Below the Surface

by Tim Shoemaker

  Gordy had a huge lead, his long arms reaching and pulling. He skimmed around the nose of the sailboat and disappeared from view almost completely.

  Now all Cooper had to do was join him without being spotted.

  Cooper struck out for the sailboat with strong, fast strokes. Krypto Night wouldn’t screen his escape for long. He knifed through the water, turning his head to the side to gulp fresh air on every third stroke.

  His mental clock was spinning. He didn’t dare look back. Superman would be pulling up to Krypto Night any second. They’d see him for sure.

  Fifteen yards. So close, yet so far.

  Ten yards. He’d have to go under. It would be slower, but it was the only way to reach the other side of the sailboat without being seen.

  Cooper took a deep breath, jackknifed, and dove. Instantly his heart pounded in panic. Something was down here. Waiting for him. He opened his eyes to a blur of dark greens and black — and let out a gurgling scream. He was going to die. He sucked in a mouthful of water, triggering a violent spasm of coughing and choking and gulping for air. More water went down his windpipe. Was he dying? Surrounded by suffocating blackness, he kicked and spun and clawed his way toward daylight.

  After breaking the surface, Cooper thrashed at the water, choking, gasping, and choking some more. Get out of here! Get out of here! Everything was a blur. Grabbing something, he frantically pulled himself up on it.

  “What are you doing?” The voice sounded far away. “Coop, you’re going to sink us.”

  Everything was still spinning. Cooper grabbed and held on.

  “Let go of me, Coop. What’s wrong with you?” It was Gordy’s voice. Closer now. “Coop! You’re safe. Easy now. Easy.”

  Cooper didn’t let go, but his coughing eased up and his vision started to clear. He was inside the inflatable — curled up on the bottom like a half-drowned puppy and clutching Gordy’s ankle. How did he get here?

  “Tell me this is all an act,” Gordy said.

  Cooper tried to steady his breathing. His whole body was shaking, and his heart was still doing the mambo.

  “Okay. I get it,” Gordy whispered. “What did you see down there?”

  What did he see? Blackness. But that didn’t mean there was nothing there. Whatever it was, it was something that reached right through his skin and wouldn’t let go. The invisible hand of death. Cooper let go of Gordy’s ankle and looked up at him.

  Gordy jerked his hand from the water and scanned the surface of the lake. “Tell me you didn’t see an alligator.” Gordy looked terrified.

  Cooper didn’t want to move. He didn’t want to talk. He just wanted to get back on dry ground, hop on his bike, and ride and ride and ride. What had just happened to him?

  Yet somehow he knew — or had a sense, anyway — that something he’d buried months ago wasn’t really dead. And now it was rising from its grave.

  Hiro stared at the inflatable. What was Cooper up to? He should have made it to the other side of the sailboat easily — but he surfaced just seconds after going under. He loved the water. Was more likely to swim underwater than on the surface. But he’d thrashed around like someone who couldn’t swim at all. And he’d practically pulled Gordy into the water with him while trying to climb into the inflatable raft.

  She smiled to herself. It must have been part of his strategy. Act like you’re a total novice in the water, and they’ll never suspect that you swam to their boat to prank it. Coop definitely looked convincing — a little ammo to tease him about.

  Hiro watched the girl holding the pizza box. She was wearing a plain white T-shirt and tight jean shorts. Pretty. Trim. Probably eighteen or nineteen years old, if Hiro had to guess. There was something fluid and purposeful about the way the girl moved — like she’d gone through high school swinging pom-poms.

  Superman tied the rowboat to the buoy, unhooked the wakeboard boat, and climbed aboard to join Pom-Pom Girl.

  From the instant she saw him, Hiro had a creepy feeling about Superman. She couldn’t pinpoint why. Something about him, though, gave her a bad vibe. He couldn’t have been more than nineteen or twenty. And the boat couldn’t possibly be his — unless he came from some serious money.

  He bent down, picked up a camera with a bright green lanyard, and took a picture of Pom-Pom. She struck a flirty pose and he took another shot.

