by Russ Elliott
“What do you mean, all that happened yester—”
The admiral had started to hang up, but paused. This Paxton character was the last person to see Vic before the incident. If he humored him long enough, he might get to the bottom of what happened. He returned the phone to his mouth.
“Two surfers were attacked early yesterday,” said the Admiral. “One was fatal.”
“Where?”
“Near Plettenberg Bay, a hot surf spot called the Keurbooms.”
John quickly asked. “Where’s Plettenberg Bay, in reference to Mazeppa Bay and Natal?”
“It’s west. Way west,” replied the Admiral, barely able to hear John’s voice over the seals.
“What about in reference to Dyer Channel?”
“It would be just east of Dyer Channel, why?”
“Directly in its path . . .” John paused, then said with great emphasis, “Sir, with all due respect, I assure you this same creature is responsible for the attack at Keurboom. If you could talk to the surviving surfer, I’m sure he will be able to confirm what I’m about to tell you!”
“There was nothing unusual about the attack on the surfers,” said the admiral abruptly. “Excuse me for sounding cold, but everyone knows there are large dangerous sharks out there. Those guys knew the risks when they decided to go out and surf off that un-netted beach.”
“Admiral, I’m afraid this attack is far from normal. I have a tooth from the creature responsible; it measures nineteen inches long. And it’s not a shark. I’m talking about a carnivorous marine reptile at least eighty feet in length!”
“Wait a minute,” the admiral gave a slight laugh. “Now this is starting to make sense. You’re the one that convinced Vic to close down the Shark Tours. That’s why those guys have been calling me all morning asking if we were finished with our research.”
“Yes. And there’s evidence!”
“So, according to your statement, this creature is eighty feet long, and you have one of its teeth as evidence!” The admiral sounded amused. “And you’re sure this tooth isn’t just some kind of fossil, eh? It’s real? With fresh gum tissue still attached?”
“Yes, and there’s more evidence. The Motanza wasn’t a whale; it was this creature. And the beaching . . . all the whales running aground in the last few days. Surely you can see that’s more than a coincidence.”
“I admit there have been an unusual amount of beachings. But that doesn’t mean there’s some prehistoric monster out there. Besides, if there were anything out there like what you’re describing, the Sharks Board would have seen it. They patrol the beaches and monitor the barrier nets daily.”
~~~
John stared down at the receiver. He could only imagine the admiral’s expression. “Look. These attacks confirm that the creature is heading west, which would place Keurboom directly in its path yesterday morning. You don’t have to take my word for it. You can talk to that surfer . . . ask him what attacked him. There’s not much time!” John heard the desperation in his own voice. “If you could just get a few of your choppers in the air, we could probably find this thing before it strikes again. Considering the creature’s size, it shouldn’t be difficult to spot from the air.”
The admiral’s tone grew more aggravated. “Every chopper I have is either here or searching for three fishermen still missing off Mazeppa Bay, and you want me to pull them to look for a dinosaur? That’s justifiable? Besides, where is this tooth, your indisputable evidence?”
John paused, trying to choose his words carefully. “That’s the part I was getting at. The reason your men couldn’t find the tooth was . . .” he hesitated, “because the person who mounted the expedition, which led to the discovery of the tooth, took it from the lieutenant’s Hummer last night.”
“So, someone stole this giant tooth . . . from a guarded military vehicle?”
“No. Actually, they just borrowed the tooth for a while . . . to get it carbon tested.”
This shortened the admiral’s fuse. “Look,” he growled, “you already have half of my men out here at Dyer Island chasing their tails right now! I don’t have time for whatever type of game you’re trying to play here. Good day, Mr. Paxton!”
John hung up the phone and shook his head. “I knew that wasn’t gonna fly.”
Kate said sympathetically, “Didn’t buy it, huh? Can’t really blame the man. I’d have trouble believing you if I didn’t know my own mother took it.”
