by Russ Watts
Amanda proceeded to hold up five more photographs, each one showing more of the creature: its body, legs, and tail. She then stuck each one up on the wall behind her, making a crude mosaic of the photographs. “See how its tail is almost as long as its body? I would say it could move through the ocean extremely well. We don’t have the space to see it in action, but I would say we are looking at a predator here, one that is highly capable, adept at manoeuvring through the water at speed, and has incredibly powerful jaws. Its feet suggest it is amphibious in nature, and it has a strong spine to support its body weight. We know it survived several hours out of the water on the trawler that brought it here.”
“What about its vision?” asked Jay. “Could you ascertain how it tracks its prey? If it only has a single long-wavelength-sensitive cone type in the retina, it may be…”
“What does it eat? Fish? Seals?” asked another voice.
“Is it male or female?” asked another.
“Were you able to classify it yet?” asked Zola.
Amanda looked at Hamish in the front row for reassurance. He nodded back at her.
“I’ll be able to tell you more tomorrow. I hope. The reality is that it could take weeks to figure it out. Based on what limited knowledge I have so far, my best guess is that this is a throwback, a relative of the dinosaurs that has so far, evaded any interaction with man.”
“A dinosaur?” asked Zola.
Don could see that her face showed traces of incredulity, but her eyes were alive. He didn’t doubt that her brain was running a million miles per hour.
“Primitive amphibians died out in the late Triassic through Cretaceous period,” said Jay. “Amanda, you’re not suggesting we have a live dinosaur are you?”
“It’s at least a close relative. Perhaps a descendant of Metoposaurus or Eryops?”
“Thanks, Amanda,” said Zola as she got up. “Amanda, you sit down now, thank you. Everyone, please remember that what we have here is something unique. I do not expect any of you to discuss this outside of the people you see in this room. I have made a few decisions, which I will share with you in a moment. Let me first of all thank Mr Williams for bringing it to us.” Zola pointed out Hamish to the room, and there was a smattering of applause.
He looked around the room, blushing at the attention. Leaning over to Amanda, he whispered in her ear. “And I’d like to thank your boss for giving me the biggest cheque I’ve seen in my life.”
“Right, to business.” Zola picked up her notebook and began tapping into it as she spoke. “We are pushing this forward, and we have no time to waste. The longer this dinosaur sits in our tanks, the more chance there is of what we have leaking out. On Friday, we are going to host the biggest event in the history of California, if not the US. We have a bona fide star here people, and I want the whole world to know that Wild Seas Park San Diego is the only place it can be seen. That means we have less than forty-eight hours to get organised. Shakti Stadium is getting a makeover. People will be fighting each other for tickets.
“Jay, work with Susan and get Shakti moved on. Animal World will probably take him. We need the stadium and his time is up anyway. I need him gone by Friday morning. I don’t care if you have to chop him up into pieces and mail him to Vallejo, just make it happen. John, Fiona, I want you to come up with a marketing plan. I need it on my desk by noon tomorrow. In exactly two days’ time, at six p.m., I am going to let the whole world in on our secret. We’ll hold press briefings tomorrow at eleven and five. We’ll get them excited. Come up with something juicy for me. Tantalise them. Tease them. It’s date night and you’re wearing edible panties, got it?”
John and Fiona looked at each other nervously.
“Tate, get hold of the media, use everyone you’ve got. I want CNN, Fox, the BBC, freaking Al-Jazeera for all I care. Get me the best price for the best exposure. Get me a statement I can read tomorrow too at the briefing. Make it snappy. Give it teeth.”
Tate laughed to hide the anxious nausea stirring up his bowels. Half of the room followed him with light laughter. Don could tell it was a response borne from fear, rather than humour. Zola was going to milk this cow until it bled dollars.
“Don, I don’t need to tell you how important it is that this is kept under wraps. Double your guards, do whatever it takes to keep our new friend under wraps. Your budget has no ceiling for the rest of the year. Our dinosaur is now Wild Sea’s number one asset. I am investing a lot in this, and it needs to work.
