Blood Cruise: A Deep Sea Thriller (3 page)

5.

Dr. Glouster stood on the main deck of the AOS ship and stared in wonder as the crane lifted the saltwater tank directly out of the center of the ship. It had taken a construction crew two hours to cut through the decks and down to the lab. It had taken another hour to make sure when they cut through the final deck no debris fell onto the tank and damaged it.

Dr. Glouster had warned everyone, especially Wagner, that the creature would take advantage of any damage to its tank. He had learned early on when the creature was still a small adolescent that it could worry away at a small ding or crack on the thick glass until it was able to force an opening.

Two tons of sea water was not easy to clean up.

Neither were the lab assistants the creature had injured before it could be wrangled into a temporary tank while the main one was repaired. And that had been while it was an adolescent. Now, at full size and strength? A man would be torn apart in the blink of an eye.

“Be careful!” Dr. Glouster yelled as the tank was jostled by a hard turn of the crane. “It could be hurt while it hides in its cave.”

“You really went all out for that thing’s habitat, didn’t you, Doc?” Wagner asked as he came up next to Dr. Glouster. “You gave it its own hidey hole and everything.”

“It is a shy species and does not like to be disturbed,” Dr. Glouster said.

“Then why choose it?” Wagner asked.

“Excuse me?”

“Why choose it for the project? Why not a bloodthirsty shark or even some aggressive type of eel?” Wagner asked. “Seems to me you’re going against nature with this project.”

“It was chosen for many reasons,” Dr. Glouster said. “It is a highly advanced predator, to begin with. But mainly for its intelligence and dexterity. The creature does not have bones so it can squeeze through almost any opening as long as that opening is slightly larger than its beak.”

“Yeah, that’s freaky,” Wagner said. “Never did like the no bones thing. Hey, did you see that YouTube video?”

“I do not watch YouTube,” Dr. Glouster said. “I have work to do.”

“So do I, Doc,” Wagner replied. “Plenty of work. Doesn’t mean I don’t know how to unwind.”

The two men watched the tank as it moved over the short space of open water between the two ships. The one it was being transferred to looked like a retrofitted Navy cruiser. Except the equipment on the main deck, as well as the equipment being used by the crew members, was considerably more high-tech and new looking than anything the US Navy had. Dr. Glouster didn’t recognize half the weapons being held by the men standing guard as the tank was centered over a hold hatch and slowly lowered below deck.

With a loud thunk, the massive cables on the crane went slack. There was a lot of shouting from the men and the cables were raised back to the crane as the hold hatch was closed and locked down. Wagner patted Dr. Glouster on the shoulder.

“You never officially answered me, Doc,” Wagner said, the pat turning into a grip which became hard as steel for a split second before easing off. “Are you staying or coming with?”

“I would prefer to live, so I will be coming with,” Dr. Glouster said. “Plus, without me you run the risk of the creature escaping into the wild. I know its habits and how it thinks. It trusts me, I believe. If there is a problem I am the only person you can rely on to get it under control.”

“What if it doesn’t want to be under control?” Wagner asked. “What if it decides killing us all is what it really wants?” Wagner patted the semi-automatic rifle slung at his side. “Will this stop it?”

“That depends,” Dr. Glouster said.

“On what?”

“On how much ammunition you have,” Dr. Glouster said and smiled. “Because you will need a lot to stop the creature if it doesn’t want to be stopped.”

Wagner began to laugh then saw the look in the doctor’s eyes. He swallowed hard and gave the man a serious nod.

“Fair enough, Doc,” Wagner said. “Good thing I have a lot of ammunition then, isn’t it?”

“Yes,” Dr. Glouster said and nodded. “It is.”

6.

The ferry docked at the Bainbridge Island Ferry Terminal and Ben waited patiently for the attendant to give him the signal that it was his turn to disembark. He nodded at the man, refrained from honking at a Prius that wouldn’t get out of his way, then maneuvered the minivan through the ferry traffic until he was on 305 and heading northwest.

