From the Deep

by Michael Bray

  “Sixteen footer. Came right to the cage to take the bait.”

  “But to be outside the cage…”

  “No sense in running before you can walk, buddy. Maybe get this one done first and we can look at that next time.”

  “I can pay. Whatever it takes.”

  “It’s not about the money, mate, it’s more about the safety aspect.”

  “I thought you said it was perfectly safe?”

  “Inside the cage it is. Outside, it’s a whole new ball game. These things are predators, Mr Milla. Remorseless killing machines. Sometimes what happens is that they frenzy at the meat we put in the water to draw them in and the ocean gets cloudy with blood and chunks of flesh. Sometimes when that happens, a shark could mistake someone outside the cage for a floating piece of meat, which, I suppose is what you are. I had an eight foot tiger shark take a bite out of my forearm once, let me tell you, I almost shit my wetsuit.”

  Paul looked at Greg’s unscarred tanned forearms, raising his eyebrows. As if reading his thoughts, Greg laughed.

  “Chainmail wetsuit. It still hurts when they take a nip, but it makes sure you come back out of the water with all the limbs you went in with.”

  “I want to do it.”

  “Maybe next time, let’s do the cage for now and see how you like it. Sometimes when you’re down there, it’s not what people expect.”

  Paul looked at the cage. Ten minutes earlier he couldn’t wait to step inside, now after Greg’s story, it all seemed too safe. Too pedestrian.

  “I want my first experience of this to be the best it can be.”

  “The cage is a pretty amazing experience, mate.”

  “I’m sure it is, but I want more. I’ll give you an extra two thousand to take me down outside of the cage.”

  Greg shook his head. “Sorry. Can’t do it.”

  “Three grand.” Paul pushed, a thin ghost of a smile starting to form on his lips. Greg squirmed where he sat on the transom.

  “I really can’t. I’m responsible for you out here and it wouldn’t be ethical.”

  “Five grand, and I’ll sign a disclaimer absolving you from all responsibility.” Paul said, holding out a hand ready for Greg to shake.

  Greg squirmed and looked at the cage, then at Paul’s outstretched hand before reluctantly shaking it.

  “Fine. Three things. First, I’ll need to draw up that disclaimer before we go anywhere. Second, when we’re there, you do exactly as I do. You watch me like a hawk. Where I move, you move.”

  “Got it.”

  “Three. Don’t be a hero. These are wild animals, and if you screw around trying to touch them, you’re likely to get yourself killed. That’s something I don’t want to have to deal with.”

  “Me either,” Paul agreed, feeling the rush of excitement at what he was about to do.

  “Okay, wait here.” Greg said, heading below deck. Paul waited, looking out over the glass smooth ocean and gorgeous, cloudless sky. It was a perfect day. Greg returned and handed Paul the chainmail suit.

  “Put this on.”

  “It’s heavy,” Paul replied as he dropped it to the floor and started to struggle into it. “Aren’t you wearing one?”

  Greg shook his head. “Only got that one, and since you are paying so much for this, I guess you better be the one to wear it.”

  Paul paused, and looked Greg in the eye. “Isn’t that dangerous?”

  “Only if you don’t do exactly as I say. We’re only going there to observe. No interaction. As long as you do as I do, we’ll be fine.”

  Paul nodded and continued to climb into the steel mesh wetsuit.

  “Oh, one more thing. Don’t think because you are wearing that suit that these things can’t hurt you. They might not be able to get through it, but they can still mangle you pretty badly. Are you sure you want to do this?”

  Paul hesitated. For a split second, there was doubt. The cage would be safer, but he was sick of safe. He had lived his entire life safe. He wanted a real thrill, a genuine experience he could tell his friends about back home and watch them look on in envy. He could go in the cage anytime. This truly was a unique opportunity.

  “I’m sure. Let’s do it.”

  “Okay, let’s get to it and see if we can draw in some sharks.”

