Depths of Paradise

by Vance Albright

“Aw, shoot!” Liz said, rushing back to it.

  “We tried to call Mya Kendig and it didn’t go well,” Max said as he and Okada joined Liz.

  “You mean Liz talked you into calling her,” Okada said, knowing his girlfriend well. Max slightly shook his head yes.

  “Liz, don’t push your teammates to complete tasks if they’re unprepared,” Okada scolded. “This was neither the time nor the place for that type of conversation.” He turned to Max. “And you don’t give into temptation or peer pressure.” Max and Liz took the criticism; they knew he was right.

  “On the bright side, the chopper’s ready to fly,” Liz said. Max and Okada had to smile at that. Liz always had a way to brighten bad situations.

  “Any new information on the most recent attack?” Max asked.

  “Yes, I’ll show you the full report when we get back to base, and apparently the diving equipment was shipped to the defense complex,” Okada replied. Liz put her face in her hands and started laughing. Okada glanced at her and shook his head, not understanding why she found the situation funny. “Saburo is resending it to Niihau. It should arrive tomorrow.”

  “It should arrive,” Liz added, making air quotes.

  “Oh my gosh, is that an X-7?” Ashly yelled. She dropped her carry-on bag and ran up to the helicopter. Samuel walked behind her, not nearly as impressed as his teammate.

  “Yes, it’s the fastest way to Island hop,” Liz added. Max watched Ashly’s face glow as she walked around the X-7, admiring every detail.

  “I thought this was an experimental hybrid helicopter. How did you get this?” Ashly asked in a starstruck voice.

  “It pays to know the right people,” Liz replied.

  “What’s so special about this bird?” Samuel asked, not understanding what had Ashly so mesmerized.

  “It’s only the fastest helicopter in the world,” Ashly replied in a giddy voice. “Its top speed is two hundred and ninety-three miles per hour.”

  “We can reach Niihau in less an hour,” Max added.

  “We have a lot of work ahead of us. Let’s get going,” Okada ordered.

  “Please, please can I ride up front?” Ashly begged.

  “Go for it; just don’t forget your bag,” Liz said, pointing towards it. Ashly grabbed it and jumped into the front passenger seat. Liz turned to Max.

  “Who’s flying?”

  “Rock, paper, scissors?” Max suggested. Liz agreed and lost. Max climbed into the cockpit next to a wide-smiling Ashly. The others tossed the luggage into the chopper’s bottom compartment and climbed in. Max started the engine and lifted off. Ashly giggled with excitement when the chopper reached full speed. Max hardly noticed her excitement. His thoughts were on the creature. A fifth attack had just occurred, and he knew it was not going to be the last.

  Chapter 21

  10:33 PM 04/13/2021 HST

  Mya turned the TV off and tossed a half-eaten pint of ice cream in the freezer. She was much more sober then Riley, only drinking about one fourth of the wine bottle. The empty wine bottle and empty Chinese food cartons were spread across the table. Riley lay on the couch, nearly asleep.

  “You sure you don’t mind if I spend the night?” Riley asked.

  “It’s fine,” Mya replied.

  “I’ll help you clean up at least.” Riley grabbed some food cartons and got up. She immediately started stumbling.

  “Riley!” Mya yelled, rushing over to her. “Just lay down. You’re too drunk to move. I don’t need you falling or throwing up over my carpet.”

  “You’re probably right. The world’s spinning in circles,” Riley replied in a dazed voice. Mya walked over to the storage closet and grabbed a pillow and blanket.

  “Okay, here’s a pillow and blanket. Do you need to use the bathroom before I go to bed?”

  “No. Goodnight,” Riley replied. She hugged the pillow and rested her head on the arm of the couch. Mya laughed, rolled her eyes, and shut off the light. She walked into Jade’s bedroom and stared at the bed. It was hers now, but the thought of sleeping in it still felt so wrong. She knew she had to get over this feeling of guilt, which is why she was happy Riley was spending the night. That took the couch away as a sleeping option. Mya turned off the room light and moved to the side of the bed facing the wall. She closed her eyes and imagined Jade was sleeping next to her. Their friend Riley had spent the night, which is why they needed to share a bed.

