Megalodon In Paradise

by Hunter Shea

“No worries, all you have to do is kill six men and everything will be fine.”

  “What?” Marco said, his lips close to his ear.

  Ollie shook his head, waving him back.

  He worried that if Marco pressed him, he’d ram the butt of the rifle in his face.

  Checking to make sure they were clear—at least as far as he could see—he slipped out from behind the dune, running in a crouch. He took a quick glance at the water, gray skies melting into a gray ocean.

  Somewhere out there, that shark was munching on what was left of the men and that boat. The storm meant nothing to it. He wondered if it could still be hungry, or if it would move on.

  Fat fucking chance.

  ***

  “Heidi’s still throwing up,” Steven announced.

  I don’t blame her, Tara thought.

  She would have to keep an eye on her. After what happened to Lenny, she couldn’t imagine ingesting that goo being benign.

  “Is everything locked?” he asked.

  “Just the door, Mr. Steven,” Lae said. “There aren’t locks on the windows.”

  Tara was surprised there was even a lock on the door. Realistically, what would have been the purpose?

  “Lae, close the blinds and get the hell away from the window,” Steven said.

  Poor Lae put her hands on her head and went about shutting blinds and shades.

  “Steven, did anything happen to Ollie or Marco?” Tara asked.

  “N-n-no. They’re fine.”

  “So where are they?”

  “I think Ollie was going to try to take those guys out.”

  “Go back. Who are those guys?”

  “How the fuck am I supposed to know?” Spittle collected on the corners of his mouth. He looked about ready to break. Tara made it a point not to push him.

  “Okay. Okay. So there are guys with guns. Are they headed this way?”

  Steven stalked the room, breathing heavy. “They will eventually. There’s just so far you can go here. That goddamn shark ate their boat and everyone on it.”

  Christ. Tara was hoping the Megalodon had decided to head for deeper waters and more plentiful food sources. She knew it was insane to think there was a prehistoric Megalodon out there, but until she was proven otherwise, she was sticking with it.

  Besides, it didn’t matter what she thought.

  Whatever it was, it was bigger than anything anyone had ever seen, hungry as hell, nasty, and apparently territorial.

  As if that wasn’t enough to worry about.

  The windows shook as the storm kicked up its assault on the island.

  “I hope to God they didn’t skimp on the building materials,” Tara said.

  Steven stopped his pacing, clenching and unclenching his fists. He parted the blinds just enough to stare out the window, the day turning to night in the blink of an eye. “We’re gonna find out real soon.”

  Tara went into the kitchen, wrapping her hands in dishtowels. She rifled through the drawers.

  “What are you doing?” Steven asked.

  “If we have strange men out there with guns, we need to find something to defend ourselves with. Kitchens have knives. Knives kill.”

  She found a meat cleaver, butcher knife and several steak knives in a drawer.

  She carried them to the coffee table.

  “Lae, Steven, take one.”

  Steven was quick to grab the cleaver. Lae was far more tentative, taking a steak knife.

  “No,” Tara said to her. “You take the butcher knife. I’ll find something else.”

  Which she did. It was a meat tenderizer. It wasn’t much, but it would have to do. She slipped a couple of steak knives in her back pocket, just in case.

  Be careful when you sit, she thought.

  “The rain is really coming down,” Steven said, peeking between the blinds. Tara took a look for herself.

  She’d never seen anything like it, at least in real life. This was the stuff of cataclysm movies.

  “The tide is coming in really high,” she said, watching the beach get eaten away second by second. If this kept up, they’d be flooded within the hour. “Lae, what do you do when storms like this hit?”

  Lae fiddled with the meat cleaver. “We have a shelter on higher ground. My home has had several devastating storms over the past ten years. We’ve lost many, many homes.”

  “Is there higher ground on this island?” Steven asked.

  Lae looked down, shaking her head. “Maybe not high enough.”

  “Ungh, what’s happening?”

