by K D McNiven
“Meg! Get out of there!” Captain Burke’s voice rang out in her ears.
***
Onboard, Camilla couldn’t breathe as she watched in horror, the roiling bubbles of seawater on the monitors. It had to be the Purussaurus. Her heart jack-hammered in her chest and she knew she couldn’t just stand by lamely and allow her friends to be killed. She turned and rushed out of the room and to middeck where the nets were. Securing one of the nets to the winch, she began shoving it over the edge, not even considering it might entrap the divers. She was in panic-mode and her sensibilities had fled.
When Captain Burke spotted the net floating downward, obscuring the camera lens, his mouth dropped. At the same time, he and Cory bolted out the door to where Camilla was.
“Stop! Camilla…”
She turned to see their faces crumpled with alarm.
Just as they reached her, the ship rocked violently. Captain Burke grabbed Camilla who nearly plunged over the side. The force behind the creature as it was seized, began to haul the ship toward shore.
“It’s going to run us aground!” shouted Captain Burke. “We have to cut the line!”
Cory raced back in to see if the camera had picked up anything. He froze. Kyles' foot was caught up in the netting along with the creature. If they cut the net, Kyle would never get free. Grabbing the mic, he called out to Meg in a panic.
“Meg where are you?”
“I’m trying to surface.”
“No! Don’t surface. Camilla threw a net in on top of the dinosaur. Kyle is caught up in the net and the creature is hauling the ship aground. Can you get to the net and help free him?”
“I’ll try. I can hardly see down here. Where is Mason and Jayden?”
“Can’t see them,” Cory said. “Hurry Meg, you’re our only hope of getting him out of there alive.”
There was a lot of silt and visibility was poor. However, Meg could see the twisting and turning of the animal. Now, if she could only get to him without getting killed herself. If its tail struck her it would be all over for her. Not to mention the sharp teeth.
She finned her way in toward the netted animal, adrenalin pumping wildly in her veins. At the bottom of the net, she caught sight of him working madly to get his foot loosened from the nylon cord. She shined the flashlight in his direction and saw he’d managed to withdraw his knife, but as the Purussaurus thrashed violently, the water all around was like a boiling cauldron. Meg found it difficult to get closer, her own body being tossed from side to side. But she refused to give up and continued propelling herself forward.
Finally, she reached him. She had since withdrawn her knife, and hanging onto his arm, she began to saw at the ropes. Time was running out. The ship was being drawn at a steady rate toward the shoreline. Meg clung on fiercely, breaking a few strands. Her air gauge was running low, and her rapid breathing wasn’t helping much either. If she couldn’t manage to free him in short order, they wouldn’t have to worry about the prehistoric beast killing them. With an increased drive, she worked away at the netting, sawing, pulling, until finally, Kyle’s foot slipped out from the rope’s confines, and none too soon. The two of them made haste to the surface.
“Got him!” she wheezed through the mic in her mask. “Heading up.”
“Thank God!” came Captain Burke’s voice.
Soon as their heads shot up from the surface, they kicked their way toward the ship. Feet away, Meg spied Jayden and Mason on the dive platform They waved and cheered, their faces looking relieved.
When the captain saw the two being helped onto the platform, he began cutting the net that had been secured to the winch. If he didn’t sever the lines, the keel might be run aground. Sonar readings revealed they were heading dangerously close to shallow water.
“I thought for sure you two were goners,” Jayden said. “Happy to see I was wrong.”
“I can’t believe the size of that caiman…dinosaur…Purussaurus, or whatever you want to call it,” Meg said, having slipped off her mask and climbing the metal ladder onto the deck where Captain Burke and Cory were working frantically to sever the lines.
“Yes!” Cory yelled, putting his fist into the air, then drawing it sharply down to his side, raising his knee at the same time.
They raced to the railing all looking to see if the Purussaurus had managed to get out of the netting or if it remained tangled, held captive on the ocean floor. All they were able to see were massive bubbles thirty-feet from them. If the creature died, it would give them the opportunity to use the crane, and reel it up from the depths to study it. Presently, none of them were willing to make the dive to determine the beast’s status.
