by Jake Bible
Kinsey studied Darren and laughed. “You’re high as that boat kite you’re jabbering about.” She held a compression bandage to her ribs. “I think I’ll live, but I need stitches. And rum. Lots of rum.”
“You can’t drink,” Darren laughed. It was a thin, reedy noise. “No drinking for high boats a flying flyer!”
“Whoa, Ditcher,” Shane said. “As much as I enjoy a good psychedelic freak out, I think you should just close your eyes and chill.”
“Do you see him?” Darren asked. “Do you see the boat shark fish flyer kite?”
“No,” Shane said, looking over at Kinsey. “Don’t see that. Don’t see my brother either. But he’s out there somewhere. I know it.”
“Right on, man,” Darren said, pumping a fist into the air. “Fish kite boat power!”
***
Thorne grabbed the unconscious Max around the shoulders and then spun about in the water, his channel gun in hand, and fired at the shark that came at them.
The round hit the beast in the nose and exploded, ripping a huge gouge out of the monster’s snout, sending it diving down past the two men. Its dorsal fin clipped Thorne and he lost his grip on Max. And his channel gun.
He reached out for the weapon, but it sank too quickly. He had his channel pistol, but he couldn’t get to it and also Max at the same time. The decision was easy as he swam to his nephew and grabbed the man about the shoulders again.
Thorne reached for the surface and pulled Max with him as his head broke into the air above. He quickly yanked his rebreather off, sick of the stupid thing, and took in a lungful of fresh air.
But the air wasn’t as fresh as he’d hope. He could smell burning fuel and scorched metal and he looked about for the source. The Beowulf III. Thorne saw flames and thick, black smoke on its deck and shook his head.
“Now what?” he snarled. “Never a fucking break, huh?”
Max began to come around then he struggled and thrashed, but a quick slap to the face stopped that.
“Knock it off!” Thorne ordered. “Maxwell, stop it!”
Max grabbed at his rebreather and Thorne helped it off of him.
“Maxwell?” Max asked, his voice barely a rasp. “Only Mom calls me Maxwell.”
“It got your attention,” Thorne said. “Just like your mom used to.”
“What happened?” Max asked, his eyes looking about as the two men floated. “Whoa, what’s burning?”
“The B3,” Thorne said. “And don’t ask why. I don’t know.”
“Where’s the shark?” Max asked. “Did you see it?”
“I saw it,” Thorne said. “And shot it. It went below, but probably not for long.”
“MAX!” Shane yelled over the Zodiac’s motor as he zipped towards the men. “Over here!”
“Yeah, we see you,” Max said, waving. “Don’t run us over.”
The Zodiac came about and Shane reached over and helped Max inside then held out a hand for his uncle, but Thorne was already grabbing on and climbing in.
“Hey, the gang’s all here,” Max said as he sat up and checked himself out. “And I’m in pretty good shape, considering how you two look.”
“I blew up a shark,” Kinsey said. “And got a little blown up too. It’s not bad. Just a big scratch.”
“I was shoved to the bottom of the ocean and did coke with a shark,” Darren said. “Then we danced the tango. There were kites. High and flying.”
Max and Thorne stared at him.
“Come again?” Thorne said. “You did what now?”
“I did coke with the shark,” Darren said. “Well, not really with it since the thing had its snort and took off, where Kinsey then was able to blow it the fuck up. Way to go ‘Sey!” He held up a hand and Kinsey gave him a high five, just happy the man wasn’t talking about kites. “Then I swallowed half the ocean, since it was mixed with cocaine, and swam my ass to the surface! Hold on.”
He turned his head puked. Then puked again.
“I need water!” Darren said. “Seriously! Who’s running this airship full of pickles? I need fresh water or my kidneys will attack my body! ATTACK IT!”
“You aren’t supposed to drink a ton of water when high on cocaine,” Max replied.
“That’s extasy,” Shane said. “Not coke.”
“My bad,” Max said. “Drink all the water you want.”
“We don’t have any,” Shane frowned.
“Bummer.”
