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“I present the SS Waratah,” Hirao, adrift in the southern reaches of the Indian Ocean”
Kurt looked at the photo He realized that Hira, not at this point, but it boggled his er nodded
“How is it possible?”
Hiram explained their theory about how the sediment she was buried in stunted the corrosion on her hull, and what Gamay and Elena found in her sick bay
“We’re operating on a theory that a violent group took over the ship,” he continued, “and sailed her north”
“Any idea where she ended up?”
Hiraascar,” he said, then followed up by explaining how Ga yet another photo from the file to Kurt
Two satellite ies were printed on the photo side by side They showed a
“Before and after,” Yaeger explained “The picture on the left is two ht was taken last week”
Kurt’s eyes went right to a highlighted section where the channel bent ninety degrees and then ran out to the sea In the older photograph there was a large obstruction, like a hill or sandbar, that seeone, the river had carved out a new course, and the channel had widened and straightened substantially
“Torrential rains last month scoured a new route to the sea,” Hira with the the hull of the SS Waratah The hill in question matches her dimensions almost perfectly”
Kurt rubbed the stubble on his chin “So the Waratah was hijacked and stashed in this river, not lost at sea like everyone thought Eighty years pass, and the Banisters, being held captive, discovered her, patched up one of her lifeboats, and tried to sail to safety, leaving five-year-old Olivia behind They don’t irl and slowly indoctrinate her All these years later, we have Calista to deal with”
Hiraood detective,” he said And, with that, he presented one last piece of the puzzle This tie plantation-style estate, coardens, a large pool, and various other structures A row of satellite dishes sprouted along one side of the ar lay on the other Kurt could see the tails of two ar
The property was sprawling, and the grounds beyond the walls looked like pastureland Kurt could see livestock roaed bluff of weathered gray stone It ran the entire width of the photo
“This compound is five miles upriver from the spot where the Waratah was hidden It’s owned by a mysterious but powerful enerations the Brèvard name has been connected with various types of cri in weapons and stolen goods But strangely, there is no record of their existence before 1910, when they purchased this large tract of land”