“You’re an Army Ranger, right?” Wolf asked.
“Yeah, did Vixen tell you?”
“She didn’t have to. I’m a Ranger, too. We were trained with the same tactics. As soon as I saw you heading straight for those natives and taking them by surprise, I said to myself, this guy must be a Ranger.”
“Well I’ll be . . . another Ranger out here in the middle of paradise.” Shark extended his hand and the two shook hands as large smiles formed on their faces. “It’s good to have you around. So you really liked that handiwork last night, huh?”
“Very impressive,” Wolf said as he stood. “Now, there’s been one thing I’ve been waiting to do ever since I watched you play pool at Gill’s.”
“What’s that?”
Wolf picked up a pool cue off the table and chalked the tip. “Well, what else, kick your ass in a game of pool.”
Shark smiled and stood. He moved to the pool table and grabbed the second cue. “I love to take down the cocky ones. Your break, Wolf. If you run the table you can beat me. If you don’t, you’re mine.”
Old Jack followed the old dirt path toward the bar as the light of day quickly faded. As he got closer, he could hear the sounds of laughter. He stopped in a small clearing that gave him a great view of the bar. Vixen was watching Shark and Wolf play pool. The golden retriever was sitting in a lounge chair with Frenchie on his lap, and Hippo and Cahira were behind the counter whipping up a jug of something. Probably Rum Jungles, he thought.
Old Jack’s satellite phone rang. He looked at the caller ID and answered. “Everything is on schedule,” he whispered into the phone. “They’re all here, including the grand prize.” He eyed Shark. “The great white should prove to be quite an attraction. As you know, there aren’t any alive in captivity. You will be impressed when I make the delivery.”
Old Jack listened to the caller, then responded. “The entire operation is set for tomorrow morning. They think we’re just diving for the treasure, but I expect they will all be a little surprised as events unfold.”
Old Jack ended the conversation and placed the phone back in his pocket, then continued his stroll down the jungle path toward the bar.
Shark made the eight-ball in the side pocket. Vixen stood up and threw her arms around his strong white and grey neck. “You win again. It’s just like being back at Gill’s.” She gave Shark a quick kiss on the cheek. “I’ll get us a few more drinks.”
Wolf stepped in. “Hold on, let me go with you. I lost, it’s my round.”
Shark gave Wolf an approving grin, letting him know he appreciated the gesture. He chalked the tip of his cue, then looked over toward the beach and watched Old Jack walk up the steps.
“Care to take your chances at another game of pool, Shark?” Old Jack asked in a provocative manner.
Shark gave him a long, hard look. Something about him still made Shark feel uneasy. He decided to proceed with guarded caution. “Not right now, kind of played out. I’m also kind of busy with a little lady I traveled halfway around the world to see. Anyway, you should practice, and I’ll play you tomorrow. That way, you might just have a shot at winning, instead of me taking you for what . . . eight games straight, back at Gill’s.”
Old Jack gave a slight, sarcastic laugh. “Ah, I would have thought Vixen had filled you in on that by now.”
“Truth is, Old Jack—is that what you go by, Old Jack?—she did tell me all about it. But the deal is, where I come from, a win is a win. If some guy’s stupid enough to throw a game, he should, at the very least, be smart enough to know that it winds up in the loss column.” Shark looked hard at Old Jack. “A winner is a winner, and a loser is a loser.”
Vixen returned from the bar with two colorful drinks, stepping right into the tense situation as Shark and Old Jack locked eyes. She handed them both drinks. “So, I see you guys have met again. Is everything okay?”
Old Jack took the drink and stopped staring at Shark. Instead, he smiled pleasantly at Vixen. “Oh sure, me and Shark are just reminiscing about old times.”
“That’s right—old times and big wins,” Shark said.
Vixen tried to defuse the situation by changing the subject. “He agreed to dive tomorrow morning,” she said to Old Jack. “If the treasure is really there, we should find it. Have you talked to the buyer you mentioned?”
“Oh yes,” Old Jack responded coyly. “I have spoken to my buyer, and he is very, very interested in the merchandise.” Old Jack looked at Shark. “As As I said, very interested in the merchandise indeed.”
