He couldn’t stop the grin spreading across his face. They’d found it, the Sea Shadow. There, among the decaying hulks, was the submarine, smaller than normal, dented and crushed in the center, but still looking largely intact.
“The Shadow, right damn there.” Rhino turned briefly to high-five Jackson. “But how the hell did these little freaks get them all down?”
“No, no, they didn’t do it. Look,” Aimee pointed to a different place on the lake’s edge. There were two piles of round white objects.
Alex ground his teeth. “Skulls, human skulls.”
“They’re fucking cannibals,” Jackson said, looking down at the small female being standing ghostly quiet beside them. “No wonder they file their teeth.”
“Maybe, but I don’t think they’re the only suspect,” said Cate. “Cephalopods are smart, very smart. A sign of intelligence is constructive play, and it’s been observed in modern octopus time and time again. Even in the wild, they will stack the remains of their prey into piles and then continue to rearrange them differently on different days. They play with them, like a child would play with its blocks.”
“Oh for fuck’s sake,” Franks spat. “They’re not blocks, they’re freakin’ human heads.”
“Bingo, good news,” said Rhino. “That little inlet on our three o’clock… I have Blake, Jennifer, and our PLA buddies.”
Tied to stakes at the water’s edge were the four missing members of the group. They were in the lake to their knees, and Alex could see they’d been beaten. They had blood running from multiple wounds that could have been bite marks. The blood dripped into the water.
Alex looked down at the small female humanoid, feeling a sudden rush of disgust and anger. She was already looking at him, as though seeing how he would react to the captives. She turned her unreadable eyes away from him.
Casey was on the brink of the ledge. “They’re hurt.” She spun. “What did you little freaks do?” She went to grab at the small female, and Alex pushed her back.
“Save it, Lieutenant. We’re the intruders here.” He knew exactly what Casey felt, but needed them focused for what came next. “We got bigger things to worry about.”
“I don’t understand… how?” Rhino ran a hand up over his cropped hair. “The ships, they came from outside. Are we saying this thing can get out?”
“Yes, in and out,” Aimee said. “Last time we were here we found evidence of abyssal shrimp — they’re crustaceans only found in cold and deep ocean water. Not in these tropical temp, underground seas. Somewhere, somehow, there’s a vent between here and there.”
“Best news I’ve heard all day. If it can get out, maybe we can too,” Casey said.
“First things first, we get our people.” Alex looked up and around at the cave walls. The cliffside was like a bombed building. There were far too many smaller caves, and ancient room cavities open to the air. “Damn, these little guys could be anywhere, and I’m betting our people aren’t tied there just for fun.”
“You’re right. Got to be a sacrifice,” Cate said evenly. “We wondered how these… people, learned to live in harmony with the creature. I think now we know how.”
“Doubt it. Didn’t save the Aztlantians above. They tried human sacrifice but the cephalopod just ate its way through most of their virgins, and then their slaves. Then it decided it wanted to come and get the rest itself,” Aimee said. “This thing is smart, dexterous, and has senses well beyond our own. The only reason it doesn’t compete with mankind for top spot is that it usually doesn’t live that long.” She snorted softly. “But down here that rule doesn’t apply. This thing could be centuries old, maybe more.”
“And it could be as smart as we are,” Cate added.
“Could we try and communicate with it?” Soong asked, reaching to hold Shenjung’s hand.
Yang scoffed. “Would the butcher listen to the sheep? We are food and toys, and nothing more. It is in there, the lake, waiting for us now.”
The group turned back to the ancient, black body of water, looking over its mist-covered surface, wondering what lay beneath that dark liquid veneer. Knowing there could be huge eyes on them even now.
“I can’t sense it’s in there,” Alex said, leaning out. “But I’m betting it was or will be soon. We only have two rifles, a pistol and a few grenades. Rhino, Casey, you’re the best shots; you stay at high ground and give us cover. Jackson, Yang, you come too; rescue your own people.” Alex straightened. “The rest of you stay down… and watch your six. Don’t want more of these guys sneaking up on you.”
Alex looked back down at the people tied to the stakes at the water’s edge. They were about twenty feet apart. First Blake, then Jennifer, followed by the two Chinese soldiers. They had all been stripped to the waist, and blood ran down their torsos. All were slumped forward either from fatigue or pain.
Alex pulled Jackson and Yang in closer. “This is our staging point. We move fast, cut them loose, and come straight back here. Hopefully they’ll be able to walk, but if not, we carry or drag them. Yang, do your men. Jackson, you get Jennifer and I’ll get Blake.” He looked each man in the eye. “Set?”
They nodded. Alex looked quickly back at his destination. The mist had started to thicken again, the ships now hidden behind the drifting curtain and the far end of the lake were beginning to vanish. Alex went to turn away, but paused. “And watch the water.” He thought through his next few minutes and held up a hand. “Three, two, one…”
CHAPTER 55
They ran, staying low and jumping over tumbled blocks larger than cars, maneuvering in and out of pathways between even bigger boulders. Alex went past one of the piles of jawless skulls, noticing that there were larger ones, human, some brown with age, and looking perhaps thousands of years old. There were also smaller skulls, with filed teeth like the humanoid they had captured. It seemed the sacrificial candidates were also drawn from the local population.
They stopped behind a mound of rubble. A low sprawling cover of green polyps hugged its surface, making it look like a giant dead animal with matted fur. Alex counted down again, and then they charged. As he ran with the others, he watched the water, but couldn’t sense anything lurking below its surface. Also, above them, the cliff sides were empty. Still, there was a sensation of life all around them, but for now, it remained hidden.
Alex was first to Blake, and lifted his head. “Hey there, buddy.” The man had multiple wounds that could have been spear piercings or bites from the beak-like dentistry of the small beings.
“Am I… glad to… see you,” Blake said groggily.
“We’re getting you out of here. Be ready, soldier.”
Blake nodded slowly, and Alex quickly sliced through the binding around his hands, and then the straps holding him to the rusting iron rings on the ancient post. Alex noticed that the rings Blake was bound to still had remnants of dried flesh hanging from them — well used, he thought.
Blake fell forward into the water, and the liquid quickly revived him. He got up, staggered, and then Alex grabbed his arm.
“Can you walk?” Alex held on.
“I’ll damn well try.” Blake shook his head once, trying to throw off both water and his stupor. He began to stagger beside Alex, picking up speed.
Alex turned to see Jackson half carrying Jennifer towards them. Yang and one of his already freed soldiers were cutting the bonds of the third.
Once back at the staging point, Alex pulled Blake down with him, and gave him a sip from his canteen. “Do you remember what happened?” Alex asked.