Survival Instinct (The Adventures of Eric and Ursula Book 2)

by A. D. Winch

  The cold took her breath away. She didn’t recall ever seeing scuba divers with goosebumps or chattering teeth on the television, but that was how her body was reacting. Somehow she had managed to keep the mouthpiece between her teeth in spite of an involuntary little scream.

  Just keep calm and breathe she told herself as she sunk beneath the waves. It wasn’t crystal clear under the water, but visibility was good. She saw some fish swim away from her as she looked at the dive meter on her wrist. It told her that she had already sunk to nine metres.

  In the water, the oxygen tank weighed much less, and movement was much easier. Memories of Jacques Cousteau returned, and she kicked her feet. Her flippers moved, and she began to swim slowly back towards the surface. A movement under the hull caught her eye but when she stopped to stare it had gone. At the bow, she once again saw a movement but then it vanished. She turned towards the stern, and the same thing happened under the life raft. To her right, there was another movement, but when she turned it had gone. This time, she was sure she saw the tail of a large grey fish. Her imagination ran away with her and all she could think was, ‘Shark!’

  Despite trying to remain calm, there was now an urgency to reach the surface. She kicked her legs hard and quickly swam upwards. The fish had disappeared, and she could see nothing but water as she frantically twisted her head to look around. Suddenly, something hit her calf hard and gave her a dead leg. The shock caused her to scream which released the mouthpiece. As it floated away from her face, bubbles obscured her view. Beyond the escaping air, she could just make out a long, grey body with a large dorsal fin swimming away from her.

  Vibrations were echoing through the water. Ursula imagined that the people on board the boat were making noise to try and scare the shark away. They were trying to give her a chance, so she swallowed down the sea water without retching and tried to compose herself. Above her, she could see the surface and knew that she could reach the air while still holding her breath. She kicked her legs wildly and soon broke the surface. After gulping in large breaths, she looked over at the trawler and everyone watching her. They were all looking her way, and Keiko was banging the hull with her pincer hand while holding two dead fish in the other.

  “Shark!” Ursula yelled.

  “Where?” shouted back Keiko as she threw the fish into the sea away from Ursula.

  Ursula spun around while treading water and tried to locate the monster of the deep. Between her and the boat a dorsal fin appeared and then another. They turned and headed straight for her.

  “What would Cousteau do?” Ursula asked herself.

  She had no answer and, ominously, the fins disappeared under water.

  This is it, Ursula thought.

  Before she had time to brace herself, two sea monsters launched themselves out of the water, happily clicking as they did so.

  “Dolphins!” beamed Ursula.

  Her face was a mix of surprise and relief.

  She swam awkwardly, and the dolphins came nearer. A snout gently nuzzled into her chest, then another, and they pushed her towards the trawler. Keiko was holding more fish over the side. Once Ursula had reached the hull, the dolphins waited expectantly in the water. Two fish were thrown, and they greedily swallowed them down.

  “From the way you were swimming they thought you were injured. They have been trained to help in these situations,” Keiko explained.

  “You call that swimming?” Eric questioned condescendingly.

  “Have you ever scuba-dived before?” he shouted down at Ursula.

  “No. I’ve never really swam before either,” Ursula answered honestly, “but as no one else was going to get in the water, I thought I had better.”

  Eric looked at the dolphins. There was a spark in his eyes.

  “I’ll help you.”

  “Don’t worry about Fred and Ginger,” reassured Keiko. “We have been working with them since this project began. They started us off after the US Navy abandoned them. They just want to help.”

  She threw them both another fish each.

  The dolphins continued to click quite happily while swimming slowly around the trawler.

  “They can help you. If you know where you want to go they’ll take you there. You just need to point and then have some treats ready when you arrive.”

  A grey dorsal fin broke the water just in front of Ursula, and she laughed at herself. The dolphin moved towards her and was followed by a second. They came up close and when Ursula stroked their noses they seemed genuinely to like it. Gradually Ursula became more confident and ran her hand from nose to tail; feeling their slippery, smooth bodies. They didn’t mind and continued to click away happily.

