Everlast, TX

Don't Drink the Water

Colt shielded his face from the spray of water penetrating the pressure hull and stared at the holoscreen. All of their eyes had been riveted on the approaching green dot since the sonographic picked it up a few minutes earlier. “Taking their time, whoever they are.”

“Could be using silent propulsion.” Gideon said.

“Whatever they’re using, I prefer they get on with it before we drown.”

“Who’s to say drowning wouldn’t be preferable?” Maddox rubbed her eyes. “We have absolutely no idea who these people are or what they’re up to. They could be responsible for whatever happened to the Batillus.”

“You mean the ship that was supposedly scrapped years ago?”

A thud reverberated throughout the sub’s hull.

They all froze.

Slowly the sub began to move.

Maddox checked her dials. “Gideon? Was that you?”

“Nope.” He removed his face from the view finder. “Looks like we’ve been tethered.”

“They’re dragging us in.” Colt stared from the growing puddle on the floor of the sub to the fissure overhead. The leak was increasing steadily. “Think the hull will hold long enough for us to find out who they are?”

“They must have read your mind. Speed’s up to 10 knots and still climbing.”

The hull of the sub creaked and groaned loudly.

Shasta spoke for the first time in minutes. “What if these people really are terrible?”

No one responded.

“I mean, I’d rather drown with you guys than face God knows what at the hands of—”

“Freaks crazy enough to hang out on the bottom of the ocean during a hurricane?” Colt interrupted.

“Yes!”

Colt looked around at the others. Maddox gave him the eye—the one that told him he better not joke around. Gideon shrugged. Finally Colt broke the silence. “Look, it’s not like we’re completely defenseless. We can fight.” He palmed open a storage compartment beneath the dash and pulled out a stunner. “I know this wasn’t what any of you expected when I convinced you to bail for a day of storm surfing. But I also know, we’ve got each others’ backs.”

Everyone nodded. Gideon reached across and took Shasta’s hand.

Colt continued. “Besides, if these guys were pure evil, they would have scuttled us at first detection.”

“Like they did to the Batillus.” Maddox added.

“We don’t know that. The Batillus could have broke up in the storm.”

“Into a kajillion pieces—”

“Twenty knots.” Gideon cut her off. “We’re arriving at the station.” He buried his face in the view finder. “We’re entering an underwater docking bay. Better brace yourselves.”

Everyone did so. Seconds later, the sub jolted, creaked and settled to a complete stop. Colt removed his harness and rushed to the hatch. He popped open a compartment and tossed a second stunner to Maddox.

“Hey,” Gideon protested.

“I still have scars from the last time you handled one of these.”

“That wasn’t my fault.”

Colt slapped Gideon on the back. “Besides, you’re the best close quarters combatant. Your hands are more dangerous empty.”

“Nice save.” Maddox checked the charge on her stunner. “So what happens if we open the hatch, and the bad guys have bigger guns than us?”