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Barracuda Page 13
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Micko’s concentration was broken as he watched a huge manta ray swim by with its two young in tow. It seemed like the mother ray was teaching her offspring to feed and swim through the gentle current. The mother twisted her twin mandibles to form giant spoons to direct microscopic nutrients into her mouth. She swam in a graceful performance that resembled a well-choreographed ballet. The supple manta executed barrel rolls and backward flips in an attempt to forage the unseen nutrients. Her young were comical in their clumsy attempts to mimic Mom.
The ocean was full of such wonderful and exciting sights, but the ghastly sight of Bill dangling from the ceiling of the Saratoga kept popping back into Micko’s mind. After three minutes, he checked his computer and was satisfied that he had successfully completed his decompression.
Mara was at the ladder awaiting Micko’s return, and helped the weary diver into the boat. After removing his dive gear and sitting on the tank bench, Micko looked at Steve.
“We have a problem here, buddy.”
“A big problem,” Steve agreed.
Micko began telling Steve about the missing scientists and his conversation with Flacka. Steve listened intently, shaking his head vigorously at times.
“I have seen many disturbing things between these Japanese and Russians, but I just ignored it,” he said.
“Do you know where the scientists were diving?” Micko asked.
“I know they placed some research equipment near the canyon between Enidrik Island and Lukoj Island.”
“We have three hours to off gas from the deep dive, so why don’t we take a ride over there and look for clues?”
“We need to retrieve the bodies and cover that hatchway before we lose any more divers,” Steve answered.
“Let’s take a look at the canyon, and then go back to the resort and make your report,” Micko suggested. “I hear there’s no police force here, and that the resort only reports what it wants to report, so we’ll need to launch our own investigation. Steve, I need your help.”
Steve hesitated. He didn’t want to jeopardize his job, but he knew that the cop was right. “Mara, pull up the deco tanks and hang bars, and then take us to the Enidrik passageway.”
One-Eyed Jack was sitting across Micko’s lap as the two divers discussed possible strategies. Micko was gently rubbing Jack’s ears when the boat approached the passageway. The atoll narrowed like a funnel at this southwestern end of the lagoon. There was barely a mile separating the two islands in the narrow channel, and the coasts of each island were inhospitable with no visible beach, just rocky walls of ancient, volcanic rock. Micko watched as the waves crashed unmercifully against the weathered stones.
“This would be a very bad place to have boat trouble,” he commented.
“What you see is only the tip of the iceberg,” Steve returned. “Wait until the tide changes. This funnel causes the water to race in and out at twice the normal speed, and the current is unforgiving. Fishermen don’t come here because of the unusual tide flow.”
“What’s out there in the open ocean?” Micko asked.
“Nothing much. A couple of small islands that the fishmongers and fishermen use on occasion,” Steve answered.
“Can we check them out?”
“They’re pretty much scattered all about in a hundred-mile circle,” Steve lamented.
“It looks like the tide is going out now, so why don’t we just turn the engine off and see where it takes us?” Micko suggested.
“Mara, what do you think?” Steve questioned.
“I think you two are crazy, and me and One-Eyed Jack are the only sane ones,” he groaned.
“Let’s just do it,” Steve commanded. “Cut the engines, but stay near the starter in case we get too close to the rocks.”
The Lily II floated aimlessly out of Bikini Atoll and into the open ocean. Mara scoured the horizon for small, uninhabited islands with his binoculars. They drifted for two hours and were about to return to the resort when Mara said, “There is a small fishmonger island about three miles west.”
Before anyone could reply, One-Eyed Jack jumped off Micko’s lap, ran to the bow of the boat, and began barking incessantly.
“Give me those binoculars and start the engine, Mara,” Steve ordered.
***
“Professor, we have too many fish already, so pull in those lines,” James yelled.
The two scientists had feasted well, but now James feared the extra fish would cause a swarm of crabs to overrun their small refuge.
