They scanned the surface of the ridge throughout the day finding nothing. Food was brought to him in the control room so the progress wouldn’t be uninterrupted. He stood, stretched, walked around, and sat, all the while watching the screens for some sign of the vessel. After fourteen hours, the robot was pulled to the surface so the crew could look it over before beginning again in the morning. Joossens wondered how long he was going to be able to do this before going absolutely insane.
He was wandering around the deck when he heard Domashevich taunting the crew. Not wanting to witness it, he reversed his direction and made his way to the front of the ship trying to get the stiffness from immobility out his legs when he was called back. “I thought sailors were tough. You all have pizdy . You couldn’t even beat an American scientist.” Mike was in no mood to fight. He was exhausted and stiff, but there was no way out of it. “Who wants to kick the shit out of the American?” Pyotr, a big crew member who was part of the robotics team stood up. His face was already bruised and swollen. “Oh, get to beat up your boss. Don’t get to many opportunities like this do you?” Mike took his holster off and handed his gun to Domashevich, and stepped in the circle of cheering men. Pyotr stood across from him in a left handed boxing stance with his arms held high. He came forward wearing a wry smile. Joossens kicked him in the liver with his right foot and dropped him immediately. The crowd fell silent. Fyodor helped the man to his feet. “Who’s next?” He shouted. The men looked at each other and stepped back. “No one? You are afraid of a scientist?”
Mike went to get the holster when Domashevich stopped him. “That was too easy Mikey, you know better.” Both men stood facing each other and the crowd started to cheer again. Fido egged him on, drawing him forward. Mike jabbed a couple of times and missed. The large Russian tried to grab his hand but Joossens was too quick. Mike knew he was being set up, so he threw a quick jab and came across with a right hook as the gangster rushed in. It caught him off-guard but he was still able to get Joossens in his grasp. Mike hit him in the back and kneed him in the gut, but Fyodor was too strong and worked his arm up and around the American’s head. Mike knew he’d pass out in a few seconds, so he hit him in the crotch and clawed at his face. The Russian let go for a second then came across Joossens’ jaw with a cross of his own, dazing him. Mike kicked the Russian in the stomach but got his foot caught. Mike bent his knee, bringing him closer and landed a couple of weak blows to the face before Domashevich twisted his leg, spinning him to the floor, and then stomped on his crotch. The fight was over. Mike coughed and rolled on the ground for a couple of minutes before standing. Fido handed him his holster, “Here, it looks like you still need this.” Then he looked around the small crowd, “Who’s next?”
Mike limped out of the group, went to the galley to get some food and made his way up to the bridge. “Is there a particular reason you participate in the fights?” Polzin asked.
“I do not know the Russian word. In America, I would say, ‘I don’t want to be his bitch.’ I am not sure if that translates.”
“Suka would be the closest thing. It’s a good strategy. He likes you.”
“Yeah, he’s stepping on my balls much softer now.”
Polzin laughed. “Tomorrow we start where we left off.”
“How far are we going?” Mike asked.
“We are about where it crosses the ridge. Its last shipment was off of Iwaki, and then it goes to deeper water and heads west. We’ll search to about seven hundred and fifty kilometers south of the island. It shouldn’t have gone farther than that. Then we’ll search the shelf off the east coast. Too bad we aren’t on the Ivonne.”
“It makes no difference to me. I would still be stuck in a room with cameras.”
“This is true. Are you going back to America when your obligation is finished?”
“Yeah, if they want to build another ship, they have the plans. They don’t need me.”
“You won’t stay?”
“This isn’t my home. I miss it.”
The captain considered this and nodded. “What do you think of the Karakatitsa?”
“Is it real. It seems like an obman. Is that the right word? Like a joke?”
“Domashevich is very excited about it. He thinks it’s real. Or at least wants to. It is being covered by many countries, there may be something to it.”
“What do you think about it?” Mike asked.
“If they are excited about sea monsters, they will leave us alone. I think it’s good. We can spend as much time as we need without drawing suspicion. Japan has excellent anti-sub capabilities, so the more they are distracted, the better off we are.”
“Do you think the Japanese sank it?”
“It’s possible. If they did, it’s in deep water and was never confirmed or reported. A shallow water sinking would have been investigated and we would have heard about it through our contacts in the intelligence community.”
“I guess that’s good news,” Mike said finishing his dinner. He sat for another hour or so before turning in for the night.
Karakatitsa is available from Amazon here
Midway Page 11