by Michael Cole
“Yeah I’m here.”
“Jonas, can you describe what you saw?”
“Yeah, I was actually on the rig when it happened. I was on the other side of the platform, heading that way when I just saw this big ball of flame just inflate like a balloon in front of me.”
“Oh my goodness, do you have any idea what caused it?”
“I don’t know for sure, but I’ll say this; it looked like a controlled explosion to me. I know for a fact that there was nothing on that part of the rig that could set off a spontaneous explosion like that.”
The exchange continued, and the camera remained fixed on the disaster, which was unfolding live. Lisa continued watching the broadcast, almost resenting the fact that she retired. While she no longer considered herself an adrenaline junkie, she still had that overwhelming desire to help people in dire situations. And if this was truly terrorism, she would love to hunt down anyone responsible, as the Coast Guard would be involved in doing in this scenario.
“Can you believe it?” she said to Rick. There was no response.
Looking to her right, she realized her husband wasn’t standing next to her anymore. Turning around toward the kitchen, she saw him seated at the table at his laptop again. He was typing away awfully quick.
Seriously? Is this boring you? She walked over to him.
“What are you doing?” she asked. He didn’t answer. She peeked at the screen, reading what he had typed in the search bar. Incidents at Pariso Marino. Results came up immediately, with the most recent one having been uploaded from that morning. The title: Tragedy Strikes as Rogue Wave sinks fishing Trawlers.
The article opened with a large photo from shore, capturing the image of the tide washing in large pieces of wreckage. Another photo showed police on scene, while trucks arrived to help clean up the wreckage. Lisa stood over Rick’s shoulder as they read the narrative, which described the boats and the occupants believed to have been boarded at the time of the disaster.
Napier studied other images and articles about the incident. Local reports included interviews with residents who lived along the shore near where the incident occurred. One individual stated that he heard the crash, and when he came outside, he saw water surging up onto the beach. Another individual, who claimed he was at a nearby harbor, stated that he saw no such tidal wave where he was at.
“A rogue wave would have swept the entire side of the island,” Rick said to himself. “Why just this spot?”
Lisa started to get worried about him, finding it odd that he was more interested in this seemingly random event than the one occurring on screen. More specifically, she found it bizarre the newscast seemed to trigger the thought of looking up this information.
It wasn’t just now that Rick had been acting mildly strange. She knew somebody had spoken with him, asking about the hybrid attack from years back, however he was vague about the conversation. He had briefly mentioned it to her, and he seemed to blow it off as nothing serious. But his demeanor was off. She could feel him tossing and turning in the bed, unable to sleep. And here he was now, looking incredibly uneasy.
Finally, she put a hand on his shoulder.
“Does this have anything to do with that phone call yesterday?” she asked. He paused a moment and looked up at her. There was a brief silent moment of eye contact, during which Rick remembered the number one rule: no secrets. That rule trumped everything else. He had been vague about the phone call, hoping to spare Lisa from the possibilities they’d feared about for years. Despite his best intentions, he couldn’t keep the truth from her.
“You remember how we suspected the government lost another hybrid?” he said. Lisa removed her hand. She looked concerned, but in a different way from when she was watching the news.
“Yes?” she said, in a way that was both an answer and a question.
“That person who called me, she said they’ve captured this…” Rick clicked on a different window, revealing the crustacean shark. Taking control of the mouse, Lisa looked at the various images and read some of the information of how the creature had been captured.
“Oh my God,” she said.
“The biologist who works at that resort...I thought she was pulling my leg at first…but she’s worried. There have been more disappearances around there, and most recently…” he clicked back to the most recent sinking, “…this one, which happened overnight.”
“But, you said they captured the shark,” Lisa said. She was still getting over the sight of the creature. In her mind, she tried to justify its existence by figuring it was a miracle of nature, or possibly just an undiscovered species. Those thoughts were just dreams, as her conscience knew the truth.
“It’s been three years,” Rick interrupted her. “Either two of these things escaped, only to suddenly come back, both at once, here at this island. Or…there’s the other explanation.” He stopped speaking, not wanting to voice his suspicion. She stopped and remembered. It was a particular moment on the boat, The Catcher, when Dr. Wallack had delightfully described the characteristics in his creations. One particular characteristic had been designed to help cut down the steep costs of generating the hybrids.
“Oh, God,” she stepped back and watched the television, while the footage of the burning refinery continued. “So, what about this?” She looked back to Rick, while pointing at the screen. “You saw this, and instantly you knew something was up at that island. I know it’s the first time you’ve read about that sinking. You had a suspicion, and you proved it right. So, something’s on your mind. Are you thinking there’s a relation between these two occurrences?” As she spoke, it seemed she didn’t believe it. Or, at least she didn’t want to. Rick leaned up against the kitchen wall, gathering his thoughts.
“They’re not going to want the public to have knowledge of the thing’s existence,” he said.
