“It’s over,” Bert said, his voice deadly calm despite the rage singing through his veins. “You’re done.”
George appeared in the doorway, breathing hard, with two security officers behind him. “RCMP Marine Service and Coast Guard are approaching. They’re boarding despite the storm.”
As if on cue, Bert heard the rumble of powerful boat engines over the storm. Through the open bay doors, he could see the lights of an RCMP patrol boat cutting through the rough water, moving toward the ship.
Within minutes, RCMP officers in tactical gear were boarding through the hangar, their weapons drawn and their movements professional. The lead officer took one look at Frank pinned beneath Bert and nodded approvingly.
“Frank Marcone?” the officer asked.
“Yes,” Bert confirmed, not releasing his hold. “And you can add attempted murder of one of the passengers to his list of atrocities.”
“We’ll take it from here.” The officer signaled to his team, and they moved forward to take Frank into custody.
Bert released his hold and shifted back, still sitting on the floor, his chest heaving with adrenaline and the need to suck in oxygen to steady his heart. George stepped closer and extended his hand. Bert looked up, nodded, then clasped the older man’s hand as he pushed to a stand. They watched as the RCMP officers secured Frank with professional efficiency. Bert’s phone buzzed with an incoming call from Logan. He answered immediately, his voice steady despite the adrenaline still coursing through his system.
Logan’s voice was tight with concern. “Status?”
“Frank Marcone is in RCMP custody. They just boarded and took him into custody for murder, identity theft, fraud, elder abuse, and attempted murder.” Bert took a breath. “Mary’s injured. Frank attacked her, tried to strangle her. She fought him off, but she’s hurt. I need to get back to the medical center.”
“Go,” Logan said immediately. “We’ll handle coordination with the RCMP from here. You take care of Mary. And Bert? You both did incredible work. Diane is safe because of you two.”
“Roger that. I’ll check in once I know Mary’s status.”
Bert disconnected and ran back through the corridors, his mind focused solely on reaching Mary. He burst through the door to find her lying on a medical bed, the doctor examining her carefully while a nurse took notes.
“Mary,” Bert breathed, crossing the room in three strides.
She turned her head at the sound of his voice, and despite the oxygen cannula in her nose and the bruises already darkening on her throat, she smiled. A real smile that reached her eyes and made Bert’s chest ache with relief and love.
He took her hand carefully, mindful of the IV line the nurse was setting up. “Hey, sweetheart. How are you doing?”
“Not bad,” Mary rasped, her voice hoarse and painful-sounding. “You get him?”
“RCMP has him in custody. He’s not going anywhere except prison.” Bert brought her hand to his lips, pressing a kiss to her knuckles. “You were right about tearing his face to shit and breaking his finger. He looked like hell.”
Mary’s smile widened slightly. “Good.”
The doctor cleared his throat. “Mr. Tomlinson, I need to finish my examination. You’re welcome to stay, but I need you to step back slightly.”
Bert moved aside but kept hold of Mary’s hand, refusing to let go completely. He watched as the doctor carefully examined her injuries, each bruise and scratch making his jaw tighten with renewed anger at Frank.
“Preliminary assessment,” the doctor said after several minutes, “shows bruised ribs, possibly cracked. We’ll need X-rays to confirm. Significant bruising and swelling to the throat and neck area. Abrasions on both arms and her right shoulder. Some minor lacerations that will need cleaning and possibly stitches.”
“What about internal injuries?” Bert asked, his voice tight.
“I’m ordering a full workup as soon as we dock, and she gets to a hospital. Chest X-rays, abdominal CT, the works. But her vitals are stable, she’s breathing well despite the rib pain, and I don’t see any signs of serious internal trauma.” The doctor looked at Mary with professional concern. “You’re very lucky, Ms. Smithwick. This could have been much worse.”
“I know,” Mary whispered.
The nurse came forward with pain medication, and the doctor supervised as Mary was given something for the pain and to help with the swelling. Bert watched her face relax slightly as the medication took effect, some of the tension leaving her body.
“We’ll keep you here until we dock,” the doctor said. “Given the throat trauma and the possibility of cracked ribs, I want to monitor you closely. We’ll have an ambulance meet the ship when it docks in a few hours.”
Mary nodded, clearly exhausted now that the adrenaline was wearing off. Her eyes were already drooping, the combination of pain medication and pure exhaustion pulling her toward sleep.
Bert pulled a chair close to the bed and sat, keeping hold of her hand. “I’m not leaving. I’ll be right here.”
The doctor looked at Mary, who nodded weakly. “He stays.”