  The Victorious cut through the ocean, racing in pursuit of the creature. In the control room, Andrews stood at the shoulder of the radar operator, watching as they closed on the signal. Russo walked in, striding over to the console.

  “Give me the latest,” he snapped as he squinted at the radar screen.

  “We have it on screen, although we’re struggling to keep up. It’s fast.”

  “Why is it in such a hurry?”

  “We think it’s hunting, which is good for us.”

  “Oh, and why is that?”

  “Because if it’s occupied with trying to feed, it’s not paying attention to the sound of our boat and trying to attack us.”

  “I see,” Russo said, showing the smallest flicker of uncertainty. “Well, speed up, I don’t want us to lose this thing now that we have it.”

  “This is as fast as we can go. I have it under control.” Andrews said, giving Russo a sour look.

  “What’s the matter with you?”

  “You know exactly what it is. What was all that business out on deck?”

  “Don’t worry about that, I was just setting some ground rules.”

  “With a pistol? They’re civilians.”

  Russo turned to face Andrews. “It’s obvious you have something to say, so spit it out.”

  To Russo’s surprise, Andrews met his gaze. “You need to keep me in the loop on what’s happening here.”

  “I have no idea what you mean,” Russo said, offering a dry smile.

  “I thought you were going to talk to her, not put a gun to her damn head.”

  “It wasn’t to her head, it was her assistant, and in my experience, a gun often drives the point home better than words.”

  “Just remember, this is my trip. My project. You can’t freeze me out and expect me to go along with it.”

  Russo laughed, drawing a few secretive glances from the crew.

  “Don’t be so naive. Do you really think you are in charge of anything here?”

  “It’s my project,” he repeated. “You wouldn’t know about this thing if it wasn’t for me.”

  “Really?” Russo said, extending his grin. “I think you give yourself way too much credit. For the sake of clarity, I’ll tell you exactly how this operation runs. This is my operation. Funded by my superiors who asked me personally to oversee this entire endeavour. Despite whatever you may think, we aren’t equals here. You work for me, as does everyone else on board this ship. True, my methods are unorthodox, but they get results. If you have a problem with that, I might suggest you retire to your cabin until this is all over.”

  “This was supposed to be a discovery mission, not a chance for you to flex your muscles.”

  Russo smiled and shook his head. “You really do believe that, don’t you?”

  Andrews didn’t reply, and instead concentrated on calming the rage that was bubbling in the pit of his stomach.

  “Just as I thought. Look, I don’t want to clash with you. Truth is that I can use you to help me to make sure this operation runs smoothly. I don’t need to remind you that this project has cost a hell of a lot of money, and taking into account this misunderstanding about the power structure, it is, according to the paperwork at least, your idea.”

  “So, what you are saying is if this thing all goes belly up, it’s me who will be dragged over the coals?”

  Russo didn’t answer. His smug expression said it for him.

  “You really saw me coming with this didn’t you, Russo?” Andrews said, trying to ignore the sick feeling in his stomach. “I was a ready-made scapegoat for you to do whatever the hell you want out here without having to take any responsibility for it.”

  “Don’t wo
rry,” Russo said, his smug grin still in place, “you still have one thing going in your favour.”

  “Oh really, and what’s that?”

  “Me.” Russo said, finally losing his wide, slick grin. “As you know by now, I always win. Keep that in mind, and both of us will come out of this fine. Choose not to, and I can’t guarantee what that might mean for you and your career.”

  “You don’t scare me. I don’t appreciate threats.”

  “It’s no threat, just an observation.”

  Russo held out a hand to Andrews, the gold ring on his finger shimmering in the gloom. “Now, can I count on you?”

  Andrews had always been a good judge of character, but as he tried to penetrate that dark, emotionless gaze, he found in this instance, Russo was unreadable.

  Better the devil you know

  As much as he hated himself for it, he reluctantly shook hands with Russo.

  “Good, I’m glad we resolved that little misunderstanding. Now, let’s get back to tracking our fish, shall we?” he added, turning back to the radar.

