Risen (Haunted Series Book 22)

get me wrong, ghost hunting is a blast, but every now and again, I want a change.”
“I hear you,” Mia said.  “K, to be clear, you’re not looking for a piece of the pie, just to be the fly on the wall, so to speak.”
“Exactly.”
“How does that sound?” Mia asked the Callens.
“I don’t mind having an experienced researcher and cameraman on hand,” Mason said.
Patrick nodded.
“Now that this is settled, let’s go and retrieve our ghosts,” Mia said, “and get the hell out of here.”
There was a knock on the stateroom door.  Patrick walked over and opened the door and let the first mate in.
“Mr. Callen, I’ve been contacted by the US Coast Guard Cutter Ross Bell.  They would like permission to board us.  I have your papers…” He stopped and looked at the two strange men.  Ted reached in his pocket and tapped Burt.  He, too, produced a passport.  Ted handed them to the first mate.  Mia assumed she was going to pass for Sabine.
“I believe you have the original orders.  Sabine, my brother and myself, and two others.”
“Yes.  You said the other two would be joining us later.  When did you come aboard?” he asked Burt and Ted.
“Not long ago.  You were, I believe, otherwise engaged,” Ted said.
The first mate nodded and walked out.
“It’s got to be Whitney.  Shit, I thought we’d get you guys out of here before he got here.  How did he get here so fast?” Mia asked.
“Maybe it’s not him at all,” Burt said.  “Maybe it’s just the local Feds.”
“Isn’t Whitney a friend of yours?” Mason asked Mia.
“Friend, maybe.  Don’t count on any autonomy because of our history.  He can be conflicted when it comes to breaking any kind of law,” Mia said.  “Unlike Tom, he lacks imagination.”
Ted studied his wife mutely.  She seemed more inconvenienced than worried.
“What do we do?” Patrick asked.  “I’ve never been boarded by the Coast Guard.  Come to think of it, these are French or Dutch waters.  Damn, I’m not sure since the captain moved the boat away from Lanfé.”
They didn’t have to wait long.  A very tired Captain Billard escorted two men into the suite of rooms.  He stood there while one of the men flipped through the passports and handed them back to him.  Billard’s bleary eyes didn’t seem to notice the change in Sabine and, fortunately, neither did the Fed.
“I’m Special Agent Simpson, and this Agent Boullé.”
“Can I ask what this is about?” Patrick inquired.
“We’ve been assigned to search for a missing shore party.  The captain of the Azure said you landed on an island 16.35 N, 62.4 W,” Agent Simpson confirmed.
“Yes, that would be correct.  The locals call it Lanfé, but I believe it is also known as Lucifer’s Lip,” Patrick said.  “We’re looking for a place to film.”
“Did you see any sign of wreckage on the beach of the island?”
“My brother Mason and I landed on the cliffside and proceeded upwards to examine the waterfalls,” Patrick said.
“Did you see any wreckage or sign of inhabitation in the area where you searched?”
“We found this,” Mason said, handing the Fed the small plastic bag.  “We believe it’s part of a French naval uniform.  Please handle it carefully.”
The Fed opened the bag and drew out the scrap of fabric.  “You think this is French?”
“The French still own a few islands around here.  It’s more of a guess.  We haven’t had time to have an expert verify our theory.”
“What is your theory, Mr. Callen?” the Fed fired back.
“That this island was used for rumrunning in the eighteenth century.”
“Why come all this way for a rumrunning theory?”
“My associate is interested in filming a documentary.  I believe you may have seen his team on PEEPs?”
There was a flicker of confirmation, but the Fed did not verbalize it.
“Sir,” Mia began. “Did you say a shore excursion disappeared somewhere in this vicinity?”
“We believe so.”
“Why?” Mia asked.
“We’re not sure, miss.”
“Ma’am.  I’m a widow,” Mia corrected in an airy-fairy voice she was used to hearing Sabine use.
“Sorry, ma’am.”
“Were there any storms?”
“No, ma’am, it was a sunny day. They left St. Kitts and did not return.”
“When did this happen?”
“Two weeks ago.”
“And you’re just now looking for them?” she asked, incredulous.
“A search party was sent out from the cruise ship and then from St. Kitts.  We are just doing a more extensive search.  We suspect foul play.”
“This is alarming.  Have you issued a travel advisory?” Mia asked.  “If we had but known, we would have postponed our trip.”
“Unfortunately, that call wasn’t ours to make.”
“I suggest, if these islands are dangerous, that you should do that right now.  Maybe get the other governments in the area to post warnings too,” Mia advised.
“I don’t…”
“Why are you here then?” Mia asked.
“We’re following up on a hunch one of our senior agents had.”
“Who is this agent?” Ted asked.
“I’m sorry, it’s none of your business,” the agent responded.
“We’ve only been in the Caribbean for a few days.  Do you suspect us of having something to do with the missing patrons of the cruise ship?” Ted asked.
“No.”
“I’m puzzled by this late-night intrusion,” Patrick said.  “However, if we see any signs of the missing vacationers or anyone that seems to not be on the up and up, we’ll send up a flare.”
“We would appreciate that, Mr. Callen,” Agent Simpson said and turned and walked out the door.
Mia nodded to Murphy, who was standing in the passageway, to follow the agents.
Murphy watched as they discussed with the captain of the Azure what was really going on with his passengers.
“All I can tell you is that we put the Callens ashore yesterday morning.  They came back in the evening, and we relocated.”
“What