  Lenny stirred on the couch. Tara wished she had some painkillers on hand. He’d need them once he came fully awake.

  She left the window to sit beside him.

  “Try to go back to sleep. We’re taking care of things.”

  When he tried to sit up, a wave of agony washed over his face. He looked down at his bandage-covered stump as if he were just remembering what had happened.

  “Does it hurt?” Tara asked.

  He was still sweating profusely. “Not as bad as it did before.”

  She didn’t think she’d ever get the image of Lenny smashing his hand to wet pieces out of her memory.

  “Why is Steven holding a knife and looking like he’s about to shit himself?” Lenny asked.

  Tara almost laughed.

  “It appears we’ve ended up in one of the deeper levels of hell,” Tara said.

  Lenny moved his arm and slammed his eyes shut, biting down on the pain.

  Heidi came stumbling back into the living room. A line of vomit stained the front of her shirt.

  “Steven?” she mumbled, looking like she was about to pass out.

  Her skin had gone from pale to a disturbing jaundice.

  “Heidi, why don’t you sit down,” Tara said.

  The house shook as an exceptionally violent gust of wind roared like a lion. Tara gritted her teeth at the sound of chunks of the roof breaking loose. A window in another room shattered. It was like standing too close on a platform as a train barreled past.

  Lenny grabbed onto her arm with his remaining hand.

  The wind kept coming and coming, until she was sure the house was going to break apart under the huffing and puffing of the Big Bad Wolf.

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  The storm was getting harder and harder to fight. A couple of times, Ollie was pushed backward, slamming into Marco, who was never far behind. They couldn’t stay here much longer.

  “We have to go back,” he said to Marco.

  “Okay.”

  His only hope was that the storm would wash the men out to sea, where the shark would then take care of the rest. It wasn’t too much to ask, was it?

  Maybe he’d used up all his luck when he won the lottery.

  It sure as hell seemed like it.

  Marco patted his shoulder excitedly. Ollie almost elbowed him in the throat. Marco wasn’t high on his list of favorite people at the moment.

  Instead, he looked to where Marco was pointing.

  Through the steady sheets of rain, they saw the six men turn from the beach. The water was creeping closer and closer. Pretty soon, there wouldn’t be a beach.

  Pretty soon, there won’t be an island, Ollie said to himself.

  The rain had turned into a deluge. Noah would have shaken in his boots if he were here right now.

  They watched the men trudge deeper into the island in single file, keeping close enough to grab onto the man in front if needed.

  They’re headed right for the bungalows!

  Ollie’s chest tightened, his blood chilling.

  He couldn’t let that happen.

  “Let’s go,” he said, grabbing hold of Marco’s collar. His friend nodded resolutely, sticking close.

  It was hard going, the storm trying to push them back to the derelict lab. Taking the shorter route, they made it to their custom-made civilization before the interlopers. When Ollie finally spotted the small complex of houses, his heart caught in his throat. />
  Bits and pieces of each of the small, comfortable bungalows were breaking loose, violently sucked up into the storm. He watched in horror as all their hard work was yanked into the vengeful sky.

  It figures. Why not finish us off entirely?

  “No!” Marco shouted.

  He ran ahead of Ollie, kicking up wet sand, headed straight for Ollie’s darkened house.

  Ollie looked about before following, making sure the strange men weren’t close by. If he couldn’t see them, odds were they couldn’t see him.

  They both arrived at Ollie’s door at the same time, crashing into it, panting. Marco pounded on the door with his fist.

  “Open up! Open up!”

  He just wants to save his own skin, Ollie thought, sickened by his former friend’s cowardice.

  Tara flung the door open.

  Ollie was never happier to see someone in his entire life.

  She looked equally relieved and happy to see him.

  “Get in!” she shouted, slamming the door behind them.

  The storm howled at their back. Ollie leaned against the door, trying to collect himself.

  Tara melted into him. “Thank God you’re all right.”

  “They’re…they’re coming,” Marco blurted.

  “Who?” Lenny asked. He looked like two weeks of warmed dog turd.

