Chapter 108

#Day 33 — 08:15

The private salon was cold, the way it always was when the sea turned rough. The ship rolled beneath them, a slow, grinding motion that made the glasses slide on the table and the crew brace their feet against the deck. Linh stood at the wall, her hand pressed flat against the paneling, her eyes on the window where the gray water rose and fell in long, heavy swells.

Vivienne was the last to enter. She closed the door behind her and stood at the head of the table, her hands flat on the wood, her face composed. The council was assembled—Sophie, Isabelle, Maggie, Victoria, Linh, Elena, Iqbal. Zhao and Aida sat together near the wall, their shoulders touching.

"The storm?" Vivienne asked.

Linh shook her head. "It will pass south of us. We'll get the edge—high winds, rough seas, but nothing the ship can't handle."

Vivienne nodded. She was about to speak when the door creaked open.

Chen walked in.

Mei-Lin was beside her, her hand on Chen's arm, guiding her. Chen's blind eyes were fixed straight ahead, her face calm, her steps sure. She wore a simple dress, her hair loose, and she moved through the room as if she had walked it a thousand times.

The council went still.

Sophie's hand stopped mid-reach for her cup. Maggie straightened. Victoria's eyes narrowed. Even Linh, who rarely showed surprise, froze with her hand on the wall.

Chen had never come to a council meeting. She never left the treatment suite except for the server room. If she was here, something was happening.

Mei-Lin guided her to an empty chair and settled her. Chen's hands found the table, folded in front of her.

"Captain," she said. "It is time to arrest Alexis."

The silence was absolute. Zhao saw Sophie's jaw tighten, saw Victoria's eyebrows rise, saw Sophie's brow furrow with concern.

"Arrest her?" Sophie's voice was sharp. "On what grounds?"

"Violation of council rules," Chen said. "She has been operating the spa beyond authorized hours. She has been encouraging behavior that endangers the crew. The charges are not important. What matters is that we do it now."

Victoria leaned forward. "You want to take the drug away from the addict. That won't cause a riot. It will cause a massacre."

"Yes," Chen said. "That is the plan."

The room erupted. Voices overlapped—Sophie demanding explanation, Maggie asking about security, Linh asking about timing. Vivienne stood silent at the head of the table, her face unreadable.

Maggie's voice cut through the noise. "Why? Why would we want a riot?"

Chen waited for the room to quiet. When she spoke, her voice was calm, measured.

"To lure Carmona. The Commission has been watching us, waiting for us to tear ourselves apart. When the riot begins, they will believe the moment has come. Carmona will attack. And we will be ready."

The silence that followed was different—not shock, but something heavier. The council had known Chen was working on something. They had seen the boat modifications, the drone, the preparations. But none of them had seen the full picture. None of them had understood.

Vivienne's voice was quiet. "You want two holding cells. One for Alexis. One for Carmona."

Chen nodded. "Yes."

Maggie stared at her. "You're insane."

"Perhaps." Chen's lips curved. "But I am not wrong."

She turned her blind eyes toward Victoria. "You will lead the arrest. Six guards, full riot gear. Parade her through B-Deck, C-Deck, the atrium. Make sure everyone sees."

Victoria nodded slowly. "And when the riot starts?"

"You and your team will hold the lower deck. Maggie will have six more waiting. Iqbal has prepared something for the crowd."

Everyone looked at Iqbal. She nodded, once. "Non-lethal. It will sedate them."

Chen's fingers traced invisible patterns on the table. "After the sedative takes effect," she said, her voice measured, "move all personnel to the submarine. Victoria remains behind." She turned her face toward Victoria. "You'll position yourself on the bridge roof. The Barrett is already in place. Stay hidden until you have a clear shot. When Carmona tries to flee, disable her speedboat by targeting the engine."

Victoria nodded.

Chen turned to Vivienne. "Captain. Your decision. The window is closing."

Vivienne shut her eyes. Zhao watched her face, saw the muscles in her jaw work, saw her hands tighten on the table. When she opened her eyes, they were clear.

"We go with Chen's plan." She looked at Isabelle. "Prepare Sanctuary for occupancy. We need to move people below deck."

