Depths of Paradise

by Vance Albright

  “What! It’s come ashore!” he screamed. Mya and Riley looked at each other, shocked. Governor Fatu looked at the camera for a moment in horror. “I’m sorry, everyone. I must cut this meeting short!” he shouted. While he was leaving the press room, a microphone clearly caught him saying, “I was just proven to be a liar! All because that fool of a cryptozoologist assured me that creature could not come ashore!” Riley pulled out her phone.

  “What are you doing?” Mya asked, still trying to comprehend what had happened.

  “Searching for live streams from that area. If a crocodile is rampaging through the area, someone is sure to be filming.” Mya looked at the screen over Riley’s shoulder. She was getting a bad feeling. Why would the governor get so freaked out over a crocodile coming ashore? Riley found a live stream titled “Real Monster Attack not Click Bait.”

  “Sure it’s not,” Riley sarcastically said as she clicked on it. The video started in an area between two houses. “Want to go back to the start of the video?” Riley asked.

  “No, leave it,” Mya replied in an almost mesmerized voice. The person recording slowly started to move towards the street. Loud banging could be heard in the distance. When the recording reached the front of the houses, he started to turn the camera left. Without warning, a car came flying towards him.

  “Oh my god!” Riley yelled. They heard the man curse and scream as the car hit the ground and glided towards him. The camera fell from his hand. Now it was looking towards the cloud-filled sky. Riley heard Mya’s throat click. The man’s screams grew louder as the head and neck of a large animal appeared on the screen. It looked down at something just beyond the camera lens. Riley’s eyes were wide with disbelief. Her mouth was almost hanging open. The water panther brought its head down and lifted the screaming man into the air. Drops of blood started falling, covering most of the camera’s lens. The water panther moved its head back and disappeared from view.

  Riley turned off her phone and stood in shock. “That couldn’t have been real? Could it?” Riley’s thoughts were broken by the sound of Mya throwing up. She turned towards Mya, who had just pulled her head out of the trash can. Her face had gone sickly pale. A deep feeling of guilt came over Riley, and she managed to choke out, “Mya, I’m so sorry I didn’t believe you.” Mya walked over and hugged Riley tightly. She started breathing normally, calmed by Riley’s embrace. Her feeling of fear turned to a lust for vengeance. The creature that had taken her sister from her had finally surfaced.

  “I have to go deal with a personal matter,” Mya said.

  “Mya, where are you going?” Riley asked as Mya walked for the door.

  “Going to buy a gun,” Mya said in a voice filled with determination.

  “Girl, did you see that thing! Are you crazy?” Riley asked, getting between Mya and the door.

  “Get out of my way!” Mya said in a voice filled with hate, not towards Riley but towards the water panther. “I finally have a chance to face that thing that killed my sister and practically ruined my life.” Riley could see the fire in her friend’s eyes. “This is my moment to avenge Jade’s death and I’m taking it!” She gently pushed Riley aside and stormed out the door.

  “So, what? You’re just going to start firing a gun in the middle of the street? They’ll lock you up for life, girl!” Riley yelled, desperate to stop Mya.

  “Not when they see what I’m shooting at,” Mya said, not turning around. Suddenly, Riley remembered something she knew would stop Mya dead in her tracks.

  “I didn’t even know you had a firearms permit.” Mya froze and turned towards Riley.

  “What are you talking about? You don’t need a permit to buy rifles. I know that much.”

  “Yes, you do. Here, I’ll show you.” Riley pulled out her phone and looked up Hawaii gun laws. The information showed that rifles required a permit and pistols required a permit and a fourteen-day waiting period.

  “Curse these stupid regulations!” Mya yelled. She fell to her knees, knowing her only chance for vengeance was going to slip by her. She looked up towards the sky and screamed. A small group of people started to gather around her, wondering what was going on. Riley shook her head in disgust.

