Cryptid Quest: A Supernatural Thriller (The John Decker Supernatural Thriller Series Book 8)

by Anthony M. Strong

  “And you kept them going all this time?” Decker asked as they stepped onto the weather deck. He looked around and took in the deck. The main mast rose into the gloom, its tip almost touching the top of the tunnel. The single sail was furled against the yard, although the fabric itself had clearly deteriorated over the centuries. Decker suspected it would disintegrate if unfurled. A smaller foremast stood further away, rigged to the bowsprit. Pieces of rope, the remains of ancient rigging, lay coiled on the deck where they’d fallen, probably rotten.

  “I found more barrels of tar in the hold. Whenever a torch went out, I just removed and soaked it again. Honestly, the ship is like a time capsule. Museums would kill to get their hands on this thing.” Cassie led them to a hatch, down a set of steep stairs, and into the ship.

  “Still doesn’t explain how you survived.” Decker looked around as Rory clambered down behind him. They were now on a wide enclosed deck. The forward half looked like crude crew quarters, with cots lining the walls and a central living area that included long tables and benches. A brazier stood under a chimney that disappeared through the ceiling above to vent smoke from belowdecks. A fire burned within, illuminating the interior with a warming orange glow. The rear was partitioned into smaller cabins, but Decker could not see inside to determine their purpose. “What did you do for food and water?”

  “I had a good supply of MRE’s in my backpack. I was also able to scavenge more from Evan Granger’s pack.” Her eyes moistened with tears. “It was still where he’d left it before the creature got him, on the ground outside the pyramid when we were going to make camp.”

  “I see,” Decker said.

  “And I’ve been taking water from the river, like I said.” Cassie nodded toward the brazier. “I boil it over the fire before I use it. I can’t guarantee that will make it safe. But what choice do I have?”

  “We tested the water,” Decker said. “It was fine, at least further back by the waterfall.”

  “That’s good to know.”

  “There must be another level below this one,” Rory said, glancing around. “This deck is not high enough to account for the ship’s size.”

  “There is.” Cassie nodded. “That’s where I found the barrels of tar. There’s other stuff down there, too. Ancient weapons. Barrels of drinking water, although most of those have long since dried up. There are also the remains of foodstuffs. The storage area probably counts for about a third of the deck space. The rest of it is taken up with barnlike wooden pens that appear to have been used for transporting animals. The Cyclops and other creatures would be my guess.”

  “There are pens?” Decker’s interest was piqued. “Can we see them?”

  “Sure.” Cassie said, heading toward the rear of the vessel. “I’ll take you down there. Follow me.”

  40

  They descended through a hatch in the floor and down a set of creaky wooden steps into the bowels of the ship. It was pitch black down in the lower hull, but Cassie had brought a flashlight with her, retrieved from her backpack. The beam did little to illuminate much except a narrow patch of dusty and cracked floorboards. When they reached the bottom, she swung the flashlight around. The beam picked up ancient crates, barrels, and even a cluster of amphoras that must once have held wine or olive oil, stored in tight formation near the curving outer hull. A few had cracked over the ages or shattered entirely, leaving shards of dull brown pottery on the deck. There were other items too. Coiled ropes, metal tools, and stacks of unrecognizable cloth that might once have been clothing. A heavy scent of decay permeated the air. Dust particles swirled around, disturbed by their footfalls as they descended into the lower recesses of the ship.

  “The pens are over here,” Cassie said, swinging the flashlight around so that its beam picked out the wooden pens built along the sides of the hull. Thirty of them in all. Fifteen on each side.

  Decker stepped forward to examine the closest Pen. Made of wood, it measured approximately four by eight feet. Some kind of ancient and cracking tar-based product covered the floor, no doubt to seal the wood boards beneath. There were no portholes or other openings, except for a heavy wooden door attached to thick iron hinges. The door stood open. Decker could see the latch mechanism, which included a hasp on the door’s exterior, through which an iron locking pin could be inserted.

