by Michael Cole
“Wait… you mean the story of the hybrid monster that attacked the shore?” he said. Suddenly, it seemed like he wasn’t taking her seriously anymore. “Julie, that was made up. The guy admitted it!”
“Joe, hear me out,” Forster said. “It was said that the thing was like a perfect hybrid. It was like a squid with crab elements to it. It was designed for Naval warfare, but it got loose, and because of the results, the government swept in and created a huge cover-up.”
“So, what?” Nelson said. “You think that your shark is a government weapon? Designed to kill anything it encounters…” somehow, hearing his own words made it seem more plausible. He thought of how it ravaged the police boat, and strategically attacked them, as it had done the Great White a day prior. Still, the idea of a genetic hybrid organism seemed too much to be true. “But that one guy, whatever his name was, admitted it was fake.”
“Did he, or did someone get to him?” Forster said. Unfortunately, Nelson understood government tactics well enough to know that a simple fisherman was likely an easy target for manipulation. Whether they paid him off or threatened him, it didn’t sound too fictitious.
“I mean, I guess that’s possible. But come on, a government hybrid monster?”
“Were you working here when the K. McCartney disappeared?” Forster asked.
“Well yeah, but we just heard it went down in that storm…wait…you’re not telling me that you think…”
“What about Navy Choppers? Did anyone report seeing them around that time?” Usually, Nelson would have to think hard to remember. However, he recalled a fisherman making a big fuss about seeing an explosion when he trawled a few miles out. He claimed there was a military ship in that area, and that the Navy was heavily active. The fisherman was a drunk, so he never took the story seriously, and it was out of his jurisdiction, so he couldn’t legally look into it.
“So, let’s just say you’re right,” he said, without answering her question. “What would we do about it? Call the Coast Guard? I might need to do that anyway…”
“First we need to make sure we’re right,” Forster said. “That guy who reported the claim regarding the hybrid. His name is Rick Napier. I need to get in contact with him, but I can’t find any information.” Nelson shrugged his shoulders.
“Can’t really help you there,” he said. “Even if I did, I’m obliged to keep any personal info confidential.”
“Okay, how well do you know law enforcement officials in other island communities?” Forster asked. Nelson looked at her with questioning eyes.
“I know a couple of them, but it’s not like we hang out and play poker on the weekends or…”
“There’s one that Napier mentioned…uh, the name began with a B.” Forster thought for a moment. “It was a short name. Brundy? No, uhh…”
“Bondy?” Nelson asked.
“Yes!” Forster said, nearly jumping in place. “That’s him! You know him?”
“Not well, but we’ve met,” Nelson said. “When I was in Miami, we partnered up for a bunch of training exercises that was mandated for everyone in the area. Because he was an island cop, they put him in with us. Nice guy, we actually went out for a few drinks. Haven’t spoken to him in years though. Are you telling me he was attacked by this squid-crab thing?” Forster bit her lip.
“According to Napier’s interview,” she said. Nelson shook his head, still highly skeptical.
“I don’t know, Julie,” he said. “This is thin, like really thin.”
“If it’s real, he might at least help us get in touch with Rick Napier. We’ll see what he says. That’s all I need. Joe, listen… if this thing is real, and not some natural result of evolution, who knows what’ll happen.”
“CHIEF!” One of the officers interrupted, running towards them. “Dispatch needs you on the radio.” Nelson turned up the volume, after turning it down to speak with Forster.
“This is Nelson, go ahead.”
“Chief, I wanted to let you know directly. We have a report of two water-skiers missing.” Nelson’s eyes went to Forster, who looked equally alarmed.
“Where?”
“On the east side of the island, near a residential area. Nobody knows exactly, but the caller insisted that the jetski was hit by something underneath.”
