by K D McNiven
For now, they would let it lie. First things first, he mused. They needed to find out how many of these creatures were roaming around the area and what they would do if they came into contact with one. The biggest problem they faced was the creatures maneuvered on both land and in the ocean. There wasn’t actually any safe place for the team. If they were to go forward, they would eventually come face to face with one of the beasts. How they would restrain one would be their biggest hurdle. They needed a plan if they were to get out with their lives.
Back on board, they gathered in the mess hall for a debriefing. Meg and Rourke were champing at the bit to locate and capture one of the prehistoric creatures. What they both became aware of, some of the other team players weren’t as excited as they were about finding them.
“Look,” said Cory. “We’ve already lost two of our team members. Richard will have
to be flown back to the states and obviously, Madison will go along with him.”
“Now we have Rourke and Jake,” Camilla replied. “And they’re paleoanthropologists. They are versed in these things.”
“Versed in fossils, Camilla, not living, breathing, walking, people eating, dinosaurs,” Cory argued.
“Okay, let’s settle down,” said Captain Burke, inhaling deeply. Certainly, this happened to be larger than any of them had ever encountered, and they would have to come to some decisions about safeguarding the team.
“I think we need to purchase some carfentanil,” said Meg. “It’s the strongest tranquilizer available. If we each tote a tranquilizer gun along with the rifles, hopefully, we’d be able to put one down should it decide to attack us, which is more than likely with the evidence we’ve seen.”
“Someone needs to go to the mainland to obtain the carfentanil,” Captain Burke replied. “Not a bad idea.”
“How about me and Jake head out to the city tomorrow and get what we need. Also, it might be wise to swing over to the museum and see if we can’t find a few more paleontologists to join us,” Rourke said.
“By all means,” the captain agreed. “The more help the better.”
“Then it’s settled, we’ll head out in the morning and hopefully acquire everything we need.”
After dinner, Meg strolled across the deck. Stars sparkled brilliantly across the black sky and moonlight streamed across the rolling waves. She breathed in deeply, her thoughts spiraling with everything that had happened. How would anything come close to matching this horrific experience?
“What’s reeling in that beautiful head of yours?”
Rourke’s voice broke through the warm night air. Without turning, Meg smiled. “I haven’t been able to put the incident with Richard out of my mind. A couple of days ago we were diving, looking for signs of damage on the reef. It’s difficult to take it all in.”
“I get it,” he said, stepping up to the rail and gazing out. “How does a person digest the enormity of this situation?”
“I only hope we can manage to get through this without anyone else getting hurt. I got to wondering how many of those creatures are out there? And what if we can’t stop them from preying on people…”
“We can only do what we can do, Meg. We’ll give it our best shot and try to identify how many of them are running wild in this area. Maybe we can figure out how to contain them so others won’t be terrorized by their aggression.”
She lifted her chin, her golden hair flagging around her face. “Do you believe we can accomplish that?”
He shrugged. “No guarantees, Meg. Like I said, at the end of the day, all we can do is take stock of what weapons we can get our hands on and what strategy we come up with. I’m not going to lie. This is not going to be an easy task. These are vicious creatures, and if the tranquilizers don’t work, we are in a helluva lot of trouble.”
Her wide, green eyes brimmed with tears. “When I think about all of those people who have died over these past years it breaks my heart. What I don’t get, is why hasn’t anything been done before now?”
“You heard the police commander. They sent trappers to find the animals, and they never returned. My guess is fear has prevented them from doing anything.”
“I suppose. Then again, think of all those people who went to the beach to swim and had no warning their lives were in danger.”
“We can’t change the past. But we can try to do something now. Put your focus on that. If we have to bring in an army, so be it.”
“I’ll do my best,” she said. “I wonder if we dredged up the bones if we could match the DNA? It would at least help identify the victims? I’m sure family members would like to put their loved ones to rest.”
“When this is over, we’ll look into it,” he replied.
She took a moment to study his handsome features, her heart striking up a beat. He had been the love of her life. And just when she thought she could finally move forward without all the memories tormenting her, he stepped back into her life. It felt as if he had never left, all the old feelings had resurfaced. They stood in awkward silence until Meg broke away, turning to leave with a feeling of despair surging through her.
“Good luck tomorrow,” she said.
Rourke watched silently as Meg disappeared into the companionway. He had missed her. He hadn’t realized how much until now. Maybe with everything going on, the thought of so many people having lost their lives, and the horrors of Richard’s attack, the disturbing incidences had overwhelmed them? Whatever the case, Meg had made it clear they were through and he had to honor that.
***
By the time Meg had dressed and combed the tangles from her hair, she discovered Rourke and Jake had already left for Belém, a coastal town south of the Amazon, approximately an eight-hour drive from where they were anchored. With a population of over one hundred and forty-three thousand people, getting what they needed would not be difficult.
After eating a toasted bagel and drinking a mug of coffee, Meg headed toward the dry lab where she saw Camilla already stooped over a microscope. She passed a quick glance at the doorway and smiled.
