The Ocean King: A Deep Sea Thriller

by Russ Watts

  You were wrong, Mrs Barkley, there’s not too much cinnamon in it at all.

  Don showered and jumped into some fresh clothes. As he ran outside and down to his car, he bumped into Amanda coming the other way. She wore a white Wild Seas polo over a navy skirt and sandals.

  “Hey, good looking, what are you doing here?” he asked her.

  “Coming to find you. I overslept and figured we could drive in together. I’m parked right downstairs. You’re ready I take it?”

  “Perfect. Let’s go.”

  Amanda explained as she drove. “I stayed at Hamish’s parent’s house last night. We had a big family dinner thing, a bit of a celebration. You should see Curtis’ new car! Oh my gosh, it is a work of art. And he wants to get a Harley, although Hamish said he’s too old. I don’t know. It’s good to see them happy.” Amanda groaned and rubbed her stomach. “I am so full. We had rack of lamb last night, and it was so good. For dessert, his mother made a New York style cheesecake. I think I put on ten pounds since I saw you last.”

  Don listened to Amanda as they sped down Mission Valley Freeway, watching the stores and cafes zip by. He contemplated asking her to call at Mama Kitty’s, but they didn’t really have the time, plus he didn’t want to interrupt her talking. It was like listening to soothing music, just letting her voice fill the car as they drove.

  “Hamish has gone out to the trawler this morning, but he’ll be back this afternoon. He just wanted to fix up a few things first. I’m kind of nervous about later. What if something goes wrong? What if Diablo turns out to be a dead fish? What if…”

  “It’ll be fine,” said Don. “If anything goes wrong, it won’t be on you. Zola has rushed this. She should’ve given us more time to prepare and find out what we’re dealing with.”

  “Jay didn’t call. He was going to check in last night, make sure Diablo was tucked up safe and sound, and let me know if there were any issues. I didn’t get a text or anything. I even checked my emails.”

  “Well, there you go then. He only said he’d call you if there was a problem, so stop worrying. I’ve got guards posted all around the place, so we’ve got all our bases covered. There are plenty of other things to worry about. You see the news? It’s pretty bad about that liner.”

  “I know, isn’t it awful? They still haven’t found it. Those poor people, what must their families be thinking?”

  “It’s an odd one, I’ll grant you. Some fluke that is, an ocean liner just disappearing into thin air. It’s like when those planes and ships disappeared in the Bermuda Triangle. Then there’s that Seal Island thing. There’s been a few odd things lately.”

  “Seal Island? I didn’t hear about that.”

  Don had a hazy recollection of the previous night’s events, and was less sure of the story about Seal Island. He filled Amanda in as best he could.

  “Crazy. Who would want to hurt them? If anyone tried to attack them, they would defend their territory. I hope they catch whoever did it. Bastards.”

  “I read one of the theories about the disappearance of the cruise ship was an earthquake. You know, one out in the seabed that created a whirlpool, and they all got sucked down into the ocean. You don’t think something like that could’ve drawn the seals away do you?”

  “I’m not so sure about that. You said there was blood on the rocks, which suggests some asshole with a gun probably took them out.”

  “Maybe it was a virus? Maybe they all got sick and died, and someone tried to cover it up by removing the bodies. You’re right, it doesn’t make sense. Nothing does. Something weird is going on, for sure, but I can’t figure it out. I’m getting a headache. I need a coffee,” said Don. He pressed his forehead against the cold passenger window and the smoothness of the glass felt good.

  “We’re nearly there,” said Amanda, as they pulled into Cove Drive. “You’ll have to make do with a coffee from the canteen. So who are you bringing tonight?”

  Don looked at Amanda puzzled. “Who am I bringing?”

  “To the show. Didn’t you read Zola’s email? You made the list. You get one ticket to the show. Strictly one, she said, and don’t even bother asking for more. I was going to bring Hamish, of course, but he’s got a special invite anyway, so I gave mine to Curtis. Have you got someone, ‘cause if not, I know plenty of people who would kill for a spare ticket.”