  He stepped inside and studied the pen.

  There were chains with shackles attached to the floor and hanging from the side walls. When the pen’s door was closed, whatever poor creature was confined within would be trapped in pitch blackness, restrained, and unable to move more than a few feet in any direction. Given the origin of this vessel, that meant it would have to endure an entire ocean crossing chained in the dark. He felt a pang of sadness. It was barbaric.

  He stepped out of the cell—because that’s what this surely was—and took the flashlight from Cassie. He made his way down the narrow corridor between pens, shining the flashlight into each as he went. The last four were bigger, with even more chains than the rest. Whatever had occupied these pens was clearly larger and more powerful. He could see scratch marks on the wooden walls. Gouges that bore testament to the previous occupants’ feelings about their captivity.

  Decker heard Rory come up behind him.

  “You think they kept the Cyclops in these pens?” Rory asked, peering over Decker’s shoulder into one of the larger wooden stalls.

  “Either that, or some other unfortunate creatures.” Decker still wasn’t sure if the ancient Greeks and Egyptians who operated the ship were bringing the creatures to the Amazon, or capturing and taking them away, back to their own countries. The answer, he speculated, might lie elsewhere within the pyramid structure.

  “I wish Emma was here to see this,” Rory said.

  “Me too,” Decker replied. He wished he hadn’t been so hard on her now. After all, their relationship had ended many years before, and any feelings he still harbored for the Egyptologist were nothing compared to the love he felt for Nancy. When they reunited with the rest of the team, he resolved to set the record straight and tell Emma that he was engaged.

  If they reunited…

  For all he knew, Emma and Commander Ward were dead, killed by the Cyclops, or some other nasty resident of this jungle. If that were the case, he would never get to tell her anything. He pushed the maudlin thought from his mind and returned to Cassie, who was waiting for them at the end of the short passageway.

  “Creepy, isn’t it?” She asked. “The people who sailed this ship here were up to nothing good.”

  “That much is a given,” Decker replied, thinking of the heavy chains hanging from the walls of each pen. He gave the surrounding deck space another glance, hoping to find some other clue regarding the true purpose of the vessel. He came up empty. “And it begs the question, why is it still here?”

  “And what happened to the people who were on board?” Rory added.

  “Don’t know, on both counts.” Cassie took the flashlight back.

  “Have you found any human remains since you’ve been here?” It was unlikely that the ship’s crew had decided not to make the return voyage home of their own free will, so that left one alternative. Some unknown tragedy had befallen them. The supplies at the other end of the deck supported this conclusion. Even though it had long since rotted, Decker could still see the remains of stored foodstuffs. The crew hadn’t consumed all the supplies they had brought with them. The most logical explanation was that they were not alive to do so. “Are there any bones or other signs of the crew?”

  “No.” Cassie shook her head. “But as I said before, I haven’t explored the rest of the pyramid. The crew’s remains might be there.”

  “Or they could be out in the jungle somewhere, buried under two thousand years of leaf litter and humus,” Rory said. “If that’s the case, we’ll never find them. Needle in a haystack.”

  “I’m not sure it matters if we find them.” Decker was heading back toward the stairs leading to the
ship’s upper level. “The fact of this vessel still being here speaks volumes about the fate of the crew. I’m sure they didn’t stay voluntarily.”

  “I wonder why no one came looking for them?” Rory said, as they climbed back up.

  “It’s impossible to know if anyone came looking, or not given how many centuries have passed.” Decker pulled himself out of the hatch and stepped aside to let the others up. “But we know one thing.”

  “What’s that?” Cassie asked. She turned the flashlight off, no doubt to preserve the battery, and put it down.

  “The creatures out in that jungle have been here for a long time. This is their home, and we are the interlopers. And if the Cyclops retained a race memory regarding the pyramid and this ship, we’re in more trouble than I realized.”

  “Why is that?” Rory asked, his brow creasing.

  “Because they won’t want the outside world to know they’re here, and the best way to protect that secret is to make sure we don’t ever leave.”

