The Neptune Promise

by Polly Holyoke

  :She did,: he says abruptly. :There was a small, flat compartment near the foot of her bed that she called her secret treasure chest.:

  He leans over and carefully feels along the base of the bunk. :Here’s the door.: As he reaches his hand in, I hold my breath.

  :I can feel something flat and rectangular.: Moments later, he straightens up, holding a slim computer in his hands. :We’ve got it!:

  Dai looks down at the computer and touches it gently with his fingertips. :Mom spent so many hours on this thing, sometimes I hated it. But then she’d show me some of the amazing places she’d traveled for research, and she’d play the coolest games with me.:

  All at once, he seems to remember himself. :Turn around,: he says briskly. :I want to put this in your seapack.:

  I feel like I’m stealing one of the last pieces of Dai’s childhood.

  :I’m sure they’ll get it back to you,: I say lamely.

  :Once they open the shell around the hard drive, the computer won’t function again. But it’s all right. Mom would want the world to benefit from her work.:

  Wordlessly, I turn and he slips the computer into my pack. :Now, let’s get you and this back to the surface,: Dai declares and swims for the main hatch.

  As he starts to crank the latch, I say, :Please, Dai, when we reach the surface, will you stay with us? You still have a place at Safety Harbor. I-I want you to come back with us. I want you to come back with me.:

  His face tightens and he doesn’t say a word as he pushes the heavy hatch door open. When he raises his spear gun, I do the same.

  :Nere, I just don’t think I’ll ever fit—:

  :Well, well, look what we have here,: Whitey’s grating voice fills my mind.

  He, Sham and Wasp, all armed with spear guns, hover between us and the surface.

  chapter sixteen

  The awful moment seems to stretch into eternity. In the beam cast by Dai’s dive torch, Whitey stares at us, his gray eyes smoldering with hate and resentment.

  :So, I’m guessing you finally found your mom’s computer?: Whitey asks.

  :Yeah,: Dai says, :and I’m taking it and Nere to the surface now. I swear I’ll come back and tell my father what I’ve done the moment she’s away safely.:

  :I knew you still liked her,: Wasp hisses.

  :You’re not going anywhere, bro, or I’ll shoot your Neptune princess in the gut,: Whitey growls and points his spear gun at my belly. :I want to see the bossman’s face when he finds out you were planning to betray him a second time. Maybe he’ll finally realize I’m the only son who cares about him.:

  :Crap, a sharkhead’s coming!: Sham says, looking past me into the dark.

  I look over my shoulder in time to see a shredder charge out of the blackness. A heartbeat later, Dai shoves me so hard that I feel the bone in my upper arm crack. When I twist back around, my heart stops. Jaws clamped on Dai’s right arm and shoulder, the creature shakes him the way a big shark shakes a seal.

  Frantically I try to aim my spear gun at the shredder, but I can’t lift my left hand. Dai plunges his dive knife into the mutate’s eye just as Whitey shoots a spear dart into the creature’s gills. The shredder thrashes violently, and then it goes still. Dai shoves it away.

  I gulp. Bright red blood from Dai’s mangled arm clouds the water around him. I tear off my seapack and grab my med kit, wincing as I jar my arm. Whitey tries to block me from reaching Dai, but I dart around him. At least Whitey seems to have control himself despite the fact Dai’s bleeding so badly.

  :We need to get a tourniquet on that arm,: I tell Whitey. :or Dai’s going to bleed out.:

  :First we’re getting both of you on the sub,: Whitey snarls.

  Dai’s already turning pale and I can tell he’s fighting to stay conscious. :No, first I’m putting this tourniquet on him,: I say and wrap a strap around his upper arm. :Wasp, you gotta help me. I think my arm’s broken.:

  Wearing her gloves, she holds the strap in place as I fasten the tourniquet. I wince when I look at Dai’s torn flesh. I’m so terrified for him, my hand shakes. But because Tobin insisted we practice applying tourniquets so often, my mind and my fingers remember the steps.

  :Do you have medical staff who can treat him?: I ask Wasp as I tighten the strap. :This is going to hurt,: I warn Dai.

  :G-go for it. I’d like to stay alive,: he says shortly and closes his eyes.

  I look away from the tourniquet in time to see Whitey and Wasp exchange glances.

  :We don’t have any medical staff,: Wasp admits.