  “Sorry about this, everyone. My friend here.” She rolled her eyes and pointed to Mya. “Lost when she was ten points away from beating the café’s Ghost Maze record. She takes gaming way too seriously and rages when she loses.” Amused by Riley’s answer, the crowd started to leave. Riley looked at Mya and raised her eyebrows.

  “Thanks,” Mya replied. She started laughing at herself, thinking about what the people must be thinking of her.

  s s s

  Detective Browner parked his patrol car in front of the Wailea housing complex. Several people had called the police station in near hysteria, screaming about a giant monster moving through the development. He figured the reports of monsters were coming from uneducated people freaking out about seeing the salt water crocodile. What he found odd was all units were informed not to enter the area until ordered to. An order he disregarded.

  “I’m not going to let animal control get all the glory for this.” Besides, he was a detective, not a beat cop. His thoughts were broken by a loud roar coming from inside the housing complex. He pulled out his side arm in response to the piercing sound. This must be the largest crocodile on record, he thought before walking into the development. He knew the crocodile was in here and he was going to kill it. After that, Governor Fatu was sure to reward him with a promotion and perhaps the public safety officer medal of valor. Thinking about it brought a smile to his face. He glanced around the edge of a house and saw a heavily armed man and woman running down the sidewalk.

  “Ashly said he should be coming down this road any minute,” Liz shouted, coming to a stop at an intersection. She placed the rocket launcher on her shoulder. Max laid the rocket carrier bag down and pointed his assault rifle upward.

  “Freeze! Drop your weapons now!” Browner yelled as he started walking towards them.

  Max glanced over at him and said, “Look, buddy, we’re U.S. Military. Get out of here before you get killed.” Browner did not believe what he just heard. How dare this man order him around like that. He thought about shooting both of them, but if they really were soldiers, even firing a non-fatal shot would be the end of his career.

  Both of them are looking away from me, he thought. A scenario played in his head. He would pistol whip the man, then overpower the girl. He started sprinting towards them when another roar filled the air. He felt the sound waves slam into his chest. He hardly had time to comprehend what was happening when a large creature came rushing towards them, shattering the stone wall of a nearby house with no effort. The falling debris slammed into a parked car. The sound of the car alarm caused the water panther to stop. Browner dropped his gun. His body filled with terror as he watched the water panther tear into the car. No way. There was no way that crazy girl from the hospital was telling the truth. Yet there a sea monster was standing in front of him. With the water panther distracted, Liz fired her rocket. The rockets flames engulfed Browner’s face. He screamed, holding his face from the burns. The water panther saw the rocket screeching towards him. He reared his head back and released his infrasound. The rocket exploded before reaching him. Max started firing. His shots only seemed to anger the water panther, who was now charging them at a full sprint.

  “Go!” Max cried. Liz dropped the rocket launcher and ran for the opening in the stone wall. Browner was down to one knee, moaning from the pain. He opened his eyes to see himself engulfed by a large shadow. Browner saw his pistol and reached for it. He was about to close his hand around it when a jolt of pain filled his shoulder. The water panther lifted his head high into the air and released the screeching human. Browner heard his left leg crack when he hit the asphalt. He lay on the ground screaming loudly. His left leg was broken, and blood was pouring from his shoulder. The water panther watched in amazement as his prey screamed and flopped aroun
d. He suddenly shrieked in pain when a storm of bullets struck him. A whip from his tail sent Max crashing into the wall remnants.

  “Max!” Liz cried. She grabbed the back of his shirt and pulled him back though the wall opening. The water panther’s right paw came down on Browner’s back. His claws cut into Browner’s flesh. Browner squealed as he tried to grasp anything within reach. He gasped in relief when he felt the knives leave his back. The water panther let Browner try to get to his feet. He had no desire to eat his new prey. Right now, the game of suffering brought more enjoyment then any meal could. Browner got to his one good leg and started hobbling down the street. The water panther let him get a few feet before swatting him to the ground. His enjoyment was once again interrupted by small pricks of pain. He turned to see Max and Liz once again firing at him. The water panther bit down on Browner’s head, separating it from his body. The game was over. Now it was time to deal with these pests.

