Chapter 13
A few hours later, the ship’s a lot quieter in the dead of night than it was at dusk. Most guests with regular schedules or indoor plans have retreated to their cabins, leaving less than half still partying, all inside now. The deck’s lit up, but there’s nothing to see on the dark ocean, especially with the chilly sea breeze kicking in.
Nami’s back, triumphant. Unlike me, she boarded at the start of the voyage and spent her time memorizing the ship’s layout. Finding the vault and Badsey’s cabin was a piece of cake for her.
As she crosses the empty deck, a damp, cold gust hits her. Dressed in a stolen crew uniform, she shivers and tugs her collar tighter. She’d nabbed the outfit when she first snuck aboard. Even without our deal, she was planning to make her move tonight—targeting the rich guests’ pockets, not the vault. That was too risky for her usual tricks.
“Damn that guy… If I could handle the vault guards alone, I wouldn’t be running back to him,” she mutters, reaching my door. She pulls out the room key she “forgot” to return, unlocks it, and steps inside.
The room’s dimmer than when she left, quiet as a grave. Curious, she tiptoes past the entryway and peers in. There I am, slouched against the sofa, feet propped on the coffee table, a book covering my face like I’m asleep.
Her face darkens. “Jerk… I’m out there freezing my ass off scouting, and you’re napping? Just wait!” she grumbles under her breath, stalking over.
She reaches for the book, planning to yank it off and pinch my nose for laughs. Attacking me? Not on her mind—she’s still counting on me for the vault job.
Her fingers close on the book’s spine, a mischievous grin spreading… until she lifts it and sees me staring right at her, eyes wide open.
“Ah!” The dim light and her keyed-up nerves make her scream.
I sit up calmly. “Trying to wake the whole ship, Miss Nami?”
Realizing I played her, she glares. “What’s wrong with you?! Why cover your face with a book and pretend to sleep if you’re not?!”
“No choice,” I say with a shrug. “I was asleep, but in my dream, someone said they were gonna ‘deal with me.’ Scared me awake.”
Her expression falters—she knows she can’t outtalk me. She switches gears. “Enough nonsense. I found both places you mentioned. And that box you told me to look for? I saw it.”
“Oh?” My eyes light up. “Where?”
“There’s a bunch of those small boxes and bags in the vault,” she says, then leans in, all secretive. “But when I snuck by Badsey’s cabin, I saw him through the window. He was sleeping, clutching a box like the one you described. Even in his sleep, he’s holding it tight. Think that’s your thing?”
“Probably,” I say, thinking it over. “Alright, let’s move. We’re hitting Badsey’s cabin first.”
She balks. “Why not the vault?”
“Simple,” I say. “I’m worried you’ll grab the vault’s loot and bolt. If the ship goes into chaos, my mission’s screwed.”
“And what if you ditch me after getting your stuff?” she fires back. “Then my plan’s ruined!”
“No way,” I say, tossing aside the fancy noble outfit from earlier and pulling my usual trench coat from the wardrobe. “I’m way more trustworthy than you.”
“Says who? I think I’m the reliable one!” she snaps.
I nearly slip into an old meme from my past life but catch myself. “Let’s not waste time. Move.”
“Ugh!” Nami huffs, storming ahead. She knows arguing’s pointless—I’m the one who’ll do the heavy lifting. And, just like I suspected, she was thinking about grabbing the vault’s goods and ditching me.