The Merchant of the Black Market, A Lex Jackson thriller: Book two

Chapter 21 : Storm Rising

Monaco

Nicky's pov

Nicky closed her laptop and rose up from the desk, where she was sitting as she exited the room and walked down the corridor. She sauntered down the winding staircase into the marble lobby and ventured out through the front glass doors strolling the steps she noticed Kayleigh standing there.

She also hailed a taxi as one pulled up to the curb as she climbed in and said"Port Hercule Please" She had looked up the newly Enchanted Duchess before she left her hotel room and saw that it was docked alongside Port Hercule. She had created a perfect cover herself as a free-lance photographer who loved to travel all over the world.

Nicky looked out of the window of the taxi as it sped down the winding street on its way to Port Hercule. She wondered who on the crew of the Enchanted Duchess was being paid off by the Sandino family? It could be anyone from the captain himself to the cruise director to the security officer to the IT officer.

As the taxi pulled up to Port Hercule she could see the cruise ship docked along the pier. She climbed out of the back closing the door handing the driver Eighty dollars. She walked down the long pier on her to the cruise ship where she was by a serious-looking security officer.

The security officer said in an authoritative voice" Miss Nicky Storm interesting name, I checked your background it stated that you're a free-lance photographer and that you worked a cybersecurity company welcome aboard "as he handed her cruise card.

There was something about him,but she couldn't tell what it was? She was glad that your cover checked out good. But she had to be careful not knowing who to trust on the crew would be tricky.

She walked aboard the cruise ship entering into Plazza as she surveyed all the people walking around enjoying themself. After that, she was directed to the staircase down to deck 0

That was below the sea. She sauntered down the staircase to the crew cabins. She noted the cabins were a lot smaller and that you shared with them two or three people.

She found her cabin and slid her key card into the card reader, but their door  was ajar. So she entered seeing another lady sitting on atop of the bunk bed. The room looked messy with postcard every port that she had probably had been too.

She placed her Macbook air on the table near the wall.

Nicky said"Hi I'm Nicky Storm the new staff photographer"

The lady up looked and said"Oh hello I'm Jennifer assistant cruise director on here"

After everyone boarded the cruise ship they set sail. Nicky slipped into the uniform that cruise ship photographers. She ventured over to the equipment room where they kept cameras for photographing people on the ship. She entered grabbing one of the cameras. She slowly glanced making sure that she wasn't followed.

She thought she heard footsteps and saw someone, she wasn't too sure. She had her Rugger.22 tucked behind the blue uniform dress shirt that she was wearing. She was going to take any chances.

After that she ventured up the staircase onto  the deck 7- Fiesta.  As the two couples walked by in  their  suit and a dress, she  quickly photographed them while  keeping am eye  on the security officer talking to someone else about something.

After she was done photographing people she quickly and quietly made down to the crew members cabin. Then she said to one of the crew members"Do you know where Conrad cabin is"

The crew member said"Just down the hall to your right"

Nicky sauntered down the corridor reached behind the uniform and pulled out her suppressed Ruger. 22 as she gripped in both hands. She saw the door was slightly open and stepped in so far so good she thought. Out of the corner of her eye she saw a thick vanilla envelope on the table near the bunk beds. She walked over to the table and picked up the envelope.