  Andrews joined him in looking at the screen, however he wasn’t really watching. His brain was still overloaded with information, and if the instincts he had learned to trust over the years were right, he needed to tread very carefully.

  CHAPTER 35

  Paul peered into the gloom, clinging to the outside of the shark cage, feet kicking rhythmically as he looked at the abundance of sea life. As impressive as the uncountable species of fish were, he was really only waiting for the sharks to show. He glanced through the cage towards Greg, who met his gaze across the water. He held up a thumb to Paul, who responded with the same gesture. Greg pointed out into the ocean.

  Paul felt a surge of adrenaline as the eight-foot tiger shark veered towards the side of beef on the side of the cage and took a cautious bite, sending tiny morsels of flesh drifting into the depths.

  Paul was elated, thrilled, humbled, and a little frightened. At that moment in time, there was nowhere in the world he would rather be. As he watched, more sharks came, appearing like phantoms out of the deep blue depths and taking turns at attacking the carcass.

  Greg had made his way around the cage, was now beside Paul, and pointed down. Milla looked and felt his heart leap into his throat.

  The eighteen-foot great white shark circled in fifty feet of water. With a body designed by nature to be streamlined and efficient, the predator glided with grace, steering with its pectoral fins. It sensed other sharks in the area, but none big enough to pose a threat. With fearless inquisitively, it angled towards the cage.

  Paul tightened his grip on the bars and was incredibly aware of how small and insignificant he was in the expanse of open ocean around him. Greg put a hand on his shoulder and gave the thumbs up. His eyes were relaxed and unconcerned, and that in turn helped him to relax. They watched as the shark angled past them, scattering its smaller cousins as it made towards the carcass. Paul realised he could have reached out and touched the creature as it passed him, its size and beauty awe-inspiring. He glanced at Greg, who also seemed to appreciate the sheer size and majesty of the creature as it attacked the carcass, its jaws hyperextending and eyes rolling back as it took a huge bite, shaking its massive head from side to side, and in turn rattling the cage as it tried to tear away its prize.

  Breathing in ragged gasps through his regulator, Paul could only stare and appreciate the simplicity of the creature, and how in the grand scheme of things, he was such a small and insignificant part of the food chain. It was an incredibly humbling experience. As they watched, the shark broke away from the carcass and accelerated into the darkness. Paul looked over at Greg, and was alarmed by his expression. The earlier confidence he had been able to see in the Australian’s eyes was now gone, replaced by a worrying uncertainty. Paul and Greg looked around the ocean. It was only then he realised what was wrong.

  The ocean around which had moments ago been teeming with life, was now completely deserted.

  They were alone.

  Russo and Andrews watched the radar as the creature changed course.

  “What happened?” Russo said, looking at Andrews for answers.

  “Looks like it might be hunting. A whale maybe.”

  “Get Thompson up here. I want her opinion on this.”

  Andrews nodded and activated the loudhailer, requesting Clara’s attendance. As his amplified words echoed around the ship, Andrews watched Russo beckon one of the soldiers by the door towards him. The blond haired, square jawed, giant saluted and stood to attention.

  “Mito, ready the device.”

  “Right away, sir”

  “What device?” Andrews asked.

  “For once, I’m not going to keep you in the dark on this one. Come with me and I’ll show you how we’re going to tag this creature.” Russo widened his grin as he said it, and then walked towards the door, pausing at the threshold.

  “You there, on the radar.”

  “Yes sir?” the operator said, removing one bulky earphone from the side of his head.

  “Make sure you don’t lose that signal. If anything unusual happens, I want to know. Call me directly. Miss Thompson will be here shortly, tell her to wait here until we come back.”

  “Yes sir,” the operator replied, turning back to his console.

  Russo headed out of the door, making his way down into the ship as Andrews followed with Mito bringing up the rear.

