Marv pulled the plastic jug back and continued wiping the bar down with the rag. “Was just having a flashback, is all.”
Michael brought the glass to his lips, took a whiff of the potent spirits, and knocked them back. After the burn subsided, he dragged his sleeve across his mouth.
“Flashback about what?” he asked, squinting from the burn.
“The Immortal.”
Michael carefully set the glass back down. “Ah, well, this used to be his favorite hangout back when my dad was alive.”
“Yep, it sure was. I think I saw X more than his wife did back then. Saw your dad a few times, too. He was a good man.”
“Thanks,” Michael said. He reached for the empty glass again but hesitated. X would have sucked down shots until he was slurring, but his father would have stopped at two. Hell, his father probably wouldn’t have had more than one.
“Everything in moderation,” Aaron had always said to Michael growing up.
He retracted his hand and got off the stool to leave, but Marv reached out. Looking to his right, the bartender checked the open hatch to make sure no one was listening. Then he leaned forward, his sour breath hitting Michael.
“I’ve heard a few rumors about the Sea Wolf. I may just be a washed-up old militia soldier, but I’m not dumb. I don’t believe X is really immortal. He’s a man, and he can die. I just hope it’s not before he finds the Metal Islands.”
Michael held the older man’s gaze for a moment, finally deciding it was safe to reveal some information. “X is still alive, but that’s all I can tell you.”
Marv scratched his gray goatee and then grinned, apparently satisfied with the answer.
Reaching into his vest, Michael pulled out his credit voucher, but Marv waved it away.
“Money’s not good here, Commander. Drinking with a Hell Diver is always an honor.” Marv grabbed the jug and took a swig. The liquid dripped down his goatee and onto his shirt.
“Thanks for the shine,” Michael said. “I appreciate it.” He walked out of the room but stopped in the entryway when Marv called out.
“Whatever demons you’re trying to kill, this ain’t the place to do it, Commander,” Marv said. “Don’t end up like X. Follow in your father’s boots.”
Michael went out into the passage and mixed with the crowd, moving through the main artery of the ship. The alcohol had already taken the edge off, and he had a feeling it was going to help when he showed up at the launch bay.
The new divers, Sandy Bloomberg, Jed Snow, Trey Mitchells, Vish and Jaideep Abhaya, Edgar Cervantes, Ramon Ochoa, and Eevi and Alexander Corey, were already packing their chutes.
Erin, Les, and Layla were supervising, with Erin doing the talking. When Layla saw Michael, she hurried over to him.
“Where have you been, Tin?”
“With Katrina and Timothy.”
She stepped closer, her eyes narrowing. “Is that shine I smell?”
“Yes,” Michael said. He never kept the truth from Layla, even when it might make her angry.
“The data Magnolia sent is that bad, huh?”
Les ran a hand through his ruffled red hair as he approached. “Can you tell us anything?”
“Let’s just wait for the captain. She should be on her way by now.”
Erin continued with her instructions, speaking in what Michael described as her “sergeant voice,” a firm and aggressive version of her late father’s tone.
“You will not leave a single supply behind on the surface. Ever.” She pulled a shotgun shell out of the bandolier on her leg. “Every shotgun shell, every bullet, every parachute, and every piece of gear is important.”
“So is every life,” Michael chimed in.
Erin stiffened when he walked over. “Sorry to interrupt, but I want everyone here to know that ultimately, life is the most important part of diving. If you’re faced with running from a Siren or picking up a dropped shotgun shell, run.”
Vish flicked the gold hoop in his ear. “Sirens? No one said anything about us facing any Sirens.”
“When the time comes to dive, we will avoid areas where Sirens dwell,” Michael said. “But there are other threats down there. Everywhere we go, on every dive.”
He took a moment to scan the group. They all wore red coveralls, but the Velcro square on the breast pocket where a team patch was supposed to go was unadorned for now.
“Carry on, Erin,” Michael said to her. “Our briefing will begin as soon as Captain DaVita gets here.”
Erin licked the corners of her mouth—a habit when she was angry. Michael hadn’t meant to annoy her, but he also didn’t like her macho attitude. What these new divers needed was the truth.
Still, he must give her the space she needed to keep teaching. He walked over to the launch tubes while they waited for Katrina. He ran his fingers over the curved glass of his tube, visualizing the bombs that had once plummeted through the sky and exploded below, incinerating millions of innocent civilians in a war that should never have happened. It was messing with his mind. He still couldn’t quite believe that machines had caused all this.
A voice reeled him back from his musings.
“Tin, I’m really worried about you,” Layla said. “Will you tell me what’s going on?”
He tried to affect nonchalance. “It’s nothing.”
“You went to the Wingman, so don’t tell me it’s nothing.”
The launch-bay doors screeched, and Katrina came in. Michael was glad for the interruption.
“Captain on deck,” Les said.
Michael and the other divers all came to attention.
“Listen up, everyone,” Katrina said. “We just received some information from X and Magnolia that’s going to affect you all.”
Michael hadn’t expected this. She was really going to tell everyone?
“Magnolia sent us the coordinates of a military base in Cuba, about seventy miles from our location,” Katrina said. “There is a top secret base called Red Sphere, which we believe has fuel cells, supplies, advanced weapons, and something even more important to our future.”
Layla looked at Michael, her lips open.
“I didn’t know,” he whispered back.
“Sure.”
Michael raised his hand. It was time to intervene. “Captain, I don’t remember hearing anything about this back in your office. When did the information about Cuba come through?”
“After you left,” she replied. “I tried to buzz you, but you were apparently preoccupied.”
His cheeks flared.
“Remember Dr. Julio Diaz?” she asked.
“Yes.”
“Red Sphere is where his team took refuge during the Blackout.”
“In the laboratory?” Michael asked. “That’s where you want to send us?”
Katrina brushed one of her braids over her shoulder. “It’s not the laboratory I’m interested in. It’s the boats he claims docked there.” She turned to look at the doors to the launch bay, then back to the divers.
“I’ve decided to take Deliverance and a handful of divers to check this location out. It will bring us closer to X and Magnolia in case they find the Metal Islands, and it gives us a chance to stock up on supplies.”
There was a buzz of hushed discussions.
“What about the Hive?” Edgar asked.
“Will we just leave it behind?” said Ramon.
The captain cleared her throat. “The Hive will remain here, away from the storms, and since most of you are new, this is a volunteers-only mission. Make no mistake, there are storms where we’re going, and there’s no telling what we may encounter at Red Sphere.”
Her eyes flitted back and forth over the group. Sandy was tugging on a lock of hair, her eyes wide. Jed was looking sideways at Sandy and didn’t make a move to volunteer. Jaideep shook his head and kicked the ground, while Edgar and Ramon exchanged a worried glance. Eevi and Alexander both avoided her gaze, and the seasoned Hell Divers all waited to see who else might step up. Katrina’s eyes settled on Vish, who simply stood there looking back at her, unreadable.