Depths of Paradise

by Vance Albright

  “Thank goodness,” he said, feeling a pulse. He was concerned because he had no idea how badly she was hurt or what to do with an unconscious person. So, he did the only thing he could think of. He pulled his phone from its waterproof case and asked it: “How to help an unconscious person.”

  The water panther spun wildly, trying to numb the pain in his front leg. He tried to move the damaged limb, but the five large bullet holes made the limb nearly unusable. He looked up at that cursed boat. He lowered his head, getting ready to ram it. This time he would break right through the ship’s hull. Just as he kicked his back legs, Atragon struck him above the rib cage. The water panther jerked hard to the left and bite down. Atragon moved out of the way, right before the water panther’s jaws closed. The water panther snarled as Atragon swam out of view. The feeling of pain was nearly gone, blocked out by his desire to kill these attackers. He noticed another dolphin heading towards him. He stared at his damaged limb, keeping the dolphin in view. When the dolphin was nearly upon him, he turned his head, biting Typhoon between the head and body fin. Typhoon’s lifeless body fell to the ground. In a bloody gulp, the water panther ate the piece of flesh in his mouth. Max slammed the ground with his fist, pained to see another one of his dolphins die. He watched the panther’s gaze move across the ocean, searching for the remaining dolphins.

  Are any of us going to make it out alive? he thought, wondering what it would take to kill this thing. He felt Liz’s arm grip his shoulder. She raised her spear gun, using her good leg and his shoulder for balance. The water panther was about twenty-five feet above them. She aimed her spear gun at the water panther’s remaining eye. Max reached for his and came to the realization he had left it at his hiding place. He looked at Liz’s ammo bag and saw it was empty. This shot has to count, he thought.

  “Just die!” Liz screamed as she fired. With a whoosh, the spear shot towards the water panther’s eye. A slight tilt of his head caused the spear to strike him on the skull. Max and Liz both swore they saw the monster grin as the spear harmlessly bounced off the bony plate. Now it was his turn: he dove towards them. Thinking quickly, Max pushed Liz, then kicked his feet hard, sending him backwards. The water panther landed between them. In one motion he smacked Liz across the head with his tail and pawed Max in the face with his good limb. Liz hit the ground, unconscious. Max blinked in a daze, having fallen on his stomach. He tried to lift himself up when the water panther slammed his claws into his back. He grunted in pain, feeling the claws ripping through the diving suit and into his skin. He turned his head to see the water panther’s jaws coming down on him. He knew it was the end.

  Mya, sorry I couldn’t kill this thing, he thought, looking up at the water panther’s open mouth. Darkness enclosed his head. He could see the sharp teeth moving closer and closer together. He closed his eyes and pictured Mya’s face one last time. Mya’s face vanished when the water panther let out a piercing cry. Seafin dug his lance into the water panther’s right shoulder. His limb remained still, refusing to release his grip on Max. The water panther twisted his neck and bit down on Seafin’s body. Max was unaware of what was going on above him until he heard an explosion. He opened his eyes, feeling the crashing weight from the water panther’s paw leave him. He rolled on his stomach to see a large cloud of blood coming from the motionless body of the water panther. As he backstroked away from the approaching cloud, he noticed one of the panther’s limbs to the far right of the cloud.

  “Max, are you okay?” He spun around and saw Liz crawling towards him.

  “It’s over; we won,” he said in almost a trance. The feeling of victory left him when he saw the front half of a dolphin lying next to the severed leg. He soon recognized it as Seafin. He swam over and, as a final goodbye, placed a hand on the dolphin that had saved him. He fell on his back and a deep sorrow came over him. They had won the battle, but it did not feel like a victory. Okada and four of the dolphins were dead, and he only hoped Ashly and Samuel were okay.

  “Max, please talk to me.” The sound of Liz’s concerned voice helped bring him back to his senses.

  “I’m a little banged up,” he replied. He was more injured then he was letting her know and was starting to feel it. A pulsing pain traveled through his entire back. “What about you?”

  “How do you think I am?” she replied sadly. Max’s thoughts went to the Barracuda. He tried to contact Samuel and Ashly with no response.