Vixen placed her hand on Old Jack’s shoulder. “That money will go a long way in helping my dad. You don’t know how much your help means to me.”
Old Jack took a sip of his drink, then placed it down on the table. “My dear, on the contrary, you don’t know how much your help means to me.”
Vixen grabbed Shark by the hand. “Come on, the sun’s about to set.”
“You don’t have to ask me twice.” Shark wrapped his arm around Vixen’s shoulder and the two took a spot on the railing that had a perfect view of the ocean.
Shark noticed the rest of the crowd gathering on the open-air porch to watch the sunset. He watched as the Polynesian sky changed from shades of orange to shades of red as the sun began its inevitable descent toward the horizon. Shark noticed a streak of the sunset’s color shoot across the ocean and the sand. It seemed to end right at the steps of Tiki Wiki Billiards.
Exotic island music continued to play in the background, helping to lull Shark and the rest of the crowd into deep relaxation.
Shark stood behind Vixen and lightly kissed the back of her neck. “It doesn’t matter where, but there’s something about a sunset and cool music that makes me just want to pull up a chair and chill.”
Vixen turned and looked up at Shark, then moved her head onto his chest. She continued to stare out to sea. “It kind of makes you believe in fresh starts and second chances.”
Shark ran his fingers through Vixen’s long black hair, taking care to gently push long strands from her beautiful face. “I can tell you that there’s not anyone else that I would rather share this sunset with than you.”
Vixen pulled back and gave Shark a devilish smile. She slapped him teasingly on the stomach. “I bet you say that to all the girls.” She smiled as she slowly backed away.
Shark moved toward her. “Get over here.”
Vixen continued backing up. “Man, you can be bossy when you want to. If you want me, you’ll have to catch me.” She turned and started running down the beach, laughing.
Shark quickly caught up with Vixen and slowly brought her down to the sand. She faked trying to escape, and the two shared a long, romantic gaze.
“I’m happy right now, Shark,” she whispered.
“So am I.” The two rolled over and curled into a strong embrace. They kissed as the sun dipped below the horizon.
Tiki torches lit the night with the soft glow of firelight as another day on the edge of paradise came to an end. Stories were told, laughs were had, couples kissed, and the entire world of Tiki Wiki Billiards seemed peaceful and content.
That was, until the morning came . . .
CHAPTER 6
The Next Day
Shark was half-asleep when he felt the slight nudge on his side.
“Shark, it’s time to get up,” Vixen said.
He rolled toward the wall and wrapped the blanket around his body. Vixen prodded him again. “Shark, come on, wake up.”
Shark turned and looked up at Vixen, who was standing next to the bed. She was already dressed and ready to go. Shark looked at the clock and noticed the time. “It’s only five a.m. Why are we going so early?”
“Old Jack says this is the best time to access the cave due to the tides.” She nudged Shark again. “Come on, he’s already on the boat.”
“All right, all right,” Shark replied. “You go ahead. I’ll be down in a minute.” Shark stood, stretched, then quickly grabbed Vixen and squeeze
d her.
“Stop, I can’t breathe. We don’t have time for this.”
Shark picked her up off the ground and gently shook her. “You have to promise me that if I find this treasure for you, you’re going to seriously consider giving things a real shot when we get back to the Keys.”
Vixen smiled. “Yes, I’ll consider it, but right now we have to go. Old Jack’s waiting.”
Shark released her. “I’ll see you down at the dock.”
“You have five minutes,” she said as she headed out the door.
It was still pitch black when Shark left the hut. Through the darkness, he could see the lights of the large cargo ship just offshore. Pretty big boat for bar supplies, he thought. He stood there for a moment, turned and headed down the beach toward the dock.
Old Jack and Vixen were on the dive boat. “Good morning, Shark! Welcome aboard,” Old Jack shouted from the boat’s fly bridge. “The seas are a bit choppy but should calm a bit when we reach the dive site.”
Shark stepped onto the boat. He felt nervous, and although the morning was cool he could feel hot sweat beading down his back.
“Grab a seat at the stern,” Old Jack yelled over the roar of the engine. “There are some snacks and drinks in the cooler.”