“Yeah, but people have already seen this thing, and the pictures are already on the internet,” Lisa said. “What could they do to cover it up at this point?” Rick tilted his head toward the disaster on the television. She looked at it and back at him, eyes open wide. “Oh, come on now…you don’t seriously believe the government did that…”
“Lisa, look at what’s going on,” Rick said. “A bomb explosion, right when this ‘amazing discovery’ happened. That’s an awfully big coincidence. The only way for them to contain knowledge of this thing is to create bigger, more sensational news. I mean, look at this,” he pointed to the television. “They’ve got the attention of the entire country fixated on this. Plus, they’re using the magic word, terrorism. Right now, nobody’s gonna care about the government taking away some shark from a facility. I’m telling you, something’s in play right now.”
“All for a shark?” Lisa said.
“It’s not just a shark,” Rick said. “It’s a killing machine, connected to a project that got God-knows-how-many-people killed. And now, these people who caught it are in danger, and I doubt they realize what’s coming.” Lisa looked at him, now feeling slightly suspicious. She could sense when Rick was up to something, only this time it worried her.
“Honey,” she calmed her voice, “there’s nothing you can do about it, alright?” He looked at her. He didn’t have to say anything; she knew he was thinking of going over there. Here he was, Rick-do-the-right-thing-Napier. It was a quality that made her fall in love with him. This time, however, she gained a hatred for it. She shook her head, feeling the tears welling behind her eyes. “Oh no,” she said. “We made a deal. You’re not going over there. You remember what happened before…”
“I know, Lisa. But I can’t stand aside and let this happen…” Lisa turned and marched upstairs. Rick stayed behind, dropping his hand which he had reached out, intending to be comforting. He heard the bedroom door slam shut.
Lisa leaned back against the bedroom door, with her eyes squeezed shut. It was like a demon from their past had returned to haunt them. All she wanted was to be past it all; to simply enjoy her marriag
e, retirement, and pursue new hobbies. To live a typical life, was that too much to ask?
She moved to the bed and laid on her side, while the flood of memories zipped through her mind like a montage.
There was the beginning, when she first came to Mako’s Ridges to investigate the mysterious sinking of a fishing vessel near Mako’s Edge. Mako’s Edge was an island in the chain, notorious for the countless rocky structures that filled the surrounding water. It was like a miniature mountain range, with the tips of each mountain breaking the surface, and becoming a potential hazard for any boat that came near. It was easy to assume that was what happened to the fishing boat. What seemed like a simple assignment turned into a nightmare. She and her subordinates stayed out past dark, trying to find the wreckage. Only, they found something else.
All she saw was a fury of tentacles and a cloud of blood that belonged to her fellow diver. Reporting to her superiors, everyone suspected she was crazy. How could they not? Who would believe that a giant creature, a squid with pincers like a crab, would exist? Though she knew what she saw, she couldn’t convince everybody.
Another day passed, and she was on leave, a suspension of sorts with a likely court marshal in her future. That’s when she reconnected with Rick Napier, her high school sweetheart. Up until then, his name was one she despised after leaving her for another girl, who became his wife. Ironically, with everything that was happening, he was the one ray of light.
Then the beast appeared, in a horrific turn of events that would leave many lives shattered. She witnessed many boats ravaged, and many more lives lost as the hybrid attacked anything in sight. Rifles proved useless against its thick shell, as the police force found out, at the cost of several of their own lives.
Things only got worse that night. Lisa and Rick, along with his daughter and two others, found themselves taken hostage by a small group of mercenaries personally hired by Dr. Wallack. Forced to help them capture the hybrid, Rick successfully managed to help her escape and make contact with the Coast Guard Cutter, Ryback. Lisa had boarded the rescue chopper, making it back as the hybrid was ravaging Rick’s boat. By the skin of her teeth, she rescued her future husband, and the Ryback made minced meat of the hybrid with the use of the 70mm gun.
It seemed the nightmare had ended, but it seemed another chapter had just begun. Military officials arrived at the island, led by an Army Colonel, whose name they’d never forgotten; Salkil. At first, it seemed to be a relief effort. Men in black suits arrived at the house, often accompanied by Salkil, wishing to speak with everyone in the family, including Rick’s daughter. The police department had its files ransacked, and any physical evidence of the hybrid’s existence was soon swept away. Boats had dredged the area where it had been killed, retrieving all fragments of its body. The newly discovered cave, which had secretly been the location of the first Warren Project laboratory, was demolished to prevent any further discovery to the fact that the creature was building a nest in there. News media quickly released the ‘facts’ that reports of a hybrid creature were a result of mass hysteria, and that the creature that came ashore was simply an enormous colossal squid. The video released online was ‘determined’ to be computer fabricated.
Rick couldn’t stand for it. He never considered himself much of a rebel, but he couldn’t live with standing by and watching this tragedy be swept under the rug to protect a few political careers. He knew the truth needed to be heard. Despite threats from the mysterious men in black, Rick went to news outlets, intending to tell the country the truth. Initially, he had no problem getting his voice out. However, soon the news was distorting his words. He found himself misquoted, and the video interviews were clearly edited in a way that made him look like a conspiracy theorist.