“I don’t get why we had to take the ferry over,” Maggie said from the passenger’s seat, lounging with her feet up on the dash.

She looked perfectly at ease as if they hadn’t spent nearly an hour on a rocking ferry being jostled up and down by the less than calm waters of Puget Sound. Ben wasn’t so at ease. Not usually one to let nausea get to him, the ferry trip and seeing Nick for the first time in a very long time was doing a number on his digestive system.

“Are you okay, babe?” Maggie asked. “You’re looking a little belchy.”

“I’m good,” Ben said then did belch. “Better after that.”

“Why didn’t we just take the Narrows Bridge if we’re going to Port Angeles?” Maggie asked. “This is kind of a weird way to go.”

“We aren’t going to Port Angeles,” Ben said. “I thought I told you that I got a text from Nick that there was a change in plans.”

“No, you did not tell me,” Maggie said. She paused for a couple seconds and Ben was about to look over at her when she said, “What change?”

“We’re meeting at a marina in Hansville,” Ben said.

“Hansville? What the hell is a Hansville?” Maggie asked.

Ben shrugged and shook his head. “Not a clue. Never heard of it until I Googled it. Nick says he has a surprise for us there.”

“Nick and a surprise? Great,” Maggie said. “What could go wrong?”

“I’m hoping nothing,” Ben said. “He has screwed up a lot, but I don’t think he’ll screw this up. We’ve been friends our whole lives and I’m going to give him the benefit of the doubt.”

“You think this new marina has anything to do with why he told me to pack more clothes?” Maggie asked. “You don’t think instead of his family’s cruiser we’re going to be sailing, do you?” She holds up her hands, fingers splayed. “This mani cost me a month’s groceries, Benjamin. I can sail like a pro, but I am not chipping these nails.”

“You can sail like a pro?” Ben asked, giving her a surprised look. “I didn’t know that.”

“Yes, you did,” Maggie said. “After our second date, back at my place? I was talking about how my grandfather taught me to sail and we always went out on the Sound in his sloop on his birthday.”

“Yeah…our second date? When you wore that v-neck cashmere sweater and no bra?” Ben laughed. “You really thought I was paying attention to a story about your grandpa?”

“I had a bra on,” Maggie replied.

“No, you didn’t,” Ben said. “No bra. Trust me.”

Maggie gave him a sly smile. “Okay, maybe I didn’t have a bra on.”

“See? No bra on you means no brains in me,” Ben said. “That’s just the rules of life, Mags.”

She grabbed his leg and gave it a squeeze. Ben jumped a little, causing the minivan to swerve, and someone behind him honked.

“Really?” Ben shouted. “Bite me and go back to California!”

“This better not be a sailboat,” Maggie said. “Even without the issue of my nails, I did not pack for rigging.”

“Nick must have needed to bring the cruiser in for something,” Ben said.

“Something that the marina in Port Angeles couldn’t do?” Maggie asked. “You believe that?”

“No,” Ben said. “But I’m giving him the benefit of the doubt. I thought you would too since you guys are so buddy buddy now.”

“Not buddy buddy,” Maggie said.

The tone in her voice caused Ben to give her a quick look, but her head was turned so he couldn’t see her expression as she looked out at the landscape rushing by.

They drove another twenty minutes then turned onto Hansville Rd. Ben smacked his forehead and grinned as they passed a sign. “Point No Point!” he said. “Duh. I’ve been to Hansville before. Our families used to picnic out here when we were kids. I totally forgot about this place. Haven’t been here in twenty years. I see his game now. He’s going for nostalgia points.”

“This place mean that much to you two?” Maggie asked.

“It was before my mom died of cancer and his parents got divorced,” Ben said. “Things were happy here. God… I can’t believe he remembered.”

They continued on Hansville Rd., passing old tracts of farm land that were interspersed with wooded estates. Mansions and trailers, a true reflection of the modern economic times. They came to a long curve, passing the post office and an old auto repair shop. The Sound was to their right and Maggie stared out at the dark waters, watching the white caps lift and break, over and over.