“I’m on my way,” he said. “Try to get an exact address.” He depressed the transmitter and looked at Julie. Her concern was increasing by the moment, and he knew that she believed even further in her suspicions. He clicked the transmitter again. “Dispatch stand by for a TX.” A “TX” was code for incoming phone call. He walked back to his car, dialing the dispatch number on his phone. The dispatcher answered. “Hey, it’s the Chief. Look up the number for the Police Chief in Mako’s Center, will ya?”
Forster walked beside him. Hopefully, Chief Bondy would be willing to get them in contact with Rick Napier and allow them to get to the bottom of the situation.
CHAPTER
25
Dr. Rick Napier stood out in front of his house, looking out into Razortooth Cove where he had now lived for many years. The ocean, clear and crystal blue, seemed to stare back at him. It was deceptively peaceful with its ‘gaze’, though he knew that beneath the flat sea was a contained fury. Much of that fury was usually nature taking its own course. However, the worst of it was the manipulation by man, and three years ago, Napier found out that the ocean world which he loved so much had been tampered with in the worst way. It was a time he wanted to put behind him. However, it always resurfaced in his life, and again with a phone call from a close friend.
“I don’t see how I’ll be any help for these people,” Napier said into the phone. He heard Steve Bondy, exasperated, on the other end of the line. It was a touchy subject for the both of them, and it went way beyond the incident they had to suffer through.
“Rick, please just talk to this lady. She just wants to ask a few questions. You owe it to me,” Bondy said.
“Oh, we’re not doing this again,” Napier said. “You know exactly why I did it.”
“I understand that,” Bondy said. “But look what it did for you in the end.” It was the same remark that Napier had been hearing for over two years now. That remark was something that brought him to consider relocation so many times, and each time the thought became more enticing. Mako’s Center, an island community that once adored him, now seethed each day he resided there. For Napier, it felt unfair, but he accepted it as the way of the world. He didn’t bother asking Bondy again why he never stepped forward; the answer was obvious and was possibly more severe than what Napier had faced. Stress had caused his black hair to turn shades of salt and pepper, and his face was slightly more grizzled, due to the increase of nicks during shaving. The stress he once faced on a daily basis, hardly having an income, bills skyrocketing out of control, boat falling apart, and a kid to put through school; all of these paled compared to what he was feeling now. Now, it was the simple but unrelenting nightmare of guilt and fear, like none he ever experienced. Napier looked at the notepad. He had reluctantly jotted down a phone number, above it was written the name Dr. Julie Forster.
“So…this person just wants to ask me questions?”
“Something like that,” Bondy said. “Just call. That’s the most I can say.”
“You’re such a great help,” Napier joked.
“That’ll probably be my epitaph,” Bondy said. “Have fun. We’ll talk again soon.”
“See ya, Chief,” Napier said and hung up the phone. He looked at the written number again, feeling a bit bitter that Bondy didn’t give him much detail. All he knew was that somebody had questions about his ‘story’. It was clear that Bondy didn’t trust his phone, after what he had suffered through after the incident; government officials investigating his office, interrogating him and his deputies, threatening his job and pension. Bondy then found his phones tapped, and people suspiciously watching him for months. To this day, whenever the topic came up, he was as vague as poss
ible.
Napier dialed the number and waited for someone to answer.
********
Forster snatched the phone up as it started to ring, “Hello, this is Doctor Forster.”
“Yes, this is Dr. Rick Napier. I’m told that you had some questions for me.”
“Thank you for getting in touch with me, Dr. Napier,” Forster said. “I’m here at Pariso Marino, where I work at Felt’s Paradise.”
“Nice place,” Napier instantly remarked. Obviously, being in the world of marine science, he was well aware of the controversy with Felt’s association with Wan Industries.
“Trust me, this place is seeing more problems beyond the dumping of toxic waste,” she said.
“Dr. Forster, why do you want to speak with me?” Napier said. Forster detected a blend of reluctance and annoyance in his voice, despite his attempt to sound polite. It was beyond clear that he had no desire to be talking with her. She figured he already knew she was going to bring up the incident. She understood his reservations about the subject, as he was scrutinized publicly and throughout the internet since.