  Don wondered who on the planet would want to spend Friday night at the Wild Seas Park, and who he could invite. His mother was out of the question, and he didn’t really have any close friends, not ones who didn’t work at the park anyway. There was always one of the guys at the base, but it would be out of character to ask one of them to come to his work. He could give his ticket away, but then he remembered Meghan. He hadn’t seen her all day yesterday, so maybe he should give her a call. Hadn’t she said something about being off on Friday night? Fate might just be sending something good his way.

  Amanda pulled into her space and turned the car’s engine off. “I don’t know if I can go through with this, Don.”

  He looked at her, surprised to see her face set, her brow furrowed in concentration. Was it Hamish, had he said something to her last night? Just when things seemed to be going so well?

  “It’s this ‘Diablo’ thing. It’s just that…something isn’t right. I was with him yesterday afternoon, just making some notes at the side of the pool, and I swear he was looking at me. He has these big yellowy eyes and they follow you around the room wherever you go. It’s creepy. We’re supposed to be studying it, and yet…”

  “I know what you mean. It’s like he’s watching us instead of the other way round.” Don remembered how he’d felt yesterday. So it wasn’t just him. “You told anyone else about this?”

  “I tried talking to Jay, but he wouldn’t listen. He said it was my imagination and we should just do what Zola says. You know what he’s like. I mean he knows his stuff, but he sucks up to her big time. Even if he had any concerns, I doubt he’d say anything. I’m worried if we put Diablo on display tonight, what his reaction will be. You heard Zola, she wants fireworks, cameras, the works…if Diablo’s already stressed, what’s he going to be like under those conditions?”

  “I can’t say,” said Don. “I don’t think anyone can answer that question. If you’ve got doubts, you need to talk to Zola. I’ll back you up.”

  “It’s not just that. I actually think we should release him. Strap Diablo to the back of Hamish’s trawler, take him back to where they found him, and dump him in the middle of the ocean.”

  “You want to get rid of it?”

  “I don’t want to kill him, but it’s not natural, Don. There’s something about him, something horrible and nasty and vicious. I’ve worked with animals my whole life, and I can’t find any redeeming qualities here. Whoever came up with the name of Diablo, chose it well.”

  “Fine. We’ll suggest it to Zola.”

  “Really? You don’t think I’m mad?”

  Don shook his head and smiled. “Amanda, you’re not mad, you are the most genuine person I’ve ever met! There’s at least one other person in this car who is crazier than you are. Look, you’ve spent more time with that creature than anyone else has, so if anyone is qualified to decide what we do with it, then it’s you. If you say we get rid of it, we get rid of it. If you say we stick a firework up its ass and fly it to Mars, then I’ll light the fuse.”

  Amanda wiped a tear from her eye. “God, I’m such an idiot. Sorry, Don, I just couldn’t talk to Hamish about this. He’s so excited about everything. He’s got the business to sort out, his family, me…there’s so much going on right now that the last thing he needs is me talking about work.”

  “Amanda, you know you can always talk to me, right? But you should tell Hamish what you’re thinking. Don’t bottle it up. He’s good for you, and he’s a good person, I can tell. He would listen to you. He clearly thinks the world of you, so don’t hold back, talk to him.”

  Amanda flipped down the mirror and straig
htened her hair. She wiped her eyes. “God, I’m a mess. I haven’t slept so well these last couple of nights. I keep dreaming about Diablo: every time I see him, his jaws are right there, about to bite me in half.”

  “We all have our demons and nightmares, Amanda. Come on. Let’s get inside,” said Don opening his door. “You need to talk to Zola about this.”

  OCTOBER FRIDAY 18TH 10:42

  “This is ridiculous, she can’t still be busy.”

  Don pushed open the office door and saw Zola sat at her desk. Jay was sat in one of the two plush chairs by the mahogany desk, and when Don and Amanda entered, he quickly stuffed a piece of paper into his pocket.

  “Mrs Bertoni, we can’t wait any longer, we need to see you,” said Don. “Sorry, Jay, but this is important.”

  “I’ll go,” said Jay standing.

  “No, sit down. Let’s hear what they’ve got to say.” Zola looked at Don and Amanda calmly.