  Max and Liz continued firing. When the water panther charged, they moved between two houses. The water panther slammed his paws against one of the houses, destroying the front portion of it. Max and Liz backed up as they continued to fire. The water panther was starting to feel the overwhelming sting of the many bullets that entered his body. Enough was enough; he ran and leaped off the cliff into the ocean.

  “Ashly, the water panther’s back in the water. We will be at the boat in ten,” Max said.

  Chapter 40

  11:11 AM 05/4/2021 HST

  Rearmed, Max, Liz, and Okada dove back into the waters of the Five Caves Five Graves site. The area was eerily quiet, neither the water panther nor the dolphins in sight. Max assumed since the water panther was injured, it would return to familiar territory. As they waited for the water panther, the Barracuda broadcast the dolphin return command. Max wondered where the dolphins had swum off to. He tried to keep his eyes away from the ocean floor, worried he would see the remains of Depth Charge or Atlantis.

  “Guys, got a sonar reading the water panther should be returning to the area any minute,” Ashly’s voice cracked over the radio. The three divers created a triangular perimeter. Okada hid inside the mouth of the cave. The head of the triangular. Max and Liz hid amongst rock formations to the left and right of the triangle’s head and waited.

  The wait was not long. The water panther first appeared as a small dark spot against the blue ocean. A spot that got larger and larger until the shape and details of the water panther could be seen. The water panther cautiously searched the area for those troublesome dolphins. He swam by Max and Liz without noticing them. Max could see small red clouds coming from certain areas of the water panther’s body. They had wounded him. The water panther neared the middle of the triangle. Liz pulled her spear gun up, getting ready to fire. There was no way she was letting him get inside the cave or near Okada. The water panther noticed the movement. He slammed his tail against the rocks. Liz was shielded from the impact, but the tip of the water panther’s tail struck the spear gun. The gun slammed downward in a fast, hard motion. The sudden movement caused her finger to squeeze the trigger. The spear entered her left leg below the knee. Liz fell down, screaming in pain. The water panther turned. The sounds of pain filled his ears, the smell of fresh blood entering his nostrils. Before Max could fire, Okada sent a spear into the water panther’s neck. Okada and Max were in sight of each other. He signaled Max not to fire, and he pointed towards Liz. Max understood the message. The water panther and Okada locked eyes. Okada calmly backed into the cave. The water panther followed. As soon as the water panther passed him, Max swam towards Liz.

  “Ashly, have a medical kit ready. I’m coming up.”

  “What happened?” she asked, worried.

  “Liz is injured,” Max replied. Okada found a break in the cave rock small enough to hide in. From his position, he could see out the cave entrance. The head and upper body of the water panther entered into his sight. Okada fired his second-to-last spear, this shot striking the water panther’s lower jaw. The water panther roared in annoyance. He rammed the cave wall the shot had come from. Inside a crack, he could see the pitiful human. He reached his left paw inside, trying to claw at Okada. Okada moved to the back until he reached the end of his makeshift hiding place. He loaded his final spear and waited.

  The water panther pulled his paw out and lowered his head to see where the human had gone. Okada fired his spear. The water panther’s left eye suddenly went black. Sharp unbearable pain filled his body. He backed away from the crack in the wall, spinning wildly, trying to remove the spear from his destroyed eye. Soon the pain was replaced by rage: this human was going to pay, oh, yes, pay with his life for the pain he caused him. He slammed into the rocks again, which made loud cracking sounds as they started to dislodge from their position. Now the hole was large enough for the water panther to get both limbs inside. He started to push on both sides, making the hole larger, and soon he could get his upper body through; then the human would die. Okada knew it was only a matter of moments before the water panther was upon him. A small hole was forming to his left, but it was too small for him to fit though. He closed his eyes, accepting he was trapped. There was no need to call out to his teammates; there was nothing they could do anyway. Okada reached into his pocket and pulled out a grenade. The water panther backed out of the cave and slammed his head into the ever-growing opening in the wall. More rocks fell around Okada; then total darkness filled the cave. The water panther’s head and upper body completely covered the opening. He looked at Okada with a hateful grin. It was like he was saying: It’s over. I won.