  “When I was a boy,” he said over his shoulder as he walked, “there was a small pond near where I used to live. Every year, frogs would spawn there and in summertime, the pond would be crawling with them. There was a kid I used to know by the name of Francis. He would ditch classes then spend pretty much every day smoking or reading smutty magazines there.”

  Russo walked past the cabins, and past the door to the engine room.

  “I used to spend a lot of time there too, but my reasons were different. I enjoyed the quiet away from my classmates. Francis, however, was a bully. He used to make life hell for the other kids, yet, for whatever reason, he never tried it with me. I was already taller than he was, and had a reputation of someone not to be messed with, so we existed in the same circles content to keep out of the way of each other. One day, he walked over to where I was sitting. I knew he was up to something because he had a stupid grin on his face. For a moment, I thought he had finally decided he wanted to try his luck and add me to his bully list. I wasn’t afraid of him, I was just curious as to what he wanted.

  “Hey, Russo, check this out,” he said, and held up a bunch of firecrackers tied together around the middle. I watched as he put them inside one of those plastic zip bags and weighted it with stones, and I knew right away what he was intending to do. I watched as he lit the fuse wires, pressed the plastic seal closed and tossed the bag into the pond. It sank straight away, and for a while, nothing happened. I was sure it must have extinguished, or maybe the bag had sprung a leak. I was about to say as much when the water exploded, sending dirt and reeds raining down on us. We watched and waited. A few seconds later, they started to float to the surface. Frogs. Fish. All dead. There were way more than you could ever imagine for such a small body of water. Francis chuckled and cheered as more and more dead animals surfaced. I just watched and tried to decide how I felt about it.”

  Russo stopped at a steel door marked with a red and white ‘restricted’ sign, and turned towards Andrews, a wide grin etched onto his face.

  “That’s what I intend to do to our fish.”

  “You want to kill it?”

  “No, of course not, that would be pointless.”

  He opened the door and stood back to allow Andrews to see inside.

  “I just want to make it float to the surface.”

  CHAPTER 36

  Greg stared into the expanse of deserted ocean. His gut said to get to the surface, his wallet said he needed the payday from this trip. Bills don’t pay themselves and neither do gambling debts, and he already owed Vict
or Malone a ton of money. This charter would at least get the heavies off his back for a few weeks and if that meant babysitting another pushy prick who wanted to get a thrill from swimming with the sharks, so be it. He glanced towards his meal ticket, and thought it was a good thing the sharks didn’t decide to take a bite out of the cage or the guy would have likely shit his wetsuit.

  Something caught Greg’s eye, and he turned back towards the gloom. His first thought was that it was a whale. However, as more of the creature appeared from out of the murky ocean that idea faded away. He felt fingertips dig into his arm as Paul also saw what was approaching. The pair could only stare as the creature drifted towards the cage.

  The T7500 resembled a miniature snub-nosed missile, which, in effect it was. Andrews looked over the green painted unit as Russo looked on.

  “Well, what do you think?”

  Andrews didn’t answer. Russo seemed keen to explain anyway as Mito continued to prepare the weapon.

  “This is my answer to the school bully firework.”

  “What does it do?”

  “Before you start to panic, don’t. This isn’t an explosive device, not as such. This is strictly short range.”

  “How short?”

  “Within a thousand feet for best results.”

  “That seems a little too close.”

  “There is a reason for having such a short range. It doesn’t explode on contact like a conventional missile or torpedo, but in proximity to its target. The explosion launches a concussion wave that will be powerful enough to stun this big son of a bitch. After that, we tag our fish with a tracking device. Once we do that, the hard part is done. We can just keep our distance and know where it is at all times.”

  “How do we launch the torpedo from here?”

  “Traditionally, the weapon would be fired from a hand held rocket launcher, however, for this mission we’ve rigged an underwater frame, which will enable us to fire it remotely from the boat.”

  “What if you miss?”

  “As unlikely as it is that we would miss, we do have a reserve unit, however, we would want to be certain we hit our target with this weapon, as the backup isn’t yet fitted for underwater operation.”