Megalodon Riptide

by Watts, Russ

  I looked at the radio still lying on the floor close to Donovan’s lifeless body. “Oh, shoot. Mckade. Do you think..?”

  “Yeah, probably.” Manny picked the radio up. “You still listening, Mckade? You there?”

  “Who is this? Put Lance back on. I did not tell you to start shooting.”

  “It’s finished. Your men are dead. Goodbye, Mckade.”

  “Wait—”

  Manny clicked the radio off. “He heard what he needed to. We gain nothing by talking to that asshole.”

  “But, if Lance was right then he’s going to be right on us any second.” I felt Ava’s arms wrap around my waist. The tears had slowed, but her body was shaking. “We need to tell Douglas to change course. If it’s not too late. We can’t afford to run into Mckade.”

  “On it.” Weir marched across the room and picked up the discarded gun. “Just in case our friend Douglas isn’t as co-operative as I need him to be.”

  “You’d better go with him, Manny,” I said. I couldn’t leave Ava. I had to stay with her. “Get us the hell out of here and as far away from Mckade’s ship as possible.”

  Manny and Weir headed through the door and up the stairs. I looked around the room. It was a mess. Pippa and Chelsea were away from me and Donovan’s body lay between us. I was going to have to move it, throw it overboard. I could guess what he had done to Honey. The man deserved no respect.

  “Estelle, would you help please?”

  I slowly pulled myself up and with Estelle’s help we got Ava onto the nearest sofa where she curled up into a ball and held a cushion to her chest. She reached out a hand to me and I took it.

  “I just have to do something, then I’ll be right back.”

  “He’s gone, isn’t he? Lance?”

  I nodded. “I’m sorry.”

  Ava buried her face in the cushion and I let her go. My head was pounding but I still had no time to rest. I wanted to stay with Ava and curl up into a ball next to her, but there was so much to do. Weir’s beating and Donovan’s punches were starting to hit me, and I felt dizzy.

  “Pippa, why don’t you take Chelsea and Estelle, and check out the ship? Manny and Weir will help Douglas get us out of here. Maybe you can get some rest.”

  Pippa looked at me. “What about you, Luke? You can’t keep going like this. How long is it since you slept? Let me take care of Ava. You need—”

  “I need to tidy up.” I glanced at Donovan’s body. “I’ll catch up with you later.”

  Pippa realized what I was doing. “Right. Of course. Come on, Chelsea.” She led Chelsea by the hand to the staircase and beckoned for Estelle to follow her. “Meet you in the bridge in a few minutes, yeah? I’m not going to be able to rest until I know we’re well away from this lunatic Mckade.”

  “Sure.” I waited for Pippa, Chelsea, and Estelle to leave, and then looked at Donovan’s body. He wasn’t going to be as easy to lift as Lance. I put my arms under his shoulders, trying to avoid looking at the remnants of his mangled face. I lifted him up, but he was simply too heavy for me. My energy levels were zero, so I simply grabbed a hold of his arms and dragged him across the room. I managed to get him to the doorway before I had to stop and take a rest. My breath collided with the cold rain blowing in and my head spun. I dragged Donovan out onto the deck as the swirling wind howled around me. The storm clouds gathered above us didn’t look like abating anytime soon, and as I got the body to the edge of the boat, I looked for Mckade. My eyes scanned every inch of the seething ocean, but I saw no sign of his boat. Roiling waves crashed against the deck and I hoisted Donovan onto a railing. His legs dangled over the side and with one last shove I forced his dead body over into the rough water. Instantly, my legs buckled and I hit the wooden deck. One hand grabbed the safety rail and I pressed my forehead against the cold, wet deck. We had all been so close to death. The Tukino, the Megalodon, Mckade’s men; it all seemed surreal. I thought of the giant shark swimming around the ocean. Was it still out there, close by, watching and waiting for us? I wanted so desperately to talk to Pippa and Chelsea, to promise I would do everything I could to look after them, but just lifting my head up felt like it was beyond my power. I thought of Ava curled up on the sofa mourning her brother. Rest. That was what we all needed. I heard a soft voice call my name from somewhere inside the boat, but the storm had sapped the last of my energy. I let my head rest on the deck, just for a moment, allowing the cool sea water to cool my brain. The bracing wind howled and whistled around me. I just needed a moment to gather myself, to think what would come next. I just needed a chance to breathe, to let my wounds heal. I needed sleep. With my eyes closed I could properly rest. I heard my name again but it sounded like a dream, as if mom was calling me from downstairs. She had to wait. They all had to wait. I needed peace. And as my hand slipped from the safety rail I embraced it, delving into the quiet darkness without thinking about anything.

  CHAPTER 20

  When I came around I was still cloaked in darkness, only I was warm and dry. I could hear the ocean and feel the rocking motion of the boat, but the deck was gone and in its place a soft bed. Muted noises came softly from a room above me, the chatter of conversation and faint hum of an engine. I had only rested my head for a moment, so how had I ended up here? Had I been sleeping?