  Then the girl grabbed the camera, leaned in close to Superman, and took a picture of the two of them together.

  All right, all right. The pizza’s going to get cold. Hiro grabbed a dock line and coiled it. She didn’t want the couple to think she was spying on them — even though she was.

  Superman started the engine and steered out of the bay, heading straight toward The Getaway.

  Hiro hoped Coop had hidden the fish well. If Superman found them anytime soon, it wouldn’t be hard to guess who’d done it. Coop had definitely been spotted — by Pom-Pom anyway.

  Hiro watched as Superman’s boat approached. She’d had nothing to do with the boys’ prank, and she didn’t have anything to hide. She waved — and Pom-Pom waved right back. It was one of those princess waves — the type that celebs and beauty queens do on top of parade floats. Superman made eye contact with Hiro, pointed at his heart, and then pointed at her. He loves me?

  He bent down, picked up his camera, and aimed it at Hiro. The flash went off.

  Okay. First you love me and then you’re taking a picture of me? This is getting weird, Superman.

  Superman handed the camera to Pom-Pom. “Your boat!” he shouted to Hiro. “It’s gorgeous!”

  Ah, of course. Hiro nodded and waved. You love the boat — and you weren’t taking a picture of me. She felt her face warm. How could she have thought that anybody — much less a handsome college guy — would notice her? No, Hiro wasn’t going to go there.

  Superman eased the boat out of the mooring area. He looked over at Hiro and flexed a little. Like he figured she’d get all gaga over a guy with muscles. Creep.

  Pom-Pom chose a seat in the bow of the boat, not at all close to Superman. She probably didn’t want to get any closer to him than Hiro would. Smart girl. But then if she were really smart, she wouldn’t have accepted a date with him in the first place.

  “Krypto Night.” Hiro read the name aloud as the boat passed into open water. “Whatever that means.”

  Some people chose the strangest names for their boats. The navy blue sailboat that Coop and Gordy were hiding behind? Ra Ra Avis. The one anchored just beyond it? Geegers. And she’d seen plenty of other “interesting” names on the backs of boats since they’d arrived. Succotash, Slingshot, Big Boy, and Bingo. Obviously, naming boats was a man thing — and they could have it. Better they pick the names for boats than for their children. Krypto, Geegers, Ra Ra, Bingo. Yeah, those names would go over real big with the kids in school.

  Hiro eyed the navy blue sailboat. The guys would stay hidden until Krypto Night was farther from shore. This is how they wanted to spend their vacation? Gee, what fun. She scanned the narrow beach. Still no sign of Lunk.

  The beach crowds were gone, and the few people who were left were packing up their stuff. No lifeguard was stationed at this beach, and the water had turned black now that the sun was down.

  She checked for Krypto Night again. It was still moving toward deeper water. More flashes. Probably more pictures that Pom-Pom would post and tag online tomorrow — complete with some lame comment: “We had a wonderfully romantic date on Geneva Lake.”

  They were outside the no-wake buoys now, and Superman nudged up the speed a bit.

  “Hiro!” Gordy waved at her from the inflatable as he paddled toward her. “You missed it.”

  Cooper was inside the raft too, but he wasn’t paddling. He was hugging his knees and staring at the water. What’s that all about? The boys ducked under the sailboat anchor line, and Gordy closed the distance between them with long, steady strokes.

  “We put fish in their ice chest,” Gordy said.

 
; Hiro leaned against the rail and watched their approach. “We? I only saw Coop in the boat.”

  Gordy waved her off. “I was in charge of the getaway boat.”

  Hiro laughed. “And you left without Coop.”

  “Had to,” Gordy said. “So we wouldn’t get caught.”

  “And that was . . . what did you call it — fun?”

  Gordy nodded. “Absolutely. The fact is, you totally missed it, and you know it. Now you wish you’d gone with us, and the only way to cope with your deep sense of regret is to tear apart the fun we had.” He looked proud of himself. “Am I right?”

  “Rarely,” Hiro said. “And this isn’t one of those times.” She looked at Coop. It was like his mind was someplace else. Her comment brought zero response.

