Depths of Paradise
Page 26
This has to be a mistake, she thought. She double checked the name on the shipping label. It was her name and the correct address. She picked up the card and started reading.
“Hey, Mya. Just wanted to let you know the dolphins performed well during their first outing. To celebrate, I got you a souvenir. Hope to see you soon. Max Varian. P.S. Sorry for lying.” Reading that brought a wide smile to her face. Butterflies filled her stomach as she pulled the Styrofoam box out.
Wait. I just saw him two days ago. What was he doing in Japan, and what did he mean by sorry for lying? she wondered. Was he lying about going to Japan?” She thought some more, and the answer came to her. He probably thought I would want to go, and felt bad so he sent me this. She rolled her eyes.
Just hope it’s not expensive jewelry, she thought. The situation was now starting to make her feel weird. She had been out with Max once. Now from Japan he had sent an overnight package to her. I really hope he’s not one of those creepy guys who becomes obsessed with a girl after one date. She shrugged at the thought, No, Mya, let’s see what he sent before you jump to any conclusions.
She lifted the top of the box off and reached inside. It felt like a statue or something. She pulled the object out and gasped, dropping it on the counter top. The object was a large cherry finish plaque with a large claw standing upright. Her eyes were wide and her breathing rapid as she stared at it. The events of that day started flooding her memory. She knew what this was: a claw from the creature that had killed Jade. What does this mean? What does this mean? she thought. She noticed in front of the claw, golden words were carved into the wood. Her heart was thumping as she moved closer to read them.
“You no longer need to worry. The depths of paradise are safe.” She leaned her head back and let out a breath of relief. Everything made sense now. His willingness to believe her, he and the dolphins randomly showing up on Maui, the words sorry for lying at the end of the letter. He was hunting that thing the whole time. For a brief moment, she was upset that he had not told her the truth, but it was okay. She’d make him tell her everything next time she saw him. She looked at the claw again, glowing with happiness. For the first time since Jade’s death, a feeling of peace and closure came over her. That thing was dead. The creature that had taken her sister from her was dead. She walked out on the balcony and looked out at the ocean, then looked towards the heavens.
“Jade, it’s over. We won.”
s s s
As Saburo poured champagne into glasses, Max felt his phone vibrate. He exited the room and accepted the call.
“Hey, Mya.”
“I got your package,” Mya said in a low, somewhat seductive voice.
“Cool. Did you get the meaning?”
“Yes,” Mya replied, a hint of gratitude and happiness filling her voice. “Max, thank you so much. I know what you did out there, and I know you probably can’t talk about it, but I need to hear it. Is it truly over?”
“Yes, it’s over,” Max replied. He heard Mya let out a happy sigh.
“You don’t know how much hearing that means to me. I truly thought that thing would never pay for what he did.”
“I’ll tell you all about it someday,” Max added.
“Sounds good,” Mya replied. “Oh, and by the way. You may be my hero, but if I recall, you still owe me and Riley a dolphin swim.”
“Hey, lover boy. Get in here for the toast,” Liz yelled.
“I promise I will figure something out. Something just came up, so I have to go. I’ll talk to you later.”
“Better,” Mya replied. Max hung up and returned to the team. Saburo handed him a full glass.
“Okay, now everyone decide on a toast. To victory and many victories to come,” Liz said.
“To fallen and wounded comrades,” Max declared, thinking of the dolphins who died in the battle.
“To speedy recoveries,” Ashly added.
“To the many unknown species we will discover,” Samuel said.
Everyone turned to Okada. He remanded silent for a moment, then said, “To Suijin Squad.”
Vance Albright’s Biography
Vance Albright graduated high school in 2008, and earned a B.S. in environmental science in 2016. After working in the environmental field for a few years, Vance decided to pursue his passion for writing and created his first novel “Depths of Paradise” in 2019.
Vance has been writing in some form or another since he was five. He believes compelling storylines and believable characters that captures the reader’s interest are the keys to a good novel.
Vance’s hobbies are football, martial arts, hiking, video gaming, collecting Godzilla figures, and 90s toys. Vance currently lives in the Northeast with his two cats Luna and Nova, three parakeets, and tropical fish.