Meg slumped against a metal bulwark midship, exhausted and relieved they had all managed to escape the jaws of the Purussaurus, and thankful she had coped well when under pressure.
Right then, Camilla stepped up to her, gave her a quick hug, then looked at the floor guiltily. “I’m so sorry.” Her voice was a mere whisper.
“For what?”
“I saw the water churning and knew the Purussaurus had to be close by. What else could make such an explosion of water? I-I panicked. All I could think of was the animal was going to kill all of you, so I ran out and hooked up the netting and threw it over.”
“It’s alright,” Meg fought to soothe her, seeing her inner turmoil. “We all made it back in one piece.”
“Except Kyle got caught up in the net and…”
“Had you not netted the beast we probably would have been killed. Look, you did what you thought best at the time. None of us blame you. In fact, I want to thank you. Sure, it was a risk, but it turned out to be the best scenario for the team. Don’t give it another thought.”
She shook her head. “Thanks, Meg. I’ve been beating myself for bungling things up.”
“Like I said. Let it go and let’s go get something to eat. I’m famished.” Meg smiled, draping her arm over Camilla’s shoulder and led her toward the dining hall.
Chapter Ten
⁂
Unfortunately, with the thrashing Purusaurus, the camera had either been decimated or knocked over at the very least—undetermined because none of them were willing to take another dive after the scare they had the day before.
Jayden, Kyle, and Meg all stood at the railing, discussing how to move forward. More than anything, they wanted to know if the Purussaurus was still tangled up in the nets. They also knew they would have to bring back up the camera equipment, hopefully still intact.
“I think the only thing we can do right now to recover the equipment is lower the ROV,” said Meg.
Jayden shook his head. “Yep. At least we don’t have to worry about the beast eating the underwater robot!”
Meg chuckled. “First, and most important point to make. Since we’ve determined diving could be detrimental to our health, the ROV would make the most sense. Also, we can cruise the bottom and see if we can find a visual on the overgrown caiman. I have to admit, I’d like to know if it’s still caught up in the net, or if it managed to shake it off.”
“If it did, we also need to haul in the net so other ocean fish don’t get caught up in it.”
“The next thing I planned to mention, Jayden. Glad you brought it up. With the remote-controlled arm, we can send a cable down with a hook and the ROV can set it in place, then winch it up. And, if the creature is still bound up in the net, we can get some shots of it as well.” Meg looked satisfied by the decision. “All right. We’ll make preparations for the launch and get Cory out here to manipulate the ROV.”
“Fantastic,” said Jayden, turning toward the pilothouse.
“When’s your ex returning?”
Meg scrunched her face. “Please, don’t broach the subject of Rourke. He’s on his own time schedule. He’ll get here when he gets here.”
The corners of his mouth turned up into a mischievous smile. “Sorry, I couldn’t help myself. I saw how he looked at you when he first came on board and saw you. You su
re he
isn’t still Mister Right?”
“Yep. Mister Right out of my life…and the look you saw… sheer guilt and dread having to face me again.”
“Wasn’t exactly the impression I got,” Jayden replied. “The guy is still hot for you.”
Meg threw up her hand. “Enough already! Do you know how long it took me to move forward? Besides, what am I doing talking about my personal life with you guys when we have important work to get done. Hop to it!” A bit frustrated by Jayden, Meg turned and walked middeck to where the ROV was stored.”
Chasing after her, Jayden said, “I apologize, Meg, You’re right. This situation is serious. I suppose it was a poor attempt at lightening the mood a bit…at your expense, I might add.”
Meg passed a glance at Jayden who looked at her with sad puppy dog eyes, making it impossible to stay irritated with him. She relented with a smile. “No problem. But not another word about it, you hear me? Let’s just get the ROV hooked up to the crane, so we can lower her. While you and Kyle wrestle with that, I’ll go find Cory. I’d like him to get the monitor set up here on deck.”
