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Fridjtof was led to a chair and sat down.
    â€œThanks, Rick,” Laz said. “Go back to your duties.”
    â€œYes, Captain.”
    Fridjtof looked up at Laz with contempt in his eyes.
    â€œWhat happened?”
    Fridjtof shrugged. “It’s nothing that you need to worry about. He just gets on my nerves. I can’t have someone always watching my every move.”
    His accent was stronger now that he was aggravated. Laz noticed that the other man’s eyes were bloodshot and sunken.
    â€œAre you ill?” He hoped that Fridjtof wasn’t using drugs. But if he was that might explain his erratic behavior both today and last night. He had never met the man before this voyage, so Laz had no idea what to expect from him.
    â€œWhat?” Fridjtof asked. “Nah, just didn’t get any sleep last night.”
    â€œWhy don’t you go to your bunk for a few hours and catch up on some sleep?”
    â€œNah—”
    â€œThat’s an order.”
    Fridjtof stood up and paced around the room. Laz watched the other man, waiting to see if he was going to attack. Fridjtof was moving like a caged tiger. And Laz was more than ready for whatever the other man decided to do.
    â€œHell. I’m not a boy to be ordered about.”
    â€œOn this ship you are,” Laz said.
    â€œWhatever.”
    â€œYou can cool off here or in your bunk. It’s up to you.”
    â€œMy bunk.” The other man stood and stretched. “I get itchy being out to sea for this long.”
    â€œI thought this was your normal run,” Laz said.
    â€œIt is. I still get restless. And having women on board…”
    Laz wasn’t sure what the other man was getting at. “In the old days they used to think women brought bad luck at sea.”
    â€œThat’s what I mean, man.”
    Laz realized the more they talked the more Fridjtof settled down, so he leaned back against the door and thought about the other man’s point. “Some curses still are in effect.”
    â€œYeah, I know. Red sky in morning, sailor take warning.”
    â€œBut that’s a weather warning system.”
    â€œWomen are a distraction, Captain, which you seem to be experiencing firsthand.”
    Laz didn’t bow to anyone and wasn’t about to stop talking to Daphne. “I’m not distracted.”
    â€œWe’ll see.”
    Laz shrugged. He didn’t like Fridjtof’s attitude but there was little that could be done for it now. “No more fighting or else I’ll lock you in the storage closet until we get to port.”
    â€œYes, Captain.”
    â€œCool off at your bunk for a few hours. I don’t want to see you until mealtime.”
    Fridjtof nodded and Laz opened the door to let the other man go.
    Laz watched until he disappeared down the long gray hallway. Then he started to return to the bridge.
    â€œSavage?”
    There was no sound in his earpiece, not even the crackle of an open comm. “Damn it.”
    Laz walked down the hallway toward the gangway. “Savage?”
    â€œHere, Laz, what do you need?” The signal was weak and Savage’s words faded in and out.
    Laz walked farther away from the hold and the sound got better. “Damn, the hold is a blackout zone for communication.”
    â€œIs that a problem?” Savage asked.
    â€œIt could be, if the pirates attack while we are down there. I don’t know all the scenarios but I’d prefer to be able to talk to you from the entire ship.”
    â€œHow’d we miss that?” Savage asked.
    â€œI don’t know. I’m going to have Hamm see if he can fix this.”
    â€œRoger that. What did you need from me?”
    â€œCan Wenz do a background check on Fridjtof?”
    â€œWe already screened the crew,” Savage said.
    â€œI just feel like we missed something. Last night he was on deck and this morning fighting with another crew member.”
    â€œNot a