Vengeance from the Deep - Book Two: Blood of the Necala

by Russ Elliott

  John watched as the Nauticus II came into view, its bulk rising sharply from the dark sea. Through the haze, he could just make out the crane, its long arm bent down toward the water. “Look at the crane,” he said. “Just like Nemo described. Before setting her down, let’s take a closer look.”

  Kate lowered altitude and approached the ship’s portside. Gliding just above the waterline, they followed the massive hull. When the chopper’s light reached midship, their eyes widened. Below the mangled side rail was a huge indentation in the hull that ran all the way down to the waterline. Light glistened from jagged streaks of bare metal where the paint was scraped away.

  “Wow!” Kate gasped. “They’re lucky this thing’s still floating.”

  His eyes fixed on the huge indentation, John motioned for her to land. Pulling up, the helicopter slowly rose above the mangled side rail. And that’s when smoke blew through the chopper’s light.

  “That’s not fog—it’s smoke!” John exclaimed, his eyes scanning the massive main deck. “The stern . . . looks like there was some kind of fire.”

  “Yeah, over there too. Portside and around the stairwell, it’s all black,” said Kate. “What in hell did we miss?” She began to lower the helicopter toward the ship’s small landing pad which appeared undamaged.

  Moments later, John stepped from the side door of the helicopter. From the towering perch of the landing pad, he could see the entire main deck. The damage was far worse than it looked from the air. Large charred patches of debris and soot were scattered everywhere as smoke still rose from the wreckage, curling into the wind.

  Descending the narrow stairwell from the landing pad to the main deck, John could feel the grit beneath his boots; could hear the crunching sound. But the ship was otherwise silent. No engine noise, nothing, except for an occasional moan of metal echoing from deep within her hull. Another step, and John stopped cold.

  There was a large, dark puddle of liquid beside a stack of wooden crates. At first glance, he pegged it as oil, but there was something odd about the way the puddle’s coagulated surface ripped with the wind. Stepping closer, he saw smears of the same substance across the crates and the top of the side rail.

  Blood.

  “This place looks like a battlefield,” Kate said as she stepped next to John. Kneeling down, John examined the bloody mess. He pointed to the bloody paw prints which seemed to go in every direction. “Definitely a battle of some sort,” John murmured.

  A rattling noise came from behind the crates, and John quickly stood in front of Kate, protecting her with his arms. They gasped as a tan-colored dog leaped toward them, tail wagging playfully. “Awww, looks like there’s still someone on board,” Kate said, kneeling down to eye level with the dog. “Looks like a Weimaraner maybe.” She scratched behind its ears and noticed its bloody paws. Looking up at John with wide eyes, she gasped. “Oh! Oh no! What about Erick, the boy who called us?”

  John ran his hands through his brown hair and blew out a long exhale, thinking. “Let’s go check out the rest of the ship, see if we can piece this thing together.”

  A voice spoke from behind them. “It was two men from a boat!”

  John and Kate spun around, startled. Erick stood rigid on the charred deck. His black-framed glasses, which were cockeyed on his small nose, magnified the terror in his eyes. “Two black men with machetes came just after dark. They killed everyone.”

  Kate ran over, knelt in front of Erick, and hugged him close to her. “Thank God, we thought you were—”

  John interrupted, “Who came? Why’d they do this?”

  “I don’t know. They were, like, tribal people—they had these weird, glowing triangles painted on their faces.”

  John stared in stunned silence, his mind reeling at the impossibility of what he just heard. “Kota!” he whispered loudly, then to Erick, he said, “Tell me all you remember; can you, Erick?” Kate sat back on her haunches to hear his answer. Clearly not wanting to let the shaking boy go, she held one of his hands with both of hers. The boy was nodding repeatedly but didn’t begin until the dog came over and lay at his feet. As if gaining courage from the canine’s presence, Erick found his voice and began to describe the horrific events. “They came earlier today on a small boat. Said they needed gas. Nathan let them on board and gave them something to drink and some gas. Then they left. But as soon as it was dark they came back . . . and killed everyone.” The boy’s gaze dropped to the deck, his tone lower, “Even Uncle Nathan.”

