I squinted. “Is that lightning?”
“I don’t think so.” Beverly leaned forward. “I think that’s … oh, my God … look out!”
Stevens yanked the cyclic stick. The helicopter jerked to the west.
A loud bang filled my ears. I felt an enormous jolt. A large cloud of black smoke appeared. Then a white light blazed through the smoke.
I held my breath. So did everyone else. The helicopter hovered for another second.
And then it started to fall.
Chapter 33
The helicopter swerved and started to circle the ocean. Clenching my jaw, I fought off a wave of dizziness.
Stevens maneuvered the stick. The helicopter slipped out of the spiraling motion and shot north across the island. But it continued to fall at a fast clip.
They’ve got missiles?
I shouldn’t have been surprised. After all, it was a high security facility. Still, why did a weather research station need missiles? What other defensive technologies did Eco-Trek possess?
“Brace yourselves.” Stevens fought the controls. “This is going to—”
My body jolted again as the helicopter struck water. My chest slammed against the seatbelt. My teeth chattered.
Blades chopped at the ocean and snapped into pieces. Metal chunks shot in all directions.
With a loud groan, I unbuckled my seatbelt. My chest hurt. My legs ached. My brain felt fuzzy. “Everyone okay?”
“Oh yeah.” Graham rubbed a dark mark on his forehead. “Just great.”
I looked outside. Dark ocean waters surrounded us. Waves swept in our direction with ever-increasing ferocity.
I glanced over my shoulder. The rear right side of the chopper had been torn away. There was no sign of our inflatable raft or our gear.
“How’s the radio?” I called out.
A sharp wave struck the chopper. Stevens reached to the dashboard and began fiddling with the controls. “Broken,” he said. “If I had a little time, I could probably—”
“Forget it. We’ve got to swim for shore.”
I stood up. More waves rocked the cabin and it took me a moment to get my sea legs. Grabbing my satchel and machete, I approached the door.
Swiftly, I removed my boots. As I tied them to my satchel, the chopper shifted beneath me, sliding another few inches into the dark, swirling water.
Beverly followed me to the door. Peering outside, she sighted the island. “We’re at least a mile away. The water’s probably ice cold.”
I gave her a half-smile. “Scared?”
“Hardly.” She tied her hair into a bun. “Care to make this interesting?”
“I thought you’d never ask.”
“Bottle of Hamron’s to the winner.”
“Are you sure you can afford that?”
“I won’t have to.”
I pushed the latch and threw my shoulder against the door. It opened a couple of inches. Salt water rushed into the cabin. It felt like ice against my sock-covered feet.
I pushed again. The door opened a few more inches. Another rush of water splashed into the cabin. It quickly rose above my thighs.
Beverly joined me for a third push. The door groaned open.
Taking a deep breath, Graham dove into the water. Stevens was next. He climbed out of the cockpit and leapt into the ocean. Using powerful strokes, the two men swam toward the island.
With a casual dive, Beverly hit the water. Her stroke was strong and graceful. She quickly passed Stevens and caught up to Graham.
I took one last look at the island. Questions abounded inside my head. What was Eco-Trek really doing on Pagan? And what did it have to do with the reliquary?
The chopper sank faster into the swirling water. I took a few deep breaths, filling my lungs. As I dove into the ocean, I realized only one thing was certain. There was more to Eco-Trek than met the eye.
Lots more.
Chapter 34
A distant hissing noise, like water sizzling on hot metal, filled my ears. Pausing mid-stroke, I looked toward the island. A dark shadow, the one I’d seen from above, flitted across the mountainous landscape. It walked on four legs, moving with an odd sort of jerky precision.
Even on all fours it looked as tall as a person. From my research, I knew cows, pigs, and goats, all descendants of former livestock, lived on Pagan. But this creature was far too big to be any of them.
So, what the hell are you?
Lightning flashed across the dark sky. I blinked.
The strange creature was gone.
I resumed swimming. My knees started to wobble. My arms grew sore. The water felt cold against my skin.
A gust of wind careened against me. The current roiled. I felt myself pushed northeast, away from the island. Battling the elements was the surest way to death. But I couldn’t let them control my fate either. So, I compromised by fighting my way south while allowing nature to shift me in an easterly course.
Ahead, I saw an elevated shore, resting on ten feet of boulders. The surf pounded against the rock, creating large amounts of foam.
I heard some splashes. My gaze shot to the east.
A fin rose out of the water.
Heart pounding, I picked up speed. My legs kicked harder. My arms churned, keeping pace with my lower half.
As I passed Stevens, I gave him a hand signal. He glanced east, toward the fin. His jaw set. He began to swim faster.
Kicking my legs, I caught up with Graham and Beverly. Beverly flashed me a sly smile. I could tell she was taking it easy, saving her strength for the final stretch. It was a good strategy.
Unfortunately, our race had a new entrant.
“Shark,” I said between strokes. “Over there.”
They lifted their heads. Their eyes grew wide at the same time. Then they began to stroke faster.
Glancing east, I caught sight of four separate fins. Three of them stayed in a tight area. The fourth one grew larger as it headed toward us.
I pushed harder. The current picked up speed, shifting me toward the sharks. The nearest one drew within twenty feet.
I swam even faster. If the shark had wanted to attack us, it could’ve done so by now. Most likely, it was still sizing us up, trying to identify us.
Trying to figure out if we’d make tasty prey.
I reached the boulders. Waves pounded against me, slamming me into the rocks. Shrugging off the blows, I gripped a pair of outcroppings. My shoulders strained as I pulled myself upward. My feet found footholds and I reached up again, gripping more outcroppings.
Beverly reached the rocks and climbed up a few feet. She stretched a hand to Graham. He grasped it and she pulled him to a handhold. He grabbed hold of it and clambered, artificial leg and all, to safety.
I helped Stevens onto the boulders. After a short climb, we reached a flat, dirt-covered platform. Lungs heaving, I sprawled on top of it. The shark swam below us, about ten feet from the rocks. I couldn’t see its body in the dark water. But its shadow indicated a length of roughly twelve feet.
“Damn.” Graham inhaled a long breath. “That was close.”
Stevens sank to the ground. “What were they?”
“Tiger sharks?” I shrugged. “Honestly, I didn’t get a good look at them.”
We rested for a few minutes. Then I took off my socks and rung out the water. I donned them again along with my boots.
“I just realized something,” Beverly said.
I glanced at her. “What?”
She smirked. “I won the race.”
“Wait, just a—”
“Quiet.” Graham held up a hand. “Does anyone hear that?”
Stevens cocked his head. “It’s coming from the west.”
I heard a whirring noise. I grabbed my goggles from my satchel and quickly donned them. “Okay, I see a small raft. It’s equipped with an outboard motor.” I adjusted the magnification. In the distance, I saw a tiny craft shoot across the waves. “It’s heading this way.”