Shark Eater

by K D McNiven

  “I’m so terribly sorry, Garrett,” Carson sputtered, choking back tears of his own.

  “I’m going to dive down and see if I can find them,” Garrett said.

  “No, Garrett,” Carson told him. “You need to wait and let the rescue units do their work. They are already coming out this way. The best thing we can do is go ashore and wait.”

  Polly motored them back to shore. He and Carson stood back watching Garrett as he pushed for the rescue team to expediate their efforts to save Holly and Shane. The pain they felt was almost unbearable. Worse, there was nothing they could do but watch helplessly.

  In that fleeting moment, Sam and Ted roared up in their vehicle. They ran to the shoreline, wondering what had happened.

  “What’s going on?” Sam asked as he ran up alongside Carson.

  Taking a deep breath, Carson said, “The Jade… exploded… Holly and Shane…”

  “Oh no,” Sam groaned. “Garrett?”

  Carson nodded in Garrett’s direction, who was still prodding the rescue units to find his wife and first mate. He was unable to be consoled.

  “I need to contact Decker and Callie,” Carson said hoarsely, searching his mind to figure

  out what he would say.

  “I don’t envy you right now,” Sam sighed and sat down beside Carson. “This is going to be a rough time for everyone. I can’t imagine what Garrett must be going through right now.”

  CHAPTER 31

  Shark Eater

  When the phone call came, it was not what Decker expected to hear. He sank into the chair and put his head between his palms. He felt drained, unable to consider his next move. He was torn between rushing to be at his father’s side and trying to help Dax grab his sister from the clutches of a madman. The drama was not going to end here and now. Chronis had too much to lose to let them go. He was playing with them like a cat pursues a mouse.

  When Callie woke from resting, she strode to the main deck. The moment she saw Decker she knew something had gone terribly wrong. His entire body was slouched. She moved to his side and dropped her hand on his shoulder. “Decker?” she inquired softly.

  He looked up with tears in his eyes. “Maybe you need to sit down, Callie,” he suggested. She took a seat beside him, and he gathered her hands into his. “Someone blew up the Jade.”

  “What?” she cried out.

  “Carson called me a moment ago. The authorities have determined that someone planted a bomb near the motor.” He stopped short. It took a moment or two for him to recover enough to deliver the next sentence. “Holly and Shane were on board.”

  Callie’s face drained of color. “Oh no. Garrett?”

  “He’s okay physically...”

  Callie threw her arms around Decker and cradled him for a long while. All she could do

  was cry. “Do you think it was the two men they arrested last week?”

  “The police have questioned them. Both had solid alibis.”

  “Chronis?”

  He looked at her with reddened eyes. “That would be my guess. My suspicion is that he’s sending a clear signal that he’s going to stop at nothing until he takes us down.”

  “What do we do?”

  “We can’t turn our backs on this,” Decker told her. “How many more people will he terrorize?”

  “Your dad needs you right now,” Callie told him.

  Decker nodded. “I know, Callie. Dax needs me, too. I’m so torn. I don’t know what I should do.”

  She understood. She saw the torment on Dax’s face. He was going through his own hell and trying to figure out where to go from here. The situation was bigger than they were. Had they known it would come to this, they’d have played it out differently, but it was too late for that. They were in the middle of a mind-shattering cyclone that was threatening all of them.

  One by one, the crew of the Shark Eater came out and sat around Decker. Dax joined them. The mood was solemn, and Decker knew they needed some direction. The problem was that their two leaders were crippled with emotional turmoil and weren’t sure what to do.

  Decker looked up, gazing into worried, and distraught faces. Okay, Decker, he scolded himself. You owe it to the crew to make a decision, difficult as it is.

  “I realize you need Dax and me to give some direction,” Decker said, his voice brittle. “We made the decisions that brought us to this point, and now we have to find a remedy.”

  “Anything in mind?” Dax asked, still reeling from the phone call about his sister.

