Kane stared as though the Pacific had personally betrayed him.

“You should be in medical.”

I looked at him.

“You should be relieved of command.”

A few sailors shifted.

His face darkened.

“You’re done.”

“No, sir.”

I took one step forward.

“I think you are.”

The master-at-arms moved beside me.

Kane noticed.

Then the sailors behind us.

Then the maintenance chief who was no longer looking down.

His control was changing shape.

He could feel it.

“What is this?”

No one answered.

Kane looked at me.

“What did you do?”

I let the silence sit for a moment.

Then said,

“Deck Four.”

His face went blank.

Too blank.

Confirmation.

I had wondered whether he knew exactly what was hidden there.

Now I knew.

He did.

Kane took one step toward me.

“You have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“I found the access point.”

Nothing.

“I photographed the compartment.”

His jaw moved.

“And the cargo.”

The sailors around us became still.

Kane’s eyes hardened.

“You entered a restricted maintenance zone without authorization.”

I almost laughed.

“You threw me into it.”

That broke something in the passage.

A few sailors actually smiled.

Kane heard them.

His attention snapped toward the sound.

The smiles vanished.

But not the way they had before.

This time, people looked back.

No lowered eyes.

No immediate surrender.

Kane saw it.

And understood.

The ship was no longer afraid of him in the same way.

He pointed at me.

“Detain her.”

The master-at-arms did not move.

Kane turned.

“I gave you an order.”

The man’s voice was careful.

“Sir, Commander Reese has instructed me to hold this deck until he arrives.”

Kane’s expression changed.

“Reese?”

“Yes, sir.”

“He has no command authority over me.”

The master-at-arms swallowed.

“He said you would say that.”

A door opened behind us.

Commander Reese stepped into the passage.

No rush.

No shouting.

Just calm.

That was always when he was most dangerous.

Kane stared at him.

“What the hell is going on?”

Reese looked at me.

“Status?”

“Deck Four confirmed.”

“Evidence?”

“Photographic.”

“Compartment contents?”

I hesitated.

Kane noticed.

Reese did too.

“Mercer?”

I lowered my voice.

“Possible human transport.”

The passage went silent.

Reese’s expression changed.

Not dramatically.

But enough.

Kane suddenly moved.

Not toward me.

Toward the access control beside the sealed corridor.

Reese reacted immediately.

“Don’t.”

Kane’s hand stopped inches from the panel.

Reese took one step forward.

“Colonel, move away from the controls.”

Kane laughed.

“You don’t give me orders on my vessel.”

“This is not about command anymore.”

Kane looked around.

“What, you think you’re arresting me?”

Reese’s face remained unreadable.

“I think you’re going to step away from that panel.”

For one second, I thought Kane might comply.

Then his eyes shifted.

Past Reese.

Toward the emergency suppression control mounted farther down the passage.

My stomach dropped.

He was not trying to open Deck Four.

He was trying to destroy what was inside.

“Kane!”

He moved.

So did everyone else.

The master-at-arms intercepted him before he reached the control.

They hit the bulkhead hard.

Kane fought.

Not like an officer trying to preserve dignity.

Like a man watching his entire life collapse.

“Get off me!”

Two sailors helped restrain him.

Reese stood over them.

“Victor Kane, you are relieved pending investigation.”

Kane stopped struggling.

Then looked at me.

The hatred in his face was absolute.

“You think this is over?”

I met his eyes.

“No.”

I looked toward the sealed compartment.

“I think it just started.”

Then a metallic sound came from behind the Deck Four wall.

Three knocks.

Slow.

Deliberate.

Everyone froze.

The signalman whispered,

“What was that?”

No one answered.

Then it came again.

Knock.

Knock.

Knock.

Not machinery.

Not the hull.

Someone was inside.