The Swarm

by Frank Schätzing

  'Hey, Leon!' said Shoemaker. 'Will you come with me? You'll be able to tell me what to look out for.'

  'Tom, you're not going,' snapped Davie.

  'None of you idiots should go out there,' said a deep voice. 'Not ever again. I'll go.'

  Anawak swivelled round. Greywolf had walked into the station. He pushed his way through the milling crowd, brushing the hair out of his eyes. The room fell silent and everyone stared at the long-haired giant dressed in suede.

  'What are you talking about?' said Anawak. 'Go where?'

  'I'm going back to your boat, to rescue your people. I'm not afraid of the whales. They won't hurt me.'

  'That's very noble of you, Jack, it really is. But from now on maybe you should keep out of it.'

  'Leon,' Greywolf snarled, 'if I'd kept out of it earlier, you'd be dead by now. You should keep out. In fact, you should've kept out in the first place.'

  'Out of what?' said Shoemaker, with a dangerous edge.

  'Nature, Shoemaker. You're the ones to blame for the whole damn disaster – you and your boats and your cameras. You're responsible for the deaths of my people and your own people and the people whose money you pocketed. It was always going to happen. It was only a matter of time.'

  'Asshole!' Shoemaker screamed at him.

  Delaware got to her feet. 'He's not an asshole,' she said firmly. 'He saved us. And he's right. If it hadn't been for him, we'd be dead.'

  Anawak was well aware that they were indebted to Greywolf – he more than anyone else – but he couldn't forget all the trouble that the man had caused them in the past. He said nothing. For a few seconds there was an uncomfortable silence.

  'Jack,' said Anawak, 'if you go out there, someone's going to have to fish you out of the water. The only place you should take your boat is a museum. It won't survive another trip.'

  'You're going to let them die out there, then?'

  'I don't want anyone to die – not even you.'

  'Oh, so it's me you're worried about, is it? But I wasn't planning on using my boat. It took a few knocks out there. I'll take yours.'

  'The Devilfish?"

  'Sure.'

  'I can't just hand it over to anyone,' he said, 'least of all you.'

  'Then you'll have to come with me.'

  'Jack, I-'

  'You can tell that loser Shoemaker he can come too. We'll he in need of some bait, now the orcas are eating their enemies.'

  'You've lost it, Jack.'

  Greywolf bent down to him. 'Leon,' he hissed. 'My friends died out there too. Do you think I don't care?'

  'Well, if you hadn't brought them along…'

  'Arguing won't get us anywhere. We're talking about your people, and I'm not the one who needs to go out there. You owe me a bit of gratitude, Leon.'

  Anawak swore. He glanced at the others. Shoemaker was on the telephone. Davie was speaking into his walkie-talkie and beckoned to him. 'What do you think of Tom's idea?' he said, in a low voice. 'Would we be able to help or would it be suicide?'

  Anawak chewed his lip. 'What did the pilots say?'

  'The Lady has capsized. She's on her side, taking in water.'

  'Oh, God.'

  'The Victoria Coast Guard says it can scramble a helicopter in a rescue operation, but I doubt they'll make it in time. They're busy enough already, and the calls keep coming in.'

  The idea of re-entering the hell that they'd just left was a terrifying prospect, but Anawak knew he would never forgive himself if he didn't do everything in his power to help the Lady Wexham. 'Greywolf wants to come too,' he said quietly.

  'In the same boat as Tom? You've got to be joking. I thought we were trying to solve a problem, not create one.'

  'Greywolf could be useful. God knows what's going on in his head, but we could do with having him around – he's strong and completely fearless.'

  Davie nodded gloomily. 'Keep the two of them apart, OK? And if it looks hopeless, come straight back here. I don't want anyone playing the hero.'

  Anawak headed over to Shoemaker, waited for him to put down the phone, then told him of Davie's decision.

  'You want to take that phony Indian with us?' Shoemaker said indignantly. 'Are you crazy?'

  'I think it's more a case of him taking us.'

  'In our boat.'

  'Look, you and Davie are in charge around here, but I've seen what we're up against and I'm telling you now: we'll be glad to have him with us.'