“On it.”
It wasn’t long before they heard the drumming sound of the crane’s hydraulic motor resounded across the deck as the ship’s mechanic fired it up. The ROV, connected to the crane, dangled over the soft swells, ready to be lowered. Cory scuffled across the bridge, adjusting his hard hat, to the control console set up midship and began his magic with the controller, easing the ROV downward below the surface. The power conductors encased in the tether would relay back information to the monitor fixed at its station in front of Cory, enabling him to view the progress of the ROV.
The crew stood nearby to observe as well, hoping the sophisticated robotic arm would be able to grab the camera equipment in its claw and bring the gear to the surface. A lot of money lied on the ocean floor, and they held their breath, trying to stay optimistic that the camera remained intact.
The process did not happen quickly and hindering the process, the ROV stirred up a layer of silt, creating a milky environment beneath them, which only afforded them three-feet of visibility. In spite of it, Cory managed to motor the vehicle toward the marker and they caught a vague outline of the camera, face down on the sandy floor. Cory’s hand curled around the controller and manipulated it until the ROV hung mere inches over the equipment. Using the robotic arm, he managed to drop the claw around the camera and secured it. The crew cheered and slapped Cory’s back. Slowly, they began to raise the ROV to the surface.
Once they had the camera back on deck, they could see a couple of the pieces had been broken off. With any luck, they would be able to repair it.
“Now let’s see if we can locate the net,” Cory said, moving the crane arm back out while the crew held the ROV steady with cables. “If the beast is still caught up in it, chances are good it’s still alive.”
“In which case, we leave it lay, right?” Jayden piped up; his brows cocked.
“You can bet we’re not bringing the thing on board if that’s what you mean,” Captain Burke responded.
“Have you heard anything back from Rourke?” Meg asked.
“Not a word. I’m sure he’s a resourceful man and will manage to get the supplies we need.”
“Yep. Resourceful is Rourke’s middle name,” Meg said with a smile. “He’ll come through for you.”
Burke’s eyes caught her profile. He had never heard the reason for their divorce and would never dream of asking. He knew better than to stick his nose in where it didn’t belong and if Meg wanted him to know, she would broach the subject on her own. No. Best to let sleeping dogs lie. However, since Rourke had arrived, he had seen Meg’s tensions rise, and would also take bets she still had deep emotions for the man.
It wasn’t until midafternoon they finally located the net lying in a heap on the ocean floor. The beast had managed to free itself, though unfortunately, the video transmitted through the monitor revealed a porpoise had been caught in it. The team’s heart plummeted as they watched its helpless struggle.
“Haul the net to the surface,” Meg said. “I’m going to dive and cut it free.”
“Are you insane!” Jayden said, his voice brittle.
“The dolphin is exhausted. It can’t make it much longer, Jayden. I’m going to chance it. As I said, haul the net to the surface while I slip into my wet suit.”
Captain Burke opened his mouth, then decided it best to say nothing. The risk was all Meg’s. He understood her compassion for the animal, though he couldn’t discount the danger involved. The image of Richard when he had been brought on board crowded his mind. Not only that, the dolphin could possibly serve as bait as it thrashed around while raising it. He straddled a fence. Meg was the leader and he didn’t want to interfere in her decision-making. As captain, he would not want anyone superseding the decisions he made.
While Cory hauled in the net, Meg quickly donned her neoprene wet suit, drew her hair back and secured it with a rubber band, then grabbed her fins and mask. Because they were surfacing the net, she decided to use her snorkel rather than load down with her weight belt and tank. She didn’t want to be encumbered, plus she hadn’t had time to go over her gear for any cuts or defects. A dangerous undertaking. She made every effort to numb her thoughts. She needed to be focused.
“Let me go with you,” Jayden said as she joined them near the starboard railing.
“Sorry. I can’t ask anyone to do this under the circumstances. I appreciate your offer though.”
“Come on,” he insisted. “It will go much faster with two of us and if you should happen to get tangled someone needs to be there to cut you free.”