  I forced myself upright and rubbed my eyes, half expecting to hit my head on a ceiling. The room was dark but there was a small rectangular window above me allowing a little light in. The room was small and functional, furnished with an oak writing desk in one corner and some kind of built-in wardrobe in the other. A red leather chair was tucked under the desk, and across the cream-colored walls were certificates and charts. The plain brown door across the room from me was closed. I touched my head and felt a bump just above my right ear. I no doubt had some bruising and cuts, but I felt surprisingly well. Perhaps sleep was what I had needed after all. The cotton sheets beneath me were a shade of deep blue and the quilt covering me was adorned with red and gold circles. There appeared to be no central motif to the room and I couldn’t figure out where I was. I stretched and yawned, and as I slid my hand over the quilt I felt something move in the bed next to me.

  “Woah!” I jerked back, confused and wary, and then pulled the quilt back.

  “Hey, how are you doing?” asked Ava. She sat up and tugged her top down. She had changed into a tight white T-shirt and cargo shorts. “Sorry. I’m supposed to be watching you, but you looked so peaceful I couldn’t help but climb onto the bed next to you. I must have gone out like a light. Damn.”

  “Ava?” I reached my hand out in the gloomy room and touched her cheek. “Are you all right?”

  Ava took my hand in hers. She was warm and I pressed my hand into hers firmly. She squeezed my hand back and smiled. “I guess. What happened… was out of my control. And yours. I can’t excuse what Lance did and I can’t turn back the clock. We just have to deal with what’s presented to us, right?”

  “And what exactly happened? I thought you were on the sofa and I… I was outside. But… I don’t remember. Donovan was heavy and—”

  “You passed out,” said Ava. “I got Manny to help me drag you in here. We found some dry clothes, for all of us, and let you sleep it off.”

  I realized then that I was in strange clothes. In a stranger’s clothes to be precise. The pants were a little big on me and the collared shirt I wore was unbuttoned, but at least it was dry. I felt a little odd knowing that Ava had helped undress me. “So you… helped to change my clothes?”

  “No, Manny did that. I was too busy finding some water. Over on the table, by the way, when you’re ready. There’s not a lot to go around, but enough for now.”

  “Right.” I still had my hand enclosed around Ava’s and the light above me threw shadows from the clouds outside that danced across her face. Looking into her blue eyes I couldn’t imagine what she was feeling. Losing her brother like that must have been devastating.

  “It’s okay, Luke. Don’t stress. Mcka
de is history. Douglas never even set a path for him. That’s why the radio kept crapping out. The whole time we were with Lance he was taking us north, away from danger.”

  “I hate to tell you this, Ava, but lying in a bed with me, you’re still in danger.”

  She laughed and raised her free hand to her mouth.

  “You don’t need to do that anymore,” I said, and before I even knew what I was doing I was kissing her. I ran my hands through her long blonde hair and she kissed me back. Drawing her close I pressed her body next to mine, and for the first time in days, I felt truly alive again. I felt hope. I felt pure raw energy rush through my body and time slowed as I held her. I forgot about everything but how amazing she was.

  “Luke,” said Ava breathlessly, “we have to stop.”

  “Do we?”

  Ava giggled. “For now.” She suddenly swung her legs off the bed and got up. “I don’t know how long we’ve slept, but we should go to the others. They’ll want to know how you are. Pippa was beside herself with worry.”

  “You’re right, of course.” I stretched and clambered off the bed, reluctant to leave, yet knowing it was the right thing to do. “How is she? Is Chelsea..?”

  “They’re both fine. Chelsea was shaken up by the whole thing, but I think they were more worried about you.”

  I had to admit I was beginning to feel bad for sleeping for so long. “What about Manny? Did he and Weir get Douglas to..?”

  Ava pressed a finger against my lips. “Why don’t you stop asking me a million questions and talk to them yourself? Everyone is fine. Even Weir. I think he left the dark side and joined us. You know, you were out for quite a while. We had to make plans and do something. Weir was really helpful.”

  Ava opened the bedroom door and I followed her out. I instantly recognized the corridor where Lance had frog-marched me earlier out of the bridge. As we made our way to the bridge the boat felt calm. It rolled from side to side, but it felt like the storm had dissipated.

  “Actually, I’m not sure without him we would’ve made it this far,” said Ava, taking my hand. “Douglas had to take care of his wife. He wasn’t much good after that.”

  “Poor guy.” I didn’t need to remind Ava how Douglas’ wife had died. “And you? How are you holding up?” I stopped Ava in front of the door to the bridge and looked at her. I examined her neck, running a finger gently over the dressing that had been applied over her cut.

  “I’ll be okay now,” she said, and she leant in and kissed me. “Estelle helped me with this,” she said rubbing the bandage around her neck. “She’s really quite sweet. I think she was going to help your sister find some food. At least that was the plan when I left them. God knows how long we’ve been sleeping. You’d best go in there. Manny will want to talk to you. I’ll go round up the others and let them know that you’re back on your feet.”

  I turned to the doorway as Ava left me, and I wondered just what Weir had done. Where had he led us? Could we really trust him? As I entered the bridge I was surprised to find him and Manny leaning over the control center. Douglas was nowhere to be seen, and thankfully neither was Honey. They had cleaned up well.