  The Devilfish was the same size as the Blue Shark and had the same horsepower, so it was small and easy to turn. Anawak prayed it would give them enough of an advantage. The creatures still had the element of surprise on their side. No one could tell when or where they might attack next.

  As the Zodiac sped across the lagoon, Anawak wrestled with the question of why. He had thought he knew about whales, but now he was at a loss. He couldn't begin to work out what was happening. The attack on the Barrier Queen was his only obvious lead. It must be some kind of infection, he thought. A strain of rabies, perhaps.

  But what kind of disease would affect different species? The attacks had been carried out by humpbacks, orcas and grey whales. The more he thought about it, the more certain he was that a grey had overturned his Zodiac.

  Could the high levels of PCBs in the sea and the toxins in their food have played havoc with their instincts? But orcas ingested toxins through contaminated salmon and other creatures. Grey whales and humpbacks ate plankton. Their metabolism was different from that of toothed whales.

  Disease didn't explain it.

  He stared at the glistening water. He'd made this trip hundreds of times before, and each time he'd been full of anticipation at the thought of seeing a whale. He'd always known about the dangers: fog might come down; the wind might change and send treacherous waves pounding into the cliffs – in 1998 a skipper and a tourist had died like that in Clayoquot Sound. And then there were the whales: placid, friendly, but unpredictable animals of enormous size and power. They were a mighty force of nature, as any experienced whale-watcher could testify. Yet if you sought out storms, monstrous breakers and wild animals, they no longer seemed so terrifying. Fear gave way to respect – and Anawak had immense respect for nature.

  But now, for the first time, he was afraid.

  Seaplanes cut through the sky above the Devilfish as she sped across the waves. Anawak was at the wheel with Shoemaker, who had insisted on steering, and Greywolf was at the bow, scanning the water for trouble.

  The tree-covered shores of tiny islets flashed past on their left. On the rocks, sea-lions sunned themselves, as if nothing could disturb their tranquillity. The Zodiac roared past them. The open sea lay ahead – a uniform expanse of endless water, at once familiar and forbidding.

  Beyond the sheltered waters of the lagoon, the swell was higher. The Zodiac bounced noisily over the waves. During the past half-hour the sea had grown rougher and dark clouds gathered on the horizon. There was still no sign of a storm, but conditions were deteriorating rapidly – as was often the case in these waters. A rain front was probably heading their way. Anawak strained his eyes to glimpse the Lady Wexham. What if she had sunk? In the distance he saw another vessel, one of many cruise ships passing the Canadian coast at this time of year, heading north to Alaska.

  'What brings them here?' shouted Shoemaker.

  'I expect they heard the mayday.' Anawak peered through the binoculars. 'MS Arctic. She's from Seattle. I've seen her before – she's sailed this way regularly over the past few years.'

  'Leon!'

  A small, pointed outline had appeared in the distance, barely visible above the swell. Only the Lady Wexham superstructure was still above water. People had gathered on the bridge and on the viewing platform in the bow. Orcas circled menacingly, biding their time until the vessel slid into the water.

  'Oh, God,' said Shoemaker. 'It doesn't seem possible…'

  Greywolf turned to them, making signs for them to slow down. Shoemaker backed off the throttle. A g
rey, grooved hump surfaced in front of them, followed by two others. The whales lingered on the surface for a few seconds, expelled their bushy, V-shaped blow, then dived without showing their flukes.

  Anawak could sense their approach underwater. He could practically feel the impending attack.

  'Go, go, go!' yelled Greywolf.

  Shoemaker slammed down the throttle. The Devilfish pitched forward and shot away. Behind them, the huge dark bodies of the whales surged out of the water and fell backwards. Travelling full-speed ahead the Zodiac shot towards the sinking Lady Wexham. At last they could make out individuals, waving at them from the platform and the bridge. Shouts carried over the water. To Anawak's relief the skipper was among the survivors. One by one the gleaming black blades disappeared underwater.

  'We'll be next,' said Anawak.

  'You mean they're coming for us?' Shoemaker was panic-stricken. For the first time he seemed to take in what was going on. 'What will they do? Capsize us?'

  'They might. The grey whales and humpbacks seem to be in charge of demolition, while the orcas take care of the rest.'

  Shoemaker's face drained of colour.

  Greywolf pointed to the cruise ship. 'They're sending reinforcements,' he shouted.

