by K D McNiven
Grabbing Callie’s hand, Decker said, “We’re going to wander down and take a look at the other boat smashed up on the rocks. It’s not so steep on this side, so I don’t think we’ll need a rope. But we’ll take it slow—the lava is sharp and slick.”
The others followed behind as Decker and Callie set out, except for Carson who chose to do further inspection.
A few scrapes and bruises later from slipping on the slick surface, they made it to the bottom, a strange blueish haze floating around them, lending an eerie setting.
The group gathered around the shredded fragments strewn across the rocks. Jetsam bobbed across the navy-blue waves and slapped against the stone barrier. The storm had ravaged the fishing vessel and there wasn’t anything left to salvage. Their eyes scanned the perimeters and there didn’t appear to be any signs of life.
“A sad ending,” Callie sighed.
Decker looked at her and saw tears in her eyes. He squeezed her shoulder tenderly. “Yes, it is.” He knelt and saw the name Lucy Belle on one of the slabs of wood. “We’ll have to report this when we’re back in radio contact. I’m sure the families of the fishing crew will want to be notified. Far as I can see there are no bodies. They must have been washed out to sea.”
Ryn, on his knees by the water’s edge, held a depth-finder. He had only been there a short time when he scrambled back to where the others were standing. “We have an issue, Decker,” he said, a serious expression masking his face.
“What’s that?”
“The water is rising at a rapid rate.”
“How rapid?”
“My guess, at this rate, we’ll have at the most thirty minutes to make it back over the top and back to the boat.”
“Whoa, that fast?” He looked astounded. He turned his head to see the water had already begun to cover a portion of the wrecked fishing boat. “This is insane!”
Ryn shrugged. “Never seen anything like this. What worries me, is if it continues to rise at these proportionate levels, it might loosen the Jade II from its beached position, and if the epoxy hasn’t sealed….” He needn’t finish his thoughts.
“Good point, Ryn,” Decker said. “We’d better get a move on.” He looked over his shoulder and whistled at Carson who was still bent down looking things over.
He flagged his hand to acknowledge Decker.
They turned to leave, stopping abruptly when two men popped up from behind a stack of rocks. One of the men who had bulging eyes and straggly black hair held an AMT Hardballer pistol in his hand. His lips were twisted into a depraved smile, exposing a row of rotten teeth. His clothes were tattered, same as the other man at his side.
“Well now, aren’t we the luckiest. Our ticket home,” he snickered. “Name’s Clyde and this feller here is Jack.”
Decker held a steady gaze on the two men, wondering if they intended to shoot them where they stood, or if they would move in close enough for Decker to gain the opportunity to take them unexpectedly. Had they asked to hitch a ride back to the states, he would have gladly obliged. But since the man had his gun trained on them, it was clear that his intentions were not honorable.
“How did you get here, Clyde?” asked Carson.
“I believe we met head-on with a rogue wave,” Clyde said. “Broke old Lucy Belle to bits as you can see. She was a faithful boat.” He looked somewhat nostalgic, then snapped back to attention. “We’re going to hike back over them rocks now,” he told them. “Your boat will do us fine.”
“What? You intend to leave us here?” Decker questioned them.
Clyde smiled. “I don’t have a need for you, and Jack and I will do plenty good by ourselves. Maybe we’ll take the pretty little gal with us.”
Decker took an involuntary step forward. The muscle in his jaw jerked with anger. “Over my dead body!”
“Hmm. That can be arranged,” Clyde snorted, an evil slant to his eyes. He raised his gun’s site directly at Decker’s head.
Decker could kick himself for not having grabbed his pistol. As a rule, he always carried it with him, but who would have thought they would need a weapon on an island that wasn’t even on the map. It would have been to their advantage since the men didn’t show much common sense. Decker figured an opportunity would present itself where they could overtake them if they waited it out long enough.
Clyde’s finger twitched ever so slightly. As it did, Ryn, shoulder down, ran with a guttural scream at him. The unforeseen movement took him by surprise and he grunted as Ryn’s shoulder drove deep into his chest, knocking him backward. The handgun fired as Clyde slammed against the hard rocks, jarring it out of his hand. With a clanking sound, it dropped into a shallow crevasse just out of his reach. Sharp stone cut into Clyde’s jaw, a steady stream of blood gushing from his chin and down his throat.
