by Michael Cole
“Nelson to Dispatch,” he said.
“Go ahead, Chief.”
“Any luck on getting assistance?”
“Negative. Nobody’s responding.”
“Christ!” Nelson said through gritted teeth. He pressed the transmitter and disguised his frustration. “Alright, try Air Rescue. Tell them we need a chopper unit. NO BOATS! We’ve run aground at the atoll.”
“The atoll? Chief, we can send someone over.”
“No!” Nelson said. “Anyone who comes by boat will not make it past these things. Just contact Air Rescue and keep me informed. Over and out.” He put his radio away, before allowing himself to tense for a brief moment. He cursed himself for not pressing the Mayor to allow a chopper unit for the department years prior. If only he’d caved, they’d be out of this mess.
Rick climbed down a ladder on the starboard side. Halfway down, Forster passed the sheet down to him. He grabbed it by the bottom and finished the small descent. When his feet hit the shore, he was up to his waist in water. He examined the indentation on the hull where it was breached. The aluminum had split into four pieces like flower petals, each bending inward instead of out. Luckily, it made it easier for him to patch over it, as otherwise he would have to remove the fragments. All of which was time consuming. With the canisters already strapped to him, he put on his goggles to begin his work. Before igniting the torch, he tried positioning the sheet over the breach. As he pressed it to the area, it slipped from his gloved hand and fell into the water.
“Damn it!” he cursed. He secured the torch before reaching down to pick it up. He looked back up, seeing Lisa climbing down. She splashed alongside him. “What are you doing? It’s not safe down here!” he said. She slipped her hands into a pair of utility gloves.
“Forster’s looking out for the sharks,” Lisa said. “You need somebody to hold this in place.” She slipped a pair of goggles on, then took the sheet from him and pressed it against the breach. Rick knew there was no point in arguing. He ignited the torch and applied the flame to the nearest edge. Both their faces tightened from the combination of heat, sparks, and brightness. The aluminum from both the hull and the sheet melted and blended together. Rick slowly worked the flame down the side. At once, he and Lisa shared a quick glance, and with that, a smile.
“I can’t say I thought we’d ever be in this situation again,” she said.
“No, I suppose not,” Rick replied. But they were, and this time of their own free will. But neither of them regretted it.
Forster kept her eyes on the splashing water. The water splashed along the rocks while small swells rolled toward shore with the tide. Her eyes played tricks on her occasionally. Fragments of shell from the exploded hybrid drifted about, occasionally being tossed by the small waves. Each time she saw one lift in the water, her brain sent a shock through her body, believing it to be a dorsal fin. One of the antennae washed up on shore several yards away. Five feet in length, it became embedded in the sand, soon to be buried as the tide washed over it. She wished it was already buried. The sight of it was a reminder of the horror that awaited them. Those remaining two hybrids would soon be done feeding on their sibling and would then return to kill more.
Several minutes passed, and Lisa climbed back up. Enough of the sheet had been fused to the hull, so she didn’t have to hold it any longer. She saw Forster’s solemn expression as she gazed out to the water.
“You gonna be alright, there?” Lisa asked her.
“Yeah,” Forster said. “I’m just thinking.”
“About the hybrids?”
“Yeah. They’re all the same size, which must mean that the original gave birth a while ago. I just hope we can somehow kill these things and determine that the original is among them. If its not, then there’s a strong chance it may have birthed other litters.”
“Let’s worry about getting out of here first,” Lisa said. “Go on, I’ll keep an eye out. Take a break. Otherwise, you’ll stress yourself to death.” Forster made a halfhearted chuckle.
“I feel that’s all I’ve done since I first came here,” she said. She started to climb down from atop the wheelhouse. She paused a moment to look at Lisa. “Hey, uh…thanks.” Lisa smiled back. You’re welcome.