  Two small motorboats left the side of MS Arctic and moved leisurely towards them.

  'Tell them to hurry or get out of here, Leon,' Greywolf yelled. 'At that speed they'll be easy pickings.'

  Anawak grabbed the radio. 'MS Arctic. This is Devilfish. You're in danger of attack.'

  For a few seconds there was silence. The Devilfish was almost level with the Lady.

  'This is MS Arctic. What kind of attack, Devilfish?'

  'The whales will try to sink your boats.'

  'Whales? Is this a joke, Devilfish?'

  'For your own safety I advise you to turn back.'

  'We received a mayday from a sinking vessel.'

  Anawak lurched forward as the Zodiac careered over a wave. He steadied himself and shouted into the radio, 'We don't have time to talk, but you can take my word for it – you need to move faster.'

  'Are you kidding? We intend to assist that vessel. Out.'

  Greywolf was signalling frantically from the bow. 'They've got to get away from here!' he veiled.

  The orcas had changed course. They were no longer bearing down on the Devilfish but swimming out towards the open sea, in the direction of MS Arctic.

  'Shit,' cursed Anawak.

  A humpback soared out of the water directly in front of the motor-boats, a corona of droplets shimmering round it. For a moment it was suspended in the air, then it dropped to one side. Anawak gasped. The motorboats continued unharmed through the cloud of falling droplets.

  'MS Arctic! Pull back your boats! Clear the water! We'll take care of this.'

  Shoemaker cut the engine. The Lady Wexham's bridge jutted through the surface at an angle and the Devilfish halted in front of it, where a dozen men and women were huddled. 'The swell crashed against the bridge, spilling over the side. Anawak saw more people on the viewing platform in the stern. As the waves battered the boat, they hung on to the railings, like monkeys in a cage.

  The Devilfish chugged forward between the bridge and the platform. Beneath the Zodiac, the Lady?, main deck shimmered green and white. Shoemaker manoeuvred the boat towards the bridge. A powerful wave seized the Devilfish and raised it into the air. The boat rose like an elevator till they were level with the bridge. For a moment Anawak was in touching distance of the outstretched hands. He looked into the frightened faces, seeing hope mixed with horror in their eyes. Then the Devilfish plummeted.

  'This isn't going to be easy,' said Shoemaker, through gritted teeth.

  Anawak glanced round nervously. The whales had lost interest in the Lady Wexham. They had regrouped further out and were targeting the two motorboats, which were trying feebly to evade them.

  Anawak knew they had little time. The whales could return at any moment and, in any case, the Lady was sinking fast. Greywolf crouched. A steep wave took the Devilfish and lifted her. The peeling paint of the bridge flashed past. Greywolf launched himself into the air and grabbed hold of a ladder on the side of the boat. The water rose to his armpits, then the wave fell away and he was left in mid-air, holding on by one hand, a living link between the people above him and the Zodiac below. He lifted his other hand towards the bridge.

  'Climb on to my shoulders,' he shouted, 'one at a time. Cling to me and wait till the boat comes, then jump.'

  The group hesitated. Greywolf yelled his instructions again. A woman grabbed his arm. In no time she was on his back, hugging his shoulders. The Zodiac rose. Anawak grabbed her and pulled her in.

  'Next!'

  At last the rescue operation had gained momentum. One after another the passengers dropped into the boat. Anawak wondered how much longer Greywolf could hold on. He was bearing his own weight, plus that of each passenger and dangling from only one hand while waves surged over him. The bridge groaned piteously as the metal warped and cracked. Now the skipper was the only one left. A sudden screech filled the air – the bridge had taken a hit. Greywolf's body smashed against the side of the ship and the skipper lost his balance and skidded off the deck. A grey whale raised its head above the waves. Greywolf let go of the ladder and dropped into the water. Coughing, the skipper surfaced a few metres ahead of him and reached the Zodiac in a couple of powerful strokes. Hands stretched down and pulled him in. Greywolf made a grab for the side, but was knocked back by a wave.

  Behind him, a few metres away, a blade rose through the water.

