The Octonauts and the Overfishing Incident (complete)

Chapter Fifteen

Hawkeye realised something was wrong as soon as Cera stiffened beside him. She had extraordinary reaction timings and her feelings about a situation were nearly always accurate. He looked around. The main deck was deserted apart from them, which was strange. And he could see the water line next to the ship, which could only mean -

"We're sinking!" someone yelled, one of his younger sailors running into the deck. "A porthole's open near to the bottom of the ship. We would shut it but the water pressure's too great down there now!"

Hawkeye cursed under his breath and, now ignoring his prisoners completely, strode over to the side and quickly glanced down at the water. It was only around five metres away, which was wrong. Very very wrong.

"Lifeboats!" he called. "Set the lifeboats up! All six of them!"

"Yes sir," someome said, hurrying over to where one was tied to the side.

Hawkeye strode back over to the captured Octonauts. "Was this your doing?"

Barnacles smiled innocently. "How could it be, captain? We've been up here all the time."

Kwazii grinned and even Tweak managed to crack a smile. Hawkeye growled. "I mean your pesky little crew. Where are they?"

"Oh I don't know. But they're coming," assured Barnacles. "They're ready and they've got a plan."

"What is this plan?!" yelled Hawkeye, losing his tether.

Barnacles shrugged again, innocently smiling. "Again, how should I know? I've been up here all the time."

"They may attempt to free the fish," said Cera quietly beside him. Her expression was blank but there was a fear in her eyes.

Hawkeye contemplated this. "No. They couldn't. The tanks are firmly fixed on and guarded. They would not be so foolish."

"Sir -" Cera begun more insistently.

Hawkeye cut her off. "Cera, go and get me my briefcase. It carries the important documents and money in. The fish will sink along with the ship. It is only one haul, after all. And we shall come back and retrieve them later."

Cera's eyes widened almost imperceptibly. "Sir I don't -"

"Do it, Cera. I employ you to work, not to be a coward."

Without another word Cera hurried off into the main building, disappearing below deck. 

"But you Octonauts will suffer a different fate. You dedicated your lives to saving the ocean - now you will drown in it. Ironic really, isn't it?"

Kwazii's eyes widened and he knew that Hawkeye knew that two of them couldn't get to their helmets. Barnacles arms were fastened behind his back, and Kwazii's under the net. Tweak could, but she would be unable to swim with her broken wrist. They were, in short, doomed.

Or so Hawkeye thought.

But Barnacles knew that they were not alone in this ship. And no Octonaut ever leaves any other behind.

Shellington and Peso reached the main deck without bumping into any sailors. There was a lot of frenzied shouting down below, and they assumed that the alarm had been raised about the ship sinking. Peso heard the coming of someone before Shellington did, and he acted fast, pulling Shellington quickly around the corner and out of sight. 

The harried sailor that sped past was a white female fox. Cera. She passed without even looking either side; she was evidently in a great hurry. Shellington blinked gratefully at Peso and after she had gone past Peso led the way up to where they remembered the main deck to be.