Depths of Paradise

by Vance Albright

  “I know this is going to sound crazy, but it was not a shark. It was.” Again, Mya paused before finding the courage to say. “It was some type of giant sea creature.” Mya knew saying “sea monster” was a bad idea. So, she worked hard to avoid saying it. Browner stopped looking at his notepad and stared right at her.

  “I’m warning you. This is no time for games,” he said in a firm voice. “Now I’m going to repeat what you just told me. You’re stating on record that a sea monster attacked and killed your sister?” he asked, firmness in his voice.

  “No, I’m not. I just know it was not a shark or any type of fish. I saw a long tail and a clawed arm, or leg, or something,” Mya replied in an almost hysteric voice. She knew how crazy her story sounded. Browner could tell she was about to break down; then he would get nothing out of her. So, for the moment, he changed the subject.

  “Ms. Kendig, I did not mention this earlier. Divers were sent down to search the area around the boat. The divers recovered some torn-up pieces of a diving suit.” A slight glimmer of hope formed in Mya eyes.

  “What about the body! Did you find it?” A feeling of pleasure came over Browner. His plan to prevent Mya from breaking down had worked. He only needed to ask one more question to confirm what he was beginning to suspect. His expression changed to very serious.

  “Did you have any reason or desire to harm your sister?” Mya’s expression instantly turned to anger.

  “Look, let me make this nice and clear!” she yelled, sitting straight up, her eyes holding an angry glare. “I did not kill my sister, and don’t ask me any questions like that again!” Doctor Gordon cut in to defuse the situation.

  “Detective Browner, may I speak with you for a moment” Browner got up and walked to the end of the room with the doctor. Despite the two men speaking in a low tone, Mya was able to eavesdrop.

  “Great emotional shock can greatly affect a person’s memory of a traumatic incident. It is even possible that a traumatized mind may experience hallucinations.”

  “Are you saying she imagined the attack?” Browner asked, not buying the doctor’s statement as an explanation.

  “No, I’m stating that during the attack, it is possible the mind could have caused pieces of the surrounding environment, like a shark, to appear as something else.” That Browner could believe, although his suspicions about Mya were not totally gone.

  “For the record, in your professional opinion, the Molokini Crater incident was a shark attack, not a murder?”

  “Yes, that is what I believe. Jade Kendig was killed by a shark,” Dr. Gordon said confidently.

  “What species of shark do you think is responsible for the attack?” Browner asked.

  “I’m not a biologist, but my best guess would be a tiger or great white shark.” Hearing the conclusion the two men had come to made Mya clench her fists in anger.

  “It was not a shark that killed Jade!” she snapped, which slightly startled both men. Doctor Gordon walked over to her.

  “Ms. Kendig, please relax and just listen to what I have to say.”

  “No, you listen! You didn’t see the look of fear in Jade’s eyes right before that thing attacked her!” Mya yelled. Seeing the look on both men’s faces made Mya realize that screaming was only going to do more harm than good. She took a few moments to calm herself, then said, “Jade loved these waters and knew about any sea creatures living in them. Nothing that was supposed to be there would have scared her like that.”

  “Ms. Kendig, I’m going to be honest with you,” Detective Browner said, approaching the bed. Doctor Gordon moved back and stood a few feet from the bed, but Browner stood right next to it, intentionally invading Mya’s personal space. “I’m not convinced you saw anything but a shark.” Mya was about to speak when Browner motioned for her to stay quiet. “And I’m going to take the word of an experienced doctor over the word of an inexperienced diver who is suffering from shock. His statement is the only reason you’re not coming down to the police station under suspicion for murder.” He patted her on the shoulder. “So, consider yourself lucky.” Mya raised the middle finger of her hand that was under the blankets. Browner did not see it, but it made her feel better.

  “Here. This explains how I survived a nightmare,” Mya said, handing Browner her written statement. “Is that all you need from me?”

  “Yes, Doctor Gordon’s statement was acceptable to the investigation.” Mya was relieved when he started to leave the room. The feeling was short-lived when he turned around and said, “Are you planning on staying in Maui?” Under her breath, Mya huffed in frustration; she just wanted him gone.

