Creature From The Crevasse

by Michael Cole

  “You know another quality in a leader?” Sydney turned toward him. “Not doing shit like going to school while on duty.” Marlow didn’t say anything. Sydney knew he was still embarrassed about that, as he should have been. A rare feeling of sympathy swept over the chief. He knew the kid meant well, and overall had a really good work ethic. “So you mentioned wanting to try out other units to work your way up?”

  “Yes,” Marlow said, continuing to look out into the lake. Sydney took a breath. In the past few years, kindness hadn’t been his suit.

  “Most of those specialties demand at least two years of road patrol service,” he said. “You’ve been with me for about six months now, right? Tell you what…get through the next eighteen months without doing anything stupid, and I’ll get you in somewhere. I’ve gotten to know a bunch of chiefs and sheriffs very well over the years and most of them will still be in office by then. I still have a lot of pull.” Marlow looked at him. His face initially expressed shock at the chief’s officer, but quickly lit up with excitement and gratitude.

  “Holy crap…Chief…are you serious?” Marlow asked. “No…nevermind. Thanks… I don’t know what to say.”

  “Oh God,” Sydney said, feeling slightly uncomfortable with the poignant moment. “Yes, I’m serious. Just don’t do anything stu—” His voice trailed off and his eyes went down to a reflection in the water. “Turn that light back.” He turned and went for the console to swing the boat to starboard. Marlow grabbed the spotlight again and swept it over the water. At first, he wasn’t sure what he was looking for, but then he saw the flashy reflection. Something was floating in the water. As the boat passed by it, he was able to scoop it out of the water with a scoop net. Sydney stopped the boat and joined him on the deck.

  “What the hell is that?” he asked. Marlow freed the item from the net. It was fan-shaped, flat, and very solid. The lights on the bridge illuminated it fairly well. It had a greenish tinge to it, but also appeared pale. Marlow flicked the top of it, bruising the tip of his finger on its hard surface.

  “Damn! It’s pretty hard. Could it be part of a turtle shell?”

  “Turtle shells are more rounded than this,” Sydney said. He took it from Marlow. As he did, he felt something soft and squishy on the bottom. He flipped it around. A soft, grayish pink substance stuck to the underside of the plate. Sydney removed a pen from his shirt pocket and prodded the substance. It was meaty and had a very soft reddish tinge to it. “That’s odd.” He took it to the console and pulled out a clear plastic bag.

  “You’re taking that in as evidence?” Marlow asked.

  “This area is considered the scene of an investigation,” Sydney said as he started stuffing the item into the plastic. “So, yes, I am. Or rather; you’re taking it in.”

  “Me?” Marlow said.

  “Yeah you,” Sydney said. “Don’t forget it’s almost shift change.”

  “But, sir, don’t worry about that,” Marlow said. “I’d like to stick around and help with the search.”

  “Unfortunately, it’s illegal for you to work more than sixteen hours,” Sydney said. “I’ll drop you off and you can take your patrol vehicle back to the station. Make sure this thing is refrigerated. And tell the midnight guys to get out here as soon as possible.” Marlow nodded. Sydney took to the controls and started steering the patrol boat toward shore. He knew that Marlow was disappointed. It was the first truly interesting case the department has had since its foundation, and he wanted to be a part of it. “Hey, kid,” he said. Marlow looked at him. “You’ve done good.”

  The words were very encouraging. This time, it didn’t feel awkward or uncomfortable for Sydney to say them. Rather, it felt refreshing.

  CHAPTER

  7

  The distant glow of emergency lights across the lake reflected off the yellow taxi’s windshield as it pulled into the large driveway of a lake house. For the husky forty-year-old driver, it provided a nice distraction from the impassioned spectacle in his rearview mirror. He put the taxi in park, and awkwardly glanced back. The man and woman grabbed at each other vigorously. Hands were all over each other as they each dug their tongue deeper into the other’s mouth.

  “Ah-hem,” the driver uncomfortably cleared his throat in an attempt to get their attention. “We have arrived. That’ll be $22.30.” The man in the back, dressed in blue jeans and a navy blue shirt, reached toward him with cash in hand.