  “Goodnight, Jade,” she said quietly. She could hear Jade softly breathing next to her as she drifted off to sleep.

  s s s

  The next morning, Mia woke up to the faint smell of cooking eggs. She walked out to the kitchen to find toast and orange juice sitting on the kitchen island.

  “Morning. Hope you like egg whites,” Riley said.

  “Riley, you’re a guest; you didn’t have to do this.” Riley shrugged her shoulders as she placed the egg whites on the table.

  “Hey, you let me spend the night. The least I could do was make breakfast.” Mya and Riley both sat down.

  “Riley, last night I was thinking, if the job at the gaming café is still available, I would like to take it.”

  “You sure?” Riley asked. “Because at the reception I heard rumors that you’re not going to be short on cash for a while.”

  “You’re right that I don’t need money. I just want something to occupy my time until I can find places to cosplay around here.”

  “Okay. If you want, we can talk to the owners later today. They will like the fact you’re willing to work for free.” Mia tossed a bit of toast at Riley.

  “I never said that,” she teased. Riley’s phone vibrated. Mya went back to eating while Riley checked it. A wide smile formed on her face as she read the email.

  “What?” Mya asked curiously.

  “I just got my ticket for the Maui Diving Experience submarine tour!” Riley replied in excitement. The happy expression left Mya’s face.

  “What’s that?” she asked. Riley did not notice the concern in her friend’s voice. She was still glued to the phone.

  “It’s a submarine tour around Maui. I’ve been saving for months to go on one.”

  “Does it… Does it go by Molokini Crater?” Mia asked nervously.

  “Yeah! The sub actually stops at the crater and serves passengers dinner on it.” Riley put the phone up to Mya’s face. “See, here’s the path the sub makes and all the sights I’m going to see.” Her excited expression changed when she saw the look on Mya’s face.

  “Mya, I’m sorry; I forgot,” Riley said with regret, knowing she must have flooded Mya’s mind with bad memories.

  Mya reached out and squeezed Riley arm with a sweat-covered palm, then said in a voice filled with fear, “Riley, you can’t go in that water. Not until that thing is dead.”

  “Mya I’m not going scuba diving. I’m going to be in a large submarine. No sea creature would attack a sub,” Riley said in a gentle voice filled with confidence.

  “Riley, come here,” Mya said. Riley followed Mya into the room that used to be Jade’s office. A large map of the waters around Maui was pinned to the wall. Several tacks were placed on the map. Below the map were copies of internet articles and photos of different prehistoric marine reptiles.

  “Um, what is this?” Riley asked, trying not to scoff at what she was seeing. Mya stood next to map.

  “Since the attack, I’ve looked up every sea monster sighting or strange sea disaster around Maui.” Mya pointed to the four different tacks on the board. “During the past month, four unexplained disasters have occurred around Maui.” Mya’s arm moved down to the articles. “In total, nine different people have disappeared.” A gradual sadness formed in her voice when she said, “Including Jade.” Riley tried her hardest to keep a straight face, but Mya could see the disbelief on it. “Riley, just admit it. You don’t believe me and think I’m going off the deep end.” Mya was disappointed, but not surprised. If the situation were reversed, she probably would be thinking the same
thing. Riley moved her tongue to the roof of her mouth as she thought about what to say.

  “I… I believe you saw something, but I don’t think it was one of those,” Riley said, pointing to the photo of a kronosaurus.

  Mya crossed her arms and asked in an annoyed voice, “Well, what was it then? A shark? A hallucination made up by a girl suffering from shock?”

  “Mya, I don’t think you’re crazy,” Riley replied. “Do you want to know what I think you saw?” Mya shook her head yes.

  “An escaped crocodile.”

  “What? How is that possible?” Mya asked.

  “Some people get exotic animals as pets and release them when they get too big,” Riley replied. A fun smile formed on face as she tried to lighten the mood. “Just last month a tiger was running around the island.”

  That does make some sense, Mya thought to herself. She was still unconvinced she saw a crocodile, but she supposed it could have been possible.

