CHAPTER 54

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HERCULES AUSTRALIS 

On the icebreaker's top deck, Ishikawa walked with a casual gait, moonlight glimmering in his eyes from the broken clouds in the velvety sky. He had a pressing matter to tend to. He was grateful for the Sea Lab employee's help in locating Jake Soloman and his friends. A night shift guard had received an anonymous call from someone offering knowledge as to the whereabouts of the people who trespassed on Ocean Blue property. This person also knew who broke into the headquarters building and swiped the files from Zanderthal's hard drive. The guard jotted down a phone number and promised a return call from the head of their security team as soon as possible.

When Ishikawa heard the news, he typed the number into his cell phone and waited for the connection. The informant answered on the first ring and promised to hand over the three people responsible for the crimes with two conditions. One, Ocean Blue gave him a job, and two, they used to serum they developed to cure his sister of multiple sclerosis. They made a deal with the man named Kevin Green. Things became complicated when the two men met in person. There at the Grace Sydney Hotel, he remembered the marine biologist from Tahiti.

Two guards stood on each side of Green, the three men facing the sea, oblivious to Ishikawa's approach.

"I appreciate your help."

Green turned at the sound of Ishikawa's voice. "You promised you wouldn't kill my friends."

"No harm will come to Ms. Lawson."

"What about Jake and Tony?"

A pucker of lips and a shrug. "You didn't object when we left the hotel. Why you care now?"

"I didn't want anyone to die, but..."

"But," Ishikawa said, "you wanted your sister to be healed of affliction? Am I correct?"

Green combed a hand through his dark hair and exhaled long and hard, his attention turning to the sea beyond the starboard gunwale. "Yes."

Something annoyed Ishikawa. Of course, he had a deal, so to speak, but loose ends needed to be severed. He couldn't shake the thought that the man standing before him should be dead. Yes, if the sharks or the creature had finished the man and woman off in Tahiti, then he would have no informant. He would have no Jake Soloman and Tony Cruze, and he would not have Sarah Lawson either. But...

"I will honor agreement regarding your sister. The cure will save her and my father. But as for you..."

Ishikawa withdrew the suppressed pistol from beneath his jacket and raised it.

Green threw up his hands. "We had a deal."

"We did, but you reminded me of my failure in Tahiti."

The barrel spat once, and Green collapsed to the deck with a hole in his forehead, dark blood oozing from the wound and pooling next to Ishikawa's shiny black shoes.

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