“Forget the admiral, forget the professor . . . forget the tooth! I’m sick of all this.” John shot up from the desk. “We’ve wasted half the morning playing phone tag. That’s the last call I’m making.”
“Well, what’s the plan then?” Kate asked from in front of the TV. The playful chimp lay on the floor, entertaining herself with Kate's shoestrings.
“We’re going to the hospital to find that surfer. He should be able to talk this morning, and you can bet someone from the police department or the Navy will be waiting to question him the second he wakes up. If we can get to the hospital and talk to whoever’s questioning him, maybe the surfer will be able to back my story.”
Kate clapped enthusiastically. “Bravo! I’m starting to realize why my mother hired you.” She released her shoestrings from Crystal’s grasp. “I’ll go pull the truck around.”
Chapter 29
EYEWITNESS
Staring over Nathan’s shoulder in the ship’s surveillance cabin, Captain Nemo anxiously watched the four monitors. The cameras appeared to be working properly atop the whales, with no technical malfunctions. Just a waiting game . . . still. He glanced down at his watch: 9:35 a.m.
“Well, it looks like everything’s in working order. If there’s squid out there one of these guys ought to find it.”
“Yeah, using four whales now will up our chances,” replied Nathan. “And the picture is so clear—excellent reception.”
“It ought to be. It’s the best equipment money can buy. Now, if only we could get a glimpse of the squid, something to show the classrooms today other than a whale joyride through the Indian Ocean.”
“Still scheduled to transmit to the schools at noon?”
“Yep, twelve o’clock sharp, so keep your eyes open. Surely one of these whales is hungry enough to hunt,” said Nemo.
“Yeah, I’m starting to wonder if they’re all dieting!”
Nemo frowned. With all of the pressure bearing down on him, he was in no mood for Nathan’s wit. He squinted at the monitors. “Why do monitors two and three look so much lighter?”
“The whales in that pod have moved closer to the shallows. That’s why the water’s a little lighter.”
The captain slapped Nathan lightly on the shoulders and sighed. “Well, that’s about enough for me,” he said. “I didn’t get much sleep last night; think I’ll try to take a short nap before we transmit. But if you see anything, let me know right away. Anything at all.”
~~~
From the partially-opened back door of the surveillance room, Erick watched as Nemo exited the cabin through the main door on the opposite side. Seeing that the coast was clear, he slid the door open and walked in, his dog Rex closely following. Erick loved the humming sound of the equipment. With great fascination, he looked at the four monitors in front of Nathan, each of which showed a whale’s point of view as it swam through the depths. He thought it was cool how the water displayed on the monitors bathed the room in a blue hue. Behind Nathan, he saw the four smaller monitors, each with a gridded screen and a red dot that marked each whale’s position.
“You don’t have to wait for him to leave,” said Nathan, glancing over his shoulder at his nephew. “I don’t think he minds if you come in and watch the monitors. Plus, the company actually helps me stay awake.”
Erick shrugged and scooted up into a chair beside Nathan. “I don’t know. I think he’s kind of mad at me.”
“Don’t let him intimidate you. That’s just his nature. I don’t think he’s aware of how he sounds when he talks to peo
ple sometimes.”
“He doesn’t really intimidate me. He just makes me nervous. And I don’t think he likes Rex too much either!”
Nathan reached over and adjusted the tint on monitor two. Erick looked up from behind his thick glasses. “So how do you get the camera to stay on the whale’s back?”
“We use suction cups.”
“Does it hurt?”
“Never had any complaints!” replied Nathan with a smile.
Erick froze. Footsteps were heading toward the cabin. “I think Nemo’s coming back. I’d better get Rex outta here. Time to go to my secret reading spot—the only place the captain can’t find me. See ya!” He slid from the seat and bolted through the doorway. “Come on, boy!” Then just as Rex slipped through the doorway, Nemo entered the cabin through the door on the opposite side.
“Change your mind about the nap?” Nathan turned in his chair to face the captain.
“Naaah. Left my cholesterol medicine around here somewhere.”