Ryn head-locked him and pinned him to the ground. In response, Clyde turned his head, sinking his teeth deep into Ryn’s arm until he yelped, the sharp pain causing Ryn to loosen the pressure on the man’s throat, allowing Clyde time to roll out from underneath.
Scrambling to his feet, Clyde gave a swift kick, grazing the side of Ryn’s head. He moaned loudly. Dazed, he managed to struggle to his feet, and driven with anger, he charged like a bull in a frontal assault. Snapping his front foot forward, he caught Clyde in his mid-section and heard the sharp exhale of air. When he faltered, Ryn took the advantage. With a tight-knuckled fist, he drove it straight into Clyde’s jaw and he tumbled backward, arms flailing.
No sooner had Decker seen Ryn’s aggression, that he pounced like a preying leopard on Jack, who was gawking at his friend and Ryn battling it out. Without notice, Decker threw an upper-cut to Jack’s chin, sending him stumbling off balance, though somehow, he managed to stay on his feet.
From his back pocket, Jack withdrew a long-bladed knife. It glinted dangerously beneath the threads of sunlight, barely piercing dense gray clouds. He swung the knife, slicing the front of Decker’s shirt. Blood bubbled up across his chest from the jagged cut.
Fiery heat burned where the knife had cut into his flesh, fighting to overcome the pain as he threw a roundhouse kick, striking Jack’s hand. The momentum jarring the knife from Jack’s fingers, the sound of metal clinking against the rocks as the knife landed at their feet. Jack put up his fists and lunged forward, clipping Decker’s jaw.
Pivoting, Decker caught Jack with a spinning back fist, shaking him to the core. He staggered, then dropped like a stone to the ground. His hand reached out to seize the knife only inches away and leaped to his feet and regaining his composure, pushed himself back onto his feet. Wielding the knife back and forth, he took a step closer to Decker, his eyes narrowing into beady slits, a mocking smile on his thin lips. Making slashing motions, he continued moving forward, the sharp metal scoring Decker’s hand.
Decker winced as he felt the sharp edge sink into his flesh and blood spurted from the wound and splattered onto his pant leg and boot. He tried to focus and not allow the pain to cloud his judgment. Without much thought, he darted forward, landing a solid punch on Jack’s chin and leaped back as the blade made a wide arc toward him.
Callie had seen the gun dislodge from Clyde’s hand when he’d fallen. She darted forward and pulled it free from the fissure. With one long step, she clouted the side of Jack’s head, watching as he crumpled to the ground unmoving. Turning with a jerk, she popped off two bullets from the gun, dropping Clyde who had gotten back on his feet and was aggressively going after Ryn. Crimson blood fanned out across the front of his shirt as his body collapsed.
In the midst of the chaos, the sound of gunfire alerted Carson something had gone wrong. He scrambled over the lava, trying to get to the bottom of the ridge. The algae-slick rock caused his feet to go out from underneath and he tumbled headlong to the ground, striking his head on a rock protrusion. He swirled in darkness and fought to get to his feet. Dizzy, he collapsed in a heap several feet away from the team.
Ryn dashed over to take the man’s pulse. When he couldn’t find
one, he rushed over to Jack. In his fall, Jack’s head had struck a sharp piece of lava rock, which had pierced his temple. Ryn felt no pulse there either. Both men dead, he made his way over to Carson, where Callie was already checking him out to take stock of his injuries.
Carson managed to push himself into a sitting position. He moaned and grabbed the side of his head. When he brought it back down, he saw blood on his hand. His head swirled dizzily and he batted his eyes trying to focus in. “Is everyone all right?” he asked.
“Except for you,” Ryn said, a lopsided grin on his face. “Oh, and that Jack guy decided to carve Decker up like a jack-o-lantern.”
Carson looked up with surprise, seeing the blood on Decker’s hand and torn shirt.