“Choppy,” she said. “Wind is blowing rough. Look at the flags.”

They passed a small row of businesses, many of them closed for the season. Ben glanced to his right and saw flags whipping about and he frowned. The weather didn’t look promising at all.

“It could change, depending on where we’re headed,” Ben said.

“You don’t know?” Maggie asked.

“You seem to know as much as I do,” Ben said. “Nick kept saying he had a surprise for me.”

“For you or for us?” Maggie asked.

“Me,” Ben said, giving her a sly smile. “But me is us.”

“Is it now?” Maggie smirked. “That’s good to hear.”

Ben kept the minivan aimed down Twin Spits Rd, but didn’t turn left when they came to the sign for Hood Canal Dr. and Coon Bay. Maggie turned in her seat and looked out the back then looked at Ben.

“Isn’t Coon Bay the marina area?” Maggie asked.

“See, you know more than I do,” Ben said and tapped his GPS. “But he gave me an address that’s up this way. Looks like it’s a private dock or something.”

A couple miles and they turned onto Skunk Bay Rd. Maggie gave Ben a look that clearly said she was not liking the omen of that name. After a quarter mile, they turned onto a private drive then stopped as they faced a heavy iron gate. Ben inched up to a key pad and pressed the intercom button.

“Ben Wa Balls!” a static-filled voice shouted from the small box. “Is that you?”

“Hey, Nick Of Time,” Ben said and pointed a finger at Maggie as she started to laugh. “You want to tell me where the hell we are?”

“You are right where you are supposed to be,” Nick said as a loud buzz rang out and the gate began to swing inward. “Just keep going straight and you’ll run right into me.”

“Then don’t stand in the road, dumbass,” Ben replied. “See ya in a sec.”

“Looking forward to it,” Nick replied.

“Don’t say it,” Ben said to Maggie as he drove through the gate.

“Ben Wa Balls?” Maggie laughed. “He actually calls you that?”

“He only called me that to undermine my position with you,” Ben said. “Make me look silly so he looks good in your eyes. He’s nervous about meeting you. In person. I guess you’ve already met via text.”

“Ha ha ha. That’s some deep insight into your friend’s psyche there, Ben Wa Balls,” Maggie said as she continued laughing. “You get a degree in psychology I don’t know about?”

“I know Nick as well as I know myself,” Ben said. “Trust me. He’s going to make you his new best friend so he has an ally in case the two of us fall into old patterns.”

“Old patterns?” Maggie asked. “What kind of old patterns? This isn’t going to be a hookers and blow vacation, is it?”

“Jesus, no,” Ben replied, taking his turn to laugh. “Nick doesn’t have that kind of money anymore. Not after the crap he pulled.”

“Are you sure?” Maggie asked as they came out of the tree-lined drive that turned into a staggering view of a massive estate house. “That has to be thirty thousand square feet at least.”

“It’s not his,” Ben said. “Nick has connections, not money. Whatever he has planned, it is financed by favors given and cashed in. Trust me.” Ben smiled. “There he is.”

Directly in front of them was a small parking area situated in front of a gated dock. In front of that gate was a man with his arms wide open. Nice suit with no tie, slicked back brown hair, and a blindingly white smile, Nick Sheeran walked forward as Ben parked the minivan.

“You are so slumming up this place, dude!” Nick said as Ben hoped out of the van. “You brought a minivan?”

“I own a minivan,” Ben said.

“What happened to the Mustang?” Nick asked as he gave Ben a huge hug.

“I became a grownup, dude,” Ben replied. “You may have heard of it. It’s a natural progression from being a kid.”

“Screw that,” Nick said. “Being a grown up is boring.”

“Really? How would you know?” Ben asked. “Have you tried it?”

Nick’s smile faltered slightly then snapped back in place. “I may have had a taste or two these past few years. Wasn’t to my liking, my friend. Holy shit.” He turned and looked at Maggie as the woman came around the front of the minivan. “Facebook does not do you justice, Miss, uh, Rodriguez? Kimura?”