  “At least until the funeral is over and I get Jade’s things sorted out,” Mya replied.

  “We will call you if we discover any new leads. I’m sorry for your loss and hope you recover soon.” His words were more robotic then caring.

  “Thanks,” Mya replied, smiling not at his word, but because he walked out the door.

  Chapter 13

  4:40 PM 4/11/2021 JST

  Max Varian entered building D of the Japanese Ministry of Defense Complex. Building D was dedicated to research and development. After a short elevator ride and walk, he entered the biological research laboratory. To his left were shelves full of boxes, books, and unused lab equipment. The middle of the room had several tables with lab equipment and computers. The right of the room had two large work stations with a sink separating them. A young girl in her early twenties was working at the sink washing used test tubes. Her white lab coat had several water stains from the fast-paced washing.

  “In a hurry, Sora?” Max said. She gasped and turned around.

  “Sorry, Max, you startled me,” she replied with a smile. “I did not know you were coming to Tokyo.”

  “Neither did I. Is Dr. Yamaguchi around?”

  “No, I’m afraid he has gone home for the night. Can I help you with anything?”

  “Yes, I need a DNA test conducted on an unknown tissue sample I collected.” He handed a plastic bag to her. She looked at the large claw, puzzled.

  “Where did you get this?”

  “Inside the wreckage of the Lucky Dragon.” A concerned expression formed on Sora’s face.

  “Nothing happened to the dolphins, right?”

  “No, the dolphins are fine,” Max said reassuringly. Sora and Dr. Yamaguchi had been to the Niihau complex several times to assist with the dolphin research. During that time, Sora had gotten really attached to them, especially Aquatail. “When can I expect the test results?”

  “Tomorrow afternoon,” she replied.

  “Okay, see you then,” he replied. Just then, his phone vibrated. He looked at the text from Okada that read: Come to my office. Another attack may have occurred.

  Max rushed to Building A and shortly opened the door to Okada’s office. Okada was sitting at his desk with Liz seated at the right side of the desk. Okada’s office was a twenty-foot room. The commander’s desk was located at the back of the room. A large TV was mounted on the wall adjacent to the desk. The right and left of the room had several display stands. One display stand was larger than the rest and had a glass covering. That stand held his grandfather’s flight suit and a model of the fighter he piloted during World War II.

  Max entered the room and bowed. Okada acknowledged the respectful gesture. “What happened?”

  “A report has come in that a Hawaiian news network is about to run a story on a supposed sea monster attack,” Okada answered. He motioned to the remaining seat next to Liz. “Please take a seat.” Max sat down and looked at the screen. The news was currently reporting on the Hawaiian weather.

  “Nothing like watching the ten p.m. news broadcast eighteen hours in the future,” Liz joked.

  “That’s because we’re nineteen hours ahead of Hawaii. The news is still new,” Max added, correcting her in a joking voice.

  “Like I said, we’re so ahead of our time,” Liz replied.

  “Max, when can we expect the res
ults of the claw analyzation?” Okada asked.

  “Tomorrow afternoon. By the way. When are our new teammates supposed to arrive?”

  “They are scheduled to arrive tomorrow morning.” Max turned his attention back to the news broadcast, which was on a commercial break.

  “I hate that show,” Liz said.

  “So do I,” Max agreed.

  s s s

  In Hawaii, Mya laid under a blanket on the couch in Jade’s condo. Her eyes were heavy from the long painful day she had. After getting released from the hospital, she spent several unpleasant hours getting Jade’s house and car keys from the local authorities. The drive to Jade’s house felt like an eternity. It felt so wrong driving Jade’s car and living in her home without her. When she arrived there, things got worse. She had to conduct the unpleasant task of calling family members, mainly her parents, with whom she already had a rocky relationship, to inform them Jade had died. What hurt her the most was she could not even tell them the truth about what happened. She didn’t dare after what happened at the hospital. She looked at the piles of papers on the coffee table in front of her, knowing the grueling tasks of making the arrangements for Jade’s funeral, creating an obituary for the paper, and then sending that information to family members was waiting for her tomorrow. She didn’t know any of Jade’s friends, but she figured they would learn about her death from the news. She tried to numb the emotional pain she was feeling by watching online videos she enjoyed.