“I was right,” Kinsey said. “The sharks are on coke.”
“And lovin’ it!” Darren said. “The fucker was just going for it down there! Gotta get me some more of that!”
“Yeah, you do,” Thorne said as he shook his head. “How about we focus and find the other one?”
“Where’d it go, Uncle Vinny?” Max said. “After you shot it, did you see where it went?”
“No,” Thorne said. “But it probably dove deep since I wounded it. Sharks go to the bottom when they’re hurt.”
“Maybe,” Shane said. “This one isn’t in its right shark mind, remember?”
“We need to get out of the water,” Darren said. “Get back to the B3! They have fresh water! No flying boat kites!”
“I’m really not getting what’s going on,” Max said.
“Don’t think too hard about it,” Kinsey said. “He’s tripping balls.”
“Coke does that?” Max asked.
“Not the coke I’ve tried,” Kinsey said. “But maybe there was something else in there.”
“Doesn’t matter,” Thorne said. “We do need to get to the B3.”
“Not with those men scaling the side,” Shane said, pointing at the ship. “That’s a fucking cartel strike force if I ever saw one.”
“Fuck,” Thorne growled. “I’m open to suggestions.”
“I said we need to get out of the water!” Darren shouted. “Coats of boats of kites of fights!”
***
Lake tucked the Desert Eagle into his waistband, lifted Lucy up and threw her over his shoulder, getting her as far away from the flaming helo as possible. He dumped her against a wall and turned back as Popeye and most of the crew started spraying fire extinguishers every which way. Soon the deck was covered in thick foam and the fire was out.
“We have company,” Lake said, nodding towards the railing as he pulled the Desert Eagle back out form his pants. “Any second now.”
Popeye looked at the huge pistol in Lake’s hand. “Got an extra one for me?”
“No.”
“Damn.”
“You can have this,” Lake said and handed Popeye the fire axe.
“That’ll work,” Popeye said. He looked about. “Where’s Ballantine?”
“Here,” Ballantine said as two men helped him limp over. His hair was scorched and the skin on one arm looked like a science experiment of mutant bubbles. But his eyes burned with an anger and intensity that made Popeye gulp. “And we need to get everyone below and seal up the decks. Those men coming are not navy and they won’t hesitate to kill us all.”
Popeye looked at his axe. “This ain’t such a great gift now.”
“Come on,” Ballantine said. “We have to move.”
“Where are we going?” Lake asked.
“Where do you think?” Ballantine smiled. “The Toyshop.”
***
“Dude, relax,” Shane said. “We’ll get out of the water. We just have to figure out how. We can’t go to the B3 because-”
The kick was hard and swift and Shane’s head snapped back. He would have tumbled over the side if it wasn’t for the fact he was hanging onto the stick.
“What the fuck, Ditcher!” Shane shouted.
Darren clambered to his knees and took a swing at Shane. It missed as Shane ducked away, his eye wide with surprise and fear.
“Dude!” Max yelled and lunged at Darren, grabbing him about the waist. “Knock it off!”
Darren slammed his elbow down on the back of Max’s neck again and again until Max was for
ced to let go and shove away.
“We are getting out of the water!” Darren snarled, foam forming at the corners of his mouth. “That’s a fucking order!”
“Captain?” Thorne asked in a genial tone. “Should I throw them overboard?”
Darren’s chest was heaving and his pupils had gone pure black. He spun about and faced Thorne.
“What?” Darren snapped.
“Should I toss the traitors overboard?” Thorne asked. “Feed them to the shark?”
Darren seemed confused, but still raging pissed. He looked each person in the face and didn’t recognize a single one.
“I don’t know you,” he hissed, reaching for his dive knife on his ankle. But it wasn’t there.
“Yeah, first thing I did,” Max said as he tossed the knife overboard.
“That was mine!” Darren screamed as he dove at Max.
Instead of getting to the Reynolds brother, he met Thorne’s fist right between the eyes. He dropped to the bottom of the boat, his vision filled with floating motes of light. Darren shook his head a couple times then pushed up, ready to attack again.