  “Mya, you said you wanted to check out the gaming café. Why don’t we head out now? Along the way I can give you a tour of the island and show you the best places to shop and eat,” Riley suggested, hoping it would get Mya’s mind off the sea monster and break the tension in the room.

  “Sure. That sounds fun,” Mya replied. She turned to the map, noticing how stupid it must look to Riley. She turned back to her and said, “I’ll tear this down eventually. It’s just my way of dealing with the situation.”

  “Girl, totally understandable. Now let’s go have some fun!”

  Chapter 22

  8:05 AM 04/14/2021 HST

  On Niihau, Max and Liz were helping Samuel and Ashly get their private quarters in order. The two guest rooms were converted into temporary living spaces. A majority of the morning had been spent moving the bunk beds to storage and carrying in new furniture. One of the bunk beds had been disassembled and used for Samuel and Ashly’s personal beds. Max helped Ashly move two tables into the position she wanted. The tables were set up to flank both sides of her desk.

  “Thanks. Now I just need to set up my equipment and I’m set,” Ashly said. She sat down in the middle of the H-shaped structure. She loved having all her equipment within arm’s reach.

  “Do you want help setting up your computer equipment?” Max offered.

  “No, thanks. I kind of like to set up any electronic equipment myself. It’s just a personal thing I have,” Ashly replied, shrugging her shoulder.

  “Hey, I’m not offended,” Max replied.

  “Go see if Samuel is still complaining to Okada about the sheets,” Ashly said in a half-joking, half-annoyed voice. When they arrived the night before, Samuel had made a big fuss about the bed sheets not being the right brand. He needed the aristocrat brand for pure comfort and a restful sleep. That same night Liz had scared Ashly nearly to death when she told her there was only one guest room and she would be sharing it with Samuel. Max started to leave when the sound of an approaching chopper filled the room.

  “Finally, maybe now I can examine the diving suit,” Max said. He and Ashly exited the house. They walked next to Liz who was already standing near a clear patch of land.

  “Supplies incoming,” she said, turning to Max and Ashly.

  “Um, aren’t we going to the airfield?” Ashly asked, wondering why everyone was standing around as the supply chopper got closer.

  “No. Our supply pilot Jose likes to save us time, so he always lands near the warehouse.” Even though Max and Liz got basic supplies themselves, more advance or bulk supplies were brought in every other month.

  “Isn’t that dangerous?” Ashly said, a little worried. “I mean, what if he accidentally hits the warehouse?”

  “I’d laugh,” Liz replied. Okada joined his teammates as the helicopter began its descent. “How much do you want to bet the destroyed diving gear got lost again?” Liz shouted over the noise of the chopper’s twin blades.

  “Don’t jinx it,” Max replied. A brief dust cloud formed when the helicopter landed a few feet from the warehouse. Ashly sighed in relief while Max and Liz got ready to unload supplies. Okada approached the driver’s window as the blades came to a stop.

  “Commander Takahashi, how are you, my brother?” Jose asked.

  “I am well. As you appear to be,” Okada replied. Jose gave him a thumbs up. “Do you have the supplies we requested?”

  “Yes, sir. A dozen underwater mines, four other boxes of equipment, and….” Jose paused and took a closer look at the manifest. “A set of bed sheets?” Jose handed Okada the cargo manifest. After looking it over, Okada motioned it was accurate. “Do you need help unloading?” Jose asked as he lowered the cargo door.

  “No, my team can handle it, and then you can be on your way,” Okada replied. Liz drove a forklift up the opened rear cargo door and grabbed the first box. Ashly walked up the ramp. A small sadistic smiled formed on her face as she grabbed the box containing the bed sheets. Max was already inside removing the cargo ratchet straps. He noticed a smaller box sitting on top of one of the larger boxes. He took it outside and looked at the return address, which read Maui police department.

  “Did we finally get the diving equipment?” Liz asked, returning from the warehouse.

  “Yes!” Max replied. “Liz, do you mind if I head to the lab and start the examination?”

  “Go for it; it’s not like I’m doing any heavy lifting,” Liz answered.

