Stranded by Bracken MacLeod Page B

repair anything, but it has to be broken first before he can fix it.” The third officer didn’t elaborate. He was as direct a person as Noah had ever met. He said exactly what he meant, and if you didn’t get it the first time, you had better have been taking notes; the man didn’t repeat himself. Noah thought about asking the follow-up question about environmental interference, but the takeaway from what he’d heard was that nothing was functioning, even if it was in working order.
    They rode the rest of the way in silence until Holden docked the FRC and let them back aboard the Promise . “Thanks again for the lift,” Noah said. He tried his best not to fall out as he climbed from the craft. He could have used two hands, but he would have rather taken a dive on the slick deck than lose the warm drink.
    â€œNext time, ride up with everyone else,” Holden said, shutting down the generator engine.
    â€œBelieve me, I would’ve if it had been an option.” Holden nodded. He didn’t ask for him to elaborate and Noah didn’t offer; there was no point telling the story. The third officer already knew it wasn’t tardiness that made Noah and Kevin miss the bus. But if Holden had an opinion of what Brewster had done, he wasn’t saying. He stayed above the fray in almost every conflict unrelated to chain of command, but his temper was the subject of legend. By the time Holden worked up a cross word, it was too late to take anything back. You weathered him like a storm. He was a good ally to have, but he couldn’t be coerced or corralled into taking a side. He’d find the right one when it needed finding. Noah hoped he would, anyway.
    Noah started for the door, desperate to get out of the Gumby suit, but more anxious to get to the port side of the ship and have another look at the shape in the distance before the waning daylight was entirely gone. He bent to help secure the rescue boat first. Holden stopped him. “I was told you’re to report to the wheelhouse.” He waited a beat and added, “Relax. Mickle’s on watch. He’s the one who wants to see you.” He winked.
    Perhaps Holden had chosen a side after all.
    â€œThanks.”
    â€œDon’t thank me. You don’t know what he wants yet.” Holden recruited Jack and Kevin to help him secure the FRC while Noah disappeared inside.
    *   *   *
    Noah stopped in the change room on the way to the wheelhouse to shed his Gumby suit. He secured it in his personal locker instead of with the other suits, but chose to keep his deck gear with him to store in his cabin. His adventure on the ice had him feeling like he should be watching his back. The men would look to Brewster for their cues how to treat him. Between the threatened beating and being left behind, the message was clear: Noah stood alone. Mostly alone, anyway. He seemed to have a small band of allies. Kevin had taken a big chance standing by him and was probably going to suffer for it. Jack would most likely get some on him, too. He suspected Holden would back him if it came down to it. His other friends aboard, Felix and Marty, were in no shape to take anyone’s side but their own. Still, there was comfort in his circle of three, maybe four. He wasn’t completely alone.
    He slammed his locker shut, twisting the dial just to be sure. Any number of tools aboard the vessel would pop the thing open, but if someone had to jimmy the thing with a pry bar, at least he’d know his suit had been tampered with. If any saboteurs wanted to fuck with anything else of his, they’d have to come see him directly.
    Now that Brewster had unofficially declared it open season on him, keeping his head down and doing as he was ordered wasn’t going to cut it any longer. In that moment, he decided taking the helicopter back to shore with Felix was the best course of action. He’d lose half of his pay for bailing