  Behind Ursula, there was a large splash, and the two dolphins disappeared under the water to investigate. Ursula placed her mouthpiece back in, stopped treading water and sank below the waves. Under the surface, Fred and Ginger were busily investigating Eric. They swam around him, and Eric waited for them to come closer. It was difficult to make out through the water, and behind a diving mask, but Ursula was sure that Eric was smiling.

  She swam back to the surface. A ladder had been attached to the starboard side, and Ursula climbed up it.

  “What did they do?” she asked Keiko when she was back on deck.

  Down below, the two dolphins re-emerged, swimming away from the trawler with Eric holding on to a dorsal fin.

  “We don’t know for sure what they did. The US Navy were not prepared to give us that kind of information, but from their behaviour we think they cleared mines and helped divers. They are an interesting pair to study. It seems quite apt that Eric Meyer is having fun with them, as it is his father’s foundation that funds us.”

  Ursula looked towards Eric. It was true. For the first time in weeks, Eric was visibly enjoying himself.

  Agent Hoover turned down the volume slightly on his headphones before Agent Angel answered.

  “So you’re telling me that they have travelled from the Czech Republic, through Germany, into the Netherlands and then to the Irish Sea to swim with dolphins?”

  “Yes, Sir. That’s what they are doing. Maybe they’re having some R and R.”

  Agent Angel did not respond, but his breathing could be heard even with the volume turned down.

  “Sir?” Agent Hoover asked.

  “They are up to something,” Agent Angel began. “Keep them under surveillance. If there is too much cloud cover, switch to heat mode. We keep our units on standby, but we do nothing until I give the order. Understood?”

  “Affirmative.”

  Back to Contents

  ***

  Chapter 25 – An Act of Piracy

  It took two days to find a significant batch of plankton. As they searched, Eric reluctantly, helped Ursula’s diving skills, and she made fast progress. Her strokes became stronger, and her confidence in the water grew. Thankfully, the weather remained overcast, and the sea stayed relatively calm. The water was still shockingly cold, each time they dropped under the surface, but the wetsuits kept Eric and Ursula comfortable.

  Collecting plankton was laborious. They swung their specially made mesh nets at the plankton and when full removed them, tied them up and attached them to their diving bell. This was repeated with another net and then another and so on. It was not hard and, apart from the monotony, the only difficulty was the two playful dolphins that hung around.

  Back on board, Andrea would work on a fresh batch and freeze the rest. Alexander had found his sea legs, and even though he had not lost his green tinge completely, he was well enough to help her. By the end of the third day, they had created a cocktail that they hypothesised would benefit the children.

  Ursula drank hers without complaint. It smelled of fish and the sea, had the texture of mucus and tasted revolting. Her stomach reacted immediately by trying to send it back the way it had come, but she managed to keep it down.

  Faced with the same cocktail, Eric’s face lost its recently acquired glow and his
sulky pout returned. He did put the mug to his lips, and he did put the cocktail in his mouth, but that was as far as it got. No sooner had it hit the back of his throat than it was spat back out again, narrowly missing Alexander before hitting the galley wall.

  “If this is going to help us, then you had better find a way to make it either edible or drinkable,” Eric complained and stormed off.

  On this occasion, Ursula had to agree with him.

  The next night the children were given an ‘improved’ drink, but the results were the same.

  Ursula tried to mediate, “I know that it is supposed to be for our own good, but if you can improve the taste, I know we would both be more willing to give it a go.”

  “Food and drink that are beneficial for people do not have to taste good as well,” Andrea responded.

  “I know,” said Ursula. “I hate cabbage and Brussels sprouts but at least I can eat those…”

  “…without wanting to puke!” Eric finished.

  They agreed that they would return to port, rent a laboratory and try to turn the plankton into an edible food source without cooking it.