  “I believe so, Dax,” Decker said. “First I have to make a phone call.” He stood to his feet and walked to the stern where his conversation would be private. He was not sure how any of this would pan out, but he had to try.

  Sighing, and fighting to pull his emotions together, he grabbed his satellite phone from his shirt pocket and dialed a friend he hadn’t spoken to in several years.

  “Decker, buddy,” came a deep, cheerful voice on the other end. “Been a while.”

  “Too long, McDermott,” Decker agreed.

  “What’s up?”

  “Need a big favor,” Decker told him. “I’m on board a salvage ship right now and heading toward Haiti. I’d like to anchor off Cap-Haitien. I’m desperate, Dean. Is there any chance you could fly a chopper over there?”

  “You must be pretty distressed to want me to fly out to meet you.”

  “You have no idea.”

  “I’ll see what I can do,’ he agreed. “Let me know when you arrive.”

  “And Dean, this is top secret. No one can know I’m calling you.”

  “You got it, buddy.”

  Decker released his breath. “I can’t thank you enough, Dean. I’ll let you know when we anchor.”

  All eyes were on Decker when he returned from the call. “I may have a solution, but until I have the opportunity to speak face to face with my friend about what we’re dealing with, I can’t give you any information.”

  “You do what you can,” Karina said.

  While he was on the phone, Callie had filled them all in on what had transpired in Hawaii. It was a shock to the crew, and it had all of them wondering what Chronis intended for them. Obviously, he would not go down without a fight.

  “We trust Dax and you to bring us through this,” Karina tried to reassure him.

  Callie stepped up beside him and took his hand. “Decker, I think you should stay here and call a chopper to come pick me up. I’ll meet Garrett in Malibu and be there for him. He’ll understand. Right now, Dax’s sister’s life is hanging by a thread, and you and Dax need to do whatever is possible to save her life. She has to be the priority right now.”

  Decker pulled her tightly into his arms. “I know you’re right, but still—”

  “Call your father and let him know what’s happening. Tell him about Dax’s sister. I know Garrett, and even though he’s in pain, he would agree that whatever you need to do to keep her alive is the right thing to do.”

  “Thank you, Callie.” He lowered his head to kiss her. “I know none of this can be easy for you.”

  “Nor for you.”

  “I would like for you to find a safe house when you go back,” he told her. “I don’t want to risk anything happening to you or Garrett. Promise me.”

  “I promise. I’ll keep us safe. Come back to me, okay?”

  “You’ve got it, Babe.” A wan smile tipped the corners of his mouth. “I’ll call to have a chopper pick you up.”

  “I’ll go pack.”

  The chopper was there within a few hours of Decker making the call. Because they didn’t have a landing deck, the chopper was forced to let down a basket and hover until Callie hooked up. The housing rocked slightly from the trade winds while Callie was pulled safely inside.

  Callie waved at the team as the chopper prepared to leave, the rotors whirring noisily above. There was a hush over the deck as they all stood waving, feeling like a part of them was being yanked away. Callie had been a major part of the tea
m, and everyone was sad to see her leave but knew it was the right thing for her to do.

  Dax and Decker took a seat off the galley, where they sat over coffee. Both of them looked somber and deep in thought.

  “I can’t tell you how much I appreciate your staying on, Decker,” Dax said. “I know how difficult this must be for you.”

  “How could I not stay and help your sister, Dax,” Decker said. “And If we don’t go after Chronis, he wins, pure and simple.”

  “Not so simple.”

  Decker snorted. “I could use something a bit stiffer than coffee right now.”

  “I think you’re onto something, mate.” Dax returned with a bottle of whiskey and two paper cups. He filled each, then handed one to Decker. “When are you going to let me in on what you have planned?”

  “When we arrive at Cap-Haitien, and we have a chance to speak with my friend McDermott I’ll devise something. Presently, I have no plan. Everything hinges on my meeting with him, and what his answer will be. I do know one thing. You and I will have to suit up and go at night, so we won’t be detected leaving the Shark Eater.”

