in a special mobile phone (given by Smithers). While both Alex and Turner escape by jumping into the sea, the Mayfair Lady tries to run them down. Suddenly the ship explodes, killing everyone on board. Turner blames Alex for causing the explosion, but Alex insists he wasn't responsible. At this point, it is left ambiguous who causes the explosion. In Skeleton Key, Alex notices a Geiger counter in a Game Boy Advance (Nintendo DS in later publications) console he was given by his "parents", deducing that Turner and Troy were sent to the island to search for a nuclear bomb. The two CIA agents reluctantly reveal their suspicions and their plan to infiltrate Sarov's residence – the Casa de Oro - by scuba diving into a cave underneath the house that features a ladder formerly used by smugglers that leads to the grounds. Alex goes with them but stays on the boat while Turner and Troy go underwater. When they do not return after a while, Alex dives in and, after a close encounter with a shark, discovers a mechanical spear trap disguised as stalactites and stalagmites that had impaled Turner and Troy, which kills the shark as well. When he resurfaces, Alex is captured by Conrad, Sarov's disfigured right-hand man, who drugs him. Although Alex reluctantly tells the truth when interrogated by Conrad, he decides to kill Alex anyway by feeding him into two large grindstones in a sugar mill. Sarov stops him at the last second and Alex passes out. Alex wakes up in the Casa de Oro and meets with Sarov, who says he had known all about the cave, and he promises to tell Alex what he plans to do with him. He also reveals that Conrad planted an explosive on the "Mayfair Lady" to prevent the Salesman alerting the authorities. The next day, Sarov tells Alex about his son Vladamir, who was killed in the war in Afghanistan, and his plans to adopt Alex as he shares many traits with Vladamir, due to their similar physical appearance and personalities. He has Alex hidden in a former slave house when President Kiriyenko arrives. Alex attempts to escape the mansion by hiding in the boot of a car, but is caught by Sarov using a heartbeat detector. The general spares Alex's life yet again, but punishes him through psychological torture. At dinner, Sarov drugs Kiryenko and has