“Unfortunately, there’s no clear answer to that question,” she said. “Something strange has been going on around our island, and I suspect that you might know why.”
“What strange occurrences?”
She said, “Gosh, how do I answer this? I found something lurking in the water up here, and it makes me suspect that your ‘story’ isn’t so much a story. I would like to know what happened three years ago, Dr. Napier.”
“Just look it up online,” Napier said. All of a sudden, he didn’t sound irritated, rather nervous instead. He spoke as if he suspected somebody was listening. “It didn’t happen, plain and simple. I’m not answering any questions on the subject. I’ve done enough of that.” Forster felt like he would hang up at any moment, which increased her urgency.
“Dr. Napier!” She increased her volume. “People have been disappearing around here, and I think it’s linked to the creature we captured.”
********
Napier stood puzzled. This individual, whom he had never met nor heard of, had his attention. It brought a sick feeling to his stomach, which was nearly strong enough to make him abandon the conversation. However, he needed to clarify what she was indicating.
“What creature?”
“I recommend you look up Felt’s Paradise online, particularly for pictures, if you haven’t already,” Forster said. “You’ll see what I’m talking about.”
“And what would I see?”
“A shark.”
“Yeah? The ocean’s full of them.”
“Really? Have you seen them with exoskeletons strong enough to deflect high powered rifle rounds? Or how ‘bout ones that sprout legs and crawl along the ocean floor?” Napier prayed that it was a cruel joke. Memories flashed before his eyes. A massive bulk, with tentacles tearing at his boat; pincers ravaging the mercenaries; the mandibles snapping with hunger. For three years, Architeuthis Brachyura haunted him, even after its death. However, this was no crab/squid hybrid; it was something else, but the properties added up. There was no doubt that Dr. Wallack had developed other hybrids, and he had already suspected that Architeuthis Brachyura was not the only specimen that escaped. His silence spoke volumes for Forster, who knew she had his attention. “I’ll add this; this shark lives up to the Hollywood stereotype. It’s not like anything I’ve ever seen. It attacks anything it sees. It sank a police boat almost effortlessly, and we think this thing has killed other people too.”
“You captured it?”
“Yes, but I don’t think it’s the only one,” Forster said. “I need to know anything you have to share about the hybrid.” Napier didn’t answer. During the silence, he searched for a way out of the conversation.
“It’s probably best we don’t discuss anything further,” he said. Like Bondy, he had every reason to believe his calls were being monitored, and the last thing he wanted were federal agents arriving at his doorstep. “I’m sorry, there is nothing I’m able to tell you. I have to go now. I wish you the best of luck in…”
“Dr. Napier, I’m not buying that you made up the story!” Forster’s tone grew intense. If it was a hoax, she was playing the act very well. “As I said, I’ve contained the creature, but I don’t know how long we’ll be able to house it. Sedation only has a limited effect, and honestly, I think it’s more than capable of breaking out. More to the point, I think there’s at least one other. I’m not sure what we’re dealing with here, but I need to know any characteristics from the other hybrid, in case there are similarities.”
Napier felt like he was caught in a whirlwind. There was a moral conflict storming within him. He wanted so much not to be involved with the situation. Simultaneously, he instantly felt an obligation to help. However, the fear was like a hurricane traveling across open water. With each mile, it grew larger and more powerful.
“Destroy it,” the words came out almost in a croak. His voice grew shaky, and it even made Forster nervous. Though it wasn’t an admittance, it confirmed what she hoped wasn’t true. The attack was real, and there was a world of monsters that she wouldn’t have dreamed of even in her worst nightmares. Napier hissed a breath, wiping sweat from his brow. “You hear me? Do not let it survive. And another thing…don’t tell anyone. Destroy it, and just shut up about it. Let it sink to the bottom of the ocean.”
“Napier…I need your help,” Forster said. “There are things I need to know. Why don’t you come out here and have a look...”