  What’s wrong with his hand?

  “Shit,” Steven barked, slamming his fist into a wall.

  The house shuddered. Ollie could feel the foundation weakening as the storm blared on. He wasn’t sure how much more the structure could take.

  “What do we do?” Tara asked. He looked into her pleading, emerald eyes and wanted to melt. There was no way he was going to let anything happen to her.

  “The lab!” Ollie exclaimed.

  “The lab? We just came from there,” Marco protested.

  The sound of crashing glass and roof tiles being pried free by the wind helped Ollie’s case. “Yes, it’s the most solid thing on the island. Plus, there are no windows. It’s the safest place to be.”

  “That’s what you fucking think,” Steven said. Heidi looked like she’d been run over by a train. She rose weakly from her chair and joined her husband’s side.

  “He’s right,” Lenny said. Sweat rolled off his face as he sat up. “That place is solid as can be.”

  Tara looked at him. “You think you can make the walk?”

  Lenny shrugged, getting unsteadily to his feet. “Not like I have a choice.”

  Ollie opened the door, searching for any sign of the men. They weren’t here yet. Or they could be a dozen yards away. He couldn’t tell through the curtain of rain.

  At least at the lab, they only had to secure and guard the one door. With the way things were progressing, Ollie’s little dream house would be nothing but kindling in a few hours. Let the armed men who had trespassed on his paradise enjoy the bungalows while they lasted.

  Ollie gripped the rifle, biting down on his lower lip so hard, he tasted copper.

  “Okay, we’re going to the lab. Everyone has to hold onto the person in front of them. I’ll take the lead. I saw the way those guys were walking. We’ll just skirt around them. Let them find refuge in one of the houses. It’ll be a short-lived shelter.”

  As if on cue, a jagged crack zigzagged from the top of one of the living room walls right down to the floor.

  “I don’t want to go back there,” Heidi said. She clapped her hand over her mouth, holding back a wave of nausea.

  “We don’t have a choice,” Ollie said. The first thing he’d ask once they secured the lab was what had happened to Lenny and Heidi.

  Steven jabbed a finger towards Lenny. “Just keep him away from her.”

  Tara narrowed her eyes at him. “It’s not his fault.”

  “Bullshit!”

  Ollie got between them. “Stop! We don’t have time for this. I’ll get flashlights and candles.” Darting around the bungalow, he gathered them up and tossed them in a canvas bag. It was an oversized bag from Aldi supermarket. He’d brought it along with him as a little memento from Minnesota. Money had always been tight and Aldi was the cheapest place to shop in the state. It was a reminder of where he’d come from.

  He only had two flashlights, but the dozen candles would come in handy. He also threw in two lighters and a pack of matches.

  Tara said, “Marco, help me with Lenny.”

  Marco was still as a statue, staring off into space and gnawing on his thumb. A line of blood rolled down the digit. Ollie nudged him with the rifle. “Help her, asshole!”

  Marco and Tara each took an arm, ushering Lenny forward. Steven, Heidi and Lae were right behind them.

  “Get ready,” Ollie said. He took Lae by the hand. She squeezed him tight. “This isn’t going to be fun.”

  ***

  The rain came down so hard it hurt.

  Lenny tried to shield his face with his good arm but it was useless. It felt like being pelted with BBs. When the rain hammered his stump, the pain spiked even more, which seemed impossible to believe it could get worse.

  It was probably a good thing. Without the pain, he just might pass out. His legs didn’t feel attached to his body. He moved, willing his legs to put one foot in front of the other, but it was like watching everything from a distance. Thank God Tara and Marco were holding him up.

  As they abandoned Ollie’s house, he thought he spotted a dark figure moving swiftly to their right.

  The top half of a palm tree tumbled past them, nearly clipping Steven.

  The figure was gone.

  If that was one of the men Ollie was talking about, they’d gotten out with seconds to spare.