  Don was surprised by Zola’s reaction. She was a picture of serenity, and hadn’t tried to shoo them away as he had expected. She even let a smile creep across her face. Don was thrown off balance by this as he had prepared himself for an argument.

  “Amanda has been telling me some interesting information that I think you should listen to.”

  Amanda stepped forward and cleared her throat before nervously pushing her hair behind her ears. “Mrs Bertoni, I have spent many hours with the creature, Diablo, in the past two days, and I am not convinced that this show tonight is the best situation for him to be in.”

  “And why would that be, Miss Tass?” Zola smiled sweetly, but her eyes were looking daggers at Don and Amanda.

  “Diablo has not eaten since we got him, so he’s not had any sustenance for days. I can’t force him to eat. He’s clearly suffered from gunshot wounds, and we don’t know what else. Physically, we just don’t know what state he’s in. Mentally, I would say he is stressed, confused, and exhausted. In a nutshell, this is not an animal you want to be putting under the spotlight, expecting it to behave how you want it to behave. He could suffer from a number of reactions, none of them healthy.”

  “And you agree, Don?”

  Don felt Zola’s withering stare and knew he had to stand by Amanda. He had not been convinced all along about this whole show, and this was their last chance to put a stop to it. “I do. Amanda’s done what she can, but we need more time. Jay, you’ve seen it. You must agree. Diablo is not like the dolphins, or Shakti, or anything else this park has ever had. If you let the show go ahead tonight, you risk everything we’ve done, everything this park has ever stood for. The best thing you can do would be to let it go. A creature like this does not belong in a tank or on television. It shouldn’t by rights exist, but it does. The best thing for us, and it, would be to send it back to where it came from.”

  “Really, is that so?” Zola shook her head in disbelief. “You want to let it go? Do you know how much this is worth to the park? I had an email this morning from Modern Science magazine offering me fifty grand for an interview. I had Justin Randall from HBO asking if they could make a mini-series based around the park and our new discovery last night. I can’t even begin to tell you what NBC offered me this morning. Don’t you see this can secure the long-term future of the park for years? It’s not just Diablo, but all of the animals in our care who will be better off after tonight. We can finally upgrade the penguin enclosure that you’ve been asking me about for the last six months, Amanda. And Don, you said you needed to hire more staff, well, this is how we do it. There are so many things I can achieve now, and really make my mark.

  “Diablo is history in the flesh, and we are not turning it down on a feeling. Diablo might look dangerous, but he’s harmless. I’ve been talking to Jay and read your reports, Amanda. Since he’s been at the park, he’s done nothing. I mean, literally, nothing. He hasn’t shown any interest in eating, playing, or doing anything remotely alarming. All I need you to do, Amanda, is get him ready for this evening. Try to coax him into doing something. If he just swims around on the surface of the water, it won’t make for very exciting television. I would much prefer him to be active, maybe to thrash around a bit. Perhaps you can try and get him to put his head out of the water at least?”

  Don picked up a letter on Zola’s desk. It was a short offer to buy Diablo from a private collector in Dubai. The cheque stapled to the top corner was blank, for Zola to fill in the figure herself. He whistled and put it down. “Zola, I don’t think you are listening to what we’re saying. Diablo isn’t going to perform tricks or jump through hoops for you tonight. Amanda’s been chucking dead fish at it for days and he’s not interested. We don’t know what it feeds on in its natural habitat. It’s lethargic and apathetic, and I don’t think now is the right time to shove a camera in its face.”

  Jay finally spoke up. “You’re right. Beneath the water lurks a monster, a prehistoric behemoth that by rights shouldn’t even exist. But a predator this size, this lethal, and with so much potential for raw power could destroy marine life as we know it. Fishing stocks would be destroyed. What about the threat to man? You would have to take Diablo a long way out to be sure it wouldn’t come back to the beaches of the west coast. Imagine the massive death toll if we let this go. We would be doing more harm than good. The creature needs further study, which is precisely why we can’t release it back into the ocean. There is a huge amount we could learn from this. The scientific value to this find is immeasurable.”