  “Keep it,” he said, hardly severing contact from the brunette’s face. The driver unfolded the cash, revealing two twenties. The generous tip certainly brightened his mood. He looked up from the money to see that the dark-haired male exited out the passenger side, pulling the well-endowed lady out with him. He enthusiastically began kissing her neck and shoulders. “Have a great night,” the driver said with a wave. He put the car in reverse and steered out the driveway.

  Amanda Stanton tilted her head far back, allowing the athletically built Jack Penn further access to her neck and cleavage. He took advantage, nuzzling his lips down to the straps of her red dress. That dress, which displayed her well-endowed cleavage, was the very thing that initially drew him toward her when they met at the bar. His logic was: any single woman wearing something like that is looking for something. Her gaze toward him supported that theory. Several beers later, they found themselves calling a cab, while other patrons complained for them to “get a room.”

  Jack felt himself getting more worked up by the second. That red dress was barely hanging on Amanda’s shoulders. It looked as if barely any motion would drop it off her, which was what he longed for. The two drunken lovers started stumbling up a small hill to the front porch. Had he been sober, and thinking straight, Jack would’ve noticed the size of the house they were approaching, which would bring him to ask what she did for a living to afford such a place. They struggled to the front porch stairway, laughing in a drunken, passionate fit.

  “I’m still maintaining that your assumption of me is wrong,” she said through her laughter.

  “You can say that, but I’m still not convinced,” Jack said.

  “I can convince you,” she replied, still laughing. She started her way up the steps. She instantly started wobbling. “Whoa,” she said, exaggeratedly.

  “Damn, girl,” Jack snickered. “You gonna make it?”

  “Oh bite me,” she retorted. She took another drunken step. This time, she lost her balance completely. Laughing obnoxiously, she fell backward onto Jack who managed to catch her. The laughing continued as they both fell to the ground. They rolled over on one another, fumbling with each other’s clothes. Panting heavily, Jack went for Amanda’s dress straps. She lightly smacked his hand and then stood up, much to his surprise.

  “Nah-ah-ah,” she said, waving her finger back and forth. “You’re gonna have to work for it.”

  “Work for it?” Jack asked, grinning lustfully. “Haven’t I already been doing that? I figured buying you those beers and taking you onto the dance floor counts as working for it.”

  “Not enough,” she said. She started strolling toward the sandy shore. She kicked off her sandals and splashed her feet into the water, a few feet out from the dock. After being knee deep, she turned back toward Jack, who had already removed his belt from his jeans. “Whoa, slow down, cowboy,” she said. She toyed with her dress strap with her thumb, taunting her one-night stand. “You want this, come get it.” With a flick of her thumb, the dress peeled off. Jack gazed at her athletic body, covered only by a red off-the-shoulders bra and matching panties. With a laugh, she backed out further. Jack removed his shirt, jeans, and boots and started toward the water. As he waded in, Amanda had backstroked out past the end of the dock, where the large pontoon boat was tied up. She smiled and waited as he approached. Jack swam toward her, quickly closing the distance.

  “Gotcha!” he exclaimed, reaching out to grab her. His arms snatched up nothing but water, and the next thing he noticed was Amanda laughing victoriously after paddling out of his reach. A
chase began, and both of them kicked up water as they played their game. Their drunken laughter echoed through the air, mixed with amused shouts and screams as Jack nearly caught up with her.

  ********

  The fish glided gently under the surface, conserving energy as it studied the red flashing lights above. Hunger was setting in again, and it considered making a strike on the large mechanical organism above. Its brain could not yet comprehend that the police boat was inorganic. However, the target was only a little smaller than itself; not ideal for a food source. The prey it had consumed earlier was softer than prey it had consumed in its previous environment. Because of this, its metabolism worked much faster, increasing its appetite. Due to the lack of sufficient prey in its current habitat, the bass was forced to feed on whatever it could find.