  John rested a hand on the boy’s shoulder. “Erick, I’m so sorry.”

  Kate’s eyes had filled with tears, but she said nothing, still holding Erick’s hand, rubbing it comfortingly.

  John said, “Those men won’t be back, Erick. You’ll be okay now. But tell me, how did you manage to—?”

  “Stay alive?”

  John nodded.

  “When they were chasing me, I was so scared, and I ran and hid behind these crates, and then I threw Nathan’s toolbox overboard so they would hear the splash and think it was me.” He said this all in one breath, quickly. His chest rose and fell quickly, as if he’d just finished a marathon, which John figured was pretty close. Erick then broke Kate’s grip so he could kneel down and rub the back of the dog’s head. “Even fooled you, too, huh, old boy?” He looked up at John and Kate. “This is Rex. He dove in after me. After that, the two guys poured gas in the hallway and around the mini-sub and lit it on fire.”

  “Did you put the fire out by yourself?” Kate asked.

  Erick nodded. “I put the fire out in the stairwell with the fire extinguisher from the galley. Then I used the crane to knock the submarine overboard.”

  “That’s pretty quick thinking, Erick,” John said. “I’m proud of you. And Rex, too, but . . .” He scratched the top of the dog’s head. “How did you manage to get Rex back on board?”

  “I tied one of the life rafts to the crane’s cable and lowered it over the stern. Had to let most of the air out of it first so Rex could climb on top of it. Then I pulled it up.”

  Kate raised her eyebrows. “You know how to operate the crane?”

  “Yeah, it’s easy. Uncle Nathan showed me . . .” Erick again lowered his head then wiped quickly at his eyes.

  Kate and John looked at each other, sadness mixing with a moment of silence for the lost lives here. Kate put her arms around Erick, and that’s when they heard it.

  A sound, a voice, faint.

  No one moved for a second, and then all three turned around, scanning the deck. Nothing.

  Then they ran to port and looked over the rail.

  Far below, they could see someone in the water, hugging the anchor chain and waving.

  ~~~

  Nathan leaned back against the portside rail while Kate examined the long wound beneath his torn shirt. Erick was overjoyed at the happy turn of events, yammering on in a one-sided, rapid-fire conversation as his uncle listened.

  Kate said, “You’re lucky this wasn’t any deeper.”

  “I’m lucky you guys showed up,” corrected Nathan. “A white tip was starting to take interest, getting a bit too close for comfort.”

  Erick quickly turned to John, his eyes flared with revelation. “Hey, you guys never told me what happened out there. Did my call help you find the dinosaur?”

  Kate gasped and arced her eyebrows.

  John crouched down on one knee, eye level with Erick. “That was a brave thing you did, little buddy, calling us—and it saved three lives. If it hadn’t been for your call getting us to the general area, we would have never reached these boaters in time. They were being tracked by that . . . dinosaur, as you call it. Without that call to us . . .” He let the thought trail off as he tightened his grip on the tiny shoulder, compassion in his eyes. “You helped save three lives, son. And you shouldn’t take that lightly . . . you can trust me on that one.”

  And just that quickly, John’s eyes turned to rage. He turned to Nathan and jacked him up against the side
rail, ready to throw him over. “And he did it all in spite of you!” shouted John, pushing Nathan back farther. “Give me one good reason I shouldn’t put you back where we just found you!”

  “No, no, you don’t understand,” Nathan pleaded. “Nemo wouldn’t let me near the mike! I swear it!”

  Erick grabbed John by the leg, begging. “He’s not lying. My uncle’s not that kind of guy. Let him go!” Spurred on by Erick’s frantic pleas, Rex barked frantically, nipping at John.

  “John!” Kate shouted. “Stop.”

  John paused when he saw the boy’s tears. He reluctantly lowered Nathan until his feet touched the deck again. Before releasing his grip, however, he gave him the eye. “If it happens again, you’ll wish Kota had finished you off.”

  “You’ve got to believe me when I say that I’m with you on this one. I’ve seen this creature,” Nathan said, catching his breath. “I’m with you,” he said again, more softly. Then his eyes lit up. “Oh no . . . what about the surveillance cabin?”