  The trek to the lab felt like hours. So much rain was coming down, he worried he would drown if he were to open his mouth too wide. As it was, he sucked in deep, pained breaths between his teeth. He didn’t even know they were near the lab until they were right outside the open door.

  Lenny looked down. The shoreline was now just a couple of feet away. Small rivers branched outward, searching for more land to claim. Where had the beach gone? How could at least fifty yards disappear so fast?

  He spotted an olive bag floating nearby. Where had that come from? Whatever was inside looked bulky. There was another one on the little bit of beach that was left. If he felt any better, he would check it out. As it was, he could barely stand.

  “Are you fucking kidding me?” Steven shouted.

  A momentary break in the curtain of rain revealed a giant shark fin slicing through the encroaching water. It was too far away to be a threat, but way too close for comfort.

  “Everybody inside,” Ollie said, standing beside the doorway, rifle at the ready. He waved them in. Marco and Steven had to help him shut the door against the wind.

  Tara guided Lenny to a wooden chair. His stump hit the side of the chair, making him cry out in agony.

  “I’m so sorry,” Tara said.

  “Not your fault.” His eyes rolled in his head and for a second there, he thought it was lights out.

  The second the door closed, they were encased in utter darkness.

  Heidi whispered something. Lenny couldn’t make it out. When he moved his feet, he heard water sloshing.

  A square of blue light penetrated the pitch. Steven had turned his cellphone on, holding it over their heads, shining it down on them. Ollie dove into the bag he’d put on the reception counter. He handed a lighter to Lae who lit a few candles. They were the fat ones in glass jars that gave off scents that always gave Lenny a headache.

  Headaches were the least of his worries.

  At least those candles could burn for hours and hours. It might be a long while before they left the lab.

  His entire right arm had gone numb. He wondered if the infection was spreading up his arm, zeroing in on his heart.

  There was no way he was going to look. What was the point?

  Now that they had light, they could see the steady stream of water seeping und
er the door.

  “We have to secure it,” Ollie said. “Steven, Marco, find anything you can and we’ll pile it up.”

  Ollie used the bag to tie around the handle, securing the other end to something protruding from the wall to keep it closed.

  Lenny wished he could help, but it was taking great effort just watching them toss chairs and tables and file cabinets against the door. The constant splashing of their feet as they ran to the adjoining room and back was almost hypnotizing.

  There was pressure on his left shoulder. “Stay with us, buddy.”

  Tara smiled at him, but it did little to mask her worry.

  “I wish I knew what the hell was all over those skulls,” he said.

  She looked past him, to where the heart of the lab waited in the darkness.

  “Yeah, well I don’t think we should go in there to find out. Whatever weird shit they were doing in the fifties is going to remain a mystery.”

  “But maybe if we find out what it is, Heidi and I can be saved.”

  Heidi stiffened at the sound of her name. She was no longer threatening to throw up, but she looked terrible. Dark circles rimmed her eyes. Her cheeks were dotted with little pink dots – busted capillaries from all that power vomiting.

  Lae cupped a candle in her hands, held just under her bosom. Her eyes were glassy, distant. Lenny wouldn’t be surprised if she was in shock. He nodded his head toward her.

  Tara said to Lae, “Are you all right? Come on, why don’t you sit down?” She tried to usher her to the remaining chair in the room. The padding was most likely riddled with mold, but beggars can’t be choosers.

  The Marshallese woman didn’t budge.

  “It’s Lotano,” she whimpered. Tears sprang from her eyes, running down her cheeks like rainwater.

  Tara tried to console her. “I’m sorry, honey. What’s Lotano?”

  As her hands shook, the light from the candle quivered. She tried to speak but nothing intelligible came out. Everyone circled her but Lenny. He wasn’t sure he’d ever get up out of the chair.

  “Lae,” Lenny said as loud as he could muster. He held up his ruined arm. “Did the Lotano do this?”

  She shook her head.

  So much for uncovering the mystery of what’s killing me . . . and Heidi, he thought, frustrated.