Evilution

Chapter 12

The excitement and anticipation they once felt was seized in silence by the haunting image of the soulless vessel shrouded in a white haze; a nebulous ghost ship amidst churning gray waters. Beyond the waves and jagged rocks that jutted upward like spears from the ocean, Travis saw the rocky shores of an island dense with trees and mist-filled ravines, treacherous waterfalls and winding creeks not found on any map.

"It's got to be on there, keep looking," said Santiago as he reached for a carabiner under his seat. He proceeded to clip it to a black strap connected to the tightly bundled equipment at his side.

From the pilot's seat, Ox spoke to them through the headset.

"Looks like she's rocking pretty hard down there. Don't think I'll be able to land."

Captain Danko adjusted his headset from the passenger seat and tilted forward to evaluate the ship's condition.

"Who's going down first? Pates?"

"Yes, sir," Travis replied. There was no hesitation in his voice, he stepped into action. Still buckled, Travis reached beneath his seat for the harness and clamps.

Santiago relieved himself of his seat and grabbed a set of cables from a compartment behind him. In two minutes, his team members had helped Travis into the harness and latched him to the cables. Below, ocean water sprayed white into the air. Zahra opened the door and was met with a hard gust of wet wind and the roar of propellers. Beneath the helicopter, a groan like that of a whale's, but metallic sounded from the boat's hull under stress from the battering winds and smashing waves.

Zahra observed a break in the marine layer which revealed at the top of a ridge a rooftop or some kind of platform though in the weather it was difficult to tell.

"I think I see something down there!"

"There's still nothing on the radar," said Ox. "Jonah?"

"Lots of islands on the map, but none below us. According to the radar, that island shouldn't be here."

Ox glanced over his shoulder.

"You mean it's uncharted?"

"I don't understand how that's possible," replied Jonah. "With satellite mapping, passing ships, tour boats and island civilians, I don't understand how can any island in the modern world be uncharted. Especially one with buildings on it."

There was no such thing as a routine mission, Travis knew. Each required its own strategy, its own approach, but this one was exceptionally different. As he stood at the door, gripping the safety bars preparing to descend to the ghost ship, he couldn't stifle the unease creeping in his bowels. "It would take a very wealthy man of great power and influence to conceal an entire island from the world," stated Travis.

Santiago, who had finished hooking up the gear, assisted Travis into the harness.

"Good to go! Let him drop!"

The rush that came with hanging from a cord seventy feet above the Orion was incomparable to anything he had felt before. He swayed in the gusts, the wind pushing him back and forth as he descended farther, deeper into the spray like a worm on a hook about to be swallowed by the ghostly leviathan.

As Travis descended the cables, nearly on the deck now, more of Orion became visible in the grainy marine layer. The oil tanker was tilted to the left, not by much, but enough that when Travis felt his feet land on the surface of counter stern, slick with ocean water, he wobbled to the side—and he would've slipped too if he hadn't been secured by the cables.