Holloway made a noise of disgust and stalked away. “I’m going to do something about this.”
“What now?” Trepidation hung heavy in Slater’s voice.
The dinghy’s outboard fired up again and Holloway motored out to the unfortunate beast. The sheep began thrashing and crying out again as he approached. It managed to paddle a few feet, but could not escape Holloway’s reach.
“Now you can finally play your part!” Holloway shouted at it. “Let’s put you to work, you little fuzzball!”
He produced a shining dive knife and leaned over the edge of the small boat.
“No!” Slater cried, but it made no difference.
The knife flashed and Holloway drove it into the sheep’s shoulder. Again and again he slashed at the helpless animal, savagely slicing at its flanks. Aston gritted his teeth, unable to tune out the horrifying cries of a terrified animal in pain. Blood soaked its wool and clouded the water as the sheep’s voice rose into terrified and agonized screaming once more.
“What the hell are you doing?” Slater screamed. “This is too much! Please stop this!”
Holloway turned the dinghy and headed back for the Merenneito. “It’s there to be eaten anyway!” he yelled over the engine noise. “How is this any worse?”
“It’s unnecessary cruelty, you sick bastard!” Slater said. “What is wrong with you? Are you a sociopath?”
“And floating it out there for bait isn’t unnecessary cruelty?” Holloway asked.
“Yes it absolutely is!” Slater said, face twisted in astonishment. “That’s the whole point. This isn’t research any longer; it’s sadistic…” She threw up her hands, unable to say more.
“You don’t understand,” Holloway said as he brought the dinghy alongside Merenneito. “Sometimes sacrifices have to be made. We’re on the cusp of the greatest scientific discovery of the century. It’s ridiculous to think we should fail now because you don’t want to see an animal eaten. I’ve got news for you, if the monster didn’t eat that thing,” he pointed at the sheep for emphasis, “some local would have. That’s how the food chain works, sweetheart.”
“This is bad,” Slater said, “and you’re making it worse by the minute.”
Aston looked out at the blood-soaked bait. “Actually,” he pointed over Holloway’s shoulder, “it can’t really get any worse now, can it?” he said.
The billionaire twisted to see what Aston was indicating and spat. “Oh, you have got to be kidding me. Damn thing.”
The sheep had tipped sideways and lay dead in the water, its eyes rolled back to show only the whites. Holloway killed the outboard and stared at it, seemingly at a loss. Then he burst into action, clambering back onto Merenneito and hurrying out of sight.
“Boss,” Joaquin called tentatively, “do you need my help?” The dull sheen of disbelief in the man’s dark eyes said he hoped the answer was no.
Holloway didn’t reply. Aston and Slater shared a concerned look as sounds of banging and bleating rose from the SCUBA room.
“Not another one,” Aston said.
Soon enough, Holloway reappeared in the dinghy, a second sheep stumbling fearfully around, looking for an escape that didn’t exist. The small boat rocked dangerously, but Holloway seemed not to care. The sheep’s coat was soaked scarlet with blood in spots, but it was clear the billionaire had been less violent this time. The bloody patches covered only a small part of its coat, but its pain was evident along with its fear as it staggered around uncertainly.
Holloway pulled the dinghy up next to the dead sheep and that only made the panicked one on board redouble its frenzy. Holloway lifted a diver’s weight belt loaded with lead sinkers into view. He fed it through the life vest of the dead animal and cut it free to sink like a rock beneath the surface.
“That should help draw my monster in!” he said, though he didn’t seem to be addressing his words to any of the crew.
He threw the second sheep overboard and tied its leash rope to the trailing edge of the net. The animal thrashed and protested loudly. Holloway motored back, grinning broadly.
“That’s more like it!” he called up. “We’re learning more with every failed attempt, aren’t we?”
As he went out of view toward the dive platform, Aston said, “We’re certainly learning more about what a fucking lunatic you are!”
He jumped when he realized Joaquin had reappeared to stand right beside him. But the big man just laughed softly and patted Aston on the shoulder. “He’s eccentric,” Joaquin said, with a smile that said he knew full well how much of an understatement that was.
“You know the difference between eccentricity and madness?” Aston asked. When no one answered, he said, “Money. You act like him and have no money, you get locked up in a psych ward. But act like that with a bank account like he’s got and you’re merrily referred to as eccentric.”
“How do you stay with him?” Slater asked. “He must have shown these colors before.”
“He has, in some ways,” Joaquin admitted. “Though maybe never quite this… obsessed about something that wasn’t business. He’s never been this close to a discovery before, I suppose. The thing is, people don’t make the kind of money he has without being ruthless, amoral, and at least a little bit insane.”
“And that’s okay with you?” Slater said.
Joaquin shrugged. “He takes very good care of me and that lets me take care of my family in a way I wouldn’t be able to otherwise.”
“He pays you to be complicit in his lunacy,” Aston said.
“I’ve never felt that I’ve compromised my morals,” Joaquin said.
“But would you if it came down to it?” Aston demanded.
“I take each day as it comes.”
Aston grunted. “That’s not a very definitive answer.”
Joaquin shrugged again.
Further conversation was curtailed by Holloway’s return. “Now if that doesn’t bring my monster in, I have no idea what will!”
They stood in silence for a few moments. Silence except for the sheep, which dutifully cried out exactly as Holloway had hoped it would. It twisted and flexed in the water, kicked its legs in vain attempts to break free, and gave voice to its terror almost constantly.
Holloway nodded. “Yes, yes. That’s more like it! Come on, let’s all get ourselves some dinner and keep an eye on the sonar and cameras while we wait.”
Chapter 34
Aston gazed straight ahead, absently shoveling mouthfuls of chili con carne into his mouth, chewing mechanically, and washing it down with beer he hardly tasted. He wished his other senses were as dull right now. Holloway had insisted on a working dinner so they could monitor the screens in hopes the creature would make an appearance.
“I don’t know how you can eat with all that noise,” Slater said, scowling at him and pushing her untouched bowl away.
He did his best to ignore the weak, intermittent bleats from outside. “It’s nervous eating. I’m not enjoying it, if that’s any consolation.” The truth was, Joaquin’s chili was delicious. They had all sung its praises the night before. But the leftovers served up again were like ash and cardboard on his tongue.
Slater shook her head. “I can’t eat a thing. All I can think of is what Holloway might do next.”
“It’s purely biological,” Aston said. “I get weak and wobbly if I don’t eat regularly.” He forced down another mouthful, the sheep in the lake gargled as it bleated, and he dropped his fork. “But that’s me done.”
Holloway came in from out on the deck, his cheerful demeanor firmly in place. “We’ve still got live bait on the hook,” he proclaimed.