“Hey, do you know Finley?” I ask Melody.
“Nah. Why?”
“I think he feels sorry for you. Either that, or he thinks you’re hot. He keeps eyeing you up.”
“Well, he won’t if I start doing the barf-ola.”
“Give me fair warning so I can get the hell out of here.”
“Yeah, don’t worry. You’ll hear it coming.”
“Gross.”
We all make small talk as much as we can. The boat is noisy and with the ride being rough, it’s not easy, so after about thirty minutes, we fall silent. When we get to our destination, I’m happy to see that Mel’s complexion has only a slight green tinge to it.
“How’s it going, Mel?” I ask. “You’re not looking too bad.”
“I’ll be better once I get in the water.”
Dan anchors the boat and tells everyone to gear up. I wedge my body into my neoprene suit, check my regulator, and put on my buoyancy control device. Next comes my weight belt, and then I grab my fins, mask, snorkel, wrist light, and give a final check to my wrist dive computer. Dan waits for us aft, where all the tanks are stored, to attach an oxygen supply to each of us. When we’re all suited up, Greg assists Dan with his.
“Listen up everyone. We will not separate on this dive. There are some sketchy areas on this ship, and I don’t want anyone to lose sight of each other. Are we all clear on this?” Dan asks.
He gets four nodding heads in return.
“Good. As your dive master, I’ll lead us down and back up. Our depth will be approximately one twenty. Make sure you have lights because visibility inside will be poor. We all good with that today?”
We all nod.
“Excellent. You may or may not find anything of note. If you do, be aware that anything of significance needs to be catalogued with the South Carolina historical society since this is a recorded shipwreck. However, if you find it away from the ship itself, finders keepers. Divers, make sure your computers are calibrated to your oxygen levels. I’m taking a line down so you can have a sight on where the boat is, but it will only go to about a hundred feet. Everyone ready?”
A bunch of “yeahs” ring out.
“Keep in mind we have a strong current so stay close to the group. Questions, anyone?”
No one says a word so Dan indicates we can all get in the water and begin our descent. I’ve pre-treated my mask with anti-fog spray so it’s ready for use and I place it over my face. With my regulator in my mouth, I drop backwards into the water. Since my BCD, or buoyancy control device, has been inflated with air, I push the button to release it so I can sink. Pressure builds in my inner ears as I go down so I have to equalize by pinching my nose and blowing out. This is a constant thing until I hit the depth we are going to maintain. Once there, I set my BCD to also sustain me at that level. I give my dive computer one last check, and now I’m ready for the fun to begin.
Dan comes to each of us, checking for the A-Okay sign, and once it’s given, we head to the ship. It looms in front of us, dark and mysterious. I wonder how many secrets it still holds after all these years. It’s an old merchant marine ship that got caught in a hurricane back in the fifties. Over the years, a multitude of sea life has turned the ship into an underwater aquarium.
The currents are wicked strong; it’s difficult to stay on course. Dan is ahead of us as we swim in a group, but staying tight is impossible. I’ve never experienced currents like these before. I look off to my right and notice Mel has drifted pretty far away. I need to get her, so I head in her direction.
Usually when diving, swimming isn’t that difficult. Fins help propel you along and if you use your entire leg appropriately, it’s easy to cover a lot of distance. Right now I have to use all my strength just to go a couple of feet. And every few feet I move forward, the current shoves me yards backward. Melody is drifting further and further away and when I look for Dan and the rest of the group, they are far off in the opposite direction. I’ve never panicked while diving before, but at this rate, I’ll use all my oxygen in no time.