  As it stalked the boat, its eardrums picked up on vibrations from further up the lake. Although faint, it was able to detect that the movements in the water were erratic, indicative of prey like it had fed on prior. It gave up on stalking the vessel and turned around to investigate. With a flutter of its wide tail, it moved toward the vibrations.

  As it got closer, it was able to detect two sources of motion. Both lifeforms were of a size suitable for sustenance. It moved in close enough to visibly inspect its prey. They were gradually moving out into deeper water, straight toward it.

  ********

  “What? Is this too much for you?” Amanda continued to tease her zealous pursuer. She continued to backstroke, keeping a few feet of distance between her and Jack. He watched her intently, feeling more lustful with each passing moment. He kicked his legs and paddled his arms, quickly coming within reach. He wrapped his arms around Amanda’s bare waist.

  “Gotcha!” he proclaimed. He didn’t waste any time before kissing her neck and shoulders, nibbling slightly with his teeth. The make-out persisted for a couple minutes, during which Jack began to slip his fingers beneath her undergarments. Naturally, Amanda took notice, and now she was willing to submit. “How ‘bout we swim back and finish this inside?”

  “I think that sounds good,” Jack said. Amanda gave him one more kiss on the lips before swimming around him. Facing him, she backstroked toward the dock, and Jack kept pace, trailing only a few feet behind her.

  The Carnobass watched its prey change direction. It decided not to wait any longer. It shot upward, with jaws protruding.

  Amanda shrieked as the water around Jack erupted before her very eyes. As fast as the water rose, so did Jack…inside the mouth of a huge fish that breached the water. The huge scaly body reflected the porch light during the brief moment the creature was twisting about in mid-air. Shock, fear, and confusion didn’t have time to register in his brain before he and the fish crashed down into the water. As soon as they went under, the Carnobass turned and ran, sucking its prey down its throat. Its tiny teeth, like sandpaper, shredded Jack’s torso as he passed over them. The passage down the throat crushed ribs, until he landed in the dark acidic dungeon of the bass’s stomach.

  Panic and shock took a few moments to overtake Amanda’s drunken bewilderment. When it did, it was manifested with a high-pitched scream. She turned and paddled harder. The water in her eyes, along with the consumed booze, had clouded her vision, but she knew she was moving toward shore. Almost blind, she continued forward.

  The Carnobass detected the rapid movements from its remaining meal. It turned around and immediately began pursuit. Its prey was moving into shallower waters, stimulating a sense of urgency in its resolve. A powerful flap of its tail launched it forward like a torpedo.

  A sixth sense in Amanda’s mind alerted her that the terrible beast was approaching. Adrenaline and desperation put her racing heart into overdrive. Various expressions were shouted, each one cut off by water splashing into her face. One moment she’d be begging God for mercy, next she’d be cursing Him for this predicament. She paddled forward, eyes shut from the splashing water. After several long moments, she finally opened them, and screamed at the sight of something enormous in front of her. She bounced off the side of it and began to kick away until she realized it was the pontoon boat.

  There was no time for relief. The churning sound of water behind her caused Amanda to look back. The narrow, spiny fin emerged and was slicing its way toward her. Shrieking in terror, Amanda turned to grab at the edge of the deck. She moved around the pontoon boat, reaching up to the dock. Her fingers barely touched the side of the plank before she slipped down and bumped into the pontoon.

  The fish lined up for a linear attack on the surface, with the water being too deep for it to come up from underneath. Amanda saw the creature speeding her way, and let out a bloodcurdling scream. As it shot forward, its eyes caught sight of the pontoon boat rocking in the water. Its brain registered the moving object to be another predator moving in for its meal. It banked suddenly to the right, crashing into the boat. Bits of fiberglass broke from the bottom, causing water to leak into the hull. The impact pushed the boat away from the dock, tightening the slack in its tie-off line.

  Clinging to the leg of the dock, Amanda felt an intense tightening around her stomach. She looked down and realized she was in the middle of a loop in the tie-off cable. As it began to tighten, the loop constricted her midsection. She gagged and cursed as she struggled to free herself.

  The Carnobass shuttered its body to spit the inorganic bits of boat from its mouth. No longer concerned about the perceived competition, it turned once again toward its prey. Its jaws extended, with bits of Jack’s flesh still caught within its small teeth.

