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made their way back to the gangway.
    â€œNice doing business with you,” Holland said with a tip of his hat. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve been waiting to make use of the facilities for hours, if you know what I mean.
Adiós.
”
    Lozada couldn’t wait to get away from this putrid mess. He smiled wanly and nodded good-bye. When they were safely back on his launch and he could breathe fresh air again, he shrugged at Gao as the operator motored away.
    â€œAt least we know now this isn’t the one,” he said.
    â€œYou are wrong,” Gao said. “This is the ship you’re looking for.”
    Lozada looked at Gao in amazement and then up at the disgusting captain walking back toward his cabin. “You’re joking! That thing isn’t fit to be a garbage scow.”
    â€œIt’s all a clever disguise. I have been on that ship before.”
    â€œLook, we’ve all heard the rumors. A normal-looking cargo ship bristling with weapons that is used to spy on countries around the world. Some say it’s British, some say American or Russian. No one knows its name. No one can agree on what it looks like. All we have are vague secondhand stories about the ship getting into sea battles with Chinese destroyers, Iranian submarines, and Burmese gunboats. Supposedly, it has missiles and torpedoes and lasers, armor three feet thick, and can withstand anything short of a nuclear blast. Does that barely floating embarrassment look like a warship to you?”
    Gao’s expression was deadly serious. “I didn’t see any torpedoes or lasers, but I was stationed aboard the destroyer
Chengdo
, and I was one of the Marines sent onto that ship to capture it. We were repelled by a well-trained force armed with the latest weaponry.”
    Lozada laughed. “I could return with two men from the police force and seize that vessel without a problem.”
    â€œI advise against that. Your admiral has information that you don’t. I suggest you call and report my conclusions.”
    Lozada narrowed his eyes at Gao. “Give me one reason why I should believe you.”
    â€œThe ship’s name—
Dolos
. Do you know what it means?”
    â€œOf course. A ‘dolos’ is a molded concrete block. We pile them up to form breakwaters.”
    â€œThere’s another meaning. I did a search on my phone on the way here. Dolos is the Greek god of deception. You are meant to think it’s harmless.”
    Lozada checked his own smartphone and came up with the same result. He frowned. It was flimsy evidence, but he could be in serious trouble if he didn’t report back to Admiral Ruiz and then was proven to be wrong.
    â€œAll right,” he said, and dialed the number he’d been given. He asked for Admiral Ruiz and was connected immediately. A distinct hiss came over the line before he heard a click.
    â€œThis is Admiral Dayana Ruiz,” a female voice said in Spanish. “Who is this?”
    â€œAdmiral, this is Commander Manuel Lozada,” he said nervously. “Señor Gao is confirming that this is the spy vessel.”
    â€œWhat do you think?”
    â€œI think it’s nothing more than a cargo ship two voyages away from going under.”
    â€œDid you take his photo as I ordered?”
    â€œYes, Admiral.”
    â€œSend it to me now.”
    Lozada messaged the picture to her.
    After a slight pause, she said, “That’s him. Holland is the same man as the one in my photo. We have intelligence identifying him as the captain of the spy vessel.”
    Lozada felt a rush of adrenaline. Admiral Ruiz was the most powerful woman in the Venezuelan Navy and next in line to be defense minister. He could write his ticket if he captured a foreign spy. “I’ll have them arrested at once.”
    Her voice stabbed through the phone like an ice pick. “You will do nothing, Commander. I’m aboard the frigate
Mariscal