The current pushes me so far from the group, I lose sight of the ship. A quick look at my computer tells me I’m still good on my oxygen vs. depth vs. time ratios. The question is should I try to find Melody or try to get back to the group? Melody is a less experienced diver and maybe I need to sound the alarm. Hopefully she will have had the sense to surface and go back to the boat. I turn around to try to find the rest of the group when my regulator is ripped from my mouth as a tremendous force rams me. I grapple, searching for my air supply. Without it, my oxygen tank is useless. When my hand finds the hose, the regulator piece is missing. There’s no way for me to breathe. Stay calm, Serena. I start my ascent, knowing I won’t have enough time to reach the surface. One hundred and twenty feet is a long way. Never dive alone or get separated from your fellow divers—my instructor’s voice blares in my mind. Something slams into me again, crushing my ribs. I scream, seeing my own bubbles surround me. What the hell was that? A shark? I can’t think of anything else that would butt me like that. I look around and then I see several … things … drifting in front of me. But they aren’t sharks. They look more like … men. But they aren’t wearing SCUBA gear. Am I already hypoxic?
I kick my feet, trying to get away from them, but it’s no use. They grab my legs and jerk me down. The bubbles releasing from the useless air hose make it difficult to see, but then I’m free again. Something blackens my mask and my vision is blocked. Consciousness is slipping away. If this happens, death is imminent. Jesus, who would’ve thought a joy dive would turn into something like this? I fade.
“Serena! Serena, wake up!”
Someone pats my cheek. I open my eyes and stare into Dan’s face. He’s looking down at me as I lie on my back in, I presume, his boat.
“What happened?”
“I was going to ask you that.”
“How did I get here?”
He gives me the strangest look. “Again, I was going to ask you that. We were down at the wreck and couldn’t find you, so I signaled to the group to surface and we found you here.”
Lifting my head, I notice I’m still wearing all my gear. The strangest thing is when I reach for my regulator, not only is it there, but it looks brand new.
“What the—?”
Dan notices my confusion, so I explain what happened. The rest of the group looks on like I’m fucking crazy, Melody included.
“Mel, didn’t you get separated?”
“Yeah, but only for a minute or two. The currents pushed me away, but I managed to get right back.”
“I saw you way off so I followed to try to get you back. Then I lost sight of you and the ship.”
Melody looks at me, a puzzled expression masking her face. “No, Serena, I was only a little bit away and it took me no time at all to get back. I saw you swimming away and I kept wondering where you were going.”
I move to get up, but my whole left side is sore. “Oh, god I hurt.”
“Let me help you up.” Greg holds out his hand. I accept his offer and stand, feeling woozy.
“Jesus, I feel like I just went ten rounds in the ring.” My whole body kills me. What the hell happened down there?
“What do you mean?” he asks.
“Just that. I feel like I’ve had the shit beaten out of me.” I wrestle to get out of my neoprene suit. Underneath, I’m wearing a two-piece swimsuit and the black and purple marks are already forming on my torso.
“Christ, what the hell happened to you?” Dan asks.
“That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you. Something attacked me down there. At first I thought it was a shark. It butted me. Then my regulator was ripped from my mouth and I could’ve sworn it was torn off my air hose, but I guess I just panicked.”
Dan and Greg stare at me. Then Dan says, “What do you mean you thought it was a shark?”
“Yeah, here’s the crazy part. After the first hit, I looked around expecting to get hit again and that’
s when I saw them. They looked like … men. I know it sounds weird, but that’s what I saw.”
“What do you mean by men?”
“They looked like men only they were creepy and didn’t have SCUBA gear on. But then my air hose was spewing bubbles everywhere and it distorted the water so much I couldn’t get a clear view. I panicked and tried to surface, but one of them grabbed my legs and yanked me back down. That’s when I blanked out. The next thing I know I wake up here.”
Dan, Greg, and Finley all share a glance while Melody holds my hand. It’s obvious they don’t believe my story.
“Look, I know it sounds nutty, but how else would I have gotten these?”
“Good question,” Greg responds.
Dan says, “Serena, you may have a broken rib. Can you take a deep breath?”
“Yeah, but it hurts.”
“We’re heading back. I think you need to get checked out.”
“No! I’ll be fine.”
