by L G Rollins
“Has she been here the whole time?”
“Aye.”
“But she didn’t attack?”
“T’wer about to. But I overheard a science lady telling her Captain there’ll be no harming one creature just to make room fer another—not lest it was nec’sary. So, I tolds her. I says not to worry. And she chose to just keep an eye on the lot of you, ‘stead of forcing you all away.” He ended with a single, stiff nod, as if to emphasize the importance of his own actions.
He spoke to the giant squid? Could ghosts communicate with animals, then, as humans to another? Or was it more like speaking with a pet dog? “How long have you been down here with Hannah?” Elise asked.
“Why, since I died. I sailed these waters—atop the waves, not below like you—many decades ago.” He pulled his hand back into the submarine and slowly the light began to fade. “Her mother attacked me ship. We skewered her with more iron and wood than all the pigs of all the king’s royal feasts fer a year.”
As he spoke the light dimmed and the Kraken once more disappeared in the murky water. “Still, the great monster busted up my beautiful Remington into more pieces than numbers I can count. Most me crew made it to a rescue boat, but it t’was tiny and, bein’ captain, I went down with me ship.”
He shifted to look at her. “I died, o’ course. My boys, well they held a beautiful service for me.” His eye lit up. “They were filled with so much ale by the time they was done, half claimed to have seen me walking over the water in the silvery moonlight.” He chuckled again. “Which was daft, ‘cause I stayed seated right by the ale the entire time as well.”
“So why come here?” Her understanding was most individuals stayed for a few days after their deaths to see after their loved ones, but then gladly moved on to the after-life.
The ghost’s gaze returned to the ocean, which was black once more. “I never did like being on land. I came back because, as I was sinking into the water and dying, I caught sight of the squid. She was cut up something awful, and her eye was as glazed over as any intoxicated soldier. But, behind her, I saw something else. I saw a tiny squid.”
“Hannah.”
“Aye. See, her ma was just trying to protect her. She killed me, but, turns out, we killed her too. That meant that little squid was on it’s own. So, I came back. She and I, we’ve been together ever since.”
Who would have thought, when she first met the ghost captain and he was threatening their lives, that he had such a soft spot inside of him?
“Now, we best be going,” he said. “Hannah will be up and hunting soon.” He stepped forward, his leg passing through the glass. With one leg and half his torso sticking out past the wall he paused and faced her once more. “You’re a fine lady, Doctor Sterling. I can see why your captain fell for ye.”
Her cheeks heated. Fell for her? That was ridiculous. He seemed to fancy her, but that was a far cry from being infatuated as the ghost seemed to believe. “I don’t think—”
“I’m dead, lass, not blind,” he said flatly. Then, he turned to strode full through the glass. He approached the Kraken, walking as though on dry land. No, Elise corrected herself, not as though on dry land. As though he was walking across the deck of a ship.
The ghost laid a hand on the squid and the giant eye blinked open. Together, Kraken and ghost, disappeared deep into the ocean, a blue speck of light fading away into darkness.
“Oh, gracious.” A small voice came from behind.
Elise spun around. Melissa stood at the base of the stairs, arms wrapped tight around it.
How long had she been there? The young girl’s eyes were wide; so apparently long enough to have seen the ghost. Elise hurried over to her.
Melissa’s gaze stayed on the spot where the ghost had walked through the glass wall. “There’s a ghost living at the bottom of the ocean?”
Elise rubbed her small arm. “It’s alright. He’s gone and we’re safe.”
Slowly, Melissa’s head swerved over until her gaze landed on Elise. Then her lips tipped up in a large grin. “Papa’s submarine is the best one, ever!” She threw her arms around Elise’s neck. “I’m going to ask him to take me here every year for my birthday.” Melissa pulled back. “Do you think the scary ghost would talk to me, too?”
Leave it to Melissa to willingly seek out a less-than-civilized ghost. Then again, Elise sought out werewolves. She hugged the young girl to her. There was no denying, they were cut from the same cloth.
