Depths of Paradise

by Vance Albright

  “You’re such a dork,” Jade said. Lifting up the small green dragon on her suitcase, she pointed to the black shirt with multiple Chinese dragons on it she was wearing.

  “That’s puff, my traveling buddy from Legendary Quests and Creatures.” Jade rolled her eyes, never understanding why Mya preferred fantasy adventures to the ones in the real world. Mya pulled the handle of the suitcase up and started to wheel it across the floor.

  “I can take that. You had a long flight,” Jade offered.

  “Thanks,” Mya replied, handing it off to her. When the two sisters exited the airport, Mya took a deep breath as she was introduced to the pleasant Hawaiian temperature for the first time. In front of her, she saw the waves from the crystal blue ocean crashing against the shore. She turned and saw several forest-covered mountains with clouds hovering over their peaks. “Wow.” she said softly.

  “I wanted to be with you when you saw it for the first time. Don’t worry; we will be seeing all of that,” Jade said, moving her hands across the mountains in the distance. She and Mya walked over to her newly bought blue convertible.

  “I still cannot believe you bought this car,” Mya said, taking off her backpack and placing it next to her suitcase in the back seat. Instead of opening the car door, Mya put both hands on the door and leaped in.

  “Mya! Do you know how much this car cost?” Jade asked, surprised.

  “More than I could ever afford,” she replied. “What’s the plan for today, anyway?” Jade started the engine and began to drive.

  “Today, we’ll go home and get you settled in. Tomorrow is when the adventure begins,” Jade replied.

  “How long of a drive is it to your house?” Mya asked.

  “It’s about half an hour drive to Makena. We’re drop your stuff off at the house, then go out to eat.”

  “Sounds good,” Mya replied in a generic voice. Her full focus was on the scenery surrounding her. “What did you have planned for tomorrow?”

  “My gosh, Mya, you’re still wearing the Lei!” Jade said. In the excitement, Mya had forgotten about the ugly pink flowers around her neck. She pulled them off and tossed them on the floor.

  “Anyway, about tomorrow?”

  “Tomorrow we are getting up very early and going to spend the day scuba diving!” An excited looked formed on Mya’s face.

  “Really? Where at?” she asked.

  “You’ll find out tomorrow,” Jade replied.

  “Now I’m going to be up all night wondering. Just promise it’s not some kiddie pool for new divers.”

  “No, we’re going to a magical place you will never forget,” Jade answered. Mya leaned back in the car seat and smiled.

  Chapter 4

  6:22 PM 4/8/2021 HST

  At the south end of Niihau near Kawaihoa Point, Liz Tayler laid prone on the ocean floor. The ocean depth in the area was seventeen meters. Both her hands grasped a spear gun. She tensely examined the area as she waited for her prey. She glanced above her. It was late evening, and the surface light was fading fast. The water visibility was not perfect, but good enough. To her left she saw a shadow moving at the edge of her vision.

  “There you are,” she said as her target swam circles around her. Each time, the circling creature got a little closer. “Not this time!” she said. Liz got on one knee and aimed her spear gun. Her mind started focusing on the speed of the current and how fast her target was moving. Her intense focus was broken when she was struck hard from behind. The force of the strike sent her face first into the ground.

  “Darn it!” she screamed in annoyance. She kicked her feet, righting herself. She glared at the two bottlenose dolphins swimming around her. They were making playful clicking noises. Most likely, they were pleased with the win.

  “That’s another kill for the dolphins. That makes five kills for them and one for you,” Max Varian said, amused.

  “Shut up. They just got lucky,” Liz replied, not wanting to admit defeat. She hated losing but she loved working with the dolphins and deep down even had respect for them. She was about to demand a rematch when her oxygen gauge started beeping. “Nearly out of air; coming up,” she said.

  w w w

  “We’re nearly out of daylight anyway. Let’s call it quits for the day,” Max said, getting up from the table sitting on the dock. Max Varian was a biologist and animal trainer who had great success training attack and bomb dogs while contracted with the American military. His success was noticed by the Japanese government who hired him to work on the attack dolphin project. In appearance, Max was 6’1’’ with a muscular build. He had light skin and short light black hair. Max blew two short bursts from his whistle, which was the signal for the dolphins to return to him. Moments later, both dolphins broke the surface of the water in front of him. Their front flippers rested on the dock, as they clicked loudly, pleased with their work.