“Where’s Wolf?” Shark asked.
Old Jack turned and looked back at him. “He had a rough night. One too many Rum Jungles, I expect.” Old Jack throttled the boat forward and away from the dock. “When I checked on him, all he wanted to do was sleep.”
Shark thought this was odd. If anyone had a vested interest in finding a piece of valuable treasure, you would think a simple headache from drinking alcohol wouldn’t stop him from being there when they had a good chance of finding it. But there was no way to check with Wolf; they were already headed across the lagoon toward the breakers and open ocean.
Shark looked over the equipment. There was a large winch crane on the stern.
Old Jack yelled back, “It’s used for lowering a dive cage.”
Shark noticed a large object covered by a grey tarp. “Is that what’s under here?” he asked as he lifted the tarp and viewed the cold, grey, steel bars.
“That’s exactly what’s under there,” Old Jack answered. “Human divers take all types of precautions when going into the water.”
Shark dropped the tarp. He opened the cooler and reached for a drink, then sat on the back bench next to Vixen, anxious to get the dive and treasure hunt out of the way.
Wolf heard the roar of the dive-boar engine and watched as it sped from the lagoon out to sea. He could clearly see Old Jack, Vixen, and Shark on board. Old Jack had told him the night before that the dive had been postponed an additional day. Since he thought the trip was cancelled he decided to take his usual nocturnal hike through the jungle. From his vantage point on top of the cliff, he watched as the boat turned around a large outcropping of rocks and disappeared.
Directly down below, just off shore from Tiki Wiki Billiards, Wolf noticed the enormous cargo ship drop anchor, its immense black steel hull an eyesore amidst the natural beauty of the serene tropical setting. A loud horn sounded from the ship. Armed deck hands scrambled and began to lower small motorized boats into the water. Within minutes, six boats, each with a crew of at least five men, were moving toward the beach.
Wolf had no idea what was happening. He decided the best thing to do would be to catch up with Old Jack. He quickly set out on a diagonal course through the jungle, a hike, he knew, that would put him above the cave and dive site within a half hour.
The loud horn awoke Dog Z Boy. He felt dazed and was suffering from a slight hangover. Memories from the previous day’s party started to replay in his mind. He opened his eyes without raising his head from the pillow and looked at Frenchie. She opened her eyes at the same time, and the two shared an awkward gaze.
Frenchie was the first to speak. “I don’t usually do this, you know.”
“That makes two of us,” Dog Z Boy responded. He moved his hand out from under the blanket and ran it across her face. “I like you.”
“Really, why?” Frenchie asked coyly.
“Well, first of all, you’re very sexy,” Dog Z Boy said with a grin.
Frenchie begged for more. “And?”
“Second of all, you’re very smart.”
Both of them were relaxing as the tension of the awkward moment faded.
“Is that all?” Frenchie asked.
Dog Z Boy thought for a moment. “And you’re easy.”
Frenchie opened her eyes wide at the remark and hit Dog Z Boy lightly on the chest. “Easy, you better watch it, mister.”
Dog Z Boy recoiled slightly from the light slap. He smiled. “I meant you’re easy to beat in pool.”
Frenchie again gave Dog Z Boy a playful slap. “You’re just full of compliments. Maybe I just let you win at pool? You ever think of that?”
Dog Z Boy grabbed her in a playful wrestling hold. She pretended to fight back, and the two eased into a long embrace under the covers.
The sound of boat engines filled the air. Dog Z Boy popped his head from under the blanket. “Do you hear that?”
Frenchie brought her head up and listened. “Sounds like boat engines.”
“That’s what I was thinking.” He climbed out of the bed and went to the window. He watched as motorized power boats landed on the beach, and men with guns leaped from them onto the sand.
“What is it?” Frenchie asked.
“I’m not sure.”
Frenchie stood and joined him by the window. “Who are those guys?”
Dog Z Boy quickly pulled on his pants. “I don’t know, but I’m going to find out. You stay here. I’ll be right back.”
“Are you sure you should go out there?”