  While browsing, she went to a local news stations’ website and saw a section of the ten o’clock broadcast was going to cover Jade’s death. Despite not wanting to relive the encounter, she decided to watch it anyway. Maybe other people had seen or lost loved ones to that creature. Those were the type of people she could talk to. People who would believe her. Mya’s emotions grew when the commercials ended. A middle-aged man and woman appeared on the screen. The man cleared his throat and spoke.

  “When most people think of Hawaii, they think of pleasant weather and beautiful beaches. This is the normal Hawaiian scene, but unfortunately sometimes tragedy strikes these beautiful islands. Yesterday afternoon, a diving accident occurred around Molokini Crater that led to the death of an experienced diver, Jade Kendig.” A picture of Jade’s face appeared on the right side of the screen. “Diving accidents are a rare occurrence, but this one has an odd twist to it. Right, Cathy?” he said, turning to the women sitting next to him.

  “That’s right, Craig. What’s odd about this accident is that Jade Kendig’s sister and dive partner, Mya Kendig, claims that her sister was killed by a sea monster.” A picture of Mya appeared on screen. A feeling of dread filled Mya’s body.

  s s s

  Seeing Mya’s picture caused a look of attraction to briefly form on Max’s face.

  “Yeah, I know she’s hot. I thought you work too much to have time for girls?” Liz teased. Max glared at Liz. He was annoyed that she caught the few seconds of lust in his eyes. A glance from Okada was all that was needed to get them refocused.

  “Really. What makes her think it was a sea monster?” Craig replied in a surprised voice.

  “Well, in her police statement she claimed that she saw a sea monster’s tail and front leg. Both reporters maintained straight faces, but it was clear they were trying not to laugh. “To better explore this claim, we are going to be joined by Marine Biologist Dr. George Sherwood.” Max scoffed under his breath.

  “Friend of yours?” Liz asked.

  “I don’t know him personally, but from the articles he has written, I can tell he’s very narrow-minded.”

  “Thank you for joining us, Dr. Sherwood.”

  “Thank you for having me, Cathy,” he replied.

  “Now, Dr. Sherwood, first off, all three of us can agree that what happened to Jade Kendig was a terrible tragedy,” Craig said. Then his voice turned slightly humorous. “But I’m sure we can also agree that there is no such thing as sea monsters.” All three people laughed slightly. Every instinct in Mya’s body told her to turn off the TV, but she couldn’t.

  “Yes, it’s still safe to go out and enjoy the water,” Cathy cut in.

  “What a bunch of idiots,” Liz stated.

  “Dr. Sherwood, what do you think really happened down there?” Craig asked in a serious voice.

  “Well, Craig, my best guess would be a shark attack. If you look at the evidence, shark attacks are rare, but they do occur.”

  “Dr. Sherwood, if this was a shark attack, then why did Jade’s sister claim she saw a sea monster?” Craig asked.

  “Probably because to her it was,” Dr. Sherwood replied. “Mya Kendig was an inexperienced diver that witnessed her sister getting attacked by a shark. Her day job.” Dr. Sherwood paused for a moment. “If you can call it that, is a cosplayer. That probably assisted in creating the sea monster illusion.”

  “For those of you that don’t know, a cosplayer is someone who dresses up as a superhero or videogame character at conventions,” Cathy added.

  “I wish they would stick to important topics,” Okada said under his breath. Max and Liz looked at each other and giggled.

  “Now why do you believe that her occupation as a cosplayer caused her to believe she saw a sea monster?” Craig asked.

  “Dressing up like superheroes is something children do,” Dr. Sherwood answered in a disgusted voice. “The fact that she does this leads me to believe she possesses a weak mind. The shock and trauma of the attack caused her weak mind to go into fantasy land and imagine a sea monster in front of her.”

  s s s

  Mya sat up clenching her fists. She wanted to punch him so bad.

