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At first he’d been skeptical, but when the caller had prootten his attention Right on schedule, things had begun to go wrong for the operation, culht catastrophic results ned to protect the mine failed at critical junctures

Aln operators had been ejected by the govern prospects into jeopardy

At that point Grimes became a believer and shunted h a complex series of blind transfers in places like Latvia and the Seychelles The cash wound up in the corporations that his new friend had set up, always in jurisdictions where ownership was impossible to verify The visible entities appeared to be Solomon Island coulatory scrutiny

The game plan was siroup whose aim was to eject the current players Once that was done, allies of the caller would create a new administration that supported local involvement in key lucrative industries and would declare all prior agreereements to preferred players—Gri the most desirable

If it worked, he stood to hts alone That the scheme required a few casualties was a necessary evil—his hands wouldn’t be sullied

As with all opportunities, one had to weigh the benefits against the costs A few aid workers or unfriendly locals were nothing, in the scheht his way to the top of the heap by being soft He understood how the ga He’d watched rivals get rich rebuilding countries after war had ravaged them and it hadn’t escaped his attention that they always seemed to be at the front of the line when it ca his own advantage where he could, with complete deniability baked into the cake

Gri in the anizations, the photographs with dignitaries and celebrities He’d built it all fro the way he’d had to do sonificant wealth and power had done so—there was no such thing as an honest fortune He glanced through the pictureat Sydney Harbor and smiled with satisfaction The difference between hi around on the street was visionand daring He saw opportunity and didn’t hesitate where others ht

Grie & Söhne Perpetual Calendar Terraluna atch and nodded to hi their fate so he ht profit from the outcome People died every day

It was strictly business, nothing more

CHAPTER 17

Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands

Saes, and listened to one fro him know that the Australian research vessel, the Darould be at the Honiara port by noon After checking the ti with Selma that they would meet the ship when it arrived

The police had stopped by the hotel the prior evening and askedSaht; but now, as Sa scows, that goal see the island

“What are you staring at?” Re her arms around him

“Nothing,” he said, not wanting to depress her with his hts “The boat should be here by noon”