“Only flesh wounds, no worries. Do you think you can make it back over the rise?” Decker asked, stretching out his hand for Carson to take.
“Think I can manage,” he said. “At least we better hope I can.”
“Remind me not to mess with you, Callie,” Ryn chuckled.
“Learned everything I know from Decker.” She glanced over at him, and he winked.
“Good job, Ryn,” said Decker, patting him on his shoulder. “Welcome aboard Jade II.”
“My pleasure.”
The water was climbing fast. With the unexpected delay, they would hopefully have time to make it to the other side before a wall of water cascaded over them. They scrambled up the side, back to where they had left the grappling hook and rope, panicking when they saw the Jade II had jarred loose from the lava and was drifting.
Decker urged everyone to cling to the rope and move along as fast as they could, the rope their only lifeline between the island and the dinghy. They had little time to spare.
As they maneuvered their way back down, water slowly began to spill over the lip of the seamount, rushing around their feet. As the current began pushing forcefully against them, they found it more and more difficult to move forward and watched helplessly as the dinghy was tossed relentlessly. In the back of their minds, they feared the tether would break free from the rocks. If that happened, the side boat would be driven away by the unrelenting waves, leaving them no way back to the yacht.
“Get a move-on Callie! We’re out of time!” yelled Decker, seeing Callie looking back over her shoulder to make sure he and Carson were close behind.
Ryn grabbed Callie’s hand at the bottom, the two working their way toward the dinghy in desperation. At the edge of the island, they held fast onto the rope, trying to keep their balance as the water rose to their waists. Dread welled up in them as rocks began crumbling beneath their feet. They were swept from side to side, the water now over their heads. In order to keep from being swept out to sea, they attached themselves to the nylon cord with their carabiners. As they closed the distance, they were exhausted from battling the powerful tide, their muscles cramping.
“Hang tight, Callie!” Ryn hollered over the roar. “We’re almost there!”
Callie continued looking back, trying to see if Decker and Carson were close behind, but the rising waves made it impossible to catch sight of them. The salty water stung her eyes and she pinched them shut trying to relieve the burning sensation. Her heart jackhammered in her breast as she went hand-over-hand toward the boat.
Decker had stayed back with Carson to help him over the rocks. In the back of his mind, he began to wonder if they would beat the tidal wave of water advancing around them. Once the surge of water grew to be higher than the rock ridge, they would be thrown to the mercy of the sea and nothing could prevent it.
Decker did his best to support Carson who was struggling to keep on his feet. He was dizzy and nauseous from the fall, and though Decker had made himself a crutch to lean on, he had little energy to keep going. Worse, he knew he was holding Decker back and could cost him his life. The thought weighed on him heavily.
“You can do this Carson,” Decker encouraged. “Not much longer to go. Hang in there, buddy.” And though Decker tried to bolster Carson’s resolve, he wasn’t sure how much longer they could beat the odds. He stared out, spindrift in his face, trying to see if Callie and Ryn had made it to the dinghy, but the rising swells made it impossible to see.
Ryn and Callie were able to grab the side of the small craft and rolled over the edge. They looked back and spotted the two men struggling as they made their way out into the breakers. Callie, watching helplessly, felt her heart sink.
Ryn worked at getting the motor started, yanking hard on the cord several times until it finally fired-up. He hoped the surge of water would push them outward, away from the rocks. He banked sharply left and swung back around to pull Decker and Carson to safety.
Seawater cascaded over the two of them as they fought their way through the surf, their fingers ripped from the suspended rope by the raw force. Both were sucked under, powerless to fight against the formidable surge. Tossed like corks in the waves, the sharp rocks tore into their flesh, and their lungs burned, starving for air.
“Decker!” screamed Callie, searching for him in the black turbulent water. Nothing. No sight of either of them. The water drove the dinghy backward with great force. She clung to the craft, which rocked violently and fought to stay inside. The dinghy was propelled in the direction of the Jade II, away from Decker and Carson.
The waters boiled like a cauldron as the island slowly sunk below the ocean’s surface, now completely submerged. It was like a desert mirage. One moment you could see the volcanic land mass, the next it had vanished.