  41

  They sat around the brazier and ate rations from their packs. Decker was worried about the rest of their team, and he could tell Rory was, too. Ever since Cassie had brought them to the ship, Decker had held onto a hope that one or more of their lost companions would reach the pyramid and find their way in. But so far, that hadn’t happened. He didn’t need to look far to realize why. A couple of hours earlier, while it was still light, he’d risked a trip back along the tunnel toward the jungle. He was barely halfway there when a large, hulking shape appeared, silhouetted against the brightness of the tunnel’s entrance.

  A cyclops.

  When he turned to make his way back to the ship, he noticed more dark figures skulking at the other end of the tunnel. Cassie had been correct. The beasts were waiting for them. He and Rory were trapped inside the pyramid, at least until the Cyclops gave up and went searching for easier prey. He only hoped that prey would not be his colleagues.

  Rory had been sitting quietly while they ate, casting an occasional furtive glance toward Cassie. Now he mustered up the courage to speak. “What was it like?”

  “What?” Cassie replied, scooping up the last of her meal from its foil packaging with a plastic fork.

  “Being here all alone.” Rory said. “You must’ve been scared.”

  “I saw that winged monstrosity carry off our producer. I heard my friends’ dying screams in the forest.” A haunted look passed across Cassie’s eyes. “Hell, yes. I was scared. I still am.”

  “Is that why you didn’t explore the pyramid?”

  “Partly. I figured someone would notice us missing eventually and send help. The production company knew we were heading to the pyramid, so it made sense to stay here and wait. Especially since the Cyclops don’t seem to like coming inside. That was fortuitous. Not sure what I would have done if they’d chased me in here. Probably ended up dead just like everyone else.” Cassie crumbled her empty package and discarded it. “When I found the ship, I figured it was the best place to sit and wait. Then you guys came along just when I was starting to think I’d be stuck here forever.”

  “Are you sure the rest of your team is dead?” Decker asked.

  “I know some of them are. Can’t be sure everyone is, but no one else found their way inside the pyramid, and I don’t see how they could survive out in the jungle.” She looked at Rory. “What’s your deal?”

  “I don’t follow.” Rory shook his head.

  “Well, your friend, John, looks like a guy who would go on a rescue mission into the rainforest, but you look more like a librarian.”

  “I don’t look like a librarian,” Rory said, indignant.

  “Yeah, you do.” Cassie smiled. “But don’t get me wrong, it’s not an insult. I just wondered what your gig is.”

  “I’m an archaeologist.”

  “He’s also a mythology nut,” Decker added. “If you ever spend time on a plane with him, he’ll bore you to death with his theories about ancient civilizations.”

  “That is not true.”

  “It’s so true. What about Ireland? You couldn’t stop talking about Grendel and Norse warriors. You were positively glowing on the way down here talking about the Cyclops.”

  “He’s exaggerating,” Rory said. “I talk about other things, too.”

  “You don’t have to defend yourself,” Cassie said. “I love mythology. If I hadn’t become a biologist, I probably would have gotten a degree in archaeology, or maybe ancient history.”

  “If you’re a biologist, how come you’re working on a reality TV series chasing impossible creatures?” Decker asked. “You don’t strike me as the type.”

  “And what type would that be?” Cassie was still smiling, but now her lips were pressed tight together. She observed Decker through narrowed eyes.

  “Well, we have a guy waiting for us back at base camp. Your production company sent him down along with some producer. He claims to have a show about finding baby Bigfoots.” Decker paused. “Is that right? Or is Bigfeet the plural of Bigfoot?”

  “Hmm. That’s a good question.” Cassie’s smile widened again. “I’m not sure there is a set definition for the plural of the Bigfoot. Neither one of those options feels right, though. And bigfeet just sounds silly. I’m going to go out on a limb and say that the plural of Bigfoot, is simply Bigfoot.”

  “Got it.” Decker was glad for the lighthearted banter. It distracted from his concern about Emma, Garrett, and the commander.