“Jayden, really…”
“You can use my help, Meg. I want to do this.”
Her mouth pressed into a defiant line, she yielded. “Alright. Just so you know, I’m not happy about it. Go get suited.”
Meg glanced over the edge. The dolphin was barely moving at this point. It had no fight left and if she didn’t release it soon, she wondered if it would make it. Before fitting her face mask, Meg grabbed the Seac biogel and squirted a small amount on the lenses to keep them from fogging up. She walked to the stern deck and started down the ladder just as Jayden joined her, and poking the snorkel in her mouth, she released the metal ladder bars and plunged into the rolling swells.
She finned her way around the side of the research ship, her hand sliding to her thigh where she withdrew her dive knife, hoping the dolphin would not panic when she reached it. Suspended just below the waterline, Meg dove a couple of feet and grabbed hold the nylon netting, Jayden coming up alongside her. The two of them worked diligently slicing into the rope, the hole growing larger with each cut. The dolphin seemed to understand they were there to help and remained calm until they finally were able to assist it. The dolphin slid out from the frayed cords, making a turn to rub against Meg as if to say, thank you. After a short time, it dove and jetted back out to sea.
Jayden gave Meg a high five under the water, and they headed back to the dive platform, thankful there were no more incidences. Regardless, Meg and Jayden were both happy to be climbing out of the water and getting safely back on board. Neither of them had been able to shut out the fact there was a man-eating dinosaur loose out there somewhere.
Cheers came as they joined the rest of the team on deck. Meg and Jayden bowed, big smiles on their faces. There was something very gratifying about saving a life, even the life of a defenseless animal.
“I think the dolphin would have hugged you if it could have,” Kyle grinned.
“In a way it did,” Meg replied. “It brushed up against me before swimming off. It seemed to know we were there to help. I’m thankful it wasn’t thrashing about or it could have been much more difficult.”
Captain Burke’s cell phone jingled. He poked the talk button and said, “Burke here.”
“Captain, this is Rourke.”
“Rourke! Glad to finally hear from yo
u. How’s it coming along?”
Meg’s head snapped up when she heard it was Rourke and took a couple of steps closer to Captain Burke. She had been anxious to hear if they had been able to find the anesthesia they were looking for.
“Getting the Brazilian two-step and dancing with the authorities right now, unfortunately. I’m heading for the Belém zoo.”
“Um…you lost me.”
“I have a couple of ideas I’m going to pursue. I’ll update you later once I get some information…assuming I don’t get the same run-around.”
“Do what you can do, Rourke.”
“Everything okay there?”
“Pretty much. We had a bit of a disaster. All things considered, it turned out alright in the end. Meg and the dive team set up a camera on the ocean floor near the bones. We figured we might actually get some shots of the Purussaurus. On their ascent, one of the creatures showed up and Camille tried netting it…almost run us aground. A hair-raising upheaval…too long to go into the details right now though. The camera got bashed around, so we launched the ROV to retrieve the equipment. We are fortunate we didn’t have too much damage, and we also managed to salvage the net…complete with a porpoise.”
“How did you deal with that challenge?” asked Rourke.
Burke hesitated, flashed a glance at Meg, then replied, “Meg and Jayden dove and cut it free of the net. Luckily, it was unharmed and headed back out to sea.”
Dead air followed. “They dove knowing there was a Purussaurus in the area?” Rourke’s voice crackled with anger. It didn’t take a scientist to know he was fuming.
“You can take that up with them later…or with me if you want someone to blame,” Captain Burke replied, not wanting to get into a quarrel over the phone.
“I’ll give you a call later.”
“I’ll look forward to it.” Disconnecting the conversation, Captain Burke slipped his cell into his shirt pocket, feeling Meg’s eyes boring into him.
“He’s steaming, isn’t he?”
“To put it mildly. Yes.”
“He’ll get over it. Besides, I know if he was here right now under the same circumstances, he would have gone in too. He’s only peeved because…”
