by Michael Cole
“Are we sure we’ll be able to sedate it?” Lisa asked. Forster remained silent, and gradually approached the ledge. She saw the beast going berserk inside.
“We have to try,” she said. She turned toward the aquarium and ran inside. In the stairwell, she took strides of three steps at a time, hurrying upstairs.
********
The littoral combat ship passed by the west peak. The towers of smoke were visible from the furthest reaches of the bay. Captain Danaher ordered all weapons stations be manned. As they cleared the peak, he lifted his binoculars to his eyes. First, he saw the cloud of smoke in the middle of the bay, then the Seahawks. Then there was the huge mass pushing through the water. The dorsal fin was unmistakable. The Bofors 57mm cannon on the bow rotated to take aim.
“Fire!” Danaher commanded. The gun shook the deck with each recoil. Balls of fire and water burst around the target.
“Sir, target is still on approach!” the sonar tech said to Danaher.
“Then keep hitting it!” he yelled.
The creature pushed forward, ignoring the impact from each explosive. Signals surged through Ampullae of Lorenzini. It detected the Carnahan in its path. The fact that its new enemy was over twice its size meant nothing to it. The Behemoth knew no fear, nor did it understand the concept of retreat. It added intense pressure to the swing of its tail, generating a huge burst of speed.
“Target’s speed has increased. Distance is closing rapidly!” the tech announced.
“Keep firing!” Danaher commanded.
The cannon was only able to fire off two more rounds. With each added meter, the Behemoth gained momentum in its approach. It was a million-pound projectile jetting over a thousand meters of distance. Thick protective lids covered its eyes.
It struck the starboard bow. The ten-inch thick hull imploded, leaving a forty-foot hole. The Carnahan swung heavily to port. Alarms rang out through the cruiser. Sailors on deck clung for dear life as the ship rocked violently. Watertight doors sealed throughout the ship, but the huge inflow of water had almost instantly flooded the lower compartments.
The machine gun armaments on the starboard side fired into the water.
Raven Two maintained an altitude of three hundred feet above the ship. Colonel Salkil watched through the bay doors. Its head was completely lodged inside the ship. Like a hundred-fifty-foot worm, it wiggled about to free itself, thrashing its tail left and right. The effort sent the Carnahan spinning in place. Several sailors lost their footing and ended up in the water, soon to be lost in the turbulent waves.
Finally, the shark yanked its head free and started swimming into the distance. It was clear that it was preparing to make another collision run at the ship. The breach was a deep one, and had created worse damage than a torpedo.
“They can’t take another hit,” Salkil said. He watched the swells caused by the huge beast.
Looking to the horizon, he saw the Naval Destroyer Donovan rapidly approaching. From the southwest, several Coast Guard vessels were now in view, operating in a joint response. Salkil no longer felt relieved by their presence. Rather, he wondered how many of those ships would still be afloat once the conflict was over. How many more lives would be lost?
This beast was a weapon of the worst kind.
Damn you, Dr. Wallack. I hope you’re burning in Hell.
********
Nelson pressed the bottom of the syringe pole tightly against the end of a broomstick. Rick tightly wrapped duct tape around the two ends, allowing for more reach. Rick ripped the tape free, and Nelson held the extended pole by the tip of the broom handle. It gave about eleven feet of length; still not enough to ease his nerves.
Before he could voice his concern, Forster snatched it from his hand and filled the syringe with ketamine. After tossing the empty vial away, she glanced at the others to make sure they were ready. Rick and Lisa were standing by with the large harness, normally used for securing whales. Strapped to the harness were several blocks of C-4 explosives.
Another smashing sound echoed through the pen. The shark had rammed the door. Forster could see the gap forming in between the two sliders. Another hit, and the shark would be free.
“Alright, let’s do this,” Forster said in a confident voice. She moved over to the side of the pen and stepped out onto the deck. It slowly cruised along the far side, possibly dazed from smashing its head against the doors. Forster knelt down, keeping her eyes on the fin. She tapped the water.