“Rodriguez-Kimura,” Maggie said. “Mexican and Japanese.”

“No shit,” Nick said. “Those cultures should mix more often if what happens always looks like you.”

“I’m taking that as a compliment,” Maggie said.

“You should,” Nick said and held out his arms. “Come here.” He grabbed her up in a huge hug, nearly lifting her off her feet.

“Yeah, let her go, dude,” Ben said. He looked down the dock and only saw a speedboat. It was a very, very nice speedboat, worth more than the house he’d lost in the divorce, but not exactly the size for an extended weekend trip. “Nick? Something wrong with your family’s cruiser?”

“Huh? What?” Nick asked then turned and looked down the dock. “Oh, that. No, nothing wrong with the rust bucket.”

“Hardly a rust bucket,” Ben said. “The tile in the head cost more than my minivan.”

“Minivan,” Nick chuckled. “Dude.” He gestured to the dock. “No, that is our ride to our ride.”

“Ride to our ride?” Ben asked. “Yeah, we’re out of here.”

“Whoa! Hold the hell on, man!” Nick said. “What are you talking about?”

“I am talking about a boat that looks like it costs close to a hundred thousand dollars that you say is taking us to our actual ride,” Ben said. “Which means the actual ride costs a lot more than that boat there. No way you have access to anything worth that much unless you are pulling a scam.”

“No scam,” Nick said. “I promise. I own that boat and the one we will be staying on the next few days. I’ll show you the papers as soon as we are on board. I promise. Swear on my soul.”

“You don’t own your soul, dude,” Ben said. “You wagered it, and lost it, to Paulo Marquez in 1997, remember?”

“Yeah, I remember,” Nick said. “Wakes me up at night sometimes.”

“You wagered your soul?” Maggie asked. “In a poker game?”

“Poker? Hell no,” Nick said. “Nobody would allow a stupid wager like that at the table. No, I wagered it over a woman.”

“Of course you did,” Maggie said. “And I’m sure it’s a great story, but my nipples are about to freeze off. Can we grab our bags and get going?”

“My bad!” Nick laughed. “Five minutes and I’m already a shitty host. Sorry. I’ll grab a cart.”

He hurried over to a small shed by the dock gate and yanked the door open. With cart in hand, and whistling a tune that sounded like a mash-up of Sweet Caroline and 99 Problems, Nick wheeled the cart to the back of the minivan and pulled open the hatch. He loaded up the bags, shut the hatch and then bowed low.

“What do you have in your suitcase?” Nick laughed as he smiled at Maggie. “Pretty sure lingerie isn’t that heavy.”

“Pretty sure what’s in my suitcase isn’t your business,” Maggie said, smiling back.

“Saucy,” Nick said.

“Where should I move the van?” Ben asked.

“Leave the keys,” Nick said. “I have a guy coming to move your car. Uh, I mean
,
miniva
n
.” He snickered. “We won’t be coming back here. I’ll drop you guys off closer to Olympia. When we get back.”

“You know I have alarm bells going off, right?” Ben said, offering to take the cart but being refused as Nick slapped his hand away.

“Oh, I know, brother,” Nick said. “You gotta learn to trust more.”

He started whistling again, rolled the cart to the gate, punched in a code, and pushed the gate open.

“I have to learn to trust more,” Ben said to Maggie. She didn’t respond, her eyes studying the speedboat. “Hello?”

“Huh? Sorry,” Maggie said. “It’s a nice boat.”

“I bet the one we’re staying on is a million times nicer,” Ben said. “Literally. Nick may not have much of his own money, but the man has a knack for getting others to let him use theirs.”

“He said he owned the boat,” Maggie said.

“Nick says a lot of things,” Ben replied then gestured and bowed. “After you.”

Maggie gave him a playful look then walked through the gate and onto the dock where Nick was waiting for them. Ben gave Nick a wary eye as they passed. The man, following right behind with the luggage-laden cart, just smiled and kept on whistling.