Depths of Paradise

by Vance Albright

  “Yeah, believe me, if I caught my boyfriend Facetiming another girl, he would be knocked out, and as you saw, Max is still unharmed.” She handed the phone back to Max.

  When he took it, he did not know what to say. So, he just said, “Hey.”

  “Hey,” Mya said back in a much happier tone. “Look, sorry for assuming the worst. I just got out of a relationship where my boyfriend used and cheated on me. So, I’m a little hesitant to trust people.”

  “I understand what it must have looked like. Still want to go to the movies?”

  “As soon as I fix my eye makeup, sure,” Mya said, a little flirtatious.

  “See you soon,” Max replied. He ended the Facetime and walked back inside. “Thanks,” he said to Liz, giving her a fist bump. “I’m taking the rental car into town. I’ll be back in a few hours.”

  “No trouble. Come back sober,” Liz replied.

  “Planning on it,” Max confirmed. He walked into his room and changed. He exited the room just as Ashly exited Okada’s office.

  “I hate the two of you. I was sure I was getting fired,” she said in an upset, but not overly angry voice.

  “We thought the same thing when we were in there,” Max replied. “Liz and I were just having fun with you.” Ashly’s body language showed she was okay with the joke.

  “Where are you going?” she asked, noticing he had changed clothes.

  “Might die tomorrow. Wanted to have some fun before then.” A brief look of fright formed on Ashly’s face.

  Max noticed it and said, “Don’t worry; everyone will make it out alive. Tomorrow at this time we will be examining that creature’s corpse.”

  “Nicely gift wrapped. Delivered to our door,” she replied. Max smiled not at her comment but at something he was thinking about. “What?” she asked, confused.

  “Nothing. See ya,” he said. When he was in the rental car, he pulled out his phone and called Saburo.

  “Hey, Saburo, I need a favor. Do you remember the claw we recovered? I need a replica.”

  Chapter 39

  9:17 AM 05/4/2021 HST

  Gray clouds covered the sky over the Five Caves Five Graves sight. The trip had been eerily slight. No one had spoken a word along the way, not even Samuel. The seven dolphins swam around the Barracuda, investigating the new area. They were led to the site by a speaker placed at the bottom of the boat that broadcast the dolphins’ follow command, which was two long whistles with a two-second pause between them. Max, Liz, and Okada were already in their diving gear. For speed and maneuverability, they were using light weight rebreathers over traditional diving tanks. For weapons, each of them had small sixty cm. spear guns equipped with double flopper spear heads. Ashly dropped the third MSR-2 into the water. The idea was the same as last time: explode the MSR-2 inside the water panther’s lair, forcing it out into the open. She then looked at her three teammates, her friends sitting on the edge of the boat doing final equipment checks.

  “Good luck,” she said. “Yes, good luck to us all,” Samuel added.

  “Same to you,” Max replied. “It’s time,” Okada said. The feeling of dread and fear that filled everyone grew. Max closed his eyes and fell backwards. Samuel stood behind her as Ashly watched her three friends disappear behind the surface.

  I hope I see you again, she thought. Max, Liz, and Okada split up and headed for nearby rock formations, many of which had holes large enough to create natural hiding spots, giving the team a geographical advantage.

  The water panther waited near a cave opening. He had heard the Barracuda’s engine cease. It was a sound he was becoming all too familiar with. Before anyone could get into position, he burst out of the cave entrance. He did not react to the divers or the dolphins. He went straight for the MSR-2. A burst of infrasound caused the drone to go offline, before Ashly could detonate the explosive. The water panther bit down on the MSR-2 where the cable attached, sending it crashing to the ocean floor. His eyes followed the remaining portion of cable to the Barracuda. He began to swim upward when Liz aimed her spear gun and fired. The water panther let out a small cry of pain when Liz’s spear struck his rib area.