  He turned to see Liz crawling towards the cave. He looked at his oxygen gage, which was nearly empty. Knowing Liz’s gage was most likely similar, he said, “Liz, let’s head back up. Ashly and Samuel are not answering radio calls. Plus, we need medical attention.”

  “Not yet,” she cried, grinding her teeth in pain. Every crawl sent a wave of excruciating pain through her leg.

  “Liz,” Max said again. He swam in front of her, grabbed her under both arms, and lifted her to his eye level. “Liz, it’s over. That thing is dead.”

  “So is a great man,” she fired back. Her words almost brought him to tears.

  “Liz, we’re both injured and nearly out of oxygen. Okada would not want us to die like this.”

  “I’m not going back up, not without Okada. I can’t leave him down here.” Max noticed the unmistakable tears running down Liz’s face, a sight he never thought he would see. Max threw his arms around her and hugged her tightly. Instead of resisting, she joined the embrace. The two looked into each other’s tear-filled eyes.

  “Liz, we’re not going to leave him, but we need to go up and take care of your leg wound.” Then in a sincere voice, he said, “I will be right back in the water and won’t come up until I find him.” Liz shook her head; she understood. She placed an arm over his shoulder. Max looked towards the surface and saw the remaining three dolphins swimming around the boat.

  “Let’s go,” Liz said, exhausted. Suddenly they heard the unmistakable sound of a thunderclap, and then a heavy vibration shook their bodies. In horror, Max and Liz turned to the dissolving red cloud to see the figure of the water panther slowly emerging from it. Max could not believe what he was seeing.

  “He should have bled out by now!” he cried. The water panther’s right shoulder and a chuck of its lower neck was missing. A hissing sound came from the neck injury. He used his back legs to thrust himself towards them. Instinctively, Max jumped back. Liz tried to follow, but her damaged leg gave out. All she could do was hold her knife out against the charging monster. The water panther bit down on her arm, engulfing it up to the elbow. Uninjured, he could have easily torn the limb from her body, but in his near death state, he could not apply the needed pressure. Max frantically searched his diving pockets for anything he could use as a weapon. All he found was an unused glow stick.

  Liz yelled in pain. She could feel the water panther’s teeth making grinding motions on her trapped arm. She could still move her wrist. If she was going to lose her arm, she was going to make him pay. Her eyes locked with the water panther’s, and both exchanged looks of anger and hatred. She moved her knife back and forth across the inside of the water panther’s mouth. The water panther felt the pain, but he did not care. He was going to kill these two before he died. Max cracked the glow stick and waved it above his head. The three dolphins saw it and moved to attack it. Max swam to the water panther’s missing limb and slammed the glow stick into the neck wound. The water panther screeched in pain, releasing Liz’s arm. Before he could retaliate, the pod of dolphins was on him. Tsunami slammed into the water panther, followed by Aquatail and Atragon. Liz jammed her knife into the water panther’s throat. New red clouds started to pour out of the water panther’s mangled body.

  Max grabbed Liz and started swimming towards the Barracuda. He looked at the battle occurring underneath him. The water panther weakly tried to fight back, but the nimble dolphins were easily avoiding his attacks. Tsunami, Aquatail, and Atragon continued to circle and ram their lances into the water panther until the demon of paradise collapsed for good. Max
and Liz broke the surface near the Barracuda. Both were tired and shaken. Max treaded water near the boat ladder, helping his wounded friend climb. A hand met Liz’s when she neared the top of the ladder. She looked up, expecting to see Samuel or Ashly, but she nearly fell back into the water when she saw Okada’s bruised and bloody face.

  All she could say was, “How?”

  “Liz, I have several broken limbs; hurry up and climb aboard,” Okada said in intense pain. Liz got aboard, still not believing what she was seeing. Okada lay back down. His right arm and leg were crushed, but he was alive. Liz fell onto his good shoulder and started weeping.

  “Don’t ever scare me like that again,” she ordered.

  “I will try not to,” Okada replied. Samuel walked over to the ladder and helped Max up.

  “Okada?” Max said, shocked. His shocked expression soon turned to a cheerful smile. “How did you manage to get out of there?” he wondered, sitting next to him.