A heavy thud followed by a shout echoed down from above. Elise glanced up and then back down to Melissa. “What is going on up there?”
Melissa shrugged. “Don’t know.”
More thuds, then a waterfall of crashes. Elise stood up. Those were not the sounds of a celebration. She checked over her shoulder, but the Kraken had certainly not returned. Were they under attack by another giant animal? How many could the ocean conceal? The submarine wasn’t rocking or tipping, though. So it seemed doubtful.
A resounding shout reached them from above, angry and forceful, followed by a loud crash. Melissa looked up at her, the same concerns running through Elise’s mind displayed across the young girl’s face.
Melissa placed hands and feet on the rungs, but Elise stopped her with a hand over the young girl’s shoulder. “Let me go up first.”
Melissa gave her an uncertain scowl, but moved away from the ladder without complaint.
Thump-thump, thump-thump—heavy boots thundered across the floor somewhere higher up. Elise climbed and peeked into the cargo hold. The small gas lamp beside her makeshift laboratory was the only illumination. It showed a still and vacant space.
Elise glanced down the ladder. Melissa was following directly behind her. Perhaps William had started a fight again. If that was all, was it truly necessary for her to drag Melissa into it? The crazed noises tumbled down the hatch and echoed ghostly in the empty room around her. That sounded like far more than just one or two individuals. Elise’s stomach tensed up.
The engineering room was also empty. The sight made Elise turn cold; what would convince Nathaniel and Wimple to leave the engineering room wholly deserted? Whatever was happening above, there must be trouble for them all.
They rose further up the ladder. Elise peered over the edge of the hatch, only her eyes above the floor’s surface.
The room was in utter chaos. Several pairs of individuals stood, gas light glinting off raised fists, the pounding of advancing steps reverberating through the control room. Rowley swung a fist at Antsy. Another of Elise’s test subjects attempted a side kick directed at Wimple. The longer Elise watched the clearer it became; this was crewmember against werewolf.
Not a simple disagreement or small brawl, this was mutiny.
*****
The arm around Nathaniel’s throat didn’t lighten.
“Not so high and mighty now, are we?” William leered, still pointing the gun at Nathaniel’s chest. Below the sounds of song and merriment were quickly replaced by cries and the low pounding of scuffles and fist fights.
“What do you want?” Nathaniel pressed the words out, near breathless.
Lenton strode into the dining room. His gaze landed on Nathaniel and he shuffled uncomfortably for a minute. He strode toward Cunningham, keeping his gaze anywhere but on Nathaniel. The coward.
“We have several crewmembers already tied up in the control room. But Rowley is proving a challenge. He has taken a couple men down already.”
“I said to get his gun first,” William commanded. “He is the main obstacle between us and taking control of the submarine.”
“The gun is no longer functioning. Smashed in the fight, sir.”
William’s thunderous expression did not ease. “Then what is the problem? Subdue the man.”
“Rowley’s a scrapper. Harder to bring down than you might think.” Nathaniel could not draw in enough breath to speak, but he felt pride swell for his good friend. Lenton was right, Samuel Rowley was an excellent fighter.
> William swore. “I’ll handle it myself.”
Lenton’s brow only raised in question.
“The idiot will assume I’m on his side. Now get back out there and find the girl.”
Melissa. Nathaniel’s stomach sank and he struggled harder against his captor. If they laid one finger on his little girl he’d see them all buried at sea.
lise stared at the chaos swirling about the control room. Why were they doing this? What was the point? Moreover, how was she to stop them? Elise was head scientist over this expedition; it was her responsibility to keep her test subjects in check.
Rowley dodged a blow from Antsy, but stumbled a couple steps toward the hatch. He caught sight of them. His eyes widened. Antsy landed a blow across Rowley’s forehead. Without missing a step, Rowley swung his elbow and made contact with Antsy’s chin.
