In Deep Water: Chapter 17
In Deep Water
We stand around the Command Center, staring at each other with uncertainty written on each of our faces. “Now what?” I say what I’m sure we are all thinking.
Eddie blows out a breath. “We wait until the next super storm?”
“We have to,” Xander sighs. “That one is gone.”
I look out to where the superstorm had disappeared, the ocean choppy in the storm’s aftermath.
“How long do you believe that will take? Aren’t these superbolts rare?” Sophie’s brows furrow.
Eddie purses his lips. “It’s hard telling. It could be days. Or weeks. Or even months.”
“Months?” Sophie’s mouth goes slack.
Xander rubs the back of his neck. “Let’s just hope that it doesn’t take months.”
“I’m with Xander.” I blink.
Sophie snickers. “We know that, Emily.”
I scowl at her. At least she’s not too anxious that she can’t joke. “You know what I mean, Soph.”
“On the bright side, there’s plenty to do before the next storm.” Nathan points out. “We won’t be blindsided like last time.”
Xander nods, and his phone beeps. Glancing down, his eyebrows pull together. “Sonar’s reading something big heading our way.”
“You don’t think it’s a giant squid, do you?” I worry my bottom lip.
Sophie shakes her head. “Giant squid rarely come to the surface. They’re deep sea dwellers.”
“But it’s possible?” I question.
Her shoulders droop. “Yeah, I guess it is.”
I inhale loudly. “That’s great.”
“Hey, no jumping to conclusions just yet. Sometimes, schools of fish show up on sonar as something big. That happens, too. Right, guys?” Sophie looks at the boys in the room.
They nod. “That’s right. Sonar isn’t an exact science.” Nathan offers.
“If it gets close enough, we’ll catch it on camera,” Xander adds.
“Camera?” Sophie lifts a brow.
Xander grins. “There are underwater cameras along the Griffin’s keel.”
“Oh, fancy,” I remark.
Xander winks. “Only the-”
“Only the best for Lucas Tech.” Sophie and I interrupt, rolling our eyes. “Yeah, we know.”
Nathan chuckles.
Xander’s cell beeps again. “Looks like it’s coming up on our starboard side.”
“What does that mean?” My face scrunches.
Nathan explains as we file towards the door. “It’s to the right of the ship.”
We take the stairs down to the main deck, where Xander takes my hand. Strolling to the starboard railing, we stare out into the murky depths of endless blue.
“Are we supposed to see something?” Sophie glances at Xander.
He clears his throat. “I was hoping we might.”
“Wait. What is that?” Sophie points to an enormous shadow in the distance.
Nathan’s eyebrows shoot up. “I have no idea, but it’s moving fast.”
“Is it going to hit us?” I glance at Xander, panic clogging my throat.
He draws small circles in my palm. “I’m not sure.”
The shadow grows closer, never losing speed. I grab the railing to prevent myself from flying backward as it makes contact with the ship.
Sophie yelps as the shock of the impact makes her land hard on her back. “Damn, that hurt.”
“Someone needs to check the hull. Have we sustained any damage?” Xander has his phone to his ear in an instant. “And check the keel video. I want to know what that thing is.”
I scan the water below, trying to breathe through the panic clawing its way up my chest. “Anyone see where it went?”
Our gazes scour the ocean surface below. Another impact throws me against the railing, knocking the wind from my lungs.
“That came from the port,” Nathan grunts. He takes off for the left side of the ship.
Sophie heaves herself off the ground and grabs hold of the railing. Her cell dings as she surveys the water below. “It’s Nathan. No sign of the shadow. Whatever it was.”
“That’s good. How about to port?” Xander’s narrowed eyes roam the deck, anticipating the next collision. He exhales a breath as he glances at his phone screen and addresses the group. “We’ve sustained minimal damage, just some dents. No leaks.”
I steady my breathing. “That’s great to hear. I believe it’s gone.”
Nathan pants as he makes his way back to us. “I agree.”
“We should go to the computer lab and check out that video footage.” Xander pockets his mobile. Grabbing my hand, we walk toward the elevators.
Sophie and Nathan follow us.
Our car opens onto Deck Three, and we make our way to the lab. I grab a bottle of water and take my usual seat. Nathan logs into the system and brings up the keel’s cameras. “How many do you have down there?”
Xander grabs a water bottle and sits next to me. “Six. They were all placed three hundred feet apart.”
“So, we have footage from six cameras to browse through?” Sophie’s brows shoot up.
Xander takes a swig from his bottle. “We saw where the shadow hit on the starboard side. We can start with the one closest to that point.”
Sophie bobs her head, chewing on her nails.
I fidget with the label on my water bottle, my stomach doing somersaults. The monitor in front of us glows a soft blue as the footage plays.
“Anybody get the time the impacts happened?” Nathan glances around.
Sophie and I shake our heads, staring unblinking at the computer screen. Xander checks his phone. “According to these text messages, it was about one o’clock.”
“Alright.” Nathan scrolls through the time markers and hits play around the appropriate time frame.
An endless blue fills the screen as we wait for something to appear. A dark blur slowly emerges in the distance.
“You guys see that?” I point to the screen.
Everyone nods, silently watching the shape grow bigger as it gets closer.
“It’s a whale?” I frown. “They rarely attack ships, right?”
The color drains from Sophie’s face. “I don’t believe that’s your average whale.”
Xander’s face scrunches as he stares at her. “What do you mean?”
The creature materializes from the blur, its round head giving way to a mouth full of sharp teeth.
“Is that what I think it is?” I blanch.
Sophie turns a slight shade of green. “It’s the Livyatan.”
Editor: Claudia Cramer