  “Yeah, I imagine we are being watched.”

  “All I know is that I want to see this Chronis guy taken down.”

  By the following morning, they were heading through the Greater Antilles and would round the northwest corner of Haiti within a couple of hours. Everyone on board tried to busy themselves, anxiously awaiting what would transpire after Decker met with his friend.

  Karina located Dax and Decker and pulled up a chair to the table. She waved a paper in front of them, a wide smile crossing her lips. “I have the results from the mud you took from Chronis’s property.”

  “And?” Dax urged.

  “The tests confirmed what we suspected,” she said happily. “The samples were laden with toxic chemicals. The type of chemicals found in the mud match exactly with the water samples we took when we were researching the sunken ship. These facts alone are enough to shut down Chronis Manufacturing plant and give him a lengthy time in prison.”

  “Good work, Kat,” Dax said.

  “The problem is, we have our hands tied at the moment,” Decker said with emotional intensity, his eyes hard as nails.

  “I know.” She shrugged. “But we can take these findings to the proper authorities soon as we find Dax’s sister and return to Miami. At least we have something on Chronis. He won’t get a free ride on this. His actions could very well affect people for years to come if the area isn’t cleaned up. Plenty of damage has already been done to the ecosystem and could have been prevented if he’d been found out a long time ago.”

  “I’m sure there are those who knew what he was up to but were too afraid to do anything about it because of the power he has,” Dax said.

  “He plays it cool,” Decker remarked. “But make no mistake. He is deadly. I don’t figure we have much time left to take him down.”

  Karina shivered. She went over in her mind all of the things that had happened so far since they’d discovered the dumping of chemicals. It had been one crazy, wild adventure since she’d chosen to come on board. She could only hope it wouldn’t be her last trip.

  Decker patted her hand, sensing her worry. “We’re going to make it out of this, Kat. Dax and I will see to it personally.”

  She smiled and nodded, her green, cat-like eyes were wide with expectation. “I believe you. And I know that you and Dax will take this man out. You make an amazing team.”

  “We’ll see if you feel the same way in a couple of days, Kat.” The uncertainty in Decker’s voice was evident. He wasn’t sure of anything right now, and only after he spoke with McDermott would he gain back some confidence.

  Night closed over them. They were now anchored off shore, and Dax and Decker began collecting their gear. He had since called McDermott and learned he’d already set ground in Cap-Haitien and would be at a small cantina along the beach waiting for them.

  They shoved some dry clothing into watertight containers to dress in once they got to shore and would store their wetsuits somewhere out of the way for their return back to the ship. Dax checked the air tanks and equipment they would need as he usually did before a dive.

  The DPV’s (Diver Propulsion Vehicle) had been charged earlier and were ready. Since they would have a fair distance to travel, they opted to use the sea scooters. It would see them there and back quicker. Because the Shark Eater was undoubtedly being tracked, they wanted to stay under the radar as much as possible. Somehow, they needed to have the advantage over Chronis. Hopefully, this would be their opportunity.

  Before they were ready, Callie put a call in to Decker. He was relieved to hear her voice and that she had made it safely. She had found a small villa to rent for a couple of weeks on Catalina Island and had paid cash for everything, not wanting to leave a paper trail.

  “How’s Dad holding up?” Decker asked with concern.

  “We’re getting by,” Callie told him. “Garrett’s hurting understandably but holding together. Carson and the rest of the team flew back to Miami. Said they’d contact you in a couple of days. How are you?”

  He smiled. “Trying to stay above water. I miss having you by my side, but I’m thankful you’re there with Dad. It must be a great comfort to him, and I’m glad you found a villa to stay at. It takes a lot off my mind knowing you’re safe.

  “I miss you, too, Decker,” she said.

  “I need to go. Dax is waiting for me. Love you, Callie. Stay safe.”.