  Okada did not shout out a final curse nor did he show fear. He simply said, “Liz, I will always love you.” Then he pulled the pin on the grenade. Hearing Okada’s words sent a knife though Liz’s heart. Before she could respond, she and Max heard a loud explosion from inside the cave. A sound Liz recognized. The sound of a grenade going off underwater.

  “Noo!” Liz cried. She pushed away from Max and headed for the cave entrance. She ground her teeth as she swam, the spear handle agitating her wound with every kick. Max followed her, knowing what he would see. Liz was the first to the cave entrance. The water panther was lying still. His head, upper body, and front limbs were covered by fallen rock. Liz could not see Okada’s body but knew where it was. She swam toward the pile of fallen rocks and started tossing the smaller ones on the ground. Under the pile of rubble, the water panther’s reaming eye opened.

  “Liz, wait,” Max warned. Before Liz could answer, the water panther tore his head out from the rock pile. His hard skull plate had absorbed most of the damage. His left horn was broken off and most of this face was charred. He swam past Max and Liz and moved his head left to right, firing infrasound. He looked towards the surface; above him, he saw that boat. The same boat that had been tormenting him for days. In a hate-filled rage, he swam upward.

  Aboard the Barracuda, Ashly was trying to contact her teammates. She knew something bad had happened, but she didn’t know what.

  “Does anyone read me?” she asked, hoping someone would answer. Samuel sat still. All he could do was wait.

  “Maybe the equipment on the boat got damaged,” he suggested.

  “No, it’s—”

  Before Ashly could finish, the water panther burst out of the ocean. The front half of his body landed between the Barracuda’s bridge cabin and gun. The falling sea water sparkled off his brown fur. Drops of blood fell from his wounds. The Barracuda started to fall forward from the increased weight. He brought one of his back legs onto the front of the boat and looked towards the bridge cabin.

  “Ashly, hide!” Samuel screamed, ducking under the control panel. The water panther locked eyes with Ashly, his black pupils nearly engulfing his yellow irises. Ashly could not move; she was frozen to her chair. She wanted to get up and run, but his gaze seemed to hypnotize her. A gaze that said: I’m going to kill you.

  The water panther pulled his head back and fired a blast of infrasound. Ashly heard
a thunderclap as the glass shattered around her. She screamed in pain, placing both hands over her ears as her eardrums burst. The warm feeling of blood started flowing between her fingers. She leaned forward on the control panel, crouching intensely as she spat up blood. She managed to weakly bring her head up. Her blurred vision saw the water panther raising his front claw; then everything went black. The water panther’s front paw came through the window. It was a tight fit, but he managed to get it through. He moved his claws across the control panel until he felt them get a hold of cloth. He pushed down, sinking them into flesh, then started to pull his latest victim out the window. Ashly’s body was halfway out when the sound of gunfire was followed by sharp pains in the water panther’s left front leg. Still in his hidden position, Samuel had his right hand pressed on the Barracuda’s gun’s firing button. After a roar, Samuel heard a large splash and bullets started ripping through the top of the cabin, missing Ashly by inches. He released the trigger and crawled over to her. He pulled her from her seat. Her body hit the ground harder than he intended it to.

  He rushed for the medical kit when he felt his feet leave him. Before he knew it, he was falling through the air. He hit the ship’s celling with a thud. Around him, alarms started to go off and water started pouring though the broken windows. In the overturned boat, Samuel searched for Ashly. He spotted her right before the rising water covered her. He pulled her to the celling, holding her above the water line as long as he could. Samuel took a breath and placed a hand over Ashly’s mouth and nose right before the cabin filled with water. Moments later, he felt himself falling again. Relief filled him as the Barracuda began to right itself. After most of the water drained, he checked Ashly’s pulse.