  :Then let me take Dai to the surface,: I plead as I finish cinching down the tourniquet. :We have two good medics and a doctor up there. If Dai stays down here without proper care, for sure he’ll lose this arm, and he’ll probably die.:

  :She’s right,: Wasp says to Whitey. :His arm’s a mess.:

  Whitey frowns in indecision.

  :Here comes another sharkhead!: Sham cries and dives for the waterlock.

  Whitey darts forward and grabs the dead shredder. Maybe he wants to use it to distract the others.

  :Wasp, tell the bossman to call in his sharkhead patrol,: he yells as he swims into the darkness beyond our torches, :or we’re all gonna die out here.:

  Wasp starts keying her wrist computer. She looks up after a few seconds. :What are you waiting for?: she shouts angrily. :Take Dai and get out of here!:

  I don’t wait for her to change her mind. I put on my seapack, grab Dai in a lifeguard hold with my good arm and start kicking upward. He kicks, too, but I can tell his strength is fading. I want to tell him not to help, but we have to put some distance between us and the dead shredder. Soon the others will come to devour it.

  :MARIAH, DENSIL, SOKYA!: I call out to them, :I’m trying to swim up to you, but I’ve got Dai, and he’s bleeding badly. We’ll probably have some shredders or sharks on our tail. Be careful!: I send all my dolphins a visual image of shredders and Dai’s torn arm, so they will understand what we are up against.

  :we come, but we drifted miles from your father’s boat while we were sleeping,: Mariah says. :the big dolphin and my son already swim to find you.: She means Ton and Densil are on their way.

  Then I reach out to Janni and Tobin and tell them what happened.

  :We’ll be on our way in no time,: Tobin replies, his tone reassuringly calm and steady.

  I look up at the black sea over our heads. Densil and Ton can swim down to around five hundred feet, which means we have to ascend five hundred feet. But the water down here is so dense. It feels like we’re kicking our way up through heavy black syrup, while the bloody scent of Dai’s shredded arm keeps spreading.

  :You should just leave me,: Dai says, gritting his teeth. :You’ll never get us to the surface without some help.:

  :Help should be here soon,: I say, and I hope I’m right. :You just keep a lookout for shredders and sharks.:

  :Y-you’re the most stubborn girl I’ve ever met,: he says.

  :Well, you’re the most stubborn guy I’ve ever met, so I guess we’re even,: I reply. I glance at my dive computer and wince. We’ve only climbed a hundred feet so far.

  Dai tenses. :Shredder below us, closing fast. O-only chance is to shoot it.:

  He jerks out of my lifeguard hold. :Help me raise my spear gun,: he gasps.

  :’Kay,: I say, using my good arm to help him lift the long barrel of his spear gun, :but you’ll have to aim.:

  :We’re only going to get one shot at it,: Dai warns me. :Don’t turn on your dive torch until after I shoot. The light will help blind the sharkhead.:

  I steady his spear gun. As I stare into the inky blackness below us, my chest tightens. I really wish I had Dai’s ability to sense electrical fields right about now.

  :Little lower,: he says, and then the spear gun jerks as Dai fires. I switch on my dive torch. A shredder lunges at Dai’s feet, a spear dart protruding from its right eye. Its rows of sharp teeth glisten as Dai uses his empty spear gun to fend off the monster. It angrily bites the en
d of the weapon before falling back into the deep.

  :Nice shot,: I pant. :Maybe that one will keep the others distracted for a bit.:

  When Dai doesn’t reply, I glance at him just his eyes flutter shut and he drops the spear gun. I grab for the weapon, but I’m too slow, and the spear gun spirals down into the darkness below.

  :Dai, stay with me,: I yell at him, but his eyes remain closed.

  Trying not to panic, I grab him in a lifeguard hold again and start kicking upward. He’s all bone and muscle, and unconscious, he’s way heavier than I expected. I’m panting hard by the time we reach two hundred feet. Somehow we have to shed weight so we’re lighter. I pause long enough to strip off my heating pack and drop my spear gun and darts since I can’t shoot accurately with one arm. I strip off Dai’s heating pack, too, because I remember reading that cold slows blood loss.

