Chapter 12

"The Irish Informant"

Meeting a specialist who studied creatures like Dogfishes was one thing, getting onto Pleasure Island and confronting the Coachman was another thing. These were the thoughts getting through my mind as Frank studied each of us carefully.

"Now why would I kill you?" he asked Shaggy and Scooby. "If anything, killing is a violation of the ten commandments, humans that is."

"That's a relief, right Scoob?"

"So, it seems lads and lassies that your little issue can be resolved accordingly. Like yourself, I too have been studying what was going on Pleasure Island for a long time now."

He then took out some personal photographs and spreaded them out on the table for us to look at.

"Okay, so what are these pictures?" Beau asked.

"These are pictures of boats leaving the island, lad," he answered. "Bound for the mainland or one of the nearby islands. And here…is the dogfish ensuring that the boats leave safely."

In one of the photos, we saw the dogfish's dorsal fin sticking out of the water followed by one of the tentacles.

"Are there donkeys on these boats?" asked Fred.

"Aye, lad, there are. Many of whom are bound for salt mines, circuses, anyone that needs an ass to do their work. One day, I can hear the sounds of carnival music and the next I hear the sounds of braying, crying out for freedom and their families."

"Frank has witnessed many of these boats off shore while hunting for science, signors," said Inspector DiNucci.

"Then…" interjected Beau, a hint of disappointment and anger in his voice and body language. "Why didn't you do anything to stop them if you knew this is going on? Do you know of how many lives could have been spared?"

Just then, Agent Gordon wheeled into the room having partially overheard what was being said.

"Because it wasn't his business, Beau," she said. "He told us about it last night."

"You know each other?" Fred remarked.

"Frank and I are old friends, Beau. We went to school together and he relied on me after his father was killed."

Flabbergasted that he was seemingly never told about this, Beau fell silent.

"But that's besides the point, lads," he declared. "Your main objective is to get onto the island and I am going to help you."

"How?"

"By ensuring that the Dogfish is distracted," Frank answered. The Coachman has him guard the island within 10 miles. Those men on the fishing boat who were attacked had no idea that they were in the territory guarded by him."

He then took away the pictures and unfurled a map of Pleasure Island and the surrounding areas.

"The dogfish needs someone to distract it and that someone is me," he explained. "So your best bet to getting inside is by going in from the back of the island. The Coachman will rely on the dogfish to guard the entire island, but there is a lack of security in the back end of the island."

He then pointed to an 8 ball shaped location.

"What is that?" Shaggy asked.

"Its the island pool hall, lad," he answered. "You play billiards in there. From there, you make your way to the amusement park itself which contains areas such as the Roughhouse, Tobacco Row, the Model Home and all the other amusement rides we know about."

Shaggy and Scooby were beginning to get an idea that this was all just a bunch of hooey, but Fred and I along with Beau, had every reason to think otherwise.

"And where do they load the boats containing the donkeys?"

"Right at the main entrance, lad. Once you're transformed, you leave the island as an ass. If you are still talking or partly transformed, then the nightmare continues."

"But what about Sabina?" I cried. "She was only targeted for the inhabitants to mess around with. There could be others just like her."

"If there are, then they could either be barely alive or tortured to death. She was only lucky to escape."

Just then, Fred began to get a suspicion about Frank.

"Wait a minute, how do you know all this?" he asked.

"Mr. Quint is an informant for the Italian Police," answered Agent Gordon. "He was recruited to spy on Pleasure Island for a number of years."

"And why?"

Knowing that his cover was blown, Quint sighed deeply.

"Boyo, I used to work for the Coachman on Pleasure Island," he explained. "I was in charge of finding new attractions for the island including innocent children who were pure in heart. I once kidnapped a young boy and brought him to the island. He was left with nothing but his bones."

Fred could feel a sickening feeling in his stomach and actually had to get up to leave for some fresh air along with Scooby and Shaggy.

"So, I turned myself in, plead guilty and became an informant," he sighed. "I made a stupid mistake back then and I am on a quest to correct my mistakes."

"And how long has it been since you pleaded guilty?" I wondered.

"Two years," he said. "Two years. But I can further redeem myself, by shutting down the island for good and you are going to help me."

Just then, we heard the sounds of dry heaving and vomiting coming from outside likely from Fred and Shaggy along with Scooby having been so grossed out by the experience.

But I wasn't afraid, I was determined to avenge Sabina by putting Pleasure Island out of business for good.

"So what do we do now?" I asked. "How do we get onto the island?"

...

Meanwhile back on Pleasure Island, some of the Coachman's servants were preparing themselves to defend the island by any means necessary, seemingly anticipating our impending arrival. The Coachman was going to stop at nothing to ensure Pleasure Island was defended by any means necessary.

A battle was being put into place and lives were most likely going to be sacrificed in more ways than one.

…

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