  Later that evening, Ursula was sat in her pyjamas on top of her bunk. Eric was lying in the bunk opposite facing the wall so that she could only see the back of his head. She would have liked to know what he was thinking, but in the last week Eric had somehow taught himself to block his thoughts from her. Ursula considered trying to talk to Eric, but he put headphones in his ears before she could ask him a question. He hadn’t really talked to her since they had been out at sea. Occasionally, he asked her to move or gave her an instruction while swimming but that was the extent of their conversation. Ursula wondered what she had done and whether she could do something to make it better. Eric huffed, and she knew the timing was not a coincidence.

  In her pyjama pocket, she found the phone Andrea had given her. Andrea had told them that they could phone someone each night if they wished. This meant she could speak to her grandparents daily which she appreciated greatly. Eric phoned no one.

  She dialled her grandparents’ number and waited.

  The Benjamins were sat in front of the television with a pile of homemade, ginger biscuits. They were both happily eating, but only Granddad Benjamin was watching the TV programme. A presenter talked about military tacticians throughout history, and Granddad Benjamin was thoroughly enjoying it. Most of the information he knew already, but there was an occasional piece that he found fascinating.

  His wife sat beside him resting her back against his shoulder as she knitted contentedly. Christmas was less than three months away. She wanted to be prepared, so she had started to knit jumpers for Eric and Ursula. Each one had their initial on it and, what looked like, a meteorite falling beside it. She was having trouble making the fiery tail get smaller, but was enjoying the challenge. Even so, when the phone rang she jumped up to answer it.

  “Bonsoir,” she said, “Madame Benjamin à l’appareil.”

  “Bonsoir, this is Ursula Benjamin speaking,” Ursula replied with a giggle.

  Mémé sat on the old armchair next to the phone and twisted her large bottom into the cushion until she was comfortable.

  Granddad Benjamin looked from the television to his wife and smiled. Seeing her happy made him happy.

  “What have you been doing?” Mémé asked.

  Ursula lay back on her bunk and started to talk. Across from her, Eric kept his headphones in but turned off his music so that he could hear most of the conversation.

  “Not much, Mémé. We went in the sea again to find more plankton and…”

  “Did you wrap up warm?” Mémé interrupted.

  This amused Granddad Benjamin, who had heard his wife ask Ursula this many times over the years.

  “As I said last night, Mémé, I can’t wrap up warm because I am wearing a wetsuit.”

  “And does that keep you warm?”

  “Yes. It makes the sea bearable but only just.”

  “How is your swimming coming on?”

  “I’m getting better. Eric sort of helps me by showing me how to do the strokes but he isn’t very willing.”

  “Well, send him our love. I’m sorry that we weren’t able to teach you to swim when you were younger. I’ve never liked swimming very much. You can leave that to the fishes.”

  “What have you and Granddad been doing?”

  “We are eating some ginger biscuits. Granddad is watching the television again, and I’m knitting Christmas presents.”

  “Have you heard any more about the gendarmes searching for us?”

  “No. The talk around here is that they left very frustrated and have not been seen since, which I am very happy about.”

  They continued talking for another twenty minutes. Towards the end of the call, Granddad Benjamin walked over to the phone and spoke briefly.

  “I just wanted you to know that I miss you, and I’m looking forward to seeing you again, my love,” he said.

  “I miss you too,” Ursula replied, “and I love you both.”

  Granddad Benjamin had heard the words he wanted to hear and a big smile spread across his face, revealing his sparkling false teeth. He handed the phone back to Mémé.

  “Remember to send our love to Eric and remember that we both love you very much.”

  “I love you too, speak to you soon,” and Ursula hung up.

  Eric turned his music back on and screwed up his eyes tightly.

  An icon appeared on Agent Hoover’s computer. It got bigger and bigger as it flashed ‘Agent Angel calling.’ Agent Hoover did not want to answer it, and as this thought formed in his head, it was accompanied by a small prick. The more he ignored the call, the more the pain increased until it felt as if someone was stabbing his brain. Reluctantly he clicked on the icon and the moment he heard Agent Angel’s booming voice the pain vanished.