  “No!” Amanda screamed, failing to remove the cord. Seeing the huge swells of water coming her way, she started kicking backward desperately. The Carnobass closed its jaws, engulfing her all the way up to her abdomen. As soon as it had a hold, it drove itself under and ran with its prey. Amanda attempted to scream both from terror and intense pain, but was muffled by the suffocating water.

  The line, snagged around Amanda’s midsection, became fully stretched out. The pressure snapped several ribs and squeezed her lungs. Bubbly blood spat from her mouth, and her eyes bulged from their sockets. Unaware of why it was hung up, the Carnobass tugged harder and harder to free itself from the unforeseen force holding it back. Each tug tightened the loop even more. The fish swung its tail in huge motions to gain extra force, keeping Amanda firm in its jaws.

  Amanda’s last sensation was that of her vertebrae detaching in the lumbar region. Tendons snapped and internal organs ruptured as she was torn in half. Skin and muscle tissue pulled apart, spilling bodily fluids into the open water. Swallowing the bottom half of its prey, the Carnobass swam free into the depths of the lake, leaving Amanda’s ravaged torso. Torn away at the stomach region, she floated back toward the deck, with a strand of bloody intestines trailing behind.

  CHAPTER

  8

  Sydney walked like a zombie from his office to the lobby, straight for the coffee pot. It was nearly empty, down to its last measurement. He filled his cup with what remained and started a fresh pot. After adding two scoops of sugar to it, he limped back to his office and shut his door behind him. Leaning back in his chair, he fought against droopy eyes.

  The time was 8:43 a.m., and he was already on his third cup. He had been up most of the night assisting his staff in the search for any possible victims. Around 3:30 a.m., he returned home to catch a quick snooze while the midnight staff continued searching. He returned by 6:00 a.m. in time to meet the divers sent in by the state police. With no current in the lake, any bodies in the surrounding area should have been relatively easy to locate. But after two hours of looking and moving further out, there was nothing. Not a trace.

  Most of the staff in the department was convinced it was a wild goose chase. Sydney, however, remained apprehensive about the situation. He had mandated the afternoon staff to remain on duty for four hours, and mandated midnights for an hour-and-a-half. Before returning to the office, Sydney ordered the day-shift officers to keep patro
lling the lake. Rumors were already starting to circulate that Sydney was looking for an excuse to demonstrate authority. Some of the officers also doubted the chief’s judgment, thinking his prime days were behind him. Sydney was well aware of the gossip. He had been a cop long enough to quickly pick up on the buzz regarding leadership.

  Even Mayor Greene seemed a bit uneasy about the situation. His reasoning was regarding appearances. During a fifteen-minute phone conversation, Sydney was grilled with questions about patrol boats cruising along the shore. While Greene understood the initial investigation, he wasn’t too pleased that the case wasn’t closed after the state failed to find evidence of another victim.

  “There was evidence,” Sydney had explained. “There were fishing lures and bait everywhere.”

  “Haven’t you considered that belonged to the guy in the hospital?” Greene retorted.

  “I’ve considered everything. But I’m not giving up on the possibility that there might be another victim in this accident.”

  “My office has been blowing up with calls about whether the lake is safe,” Greene said. “People saw the state vehicles entering and leaving, and now they see your patrol vessels out there. People are here to fish and have a good time.”

  “I understand that, sir. But I believe we may have a possible missing person and—”

  “Has anyone been reported missing since last night?”

  “No, but—”

  “Has anyone else been checked into the hospital pertaining to this incident?”

  “No… BUT—”

  “Then the matter is closed until further notice. You may keep an officer patrolling the lake, as long as it appears routine. Otherwise, get your men back to their normal duties.”

  At least Greene didn’t question him on why he called the state and not the County. Despite this, it almost seemed as if Greene had forgotten why they created this police force. The town seemed to have elapsed back into the comfortable status of having hardly any crime. It was as if everyone expected the police to be just a deterrent, rather than actually performing investigations and other police duties.