“I’m sure it’s nothing, probably just sailors on some sort of shore leave.” Dog Z Boy kissed Frenchie on the cheek. “They probably heard about the bar and decided to take a break and come in for some of those famous Rum Jungles.”
Dog Z Boy opened the door and in an instant the butt of a rifle hit him squarely on the forehead. His body dropped to the floor. He was dazed but still conscious and felt warm blood drip over his lips. He heard Frenchie scream as an armed man entered the hut and stepped over him. Through blurred vision, he watched as the man approached Frenchie and grabbed her roughly by the arm.
“Let’s go, bitch!” the man yelled. “Outside.”
He forced a collar and leash around her neck. Frenchie twisted and kicked, but he dragged her over Dog Z Boy and out of the hut.
Dog Z Boy pulled himself to his feet and moved to the door. He watched as the man dragged Frenchie across the sand and down to the waterline. He listened as she growled and barked, sounds she had not made, he guessed, since she was an infant.
What the hell is happening? he thought.
“Shut up you, damn mutt!” the man screamed. His huge black boot kicked Frenchie in the stomach. “That’ll teach you.”
She let out a screeching squeal. Dog Z Boy watched her roll on the sand in agony, her pristine white fur quickly becoming dirty and matted in the cold, wet sand. Dog Z Boy could see the collar digging into her neck. The man gave her another kick, this time to her head. She stopped moving.
Two other armed men appeared in the doorway. Dog Z Boy put up a slight struggle, but he was dazed and things were blurry. He felt the men grab him under the arms, and he could also feel the tips of his toes being dragged through the sand.
Shark felt nervous as Old Jack slowed the engines as they approached the dive site. They were at the base of a large seaside cliff.
“It’s right below us!” Old Jack yelled as the roar of the engine came to a stop.
It wasn’t really water Shark feared, but the fact that when he swam he tired very easily. In his mind, nature had evolved his species to be able to live on land and didn’t intend for him to go back to the water. He definitely wasn’t as agile in the water as his ancestors. His dorsal fin remained, bu
t the tail and pectoral fins had evolved into arms and legs. He could still breathe under water as well as on land, but if he tired to the point where he couldn’t move when swimming, he could actually drown.
He looked over at Vixen.
“I know you’re nervous,” she said as she kissed him on the cheek. “We’ll be right here.” She handed him a waterproof flashlight. “Old Jack said you might need this.”
Old Jack yelled from the bridge. “When you hit the cliff face, the cave should be about fifteen feet below the waterline. When you find the cave, you’ll have to swim in and search for the sword.” He gave Shark some reassurance. “Like Vixen said, we’ll be right here if you get into any trouble.”
Shark steadied himself on the rail on the back of the boat. He took a deep breath and in one giant splash was in the water. He looked in the direction of the cliff face and noticed it was totally obscured by a thick forest of green kelp. He swam to the wall and began to feel behind the kelp for a hole, for anything that might seem like an entrance to a cave. He felt rock, and as he moved lower on the kelp-covered wall, more rock. How am I supposed to find this? he thought. I can’t see anything.
Shark moved lower and pulled at the kelp, tearing its slimy leaves from the rock. His eyes focused—and there it was! It was just as Old Jack had described, an entrance to a cave. He turned on the flashlight, kicked his feet, and entered the cave. As he swam in, he paused and floated for a second, amazed by the barnacle-covered, rusty metal cages that lined the cave’s interior. He could see remnants of old shackles and chains still attached to hooks on the back walls. The cave must have been used as a prison at some point, he thought.
As Shark started to swim, he could feel himself beginning to tire. Let’s hope this thing is close and easy to find, he thought. As he swam down the tight, dark corridor the cave walls started to narrow, which made him feel a bit claustrophobic. Where is it? It has to be here, he thought. He shone the flashlight frantically, checking up and down, left and right. He caught a glimpse of something glittering on the floor, partially covered by sand. He swam to it, and as he reached for it, he caught sight of something else out of the corner of his eye. He brought the flashlight up and saw a large eye coming straight at him. It was the eye of a giant squid, its razor-sharp beak exposed and ready to strike.
Shark & The Wolf: Predators and Prey Page 6