“Here, fishy-fishy!” she said. The shark turned, but then turned back toward the doors. Forster slapped the water again. “Come on, don’t you want us to take you to your mommy?” The shark redirected itself toward her distortions.
“Julie, be careful,” Nelson said. She glanced back at him.
“Just be ready to go with that--”
“LOOK OUT!” Nelson yelled and pointed. Forster whipped her head around and screamed. The hybrid was breaching, jaws fully extended. When she looked away, it had made its run.
The jaws snapped shut inches from her torso, just as she fell backward onto the pavement. She hit the concrete hard, and the pole rolled away from her grip. For a moment, the breath had left her lungs. The world was spinning around her. A pain throbbed in the back of her head.
She felt the familiar sensation of water splashing her feet. She looked up. The hybrid was climbing out of the pen, its jaws merely inches from her legs. She kicked against the pavement, pushing herself backward. Each backward push was matched by a forward step from the pursuing hybrid.
Nelson prepared to throw a grenade, but couldn’t, as Forster was in the kill zone. Ignoring the pain in his leg, he ran toward the creature, waving his arms in hopes of distracting it.
The plan worked a little too well. Propped up on all six legs, the beast swung its head toward him. He jumped back, narrowly avoiding being snatched up.
Forster rolled to her side and grabbed the pole. She stood up, holding it like a lance. The hybrid spotted her, and it viciously turned toward her. As it did, its tail swung in the opposite direction, striking Nelson in the chest. The Chief hit the pavement hard, and the grenade rolled free of his grip.
“Joe!” Forster yelled. The creature turned completely toward her, baring two-inch fangs. Holding the makeshift pole, Forster jabbed it toward the shark’s mouth. As she did, it dipped its head. The needle struck the rigid shell on its nose and broke in two.
“Shit!” Forster tossed the pole to the side. There was no hope in sedating the shark anymore. Her eyes turned toward Nelson. Rick and Lisa helped him to his feet, and were rushing him to safety…
…leaving behind the grenade he had held.
The hybrid perched on its legs, ready to scurry toward her. Forster turned to her left and dashed. The beast, unconditioned to hunting on land, was not fast enough to seize her in its jaws.
Forster snatched the grenade and tightened her finger around the ring of the pin. The shark started after her again. She pulled the pin, and released the lever, triggering the five-second charge. Three of those seconds had passed when she chucked it. The grenade bounced against the shark’s snout and was mid-way toward the ground when it discharged. Forster covered her face, feeling the intensity of the shockwave.
As she looked again, she saw the creature through the grey smoke. Its lower jaw was completely gone, as were portions along the side of its face. It crawled toward her, still intent on eating her. Blood spilled from its mouth, leaving a thick red trail. Forster shrieked in horror and backed away.
The hybrid stopped. For a moment, it seemed to blankly stare at her. Its legs shook, and then buckled under its weight. The hybrid crashed down, slumping against the pavement. After a few muscular twitches, it lay perfectly still. Dead.
Forster caught her breath, as Rick ran over to her. “Gosh…you alright?”
“I’m alright,” she said. The sounds of explosions in the bay drew their eyes to the water.
“So much for our grand plan,” Rick said in a de
feated tone. Forster stood silent. She looked toward the employee docks. The maintenance vessel Fairbanks was still there. It was banged up, but operational, and equipped with a towing cable.
“Maybe not,” she said. “Strap the explosives on it. I’ll be right back.” She ran toward the vessel.
********
The Seahawk units followed the beast as it moved away from the ship. Leading the chase, Commander Rivado checked his armaments. He only had one Hellfire missile remaining. Judging by the recent experience, he knew it wouldn’t stop the creature. There was only one other option.
“All units, form up on me,” he said. He ceased his pursuit, just as the creature made a turn to circle back. He adjusted his position, lining up with the shark trajectory. The other choppers lined up beside his. “All units, target the biologic with your AGM-119. Stand by, and be ready to fire,” he said, arming the trigger.