“Sleepy-head,” Camilla said. “I’ve been up for two hours.”
“Yep. I tossed and turned all night. I haven’t slept much since Richard’s attack.”
Camilla stopped and whirled in her chair. “It must have been a horrifying experience. It’s something that will take time to come to grips with. It’ll get easier.”
“I hope so. I seem to relive the ordeal over and over in my head. However, I’m so thankful he pulled through.”
“I spoke with Maddy earlier and she said he’s improving. The hospital would like to fly him back to the states as soon as they make sure no infection sets in.”
“And Maddy? How’s she holding up?”
“She sounded really good, Meg. I think she’s anxious to get home and get things back to normal though. If that’s possible after what Richard’s been through.” Camilla cocked her head and studied Meg’s face. “What about you? How’s it going with Rourke here?”
That was a loaded question. Meg sat in silence, not exactly sure how to respond. “We’re managing.”
“He’s easy on the eyes.”
“Don’t let his rugged handsomeness fool you,” Meg said. “He can be more than a little frustrating.”
“You still care for him, don’t you?”
“Rourke is water under the bridge, Camilla. He’s the past and I’m looking forward to my future. I can deal with this bump in the road. Besides, we’re polar opposites.”
“You know what they say, opposites attract.”
“Maybe the problem is we’re too much alike. Truthfully, I’m glad he’s here. He is highly qualified, and well sought after because of his expertise in the field. Also, he is fearless and because of the circumstances we’re facing, that’s a bonus.”
“Certainly is,” she agreed.
Even though Meg tried to smooth the subject of Rourke over, she obviously still carried a torch for him. Meg had also made it clear s
he didn’t want to talk about him and their past relationship. Wisdom dictated Camilla drop the subject.
“I’m sorry all of this occurred on your first leadership role Meg.”
“What we’re facing is much more important than being a dive leader. Right now, I’m just hoping we survive it.”
Captain Burke poked his head in the door. “Sorry to interrupt. I need to have a word with you, Meg?”
“You bet, Captain,” replied Meg. “Catch you later, Camilla.”
Outside, Captain Burke headed for the pilothouse, Meg at his heels. She was curious about what he wanted to talk about and hoped there hadn’t been bad news from Rourke. They needed the equipment they had talked about if they were going to pursue the Purussaurus. Going forward without any kind of defense would be suicide.
Inside, Meg was surprised to see Jayden and Kyle and Mason Yearling, one of the other divers, all standing around, coffee cups in hand.
“What’s all of this?”
Captain Burke smiled. “I brought all of you together to propose an idea I have. However, it’s a dangerous concept, so I want you to speak your mind on the subject.”
“Okay,” said Jayden. “What do you have in mind?”
“We have an underwater camera. I got to thinking if we deploy the camera near the place you discovered the bones, we could monitor the area. If one of the creatures drags a meal there to devour, we can catch sight of what we are actually dealing with.”
“In other words, you want us to dive and set it up?” Jayden remarked, skepticism etching his face.
Captain Burke remained silent for a time, biting into his lower lip. “I know what I’m proposing is perilous. And by all means, this is in your laps. If you feel the risk is too high, just say no. I fully understand.”
“We have dived the area twice and come out alive,” Meg said, a wave of delight coursing through her. Diving was the reason she had agreed to come and though the prospects of danger existed, Meg wanted desperately to plunge beneath the swelling waves. “I have to admit, I would like to do this. And how exciting if we can catch this creature on our camera.”
She glanced around the room, searching the faces of the other three men. Obviously, if they shot the idea down, the proposal would be a no go.
Jayden shrugged his shoulder. “Call me crazy but I’ll dive along with Meg.”
Kyle and Mason looked at one another, then nodded. “We’re in.”
Captain Burke wavered between them going and not going. The last thing he wanted was to endanger the crew. Even so, these were unusual circumstances. People were dying, and they were desperate to find a way to resolve this.
“I’ll leave you to fill in the details, Meg.”
“Thanks, Captain.”
The four of them walked out on the deck and sat on a long bench. The three men looked at Meg, waiting for instructions, hesitant and fearful. What had happened to Richard remained a vivid reminder in their mind as to what could happen if things went awry.
“Because the current is a bit strong in that specific area, we need to make sure the force of it doesn’t hit the camera broadside. Our best bet is to anchor it at different points for stability. I’m thinking it might work best on a cement block as opposed to being fixed on the tripod because it would be more secure.”
“Should we anchor a buoy?” asked Kyle.
“Yes. We should use a heavy anchor with an LED board and use at least a forty-pound leader to restrict as much movement as possible. For lowering the camera, I’d like to use parachute cord connected to the top swivel and once it’s down, we’ll secure it with stakes. We want a wide-angled light and then attach it to the camera with clamps. There are some tubular flashlights below and they omit an eighty-degree wide-angle beam.”
“So, why don’t you fellows collect what we’ll need while I check out our tanks and gear, then we’ll suit up and head on down.”
“Copy that,” Jayden said, turning to leave.
