The Tide: Deadrise

by Melchiorri, Anthony J

  What was he thinking of, bringing the girls aboard a ship made for war? Did he think they’d really be safer on the open seas? The world’s oceans were nothing more than a wet desert. Water you couldn’t drink. No oasis in sight for hundreds of miles. And endless enemies, both domestic and international, to be fought.

  The soft, rhythmic breathing of sleep drifted from Kara now. Her eyes were closed, her face softened and younger looking. She’d already been an independent young woman when she’d started college, but the events of the past weeks had shifted her transition to adulthood into overdrive. He saw traits of himself in her, for better or worse. The wrought-iron willpower and unwavering loyalty to friends and family. The overwhelming desire to help those who could not help themselves, even at the risk of her own life. Dom had always thought it was noble to sacrifice himself for his own crew, but when Kara did it, he felt angry and panicked.

  Thankfully Kara was like her mother, too. Compassionate and curious. A deeply creative, intellectual side that boded well for her survival in a world where the laws of nature and man had bent toward the unexpected and unpredictable.

  Watching her small frame curled against his barrel of a chest, he knew he’d never quite see her as an independent woman the way he did Meredith or Jenna or Renee. He’d never say it aloud, but she and Sadie would be his little girls until the day he died. And he’d be damned if that day came before he ended the Oni Agent plague.

  There was no clear path forward. No map leading to the cure or whoever had truly caused this mess. Those tasks loomed before Dom like a brick wall the size of Everest. Most sane men would probably give up. But Dom reminded himself to focus on the next step. Find a handhold in that seemingly insurmountable wall and grab on. Then find the next one. He jumped when a hand tapped him on the shoulder. Kara opened her eyes and jolted upright.

  “Sorry to disturb you, Captain,” Renee said. “Thought I’d relieve you of guard duty.”

  As Kara settled back in to sleep, Dom shook his head. “No worries. I can stay on watch an hour or so longer. I need time to think.”

  ***

  Shepherd felt the heat of a sunburn on his face. He tried to shade himself with a hat, but the sun glinted off the waves and toasted his skin even after he wrapped an extra shirt over his face like a shemagh scarf. Practicality and survival had become more important than decorum.

  The waves grew choppy as the wind beat against their small sailboat. Dark rings had formed under Rachel and Rory’s eyes. Rachel’s fingers would tremble if she held still too long, and Shepherd could practically see the weight dragging Rory’s eyelids down. He had asked the midshipmen if they wanted to rest, but they’d given him a vehement no. They wouldn’t sleep until they reached Kent. Each time they passed a new civilian ship on the water, they tried to spread the word about Kent Island. More people than he’d expected had taken to the sea to escape the Skulls on land. Many of them promised they would check it out if they felt they couldn’t survive the open water any longer. Some waved them off with trite dismissals and others with loaded firearms. And on several boats, there was no sign of life at all.

  An unspoken excitement seemed to buoy their moods as they neared Kent. Soon they’d be safe on dry land again. Shepherd could use Rachel’s radio to contact Captain Holland’s ship and warn them of Kinsey’s suspicions. He’d also contact someone at Fort Detrick to see how they’d fared. From there, he could figure out his next steps.

  Something glinted on the horizon. Several somethings.

  Shepherd pulled a pair of binoculars from one of the bags and held them to his eyes.

  “Ships,” he said, adjusting the focus.

  “Coast Guard, it looks like. What are they doing?”

  “Headed to Kent?” Rory offered hopefully.

  “Not sure, but I think they’re anchored. I see a few Coast Guard ships surrounding a single gray one. Weird hull on that one, not a ship I’ve seen before.”

  “What?” Rachel said. “Can I see?”

  Shepherd handed her the binos. She scanned the horizon and then froze. “I think that’s...Rory, check this out. I want you to look before I say anything.”

  She passed the binos to the other midshipman. “That’s the Huntress!” Rory said.

  “I thought so.” Rachel brushed her hair back from her face. “There’s no mistaking that Visby-class corvette anywhere.”

