Megalodon Riptide

by Watts, Russ

  “Ava!”

  We were all knocked off our feet as the boat was thrust forward suddenly. The shark’s jaws sliced off chunks of metal and the lower platform, where we had earlier boarded the yacht, collapsed in on itself. As I fell to the deck I saw huge swathes of the lower deck disintegrate and the Megalodon’s jaws close as the monster slid silently back into the water.

  “Luke.” Ava was on her back and reached a hand to me. I took it and she looked at me as she regained her breath. “We’re going to die, aren’t we?”

  I wouldn’t admit it out loud, but the thought was forefront of my mind too. We would be lucky to survive another attack. The Megalodon had one half of the boat down its throat and we were about to be dessert.

  CHAPTER 22

  I hauled myself up using the handrail as the boat steadied itself. Glancing into the bridge and across to Pippa, I could see she was all right. They were all shaken, but as far as I could tell, unhurt. I helped Ava up. “No, we’re going to beat this. But we might need a bigger—”

  As I helped her stand Ava yelped with shock, and she pointed over my shoulder. Suddenly the shark was at our side. Its silvery skin bashed against the starboard of our creaking ship, buffeting it from side to side. I was worried we were taking on water at the rear, but there was no time to look into it. The shark had wedged itself in between us and the nearest building, and was ramming its thick body against our hull. Whether it was trapped or simply using its massive bulk to dislodge us, the effect was the same. I could feel the boat tearing itself apart as the monster repeatedly slammed into it. Ava slipped away from me once more as she skidded across the deck. A smell of what I can only describe as rotting fish wafted up from the churning ocean, and I reeled away from the side of the boat. Letting go of the rail I turned to help Ava.

  “Luke?”

  It was Douglas’ voice. I had forgotten about him after the emergence of the shark, and I heard Ava shriek as we turned to look at where he had been standing. He had been thrown off the stairs and over the side of the hull. I saw his hands clinging desperately onto the safety rail as he tried to pull himself back up, but he was too weak and tired. His eyes told me he only had a few seconds left before his lack of energy would loosen his grip on life.

  “Douglas, hold on.” I jumped to the top of the stairs, trying to remain upright as the giant beneath us thrashed around in the confined space. Its massive tail struck a brick wall that collapsed immediately. Another building followed it to a watery grave as the shark rammed into us, forcing our boat to collide with the corner of another high-rise. The outer hull was scratched and torn as the dying building dragged its concrete claws along our boat. The ruins of New York were dangerous enough without the shark, and in the close confines of the flooded streets I couldn’t imagine how we would escape with our lives.

  “Luke, we have to help him,” said Ava.

  I reluctantly pushed her back. “Go to the others. I’ll help Douglas. Get to the bridge, Ava.”

  I raced to help Douglas, but as I turned back to the stairs the shark suddenly twisted violently and spun away from us. Its huge girth forced a plume of water up into the air that crested over the deck, drenching Ava and I.

  “Douglas, hold on!”

  The shark slapped its huge tail against the hull, diving down and sending the boat once more careening toward the AT&T building. The towering building loomed over us and I knew if we hit it straight on we’d never survive. The crash would certainly destroy our vessel and I just hoped that Weir knew what he was doing. I had to trust him to steer us to a safer path. I slipped and grabbed for the upper rail of the metal staircase. As the saltwater showered down over me I reached a hand out to Douglas. “Take my hand,” I shouted.

  “I can’t—”

  Douglas’s feeble reply was sucked into thin air as he let go of the rail and bounced off the side of the hull into the water below.

  “Douglas, no!”

  I stretched to reach him and leaned over the rail, dangling my hands futilely. He was gone. I saw him hit the water as masonry rained down around us. He sank beneath the surface of the foaming water and I shouted for him. Scanning the water, I saw a submerged car float past and a red wooden door bobbing along, brushing past the hull. A yellow cab struck the hull and then Douglas resurfaced. He floated up silently, his body motionless and far from the boat. His eyes were open and there was a huge gash across his head. I knew there was no chance of rescuing him. He was gone.