  'Jack!' Anawak rushed to the stern. Greywolf surfaced and swam rapidly towards the boat. The dark blade pivoted, and followed. Greywolf reached up and clutched the side. The orca was ready to lunge. Anawak snatched Greywolf and, helped by others, heaved him into the boat. The orca looped round and swam off. Swearing, Greywolf broke free of the solicitous hands and slicked back his long, dark hair.

  Why didn't the orca attack? wondered Anawak.

  I'm not afraid of the whales. They won't hurt me.

  But that was all talk…

  Then it dawned on him. The orca couldn't have attacked. The flooded deck beneath the Zodiac meant the water wasn't deep enough for it to launch itself Unless, of course, it had learned from its South American cousins how to hunt in the shallows or on dry land.

  The Zodiac's period of grace would last until the bigger vessel sank. It was crucial that they used it.

  Anawak heard screaming.

  A grey whale had smashed into one of MS Arctic's boats. Debris flew into the air. An engine howled as the other boat spun round to make its escape. Anawak stared at the spot where the whale had pulled the boat under, and saw a line of grey humps heading their way.

  Now it's our turn, he thought.

  Shoemaker seemed incapable of movement. His eyes bulged.

  'Tom!' yelled Anawak. 'We've got to fetch the others from the viewing platform.'

  'Shoemaker!' Greywolf snarled. 'Can't you handle it?'

  Trembling, Shoemaker seized the wheel and steered the Zodiac towards the platform. A wave surged beneath them and the bow struck the railings where the passengers were stranded. He was breathing heavily, trying to jockey the boat closer so that people could jump in.

  The grey whales bore down on them, set on a collision course with the Lady Wexham. The wreck shook with the force of the impact. A woman was thrown off and landed screaming in the water.

  'Shoemaker, you moron!' shouted Greywolf.

  Some of the passengers on the Zodiac rushed to pull the woman on board. Anawak looked at the Lady. How long could she withstand a fresh wave of attacks? We're not going to make it, he thought in despair.

  Then something incredible happened.

  Two mighty bodies rose up on each side of the boat. One was instantly familiar to Anawak: its backbone was covered with a pale criss-cross of scars so they'd nicknamed it Scarback. The elderly grey had already outlived most others
of its kind. Both animals lay still in the water, rising and falling on the swell. Then one of the whales discharged its blow, followed by the other. Clouds of tiny droplets wafted over the water.

  The real surprise wasn't so much the appearance of the two greys, but the effect they had on the others, who promptly vanished underwater. When they resurfaced, they'd travelled a considerable distance from the boat. Orcas continued to circle the wreck, but they, too, had backed off.

  Somehow Anawak knew they had nothing to fear from the new arrivals. In fact, the two greys had scared off their attackers. There was no telling how long the peace would last, but the unexpected turn of events gave them some breathing space. Even Shoemaker had stopped panicking. He guided the Zodiac confidently under the railings. An enormous wave surged towards them and they shot upwards.

  Jump!' Anawak shouted. 'Now!'

  The Devilfish rose on the swell and sank back down. The people on the railings leaped after it, crashing one on top of another, amid screams of pain. Some landed in the water, but were soon fished out. Eventually everyone was aboard.

  It was time to make their getaway.

  But not everyone had jumped. Crouched behind the railings a boy was crying, face buried in his hands.

  'Jump!' shouted Anawak. He held out his arms. 'There's no need to be afraid.'

  Greywolf joined him. 'When the next wave comes, I'll fetch him.'

  Anawak glanced over his shoulder. An enormous wall of water was heading straight for them. 'That might be sooner than you think,' he said.

  The two grey whales sank below the surface. The sea around the Lady gurgled and foamed, then the bridge disappeared in a whirlpool of water. Her stern rose into the air and the Lady Wexham slid bow first into the depths.

  'Get closer!' shouted Greywolf.

  Somehow Shoemaker obliged. The Devilfish's bow struck the Lady's deck as she sank, with the boy still clutching the railings. Greywolf shoved his way to the stern, but a wave hit the Zodiac and a veil of frothy water billowed over the rails. As Greywolf leaned out to grab the boy, the Devilfish tipped, he lost his balance and crashed to the deck, but he didn't let go. His arms supported the boy like two firm tree-trunks. His bear-like hands were locked around his waist. Then the Lady Wexham vanished into the depths.