Kannaday also had to get rid of John Hawke. Even if Hawke and Darling were not working together, the captain had not been given any wiggle room on that account.

Kannaday hoped that getting the mission back under way would help restore some of his balance.

The Hosannah left Darling Cove at 9:05 P.M. Repairs to the laboratory had been completed by 10 o’clock. The new equipment had been secured and tested. The yacht was ready to make their delayed rendezvous with a fishing vessel from Malaysia. But no sooner had they set out than Kannaday’s radio beeped. It was Marcus Darling reporting some very odd radio traffic in the Celebes Sea. Captain Kannaday went below to see him.

John Hawke was already in the radio shack. It was the first time Kannaday had seen him since returning from the Darling estate. The security chief had been working in his cabin when Kannaday returned.

Their eyes barely met. Hawke said nothing to Kannaday, and the captain did not acknowledge the security chief. Kannaday stood behind the radio operator. Hawke was to the left, where the porthole used to be. Marcus had an AltaVista translation file open on his laptop. The program automatically translated incoming messages into English typescript.

“I picked up a communication from a Japanese trawler,” Marcus said. “He was asking if it was safe to pass.”

“Asking who?” Kannaday asked.

“A Singaporean patrol vessel, judging by the names and ranks,” Marcus replied.

“Why would he ask that?” Kannaday asked.

“The trawler is at one hundred and thirty degrees longitude, five degrees latitude,” the younger Darling told him. “Obviously, the patrol ship is there as well. And the worst news is, it may not be alone.”

Kannaday felt a chill. “Go on.”

“The ship from Singapore is apparently talking to another ship,” Marcus continued. “I can’t hear what the other ship is saying because the message is blacked out.”

“Then how do you know the Singaporeans are talking to another ship?” Kannaday asked.

“Because there are short blackouts after every conversation with the trawler,” Marcus told him. “They are of roughly the same duration as the initial conversation. It’s as if the boat receiving the message is translating and relaying the conversation word for word.”

“Why wouldn’t another ship just listen in?” Hawke asked.

“Because as soon as the other ship turned on their radio, someone like me would know they were there. And, more importantly, I’d know exactly who they were,” Marcus said.

“I see,” Kannaday said. “Is that a military tactic?”

“Military or police, yes,” Marcus replied.

Military and police vessels did not go to that site on routine visits. The area was monitored by civilian vessels of the International Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

“We need to find out who is there,” Hawke said.

“Why?” Kannaday asked. “The dumping grounds are not on any of our routes.”

“They are on Jaafar’s route,” Hawke pointed out.

“Why should that worry us?” Kannaday asked.