  “Yeah, you can say that again,” Rory said. “Why do you think Dom’s mustered the Coast Guard?”

  “I’m not sure Dom mustered anybody.” Shepherd took the binos back and scanned the Huntress as they approached. Several men and women moved above decks on the Huntress with guns at the ready as if they expected a fight. “If I were to guess, they’ve got the Huntress in their custody.”

  Rachel buried her face in her hands and let out a long sigh. “We’re too late. We didn’t even get a chance to warn Captain Holland. Kinsey got to him first.”

  “What do we do now?” Rory said.

  Shepherd shook his head. “We still go to Kent. We have no idea what’s going on, and we won’t know anything until we actually do our due diligence.”

  “We should avoid the Coast Guard,” Rachel said. “I mean, what if they’re looking for us?”

  “Agreed. Rory, take us closer to the western shore. I want to give them as wide a berth as possible.”

  “Yes, sir,” Rory said, manning the tiller again.

  “Rachel, tell me about that radio Captain Holland gave you.”

  “One line goes directly to their electronics workshop. Another reaches their medical bay. And the emergency line goes to the Hunters’ open channel comm links.”

  “Okay, good,” Shepherd said. He settled into a seat near Rory, and Rachel joined them. “Here’s what we’re going to do. We get back to Kent. Those men who took you before might be looking for you again. So we sneak into your quarters, grab the radio, and lay low. If—and this is a big if—the ship’s being controlled by Kinsey’s people, calling the electronics workshop isn’t our best move. Probably not great to call the medical bay either.”

  “But the open channel comm links...” Rachel said, catching on.

  “Exactly. We’re throwing a Hail Mary, but if the Hunters are able, they’ll respond.”

  “Seems like it’s worth trying,” Rachel said.

  “Worst case scenario, we get no response,” Shepherd said. “But we need to make it our mission to contact a Hunter, any Hunter, because if we don’t...well, we’re running out of allies.”

  -23-

  When Kara woke, the Hunters were already crowded around the dining room table, speaking in hushed voices. At some point during her nap, Dom must have carried her inside, because she was now snuggled next to Sadie and Maggie. Navid lay on a nearby sofa. She felt as if she had been relegated to the children’s table at their family’s Thanksgiving dinner. She wanted to be part of the plan. She could wield a gun, she knew her way around the Skulls, and she wasn’t injured like Spencer.

  Huffing, she stood and marched to the table. Meredith gave her a nod of acknowledgment. Her father used his smartwatch to project a map of the Potomac on the dining room wall and pointed out various locations along the winding river. “We might find another craft here or at least refuel,” Dom said. “The Zodiac isn’t going to make it all the way to the Huntress, assuming it’s even still anchored in the Chesapeake.”

  The other Hunters offered suggestions regarding the safest marinas along their course. Kara realized there wasn’t much she could offer, but she listened anyway.

  “Sorry to interrupt,” Kara said abruptly. “But can we do something about Adam? I know we don’t have a body, but we should pay our respects somehow.”

  Renee bobbed her head. “She’s right, Captain.”

  Dom’s lips thinned, but he nodded his agreement. “Let’s take thirty. We can at least organize a small ceremony.”

  “Can I...can I take the lead on this?” Kara asked. “I didn’t know him as well as you all
, but he saved me and my sister more times than I can count. I owe him something, you know?”

  “Go ahead,” Dom said.

  The other Hunters stood and stretched, leaving the dining room. Kara roused Sadie and Navid. Maggie woke up too as they stirred. She told them her plan, and they followed Kara outside.

  They trudged to the riverbank. She chose stones that had been polished by the tossing currents, and Navid helped her carry load after load up the pathway to the steep yard overlooking the river. There, she and Navid arranged the stones.

  Kara took a step back from their work. Maggie barked approvingly. “I think we’re ready for the others.”

  She called the Hunters outside, and they formed a semicircle along the steep lawn. Renee closed her eyes and turned away for a moment, rubbing at her eyes with the back of her hand when she saw what they’d done.