During this time, he found himself being followed. Walking down the street, he’d notice people watching him. What scared him the most was that they were not coy about it; they clearly wanted him to know he was being watched. Eventually, another man in black visited, offering them a massive sum of two million dollars. For Rick, it would require him to ‘admit’ to the news market that he fabricated the story, and to deny the existence of a hybrid. Rick refused.
He turned to private news organizations, such as radio talk shows. They ran with the story, and it began to pick up steam. This lasted for months, during which Rick was awarded a doctorate degree after writing a dissertation.
It was midnight, when suddenly Rick and Lisa woke up to a loud knocking at the front door. They were engaged and living together at this point. They barely made it down the stairs when they were ambushed by men in black, holding pistols with silencers to their heads. Though they didn’t specifically identify themselves, it was clear they were from the government. On his knees on his living room floor, they tossed down photographs of his daughter, who had left for college in Miami. She was unaware she was being tracked, but the threat was obvious. The leader informed Napier that the deal still stood: take the money and withdraw. Rick knew the plan. The government was well aware it would look suspicious if the man exposing them suddenly turned up dead. They would rather bribe him to retract his story. However, Rick realized the ugly truth. If he declined, they would rather risk the controversy than allow him to continue exposing them.
The threat to his daughter broke him. Rick Napier took the deal. Within days, the name of Rick Napier had become the subject of ridicule. He found himself heckled on news outlets and the internet and fired from his newly obtained job at the University of Florida. Even worse, residents from Mako’s Center, especially those who suffered from the attack, despised him. Looking at his newfound wealth, they looked at him as the one man who benefited from the incident. Even Chief Bondy seemed to harbor resentment toward him.
Still wanting to do something positive, he began the initial stages of starting a benefit with the money. He didn’t get far before he gained another warning from an official, stating by starting a benefit for the victims, he was drawing attention to the matter. The only way to honor the deal was to keep the money for himself and his family. What could he do but honor the deal? Rick Napier had conceded defeat. The best way for him to do that was to pretend, in his mind, that nothing ever happened.
Laying on the bed, Lisa gazed at the ceiling, cursing the world for the injustices she felt were forced upon her new family. To her, the money meant nothing. All it brought was misery and disdain from everyone she and Rick knew.
The door opened. Though her eyes remained fixated on the charcoal colored ceiling, through her peripheral vision she could see Rick walk up along the side of the bed. He sat down on the edge, looking down at her.
“Was that our first argument?” he asked. Even with the mental anguish Lisa was feeling, she couldn’t contain a small smile.
“You forget when you spilled coffee on my blues,” she said. She sat up and looked at him while his face creased with a mischievous grin.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he lied.
“Oh, please, you were like a clumsy two-year-old,” she said. “Then you went and lied about it.”
“I never was a good liar,” Rick said. “And that’s why I have to tell you the truth right now.” Lisa sighed and stood up. She didn’t need to say anything, as Rick already knew how she felt. “Listen, you don’t need to go. But I have to go over there.”
“And do what?” she said.
“I need to see the thing,” Rick said. “And, I need to find out if there’s another one out there. If there is, I need to destroy it before it kills anyone else, and it needs to be done before any ‘officials’ show up.” He held up air quotes. “All I ask, is you get me over there. That chopper of yours can make the trip, can’t it?”
Lisa turned around to face him, with her hands placed firmly on her hips. The terrified, upset woman who ran upstairs was gone, and the tough stern Coast Guard Lieutenant was suddenly standing in her place.
“You think I’m letting you go there by yourself, while I stand on the side
lines and just hope you’ll be okay?” She spoke as much to herself as to her husband. She knew the likely truth and couldn’t hide from it. Rick felt conflicted. On the one hand, having her help and support was beneficial. On the other hand, he dreaded the idea of putting her in harm’s way. He could stomach the thought of hunting and putting himself in danger, but for Lisa it was a totally different story. She knew he thought this. “It doesn’t work that way. If you think there’s another hybrid loose over there, then we need to do something about it. Together. And don’t preach to me the risks; I know them. We’ve been through it.” Rick gazed into her eyes, grateful to have such a strong and loving woman in his life.
“How long do you think the trip will be?”
“Probably a couple hours’ flight,” she said. “Bring a book.” Rick opened a closet, dragging out a suitcase from the side. He tossed it onto the bed and opened it up.
CHAPTER
28
“For Christ sake, John, I’ve got two fishing boats down, with three local fishermen still unaccounted for, a missing jet skier, and we’re still picking up scraps from these trawlers, and no sign of the people that were on them. On top of that, we’ve got a guy who claims he’s seen the damn thing, and still, you’re not letting me restrict access to the water.” Nelson’s voice seemed to bounce off the walls of the Mayor’s closed office, drawing attention from those outside the door. Footsteps thumped the floor in the hall, as people gathered to make sure the argument did not get out of hand.
Mayor John Calvin remained seated while the Chief stood in front of his desk. His tie was loosened around his collar, and the top two buttons of his shirt were left undone, almost symbolic of the rough week the island had gone through.
“I get it, Joe,” he said. “But our community cannot afford another grounding. We’ve taken an economic impact over this past year. We’re getting a record number of residents going on welfare. Restricting everyone from the water will just make the matter worse.”
