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“We could contact the authorities,” Akiko said

Kurt shook his head “A dead end Han has friends in high places around here or he wouldn’t have gotten the island closed in the first place All we’d acco our hand They’d hide whatever they’re up to and feed Nagano to the sharks We’re the superintendent’s only hope for rescue and that et ourselves onto that island and fast”

42

NAGASAKI BAY

TWO HOURS LATER, Kurt, Joe and Akiko were asaki Bay in a thirty-foot bowrider with a powerful inboard engine The V-shaped hull cut through the swells as they followed a heading that took them out to sea and away from the darkened island

There had been no tiear from NUMA’s quartermaster so Kurt had “borrowed” the powerboat and a ear and other equipment from a rental outfit All of which would be returned in one piece or paid for by a disgruntled NUMA accountant

Akiko was at the wheel while Kurt checked the wind and Joe prepped the diving gear

“Turn to the northwest,” Kurt said “Take us out a couple miles and then turn back to the island”

Akiko turned the wheel to the right and the boat leaned into the turn As it straightened up once again, Joe arrived from the stern

“I’o, but the island is thataway” Using his thu toswim”

“Observant as usual,” Kurt said, “but having studied satellite i is not the way to go here”

He pulled out the laptop and showed Joe a high-resolution aerial photo “There’s a forty-foot seawall encasing the entire island, coainst it and tricky currents sweeping past If we didn’t get battered to death against the rocks and the foundation of the wall, we’d be quickly dragged past and dumped back in the bay”

Joe nodded “There’s a dock here and pilings on the far end Stairways in three different places We could use those”

“The dock is concrete and designed for a larger boat,” Kurt said “The pilings are a concrete jumble at the far point of the island You knohat the surfers say: points draw the waves We’d be fighting the current and the breakers As for the stairs, those are the most obvious points of access on the entire island Unless Han is a fool, they’ll be uarded”

“So why bring all the diving gear?”