  They had arranged a large ring of stones around a smaller central circle. A second small circle intersected the outer ring.

  “It’s the hydrogen atom,” Kara said. “The nucleus”—she pointed to the inner circle—”and the single electron orbiting it.” She indicated the outer perimeter and the small orbiting circle.

  “Not just any old hydrogen atom either,” Miguel said. “It’s the one Doctor Manhattan has on his forehead, right?”

  Kara nodded, recalling the action figures on Adam’s desk. He’d had the whole set of characters from Watchmen, but the blue-skinned Doctor Manhattan had been his favorite. “Adam didn’t hesitate to put himself in danger to save others. He’s gone now, but he’ll live on in the memories of those he fought so hard to save,” Kara said. “He died for me, for Sadie, and for Navid. I’m not sure any words I say can adequately express my gratitude. Adam deserved better, but I’ll never forget what he did for us.

  “Maybe it’s corny, but I think Adam would appreciate it,” Kara continued, gesturing to the hydrogen atom. “I wish there was more I could do or say, but no matter how long I stand here babbling, I’d never be able to thank Adam enough.”

  “Nor will I,” her father said, stepping forward and putting his hand on Kara’s shoulder. “Maybe I’ll actually read Watchmen now and see what the fuss was about.”

  Navid and the Hunters shared memories and stories of Adam, of how he’d kept their comm equipment in tip-top shape and continually saved their asses, whether it was in the field or from his desk in the Huntress. Tears welled up in Kara’s eyes as his comrades and friends spoke about his loyalty, genius, and wicked sense of humor.

  Reluctantly, the Hunters returned to the house to continue planning their mission. As they walked into the dining room, their comm links crackled to life. Kara couldn’t make out exactly what the voice was saying, but she understood their expressions of surprise and confusion.

  If all the Hunters were here and communication was cut off with the ship, then who was hailing them on the radio?

  ***

  Lauren typed out a message on the computer program she’d stitched together with Samantha’s instructions. “Hunters, this is Lauren, do you read?”

  As furtively as she could, she glanced across the lab to ensure Smith was still lingering in the main medical bay. Her gaze returned to the screen as the message she’d typed appeared on a console window. The text under it claimed the message had been translated to voice and then sent.

  Yes, yes, yes! She almost yelled aloud in victory as a return transmission came in, translated into text by the program: Lauren, we read. Can you confirm your identity?

  The robotic voice must be making them suspicious. She typed out an explanation as quickly as she could. Then she added a fact she knew one of the Hunters could confirm. Tell Glenn I want my molecular biology book back.

  Glenn had tried reading the textbook when he’d been injured and unable to join in on a mission. Sure enough, a message came back immediately: This is Glenn. I’m keeping it.

  Lauren smiled but wished she’d been able to hear Glenn’s voice—or, even better, see his face.

  A moment later, another message scrolled across the screen. Dom here. Glad to hear from you. Can you give us a sitrep?

  Lauren summarized everything the best she could, including Thomas’s injuries and the health of the other survivors in her care. Dom, in turn, provided a short account of everything they’d endured. She felt a pit form in her stomach at the news of Adam’s death and didn’t look forward to relaying the information to the others on board the Huntress, especially Samantha and Chao.

  Before she typed an answer, she paused and looked at Peter. “Can you come take a look at this?”

  He glanced at Smith, then joined her. His eyes went wide for a second as Lauren showed him the communication program.

  Spencer has Drooler burns, Dom’s message said next. Anything we can do to help beside painkillers and antibiotics?

  More bad news, Lauren thought. She quickly replied that they should treat Spencer with the chelation therapy, relaying her suspicion that Drooler acid might contain enough Oni Agent to infect someone.

  Peter nodded his assent when Smith gave them a suspicious glance. “Looks about right to me,” he said, before walking away.

  Copy that, the next message displayed. Any idea how long Samantha and Chao can keep the computers offline?