So was Thorne. Another hit between the eyes.
Darren’s face slammed into the bottom of the boat, but he wouldn’t quit. Instead, he seemed to get angrier.
“What the fuck?” Thorne said.
“’Ren, stop it!” Kinsey yelled. “Stop it now!”
“Fuck you, whore!” Darren yelled, turning his attention on Kinsey. “I should have gutted you the day you left me! Ungrateful fucking whore bitch cunt of a-”
His words were choked off. Literally, as Thorne wrapped one arm around Darren’s neck and pressed the other against the side of his head. Darren fought, but Max was able to jump on him and pin his arms down, keeping Thorne from getting his eyes scratched out.
Thorne couldn’t believe the strength he felt coming from Darren. The man should have been unconscious from the chokehold, but he kept fighting and fighting. After what seemed like an eternity, Darren’s struggles started to slacken as his eyes rolled up in his head.
“Is he out?” Shane asked.
“I think so,” Thorne said. “But I’m not letting go anytime soon.”
He eased back the choke and Darren stayed still. Max reached up and double checked Darren’s pulse, just in case.
“Jesus,” Max said. “His heart is racing really fucking fast.”
“The coke,” Shane said. “He ingested too much. He’s whacked out of his brain.”
“No, it’s not that,” Kinsey said. “I mean, it is the coke, yeah, but if it’s pure, then it wouldn’t make him go all psycho. He’d be amped and bugfuck nuts, but not homicidal. That’s meth behavior. This shit is all wrong.”
Thorne looked off at the B3 then over at the Mexican Navy ships. A thought occurred to him, and he was about to express it, when the water around them exploded and the operators were sent flying into the air.
***
“We need to get to the upper deck!” Mike said as he wheeled towards the door.
“No, don’t,” Lake said as he stepped in front of Mike and blocked his way, Lucy still over his shoulder. “We’re going to the Toyshop. Come on.”
“We’re under attack,” Ballantine said as he limped into view, no longer helped by the deckhands. “Espanoza is boarding us.”
“Why?” Gunnar asked.
“I’m guessing because of that,” Ballantine said, nodding at the pallet of cocaine. “But I don’t know why.”
“I think I’m close to finding out,” Gunnar said. “I can’t leave now. And I can’t let them take the cocaine. I have to run more tests.”
“Your dedication to science is admirable,” Ballantine said. “But your safety is more important.”
“So is hers,” Lake said, nodding his head towards the unconscious Lucy he held. “She could use your help, Doc.”
“Leave her with me,” Gunnar said. “Set her over there. I’ll check on her and make sure she’s okay.”
“Come on, come on!” Popeye said, hopping from one real foot to one prosthetic foot. “I can hear gunfire! They’re on deck!”
“Doctor?” Ballantine said. “Let’s go.”
“I’m staying,” Gunnar said. “I can put the lab in contagion lockdown. They won’t be able to get in.”
Ballantine studied the man for a second then nodded to Lake. “Set her down on that table.”
“You have to be kidding?” Lake snapped, looking from Ballantine to Gunnar. “Both of you! They’ll get in here and kill you!”
“I’ll stay,” Mike said. “I can help fight them off.”
“How?” Lake asked as he walked in and set Lucy down on the table. He turned and looked at Mike’s wheelchair. “No offense, but you aren’t exactly in fighting shape.”
“You’re wrong there,” Mike smiled. “I may be missing my legs, but I can still fight. Trust me.” Mike nodded at the Desert Eagle sticking out of Lake’s waistband. “Can I borrow that?”
Lake looked at Mike, over at Gunnar who had started to check on Lucy, and back at Ballantine, then finally at Popeye.
“Give it to him,” Popeye said. “The guy wants to fight then the guy can fight.”
“Fuck,” Lake said and handed the gun over. “I don’t have any extra magazines.”
Mike popped out the magazine, checked how many rounds were inside then slapped it back.
“This will be plenty,” Mike said. “If they get in here they’ll be bringing me more guns anyway.”