  “When I was trapped, I noticed the water panther’s pounding had widened a crack in the side of the rock that led to the ocean. Right before the grenade exploded, I wedged most of my body into it. The collapsing tunnel shielded me from the blast. I am not sure what occurred after that. The next thing I recall, I woke up on the boat.”

  “I saw his unconscious body come up,” Samuel cut in. “Despite the great danger from the monster, I jumped into the water to save my comrade.”

  “You have my thanks,” Okada said.

  “And mine,” Liz added. Max looked to the side of the boat to see Atragon leap out of the water. His joy turned to sudden concern when he realized someone was missing.

  “Samuel, where’s Ashly?” Max asked, looking around the boat. Samuel led Max to the bridge. Ashly was lying on the floor, her head supported by a life jacket.

  “What happened to her?” Max asked. Samuel explained what had happened.

  “She should be okay. I’ve called for a medical chopper; it should be here soon.”

  “Samuel, you called for a medical helicopter?” Max said, a little surprised.

  “Yes, people were wounded, plus, if the battle went south, I needed a way to escape. The Barracuda’s electronics are dead if you have not noticed.” A glance at the controls confirmed Samuel’s claim. “The water panther is dead, right?” Samuel went on to ask. Max shook his head yes and went back outside.

  “Is Ashly okay?” Liz asked.

  “She’s unconscious, but stable,” Max replied. “Medevac should be here soon.” Tired and injured, everyone waited for the medical chopper to arrive. When it did, Okada was loaded on first, followed by Ashly and Liz. When it was Max’s turn, he looked down at the ocean as he was lifted into the helicopter. He felt guilty leaving the dolphins behind. It sucked because he had no choice in the matter. “I’ll be back soon. Have fun until then,” he yelled into the water. His words were more for his peace of mind than the dolphins.

  Chapter 41

  2:17 PM 05/5/2021 HST

  Inside the Tripler Army Medical Center on Honolulu, Max and Samuel sat near Okada’s hospital bed. He had gone through emergency surgery the night before. His right arm and leg were suspended above him by slings. Liz rested on his good arm, her leg heavily bandaged. Max’s back was full of stitches. Ashly was in surgery to repair her eardrums. A knock on the door drew the team’s attention. Everyone hoped it was a doctor reporting Ashly’s surgery had been successful. A nurse opened the door, followed by Saburo, and to everyone’s shock Okada’s father, Admiral Tetsuya Takahashi. The nurse exited and closed the door after the two men entered.

  “Admiral!” Max said, getting up to stand at attention. Max and Liz had seen Admiral Takahashi only once when he came to visit Niihau with members of the Japanese high command.

  “At ease,” he replied. He walked over to Okada. Max and Liz saw a look of pain on the Admiral’s face. He placed an arm on Okada’s shoulder and spoke not as a military commander, but as a loving father.

  “You did well, my son. I am very proud of you.” His gaze turned to the rest of the team. “That goes for all of you.”

  “Thank you, sir,” everyone replied nearly in unison.

  Max walked over to Saburo and quietly asked, “How are the dolphins?”

  “They were located late last night. I was informed the Sea Eagle safely returned them to the estate base. The Sea Eagle is currently on route to Niihau with the remains of the water panther.”

  “Admiral, now that we completed our mission, may I make arrangements to transport the dolphins back to Niihau?” Max asked.

  “I’m afraid they will not be returning there,” Admiral Takahashi replied. Max gave a confused look. “You have turned those dolphins into valuable military assets. You have achieved the program’s goal. When I return to Japan, the dolphins will be returning with me to join the Japanese Defense Force.” Max had mixed feeling about what he heard. He knew the dolphins would eventually join the Japanese Defense Force, but he was going to greatly miss working with them.

  “You can still visit them,” Saburo said, noticing he was upset.

  “I will,” Max replied. He leaned closer to Saburo and whispered, “And that favor I asked you about?”

  “It has been taken care of,” Saburo whispered back.

  “Father, how much damage did the water panther cause on the main land?” Okada asked.

  “Thanks to your efforts, property damage and loss of life was minor.”

