The vessel's digital tracking system showed a slightly different position from the independent satellite receiver.
At first, the difference appeared insignificant.
It was only a few hundred meters.
But when Marcus reviewed the previous voyages, he noticed that the same discrepancy had appeared repeatedly.
The problem became more concerning when he discovered that the system had been recalibrated without his authorization.
Marcus contacted the technical department.
The technician examined the equipment and initially believed the problem was caused by outdated software.
But Marcus was not convinced.
He had spent years studying maritime navigation.
He understood that even a small positioning error could become dangerous when operating near reefs, narrow channels, or unfamiliar waters.
He requested a complete inspection.
That was when the engineers discovered an unusual connection between the navigation system and an external device.
Someone had modified the configuration.
The changes appeared to have been made remotely.
Marcus immediately documented the findings.
He also requested that the system be isolated until the source of the interference could be identified.
The technical team agreed.
But Marcus did not inform Richard immediately.
He wanted verified evidence before making an accusation.
He knew the owner had powerful business relationships.
He also knew that the company had recently experienced internal disagreements involving the vessel's maintenance contracts.
The yacht had been serviced by a company called Atlantic Marine Solutions.
Its director, Gregory Shaw, was a longtime associate of Richard Blackwood.
Marcus had noticed several suspicious maintenance invoices.
Some equipment listed as replaced had never actually been installed.
Other repairs had been charged twice.
At first, Marcus assumed the paperwork contained administrative errors.
But the navigation issue changed everything.
He began reviewing the maintenance records.
What he discovered made his stomach tighten.
Several components connected to the navigation system had been purchased through a different supplier, despite the invoices claiming that the original equipment had been replaced.
The serial numbers did not match.
Someone had been charging Richard for repairs that had not been completed.
And the modifications to the navigation system appeared to have been made during one of those maintenance visits.
Marcus immediately informed the company's compliance department.
He sent them the technical reports.
He expected an investigation.
Instead, he received a message telling him to wait.
Nobody explained why.
Then, the following morning, he discovered that the navigation issue had become worse.
That was why he refused to authorize departure.
He was not simply protecting the yacht.
He was protecting everyone aboard from a problem that someone had deliberately hidden.
CHAPTER 4: THE MAN IN THE EXPENSIVE SUIT
Richard returned to the dock twenty minutes later.
He was accompanied by a man in a dark gray suit.
The man was Gregory Shaw, the director of Atlantic Marine Solutions.
Gregory was in his early fifties, with carefully styled hair and an expensive watch.
He had known Richard for nearly fifteen years.
He had helped oversee maintenance contracts for several of Richard's vessels.
And he had recently become very nervous.
Gregory approached Marcus with a confident smile.
"Captain, I understand we have a small technical disagreement."
Marcus looked at him.
"It's not a disagreement. It's an unresolved safety issue."
Gregory laughed.
"These systems are complicated. Sometimes they produce temporary errors."
"Then we need to understand the cause before sailing."
Gregory glanced toward Richard.