  ~~~

  “Ow! They did a number on this place,” said Kate as they followed Nathan into the surveillance cabin. “The lads were thorough.”

  John scanned the room. The remaining ceiling light offered poor visibility, but the damage was clear. Glass and overturned monitors were everywhere with so many cables and wires coiled around the floor that it looked like a snake pit. “Looks like they didn’t miss anything.”

  Nathan looked behind the wall that still contained two of the large video monitors. “Afraid everything’s been cut back here too.”

  John sat down on one of the chairs in front of the console. Glass crackled beneath the wheels of the chair as he scooted closer to the monitors. “Well, it doesn’t look like we’ll be tracking anything with this equipment.”

  Kate sighed. “So much for a plan A.”

  Nathan glanced around the room, “Maybe I can fix it.”

  “Fix it,” John said, his tone laced with doubt. “Fix this?”

  Nathan walked over to one of the monitors with gridded screens. He pointed to monitor two and at its smashed-in screen. “This is the one we were tracking the pliosaur on.”

  John shook his head. “Well, I don’t think you could pick up snow on that thing now.”

  Brushing the glass away from the floor with his foot, Nathan knelt down and examined the black casing beneath the smashed tracking monitors. He came to his feet. “It’s doable. They smashed the monitor and cut the power cord, but the receiver beneath it looks okay. We keep a backup supply of monitors in storage. If I hook one up, and if the transmitter in the creature is still sending a signal, this just might work.”