Chief Nelson had climbed down to the shore and walked inland. There wasn’t much to explore. The atoll was basically a small lump of rock and muck. There was a small little foothill to climb, shaped like a tiny mountain. He secured himself on little ridges and lifted himself up. Because it wasn’t steep, it was an easy climb. The foothill only elevated to about sixteen feet, and in moments he was standing on top. He looked to the surrounding water, desperate for the sight of a Coast Guard cutter, or a helicopter. But there was nothing but ocean and rock.
Ready to climb back down, he turned. There stood Forster, who had climbed up behind him.
“Jeez!” he said in surprise. He never even heard her climbing the rock. He caught his breath. “Damn, girl, you’re like a friggin’ shinobi, or whatever those ninjas are called.”
“Good to know, maybe that’ll be my new occupation if we survive this mess,” she said.
“Oh, we will,” he said. Unfortunately, he could fake the smile to help express the forced optimism. He kept looking down at the lump of rock they were washed up on. Forster did the same, and then recognized what the Chief was thinking.
“We can’t stay here,” she voiced the thought.
“No…we can’t,” Nelson said. “We have nowhere to run if they come at us.” A distant splash drew their eyes to the north. It was small and appeared to take place between two rocks. It wasn’t a splash from the tide. Something briefly floated along the surface. Its color was a combination of white and red, and had a crescent shape. Its weight pulled it back under the surface.
They were looking at the severed caudal fin from the deceased hybrid. The splash was likely caused by one of the living monsters tossing it away after picking out the meat. It was another reminder that the clock was ticking.
“Shit,” Nelson said. “We REALLY can’t stay here.” They both climbed down to the shore and hurried over to Rick. He was biting his lip while focusing hard on welding the patch in place. Nelson approached him, keeping a safe distance from the sparks. “Hey, Doctor Napier, I hate to rush you, but how long do you think it’ll be?”
“Not long,” Rick said. He stopped and made eye contact. “Why? Are they coming?”
“Not yet, but they won’t be long,” Forster said.
“We saw them to the north,” Nelson said. “They’re tearing through the dead one like crazy. When they do, we have nowhere to run. This isn’t a big rock.” Rick exhaled hard and looked at the boat, then at the water.
“Then we’re gonna have to make a run for it,” he said. He looked down at the sandbank which they were beached upon. “We can back out, but we’re gonna have to shovel out some of this to free up the bow.” Nelson looked to Forster.
“You didn’t happen to have shovels on this thing by any chance?”
“On a boat?” she answered. “No, but we can break stuff down to use as scoops. The sand is fairly loose enough to scoop away.”
“Whatever you’re going to do, I suggest you do it fast,” Rick said, while replacing his goggles. He ignited the torch and applied the flame to the sheet. Forster and Nelson quickly climbed up to the deck to sort through the supplies.
CHAPTER
37
Standing atop the foothill center of the atoll, Forster placed a hand over her eyes as a visor against the sun. She kept her gaze focused north, where she had witnessed the splash previously take place. There had been another splash, in which a large chunk of shell had been tossed from the sea. From time to time, there would be occasional thrashing in the water as they shredded the dead hybrid. Forster wondered if the two surviving hybrids were possibly fighting with each other for control of the meal.
Down at the shore, Rick and Nelson were waist deep in water, on opposite sides of the Neptu
ne. Mountains of sand erected around them as they scooped sand out from beneath the hull in order to free it up. Water flooded further up the beach around the bow in the newly formed trenches. Both men, bathed in seawater and sweat, dug relentlessly at the sand. Each of them had a portion of a piece of the table top, which they had taken apart inside the wheelhouse to use as makeshift shovels. They focused on the deeper part of the sandbank, though they dug out some sand from around the front. Rick pried the end of the tabletop into the sand beneath and kicked his heel against it to help dig away some muck. He wiped the sweat from his eyes with his hand. Wet with seawater, it didn’t help much.
“Chief, let’s give it a try,” he said.
“Alright,” Nelson answered, and stepped back.