  I rapidly turned away from his dead body, feeling sick. The Megalodon had done this. He might have drowned or broken his neck, but Douglas had been killed by the shark and I was sick of it. With the boat still ploughing toward the AT&T building I dragged my aching body to the bridge. The ocean had been churned up by the frenzied shark and the deck was covered in water.

  “Luke, thank God.” Ava pulled me inside. She was soaked through. “I thought—”

  “He’s gone.” I let Ava hold me. Everyone was looking at me, their eyes and faces full of unanswered questions boring into me. Manny was in the opposite doorway, while Pippa and Chelsea were cowering behind Weir, watching him work the controls. Estelle was at the windows, watching the outside world drift past. “I couldn’t get there in time,” I said guiltily. “Douglas fell. I couldn’t—”

  “Brace yourselves!” yelled Weir.

  The yacht clipped the corner of a building and the bow crumpled. Bricks rained over the deck and a shadow spread over the bridge. We were all struggling to maintain our balance and stay on our feet as Weir turned the boat away out into a wider street.

  “Weir, we have to get out of here. The shark isn’t going to back down. It’s determined to bring us down.”

  “You got any ideas, monkey?” Sweat poured down his face. “Now’s the time.”

  Suddenly Estelle screamed and staggered back from the large windows. “Hay peligro—”

  The windows shattered as a huge chunk of the building we’d hit pounded the deck. The windows blew in and I instinctively pulled Ava into my body to shield her from the flying glass. It was all over in a second and when I opened my eyes I saw open space in front of me. All of the windows were broken. The city beyond rose up ominously. Glass littered the floor and Estelle had some bad looking cuts on her face and hands. Pippa rushed to her aid.

  “Weir, this is madness,” said Manny. “We have to do something. We’ve already lost Douglas. What are we going to do?”

  I had never felt more determined in my life. If we did nothing, eventually the shark would bring the boat down. If it didn’t manage to get us itself it would force us into another building. We were in dangerous territory, yet I didn’t feel afraid anymore. I was concerned for the others, for my family and Ava. But I had a sense that this wasn’t a one-sided fight. We didn’t have to let it be. The shark had wasted its opportunity to bring us down when we were out in the open water. Here, in the compact streets, surrounded by tall fragile buildings, it wasn’t so sure of itself. We had to start believing that for once we had the upper hand. I knew this city. I knew the layout like the hairs on the back of my hand. As Weir slowed the boat and kept us in a relatively open expanse, away from any further collisions with something that might fall on us, I saw the upper floors of the Empire State. The morning sun was dazzling, shining like a beacon, drawing us in. I realized Weir had brought us onto Broadway, heading north. We were going to end up above Times Square. It was too risky. The shark would have more room to maneuver, and more space to get itself into a position where it could take a bite out of our hull.

  “Weir, these streets are too wide. We need to get to where it can’t follow us,” I said. “Shallow water and narrow streets will block it in. It’ll give us half a chance.”

  “We need to know where it is first.” Weir wiped the sweat from his brow. “Manny, make yourself useful and take a look. It won’t have gone far.”

  As Manny left the bridge and stepped onto the portside deck, there was a strange rushing noise. It sounded like a wal
l of water bearing down on us, yet the water was calm and looking out of the open windows I could see nothing apart from the silent buildings and hopeful sunshine. The noise grew in volume quickly. My eyes caught Weir’s and then I understood. He figured it out a moment before me and frantically thrust the engines into life. It was beneath us.

  “Manny!” I yelled. “Get inside before—”

  The shark struck somewhere at the back of the boat, no doubt rising up out of the ocean like a mountain. There was no time to do anything but hold on and hope the boat would hold together. We were shunted forward and up into the air. I imagined the bottom of the boat was lifted right out of the water and we were propelled forward with such velocity that Weir had no control over where we went. The direction was determined by the shark as it pushed us, and I saw Macy’s looming up ahead. We glanced off the side of the empty building which rattled and shook as we gouged out several windows and half a floor. Pippa and Estelle were tossed around the bridge, their bodies rolling around in the broken glass, and Ava clung onto me. Chelsea screamed and I realized she had been behind me the whole time. Her fingers were digging into the doorframe and I reached out a hand to her, hoping to keep her on her feet. The door that led to the interior of the boat was swinging violently behind her, and she looked terrified.