  CHAPTER 32

  Chronis Manufacturing

  The young boy peered through the wooden planks, his dark eyes wide as he stared into the old warehouse. There was a lot of broken machinery, timber laid out in stacks, and rusted out barrels. A few threads of sunlight filtered through the holes in the walls and the tin roofing that the wind and the elements had torn loose.

  He looked about to see if anyone was standing around who might see him. When he was certain no one was nearby, he squeezed through the separated boards into the tantalizing, forbidden interior.

  He realized that if he was caught, he would get a good walloping from his father, but his curiosity got the better of him. He had discovered some time back a section of fencing that had been torn down by a felled tree. Even though the property was marked No Trespassing, his adventuresome spirit had prodded him to cross over and investigate the old warehouse.

  It belonged to Chronis Industries. He knew this because his father, Samuel, worked there for several years, though he had always warned Cato to stay far from the premises. When Cato had asked, his father had told him the owner was evil and that Cato should never go anywhere near the plant because Mr. Chronis ate little boys for dinner. For a time, Cato dared not come near the place, but after a while, he realized his father had not been completely honest with him. Mr. Chronis was evil, yes, but Cato learned he didn’t really eat little boys.

  Cato pushed all the warnings to the back of his mind as he began to explore the surroundings. The warehouse had been deserted for years after Chronis Industries had built new facilities a rock’s throw away. He was fairly certain that no one ever came out to the dilapidated building; he had played outside the fence for over a year and had yet to see anyone.

  He found a long plank straddling two saw horses and, pretending he was one of the gymnasts he had seen on the television the night before, he climbed onto it, spreading his arms out wide as he did his own balancing. He wobbled, trying to keep his footing, and did quite well until the board snapped with a crack and he tumbled to the floor. He yelped and rubbed his backside.

  That was when he heard a muffled sound coming from the far side of the room. He stood frozen to the spot wondering if someone was in there after all, and he would be caught and punished for disobeying his father, but he did not see anyone. Perhaps it is a rat, he told himself. His curiosity got the better of him, and he inched forward.

  There it was again! He took a few steps forward, and peeked around some old cra
tes, his eyes wide as half-dollars. Still, he couldn’t see anything. He crept a bit closer, leaning forward. Now he could hear a muffled cry coming from a long crate.

  “Hello?” he said softly, ready to bolt.

  The sound increased and became more frantic. Cato was sure it was a person, but he did not know what to do. There was a lot of rustling and shifting going on inside the box. Cato could tell that whoever was inside wanted out badly.

  He took two more steps and reached out to see if the top could be moved. It did not budge. He looked around to see if there was something solid that he could use to pry open the cover. In the far corner, there was a steel bar. He ran over, grabbed it and then ran back to the crate. He tried to insert the metal bar at the lip, but it was too large. He tossed it aside and went to search for something else.

  There were some garden shears laying on the cement floor. He grabbed them and ran back to see if they would fit. They did. He began prying the lid where he saw the nails. They were not pounded all the way down which made it easier for him to loosen them.

  One by one, he pulled the nails out, hesitating a moment out of fear of what, or who might be inside. The moaning and movement was amplified now, and battling against his fear, he took a deep breath and thrust the lid aside.

  For a moment he stood in rigid silence looking at the figure inside. It was a woman, bound with grey duct tape around her feet, hands, and mouth. Her eyes flashed with terror. Cato looked around again, wondering if someone would come busting through the door and take him captive as well.

  As he stared at her, he knew what he had to do. He took the shears and began to cut away the tape, then pulled it off her mouth.

  “Thank you, thank you,” she wheezed. “I need help…I’ve been kidnapped and held here for several days.” She pushed herself up and began to climb out.

  Cato backed up. Alarm pinched on his dark face. “Who are you?” he asked in broken English.

  “My name is Lara. Lara Drake,” she told him. “Where am I?”

  “Cap-Haitien, Haiti,” he said.