  Then I start kicking for the surface again, my arm aching. My legs burn, and I sweat inside my seasuit even though the ocean is icy cold. A shredder may be coming up beneath us, but I could only kick at it with my dive fins or stab at it with my dive knife. To survive, we need to reach the dolphins and the Sea Rangers as quickly as possible.

  So, I try to ignore my burning legs and lungs and kick faster.

  At three hundred feet, I pause long enough to tug off Dai’s travel fins. I glimpse of his face as I grab his shoulders again. He’s so terribly pale, I’m afraid he may already be dead. Frantically I search for a pulse. I sob with relief when I find it.

  :Dai Kuron, you’d better not die on me, or I’m never going to speak to you again.:

  Around three hundred fifty feet, I glimpse a silver glimmer. A small sixgill shark follows us. I gulp and keep kicking upward. The sixgill doesn’t worry me too much, but the fact it scented us does.

  I have to stop and catch my breath at four hundred feet, but I’m not truly resting because I still have to kick to keep us both from sinking back into the deep. At least we’re lucking out with the tide. It’s slack right now.

  Wearily I start fighting my way upward again. My left arm aches and my right arm quivers from gripping Dai for so long. As I kick, I realize we’re ascending through such calm water because Dai came to help me escape right before the safest time to reach the surface.

  :I’m sorry I ever doubted you, you big lunkhead. Stick around so you can rub it in,: I tell him as I struggle up another fifty feet.

  I pause at four hundred fifty feet and check to make sure Dai’s still breathing. His chest rises and falls rapidly now, probably because he doesn’t have enough blood left in him to oxygenate his body properly. Fighting not to cry, I start upward once more. :Please don’t die. I want you to come back to Safety Harbor with me. I want us to be togeth—:

  I’m distracted by another silver shimmer in the darkness. This time my dive torch picks up a twelve-foot great white. My belly tightens.

  :Densil?: I shout, trying not to panic.

  :we are almost there,: he says, his mental voice so strong he must be close.

  :Be careful. There’s a great white down here stalking us.:

  A second later, the shark charges us. I bring my legs up, planning to kick it with my dive fins. Just as the shark opens its mouth to tear at my legs, Ton flashes down out of the dark and rams it in the side. The shark twists about and tries to bite him, but then Densil rams it from the other side. The startled shark gives up and swims off into the darkness.

  :Whew, that was close. Thanks, guys,: I say to Densil and send feelings of gratitude to Ton.

  Densil swims in close, trying to maneuver himself under my left arm so I can grab his dorsal.

  :I-I can’t hold your dorsal and Dai at the same time,: I explain, another sob rising in my throat. :I think my left arm is broken.:

  :we will push him toward the surface until your friends come,: Densil says. He comes up gently beneath Dai, and Ton swims right beside him. I lay Dai face down across their backs and help to steady him with my right hand as they carry him upward.

  :A-are there more sharks close by?:

  :yes, but the pod comes,: Densil says.

  A few minutes later, the water around us fills with Mariah’s family. I’m so relieved to see them that I burst into tears.

  :we go to breathe now,: Densil says, and Kona and Mali take over from Densil and Ton.

  I concentrate on keeping Dai on their backs as my friends’ powerful tails propel him upward. Gradually I become aware that dozens of dolphins surround us. More than just Mariah’s family are protecting us from sharks and shredders. All the Sea Rangers’ dolphins are here, too.

  :Let them know how grateful I am,: I tell Sokya.

  :they know,: Sokya says, swimming right by my side. :they like you and are happy to help.:

  :Nere,: Janni reaches out to me, her voice steady as always. :Mariah’s leading us to you. What depth are you now?:

  :We’re… at four hundred feet,: I say after checking my wrist computer. :Please hurry. Dai passed out minutes ago, and he’s lost way too much blood.:

  :Wave your dive torch if you can,: Janni urges me.

  I raise my right hand from Dai’s back long enough to wave the torch around.

  Then I spot a gleam of light above me. At first it looks like a big star or a hazy moon on a cloudy night, but the light keeps getting bigger and brighter.

  :I can see your headlight now,: I yell. The headlight on the tow is one of the prettiest things I’ve ever seen. I wave my dive torch again, and soon the Bus pulls up beside me.

  :Am I g-glad to see you guys,: I say to Tobin, Rohan, Ree, Kalli, Janni and six of her Sea Rangers, my teeth chattering.