  Okada and Max fired next. Both spears hit their target, one hitting the right front leg, while the other struck the tail. The flashing lights signaled the dolphins to attack. The sound of the dolphins clicking directed the water panther’s attention towards them. He had heard dolphins make that same sound right before they attacked a pod of fish. These dolphins did not appear to be hunting fish; they were coming towards him. Seafin, Tsunami, and Atlantis swam towards the water panther head on. Aquatail and Depth Charge went for his right side, and Atragon and Typhoon were approaching from the back. The water panther charged the group of dolphins in front of him. His mouth open, thunder clapped, releasing a long powerful burst of infrasound. The three dolphins sensed the incoming blast. Seafin and Tsunami quickly swam to the right and left. Atlantis was not so lucky. The blast hit him head on. The intensity and length of the blast literally broke his body apart. Max cursed while reloading his spear gun. The water panther swam though the remains. As if taking a victory trophy, he ate the head of his kill. The six dolphins let out clicks of pain, mourning the loss of their brother. The four dolphins behind the water panther caught up to him. Sensing danger, he lowered his head, causing Typhoon to overshoot. More spears struck his stomach and sides, causing him to cry in pain. The momentary stun was the opening Atragon needed; he rammed the water panther from below, striking him mid-stomach. The stabbing pain caused the water panther to rapidly move upward. A few seconds later, an explosion occurred underneath him.

  “Max, what happened? The dolphin got him,” Liz cried in confusion. Max was scrambling for answers himself.

  Why had the explosive fallen out? Max thought, then cursed himself, realizing the mistake he had made. All the lance testing was done on hard stationary targets. The water panther’s coat of fur and rapid movements were not giving the explosives enough time to enter his body, causing them to fall out and explode harmlessly in the water.

  Depth Charge swam up from below, aiming for the water panther’s throat. The water panther moved his head backwards, avoiding the strike, then brought his front claws together on Depth Charge’s body. Massive red streaks formed on Depth Charge as his speed and momentum caused the sides of his body to be shredded. The dolphin let out a final cry of pain as he fell to the ocean floor. The water panther’s victory was short-lived. He roared in agony when Aquatail and Tsunami drove their lances into his back. To counter, he swam downwards, avoiding the explosion he knew was coming. Like before, the explosives went off in the water. Both pursuing dolphins avoided the main explosion but were stunned by the shockwave. The water panther turned himself upward and fired a blast of infrasound. Aquatail and Tsunami managed to recover in time and narrowly avoided the blast. The water panther was about to fire another infrasound blast when more spears struck him. The wounds they caused were not life threatening but caused pain. The water panther scanned the area. Five dolphins were left, and those humans firing spears were hiding amongst the rocks. He had managed to kill two of the dolphins, but he was not sure he could keep fighting all of them. The small wounds his enemies were inflicting were starting to take their toll. It was only a matter of time before he would be overwhelmed. He swam away from the dolphins at full speed. Seafin clicked, ordering his remaining pod members to follow the creature.

  “Guys, the water panther’s heading for Maui fast,” Ashly said, looking at the sonar.

  “Everyone, head up to regroup and resupply,” Okada ordered. Minutes later, Max, Liz, and Okada got abroad the Barracuda and went below deck to rearm. Ashly gunned the Barracuda, Samuel sat next to her, keeping an eye on the sonar. Despite the water panther having a head start, the Barracuda’s speed allowed it to catch up. Ashly and Samuel could see Maui island getting closer and closer.

  “Max, what’s the plan?” Ashly yelled.

  Max appeared at the foot of the steps and s
aid, “Try to keep him from getting too close to Maui. The longer we can keep him moving at this speed, the more exhausted he will become. With any luck, the dolphins will be able to finish him.”

  “How am I supposed to do that?” Ashly wondered.

  “I honestly have no idea,” Matt admitted.

  “Perhaps getting in front of him will cause him to change direction,” Okada added. Ashly managed to get in front of the water panther a few times. He was undeterred by the object moving above him as he neared Maui. Normally he would have attacked the pest, but with that pod of dolphins still chasing him, he continued his retreat.