  “Manny!” I called for him, but there was no answer. I wondered if he had gone over the side like Douglas. “Manny, answer me. Where are you?” Whilst the boat was still charging forward, pushed along by the shark, there was nothing I could do.

  I looked at Chelsea, trying to reassure her, knowing her mother’s screams would haunt her dreams. As the boat began to settle, finally, I let go of Chelsea’s hand. “Ava, stay with her. Please.”

  I staggered forward, glass crunching underneath my feet, and helped Pippa and Estelle up. “Go to the back of the bridge, behind Weir. Stay with Chelsea.” Pippa was covered in numerous cuts and she was already plucking tiny shards of splintered glass from her palms. I winced with her, knowing the pain she was in. She said nothing, but took Estelle and carefully went to Chelsea.

  “Manny?” I stood in the open doorway, reluctant to step out onto the deck. It was awash with masonry and water. There was no sign of him. I was going to have to go out there and find him. He could be hurt, perhaps unconscious but still on the deck. I couldn’t just leave him and assume the worst when there was still a chance to save him. My friend had been there for me, helped me with Chelsea, and would do the same for me. I wasn’t going to let him be taken like Douglas. “42nd street,” I said to Weir. “Get onto 42nd and head east. I’ve an idea how we might be able to beat this thing. We’ll be killed if we stay on this course. We need to move while we still can. Head east for about three blocks and then back north.”

  I heard Weir call for me, but I ignored him. I had to know that Manny was okay. The boat turned as I stepped over the threshold onto the deck outside. Weir could question me all he liked, but I knew from the direction the boat was going that he was listening to me. I took a few steps and looked around for Manny. The boat was a mess. I could hardly believe we were still afloat. How much more could she take? I called for Manny but got no reply, so I gingerly felt my way to the bow. There was wood and bricks, window frames and even a couple of mannequins scattered across the deck. The safety rail was a mangled mess of metal, twisted like a heap of frozen spaghetti. If Manny had been thrown underneath all of this he could easily have been killed. Equally, he might just have been knocked out. With so many objects flying around us he could also be bleeding and I had to find him. I began to pull bricks up with my hands and toss them overboard. My hatred for the Megalodon only grew as I found no sign of my friend.

  “Damn it, Manny, where are you?” I made my way to a piece of the safety rail and peered into the water. We were heading east now and the water below was clogged with thick detritus and garbage.

  “Uncle Luke?”

  I whirled around, surprised. “Chelsea? Get back inside. It’s not safe out here.”

  Ignoring my advice Chelsea hopped across the deck, and I grabbed her as she reached the rail.

  “I saw him fall,” she said quietly. “I saw him.”

  My heart leapt. “Are you sure?”

  She nodded. “I don’t know if—”

  A groan reached my ears and I looked down at the lower deck. It was covered in masonry too, huge chunks of concrete and the remnants of Macy’s. I heard the groan again and noticed a hand sticking out from underneath a sheet of plastic.

  “Manny! It has to be,” I said excitedly. “I have to—”

  “No,” said Chelsea firmly. “You don’t. I’ll go.” Chelsea unclipped two straps that hugged her shoulders and swung a plain black backpack around. She held it out in front of her. “Open it.”

  I hadn’t even noticed the pack and as I cautiously took it from her, I unzipped the top. What I saw inside made my eyes widen.

  “I found it. After Lance and that other man, you know, died. They never got a chance to use it, but now maybe you can. I’ll go to Manny. You go do what you have to do.”