  “Definitely worth a shot,” John said, getting up from the chair. “Otherwise, we’re out of options. Let’s get started.”

  ~~~

  While Nathan worked on the monitor, John and Kate stepped out onto the main deck of the Nauticus II. It was nearly pitch black with the exception of a partial moon that reflected faintly on the waves. Most of the ship’s electricity had shorted out as a result of the fire. Only an occasional light flickered here or there. Soot still hung in the wind, invading their noses and mouths.

  Kate glanced at her watch. “Well, it’s exactly midnight. Nathan’s been at it for nearly an hour now.”

  John approached starboard. He stopped beside the bent side rail, which was above the massive indentation in the hull. He stared out to sea, his mind reeling. Kate joined him at the rail. “What is it? I can tell there’s something on that mind of yours.”

  John finally broke his silence. “Nemo. It’s not like we’d be exchanging Christmas cards, but no one deserved to die like that. And Kota . . . how could he have possibly known what was going on here? Now, our only way to track the creature is . . . destroyed.” He paused, staring blankly, “No matter what I do, it’s almost like fate wants to keep that thing alive.”

  “I don’t know how, but I assure you there’s a logical explanation.” Kate rested a hand on his shoulder. “Come, you can’t let it eat at you like this. I mean, moments ago you almost threw an injured man overboard.” She squinted, “That’s not your normal MO . . . is it?”

  Kate was right. It was as if John didn’t know himself anymore. He recalled the rage he felt when he had Nathan pinned against the side rail. It had completely possessed him. But in the back of John’s mind, he knew his fury wasn’t aimed at Nathan but at himself for missing his shot at the creature. He noticed Kate was still looking at him, waiting for an answer. “What? Have I ever threatened someone’s life before?”

  Kate nodded.

  “No. Well, not really . . . you can’t count in-laws.”

  Kate snickered just as they heard someone emerge from the stairwell. They turned to see Nathan, with his lanky silhouette and long hair blowing in the wind, jogging toward them. “Well, we’re hunky-dory on our end; the receiver is up and running!” he proudly announced, smile beaming. “The new monitor and power cord did the trick. Providing the transmitter in the creature is still functional, there should be no reason we can’t pick up a signal.” Nathan wiped his hands with a rag from his pocket. “Also rigged up a backup generator to run power to the surveillance equipment. If we pick up a signal, we definitely don’t want it going out on our end.”

  “Bravo!” Kate shouted, high-fiving Nathan. “Excellent work!” She turned to John. “I’m going to check on Erick . . . errr, is it safe to leave you two alone?” She winked at John who gave her a sardonic look. He then turned his attention to Nathan. “This is great news, Nathan, really. Some good news for a change.” He reached out to Nathan, and they shook hands. “Look,” John nervously lowered his gaze. “What happened earlier . . . I guess I got a little carried—”

  “Hey, man, there’s no need to even speak of it,” Nathan insisted. “I completely understand where you’re coming from. I practically begged the captain to let me relay you coordinates.” Nathan gave a genuine smile. “Let’s just say we got off on the wrong foot and move on from here . . . to better things.”

  John leaned in for another handshake. “Works for me.” The men gazed over the sea for a moment, and then John added, “I wasn’t really going to throw you over.”

  “You certainly had me fooled.”

  “Yeah, I lost my head for a minute . . . forgot that without you we wouldn’t have anyone to give us the creature’s coordinates.”

  John turned his head so Nathan couldn’t see his grin, but Nathan shoved him playfully anyway. Then they both burst into a brief fit of laughter until John glanced at the bent side railing. It felt like a sobering slap in the face as he gazed down the huge indentation in the hull. Nathan seemed to pick up John’s change in demeanor.

  “Oh man . . . how can we even be laughing right now?” said Nathan, wiping his eyes. “Anyway, I just finished inspecting the rest of the ship. Those friends of yours were quite thorough. The engine room is in worse shape than the surveillance cabin. We’re not going anywhere.”

  “That’s all right.” John stared at the distant waves. “We know the pliosaur is in the area. We don’t have to be mobile to track it.”

  Nathan rested his elbows on the rail. “But what if it’s gone? What if it has already passed the Cape and continues going west? For all we know, the creature could be halfway to Namibia.”

  “I don’t think so.”

  “Why?”

  “Admiral Henderson,” John said, turning to lean with his back on the rail, arms crossed. “When we were searching with the Navy earlier, the admiral didn’t think it would go into the Atlantic. Didn’t think the pliosaur would like the temperature change.”

  “Ahhh, yes,” Nathan said with an emphatic nod. “The Cape of Good Hope . . . a perfect feeding ground.”

  “Feeding ground?”

  Nathan explained, “In Cape Town, right in front of Table Mountain, there’s a long stretch of land that reaches out to a spot called Cape Point. Past Cape Point is a very interesting area referred to as the Cape of Good Hope. Th
is is where the Atlantic and Indian Oceans meet and create an instant twenty-degree temperature drop in the water. On some days, you can see a distinct line where the blue, cooler waters of the Atlantic collide with the green, warmer waters of the Indian Ocean. It’s amazing.

  “So the admiral’s probably onto something. If the pliosaur ventured past Cape Point, it would be like running into an icy wall of water. No doubt, it’ll turn right back around and head this way.”

  John liked what he was hearing. He scratched his chin thoughtfully, then said, “You said something about feeding ground.”

  “Yes. This is also where the southern right whales migrate annually from the cold Atlantic. They come here to breed in the Cape’s warm waters, then feed on the rich plankton to put on extra blubber for the long trip back home.” Nathan enumerated with his hand. “One, temperate waters . . . two, rich food supply. The pliosaur will find everything it needs right here . . . the perfect feeding ground.”

  John’s heart raced with the possibility that he may be given another fighting chance at this monster. “Earlier, you mentioned seeing it?”

  “Oh yes!” Nathan’s eyes went wide, his voice excited now. “Up close and personal. Saw three sperm whales have a go at the thing this morning. Sure got more than they bargained for. The sheer brutality was incredible, the way it slaughtered those whales. But the third attack was rather peculiar.”

  “Peculiar?”

  “The third attack wasn’t in self-defense. That whale had been running away and still the pliosaur ran it down . . . as if for the sheer pleasure of killing it.”

  ~~~

  In an office at Simons Town Naval Headquarters, Tom Hayman ducked when a chair tumbled by him and rolled to a stop.

  “This is absurd!” roared Admiral Henderson. “Six of our choppers searching all day for naught . . . and now this!” They were watching a small TV on a bookshelf. It showed a female reporter beside a red speedboat as the camera closed in on the unbelievable bite mark in the stern.