  “I’ve got it now!” Samuel suddenly screamed, which made Ashly jump. He got up from his seat, snapped his fingers, and yelled in victory. “It’s heading for the shallow waters to die. By birth, these creatures must have an instinctive desire to die in shallow waters.” He put his hand on Ashly’s shoulder and shook it slightly. “Victory is ours!” Samuel said triumphantly. Ashly gave him an unconvinced look. The water panther stopped when he reached a twelve-foot cliff face. In the shallow waters, he placed four feet on the ocean floor and stuck his head out of the water. He paused for just a moment, looking over the rock wall in front of him, then placed all his weight on his back legs. Then he leaped out of the water on to the edge of the cliff. Ashly slowly turned to Samuel with an angered expression. He had a look of pure disbelief. “I..I don’t believe it,” he said, hardly able to speak.

  “Well, believe it!” Ashly yelled. It took all her restraint not to punch him. “We don’t have a plan in place for this because you assured us…!”

  “What’s going on?” Max interrupted. Ashly brought the boat to a stop, ordered Samuel to keep an eye on the panther, and ran below deck.

  “What are you doing down here?” Liz wondered.

  “The water panther just went ashore, right on the edge of a housing development,” Ashly said in a hasty voice. “I don’t know what we’re going to do now,” Ashly said, defeated.

  “We have to get him back in the water,” Max said, stating the obvious.

  “Ashly, get back to the controls and dock at the nearest port,” Okada ordered.

  s s s

  The water panther remained still, looking over the strange area he had retreated to. He knew from experience that marine creatures never entered the dry areas of caves. He wanted to return to the water as soon as possible. This new area was too bright for his liking, and the heat from that yellow circle in the sky made his skin feel uncomfortable. He moved his head to look back at the ocean. That pesky boat was leaving the area. That was good, but he did not want to return to the ocean just yet. That pod of dolphins was still in the area. He took some time to remove any spears that were still lodged in his flesh. He tilted his head, confused by the strange structures in front of him. He walked up to a structure and gently touched the house siding with his paw. After several touches, the object did not make a noise or move. Convinced the object was no threat, he went forward. He walked by several structures and noticed the area was filled with them. The ground in this area also had odd streaks of black rock that felt warm to the touch. His head turned to the right when two small black and brown creatures came into view and started making barking sounds. One of them was standing on his hind legs supported by a small barrier. The water panther stared back at them. To him, these creatures were more of a curiosity than a threat. A screeching noise diverted the water panther’s attention to the black ground. A red creature was a few feet from him. This creature was bigger than the others, its red hide sparkling in the light. Through the transparent front of the creature, he could see a smaller creature, which he recognized as a human. He took a step forward. The red creature started making a loud unpleasant buzzing noise as it retreated backwards.

  The water panther ran forward. He fired an infrasound beam, shattering the car’s front windshield. The driver screamed and instinctively slammed on the brakes. The water panther saw his chance and pounced. His front legs landed on the hood of the car. He slammed his head and neck forward, going through the broken windshield. Metal screeched as the roof bent backwards. The driver screamed as the water panther bit down on his head and tore him from the car. In four bites, nothing was left of the driver. The water panther noticed many more of those human-carrying creatures in front of most of the larger objects. He leaped onto the nearest car and started tearing into it.

  s s s

  The Barracuda docked at Wailea Beach. The last time they had seen the water panther, he had entered the Wailea Point housing complex, which was half a mile from Wailea Beach.

  “Has anything new happened?” Liz asked Okada, who was on the phone with the Maui police chief.

  “The department is receiving calls from people inside the Wailea Point housing complex. I need you and Max to drive the creature back into the water at all cost.” Okada desperately wanted to go with them; however, he needed to coordinate with the police and military personnel on how to handle the situation.

  “What should I do?” Ashly asked, getting up from the Barracuda’s driver seat.

  “Yes, how can we help?” Samuel added. Okada did not reply. He was in deep conversation with the Maui police chief. He pointed to Liz, which meant to ask her.

  Before she could speak, Liz said, “Ashly. You have one of those flying drones on board, right?” Ashly shook her head yes. “Reconnaissance. I want to know every move the water panther makes.” She then thought about a task for Samuel. “Samuel. You keep the people on the beach calm. They’re going to panic when two people armed to the teeth storm the beach.”