Lake snorted then shook his head. “Be careful.”
“We will,” Gunnar said. “Now get out so I can lock things down.”
“How is she?” Ballantine asked.
Gunnar looked up from Lucy. “Bad concussion. But she looks worse than she is.”
“Good,” Ballantine said. “I’ve changed my mind. She’s coming with.”
“She’s what?” Gunnar asked. “Why?”
“Trust me,” Ballantine said. “CO Lake? Would you mind doing the honors again?”
Lake did his look at everyone thing again then shrugged and picked Lucy back up.
“One more thing,” Ballantine said. “There’s a panel to the right of your workstation, Gunnar. Doesn’t look like much, but place your hand against it and it should open for you.”
“What’s in it?” Gunnar asked.
“Help. So pay attention,” Ballantine smiled as they left.
***
El Serpiente made his way to the bridge and steeped up to the control panels. He grimaced at what the monitors said.
“Lockdown,” he snarled, turning to the armed men that followed him in. “Fix that.”
“Sir? How?” one of the men asked. “We would need their code.”
Diego’s snarl turned to a smile and the men flinched. “Does C4 need a code?”
“Uh, on?” the man replied.
“Then that is how you will fix it,” Diego said. “Blow the hatches one by one. Get me where I need to go.”
“We could blow up the ship,” another man said. “With us on it.”
“I don’t care about the ship,” Diego explained. “I care about the product. We know it is here because the tracker on the sub is here. If the tracker is here then the sub is here. If the sub is here then the product is here. Find me the product. That is your job. If the ship sinks then it sinks. Who am I to stop fate?”
“Yes, sir,” the men said and hurried from the bridge.
Diego turned his attention to the different monitors and started to go through each system to see what wasn’t locked down.
***
Kinsey saw it coming for her, pulled her channel pistol, and fired.
But she missed as the shark dove quickly, avoiding the round that came at it. Before it was lost from sight, Kinsey saw there was a huge chunk missing from its snout. Her dad had nailed it, but not enough to stop it.
She kicked her feet and swam to the surface, breaking the surface and gasping for air in front of Shane.
“I shot at it,” Kinsey said. “But it fucking dodged the bullet!”
“The things are smart,” Shane said. “Where are the others?”
“There!” Kinsey said, pointing towards where Thorne and Max bobbed up and down. “I don’t see Darren!”
Kinsey closed her eyes and shook her head as a wave of dizziness hit her.
“You cool?” Shane asked. “What about your side?”
“I’m fine,” Kinsey said. “Just a shitty day.”
“Tell me about it,” Shane said. “Lost my rifle.”
Kinsey couldn’t help but smile. “Asshole.”
Shane winked at her then looked down in the water; his eyes searching for the monster that he knew would be coming for them. He looked back up and was glad to see Thorne and Max swimming over to them.
“Weapons check!” Thorne ordered as soon as he was close enough.
“Pistol,” Kinsey said. “Dive knife.”
“Me too,” Shane said. “Lost my rifle.”
“Shut up,” Kinsey said. “Max?”
“I lost my rifle, but I have my pistol,” he said as he reached below the water and slapped at his belt. “Or not. But I have my dive knife.” They watched as he tucked his legs up and reached for his ankle. The look in his eyes told them it wasn’t there. “Uh…I don’t have anything. What the fuck?”
“Pistol,” Thorne said. “That’s it.”
“Probably would have been a good idea to keep the rebreathers on,” Max said. “Live and learn.”
“Fuck learning,” Thorne said, his face twisted with aggression and anger. “Living is all that matters.”
Then he was lost from sight as he dove.
***
An explosion rocked the ship then another and another.
“They’re blowing the hatches,” Lake said as the group, having added another four crew members, hurried from one passageway to the next on their flight to the Toyshop. “That means Gun is fucked.”
“He can handle himself,” Ballantine said, placing his hand against a biometric scanner set into the wall by the next hatch. It slid aside and they all hustled through. “He’s a resourceful man.”