  “Great work, Seafin, Aquatail,” he complimented. He tossed both dolphins a small squid as a reward for a successful training day. Seafin was the largest of the seven military dolphins Max was training. Seafin, Aquatail, Atragon, Harpoon, Tsunami, Torpedo, Atlantis, and Depth Charge made up the pod. All seven of the dolphins were male. The decision to use only male dolphins was due to the male dolphin’s larger size and weight.

  Liz emerged from the water. She climbed onto the dock and ripped off the diving mask.

  “Okay, I admit it. Max Varian and the seven dolphins beat me,” she complimented.

  “That’s the idea,” he replied as both dolphins disappeared beneath the waves. “These last tests showed they’re learning to work as a team and can coordinate attacks.”

  “I feel sorry for any diver or sub that comes across these fish once they’re ready for military usage,” Liz said, impressed by what had occurred.

  “They’re mammals,” Max pointed out.

  “Forgive me,” Liz replied sarcastically, not really caring about her error. The far-off sound of a helicopter engine caught their ears. Max typed a command in his data-collecting laptop. The sound of a long whistle blow started playing over the underwater microphones; this told the dolphins that the patrol training was over and they could return to doing whatever they wanted. One by one, dolphins broke the water’s surface near the dock. They wanted a reward for their efforts. Max handed out treats as the Japanese rising sun on the bottom of the helicopter became clear. It was Okada Takahashi’s personal helicopter.

  “Wonder what this unscheduled trip is about?” Max said.

  “All he told me was something happened and he would explain the details in person.” Liz shrugged her shoulders. “Let’s get back to the house and see what he wants.” Liz Tayler was 5’11’’ and had an athletic build. She had light skin and short black hair that extended to the bottom of her neck. Liz grew up in the Navy life. Her father was stationed on an American Navy base in Japan. He met Liz’s mother during his regular leaves to Tokyo. After high school, she followed in her father’s footsteps and joined the Navy. During combat training, she become known for her aggressive attitude and natural weapon skills. This caught the attention of one of Japan’s greatest commanders, Admiral Tetsuya Takahashi. At age twenty-two, she was placed under his command and became a Navy diver. A few years after entering his service, she began dating his son, Okada Takahashi. Having dual citizenship, Liz was ordered to oversee and assist with the dolphin project on behalf of the Japanese government. During that time, Max and she had grown close, forming a tight brother and sister bond.

  Minutes later, Max pushed the front door open, which entered into a living room.

  The kitchen was located behind it. To the right of the living room was a short hall that held Max and Liz’s personal rooms. Each room had a bathroom and the entertainment they enjoyed. Two other rooms held double bunk beds for when visitors from Japan came to inspect or assist in the work. The left of the living room mirrored the right side. One of the rooms was a medical facility, equipped to treat minor injuries. The remaining rooms were used
as office and storage areas. Liz handed Max her training spear gun.

  “I’m going to get dressed. Can you put that away for me?”

  “Can do,” he replied. He walked into the kitchen and opened the door to the basement where his laboratory and the combat training center were located. He walked to the training center and placed the spear gun in the weapons locker. The locker mainly held spear guns, but also had a few assault rifles, just in case hostile intruders came ashore.

  Returning to the top floor, he said, “Liz, I’m leaving to pick up Okada.”

  “Okay,” she replied from her room.

  Max exited the house and walked out to the large warehouse, which was located a few hundred yards away. He looked up as the chopper flew overhead before pulling a set of keys from his pocket. He unlocked the warehouse door and climbed into the all-terrain Jeep. Max started the engine and drove towards the airfield, which was located half a mile to the west of the living area. The small airfield had a runway, refueling area, and two hangars. One hangar held the team’s personal chopper, while the other was used to store visiting aircraft. Max stopped the Jeep in front of the landed helicopter. Okada was getting his gear out of the passenger seat. Max got out of the Jeep. Both men stared at each other and bowed slightly. Max was used to shaking hands as a form of greeting, but he always bowed to Okada as a sign of respect.