Isabelle nodded and left.

Vivienne turned to Maggie. "Your team. Riot gear at the designated locations. I want you and Victoria coordinated."

"Yes, Captain."

Vivienne looked at Victoria. "Find Alexis. Arrest her. Put her in the holding cell."

Vivienne turned to Chen. "The bodies. The ones in the freezer. What did you do with them?"

Chen's voice was quiet. "I had them moved. They are where they need to be."

Vivienne did not ask where. She did not want to know.

"The meeting is adjourned," she said. "Go."

The room emptied. Zhao watched them go—Maggie already on her comms, Victoria checking her sidearm, Sophie disappearing into the corridor without a word. He stayed where he was, his hand on Aida's, his eyes on Vivienne.

She stood at the head of the table, alone, her hands still flat on the wood.

He crossed to her, took her hand. She did not pull away.

"It will work," he said.

She looked at him. "It has to."

#Day 33 — 09:30

B-Deck smelled of sex and sweat and the sweet, cloying perfume of the candles Alexis burned in her spa. Victoria moved through the crowd, her boots silent on the carpet, her six guards fanned out behind her. They wore riot gear—helmets, shields, batons—and the women scattered before them like birds before a storm.

Naked bodies pressed against the walls. Glazed eyes watched them pass. Someone laughed, high and wild, and someone else shouted something Victoria did not catch. She kept her eyes forward, her hand on her sidearm, her jaw tight.

The spa doors were open. Inside, the baths were full, the candles burning, the air thick with steam and perfume. Alexis stood at the center of the largest bath, her body slick with water, her hair dark against her pale shoulders. She was speaking to someone—Sabine, Victoria saw, standing at the edge of the water, her arms crossed, her face calm.

Victoria stepped into the spa. The guards fanned out behind her, their shields raised, their batons ready.

"Alexis Constantine," Victoria said. "You are under arrest."

Alexis's head snapped toward her. Her eyes widened, and for a moment, Victoria saw something there that she had not expected. Fear. Not of the arrest—of something deeper.

"What did I do wrong?"

"Violation of council rules. You have been operating the spa beyond authorized hours. You have been encouraging behavior that endangers the crew." Victoria stepped closer. "You will come with us."

Alexis looked at Sabine. "This wasn't part of the deal."

Sabine's lips curved. She did not answer. She stepped back into the shadows, and Victoria saw her smile, small and satisfied, and filed it away.

Alexis tried to step back, but Victoria was faster. She grabbed her wrist, twisted, and had her cuffed before she could scream. The women in the baths watched, their glazed eyes tracking the movement, their mouths open.

"Take her," Victoria said.

The guards closed in. They marched Alexis out of the spa, through B-Deck, through the crowds of naked women who reached for her, who shouted for her release. Alexis stumbled, tried to pull away, but the guards held her fast.

"This isn't right," she said. "I didn't—I only did what they wanted—"

Victoria said nothing. She kept her eyes forward, her hand on her sidearm, her face hard.

They passed through C-Deck, where the crew watched from the doorways, their faces pale, their hands over their mouths. They passed through the atrium, where the chandeliers swayed with the motion of the ship and the women who had been drinking Stavros's stash stared up at them with hollow eyes.

By the time they reached the lower deck, a crowd had gathered. Dozens of women, some dressed, some not, their faces twisted with anger, their voices raised.

"Let her go!"

"She didn't do anything wrong!"

"What gives you the right?"

Victoria ignored them. She pushed through the crowd, her guards forming a wedge around her, and reached the holding cell. Maggie was waiting, her team of six in riot gear behind her, their shields raised.

Victoria shoved Alexis into the cell and slammed the door. The lock clicked, and Alexis fell against the wall, her cuffed hands pressed to her chest, her face pale.

"Please," she said. "Don't leave me alone."

Victoria did not answer. She stepped back, turned to face the crowd, and drew her sidearm.

Maggie handed her a gas mask. Victoria took it, fitted it over her face, and nodded.

The crowd surged forward.

Victoria raised her hand. "Hold."

The guards braced. The crowd shouted. And somewhere in the depths of the ship, the engines hummed, and the water rose and fell, and the storm drew closer.