  “I can do that. I have remarkable people skills,” he said. Liz jumped on to the beach with a rocket launcher over her shoulder and a submachine gun at her side. Max threw a rocket ammo bag over his shoulder, picked up his machine gun, and joined her. Ashly stood on deck, readying her drone for flight.

  “Think we should commandeer a car?” Liz asked.

  “Going to take too much time,” Max replied. Liz agreed. Both entered into a sprint as they headed for the housing complex.

  “Governor Fatu is having a press conference addressing the crocodile. He’s going to have a heart attack when he hears about this,” Liz said. Max shook his head and laughed. Liz always found a way to make him smile even when they were probably running to their death. His smile faded when an image of Mya entered his mind.

  s s s

  At that moment, Governor Fatu stood in front of a small crowd of reporters. He spoke with confidence and reassurance.

  “I want to assure everyone that the waters around our beautiful islands are safe. The tragic events that have been occurring in the Maui waters are over.” A small applause filled the room. “This morning I received word that a team of zoologists have located the man eating crocodile and will remove it from our waters by the end of the day.”

  Inside the Crest Moon Gaming Café, Mya and Riley were watching the broadcast. It was a weekday morning, so hardly any customers were around. Mya was sweeping around Riley’s cash register. Listening to the news report was sending so many questions through her head. Was Max part of the zoological team? Is that why he was on Maui with a pod of dolphins?

  “Mya, you still with me?” Riley asked, noticing her zoning out.

  “Yeah, I was just thinking,” Mya replied.

  “About?” Riley asked curiously.

  “This might sound crazy, but do you think Max was training those dolphins to hunt the crocodile?”

  “That actually makes a lot of sense,” Riley agreed. Her face turned slightly worried. “Do you think he was lying about letting us swim with the dolphins?” Mya threw a plush toy at her.

  “I will now take any questions you may have,” Governor Fatu said.

  “Governor, how can you be sure the team will capture the right animal?” a young female reporter said.

  “I have the utmost confidence in the team sent to remove the crocodile. Just as I have confidence that our waters will return to no
rmal. In fact, I’m planning on spending the weekend visiting all the wonderful Maui beaches.” A middle-aged male reporter raised his hand. Governor Fatu called on him.

  “Governor, some people feel a crocodile could not have caused this much damage or killed so many people.” Mya walked closer to the TV.

  Are they really asking if he believes it’s a sea monster? she wondered. Fears that she thought were in her past started to resurface. She felt her body break out in sweat. No, what if they mention something about me? She saw Governor Fatu scuffling through some papers. Here comes my picture. He’s going to start making fun of me. Governor Fatu found the paper he was looking for and started reading.

  “A report prepared by the zoological team states salt water crocodiles can grow up to sixteen feet.” Mya sighed in relief. “I was also informed that the Adelaide River in Australia has a twenty-foot crocodile named Brutus.” He held up a photo of Brutus jumping out of the water in front of a boat. The room filled with the sounds of awed people. “A crocodile this size could easily destroy small boats and be a danger to divers. Which is why we are working very hard to remove it.”

  “Wow,” Riley said. She could tell Mya was upset so she asked, “Mya, is that?”

  “I don’t know,” she replied, then gave Riley a look that said, please don’t talk about it.

  “Yesterday a boat was destroyed off Maui. Do you believe that was caused by the crocodile?” a young male reporter asked.

  “No, that incident was caused by a blast fishing accident,” Governor Fatu replied.

  “We had a front row seat for that,” Riley said, wishing she had not seen it. The young female reporter spoke again.

  “Governor, what do you say to the people that feel it would be immoral to kill this creature just for acting according to its nature?”

  “It deserves the worst death imaginable,” Mya answered.

  “Unfortunately, this animal has become a man eater that has brought much pain to our island community. I fear we have no choice but to kill it.” Governor Fatu knew that sounded bad, so he quickly said, “Just because we have a man eating crocodile does not mean all crocodiles are man eaters. I’m told Brutus is a major tourist attraction. If he wishes to visit one of our aquariums, I would be happy to have him.” Governor Fatu hoped that would satisfy any animal rights groups listening. He was about to address another question when a man rushed into camera view. He placed a hand over the microphone and whispered something to Governor Fatu.