“We don’t know how long we will be here, James, so I think we should build a small smoke house, smoke the fish, and save them for consumption later. This way we won’t have to waste precious time fishing.”
“And how, pray tell, do you expect to do that?” James queried.
“I can dig a hole and then surround it with palm fronds. Then I’ll build a small fire and add some wet wood to cause smoke. I’ll suspend the fresh fish above the palm leaves to expose them to the smoke. We can then wrap the smoked fish in wet palm fronds and bury them deep in the wet sand near the shoreline and save them.” Dr. Collins smiled victoriously.
James shook his head in amazement. It was an ingenious plan if it would work. “I’ll have to ration our water supply since we don’t know when the next rain may come.”
“Good idea, James, good idea.”
James smiled and thought to himself, He’s Dr. Two-Times again. After checking the fresh water supply, he was convinced that they could live indefinitely on their small piece of terra firma with a little water conservation.
***
“Come in, Tanya, come in,” Andrej greeted. Although he was smiling, Tanya knew that he was very concerned. “What have you learned about the New York cop?”
“Nothing definitive yet,” she answered. “He appears to be here on a random vacation, but he is just too inquisitive. I don’t know if he is suspicious by nature or if he has an ulterior motive here.”
“And how do you propose to find out?”
“I’ll use my feminine talents to seduce the information out of him,” she declared.
“You had better be successful. Our heads depend upon it,” Andrej scorned.
***
“I can’t see anyone,” Steve shouted over the boat’s racing motor and Jack’s yelps.
“At least we can get some fresh coconuts,” Mara moaned. “I’m hungry and thirsty.”
“Wait!” Steve yelled. “I think I see someone. No, that must be a palm tree. Wait! There are two people on the island!”
“I hope they aren’t fishmongers,” Micko stated.
Mara powered the boat closer, and suddenly the two figures on the island became aware of their presence. They began doing a celebratory dance as they rushed down the small beach to the water’s edge.
Micko leaped out the Lily II first. “Doctors Collins and Donaghy, I presume.”
A round of laughter erupted as the men all exchanged handshakes.
“How did you find us?” James queried to no one in particular.
“One-Eyed Jack led us to you,” Mara answered.
Dr. Collins looked incredulously at the handicapped dog and then vigorously rubbed Jack’s head.
“How did you guys get here?” Steve asked.
“We were diving in the Enidrik passageway. Our boat floated away and we got caught in a fierce current,” James answered.
“The anchor line was cut,” Dr. Collins piqued in a snit.
“We’re really not sure of that,” James added as he looked questioningly at his colleague.
“I know what I saw,” Dr. Collins snapped back.
“I have no doubt that the anchor line was cut on purpose and you were meant to meet your demise out here,” Micko chipped in.
“How? Why?” James asked incredulously.
“I told you, James. Dead men tell no tales,” Dr. Collins answered solemnly.
The five men discussed the circumstances while they packed up the scientists’ dive gear
and brought it aboard the Lily II. Soon the dive boat was speeding back toward Bikini Atoll. The men were discussing the unusual events of the past few days. Micko learned that the scientists had indeed inadvertently seen a nefarious ledger detailing money laundering. The scientists had also learned from the divers about the ghastly shark corpses displayed on the flight deck of the USS Saratoga. At first, they had been in denial that such an event could ever occur. A round table discussion was in full session as to which culprits might be responsible when Mara cried out.
He was negotiating the Lily II through the passageway and pointed ahead. The discussion ended as the participants stared in disbelief. Gray reef sharks were leaping out of the water in an erratic fashion like clumsy dolphins, as if they were attempting to escape a larger predator.
“This is impossible!” Dr. Collins exclaimed. “Impossible!”
“These sharks are the top predator in these waters, and they hunt in packs like killer whales. Nothing could scare them like this,” James clarified for the rest of the boat’s crew.
The sharks resembled baitfish running for their lives from larger fish, leaping out of the water and scurrying in every direction seeking to escape being eaten. Mara had to be vigilant when steering the boat so he didn’t crash into the bounding marine animals.