  Tobin and Rohan gently take Dai from me and the dolphins and lay him in a stretcher. Sensing my exhaustion, Sokya, Densil and Mariah crowd close and help to hold me up. While our medics race to insert an IV in Dai’s good arm, Ree and Kalli help me to the tow. After they plug another heating pack into my wetsuit, delicious warmth spreads through my wetsuit, and Janni drives us swiftly to the Carly Sue. The current is getting stronger, but fortunately it’s pushing us toward the old fishing trawler.

  :I-is he gonna to make it?: I ask Tobin as he works over Dai.

  :Doc Iharu has his emergency operating room all ready, including an aqua-breather for Dai since he can’t breathe air, and they’re pulling a couple of pints of blood out of Thom right now.: Thom and Tobin are among the few kids at Safety Harbor with Dai’s unique blood type.

  :Dai’s a tough guy and your tourniquet may make all the difference,: Rohan adds, but he doesn’t promise me that Dai is going to live.

  I close my eyes and let more tears come. It’s so dark, no one will see, but Kalli reaches out and squeezes my shoulder. I try to relax and ignore the pressure and pain in my arm as the Bus pulls us through the water. I’ve done all I can to save Dai. The rest is up to our medical staff.

  When we reach the Carly Sue, the Sea Rangers swing Dai’s stretcher aboard and hustle him down to the salon Doc Iharu has set up as an emergency operating theater. When I try to climb up the rear ladder after Kalli, I can’t raise my left arm to grip the rungs. I start climbing it one-handed, but Janni insists I ride a bosun’s chair up to the top deck. It’s embarrassing to be hoisted onto a boat, but I’m too exhausted to argue. The moment I step out of the seat, my father engulfs me in a gentle hug.

  “I’m so glad you’re safe,” he says, his voice husky, and he kisses me on the forehead. James is there, too, patting me on the back.

  “I’m glad to be safe,” I tell them, cradling my sore arm.

  “We’ll have someone take a look at that,” Dad says.

  “It can wait,” I say. “I’d rather the med staff concentrate on Dai for now.”

  I’m just about to head inside the wheelhouse when Sokya jumps out of the water in a spectacular leap. At first I think she’s just showing off, pleased with her part in rescuing us. Then Mariah swims up beside the boat, and I can feel her agitation even before she contacts me.

  :something big comes
up from the bottom,: she warns me. :I think it is the sub where the bad man kept you, and it is rising fast.

  chapter seventeen

  The news that Kuron is stalking us with the Ophion makes my gut twist with dread. He has to be in a rage, and he’s so unstable I’m not sure what he’ll do. I just know he’s dangerous.

  Seconds later, Dav, the young British scientist manning the Carly Sue’s sonar array, calls out, “Hey, Doc, it sounds like something huge is coming up below us.”

  “Are you sure it’s not those humpbacks you heard an hour ago?” my father asks.

  “No, sir, this is definitely a submarine,” Dav replies.

  “Mariah says it’s a sub, too,” I say. “It must be Kuron.”

  My father’s face tightens.

  “Dai and I did find Idaine’s computer,” I say hurriedly, handing him my seapack. In my worry for Dai, I’d almost forgotten about it. “I’m sure Wasp and Whitey told him we took it, which means Kuron has to be furious with us.”

  My dad reaches into my seapack and pulls out Idaine’s hydro-computer. He stares down at it for a moment before he looks at me again. “I’m so proud of you. This could change everything,” he says. Then he turns to Roni and James hovering by his side.

  “Break open the covering on the hard drive and download the entire contents as fast as you can,” he tells them, “and send the data to Safety Harbor right away. But keep a waterproof computer case next to you every moment, in case we end up in the drink before this is over.”

  “Will do,” James says and nods to me. :Nice job, sis,: he calls back to me telepathically as he hurries below.

  My dad, Captain Gonzalez and my friends gather on the back deck to watch as the sub surfaces between us and a wide band of rocky shoals to the south. The sub looks huge and sinister as it emerges, seawater cascading off its dark gray conning tower and decks.

  “What can you tell me about that sub?” my dad asks Captain Gonzalez.

  “It’s an old Poseidon-class attack sub. The vessel is nuclear powered and in its day carried four nuclear cruise missiles. The Western Collective decommissioned the last of their Poseidons fifty years ago, which means that sub is at least that old.”