Nathan snatched a small bottle from the console. With a frown, he tossed it to Nemo. “You should really get off of this stuff. All it takes is the proper diet . . . If you like, I’ll can make one up for you.”
“Diet, smiet,” grumbled Nemo on his way back to the doorway. “You just keep your eyes on that monitor.”
~~~
Erick slowly walked to an area about midship. He could barely see the waves through the morning mist that still surrounded the huge vessel. He stopped where dozens of large cargo crates stacked three rows high were strapped to the starboard rail. Carefully, he climbed up the crates and scampered across their tops like a squirrel. He found an opening where several crates had been removed. He paused and steadied himself, knowing one wrong step from up here, and it was a thirty-foot drop to the water. He looked down at the haze-covered sea and snickered. “Mom would freak if she saw me doing this.” He slowly climbed down into the six-foot-square opening with the ship’s side rail at his back. Reaching the bottom of the small space, Erick said, “Come on, boy!” Rex darted through a narrow space between the crates to join him.
Erick made himself comfortable in the shadows. Using a crate as a backrest, he pulled a small flashlight from his pocket and backed it through a knothole just above his shoulder. After adjusting the flashlight until it was shining in just the right spot, he cracked his paperback and began to read.
Before turning to the next page, he took a deep breath and released it, savoring his surroundings. The salty air, the ocean breeze blowing through the side rail bending his pages, the sounds of the waves crashing against the hull—this was, without question, his favorite spot in the world.
After a few minutes, Rex pushed his chew toy toward Erick and began to whimper. The dog backed up and lowered his head in anticipation. “Not now!” Erick whispered. “Maybe a little later, after I finish this chapter.” But Rex was persistent.
As the dog’s whimpers grew louder, Erick glanced up from his book. “All right already! But keep it quiet!” He picked up the chew toy and hurled it over the crates toward the ship’s stern. Rex disappeared through the narrow opening. Moments later, the panting dog returned with the chew toy in his mouth and dropped it beside Erick. Without taking his eyes from the book, Erick picked up the toy and gave it another toss in the same direction. Rex again darted through the small opening. But this time, more than a minute passed and the dog didn’t return.
Suddenly, Rex began barking frantically. Erick dropped his book and climbed up to the top of the crates to see what the commotion was all about. Nemo’s gonna hear this! His head rose above the top crate, and he could see Rex barking and jumping frantically. Then Erick spotted the chew toy with its triangle-shaped end caught on a control lever of the crane used to launch the mini-sub. The toy dangled tauntingly just out of the dog’s reach.
“Shhh!” whispered Erick, leaning over the top of the crates. “If Nemo hears this he’s gonna have us both walking the plank.” The dog quieted for a moment as the sound of footsteps on metal came from the stairwell. “Rex, come!” Erick’s tone was urgent. He climbed back to his secret hiding place behind the stack of crates, and Rex ran through the small crevice to join him. Turning off the flashlight, he said in a commanding tone, “Dead dog!” Rex immediately lay down on his side with one paw tucked over his nose, not making a sound.
“Good boy!” whispered Erick to the motionless dog. The footsteps drew closer then slowly passed.
~~~
Nemo paused near the stern and gazed off starboard. He spotted the dolphin playfully swimming; its glistening back disappearing and reappearing in the thick mist. “Some good luck sign,” he muttered. “Since he’s been following the ship, we haven’t seen a thing.”
He took out his pipe, put in a pinch of tobacco, and lit it, puffing on it a few times to get it going. The tip of the pipe glowed in the mist. Taking a long drag, he blew the smoke from the side of his mouth and leaned back against the metal base of the crane. Something cold and wet slithered across the back of his neck. He jumped forward in fright, spitting his pipe across the deck. When he turned around, he saw the saliva-drenched chew toy hanging from the lever.
“That cursed fleabag!!!” hollered Nemo as he grabbed the chew toy and hurled it over the rail with all his might. The spiraling toy disappeared into the mist and landed with a light splash about thirty yards out, near the dolphin.
