Ocean Blue (Sea Lab Book 1)

CHAPTER 33

OCEAN BLUE CORPORATION

The black limousine idled at the front entrance of the high-rise building. From a cloaked hiding spot among a multitude of vehicles, Jake could see the Mercedes emblem on the trunk of the car. He hoped to see the Ocean Blue chairman before he ducked into the rear seat.

It was a calculated gamble. Zanderthal could work late. That possibility made it likely most of the employee parking lot might be empty when the chairman left for the day. He figured the corporate head lived in a lavish estate on the far reaches of civilization. Whatever level of luxury he enjoyed, Sarah and Jake intended to learn where he lived and maybe a few other side notes of interest.

"You're not planning to break into his house, are you?" Sarah asked.

Jake never moved his eyes from the limo. "I'm not ruling out anything, but for now, all we want to do is keep him under surveillance. That's our primary goal while Tony does his thing."

He was referring to his friend's assignment, planned for later after the sun went down. With the help of Cat, Tony would conduct a covert mission for the sake of Sea Lab, using his experience as a paratrooper in the Army. His primary aim would be intelligence gathering. Cat needed to know everything about Ocean Blue, especially the information that was hid from the public eye. If there was anything illegal going on behind the scenes, she wanted to know about it.

Though difficult, Jake remained disciplined. He wanted to look around occasionally and take his eyes off the limo and the front entrance. He was glad he didn't yield to the monotonous nature of the stakeout because he would have missed the slick businessman waltzing toward the Mercedes and disappearing behind the tinted windows of the vehicle. With his diligence paying dividends, he turned to Sarah.

"Our man is on the move."

"I feel like we're secret agents." Sarah's eyes gleamed.

"You are." Jake put the car into gear and pressed the gas pedal. "Of Sea Lab International."

The limo's waxed shine reflected a glare from the afternoon sun as it exited Ocean Blue property. The vehicle hit the main thoroughfare and sped toward a destination unknown on a stretch of road called the Great Western Highway. A quick check of the local area on Sarah's iPhone map revealed they were headed toward the Blue Mountains, the beginning of the Great Dividing Range, which separated the temperate climate of southeast Australia from the desert interior. As Jake drove, Sarah continued to Google information about their location. She seemed excited by the prospects of learning everything she could during the scenic drive.

While in the city, Jake made sure the chauffeur wasn't aware of their presence by dropping back into dense traffic. Forty-five minutes later, the limo made a right onto a less prominent highway. As they ventured further inland, the country outside of Jake's window turned steep, forming a mountain ridge while the landscape on Sarah's side sunk into a wooded valley.

Traffic had been reduced to three vehicles: the limo, their Audi and a rugged farm truck. Jake eased off the gas and used the much slower pickup for cover. But in a matter of minutes, Zanderthal's vehicle grew smaller on the road up ahead. If he didn't make a move soon, they'd lose him over a distant hill.

"Step on it," Sarah said. "If we don't pass grandpa, they'll get away."

Jake made sure it was clear, then moved over into the passing lane. Sideboards vibrated on the truck bed and a piece of paper whipped up in the air and flew by them. He gunned the Audi and raced past the grumbling pickup. The old man threw up a hand and gawked at him with a sour face, blurting out what was likely a profanity.

"Guess he didn't like me riding his rear end," Jake said.

Sarah looked behind them. "He needs to drive that thing straight to a junkyard."

Luck was on their side. They cleared the truck as the limo's tail lights slipped over the approaching hill. Jake made up the ground with no problem, but slowed when they reached the incline. As they topped the rise, a quarter of a mile away, Zanderthal's car turned right, passed through an open gate, and vanished into a sylvan drive. The wrought-iron gate swung on its hinges and closed on its own.

Before reaching Zanderthal's driveway, Jake noticed another dirt road winding up the mountain to the right. He had no sooner zoomed by it when a thought popped into his head. He kept going, neared the entrance where the limo disappeared and slowed for a look through the narrow opening in the vegetation. It was nothing more than a private access smothered by forest and wild growth. The trees on both sides formed a tunnel as far as he could see, branches stretching over the drive and connecting at the top. Sarah shrugged her shoulders, clearly wondering what was next.

Jake whipped the Audi around in a u-turn.

A short distance later, he turned left before the farm truck reached them—onto the dusty road he had spotted—and followed the wooded path up the mountain. The slow poke driver blew his horn as he passed.

It was a hunch, but it might work. The hillside appeared as though it might offer a better vantage point of Zanderthal's estate. When their Audi cleared the treetops of the valley below, Jake could see for the first time where the billionaire was headed. And it wasn't a luxurious multi-million dollar home.

It was some place altogether different.