  “Scientific value or financial value?” asked Amanda. “Or perhaps you’re more concerned with your own career, Jay?”

  “You don’t know what you’re talking about,” said Jay. “In fact, Zola agrees with me. We need to change tack, refocus on how we’re looking at this.”

  “What do you mean, refocus?” asked Don.

  Amanda laughed. “This isn’t funny, it’s pathetic. I know what he means. He’s taking over. Isn’t that right, Mrs Bertoni? You’re taking this away from me?”

  Zola stood up and looked out of her office window, across the lot to the entrance of the park. “Do you know what I see out there, Amanda. I see thousands of people rushing through that gate. I can see excited kids, their faces beaming with happiness. I can see brand new exhibits, interactive shows, expansion; I see the future of Wild Seas Park.” Zola turned back to face Amanda. “What do you see? If you get on board with me over this, and get Diablo ready for tonight, then who’s to say where this will lead? I could certainly see you having a long and successful future here with all the animals you care so much about. Of course, if you don’t share my vision, then…”

  Amanda said nothing and stormed out of the office.

  “You want me to talk to her?” asked Jay, getting up.

  “I’ll go,” said Don. He looked back at Jay and Zola. There wasn’t an ounce of regret on their faces. All they could see were dollar signs. “Amanda’s still the best person you have to deal with this, Zola. I’ll talk her round. I hope you know what you’re doing,” he said as he left the office to find Amanda.

  OCTOBER FRIDAY 18TH 16:05

  Setting up for the showcase event had taken a lot of effort, but the time was almost upon them, and the park’s gates were going to be open soon. Security-wise it had been a logistical nightmare. Don had cancelled all vacation, something his crew had not been too happy about. He had twelve full-timers, eight who worked weekends, himself, and three others to man the cameras at the security office. He had called up everyone he could at short notice. Scurrying around the stadium now were caterers, project managers, artists, retailers, park directors, their assistants, their assistant’s assistants, and what seemed like more people than they got on July fourth.

  As he walked through the park, past the SeaLion stadium, Don couldn’t help but feel anxious. He tried to make sure everything was on plan, and as much as he didn’t like strangers wandering around, he understood it was necessary. There was something else though, something he couldn’t put his finger on. It wasn’t
like any other event they had held at the park, and the media tent being erected was testimony to that. As he made his way to the office, he walked past the huge marquee being erected adjacent to the Skytower. Shakti Stadium seated five thousand people, and they could have sold tickets ten times over. They managed to set up a media area at the front of the stadium, enough for just over forty people. Zola had all the networks prepped, with CNN and the BBC being given prominent positions. Deep pockets opened a lot of doors. There had been so much interest in the new discovery though, that they needed to find somewhere else to put another fifty cameras and journalists from television channels across the world. Don was happy to see that the media tent was almost ready, and could see rows upon rows of chairs being lined up inside. A tangle of cables came out the back, leading into three trucks, which were mounted with a variety of dishes and aerials.

  As he passed the children’s play area, the Bay of Play, he noticed an array of market stalls and carts being set up. He stopped by one and watched as a young girl carefully arranged the stall full of drinks and snacks. Apart from the usual disposable cameras and park maps, he saw a whole new range of merchandise.

  “Base, this is Don, put me through to Zola please,” he said into his walkie-talkie. It crackled with static as he waited, watching the girl who could barely be nineteen open a cardboard box and bring out a pile of children’s T-shirts. She lined them up on hangers on both sides of the cart and then stopped to check her mobile phone. A beep on his walkie-talkie indicated he had someone on the line.

  “Yeah, Zola, what’s with the stalls? I’m in the southwest quadrant and the walkway is covered with what, ten, eleven stalls? I wasn’t told of…yeah…yeah I know, but…so you want… Fine, I’ll see to it. Maybe next time it would be nice to get a heads up?”

  Don clicked the walkie back into his belt. The girl continued unloading the stock and piling it up high, unaware Don was watching. There were stuffed toys, posters, key rings, lunch-boxes, caps, candy bars and even romper-suits. He walked over to the stall.