  “Your guy back at base camp wouldn’t be Tristan Cook, would he?”

  “That’s him. Kind of pompous and full of hot air.”

  “That’s Tristan, all right.” Cassie opened the packaged dessert that came with her MRE. A flattened wedge of blueberry muffin. “You think that just because I work on a TV show, I must be like him?”

  Decker shrugged. “It’s hardly the sort of work a serious scientist wants to do.”

  “It is exactly why I’m doing it. I tried the whole biology thing. Academia. Man, was it boring!”

  “I’d kill for boring, right about now,” Rory said. “Give me a nice tame dig outside Athens, or a newly discovered temple in Rome. That would be bliss.”

  “You’re saying you’d rather be on some boring old dig than sitting here with me?” Cassie asked, a mischievous glint in her eye. “My feelings are kinda hurt.”

  “Oh. No. I mean…” Rory fumbled for words. His cheeks turned red. “That wasn’t what I meant. I just—”

  “Relax. I understand.” Cassie look at Decker. “Is he always this easy to wind up?”

  “Mostly.” Decker nodded. His meal finished, he stood and stretched. He glanced at his watch. Several hours had passed since they first entered the pyramid. It would be dark outside now. He wondered if the Cyclops had left yet. “I’m going to take a walk. See if those creatures have given up on us yet.”

  “I bet they haven’t,” Cassie said. “After they chased me in here, they hung out for almost a full twenty-four hours. Persistent is not the word.”

  “I think I’ll look, anyway.” What Decker didn’t say was that he hoped one or more of their missing group might have found their way inside the pyramid.

  “Want me to come with you?” Rory asked.

  “No need,” Decker replied. “I won’t be long. If nothing else, I’d like to know that our hidey-hole is safe before we bed down tonight.”

  “Sure.” Rory’s gaze drifted from Decker back to Cassie.

  “Shout if you need us,” Cassie said.

  “Will do.” Decker made his way to the steps and climbed up to the hatch. As he descended the plank toward the dock, he heard Cassie and Rory talking excitedly. He couldn’t help but wonder if the archaeologist had found a new subject for his affections. And if so, that was probably just as well. Because Decker didn’t want Emma to break his friend’s heart, the way she had broken his own, all those years ago.

  42

  When Decker returned to the ancient ship, Cassie and Rory were in a hea
ted conversation about Cyclops and how the mythology of the Mediterranean region related to what they had discovered in this region of the Amazon rainforest.

  When Decker stepped inside, Rory looked up. “Any luck?”

  “Still no sign of the others.”

  “Oh.” Rory’s face fell. “It’s not looking good, is it?”

  “No.” Decker retook his seat around the fire.

  “Cassie and I have come up with a theory about this place,” Rory said, changing the subject, although Decker could see the worry in his eyes. “It might explain why the Cyclops are here.”

  “And all the other strange creatures, too,” Cassie said. “I’ve been thinking it over for a while. I had a lot of time on my hands waiting for you guys to show up. Talking to Rory really helped make sense of my ideas. He really is very smart.”

  “He has his moments,” Decker said, noting how Rory’s cheeks reddened at the compliment.

  “Like a librarian,” Cassie said, grinning.

  Rory snorted. “Funny.”

  “Enough with the flirting,” Decker said. “What theory?”

  “We’re not flirting,” Rory said.

  “Sure.” Decker couldn’t help a smile. “Tell me what you’ve figured out.”

  Rory said, “Well, we haven’t quite figured all of it out yet, but it’s a start.”

  Decker nodded.

  “I don’t think they brought the Cyclops here from across the ocean.” Rory licked his lips. “I think this is their home, and they were being captured and removed from it.”

  Cassie took up the narrative. “It makes sense. If these creatures were native to the European or African continents, there should still be a population of them living there now. On the evolutionary scale, a few thousand years is nothing. It’s like the passing of a couple of seconds compared to the length of our own lifetime. Things just don’t change that fast.”