Once in the safety of the placid lagoon, Steve asked Micko, “Will you help me dive back down on the Saratoga? I have to cut some of the stray fish netting off the bridge and tie it up to the entrance where the hatch is missing.”
“Sure, I will. The authorities can remove the bodies later. It’s too dangerous for us to do it without the proper rescue equipment,” Micko answered. “Mara, can you take us to the mooring ball of the Apogon? I need to see something.”
“What’s up?” Steve inquired as he looked over his shoulder at the two scientists, who were engaged in a discussion related to the sharks-a-leaping.
“I just want to confirm something that I heard—and it’s definitely relevant,” Micko said.
Soon Steve was tying up to the mooring ball above the resting place of the U.S. submarine. The underwater visibility was spectacular as Micko entered the water with his mask, snorkel, and fins. He swam to the mooring line, took three large gulps of air, and pulled himself down the line. Micko could see the outline of the sunken sub lying at a thirty-degree angle on the atoll floor. When he pulled himself down the line thirty feet, he was able to see another much smaller boat nestled against the stern of the Apogon’s hull. He was unable to hold his breath much longer, so he took notice of the size and style of the smaller wreck and then raced back to the surface.
As Steve and Mara helped him back onboard, Steve asked, “Why don’t you tell us what that was all about?”
Instead, Micko asked, “Dr. Collins, can you describe your boat to me?”
“Yes, it was a twenty-foot skiff with an outboard motor painted an ugly pink and white. Why?”
“I think I just saw your skiff, and it confirms a tale I heard of some small boys seeing a boat scuttled right here the same day you disappeared. If this is in fact your boat, the anchor line was cut and the boat sunk to explain your disappearance and ultimate deaths. The boys recognized Disco, and saw him and another man intentionally sink the craft. Undoubtedly, divers would soon discover the wreckage, and it would be assumed that you sank and drowned in the storm I heard about. Of course, the bodies would never be found. This is enough to confirm your guess about the Russians’ ledger. You two can’t go back to the resort without placing yourselves in further danger.”
Ignoring the shocked looks on the scientists’ faces, Micko turned to the captain. “Mara, can some of the villagers hide these guys until we sort this all out?”
“Sure, my people are sympathetic to the rebels, and they know how to hide fugitives,” he replied.
“Great, let’s get to the Saratoga so Steve and I can do our thing.”
***
Tanya entered Micko’s room using a pass key card. She was quite adept at searching people’s rooms without leaving any telltale signs. The process took her less than ten minutes, and she didn’t find anything to suggest that the cop was anything more than a tourist. She was concerned when she couldn’t find his wallet, which must have been on his person. Tanya had one more trick up her sleeve.
***
Mara tied the Lily II to the mooring ball above the Saratoga’s bow. Micko and Steve were climbing into their dive gear and formulating a plan. They decided that since the cover weighed far too much to replace, even with the help of heavy duty lift bags, they would dive down to the ship’s bridge, cut off a large section of netting, drop down to the hatchway, and tie the netting across the opening to prevent inquisitive divers from entering the chamber of doom. Rescue divers could return later to retrieve the brothers’ remains, if any were left.
The pair of divers descended down the line. The water was still warm, and the visibility was astonishing. This time, however, Micko did not marvel at the aquatic wonders that were home to this magnificent shipwreck. Instead, his mind was focused on the task at hand.
When they reached the upper parts of the bridge masts, Steve grabbed hold of a loose piece of netting as Micko measured down a full body length lower. Both men began cutting the rope netting with their dive knives. Micko was surprised how easily it gave way, as the salt water must have decayed the fiber from within. Numerous small fish were attracted to the divers and the silt caused by the cut rope fibers.
The pair cut a six-foot-by-six-foot section of netting, and on Steve’s cue, they lowered the free section of webbing to the depths of the port side of the Saratoga. As rehearsed on the surface, Steve attached the upper end of webbing to the top cleats of the hatchway while Micko attached his section to the lower cleats. Neither man looked inside the opening at Bill’s tomb, nor did they look at the decaying shark carcasses on the flight deck.
