It was hard to tell considering the evidence was three years old and had been underwater and subject to tides, time, and the sea.

Zach touched her arm to gain her attention again, and they opened the hatch that led to below deck, being wary of any animals that might be living inside the ship.

Even at this depth, there were predators and animals that, due to their size, were dangerous. She did not want to piss one off. Not that she was scared, but she didn't have the time.

But with the exception of a few fish, the ship was empty. Swimming down the stairs, she flashed her light along the walls. Words pained on the overhang at the end of the stairs caught her attention.

My Wish. Papeete, Tahiti.

The name of the ship and port of registration.

My Wish?

Jess wished it was the right, dammed boat. Fuck.

She pointed the name out to Zach. He nodded and even through the mask, she saw the deep disappointment in his eyes that mirrored her own feelings.

He wanted to find the boat as much as she did. Albeit, for a different reason but still it was disappointing.

They ascended, and she breathed deep using her tanks, knowing that when she reached the surface, she was going to have to make some hard decisions.

They stopped fifteen feet below the surface to give their bodies time to adjust to the change in pressure and avoid the bends, not that Jess ever got the bends due to her body's unique structure, but she was used to the routine and liked the alone time.

She floated in the open water, scenarios racing through her head. The only one that made sense was to contact Delphi. Tell her or him that the information was wrong. That the ship wasn't here.

Perhaps they could rerun the data.

The familiar sound of a boat engine caught Jess's attention and goosebumps covered her skin despite the warmth of the water and wetsuit.

After a week of being on One For The Money, she knew the boat's many sounds. This wasn't one of them.

The boat she heard did not belong to Zach.

He glanced upward as well, and despite the fact they had thirty more seconds of decompression, he swam towards One For The Money.

She grabbed his right fin and pulled hard, stopping him before he broke the water surface. It might be his ship and people in danger, but if these were pirates, it was best to play it careful. If not, then there was no rush.

He tried to pull away, but she held tight and pointed to the boat that was now twenty feet from his. Perhaps thirty feet in length, it was dwarfed by the larger salvage ship.

That was one thing in their benefit.

She shook her head and tugged him towards the stern of their boat. Zach nodded, and they swam over.

Rising to the surface, they hugged the hull and listened.

There was talking. Arguing. Then a sharp pop.

Gunfire. Jess jumped at the sound.

More popping sounded, but all came from the One For The Money. Nate, she surmised. As specialized military-even ex-military--he wasn't going to tolerate pirates.

Or anyone that pointed a weapon in Liz's vicinity.

But Jess doubted if the rest of the crew was as well trained, and that was a problem. She had to stop the firefight before someone was hurt or killed. That meant taking down the pirates. She had no idea how many were on the smaller boat, but if she had to guess, she'd say not more than a few since, from their shouts of surprise, they hadn't expected much resistance.

She could handle a few-even without a gun.

She pulled Zach close. "Stay here," she whispered in his ear.

"Not a chance. I'm coming with you."

"You're not trained to do this." This was her expertise. Stealth. Surprise. And the occasional killing if the situation warranted it.

"I'm not letting you do this alone."

There was a break in gunfire and some shouting, but no screams. So far, it seemed as if neither side had taken casualties.

"Damn it." She did not need Zach getting in the way. He had the courage of a Marine, not many would have stayed with her while she dismantled a live bomb, but he did not have her expertise or experience.

She also knew he was as stubborn as he was brave. He also wasn't going to give in on this and she didn't have time to argue. "Fine. I'll distract the pirates. When I do, board the ship and start her. We might e able to get away before this turns into a bloodbath."

"How do you plan to distract them?"

"I'm going to board them."

His eyes narrowed. "Bad idea."

"I'm trained." She pulled her dive knife free and flashed the blade at Zach. "And I'm armed."

From the book BREATHLESS by Sharron McClellan
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The edition is published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A., Copyright © 2008