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“And those are the ones you know about. Consider the single-person submersible that ran ashore. It’s possible there are other individuals, say less law-abiding folks, who’ve also used this place as a stopover.”
Vaughn pauses, taps a lone finger against the top of his desk. “I hadn’t thought about that, but sure. A deserted island in these waters would come in handy for a variety of activities.”
“Hawaii is a major hub for human trafficking.”
“You think that’s what happened to this woman? She was a victim of human trafficking?”
“Her top. The sparkling flower. When I saw it, my first thought was that it looked like something she’d thrown on to go dancing. Though given our location, it could also be a swimsuit cover-up, I suppose.”
“You’re thinking prostitution.”
“Possible. What did you say about not getting ahead of ourselves?”
That sigh again. There’s more to this story. Once again, I wait.
“We’ve had some… issues.” Vaughn addresses these words to the ceiling. “Beyond missing screws and suddenly detached front steps.”
Now we’re getting to the good stuff. Fascinating. Or terrifying, given that I live in a cabin with screws and front steps.
“Mostly minor accidents, or unfortunate occurrences,” Vaughn continues. “Maybe random bad luck.”
“For the love of God, just spill it, man.”
“Fine. For example, the electric board frying on the brand-new comm tower. Not to mention a major crack appearing in the cistern. And a hole in the fiberglass hull of the fishing boat we use not just to study the waters around this atoll but to catch dinner most weekends. None of these individual incidents are exactly dire, but they’re enough to keep Charlie overworked and the rest of us behind schedule.”
I blink my eyes several times, considering. “What do you think it means?”
“Well, I thought it meant this was the project from hell. Which, for the record, I also thought about my last project and the project before that. But now… maybe someone is deliberately trying to delay our efforts.”
“If it’s sabotage, don’t you think the perpetrator would be conducting bigger acts to get you off the atoll once and for all, versus extending everyone’s time here?”
“Depends. One, does the person in question understand the size of Mac’s wallet and the depth of his determination? The person might have assumed a little bit would go a long way. Of course, retreat has never been Mac’s style.” Vaughn pauses, stares at me. “Now that I think about it, given your own obstinate streak, I’m not sure the two of you should be on the same island together. Or the same planet.”
“Tomorrow afternoon, we’ll find out.”
Vaughn doesn’t dispute the time frame, so hopefully MacManus is still on track to arrive. At this point, I’d like nothing more than to grab an aside with Lea, hear what she has to say, and then, Victoria Twanow willing, get the hell off this island.
“Also,” Vaughn continues now, “I’m not exaggerating when I say this camp is a self-enclosed, dependent system. Can’t hurt one of us without hurting all of us. Limits the ability to pack a punch, if you know what I mean. An act too aggressive might unwittingly harm the perpetrator as well.”
Hence the new approach of targeting a specific cabin, I wonder. Which did result in someone leaving the atoll.
“Interesting point,” I allow. “You’re saying it’s Charlie’s skills that have gotten you this far?” I’m very curious, given Charlie’s own puzzling behavior.
Vaughn seems emphatic: “The man’s seriously one of the most gifted and resourceful engineers I’ve ever worked with. Had to pay a pretty penny to lure him away from his next term at McMurdo.”
“Did you know him from McMurdo?”
“No, this is my first time working with him. But he came highly recommended.”
“And he’s been at the camp since the beginning?”
“No. Had a different crew for installation. Once we got the first cabins built, Ronin and Aolani arrived. Ronin because he’s got an entire atoll to inspect for possible environmental impact; AO because she’s not letting some state archaeologist run amok with her career-making design. Charlie arrived shortly thereafter. Been here the past six months.”
“And when did the issues, I mean unfortunate accidents, first start happening?”
Vaughn has to think about it. “Probably four to five months back.”
In other words, shortly after Charlie’s arrival. The official fixer? Or maybe the arsonist who also worked as a firefighter?