Walking to the dive platform, thoughts of Rourke plagued her. She knew instinctively if he was there, he would be raging mad for her to ever contemplate such a dangerous ploy. Thankfully, he wasn’t around, she mused. This was her area of expertise, and she didn’t need him watching over her like a mother hen with her chicks. Well, she had wasted enough time considering how he would feel about the matter and did her best to shrug it off.
After setting out the equipment they would need, she walked into the shower area where she plucked her wet suit off the wall hook and readied herself. Snagging her fins and face mask she headed back out to where the tanks were secured, stopping in front of a long metal box. She lifted the lid and grabbed hold of a couple of spear guns. No way did she plan to dive without some sort of defense, realizing they might come face to face with the prehistoric creature.
She glanced up when she heard the others coming to join her, a bit surprised when she saw Cory and Camilla trudging along behind, their faces cut with worry.
“Tell me you guys aren’t really going to go down there after what happened to Richard?” Camilla said, her dark brows woven in a frown.
“We are,” Meg replied, understanding their apprehension. “It’s important we discover what we’re dealing with. If we’re going to try to take these creatures down, we have to be able to determine what it will take.”
“There are better ways,” Camilla said.
“Tell me what.”
Silence hung between them. “Okay, maybe there isn’t a better way, but really, are you going to sacrifice yourself to find out?”
“Not if we can help it. We’re taking the spear guns along and we are going to work as efficiently as possible so we can get out quickly. I’m going to use helmet speakers and keep in close contact with Captain Burke as well.”
Camilla opened her mouth to speak, then stopped herself. She had come to know Meg quite well and knew once she had made up her mind it would be useless to argue with her. Regardless, a chill drove up her spine and she felt nauseous even thinking about it.
“Please be careful. And if there’s any silt out that would cause your vision to be clouded in any way, get out of there.”
“Yes, I promise. We’re going to be fine though. Captain Burke will be pulling anchor and moving closer to shore and towards the target area for situational awareness. We need to know where the camera should be staked in relation to the ship so we get a good shot of the Purussaurus.”
“I’ll go to the pilothouse to help monitor,” Cory said.
“I think we’re good to go then,” Meg said, anticipation like a heavy anchor. She felt the movement of the ship as it began to scud over the blue swells towards their markers. This time, they would make their dive from the research ship platform rather than risk-taking out the zodiac again. All of them agreed they would feel safer having the ship close by in case something happened while they were down there and they needed to make a quick getaway.
Meg had to admit, along with her excitement to dive, the thought of the creature was ever-present on her mind. And not only herself. As she glanced at the somber-faced team, she knew those same thoughts plagued their minds. The last thing she wanted was to come face to face with it. At least they would have a couple of harpoons handy...just in case.
Chapter Nine
⁂
Meg put on her ScubaPro full-face mask, designed for safety. Their main concern would be setting up the camera equipment securely. The mask would be perfect because of its anti-fogging lenses and offered a wider range of viewing. Rather than using the standard mouth regulator, air would flow freely from a tube into the mask. Because of the terrifying circumstances they could face, she set up a communication mic, so she could speak with the Captain while she secured the equipment.
The equipment had been laid out on the deck and it would be lowered in. Meg and the others would follow the anchor line down, then retrieve the camera equipment and begin setting up.
The current pushed against them as they kicked their way down to
the sandy floor, sea kelp swaying in a fluid dance around them. Propelling themselves past the forest of sea fauna, a long, brown eel wended its way past them, squeezing under a shelf of pinkish-orange coral. Ahead they spotted the camera equipment and finned their way toward it.
With the realization the creature dragged his dinner to this very spot to devour, Meg concluded it would be their best chance to get a clear shot. Her heart was thumping in her ears, her fear palpable.
First, they established the place they thought would capture the clearest shot of the Purussaurus. Once that was accomplished, they set cement blocks used as stabilizers, then began setting up the camera. Maneuvering was difficult because of the current. However, with all of them centered around the camera, they were finally able to stake it firmly from three sides. They watched for a short time to make sure it would hold fast.
“Captain,” Meg said. “We have it set up. I’m going to focus the lens. Give me a head’s up when you can see the bones clearly.”
“Copy that,” came his somewhat garbled voice through the headphone.
Meg twisted the dial to focus in. A glint of surface light lit on a golden, rust-colored, Seaweed Blenny fish, measuring roughly three and a half inches in length. It swam in front of the lens, turning its head as if wondering what the bulky black thing was. It darted shyly off toward the reef. Meg smiled.
“Looks great, Meg,” Captain Burke said. “Clear as can be on the monitors. Now, you guys need to get back here asap.”
“Roger, Captain.”
With a nod, she started to kick her way toward the surface. Without warning, the water began to churn around her, she felt her body twist violently, losing her sense of up or down. Clouds of silt whirled around her and she knew something large was down there with them. At the moment, she didn’t know where Kyle, Mason, or Jayden was.
Something whipped against her, tossing her in a somersault through the water. Her breath came so fast she wondered if she would hyperventilate. Her mind whirled and panic welled up in her and frantically, she kicked her feet trying to get out of the way.