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“Captain Pickett and Sergeant First Class Arthur Watkins of the United States Marine Corps They taught us the drills, how to fight, how to hide, how to spot the enemy”

“Who was the Yankees fan?” Kurt asked

“Captain Pickett loved the Yankees He called them the Bronx Bombers”

Kurt nodded “And what happened when they left?”

Tautog looked as if he didn’t understand the question “They did not leave,” he said “Bothwith their crew”

“They died here?”

“Captain Pickett died froround The sergeant was badly injured as well He could not walk, but he survived for eleven ht”

Kurt found the story ao cult where the Americans had

stayed behind He only wished he could reach St Julien Perlmutter and access his extensive history of naval warfare The cargo ship had to be listed so and presue war

“I don’t understand,” Leilani said “Why would you need to fight? I understand about the war and the Japanese, but this island is so small It’s so far out of the way I don’t think the Japanese were—Iit over”

“It is not the island itself that we protect,” Tautog said “It is the machine Captain Pickett entrusted to us”

Kurt’s eyebroent up “The machine?”

“Yes,” Tautog said “The great machine The Pain Maker”

CHAPTER 48

KURT AUSTIN HAD NO IDEA WHAT THE PAIN MAKER WAS, but with a name like that he had to find out But first he had to deal with being a celebrity