Chapter 2 - THE BENEATH THE WATERLINE DISCOVERY
Richard did not hesitate. "Sam, call the Harbor Police and the Bomb Squad now," he ordered, his voice dropping an octave into a tone reserved for severe crisis. "Tell them we have a credible explosive threat on the Golden Hour."
Marina stepped forward, her face draining of color as she registered the conviction in her husband’s eyes. "Richard... you can't be serious. Who would—"
"Get Peter off the gangway," Richard said softly, taking his wife by the shoulder and gently guiding her away from the vessel. He turned back to Luna, who was shivering despite the warm Florida breeze. "Luna, you did the right thing. You’re safe now."
Within twelve minutes, the piercing sirens of the Broward County Sheriff's Office and the Fort Lauderdale Harbor Patrol echoed through the marina. Flashing red and blue lights painted the hulls of surrounding yachts. Officer Gabriel Diaz, a veteran harbor investigator, took charge of the scene, clearing a hundred-yard perimeter along Dock C.
Two tactical divers descended into the murky, tea-colored waters beneath the Golden Hour.
The wait was agonizing. Peter clutched his mother's hand, while Marina held Richard’s arm, her eyes fixed on the tranquil water where her son had been looking for dolphins just minutes prior. Luna sat on an upturned wooden crate nearby, wrapped in a heavy navy jacket Richard had grabbed from his car trunk.
Fifteen minutes into the dive, one of the frogmen surfaced near the stern. He removed his regulator, his expression somber.
"We have a confirmed hit," the diver called up to Officer Diaz. "It’s a military-grade limpet charge attached with heavy neodymium magnets directly against the hull, right beneath the main fuel reservoir. It’s fitted with a remote detonator and a backup pressure timer set for seven o'clock."
Marina gasped, bringing a hand to her mouth as tears spilled over her cheeks. She sank to her knees beside Luna, wrapping her arms around the startled girl. "Oh God... oh my God. You saved us. You saved my baby."
Richard felt a cold sweat break out across his neck. The timer was set for 7:00 p.m.—exactly when they would have reached the open channel heading out toward the ocean, far from help, surrounded by thousands of gallons of burning diesel.
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"Sir," Officer Diaz said, placing a gloved hand on Richard's shoulder. "Someone wanted your entire family wiped out without leaving a trace. We need to move you all to a secure facility immediately while the disposal unit defuses the device."
As they were escorted to an armored police van, Richard looked down at Luna. The girl who owned nothing had just given him back everything that mattered.