  No, Lauren typed. I don’t know how much longer we’ll be here—or where Kinsey wants the ship taken.

  Before Dom could ask another question, she saw Smith coming back into the lab with a few other soldiers. She abruptly said goodbye and shut off the communication module. As casually as possible, she scanned over a scientific journal article she had pulled up on her screen in another window. She couldn’t even read the words as anxiety pumped electricity through her nerves.

  “Doctor Winters, we’re going to need you to come with us.”

  -24-

  “It’s crunch time,” Dom said, his palms flat on the kitchen table. The Hunters looked at him attentively. They’d switched from grief to work in a matter of seconds. It was a necessity for their vocation, but he couldn’t help wondering what that did to their psyches. In any case, there was time to worry about it later. “We know where the Huntress is for now. But we don’t know when she’ll be departing or where she’ll be headed to. It’s best we act before we’re working in the dark again.”

  “Hear, hear, Chief,” Miguel said.

  “Since we now have contact with Lauren, my mind’s made up.” He projected the map of the Potomac on the table again. “With time as our limiting factor, we can’t keep searching different locations, hoping we run into what we want. We have to hit targets where we can be almost one hundred percent certain we’ll find what’s on this list.” He tapped his smartwatch, and a text document appeared on each of the Hunter’s own watches. “I hate to do this, but we don’t have much of a choice. We’re looking at infiltrating two locations, so it’s time to split up again. But at least this time we won’t be far from each other. At the first sign of trouble, you call the other group and let them know. Got it, Hunters?”

  The Hunters nodded, but Miguel looked skeptical. “We know how to handle ourselves,” he said.

  “I mean it. If things look like they’re taking a turn for the worse, hightail it out of there. That means the name of the game is covert ops. We don’t go in or out with guns blazing unless we have no other choice.”

  Dom quickly assigned their groups. Alpha would consist of himself, Miguel, Jenna, and Glenn. Renee would lead the others in Bravo Team. Then he turned to Spencer and asked, “You up for some action?”

  “You know it,” Spencer said. The medicine they’d given him had helped, but the man would have some nasty scars. Despite this, he grinned at the thought of getting back into the field.

  Dom turned to Kara, Sadie, and Navid next. “I’m sending you—and Maggie—with Bravo. Now, I don’t want you three getting any big ideas. Meredith will make sure you aren’t in the midst of any all-out gun battles, but Bravo might need your help in other ways.”

&nb
sp; Kara nodded stoically. “But I want a gun,” she said. Dom hesitated before unholstering one of his sidearms and handing it to her, grip first.

  “Bravo, you’ll be taking the Naval Support Facility at Indian Head,” Dom continued. “Before the outbreak, a great deal of weapons research projects took place there. The satellite images I can access over the smartwatch lead me to believe it’s pretty well vacated right now. The research and production facilities there should have everything on List B. Plus, Indian Head is fairly remote. Should be a safer ride in and out than where Alpha is headed.”

  Dom turned to Miguel, Jenna, and Glenn. “We’ll pick up the ordnances and tools on List A. Quantico should have everything we’re looking for and more. Like Indian Head, it doesn’t look like the military is hanging around there.” He pointed to Marine Corps Base Quantico on the map. “But if we’ve learned anything, populated areas will be infested with Skulls. I’m especially concerned because I would’ve thought the military wanted to hold onto Quantico. If they’ve abandoned the base, it doesn’t bode well for our chances. That’s why it’s just the four of us. We’re going to do this quickly and quietly.

  “Here’s the catch. We’ve only got one boat, and I want Bravo to have access to it at all times. There’s no marina at Indian Head, so they need an easy escape, and the Zodiac’s it.”

  “So we’re swimming across the river to Quantico, Chief?” Miguel asked.

  “Exactly right. Swimming with the emergency rebreathers will be our best form of cover so we’re not spotted by Skulls or whoever else might be at Quantico. On our way out, we can take a boat from the marina if we have to.”

  “What if the military still has control?” Jenna asked.