badly yourself,” Connor remarked, nudging her with his elbow.

Ling narrowed her eyes at him. “He was talking to me. I was still in Code Yellow. Anyway, have you reported your sighting to Brad or the captain yet?”

“No,” Connor admitted. “You remember what Bugsy taught us: Once is happenstance, twice is circumstance. Three times means enemy action. Unless I see that man again, the sighting means nothing.”

Ling pursed her lips. “Well, Chloe seems to be getting into the full swing of the party.”

Over the portable speakers Bob Marley’s “Could You Be Loved” pulsed its summery lilting beat. Chloe was dancing with a boy in Bermuda shorts. Although not wanting to intrude on her fun, Connor realized they’d have to keep a close eye on her. Meanwhile, Emily sat by the fire, chatting with two girls and a red-haired boy who was showing a clear interest in her. But Connor didn’t judge him a threat. He was half his size and, by the looks of it, getting nowhere with Emily.

As Connor surveyed the party, a tall boy with curly sun-bleached hair swaggered over to them.

“Hey!” he drawled.

“Hi, Dave,” Ling replied, offering a friendly yet reserved smile. Connor recognized him as the boy who’d been speaking with her earlier that afternoon.

“What you doing over here? The party’s happening over there.” Dave wafted his arm in the general direction of the music.

“There’s a better view from here,” replied Ling.

“Really?” Dave turned his head and looked for himself.

Ling rolled her eyes at Connor, the boy having no idea what she actually meant by this. From their position outside the party, the two of them occupied the best surveillance point. They could see the beach, the bonfire and the snack bar. Their two Principals were always under their watchful guard yet had the freedom to enjoy themselves without Connor or Ling constantly at their side. And by not being too close to the fire, they kept some of their night vision, meaning people didn’t suddenly materialize out of the darkness.

“Seems good to me wherever you look,” said Dave, gazing directly at Ling. “Especially this way.”

He flumped down in the sand beside her and offered her an open-topped coconut with a straw sticking out.

“No thanks,” said Ling, her terse tone making it clear that Dave should rejoin his friends in the dance circle.

“Suit yourself!” said Dave, taking a slurp. He jutted his chin toward Connor. “He your boyfriend?”

Ling glanced at Connor and smirked. “No, I have taste.”

Dave broke into a broad grin. “Didn’t think so.” He bent forward to catch Connor’s eye. “No offense, man.”

“None taken,” replied Connor, wondering when the boy would realize he wasn’t welcome.

But Dave was clearly determined to continue chatting with Ling, talking about his surfing prowess earlier that day. Tuning out from the conversation, Connor’s eyes swept the party again. Chloe was now jumping up and down to “Happy” by Pharrell Williams. Her sister had joined her, and the red-haired boy from the bonfire was dancing alongside them both.

As he observed the dancers, he caught sight of a tattooed arm in the firelight. His alert status went from Code Yellow to Code Orange. Focused awareness. His eyes searched among the partygoers for another glimpse. But, outside the glow of the fire, the beach was too dark to make out any individual beyond their silhouettes. The next pool of light was the snack bar with its glistening oil lamps.

Then Connor saw a flash of a muscled bicep with a roaring lion tattoo.