“Lisa? Go ahead whenever you’re ready!” Rick called to his wife. The engine ignited in a roar, and Lisa placed the reverse throttle. The engine groaned louder, as if the boat was feeling the struggle as it tried to move from the sandbank. The stern swung slowly to port. The bow was loosened from the sand, but still embedded just enough. “Okay, stop,” Rick said, holding out his hand. “Keep the engine running, we’re almost there.” He hurried around to the other side to help Nelson with digging out the sand.
Forster overheard the conversation from atop the rock, and decided it was best to get on the boat. Once the boat was loose, they would want to move immediately. She turned and slid her foot down the side of the rock, keeping herself propped up with her hands.
The sound of thrashing water quickly brought her attention back to the water. Two huge pieces of shell floated apart from each other, settling along the swells. Body fragments, no doubt. Immediately following the splash, two other shapes took form. Two cone-shaped shadows under the water swam in aimless direction, moving about the rocks. One then turned and zipped into the distance, quickly disappearing from view. The second one wandered for a couple moments, then it too moved out of view.
Their time was up. Forster descended down the side of the rock, nearly slipping off one of the tiny ledges. Her feet planted on the soft mushy sand and she dashed to the boat where Rick and Nelson dug.
“They’re done with the dead one,” she said. Both men looked at her, alarmed.
“Shit,” Nelson said. “Alright, get onboard.” He stepped out of the way, and Forster immediately started climbing to the deck. Nelson followed her. He stepped onboard, dripping wet, and looked down to Rick. He was shoveling out a few more scoops, knowing the boat needed to be as loose as possible. “Doc! We have no time!” Lisa poked her head out from the wheelhouse.
“Rick, come on!” she yelled. Napier tossed the improvised shovel away and climbed the nearby ladder, hoping they had dug it out enough. Forster took Lisa’s place at the helm, being more familiar with the controls. She reversed the propellers, and the boat began to tug back. The stern slowly began to sway again, and Forster cut the wheel to the right. As the stern swung to the other side, the hull grinded against the remaining sand, crunching it up. The muck broke apart, filling into the trenches that Rick and Nelson had dug. The boat came loose in a sudden jolt, nearly causing Forster to fall backward into the seat.
“Finally,” she said out loud. She carefully backed the boat away until she gained enough space to turn it around. After switching back to forward gear, she slowly drove the boat out through the field of rocks. She kept it slow and steady, which oddly added to the tension. They felt like sitting ducks at this speed, but they could not risk smashing into any rocks with the now fragile hull. She would not gun the accelerator until they were clear.
Everyone on deck was silent, each looking out into the water for any sign of their pursuers. A naïve hope grew inside each one of them. Perhaps the beasts had gorged themselves enough on the dead hybrid, and were no longer interested in chasing them? However, each of them knew that was not the case. These beasts would kill even when not hungry. They are weapons without aim.
They moved through the hazardous zone, carefully moving around each obstacle. The open ocean was up ahead, growing vaster with their approach. Beyond the blanket of water was the island. So far, there was no sign of the creatures.
“Where the hell are they?” Lisa finally asked.
“Around,” Rick said. Just because they didn’t see them didn’t mean they weren’t there. He was certain they were being tracked. He glanced over the side to check on the patch. It was in place and secure. Not bad for a first attempt.
They approached the outer perimeter of the rocky barrier. Hearts began to flutter. Everyone felt on edge, and eager to feel the sensation of the Neptune gunning to full throttle toward the island. Forster felt the worst of it. She turned the wheel to zigzag around formations. Finally, they had arrived at the edge. She drove the boat between the two towering rocks, which seemed to be the gateway in and out of the shallow field of barricades. As the bow cleared the opening, Forster throttled to maximum speed. The twin propellers sprayed water as they quickly shifted to maximum gear.
The sensation of racing wind was a welcome one for everyone on deck. A light ray of enthusiasm started to glow within the group.
“Finally,” Nelson said to himself. He stood near the crumpled forward ramp on the bow and watched the details of the distant shore come into view. Once on the safety of land, they could form a whole new plan to go after the hybrids. Also, he would have to pay a visit to Felt’s Paradise.