“Not on one of my dives. You’re going to get X-rayed. If not for your peace of mind, then for mine.”
He strips off his suit, starts the engines, and we head back to land.
Melody taps my arm and asks, “You sure you’re okay?”
“I’m just glad to be on this boat, breathing in air. I didn’t think I’d be here. I seriously thought I would end up in a watery grave today.”
“Jeez, Serena, don’t say that.”
“It’s true, Mel. I’ve never been frightened during a dive. But I was today. I don’t know what hit me, but it wasn’t any kind of documented sea life, I can tell you that.”
“Shit.”
“Exactly.” I shiver as I think about it, knowing I’ll never forget that moment. What freaks me out the most are the eyes of those men, or whoever they were. Throughout all the commotion and disorder, even in my terrorized state, they were unmistakable. White irises rimmed in red with red pupils—and I know I’ll never forget the eerie way they bored into me.
Three
Sabin
“Sabin, we have a problem.” Verus’ voice comes to me over the complink.
“Talk.”
“They found it.”
“Repeat that, please.” My tone is icy.
“The Shaurok. They found Judgment Day. And they also found who has it. Her name is Serena Callahan.”
“Fuck. What’s the location?”
“Currently, a dive center called Diver’s Retreat in Beaufort, South Carolina.”
He gives me the specific coordinates of where he is. “Let’s go. We need a headquarters. Set us up, Verus.”
“Already on it. Found a vacant warehouse.”
My hand slams down and before I know it, I’ve nearly destroyed the desk I’m standing next to. Goddammit. How the hell did those bastards find the damn thing before my men did? Their fucking noses. They can scent out anything. Sometimes I wish I could kill every damn one of those trackers. They deserve it for what they did to … I can’t allow myself to think about that now.
“Edge! Get over here.” Edge, one of my men, appears by my side.
“What is it, Sabin?”
I look up from the complink, and he stares at me. His eyes—deep brown with bright streaks of citron—have a way of unsettling me sometimes. I don’t let him know that, of course, but Edge is different from the rest. He’s rough, his movements are always purposeful, and he doesn’t let anything stop him from speaking his mind, even when it means taking heat from the others. At the same time his rash actions remind me of an adolescent. I give him a hard time about it because he needs to learn how to manage his thoughts and use them to his advantage, as opposed to blurting out the first thing that pops into his mind. But I also don’t want to curb his creativity. His mind works at light speed sometimes, coming up with amazing ideas and brilliant strategies. His name suits him well because sometimes his mouth has him living on the edge.
I would never admit this to anyone, but out of all The Seven, other than Rafe, Edge is my favorite. As commander of The Seven, one should never have favorites. But he reminds me of myself when I was younger—when life hadn’t fucked with me so much.
“Gear up, everyone. We’re heading back to Earth. To Beaufort, South Carolina. The Shaurok found Judgment Day and the girl who possesses it. Verus and Andros are setting up headquarters for us in a warehouse they found.”
“Are you fucking with me?” he asks.
“Edge, have I ever fucked with you?”
He lifts a brow and the corresponding corner of his mouth. “Maybe a time or two?”
“Never. Get your ass ready. We leave in ten.”
His head jerks and he’s gone. But he’s right. I fuck with him on a daily basis.
Beaufort, South Carolina is a small town on the coast, and it’s quite quaint. Verus and Andros have us headquartered in some warehouse on the outskirts of town.
“You do realize there’s a huge U.S. Marine Corps base near here?” I ask Verus.
“Yeah. But it’s a recruit depot where the poor fuckers go for boot camp, so we won’t be seeing any sign of them.”
“Good,” I say. “The last thing we need is the U.S. Military breathing down our backs.”
“Exactly what I thought when I realized where we’d be. But no worries.”
“Don’t even use that phrase until Judgment Day is safe and sound.”
“Right, boss.”
I take a glance around at our new temporary base. Verus and Andros have done a great job in finding us this warehouse on such short notice. The men have been working hard to get it outfitted.