“Everyone, listen up. We need TV, newspapers, the whole show. Geographic will suck my balls to get exclusive access on this. Get ET on the phone for me first thing tomorrow, Fiona. Who said celebrities have to be human? Friday night is going to go off. I want red carpets and champagne. I want lights and fireworks. Most of all, I want everyone watching to know this is Wild Seas. I want A-list celebrities right in the front row when we unveil our latest exhibit. I want a camera shoved in their faces when I bring out our big-toothed man-eating monster, so we can see them shit themselves on live television.
“Jay, Amanda, you’ve got contacts in the neighbourhood. I want the local press and schools involved with this, too. You know, to show we haven’t lost that community spirit bullshit. Get some little kids in, maybe some retards, it looks good. Give them free passes. Everyone else pays through the nose. Accounts, get me a draft of what we can charge for this thing. Book deals, magazine shoots, interviews, whatever else you can come up, I want it all on my desk tomorrow morning. Marketing, we need to update the kiosks and souvenir shops with dinosaur stuff: cuddly toys, posters, badges, T-shirts. If you can stick a price tag on it, I want it in my shops by Friday.
“I need one more thing. By eleven tomorrow, we need a name. We can’t keep calling it a dinosaur. We need something they’ll remember. John, Tate, Fiona, and Don, think on it tonight and I’ll see you back here tomorrow at eight for brainstorming. Everyone, let’s get to work.”
Zola snapped her notebook shut and slammed the door on her way out, leaving the room to fill with excited conversations. Slowly, the people dispersed, leaving Don to wait until he could get to Amanda. He found her talking to the young man he assumed was Hamish.
“How heartless can you be? Shakti’s been here for years. Suddenly, it’s ‘oh well, who’s next?” Amanda looked angry. She was constantly tugging at the hair back behind her ears.
“Susan will arrange it with Animal World. You said yourself Susan wouldn’t let anything bad happen. There’s an opportunity here and you have to be in on it, Amanda. If you walk away from this, you’ll regret it,” said Hamish.
“He’s right,” said Don, “if you let Zola walk all over this, it’ll end in disaster. You might not like it, but work with her. Make sure that whatever that creature is out there, you look out for its best interests. Don’t let Zola get to you. There are a lot of animals in the park who rely on you. A lot of people too.”
“Hey, Don,” said Amanda, “this is Hamish, as you probably guessed.”
Don shook hands with Hamish. “Don. Pleased to meet you at last, Hamish. Amanda never stops talking about you.”
“Is that so?”
“Very funny, Mr O’Reilly,” said Amanda.
“Hamish, what do you say we take this girl of yours for a beer? I think we could all do with a drink. I have a feeling tomorrow is going to be a long day.”
“I’m with you on that one,” said Hamish. “I just need to call my father and let him know what’s going on, but I can call him from the car.”
Amanda sighed. “Urgh, I am so fed up with that woman. Who does she think she is? She can’t just decide like that, it’s ridiculous. Wild Seas Park isn’t some carnival for curiosities. This isn’t Ripley’s. We’re here to educate people, to show people how to treat animals and how amazing life is. She just wants to turn it into a circus.”
“Amanda, chill. We’ll figure it out. There’s nothing we can do now except go find a cold beer and a plate of ribs.” Don didn’t want to go home alo
ne, not tonight. After the day he’d had, the last thing he needed was to go back to his apartment and watch yet another reality show. He knew he’d just end up tossing things over in his mind about the confrontation at the cemetery earlier in the day. “Hamish, it’s my shout. I think you’ve brought home the catch of the year.”
“Lead the way, Don. Although, with the cheque I’ve got in my pocket, I’m paying tonight.”
“All right, boys, it’s only ribs and a beer, not three weeks in Bora Bora,” said Amanda.
“Hamish, just one thing before we go,” said Don. “Do you think you could have a shower?”
Laughing, they left the meeting room. Don couldn’t help but glance back at the photographs Amanda had stuck on the wall as he left. He wasn’t convinced it was such a good idea to put a monster like that out there for the whole world to see either. He and Amanda were going to have to watch Zola like a hawk. He had a feeling his crappy day was about to turn into a crappy week.