Steve finished his tie-in first and lowered himself to help trim the excess netting from Micko’s tie-in. The trimmed net piece fell to the sand, obscuring the original hatch cover. Steve stole a quick glance at his dive computer and signaled Micko to ascend to the first deco stop. Micko complied, and the decompression regimen was repeated without incident.
Mara raced the Lily II back to the dock as the divers undressed from their gear. Dr. Collins and James surprised the others when the professor announced, “Gentlemen, we will not run and hide. We came here to do a job, and we will continue with our research. Do not mention finding our sunken boat. As far as anyone knows, we were marooned on that small island after a storm blew our boat away. You accidentally found us. Now we will get back to our project.”
As dumbfounded as Micko was, he silently praised the men for their convictions. But he suggested that they go to the pool bar for a drink and discuss all that had happened. This was one suggestion that was welcomed by all.
Mara stayed behind to tend to the boat, scuba tanks, and dive gear as the others walked to the pool bar. Flacka’s face beamed when she saw Micko and the two scientists. They took a table to the left of the pool, and Micko ordered four margaritas and a few Righteous Brothers tunes from Flacka. She smiled brightly and went to work, first on the CD, and then on the drinks.
The four were huddled in conversation for several hours, and even the scientists were eager to share their findings. According to what they had discovered, the sharks had morphed into a new species of gray reef shark. The half-century of exposure to radiation and the mass consumption of radioactive fish had caused the metamorphosis.
“How are these reefers different?” Micko asked.
“They are much larger than reefers in these waters ever were,” Dr. Collins responded. “They travel in packs like their predecessors, but they search out their prey individually with a great deal of confidence that almost indicates advanced intelligence for a marine animal. They also refrain from living on the reef or wreck on which they feed. These gray sharks come into this lagoon only to feed and expire. Celestial told us abo
ut the shark graveyard, where it appears the radioactivity eventually kills them. When an older shark is suffering from radiation poisoning, it swims to the shark cemetery to die. The sharks leave the atoll when they finish feeding, and we have no idea where they go, where they reproduce, or what they do. We propose to perform a necropsy and tag sharks to get these answers.”
“I’m glad I asked such a simple question,” Micko said with a laugh.
The levity seemed welcome as the group joined in and laughed heartily.
Steve added that he had also seen peculiarities since becoming the head dive master at the Majestic. He had spotted huge groupers the size of Volkswagens, as well as giant lobsters big enough to ride. Micko would have normally thought that these were the ravings of a lunatic suffering from nitrogen narcosis, but now he believed every word. Everything in the area seemed abnormal.
The scientists noted that they had been working fifteen-hour days until the accidental exchange of the money-laundering ledger that had led to their being marooned. Steve followed with the next sequence of events. He began with the crazy Aussie brothers who had wanted to hide bandanas in the wreck of the USS Saratoga—and apparently had succeeded. Micko picked up the details with corroboration from the Renegades that Bob and Bill were to prepare the club’s scavenger hunt. He was also concerned as to why the Majestic management was so leery about having an injured cop on vacation, but the discovery of the ledger now explained the paranoia. The boys’ disclosure to Flacka confirmed the attempt on the scientists’ lives and the sinking of their skiff. The group was suddenly confronted with marine and criminal anomalies with which they were forced to contend.
The group decided that they needed to formulate a plan of action, but needed to first compile a list to prioritize their actions. The scientists would have to get back to the hotel and explain their good fortune of being rescued. Micko confirmed that the Russians would never try something so blatant again, at least not right away. Steve would have to make a PADI report, give it to the Majestic management, and organize a recovery team to enter the site where the brothers had perished. Then the hole had to be repaired so no one else could enter the bowels of the netherworld. Micko decided that he had to forget about his fears and start to act like a cop again.