  “It is good to see you, my friend,” Okada said.

  “Good to see you too,” Max replied. “Liz is at the house. We just finished a successful dolphin training session.”

  “I’m pleased to hear the program is going well; however, that is not why I am here,” Okada replied.

  “I figured that out,” Max said, knowing the next dolphin training demonstrations were not scheduled for another two weeks. “So, what’s the situation?” Max asked.

  “I will explain everything back at the house,” Okada replied as he and Max got into the Jeep.

  Liz was sitting on the porch when the Jeep returned to its spot in the warehouse. She knew by the Okada military uniform that he was here on business and not for pleasure. Even though they were a couple, during business or military operations, Okada treated her like any other person under his command. Liz appreciated this. She did not want or need special treatment or privileges from her commanding officer.

  “What happened?” Liz asked, knowing by Okada’s walk and demeanor that something was wrong. Okada waited a few seconds until Max arrived. He sat down before he spoke.

  “Last night, a Japanese fishing vessel was sunk off the Hawaiian coast.”

  “What does that have to do with us?” Max asked.

  “The report states the vessel was sunk by a large unidentified sea creature.” Max and Liz looked at each other for a second. Okada pulled out his military-issued smartphone. “Here is the radio signal the Hawaiian Coast Guard received.” Okada pressed the play button. A panicked voice spoke quickly and loudly.

  “This is the fishing vessel Lucky Dragon. We are on thirty-two miles west of Maui. Latitude is…” The radio went silent for a moment. “We need help! A large unknown object is ramming us! The vessel is taking on water!” The dialogue again went silent for a few seconds. “We have just been rammed again! One of the crew has fallen overboard! Send help right away!” For the next minute, the message of the Lucky Dragon’s location was repeated, this time with the longitude and latitude coordinates. As the panicked man was explaining the vessel’s situation, his voice suddenly went slight. Heavy breathing could still be heard, followed by a large crashing sound. “Monsuta!” he screamed in Japanese; then the radio went dead.

  “That transmission occurred early last night,” Okada said.

  “Has the ship been located, and are there any survivors?” Liz asked.

  “Yes, the Lucky Dragon has been found by the Coast Guard, but no survivors have been located. I have requested that all dive teams stand by, so we can investigate the wreckage personally.”

  “Why do you want us to investigate the wreckage?” Max asked.

  “You are both experienced divers. Liz will recognize weapon damage and markings. While you can. . .” Okada paused for a moment. His face showed he was trying to think of the right words to say. “Recognize if the damage was caused by a large unknown animal.”

  “You want me to see if the ship was attacked by a sea serpent?” Max asked, convinced he had not heard Okada right.

  “That is correct,” Okada said, not believing he had just given that command.

  “What about our work here?” Max asked, thinking of the dolphin program.

  “The investigation will only last one day. After it is completed, you will return to your normal duties,” Okada replied.

  “And if a sea monster did cause the ship to sink?” Liz inquired. Okada gave her a look that told her he was not counting on that happening.

  “When do we leave?” Max asked, convinced his presence on the mission was going to be a waste of time.

  “Gather any supplies you will need and get some rest,” Okada ordered. “We depart at first light.”

  Chapter 5

  2:09 AM 4/9/2021 HST

  Kelsey Young lay next to her husband in one of the underwater rooms at the Nautilus hotel. The Nautilus was a luxurious hotel located near Kaanapali beach. The ceiling and walls of the room were made of tempered glass. Marble floors sat beneath the king size water bed. Kelsey started to quickly drift into dream land. The night of drinking and dancing made it easy, despite Lyle’s snoring. Kelsey shifted to her side of the bed and wrapped the pillow around her head, trying to filter out the sound.