CHAPTER 6
OCTOBER WEDNESDAY 16TH 20:48
“So, what can you tell me? Other than that it’s clearly related to the Ugly fish. I mean, it’s that or Zola’s twin sister, right?”
Hamish and Amanda laughed at Don’s joke, yet, he instantly felt a pang of guilt. Why should he be in a nice bar making jokes, eating and drinking when others were cold in the ground? He couldn’t think about that now. There was plenty of time for that in his sleep.
Stop over-thinking things and relax for once. He’s waiting. Where are you?
Those old Sunday school lessons had taught him to be careful and respectful. Old lessons were hard to unlearn, especially when they had been beaten into you. He watched Amanda laugh and pretended to smile too, hiding his mood behind a large gulp of beer.
They had eaten quickly, and only Hamish and Don were drinking. Amanda wanted to keep a clear head for the next day, whilst Hamish wanted to celebrate. Don liked Hamish, as he seemed very down to earth, reliable, and content within himself. He was just what Amanda needed. Don was pleased to see her looking so happy. He noticed how they kept holding hands and touching each other under the table too. He realised he was keeping them from each other, but he was hoping the evening might last a little bit longer. He wasn’t tired, and his apartment beckoned him like a sore rash.
The day will soon be over. Then the nightmares will fade and she’ll forget she saw me until this time next year. I’ve got twelve months to forget her. Just keep depositing the cheques. Take care of her. Dad isn’t here anymore, so you’re the man now. Just do it.
Amanda leant back in her chair. She didn’t need to worry about anyone eavesdropping in the bar. The volume of the music and people’s conversations would easily drown out what she was about to say.
“Well, number one it’s amphibious. It hasn’t shown any sign of wanting to get out of the tank since we put it in there, but it has webbed feet. It also spent several hours out of the water on Hamish’s trawler. If it is amphibious though, I’m surprised we haven’t come across it before.”
“How do you mean?” asked Hamish.
“Well, it’s not uncommon for species to disappear only to reappear again years later, when we thought they were extinct. Look at the Coelacanth. Everyone knew they were extinct, knew it, period; they were wiped out sometime around the end of the Cretaceous period, until a fisherman randomly caught one, around 1930 something, and boom, they’re back. The oceans are massive and there are lots of places to hide.”
“Especially if you don’t want to be found. I heard they found sea slugs in the bottom of some trench near, um, Indonesia I think, that were twice as large as any others they had seen before,” said Hamish. “Imagine a giant sea slug. Yeesh.”
“A dinosaur though?” Don finished the pitcher of Bud’ and looked out for the waitress so he could order another. “You’re the expert, Amanda, but you’d better get this right. If Zola puts herself out there on Friday, and announces to the whole world that we’ve caught a dinosaur, and you’re wrong…I wouldn’t want to be in your shoes.”
“I know it’s quite similar in appearance to an alligator, but its genealogy is different. It’s more like a shark with legs, than a croc’ or an alligator,” said Amanda.
“A shark with legs? You sure you want another one of these?” asked the waitress as she took away the empty pitcher.
“Thanks, Meghan,” said Don chuckling.
“We’d better keep it down,” said Amanda. “I wouldn’t want our little secret to come out too soon. Or I wouldn’t want to be in your shoes, Don.”
“So, what else? Did you look at the wounds on its head?” asked Hamish.
“What wounds?” Don idly lifted his glass to his lips before realising it was empty.
“Hamish thinks they’re from a gun. I couldn’t get close enough to examine them properly, but it’s possible. There are several around its head and neck, and a few more on the body too. They look like puncture holes, but without a thorough examination, I couldn’t say for sure.”
“Bullet holes? That doesn’t sound good,” said Don. “How thick is its skin if it can take a bullet?”
“When we found it, it was alone. But I did find a gun on a raft close by. It might also explain why we thought it was dead. Maybe it was just unconscious? The bullets can’t have done much damage if it was just knocked out.”
The waitress appeared at Don’s side and put the pitcher of beer down on the table. “How’re you tonight, honey?”