Rick leaned against the port side, feeling a bit more relaxed. He gazed out into the ocean, watching the rippling water as they raced by. He followed the waves as they stretched further out. The swell broke, as if stopped by a reversing force. Rick watched as new swells formed in the distance, pushed apart by the oncoming bulk of the red hybrid. He gasped a breath and whipped around toward Forster.
“Hard to port!” he yelled out. It was too late. The hybrid smashed into the starboard quarter. The boat juddered, and the engine moaned. Caught in surprise, Lisa and Nelson fell to their knees, while Rick managed to hold himself up. He saw the creature swim around the bow. He looked for any sign of the other.
The sound of smashing metal filled the air, and the boat jolted forward. Nelson yelled as he rolled forward from his kneeling position. Rick, still grabbing onto the side, saw the second hybrid pass under them. In the wheelhouse, Forster tried maneuvering the boat. The engine was still running, though there was the sound of rattling metal, like nails being shaken in a tin can. The boat did not move. She tried throttling back. Nothing. She hurried outside the rear door and looked into the water. Both twin propellers had been broken off completely. They were dead in the water. She re-entered the wheelhouse to pass to the main deck and warn the others.
The first hybrid descended several meters and circled about until it had lined up perfectly with the side of the boat. It pointed upward and launched itself to the surface. Momentum increased with each sway of its tail, and soon it broke the surface. Rick, Lisa, and Nelson saw the body emerge with a spray of water merely feet away from the port. The creature elevated several meters into the air before gravity pulled it down, right overtop of the wheelhouse.
Its stomach crashed down on the roof, causing it to crumple inward like a soda can. The glass windows exploded, sending fragments in every direction. The sides of the doorway crunched inward as the roof was squeezed downward. Forster fell to the floor, narrowly avoiding being hit on the head by the ceiling caving it.
The shark’s head was leaning heavily off the boat after it crashed down. It tried unfolding its legs to attempt a hold on the boat. Unable to find anything to grab onto fast enough, its weight worked against it, and the shark slid into the water in a nosedive. Nelson sprang to his feet and hurried to the crunched doorway.
“Julie, are you alright?” he yelled.
“I’m fine,” she called back. She tried to stand up, but the roof was smashed so far down that standing up straight was impossible. “They broke the propellers away. We can’t go anywhere.”
Nelson examined the entryway. It was compl
etely closed in, with no space for anyone to slip in or out.
“We’ve got incoming!” Lisa warned. The boat shuddered from a hit to the port bow. Behind the sound of smashing metal was the sound of water. Lisa and Rick both hurried to the side to check and confirmed what they already knew. “Shit,” Lisa said as she watched the water seep into the newly formed rupture. Rick looked around the deck, frantically trying to come up with a new plan. There had to be something he hadn’t thought of.
One of the hybrids rammed the starboard quarter, putting the Neptune into another violent tremor. A new breach was formed, and now water was seeping into the boat from both sides. Nelson clung to the bent-up doorway to stay on his feet. Desperation, fear, and anger flooded his senses, and he looked to the heavens with furious eyes.
“GOD! JUST GIVE US A FUCKING BREAK, WON’T YOU!” He slammed his fist onto the roof, which was now slumped downward like a ramp. After a quick breath, he regained enough of his sanity to focus. He tried pushing apart the sides, but to no avail. Forster checked the other door, but it was jammed shut. She was trapped inside. Nelson cursed as he struggled.
The engine’s droning sound deepened, and soon transformed into a slow whirring sound. It came to an abrupt stop and died. Lisa looked at the waterline, which was now inches from the edge. They were sinking fast.
A new whirring sound took over. At first, she thought the engine hadn’t fully died, not that it would do them any good. But then, she realized it was distant, and coming from above. She looked to the sky, turning every which way to locate the source of the hum. There it was, from the northwest. Like a pair of black dragonflies in the distance, two helicopters were racing toward them. They were high up, and distant enough for her not to fully be able to recognize their specifications. But one thing was for sure, they were military choppers.