  Ava and Pippa appeared in the doorway, and Chelsea smiled. She reached out a hand and helped her mother across to us. Ava followed and I tried not to be mad with them. It wasn’t safe out here in the open. If the shark struck whilst we were standing out on deck we could end up anywhere.

  “You know, I’d really prefer you to stay with Weir and—”

  “This isn’t your show, Luke,” said Pippa. She pushed Ava toward me. “You can’t make us hide and hope this goes away. Weir has control of the boat for now. Estelle’s hurt but she’ll be okay,” said Pippa, wiping tears from her eyes. “So, monkey, listen to Chelsea. Stop trying to do everything and let us help.”

  I was reminded of the time my mother had scolded me for ordering Pippa to tidy up her toys. I had tripped over a doll or something she’d left in the kitchen, and couldn’t understand why my mom hadn’t told my sister to clear up. I guess I had always wanted to be in control, reluctant to let anyone else tell me what to do. I guess I couldn’t tell Pippa what to do any more than the rest of them. I had their best interests at heart, but Pippa was right. I couldn’t do this alone.

  “So, what do you suggest, mom?” Pippa’s eyes flickered but she ignored my barbed comment, as I did hers. There was nothing sinister, just the friendly sort of dig that two siblings did to each other from birth to death. I assumed that’s how it was anyway. Pippa never let up on me, and I never let up on her. I think we would’ve been disappointed if either one of us had.

  “Manny,” said Chelsea. “He’s down there, mom. We’re going to get him. Luke is going to let Ava help him take care of the… shark.”

  “Shark?” Pippa shook her head. “Call it what it is, Chelsea. It’s a Megalodon. It’s a badass, but when it takes on my family, it’s going to find out how much of a badass I can be.”

  I watched my sister and Chelsea walk back to the staircase to go down and help Manny.

  “Call up to me. I want to know how he is,” I shouted after them. I was proud of them both. I was irritated to hell, of course, and I hated letting Pippa get the last word, but sometimes I just had to admit I was wrong.

  “What’s that?” asked Ava, looking at the black backpack in my hands.

  “This?” I took in a deep breath of fresh air. “This is going to help us win.”

  Crossing the deck, I stuck my head in the open doorway to the bridge. Through the vast window frames the cold air was rushing in, exposing the skeletal remains of New York that had become a silent graveyard. “Weir, make a left here. We’re over Little Italy right now. You remember where you and Jonah picked us up?”

  He nodded and looked at me with skepticism. “Sure, but if you’re hoping to stop by and pick up your old Levi’s you can forget it.”

  “When you reach where the apartment was, slow right down. I’ll come up soon. When I tell you, cut the engines.”

  “Are you dreaming?” Weir rolled his eyes. “B
oy, we are not best friends yet. You think I’m going to cut the engines and just wait for that bitch to eat us, you can think again. We need to be ready to move. We’re going to—”

  “Stop arguing with us, Weir and just fucking do it.”

  Even I was shocked by Ava’s tone. From the look on Weir’s face, he was either about to explode with rage or spend the next month arguing with her.

  Ava grabbed the pack from my hands and stuck a hand inside. She pulled out a gun and brandished it in the air. “You know what this is, Weir? It’s a start. A way of killing that thing. Luke knows this city. You might know the ocean, but this isn’t your domain now any more than it is that damn shark’s. So, for once, please, pretty fucking please with sprinkles on top, do what Luke says.”

  Ava turned and marched around me, toward the bow. I looked at Weir and shrugged. “What she said.”

  I followed Ava and together we clambered over the wreckage to an open area of the deck. “How did you know there’d be a gun in the bag?” I asked her.

  “I didn’t. Just took a guess that whatever that smug look was in your eyes earlier meant you actually had a plan.”

  “Smug? Me?”

  We’d gone as far as we could. The front of the yacht had been smashed to pieces. We stood there looking out over New York. The city was so quiet that I almost forgot what we were here for. There were still a lot of buildings standing, and several of the skyscrapers I had grown up with were surrounding me now, like old friends come back to say hello. We were exactly where I wanted us to be, and I spun around to face the bridge.