“Give me a run down.”
He fills me in on Serena Callahan. She’s a diver. Great. A marine biologist who is working on her Ph.D., apparently. Why can’t she be a school teacher or a secretary? But no. We get a goddamn marine biologist who likes to play underwater where she can’t fucking breathe. Why not make our job just a little more difficult? Bloody hell.
“She’s leaving, from what our surveillance tells us, in a few weeks.”
“Fan-fucking-tastic. Where’s she headed?”
Verus shakes his head. “You’re gonna love this.”
“I’m not sure I even want to know.”
“The Virgin Islands, and then back to Duke. In Durham, North Carolina.”
“Are you fucking with me?” Edge starts laughing until I kill it with a glance.
“Not even a bit. Apparently, she’s been down there several times with a group from her university. They’re doing studies on sea life or some shit. That must have been when she found Judgment Day—when Juliette threw it off the boat.”
Is this even happening? The last time we went there, it was a shit show of epic proportions. I’m not sure I want to hear this.
“That explains why the damn thing keeps bouncing around all over the place. Do you have her departure date yet?”
“Yes,” Verus answers.
“Do you have the place where she is staying?”
“Yes.”
“Then we need to have someone in place by the time she arrives. We have no room for errors on this.”
Verus nods. “We also have another problem. We believe we know another reason why we’ve had so much trouble tracking Judgment Day.”
“Please. The suspense is killing me,” I say dryly.
Verus looks away from his screen. “You’re not gonna like this one either.”
“Verus, is there anything you’re going to tell me today that I am going to like?”
“Nope.”
“Then stop dragging this shit out and fucking say it.” My patience is wearing thin.
Verus lets out a long breath. “She’s definitely allowing her friends to wear Judgment Day.”
“Fuck it all!”
“Told you you weren’t gonna like it.”
“So, our suspicions were right.”
My feet, of their own volition, begin to move. They take me to the end of the building and back to where Verus stands. I look him in the eye an
d turn around, repeating my steps. My body hums with pent up energy that needs to be dispelled. Problem is, I don’t dare break anything in here, or else it’ll need replacing.
“Goddammit. Why the fuck would she do that?”
“Beats the hell out of me,” Verus says.
Edge walks up to us and says, “I know why.”
Right now I want to wrap my fingers around his neck and squeeze. Instead, I grit my teeth and say, “Enlighten us, genius.”
With a youthful exuberance, he says, “It’s because she’s a woman.”
I give my head a solid shake and count to three. “Would you care to repeat that? And before you do, just to be clear, I don’t need any moronic answers here, Edge.”
“No, I get it. My sister is always sharing her shit. They lend it out to each other. My old girlfriend used to do it all the time. You two obviously don’t know much about women or you’d know that.”
I would sincerely love to throttle the shit out of him, but what he says makes sense. I’m not going to get into the girlfriend shit. “So, they what? Give all their shit to their friends and let them use it?”
“Oh, yeah. And then it makes them look like they have ten times as much stuff as they do.”
“That’s ridiculous. Why do they want to do that?”
Edge shrugs. “Beats the hell out of me. They just do. Why do women do half the shit they do? They’re weird. That’s why.”
And who can argue with that?
“Okay, so she’s been letting her friend wear this—what she thinks is just a necklace, right?” They nod. “How many friends?”
“No idea on the exact number, but we do know at least two others.”
My neck instantly screams in pain as the muscles tense and cramp. Fuck! Why can’t women be more like men and not really give a damn about their clothes? Who the hell needs necklaces, anyway?
“What I thought might be a shit show in the Caribbean has just multiplied here. Exponentially. We’re totally fucked. How the hell are we going to deal with this?”
The Hart Brothers Series Box Set (Including the bonus book Sabin: A Seven Novel): Freeing Her, Freeing Him, Kestrel, The Fall and Rise of Kade Hart, Sabin: A Seven Novel Page 117