Ocean Blue (Sea Lab Book 1)

CHAPTER 60

HERCULES AUSTRALIS

Zanderthal strolled into the room with a woman at his side. She wore a crimson dress the same color as a painting on the wall depicting a red tide, a phenomenon that seemed to turn water into blood. A strap folded over one shoulder, leaving the other bare, while the rest of the dress curved around her figure and emphasized her bronzed skin. Diamond earrings sparkled under the light of a pair of wall sconces. The woman peered at Sarah with an unexpected harshness, her jaw tight, lips straight and thin, and her eyes pinched together in an accusing stare. Unbelievable, she was jealous. Sarah wanted to tell her she had nothing to worry about, but opted to remain quiet.

The chairman wore a pair of black slacks, a bow tie and a white dinner jacket. With his woman in tow, he swept across the room and kissed Sarah on the back of the hand. As before, it was unexpected, and he performed the action so smoothly she couldn't stop him. "I see you found the dress I picked out for you."
"You have impeccable taste in designer clothes, I'll give you that." Sarah observed the reaction of Zanderthal's female friend. She brushed aside her caramel hair and bored a hole through Sarah with her eyes. Zanderthal noticed the exchange and didn't seem moved by it.

"Ms. Lawson, I would like you to meet Lady Caroline James." He beamed with delight. "She's my research assistant at Ocean Blue. Her work has been instrumental in our progress on countless fronts."

Caroline appeared not to approve of their guest for dinner. She raised her chin, but offered no response to Zanderthal's prideful introduction.

"I trust you are ready for a pleasurable evening?" he said.

"Pleasure is something you relish in, isn't it?" Sarah narrowed her eyes.

Zanderthal studied her, apparently trying to read her thoughts through her body language. "You are correct."

Sarah peered past him at his research assistant. It was obvious the woman was more to him than a mere scientist. Sarah saw the resentment on her face. She could tell it pained the woman to be in her presence.

"Let's eat, shall we?" Zanderthal said.

He had entered right on time. The sun had dipped below the horizon a few minutes before, the room now bathed in the light from the chandeliers and the wall sconces. Outside, the glow of twilight faded, but inside, shadows took up residence in the corners where the dim fixtures failed to illuminate the four walls. The scene reminded Sarah of a movie set on an old ship... dining by candlelight.

Zanderthal sat at the head of the table while Caroline sat across from Sarah, each woman within a hand's reach of the chairman. He unfolded his napkin and laid it across his lap. Sarah did the same, followed by Caroline. With a snap of his fingers, a male servant brought out three dishes layered with Romaine lettuce, black olives, croutons, and a single banana pepper. Italian dressing covered the salad. After one bite, the rich flavor flooded Sarah's taste buds and revived a powerful hunger within her. She hadn't eaten since boarding the ship. With all the turmoil lately, she had forgotten about food, until now.

Famished, she devoured the salad in the most lady-like fashion she could muster and finished long before Zanderthal and his assistant slash lover.

Caroline sunk her teeth into a meshed conglomeration of leaves and olives, and chewed with her mouth closed. A taunting smile formed at the corners of her lips. The woman was in no hurry to get the main dish underway despite Sarah's hunger pains.

With patience, Sarah endured the quiet stretch as her captors finished their salads. The only thing that stole her attention from dinner was a sudden vibration within the ship. The engines came to life. Soon she felt the giant vessel lurch forward. The steady motion was obvious at first, and then the sensation lessened, replaced by the subtleness of the ocean's flow. This recent development caused her heart to sink. The reality that she was a prisoner at open sea to this deranged psychopath was difficult to accept. With Jake and Tony likely... she couldn't finish the thought. She had to believe they were alive, for herself and for them. Of course, she had little hope of being rescued or escaping.

Once through with their salads, Zanderthal ordered the servant to bring out their main course. "I think you'll find this entrée most pleasing to your palate," he said to Sarah. "I employ only the best chefs in the southern hemisphere."

A moment later, the plates arrived, a succulent display of whole red lobster. Along with the dish, the waiter brought out glasses which he filled half-way with a bottle of wine.

"Nineteen ninety Château Cheval Blanc," Zanderthal said. "A superb selection for fifteen hundred American dollars." He sniffed the wine like a connoisseur—eyes enraptured with Sarah only—and raised his goblet with a crooked grin. "To the women in my life."

Amid a bite of lobster, Caroline stopped chewing, shot a glance at him, and swallowed. Apparently in deep thought, she dabbed her mouth with a napkin, paused... then changed tactics, vying for his attention by caressing the top of his free hand, tantalizingly.

Unfazed by Caroline's attempt at flirting, Zanderthal sipped the red wine, appearing to enjoy the flavor as it rolled over his tongue.

Sarah wanted to shrink from his lengthy stare, so she picked up her glass to examine the Château Cheval Blanc. Not a drinker. She put the rim to her mouth and let the liquid touch her lips. A fruity smell of coconut and cherry sifted through her nostrils. The deep purple contents grazed the tip of her tongue before it swished back into the goblet. She was not about to let alcohol dull her senses.

"What do you say?" Zanderthal asked.

"Excuse me?" Sarah replied.

"The wine? How is it?"

"Oh, yes... the wine... it's good."

"I hope it's better than that," Zanderthal said as he started on his meal.

Now in control of her hunger, she pried at the lobster with a fork and freed a meager portion of meat.

"Are you enjoying your stay?"

Sarah glanced at Zanderthal and almost choked on her bite of lobster, but recovered. "I've found my accommodations interesting." She added a disarming smile, dashed with a bat of bright eyes.

Two can play this game.