Melissa’s head popped up directly beside her own. But Elise wrapped an arm around Melissa’s waist and dragged the girl back down the ladder. They had to hurry, before they lost all control of the submarine. What was down in the cargo hold that they could grab? They needed something to help them fight back.
The cargo hold was empty, but the noises from above filled the nothingness with a jittery energy. Elise hurried over to her cabinet. Something in here must be helpful.
She pulled out the first thing her fingers rested on: a sleeping draft. That wouldn’t work, she had no way to force anyone to drink it. The next thing: pyridoxine. That wouldn’t hurt a baby puppy.
“Elise?” Melissa’s soft voice was broken by a sob.
“It’ll be alright, dear.” She shoved the pyridoxine back on the shelf. To her left, a cylinder bar of soft caesium rolled gently back and forth at the force. Elise snatched at it. If she had a jug of water, this could be quite useful. She dropped it in her lab coat pocket.
Behind the bar was the small, brass coated knife she used to slice off pieces of the metal. She grabbed it as well. The knife wasn’t long, nor particularly sharp. But it was better than nothing.
A heavy thump echoed around the room. Elise spun and found Antsy crouched at the base of the ladder.
He straightened slowly, his face twisted in a sneer. “Come here, little girl,” he said, beckoning to Melissa. “One look at you and your daddy will do anything I say.”
Elise stepped in front of Melissa and raised the knife. A new panic surged through her, forceful and heavy. She had to keep Melissa safe. “You will leave her alone.”
“Sorry, Doctor. Nothing personal.” He lunged toward them. Melissa screamed. Elise tightened the grip on her knife.
Rowley jumped down from the hatch. Antsy spun at the intrusion and Rowley landed a solid blow across his chin. He didn’t wait for Antsy to right himself, but pulled the werewolf’s arm behind his back, pinning it up.
Rowley only spared a brief glance for Elise and Melissa. “Remember what your father told you.” Blood trickled down from a cut across his forehead.
Melissa bolted toward the ladder. Elise reached for the girl—going up into the control room was anything but safe just now—however Melissa dodged around her hand and climbed up the ladder faster than Elise had ever seen her do so before.
Elise hurried after Melissa. Antsy had made it clear they wanted Melissa as leverage over Nathaniel and it was up to Elise to make sure that didn’t happen.
Pulling herself through the opening into the control room, she glanced up. Melissa was already near the next level. A hand grabbed Elise’s arm. She elbowed her assailant, while still holding tight to the ladder. No one was going to get her or Melissa.
“Elise, it’s me.”
She paused long enough to recognize William’s face.
He reached for her again, giving her a brief hug. “Thank goodness you’re alright.” A gruff bellow came from below them, drawing both their gazes down the ladder toward the brawl in the cargo hold.
“Find somewhere safe to hide. I’ll help Rowley.”
“Let me talk to them.” Surely if she spoke with some of the test subjects, she could make them see reason. She’d worked with them, for them, for so long. She and the crew where not their enemies; couldn’t they understand that?
William only shook his head as he climbed onto the ladder below her. “You can’t help now. Get out of here, or you’ll only be in the way.”
Melissa was disappearing up the ladder, past the control room and up to the next floor—dining hall and bedchambers. Without pausing or looking around her, Melissa jumped off the ladder and bolted down the hall.
If there were any werewolves there and they found the little girl alone, everything would be over. Elise pushed until her arms burned with the rapid climb. She half jumped, half tumbled off the ladder.
The hall appeared empty. Was anyone in the dining room? She couldn’t hear anyone. But if someone where to walk out of there they’d have a clear view of Melissa.
The young girl was halfway down the hall already. Elise ran, catching up almost instantly. Melissa could climb quicker, but Elise’s long legs ran faster.
“I’ve got you now.” Antsy’s leering tone echoed behind Elise.
She spun to find him climbing out of the hatch in the floor, face more red than she’d ever seen it and blood stained his face from nose to chin.
If Antsy was here, where was Rowley? Where was William?
“Come here little girl, Uncle Antsy won’t hurt you.”