  “About time, Hoover! What’s been happening? Last time we spoke they were collecting plankton. Are they still doing this or are they now doing something that will actually interest me? Maybe they’re swimming to Ireland under the warm sun?”

  “No, Sir, they’re on board. It’s night.”

  “I know that you idiot. I might have been born in the boonies, but I’m quite aware of time-zones. Let me rephrase the question for you, to make it easier for you to understand. Have they been in the water at any point today?”

  “All day.”

  There was a pause at the other end of the line, “We’ve seen enough Hoover, send in the teams. I want either Black Queen or White King rendered before sun-break. I will join you shortly.”

  “Yes, Sir,” Agent Hoover replied enthusiastically.

  Two hours before sunrise, two Black Hawk helicopters took off from RAF Welford. They flew into the night sky and soon disappeared from view. Low clouds blocked out the light from the moon and cloaked the helicopters in darkness. When they reached the Irish Sea, the only lights were far in the distance and came from the shore. The helicopters avoided going near land. Instead, they kept low over the water and as the rotor blades sliced through the air they made circles in the waves below them.

  The two helicopters neared the trawler. One helicopter reduced its speed and dropped down until it was hovering just above the water level. The doors on the Black Hawk slid open, and six packages were pushed out. Each hit the water with a splash and then floated back to the surface. Team Jupiter looked down at them and then jumped from the helicopter. They were wearing black diving suits, and their faces were blacked out. While they collected their packages, three dive scooters were lowered down. Team Jupiter unhooked them from their winches, and the Black Hawk rose rapidly before flying away.

  “You’re back in the game Team Jupiter. No mistakes!” ordered Agent Hoover. “Last time we took out a vessel like this the mission went perfectly. We expect the same this time. Check in.”

  Each member of Team Jupiter replied in rapid succession.

  “Carme.”

  “Arche.”

>   “Carpo.”

  “Metis.”

  “Thebe.”

  “Elara.”

  “Proceed with extreme caution,” instructed Agent Hoover.

  “And don’t fail me this time,” warned Agent Angel. “I want at least one of those children.”

  Both men looked up at the screens in front of them. Agent Hoover had enabled night-vision, and the satellite images on the screens were green. Six specks bobbed up and down in the water, swimming towards the sleeping trawler. When they were within two hundred metres, they stopped.

  “Agents Carme, Arche and Carpo set charges on the hull below the water level. Stay close to the vessel in case anyone tries to swim away. I want you to sink it when we have the children, but not light up the night sky. Agents Metis, Thebe and Elara board the vessel and complete the rendition. I want this done before the sun is up.”

  Agent Angel sat back in his chair and wished he could be there.

  The specks on the screen disappeared below the waves and Agent Hoover zoomed in on the trawler.

  On board the Orca, everyone was asleep except for the Captain and one passenger. Andrea was sitting in the galley running basic experiments on the plankton and feeding this data into her tablet. Her limited investigations had produced mixed conclusions. There was a ninety-eight percent chance that the plankton could be used as a beneficial food source for the children. However, the likelihood of it extending their life for a significant amount of time was only fifty percent. She had also concluded that a more in-depth analysis, in a better-equipped laboratory, was a necessity.

  In the wheelhouse, Captain Wang’s phone beeped loudly. She picked it up and read the SMS, ‘The spears of crimson-suited war, The long white-crested waves of fight, And all the deadly fires which are, The torches of the lords of Night.’

  Once again the number was unknown. The message unnerved her. She didn’t know why and put her fear down to tiredness. Even so she turned on the radar that they usually used to track Fred and Ginger. There appeared to be six dolphins, or at least six things roughly the size of dolphins, rapidly approaching the trawler. She gazed at the dots on the circular screen. Unless they were going to dive, they were heading straight for the hull. Captain Wang turned on the flood light at the top of the crane. The entire deck was bathed in bright, white light. She flicked another switch, and underwater lights lit up the sea in a ten metre radius around the Orca.