  “You going to need help?” Ashly asked.

  “If the others can spare you. Sure, I could use an assistant.”

  “Go ahead,” Okada cut in. “Liz and I can finish up here. Ashly.” She turned to face Okada. “Make sure those bed sheets make it to Samuel intact. No funny business.” He said “funny business” in an authoritative voice.

  “Sure, whatever you say,” Ashly replied. She then turned to face Max. “Max, I’m going to get some of my equipment, and then I’ll meet you downstairs.” She rushed to her quarters and grabbed her tablet and tool kit, then walked towards Samuel’s room. The door was open, so she tossed the sheets on the bed. Samuel did not take notice; he was sitting on the floor surrounded by multiple circles of papers and books. “Samuel, you know your teammates are outside unloading supplies, right?”

  “Ashly, I don’t do manual labor or field work. Plus, I am currently using the scientific method to confirm a hypothesis I have about the creature.”

  “What?” Ashly replied, annoyed, giving him a blank stare.

  “I don’t expect a mind like yours to understand the nature of my work. Now please run along,” Samuel said, looking up long enough to motion for her to go away.

  “I know with a computer I could get twice as much work done in half the time,” Ashly replied.

  “My computer is not hooked up nor will it be anytime soon,” Samuel said as he started writing something in a notebook.

  “Why?” Ashly asked, confused.

  “Because the only safe computer around you is one that is unplugged. I have no doubt if I hook it up, you will find a way to hack it, then use it to make my life miserable.”

  “Samuel, I told you I don’t know anything about hacking. I am a respectable software and computer tech. Now will you please get up and do something useful?”

  “I’m doing research on the creature, while you’re standing there babbling about how useless I am. So think about it right now: who is more useless?” Ashly huffed in frustration.

  “Forget it,” she said, knowing Samuel had backed her into a corner. “I’m going to help Max examine the diving suit.” She walked away.

  “Be sure to bring me any data you collect,” Samuel replied.

  Downstairs, Max turned on the lab lights and laid the box on the research table. He had modeled the layout of his lab to be a smaller version of Dr. Yamaguchi’s lab in Tokyo. A single research table was located in the center of the room. The right of the room had a small work station and a small sink. The left of the room had shelves with boxes and preserved specimens of local fish. The ba
ck wall had a fresh water fish tank and two blackboards on either side of it. Max sat down, put on a pair of latex gloves, and pulled a utility knife out from the table’s concealed drawer. Ashly walked in as he started cutting open the box.

  “That Samuel Richards always finds a way to get on my nerves. While everyone else is working, he’s in the room doing research.”

  “That’s kind of why we brought him on the team,” Max replied.

  And he’s not even good at that, Ashly said to herself. Max opened the box and carefully laid the oxygen tank on the table. The bottom half of the tank looked fine, but the top section had a row of holes across it. The Velcro straps that connected the tank to the diving suit were torn. Out of the four hoses attached to the tank, only the pressure gage remained intact. Half of the yellow hose that once held the secondary mouth piece lightly tapped against the table. Max reached back in and pulled out three small fragments of the diving suit, the largest of which was only eleven inches long. “Is that it?” Ashly asked in a disappointed voice.

  “Looks like it,” Max answered, handing the box to Ashly, who placed it under the table. “From how the news story told it, I thought we were getting the entire suit.”

  “Where do you think it is?” she asked. Max did not even have to look at her before she realized how stupid of a question that was. The suit was with the rest of Jade Kendig’s body.

  “Well, at least we have the tank. Let’s see what we can learn from that,” Max said optimistically. Ashly opened the camera on her tablet and place her tool kit on the table.

  “You know I have plenty of tools here,” Max said, wondering why she brought her own down.

  “I know, but I like using my own tools.” She smiled. “It’s kind of a personal problem I have.”

  “Fine with me,” Max replied. He turned the front of the tank towards them.

  “Are those bite or claw marks?” Ashly asked.

  “Those are defiantly bite marks,” Max replied. He reached into one of the drawers and pulled out a digital caliper. “Ashly, can you record the data?”