  Gordy maneuvered the inflatable alongside the teak swim platform. “Wish we could see their faces when they find the fish.”

  “You’re lucky you won’t.” Hiro looked out toward deeper water. Krypto Night had to be two hundred yards from shore. The engine was turned off, and by the angle of the boat she could tell it was adrift. A perfect way to picnic. “The girl was looking right at Coop. She’d have figured it out.”

  Coop didn’t answer. Both boys climbed onto the swim platform. Coop stood on shaky legs.

  “Which reminds me. What was with the fake panic attack, Coop?” Hiro smiled. “Or was it real?”

  He glanced up at her but didn’t say anything. His eyes did the talking — and instantly she knew. He hadn’t been faking. She felt her smile slip away. Dear God. He really did panic.

  Gordy glanced up at her and drew his forefinger across his throat. Drop it. That was clear enough, which only made her more concerned.

  Coop busied himself with pulling the inflatable onto the platform — his way of avoiding her eyes. He stood the raft up on end and leaned it against the railing while trying to act like everything was okay. But Hiro had known him too long for that to work. Something clearly wasn’t right. She just needed to figure out what it was.

  Cooper felt Hiro watching him — even though he didn’t catch her doing it. Whenever he looked her way, she turned or was already staring into the darkness. Just as well. How could he explain something he didn’t understand himself?

  He’d finally had a growth spurt. In the last three months, he’d outgrown all of his clothes. But after what just happened under the water, he felt shorter than ever.

  “Wonder what happened to Lunk?” Gordy scanned the beach.

  Cooper made his way from the cockpit to the bow and sat at the very nose of The Getaway. He slung his arms over the low stainless steel rail and let his legs dangle over the edge.

  Hiro joined him.

  Was there actually something under the water — something he sensed even though he couldn’t see it? Something evil? Even deadly? Was that what triggered his reaction?

  Or was it something worse? Something lurking inside his head? One moment he felt fine. The next — like he was going to die.

  “I love the way the lake calms after sunset,” Hiro said. “All day, the wind can whip the water into a frenzy of white-capped waves. But after dark, everything changes. It’s like the lake is alive and knows it needs to rest.”

  Alive. Cooper looked at the black water. It was still. Almost syrupy. It reflected the moon in a bright pathway that stretched across the lake. Something about the look of it creeped him out. In the daylight, it was different. He couldn’t get enough of the water. But now he couldn’t get past the blackness of it, even though it had never bothered him before.

  “You’re awfully quiet,” Hiro said. “Want to talk about it?”

  Cooper wanted to forget it had ever happened. Bury it. So deep that it could never resurface.

  Gordy shimmied along the narrow deck alongside the front windshield and plopped down beside them. “I found the M&M’s.” He popped a handful into his mouth and handed the bag to Cooper. “You up for a night swim?”

  Cooper hesitated, but not because he needed time to think about it. He just didn’t want to look spooked. He wanted to make it look like he was really considering the idea. But right now the thought of jumping into that black water made his stomach flip. “Not tonight. I’m feeling pretty waterlogged.”

  He sensed Hiro looking at him again. She didn’t miss anything. He knew he needed a diversion. “I’m thinking ice cream run. I’m starving.”

  “Even better,” Gordy said, “how about we bike to town and hit Scoops?”

  Cooper nodded. “As soon as Lunk gets here.”

  Gordy popped another handful of M&M’s into his mouth. “Hope he gets here soon.”

  “Shhhh!” Hiro said. “Do you hear that?”

  Cooper held his breath. Somebody was yelling. No. Two people were arguing. He leaned forward, trying to get a fix on where the sounds were coming from.

  Hiro pointed. “There.”

  He could barely see a boat sitting far out on the lake. The green and red running lights were glowing at the bow, and a white running light was set higher, clearly mounted on the tower of a wakeboard boat.

  “Krypto Night?” Gordy whispered.

  No doubt about it. It was amazing how sound traveled across the water. The lake seemed to magnify it somehow. The tone of the argument was obvious — and escalating. Cooper tried to make out what they were saying, but he only caught a word here and there. Jerk. Idiot. That was easy enough to pick up.

