"He did it entirely on his own after running into Pitt. As your own directives state, those who present obstacles to our plans must be eliminated. And then, of course, there was the fact that Kelly Egan was on board."
"Why kill her?"
"She could recognize Kanai."
"We are very lucky the police cannot trace Kanai to the Vipers and through you to Cerberus."
"Nor will they," Wong promised. "We threw out enough red herrings to muddy the trail forever-the same as we have on a hundred other operations to secure our power base."
"I would have handled it differently," Zale said, with an icy edge in his voice.
"The results are what count," Wong argued. "Egan's engines will never be seriously considered as a means of propulsion, at least until the Emerald Dolphin and Golden Marlin investigations are over, which could take a year or more. And with him dead, his formula for Slick 66 will soon belong to you."
"Providing you can lay it in my hands."
"It's as good as done," said Wong boldly. "I've given the assignment to Kanai. He won't dare fail this time."
"What about Josh Thomas? He'll never give it up."
Wong laughed. "That old
drunk will give us the formula very, very soon. I promise."
"You seem confident."
Wong nodded. "Kanai has made up for his rash venture by abducting Kelly Egan from the Golden Marlin after he arranged its sinking. He is flying her to her father's house in New Jersey."
"Where I suppose he intends to torture her in front of Thomas to prod him into producing the oil formula."
"Not exactly an ingenious plan, but one that will produce a harvest of information."
"What about the guards around the farm?"
"We have found a way of penetrating their security without setting off alarms and alerting them."
"It's lucky for Kanai that you'd ordered him back here before his men and ship were blown up in the Kermadec Islands."
"I needed him back here for other reasons."
Zale sat silent for a moment, then he said, "I want this matter settled for good. Our projects must be concluded without interruption by outside influences. There can be no more failures. Perhaps I should get someone who can direct Viper operations without complications."
Before Wong could respond, Zale's rod suddenly bent into a U as a bass hit the plug. The fish broke water before splashing under again. He guessed the weight at close to seven pounds. Both men went silent as Zale slowly tired the fish and began reeling it toward the boat. When it was alongside, Wong scooped it up with a net, watching as it flopped between his feet.
"Nice catch," he complimented Zale.
The chief executive of Cerberus had a pleased look on his face as he removed the hooks on the red-and-white plug from the fish's mouth. "An old Bassarino, tried and true-they never fail." He did not cast again, but reached into his tackle box and made a show of fumbling for another bass plug. "The sun is getting higher. I think I'll try a Winnow."
A warning light flashed in the back of Wong's mind and he looked into Zale's eyes, attempting to read the thoughts behind them. "You were suggesting that I am no longer useful as the chief of Viper?"
"I think that others may be able to conduct future enterprises to more productive conclusions."
"I have served you with loyalty for twelve years," said Wong in quiet anger. "Does that count for nothing?"
"Believe me, I am grateful-" Suddenly, Zale pointed behind Wong at the water. "You have a bite."
Wong turned and looked, realizing too late that his line was still tangled and he had no bait in the water. In a lightning move, Zale snatched a syringe from his tackle box, plunged the needle in Wong's neck and pushed the plunger.
The poison acted almost instantly. Before he could resist, numbness set in followed quickly by death. He fell back in the boat, his eyes wide with shock as his body went limp.