“I’m doing fine thanks, Meghan.” Don didn’t like lying, but he wasn’t about to tell his new friend his sordid life story, or how he spent half the day in a cemetery. Besides, Hamish and Amanda were taking his mind off the thing he didn’t want to think about.
Meghan put her hand on his arm. “Well, you want anything, you just holler. I mean it.”
Don looked into Meghan’s eyes and saw a warmness he hadn’t seen in many people. He was tempted to believe she meant it, but wasn’t that what all waitresses did? They were all sweetness and light until they saw the tip. That was how it worked, right? Except last night, she had chatted to him for hours and it had felt good. It had felt like a normal conversation between two normal people. Outside of Amanda, Don hadn’t found anyone like that he could talk to.
“Don’t go far, I may take you up on that,” said Don as Meghan left.
“Hey, Don, we may get going. Sorry to leave you with all that, buddy,” said Hamish as he got up looking at the pitcher.
“You’re leaving? I thought we might celebrate. With the result you had today, I thought I’d have to drag you out of here,” said Don. He looked at his watch and knew he wouldn’t be able to go home yet.
Amanda was getting up too. “Sorry, Don. I’m tired and I have to be at work early. You do too, so take it easy, okay?” She was looking at the pitcher as she spoke and Don knew what she was saying. He was also going to choose to ignore it.
“Nice to meet you, Don. I’ll pick up the tab on our way out. See you soon.” Hamish went off to the bar and Amanda hung back.
“Don, I know what today is, but I haven’t seen Hamish in a few days, and we’ve a lot to talk about. I’ll see you early tomorrow morning. Take care of yourself. Call me if you need me.” Amanda gave Don a quick kiss on the cheek and then hurried to catch up to Hamish.
Don knew he wouldn’t call Amanda, not tonight. He had to leave her out of his problems; it was unfair to expect her to pick him up all the time. She had her own life to lead. He watched her and Hamish jump into their car outside. She flashed the lights and beeped once to say goodbye, and then they were gone. Don looked around the bar. Evidently, the Old Station didn’t draw as good a crowd on Wednesdays as it did on Tuesdays. Other than a family in the far corner tucking into a huge ice-cream sundae, he was alone. Not even the old men who usually propped up the bar were there. He poured himself a drink, and then swivelled around to face the television above the bar. There was no football tonight, no music on the jukebox, and just CNN on to push the silenc
e and dark thoughts away. Don walked over to the bar and pulled up a stool so he could sit closer and listen. He watched the screen as he drank.
“The search for the missing ocean cruise liner, ‘Tranquilla,’ continues tonight as we enter the second day. A number of planes and ships are now searching for it, and experts are questioning just how a large ship could simply disappear. Relatives are gathered at the Hilton Honolulu anxiously waiting for news, and desperately hoping something will be found today, as fears are raised, the liner may never be found. Our Hawaii correspondent, Josh Hall, is outside the hotel now with the latest.”
“Thanks, Cindy. It has been another devastating day for the relatives of those aboard the Tranquilla. Of course, most are US citizens, as the ship was en route from Honolulu to San Francisco when it disappeared. The owners of the ship have said there was no mechanical fault with the ship, and it was serviced as recently as February this year. All search efforts have so far drawn a blank, and questions are being asked now just how can a cruise ship sink without trace? I spoke to one of the dockworkers here who preferred to stay anonymous, and he told me there are rumours that there was some sort of underwater earthquake, which may have triggered a whirlpool. Even if something catastrophic happened, it doesn’t explain why there was no emergency call made. Cindy, as the days go on with no success, there are only more questions.”
“Josh, have they widened the search area? We were told there was a narrow path that the ship was on, yet, surely if nothing has come up, they must look further afield.”
“Yes, in fact, the planes are now looking over such a wide area of ocean that it could take weeks to find anything. Millions of square meters of ocean have to be covered, as there are indications the ship may have gone off course. How, or why, is open to suggestion, and terrorism has not been ruled out at this stage. No one person or group has claimed responsibility yet, and the authorities are keeping all options open until they find some concrete evidence of what has happened to the nearly five hundred people aboard.”