Callie continued to stare numbly at the white-capped swells, her heart thumping soundly with fear. When she thought to give up all hope of their survival, Ryn’s voice shattered her thoughts.
“Over there!” he yelled. “I see them!” He motored the boat back around until they were nearly on them and tossed out the life preserver.
Callie and Ryn began reeling them in, grateful they had survived the ordeal. Callie finally released her breath. She wasn’t sure how she would have gone forward without Decker at her side.
Desperate fingers grabbed Decker’s wet shirt, pulling him up and over the side of the dinghy, Callie wrapping her arms tightly around him, tears trailing down her cheeks.
“Thank God you’re all right,” she said, turning immediately to help Ryn drag Carson inside.
“Thought I was going to meet my maker for a moment,” Decker said, his teeth chattering. “You doing okay, Carson?”
“Feel like I’ve been in a rock tumbler. Other than that, looks like I’m going to survive.”
Decker turned his head slightly and saw the Jade II, bobbling over the waves, and Polly and Ted standing at the railing, waving their arms wildly. One good thing, it remained afloat. Once they got back on board, they hoped they would find the patch in the hull holding firm.
Once out of the boat, they walked to the combination mess hall, dining room area where all of them collapsed on the sofas. Their bodies ached beyond measure. Regrettably, they concluded Carson had a slight concussion and would need to seek medical help once they returned to Miami. However, except for some cuts and bruises, the team made it out without anything major to speak of.
Polly had a bundle of blankets that he draped over them to stop their shaking, and Ted brought them out hot coffee to warm them.
“The patch is holding for now,” Polly said. “I’m going to keep an eye on it to make sure it isn’t going to seep through the epoxy. I also made radio contact. A ship is heading our direction to make sure we get back safely.”
“You two are lifesavers,” Carson smiled.
“We had to take on the role of captain for a while,” Ted said, with a smile. “I have to tell you, those monitors scared the hell out of me.”
Ryn and Carson laughed knowingly. They were well versed in reading sonar and the different monitors mounted inside the pilothouse and understood completely what Ted meant.
“Awesome job, guys,” Ryn said. “Have to say, this has been a perplexing, hair-raising experien
ce. I feel fortunate to have come out of this with my life. Especially after seeing the multiple layers of twisted aircraft and ships interlaced in such a way.
“Say what?” said Polly.
“Seems over the years, this freak storm has taken down ships and planes alike and melded them together in a lava flow.” Ryn tried to paint a visual, though nothing compared to actually witnessing it yourself. “Don’t ask me to explain because I’m clean out of rationalizations in this matter.”
“Hope this untimely adventure hasn’t spoiled your desire to be the first mate?” Decker questioned, humor flashing on his face.
Ryn laughed. “Not on your life!”
Chapter 4
⁂
Miami
Jade II slid into its birth in Miami. The crew was overjoyed they had made it back without further leakage, though the yacht would have to be raised and repaired on shore to reinforce the damaged area.
Decker, Carson, and Ryn would meet up with some meteorologists to impart the information they had gathered in the Bermuda Triangle to determine how it was possible for all of those lost ships and planes over the years to end up meshed together in one area.
They reached the office midday, a three-story building centrally located in the city. Inside, the walls were covered with monitors to study weather patterns around the world. A hubbub of activity filled the spacious room of the National Weather Advisory Center (NWAC).
Harry Patton, head of the meteorology department, bent over the various charts they’d handed over for him to look over. It was clear by his facial expression he was as perplexed by their findings as they were. He rubbed his nicely trimmed gray beard, his brow creased, revealing he was having a difficult time evaluating the results.
“I don’t know what to say, Decker, I’m stumped,” Harry said and shrugged. “We all know over the past twenty-five hundred years, sea levels have risen and fallen over comparatively short intervals.”
Decker was quiet for a moment, his face too, etched with bewilderment. “What you’re saying is, we happened to be there at a specific time frame when the ocean levels fell, and miraculously, within a matter of minutes, rose again to cover a metal and wood twisted mountain?”