  Gordy tried to hold back a laugh — but it turned into a snort. “I guess they found the sushi.”

  Hiro glared at him. “And it ruined a perfect date. Nice.”

  “Stop it,” the girl’s voice said. “Stop. I said no!”

  Gordy grinned. “Bet he’s dangling a dead fish in front of her.”

  Hiro put her finger to her lips. “I’m trying to listen.”

  The tower light outlined the boat — but whatever was going on inside was hidden in shadows.

  “Take me home.” It was the girl again. Her voice sounded shrill. Clear. And something else. Scared? “Take me back. Now.”

  Superman had some choice words to say to her, but nothing Cooper could repeat. He strained to see better in the darkness. Suddenly there was a flash of light.

  “What was that?” Gordy said.

  Again, a brilliant burst of light appeared — and then it was gone.

  “The camera’s flash,” Cooper said. Superman was yelling now. Actually, it was more of a roar. Why would someone take pictures in the middle of a really nasty argument?

  The girl screamed, and the camera flashed again.

  “What’s going on out there?” Hiro whispered, as if talking to herself.

  Whatever was happening, it wasn’t good. Cooper bolted for the cockpit.

  Hiro stood. “Coop?”

  Cooper grabbed the wheel and laid on the air horns: a long, hard blast and then two short ones. It sounded more like a train had just pulled into the bay.

  Gordy was sitting right in front of the twin horns — cringing with his hands clamped over his ears. “Are you insane?”

  Hiro stepped up beside Cooper with a questioning look. “What was that all about?”

  Cooper strained again to see the drifting boat. He wasn’t sure how much he wanted to say. The argument sounded — dangerous. Like the girl needed help. “I was sending Superman a message.”

  Hiro tilted her head just a bit. “A message?”

  “I wanted to warn him that he isn’t alone out there. Somebody is watching.”

  “I like how you think,” she said. “But I doubt he appreciated that.” She got up on tiptoe to look through the windshield.

  Cooper debated sounding the horns again, just to be sure. He listened for a moment . . . but heard nothing.

  “I think your little warning worked,” Hiro whispered.

  Cooper slid out from behind the wheel and made his way back to his spot on the bow. He squatted, gripping the rail in front of him with both hands.

  Krypto Night’s engine roared to
life, and the docking lights flicked on like high beams on a car. The boat turned in a fast circle — maybe the distance of a ski rope. The driving looked erratic at best. Seconds later, the boat banked in a tight turn, circling back. What was the guy doing?

  “I don’t like this,” Hiro said, crouching beside Cooper. “I have a really bad feeling about this.”

  In the moonlight, Gordy’s face looked deathly pale. “It was just a few dead fish. Why would they get so worked up over that?”

  Should Cooper hit the horn again? “This isn’t about the fish, Gordy.”

  Another flash — but this time it came from the water directly in front of the boat. Unless the camera’s self-timer was turned on, somebody had to be in the water with it.

  The girl screamed. Cooper’s stomach flipped.

  “I’m calling 9 – 1 – 1.” Hiro was on her feet and punching in the numbers on her phone. She pressed the phone against her ear and hurried back to the cockpit.

  The boat crisscrossed the area a couple times at high speed and then slowed to almost a crawl as it approached the spot where they’d seen that last flash. The boat stayed in place, idling.

  Hiro hurried back as she pocketed the phone.

  “What’s he doing?” Gordy said.

  Hiro clamped her hand over his mouth. “Shhhh.”

  Gordy raised his hands in mock surrender.

  Krypto Night was moving again. Circling slowly, so slowly, as though it were looking for something. Or someone.

  Cooper stood. “Are the police coming?”

  Hiro nodded. “The way that guy was driving . . .”

  She stood so close to him that Cooper felt a tremor zip through Hiro’s body.

  “That was unreal,” Cooper said. “He could have hit her.”

  “I don’t see — ” — Hiro’s body shook again — “ — how he could have missed.”