“Unit Two, ready.”
“Unit Three, ready.”
“Unit Four, ready.”
“Fire!”
From underneath each chopper, a nine-foot long anti-ship missile dropped from each Seahawk. After descending several feet, each missile’s afterburner ignited, sending it cruising toward the Behemoth. Each one hit their mark, exploding over the creature’s head and neck.
They saw its bulk driven downward from the force of the blast. Rivado watched for its mass to reappear, but the smoke clouded his vision. “I no longer have a visual on the creature,” he said. “All units, spread out. Watch for any signs of…”
The water exploded and the Behemoth leapt, hurling itself at the aerial attackers. Its body smashed against Units One and Four, which broke apart midair before splashing down. Units Two and Three elevated rapidly, and the Behemoth crashed back down. As soon as it hit the water, it continued its run at the Carnahan.
It crashed into the portside, penetrating several meters into the hull.
********
Lisa and Rick tied the harness around the dead creature’s body. Nelson ignored the tightness in his chest and ribs as he helped secure the triggering devices. Each one had to be set properly in place in order for each block of C-4 to explode.
Forster opened the pen doors and backed the Fairbanks inside, all the way to the ledge. Once docked, she got out and jumped onto the ledge, holding the towing cable. She secured the cable tightly around the hybrid’s caudal fin.
“Wait a minute…this is insane!” Lisa protested.
“Julie, it’s too dangerous to go out there!” Nelson said. He pointed to the Carnahan in the distance. Its bow was completely submerged. The alarms echoed throughout the sky. “It’s a warzone over there. It’s not safe.”
Forster touched his face with both hands. “I’ll be fine.” She jumped into the boat. He tried following her, but his cracked ribs nearly sent him doubling over. Rick chased after Forster, stopping at the ledge where she leapt back into the Fairbanks.
“Julie, this is crazy!” he said.
“It’s been a crazy week,” she said, then started the engine.
“Good God, Julie…what are you doing?” Rick said.
She looked back at him. “Bettering humanity.”
The engine roared. Rick shut his eyes. Damn you, Rick, you always want to do the right thing. He jumped onto the boat with Forster.
“What are you doing?”
It was a question shouted simultaneously by Forster and Lisa.
“You’ll never be able to unhook the cable while avoiding the creature. And who’s gonna detonate the explosives while you’re speeding away?” He looked over at his wife. “I’m in trouble, aren’t I?” She nodded, but did not withhold a loving gaze. She understood.
Forster throttled the boat out of the pen, quickly pushing it to full speed. The cable went taut, and the dead creature’s carcass slid into the water. Covered with a black harness loaded with explosives, it towed behind the Fairbanks, trailing a river of blood.
“Hopefully the big one will still smell the blood despite the chaos,” Rick said.
Raven Two circled inland as the Naval and Coast Guard reinforcements began to enter the bay area. Colonel Salkil waited for the inevitable bombardment, which proved more and more unlikely to stop the beast.
“Oh great,” the co-pilot said. Salkil approached the cockpit.
“What’s the matter?”
“We have a civilian craft entering the kill zone.” He pointed at the twenty-foot vessel. Salkil looked closely.
“What’s that?” he said. The boat appeared to be towing something behind it. “Take us closer to it.” The pilots looked at each other, shrugged, and followed the order. As they neared, the trail of blood came into view. The bulk of the cargo bounced along the waves. The Colonel fixed his gaze on the people on the boat, recognizing Napier and Forster. He looked back at the dead shark, seeing the explosives strapped to it. He suddenly realized their plan, and burst out a huge laugh. “Damn, that’s ballsy!”
“Sir?” the pilot questioned.
“They’re gonna try and explode it from inside,” Salkil said. “Take us closer to the big one.”
“SIR?”
“We have two more missiles,” Salkil said. “That’ll get its attention. We need to help lure it to the boat.” The pilots hesitated, thinking of what happened to the Seahawks. “DO IT!”
