Deluge: The Conqueror Worms II

CHAPTER 39

Gail plunged into the ocean. She had a momentary sensation of striking something with her feet. Then the waves closed over her head. She opened her eyes and glanced around. The water was dark and murky and she could only see a few feet in any direction. Warren thrashed beneath her, his arms and legs flailing weakly. She reached down, grabbed a handful of his hair, and tugged him upward. He extended his arm and she grasped his hand. Together, they kicked for the surface, and emerged, gasping and choking. They clung to each other and treaded water.

There was no sign of the others.

Gail spat seawater. “Are you okay?”

Warren nodded. “You kicked my head when you came down.”

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay. I’m okay. Where are the others? Where’s the…?”

She noticed that he couldn’t bring himself to call it an island. Not now. Islands didn’t have eyeballs. They didn’t move when you stabbed them.

The surf was stronger than it had been. The sea churned around them, almost tearing them apart. They clung tighter to each other, legs kicking together.

“Hope I don’t need a breath mint,” Warren said.

Gail laughed, but then it turned into a sob.

“It’ll be okay, Gail. All we need to do is find the lifeboat. If we can’t find that, we’ll swim back to the ship.”

“How? We can’t see anything out here? The ship could be gone and we wouldn’t even know it.”

“They wouldn’t leave us. Riffle would make sure… oh shit.”

Warren’s mouth hung open. He stared up over her shoulder. Gail noticed that it had gotten darker outside, as if a great shadow had fallen over them. Slowly, she turned her head and looked. Then her sobs turned to screams.

Later, when they talked about it, Gail would have trouble accurately describing what she’d seen. Despite the creature’s massive bulk, much of its body was concealed by the fog, rain and surf. She had a sense of a cross between a dinosaur and a whale, but the anatomy was all wrong, as were its colors and markings. Its hide looked like earth, rather than flesh. The thing’s lower half was beneath the water but its upper bulk towered far above the waves, looming over them like a skyscraper. Mist swirled around it and raindrops bounced of its body. When it roared, the fog momentarily parted before congealing again.

Warren began muttering the Lord’s Prayer. Gail simply stared, too terrified to speak or even breathe.

Then the shadow deepened as the monster loomed closer.

“Hang on,” Warren shouted. “It’s getting ready to dive. Hang on to me and don’t let go! We’ve got to—”

The rest of his words were lost as the beast slammed into the water and sank beneath the surface, kicking up huge waves in its thunderous wake. A twenty-foot swell slammed into them, tossing them about like corks. For one moment, they rode the crest together. Then, the surge forced both of them below and pried them apart. Gail opened her mouth to scream. Water rushed down her throat. She turned and spun, not knowing which way was up or down. All she could see were bubbles and foam. She reached for Warren, but he was gone.