“NO!” It came out as a shout. “I already told you what you need to know. Alright? Don’t ask me anything else. Okay? Good luck, and take care.”
********
Forster attempted to plead her case once more when Napier ended the phone call abruptly. She stood alongside her car, parked atop one of the tall hills for the best reception. The hill looked out to the bay, which opened out to the vast body of ocean water.
Forster stared out at the endless blue. As Napier was doing at that same moment, though she wouldn’t know it, she thought of how deceivingly peaceful the water seemed, and it made her wonder what coursed beneath the waves.
Sadness swept over her. Not only did her venture to capture the beast result in severe injury and near-death of a police officer, it turned out it was for nothing. She had believed she had discovered something, which was the basis of her dedication to science. But all she truly discovered was the dark side of science, the bastardization of life, by people who were arrogant enough to think they could control it.
CHAPTER
26
“Easy, easy…” Jessica Majewski called from the cockpit atop the superstructure of the fifty-foot fishing trawler Ocean Creed. Wearing a sleeveless vest with a tank top underneath and jeans, with blonde hair bunched into a ball cap, she looked as if she was ready to attend a sporting event rather than fish. Her first mate, a man of thirty named Kenneth Sterling, carefully stood at the stern ramp. Up to his ankles in water, he had the line secured to the second of two dead killer whales.
“Got it, Captain,” he said. After the line was secured, he stepped off the ramp and onto the deck, adjusting the winch so the line was tight.
“Yeah, Kenneth! Listen to your mother,” Carlos Hurd called out. Kenneth looked over to port, where another trawler of equal size was also in the process of putting a line on one of the dead orcas. A large hunky man, like his first mate Cuervo, Hurd enjoyed picking on Kenneth for working under Majewski, who held out a middle finger for the jab at her age.
“You should’ve listened to yours when she told you to try the appetite suppressant,” Kenneth bantered back. Hurd mocked a pained face and then laughed. Kenneth was usually slow when it came to the comeback remarks, which made everyone enjoy picking on him even more. The foursome always worked together, often contracting for boat towing and other maritime services when the Coast Guard or other companies weren’t available. Though Kenneth, the youngest of the group, had a bro
therly love for Cuervo and Hurd, he was pleased to be partnered with Majewski’s boat. Though she was almost forty-five in age, she did not look it. Despite always working around fish and grit, she maintained very good skin hygiene, which resulted in her looking at least ten years younger. Being a physically active person helped the image, and it provided Kenneth something nice to look at during the workday, though he dared not to admit it.
“We’re ready to go,” he said to Majewski. He looked at the floating animals, their lifeless bodies stiff in the water. His eyes were locked on the red fleshy wounds along the belly of one, exposing external organs. The sight of the other orca was worse, as its entire face had been turned into a huge fleshy mess. The only thing to identify the head was the slack jaw, which exposed another oddity. Many of the teeth were chipped or simply broken. Though he was no scientist, being a seaman, he had seen plenty of killer whales, and even had the pleasure of seeing a couple feed. Usually, their teeth were in good condition, whereas these dead ones looked as if they had been trying to bite down on solid granite before they died.
Looking at the graveyard was disturbing in itself. Looking at the numerous floating bodies, and the various wounds each orca suffered, he wondered what happened. It was as if these orcas had engaged in some medieval war. He wondered if they got into fighting amongst themselves, although such behavior was unheard of. Then again, he was no expert.
“We’re ready to go…Mom!” Hurd called out, messing with both Kenneth and Majewski.
“Alright, it’s getting old, asshole,” Majewski said. Hurd laughed again.
“I guess so! Kinda like…”
“Don’t even go there, Tubby,” she said, pointing a finger at him. Though her tone sounded threatening, everyone knew she was bantering back. Very few people could get away with remarks about her age, and the same went for Hurd with his weight. She looked to the stern of his vessel, seeing that they had three orcas hooked up behind them. “Jesus, guys! Take it easy. You’ll rip out the cleats!”