Wiping the back of his neck with his sleeve, Nemo heard a second splash coming from the same direction—as if something of colossal size had burst from the surface and re-entered the water. He looked about, knowing the noise was much too loud to have come from a dolphin. As he walked toward the rail, a wave from the splash crashed against the hull. The port side dipped. Spray from the wave shot up in front of Nemo’s face and fell across the deck in a fine mist. He steadied himself against the side rail. Squinting, he looked in the direction of the disturbance until long after the water settled.
“Hmm . . . wonder what happened to Nathan’s good luck charm?”
The dolphin never returned.
~~~
John’s heart pounded when they walked through Knysna General Hospital’s double doors. He knew this could be his only chance to speak to a living eyewitness.
“I think we forgot something.” Kate grimaced.
“What?”
“Before we left the office, I didn’t take the chimp out to do her thing. How long do you think she can hold it?”
“Guess we’ll find out.” As they neared the receptionist at the end of the long hall, John said, “What’s Ron’s last name?”
“What?”
“Ron the surfer. What’s his last name?”
“I don’t know. I thought you knew,” whispered Kate as they reached the front desk.
A young blonde in her early twenties glanced up at John and said into the telephone, “I have to go now. I’ll call you later.” Cradling the phone, she looked up at John with a smile. “Can I help you?”
John leaned against the desk, concern on his face. “Yes, we’re here to see Ron, the surfer that was brought in yesterday from the shark attack.” He lowered his head and rubbed his forehead. “We left as soon as the police called. We drove over ten hours just to get here.”
“I’m sorry, but he’s in critical condition. It’s immediate family only.”
Kate pointed to John. “But this is his brother. His much older brother.”
“Please, I’ve got to see my little brother!” John said. “I was so upset that Kelly offered to drive me over here. She’s such a good friend; she even left her only child at home alone to bring me here.”
The young woman’s eyebrows arced with concern. “Awww, it’s too bad you weren’t here a few minutes earlier. Your mother just left with your sister.”
“Oh, that is a shame!” replied John. “The room number please?”
“Room four eighteen. Just take the elevator to the fourth floor and immediately turn right. It’ll be near the end of the hall on
your right-hand side.”
“Thank you. You are an angel.” John smiled warmly, and the receptionist did the same, twirling her long, blond hair with her finger.
Kate rolled her eyes, grabbed his wrist, and muttered, “Come on, Romeo.”
Stepping off the elevator, they took a right and quickly walked down a long brightly lit hallway. As they approached the room, they saw an attractive young woman sitting on a bench just outside the door.
The tanned brunette stood up to greet them. “I’m Samantha. Are you friends of Ron?”
John reached out to shake her hand. “Yes . . . do you know Ron very well?”
“No, not really. I just met one of his friends the other day on the beach.”
“Oh, well actually he’s my brother,” John said. “I was hoping to be able to speak to him alone.”
“Oh, what a shame. Your mother was just here. She’s such a nice lady.”
“Yeah, the receptionist told me. But I’ll see her and little sis later tonight at the house.” John winked and reached for the doorknob, peeking first through the door’s long, narrow window. He saw a thin black police officer standing behind the far side of the bed with a note pad. A nurse hovered close by with her back to the window.
The officer looked up from his pad and glanced at John.
“I don’t think you can go in there yet!” Samantha said. “They just made me leave. The police are trying to question him about the attack.”
John slowly let go of the doorknob and stepped away from the door. Kate sat next to Samantha. As casually as possible, John looked through the window, trying to read the officer’s body language. He saw Ron in the bed, sitting up slightly with his midsection heavily bandaged.
Hearing a sniffle, John turned his attention to Samantha. He could see part of her bikini tan line beneath her low-neck t-shirt. “Were you there? Did you actually see it—the attack?”
The young woman looked down. “No, we arrived at the beach after he had already left for the hospital. All I saw was . . .” she leaned her head forward and tears rose in her eyes, “what was left of Dorian!”