  She took pressure off the pillow when she heard a different sound. It was an unpleasant scraping sound coming from above her. It sounded like something was clawing the glass ceiling above her. She slowly turned her weight to lay on her back, terrified of what she might see above her. From inside the room, the underwater world was beautiful during the day, but at night the world was transformed to a world of sheer darkness. The hotel had dim LED lights around the rooms, but those only illumined a few feet at most. Kelsey shook Lyle as the scraping continued. He grunted and turned around.

  “Lyle,” she said softly. A feeling of relief came over her when the noise abruptly stopped. Still freaked out by the experience, she shook him again, this time waking him.

  “What time is it?” he asked in a slightly drunken voice.

  “I don’t know,” she answered. “I heard something above us.”

  “I didn’t hear anything. What did it sound like?” he replied, turning towards her.

  “Like clawing or something scraping against the glass,” Kelsey replied, beginning to think she had imagined the entire thing.

  “Are you sure you weren’t dreaming?” he asked, trying to get this over with quickly so he could go back to sleep.

  “Yes.” She paused for a moment. “Well, maybe… I don’t know.” He smiled and kissed her.

  “Go back to sleep, dear.” Kelsey lay back down. Everything was quiet for several minutes. Kelsey quickly sat up, when she heard a large banging noise above them. She turned to see Lyle sitting up as well.

  “What the devil was that?” Lyle screamed. The sound was followed by several clings on the floor. Kelsey hugged her pillow tightly when a continuous dripping noise started. Lyle turned on the bedside rotating wall lamp and shined it across the room. A look of horror formed on Kelsey’s face. Water was dripped from the darkness above. Lyle turned the light upward, which reviled a massive crack in the glass ceiling.

  “How did that happen?” Kelsey screamed.

  “Just run!” he replied. Both of them ran for the door across the room. The ceiling was struck again. This time a portion of the glass ruptured. Kelsey clutched Lyle’s shoulder area with both hands as he fell, to avoid the shards of glass raining down in front of him. The room started to rapidly fill with water. The bedside lamp shorted out, leaving them in complete darkness. As she whimpered, Kelsey could hear Lyle cursing. He had cut his foot on t
he broken glass. She could feel the water levels rising. It was now at her ankles.

  “Lyle,” she sobbed. Above her, she could hear the sound of bending steel and more glass breaking. The breaking glass sounded like raindrops as they hit the water.

  “It’s okay,” Lyle said, breathing heavily. She felt his hand gently move to her face. “We have to wait for the water to rise to the ceiling and swim to the surface.”

  “Why can’t we use the stairs like we did to get down here?” she asked in a near hysteric voice.

  “There’s no way we could open it with that much water pressure pushing against it. Our only chance is to wait and swim to the surface.”

  “Can you please just try to open the door?” Kelsey begged.

  “We’re only sixty feet underwater. We can easily make it to the surface,” Lyle said in a reassuring voice. Kelsey tightly gripped his hand. Hearing the confidence in his voice helped calm the panic that was overwhelming her. The seconds felt like hours as the water level brought them closer to the surface. The pitch blackness faded as their eyes adjusted to the darkness. The outline of the roof started to become clear. Finally, the water levels rose high enough that they could reach the ceiling. Lyle saw the left side of the roof was the portion that had been damaged. Kelsey watched him gingerly grip one of the supporting steel beams. When he felt no glass, he tightened his grip and looked down at her.

  “Kelsey.” She looked right at him. “I’m going through the hole, then I’ll pull you through.”

  “I’m scared,” she replied.

  “So am I. I love you. Now take a deep breath and hold on.” Kelsey gave a frightened smile, took a deep breath, and closed her eyes.

  Just imagine you’re having fun in the pool, she said to herself. She extended her arms, expecting Lyle to grab her hand. She moved them around, trying to find Lyle’s hand. A feeling of warmth came to her when she grabbed her husband’s hand. She tightened her grip and pulled on it. The arm effortlessly came towards her. She opened her eyes. Air bubbles shot out of her month at the sight of Lyle’s severed arm. The sight of the severed limb with the twitching fingers sent her into a full-blown panic attack. She released the limb and started swimming hastily. She felt her head slam into something hard. She threw her hands out and realized it was the hotel room wall. She swam in the direction she thought was up. She felt another barrier in front of her.