Elise glanced behind herself. Melissa was tugging on the door to her father’s bedchamber, ignoring Antsy’s creepy call. It swung open painfully slow. Elise’s gaze went back to Antsy, stalking confidently down the hallway. She was all that stood between the madman and the little girl. She was Melissa’s only protection.
There was no chance she could win in a fist fight with Antsy. Even Rowley, who’d fought like a boy raised by the streets, could barely keep his own against the werewolf. Elise took a step backward; what did she have?
The knife in her fist wouldn’t stand much of a chance. But the caesium in her pocket might prove providential.
Pulling open the door closest to her, Elise reached inside and found the pitcher full of water at the dry sink. In one motion, she stepped back into the hallway and sloshed the water all over the floor between her and him.
Antsy stiffened, then relaxed. “That’s the best you can do?” He chuckled maniacally. “Hoping I’ll slip and hit my head?”
“If you would be so kind. ” Dropping the pitcher, Elise pulled the soft metal bar from her pocket and sliced off several small pea-sized bits. “Perhaps this will help.” In quick succession, she tossed each marble of metal into the water.
In the split-second after the metal hit water, while the hall filled with the sound of hissing, Elise turned her back and wrapped her arms around her face.
The ceasium exploded.
Shaking the air with an ear-popping boom, it sent boiling water and pellets of burning heat across the hallway like bullets from a shotgun. Antsy screamed. Heat seared across Elise’s back and she could smell the tips of her hair singing.
Elise glanced over her shoulder. Billows of hydrogen steam filled the space between them, blocking any passage. Hit your head on that. Elise scooped up the pitcher—if Antsy was mad enough to chase her through the heat she may need it to bash over his head—and hurried down the hall toward Melissa and the open bedchamber door. They slipped inside and shut it tight.
“Papa?” Melissa cried out.
Shouts and cries continued on outside the room. They couldn’t hide here. But where did one hide aboard a submarine?
Melissa, with tears running down her cheeks, pulled a lever and a small opening appeared in the center of the door. Melissa stuck her hand inside and pulled out a tiny, brass gear.
She took two steps back, and stared at the door.
Elise knelt down, placing the pitcher on the floor. “Melissa, sweetheart?” She wasn’t sure what Melissa had done to the door, but she wrapped her arms around the girl. Elise opened her mouth again,
planning to ask if Melissa was alright. But stopped. Of course the girl wasn’t alright. Neither of them would be until they knew if those they cared about were safe.
Instead, Elise settled on, “We have to find a better place to hide—anyone would guess we’re in here.” She didn’t like the feeling of hiding in the obvious location. She could only imagine the kind of leverage those running the mutiny would have over Nathaniel if they took his daughter. It was her responsibility to keep Melissa safe.
Melissa shook her head.
“I know the thought of going back out is frightening.” Elise wasn’t sure how they would get past the long bedchamber hallway without being spotted; there would be nothing to hide behind as they ran for the ladder. And once they were out, where would they hide? Where would no one think of looking? Certainly, this room wasn’t the place.
Melissa opened her palm, the low burning gas lamp giving off just enough light for Elise to see the gear there.
“No one can get in here now.” Melissa muttered under her breath. “It doesn’t matter if they know we’re in here or not.”
“Honey,” Elise tried to keep her voice devoid of the panic she was feeling. “It’s only a small gear. Those men out there probably have crow bars or other things to force a door.”
Melissa shook her head. “Papa said, without this gear, the door can’t be opened by crow bar, by force, by gunshot, or by anything.”
Do as your father taught you, Rowley’s instruction finally made sense. Along with all his other drills and planning, Nathaniel had ensured his daughter knew how to keep herself safe if the unthinkable happened. Which it had.
Elise took the small gear out of Melissa’s palm and placed it and her small knife on a table nearby. Then she pulled the girl toward one of two cots. The two Melissa and Nathaniel had used—back when they all believed themselves safe, back when crewmember and test subject worked and relaxed together.