“Yes sir,” the pilot said. The chopper descended, zipping toward the sinking cruiser. The shark dislodged itself from the second breach, and started to swim outside of the bay.
They fired the first missile, which struck the caudal fin. The Behemoth turned around.
“Alright, good,” Salkil said. “Start working back like we were doing.” The chopper gradually flew backward, maintaining distance between it and the creature.
Salkil looked back, gauging the distance the Fairbanks needed to clear. “Keep going,” he said to the pilots.
The creature started turning away, losing interest. The pilot fired the last missile, striking the creature along the gill line. It dipped heavily, as if enraged. Salkil looked back, seeing the massive thrashing that took place. The beast dove, and bounced along the seafloor, then angled upward. Its tail swept against the water, pushing the creature upwards. “Pull up!” Salkil said.
It was too late. The Behemoth shot clear of the surface, right at Raven Two. Its jaws clamped down on the entire front of the aircraft. The teeth on its upper jaw smashed through the windshield, coming down on both pilots as the jaws tightened.
Salkil hit the floor, feeling weightless as the chopper smashed down into the bay in the Behemoth’s grasp. Less than a second later, he was underwater. The Behemoth shook the helicopter in its mouth, slamming it into the seafloor.
Salkil cursed to himself, his voice muffled by the water. It was the first time he endured defeat. And the last.
The hybrid smashed the chopper again, crushing it completely, and all those inside.
The smell of blood turned its attention to the surface. The creature rose to the surface, savoring its strength.
“There it is,” Rick said. The fin emerged several hundred feet from the starboard bow. It cruised in a straight line, then slowly turned toward them. “It’s studying us.”
“Be ready to disconnect that cable,” Forster said. She slowed the boat, allowing the beast to hone in on them. The water rose into huge mountains as the creature accelerated toward them.
Rick held his breath.
“Now!” Forster yelled, and maxed the throttle. Rick detached the cable. Liberated from the extra weight, the boat whooshed out of the way. The creature passed by their recent position, snatching up its own offspring in its jaws. The taste of blood was timely, as the creature required sustenance to supplant its spent energy.
It swallowed its meal whole, and its body demanded more. The creature splashed the surface while it changed course to pursue the small boat.
Rick held the detonator in his hand, ready to press the button as soon as they gained a safe amount of distance.
“Oh shit,” he said. Forster turned, seeing the creature in chase. Its cone-shaped snout was quickly closing in on them. Rick hurried beside her, and grabbed her by the shoulders, forcing her to her feet. “We gotta jump!” he said. There was no other choice, and no time to hesitate.
They leapt as far as they could over the starboard gunwale. They hit the water and were immediately swept up by the current caused by the passing Behemoth. Both Rick and Forster rolled head over heels in the water.
Rick steadied himself and swam to the surface, still clinging to the detonator. He took a breath, just as the shark smashed the empty boat. Forster emerged several feet away.
The shark detected the rapid heartbeats of the two targets, and quickly turned toward them. Rick and Forster looked at it, then at each other.
“Well, hope this thing’s waterproof,” Rick said. The sudden downdraft turned his gaze upward, as Lisa’s yellow R44 helicopter quickly descended.
With the shark approaching, she didn’t have time to measure distance. She splashed the landing skids into the water, inches from her husband. “Come on!” she yelled, seeing the mass quickly approaching.
Rick and Forster wrapped their arms around the skids. “GO!!!” Lisa lifted the stick, and the chopper quickly rose. The creature raised its snout, literally grazing the bottom of Rick and Forster’s feet as they rose out of reach.
Holding on tight, Rick maneuvered the device in his hand into a proper grip. He looked down to the Behemoth as it thrashed in the waters below him. “Last time,” he said. He pressed the button.
Pressure and heat expanded from within, and the Behemoth heaved in unknown pain. It opened its mouth, as a ball of fire and blood expanded in a ghastly display. The creature smashed down, blood trailing from its mouth and nose. Its body spasmed and turned, until finally it lay motionless at the bottom of the bay.
CHAPTER
43