  “What about video footage? I’m sure there are videos all over the internet,” Liz added.

  “Luck was on our side,” Saburo said. “Many of the homes in the area where the water panther came ashore were rental homes for tourists. Only two known recordings were made. A live stream that was quickly censored and a camera recording that was brought to the Maui police station.”

  “What’s the cover story for the damage?” Liz continued.

  “With the water panther dead, that falls to Governor Fatu,” Saburo answered.

  “Does he know how the battle went?” Max asked.

  “Yes, when I spoke to him, he appeared happy that it’s over, but he also seemed worried that new recordings or photos may surface.” The conversation was paused by another knock. A doctor entered the room with, to everyone surprise, Ashly. She had a gauze strip across her head, holding two large bandages over her ears. Her long hair was down, not in the usual braid. Max was the first to speak.

  “Ashly, what are you doing out of bed? You just had surgery.”

  “She insisted on seeing her teammates. She even refused a wheelchair,” the doctor said.

  “I needed to make sure everyone was okay,” Ashly said. She brought a hand over her mouth when she saw how injured her teammates were. As the doctor left the room, Max and Samuel rushed over to hug her.

  “I’d join you if I could,” Liz added.

  “Ow,” Max said. Ashly felt the stiches in his back and released her tight hug.

  “Sorry,” she apologized.

  “Don’t worry,” Max replied. “How are you feeling?”

  “My insides hurt like crazy and it’s difficult to hear, but I’m alive.” Ashly’s tone got more serious when she asked, “Did we kill the water panther?”

  “Sure did. We completed our mission,” Max replied. Ashly sat down.

  “What?” Liz asked, noticing her look of sadness.

  Ashly breathed heavily and said, “The past few weeks have been more incredible than anything I ever imaged, and now it’s over.”

  “Darling, that’s a good thing,” Samuel said. Ashly looked at him like he wasn’t getting what she was talking about.

  Ashly tried not to get too emotional when she said, “Now, everyone will go their separate ways.” She got up and tried to smile. “It was a pleasure meeting all of you.” She paused and looked at Samuel. “Even the people who annoyed me.”

  “On the contrary: Suijin Squad mission is just beginning,” Admiral Takahashi added.

  “Wait, what?” Ashly uttered, confused
.

  “The existence of the water panther has proven that unidentified creatures exist. It is safe to assume that in the future, more incidents like the Maui incident will occur. To study and combat possible threats from unknown species, the Japanese high command has determined a special task force should be in place at all times. I would like Suijin Squad to be this task force.”

  Max looked at Okada and Liz. “The three of us have been working together for years. Why stop now? As soon as both of you can walk, that is,” he joked.

  “We’ll be up before you know it,” Liz replied.

  “You don’t have to ask me twice. I’m in,” Ashly agreed.

  “To go from a laughing stock to a serious government consultant is the dream of any scientist. Of course I’m in,” Samuel declared.

  “We still have a lot of unused space on Niihau. We could convert most of the land to holding and studying unknown species,” Max recommended.

  “Why stop at unknown species? Why not go after myths and legends from across the globe?” Samuel suggested.

  “It’s decided then: Suijin Squad will remain,” Admiral Takahashi proclaimed.

  “Now all we need is the champagne,” Liz joked.

  “I’m calling for a bottle,” Saburo replied. Everyone thought he was kidding until he pulled his phone out.

  Chapter 42

  2:32 PM 05/5/2021 HST

  Mya Kendig set a package down on her counter. She had spent nearly all of last night and this morning trying to find information on the creature she had seen in the live stream. She could not understand why no one in authority was talking about it. What little information she did find claimed the entire thing was a hoax. This afternoon she was going to take Riley’s advice and forget about it for a while. She looked at the shipping label, which read: international one day delivery. Contains fragile material. Return address Saburo Nakamura, Tokyo, Japan. A confused look formed on her face. She had no idea who Saburo Nakamura was or why he would be sending her a package. She thought about returning it, but her curiosity got the better of her. She pulled a knife out of a kitchen drawer and opened it. Inside was a golden card on top of a smaller Styrofoam box.