  “Well, if it isn’t my favorite grease-monkey,” said Weir. “You’re just in time.”

  “For what?” I shook Manny’s hand as he greeted me. He looked a little tired but was in good spirits. “You okay?”

  “I’m good,” he replied. “I mean, I haven’t had fourteen hours sleep like some people, but I’m good.”

  “I was out that long?” Looking out of the tall windows on the bridge I noticed the sun was rising in the east. I must have slept overnight. A new day was dawning. How much had I missed out on? “Where are we? What about Mckade?”

  “Always the worrier,” muttered Weir. “We lost Mckade. Douglas took us away from him and we haven’t seen him since. I don’t doubt he’s royally pissed off, and trying to track us, but luckily we seem to have lost him.”

  “And you can manage this ship, Weir? You can read all of this… stuff?” The array of controls in front of me was bewildering. I had no idea how he understood any of it. “It’s nothing like the Tukino.”

  “Give me some credit,” replied Weir. “Douglas gave us a rundown of how things work. Manny’s been helping me while you found a nice warm bed to crash in.”

  “Okay, okay, I get it. I’m a lazy ass.”

  “Don’t sweat it, Luke,” said Manny smiling. “It worked out okay. This really is an upgrade from the Tukino to be fair. Enough room for all of us and plenty of power to get us north and away from Mckade’s men.”

  “North? I thought we were heading south?”

  “Yeah, about that.” Weir flicked a switch and then looked at me. “There are two good reasons we changed course. First one is Mckade. He has control of the whole south-eastern seaboard now. We couldn’t risk staying in that area and letting him find us.”

  “And two?”

  “Two?” Weir sniffed nervously and glanced at Manny. “Two is the Megalodons. I’m sure you don’t need reminding what happened to us down there. The way I figure it, they prefer warmer waters. It’s essentially a shark, so let’s treat it like one. They go where the food is. So, it just made sense for us to head north. We have to play the odds, and odds are we’ll keep out of their way if we head north.”

  “They?” I asked.

  Weir shrugged. “Stands to reason there’s more than one of them.”

  “And on that bombshell, Luke, I suggest you forget trying to wrap your head around that wonderful news and follow me,” said Manny. “I was hoping you’d be up in time to see this. Like I said, you’re just in time.”

  Weir grinned. “Go on. I’ve got this.”

  Confused, I followed Manny outside where the fresh morning air startled me. He led me around to the port side that was still in shadow and smiled as if we were on a carnival cruise instead of running for our lives.

  “Look. We’re home.”

  Manny pointed west and I couldn’t believe it. We were home. New York spread out before us, its skyline illuminated by a warm glow. It was nothing like it used to be before the oceans rose, but it was still something. The city that never sleeps appeared to be just taking a nap. It felt good to be home.

  “You want to check out the old apartment?” I teased Manny. “Maybe grab those beers you lost?”

  “Oh, sure. I could do with a whole heap of things if we’re running by. There are some Twinkies I was saving and I was halfway through The Stand too. I never did get to finish it. Maybe we can swing by and pick it up?”

  I punched Manny in the arm playfully. “Twinkies? You were holding out on me!”

  I watched the sunrise burn away the shadows over the city. It felt like a second chance. It felt like things were clicking into place, finally. Ava was on side and even Weir seemed to have come around. As long as Douglas was happy with some help on his superyacht, then we were in no rush to find a new home. I still needed to catch up with Douglas and thank him before I scoured my brain to think of somewhere safe for Pippa and Chelsea.

  The very top of the Statue of Liberty was still above the water. Just like the city she guarded, she was barely visible, just the last visible parts reaching up toward the sky, clinging onto life before the ocean claimed her forever. I saw the upper tips of the crown and then the torch appeared. What looked like a thousand seagulls had nested on it, although the rest of the body was submerged. Further north I could see the tip of the World Trade Center, its lonely spire poking up into the sky like a symbol of hope. The hotels, offices, apartments and galleries beneath it were all gone, buried beneath an ocean of mistakes. The land it was built on was soft now, and I wondered how long it would remain standing. The Financial District was a distant memory, stocks and shares usurped in importance by how we could find fresh drinking water. Yet those monoliths we’d built so many years ago were, for the most part, still there, waiting and hoping they would have a use once more. Manhattan had been my home for years and I l
oved the city. Yet, it was time to move on. In a few months, or years, it would be gone completely. The encroaching Atlantic would soon spread its icy fingers further and take the city, drowning it along with the other cities it had already taken.

  “Snap out of it, Luke,” said Manny. “You always get misty eyed when you look at New York. Forget the past. I just wanted to show it to you for the last time. Who knows when we’ll be back here? If we’ll ever be back here.”

  “Weir say anything to you about where he’s headed?” I asked, relaxing over the rail as we sailed past the city.

  “North. Away from Mckade and away from trouble. There’s a chance Mckade is going to come after us for some payback, but we’ve seen no sign of him. Weir reckons he’s given up and stayed south where he’s in control. Weir also thinks the Megalodon probably prefers warmer water. Figures it’s safer for us to stay north for now. He says there’s good fishing up there.”

  “And was this Weir suggesting or telling us what to do?”