  “You weren’t there! You don’t know what I saw or what it was like!” Mya yelled.

  “Dr. Sherwood, what precautions should the public take until this potentially dangerous shark is removed?” Craig asked.

  “Simple things like staying near groups of people, don’t enter the water with open wounds, don’t swim at night.” Dr. Sherwood replied. “I’m sure the Hawaiian Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement will handle this dangerous shark very soon.”

  “You heard it from the expert, ladies and gentlemen. The waters are safe,” Cathy said. “Dr. Sherwood, thank you for joining us.” Dr. Sherwood thanked them and ended the interview. Mya stood up, threw an empty plastic glass against the wall, and then flipped the coffee table in front of her. She knew family and Jade’s friends were most likely watching the broadcast. She started pacing around the room.

  “They’re going to think I’m crazy. They’re going to think I’m crazy,” she said to herself out loud. The last thing she needed at the funeral was having to explain to people why she told the police Jade was killed by a sea monster. Mya grabbed a picture of her and Jade she had found in Jade’s office. She held it close to her chest, went up against a wall, slowly fell down, and burst into tears.

  s s s

  “The remains of the diving suit worn by Jade Kendig have been recovered. Unfortunately, we cannot say the same of her body,” Cathy said. “That is our final story of the night. Goodnight, Hawaii.” Cathy and Craig both waved goodbye. Okada shut off the TV.

  “What do you think?” he asked, turning to Max.

  “He wants to talk to Mya. In some video game café,” Liz said, knowing full well her friend’s favorite hobby was video gaming.

  “Shut up,” Max said. “I wish I could get a look at the remains of that diving suit.” He tried his best to change the subject.

  “That can be arranged,” Okada said. He picked up his phone and dialed Saburo’s number.

  “Yes, sir,” Saburo answered.

  “Saburo, sorry for waking you. Where are you at this moment?” he asked.

  “Ashly Cross and I are in Dallas. We had an unexpected overnight delay due to aircraft malfunction. I am currently at the airport waiting to board a four a.m. flight.”

  “Saburo, I need you to get in contact with the Hawaiian Governor. Ask him to have the Maui Police
department send everything from the Jade Kendig case to my office for study.”

  “I will take care of that right away, sir,” Saburo replied and ended the call.

  Chapter 14

  4:49 AM 4/11/2021 HST

  Off the Maui coast near Opana Point, the sky was cloudless and the full moon was just beginning to set. Emma Clark and Dylan Patterson lay asleep in their fifty-foot yacht.

  Dylan was a marketing executive who had just closed a major deal for his company. To celebrate, he and his girlfriend Emma decided to take a week’s vacation sailing around the Hawaiian Islands. Both had blonde hair and the physical appearance of models. The young couple was abruptly woken by the boat shaking violently. The collision caused both of them to fly a few inches into the air.

  “What was that?” Emma asked in a freaked-out voice.

  “Something must have hit us,” Dylan replied in a shocked voice. The adrenaline rush caused by the experience had fully awakened both of them.

  “Another boat?” Emma suggested.

  “I don’t know,” Dylan replied in a confused voice. He put on a blue and white flannel shirt and grabbed a flashlight. “Wait here.”

  “Be careful,” Emma replied. She watched Dylan’s dark figure walk through the living area and disappear up the steps that led to the outside. Emma waited, thinking about what could have caused the boat to shake. Images of pirates leaping from their ship to raid hers started filling her head. Don’t be ridiculous, she told herself.

  After a few minutes had passed, she called out, “Dylan.” After hearing no reply, she called out again. “Dylan!” Still silence. Worried, she threw on a white tank top and headed from the front sleeping area to the rear of the boat.

  When she reached the top of the steps, she said, “Dylan,” this time in a worried tone. She looked out past the boat motor compartment into the dark ocean. Terrible thoughts started to fill her head. What if he had fallen overboard? What if pirates really were attacking the boat? She screamed when a light was shined in her face.