Ocean Blue (Sea Lab Book 1)

CHAPTER 38

ATLANTIS RESEARCH VESSEL

A dark shroud enveloped the Atlantis. Making the night even darker, a thick fog bank settled low, leaving a fine mist on the bridge windows. Kevin Green tipped his mug and took a hefty sip of Columbian coffee. He'd grown bored waiting for Rachel to analyze the new samples taken from the fish for additional traces of the mystery hormone. His mind wandered, contemplating the ramifications if they could verify the healing properties. He pondered the possibilities of someone producing a serum with the power to save lives by reversing the ravages of disease. They had drawn the samples from different parts of the carcass, hoping to validate Rachel's first test. The process was slow and painstaking. To pass the time, he joined the captain on the bridge for coffee. A crew member had brewed the pot in the galley and brought it up for the officers on deck.

Kevin swallowed another steaming hot gulp, lowered his cup and leveled his eyes on Jack Oliver, captain of the Atlantis. The man was an old sea dog from the top of his burnished head to the soles of his slip resistant boots, a nonexistent hair shy of six feet with a slight plumpness to his belly. But he was no slouch. He was as stout as any member of his crew, even the deck hands that shouldered the most strenuous work aboard the ship. The salty veteran had squeezed the hands of many a man, making them quietly beg for mercy.

Earlier, Captain Oliver directed the ship into deeper water to avoid the smaller vessels clinging near the Australian coast. The course change left them alone on the vast Coral Sea, far from the twinkling lights of civilization.

"What's our ETA, Captain?" Kevin asked after finishing his coffee.

"At least another hour if everything goes as planned."

"I'd feel a lot better if we were closer to Sydney. If Jake and Tony run into trouble, it'd be nice to scoop them up and head out to sea."

Captain Oliver turned from a chart table and faced him. "Fourteen knots is our top cruising speed. Any faster, and the propeller would pop off like a corkscrew."

Kevin mirrored the captain's crafty grin. "You always seem to turn a monotonous voyage into a cruise ship experience."

"A good sense of humor keeps the madness away."

The first mate interrupted the banter with a shell-shocked look on his face. He jabbed a finger at the radar screen. "There's another vessel in our vicinity."

Captain Oliver grew serious. "What's its status?"

"She's moving fast, sir, twenty-five knots."

"Heading?"

"Due east, straight for our starboard bow, a mile out."

"Why didn't we pick her up on radar sooner?"

"The ship was sailing north parallel to us for the last several miles. Then, out of nowhere, she made a hard turn in our direction."

"Maybe they don't see us in the fog," Kevin said, his throat dry and thick.

"Possible, but surely they see us now. They have to know we're here. Our mast is lit up like a Christmas tree." He grabbed the CB radio and tried to raise the approaching ship. "This is the Captain of the research vessel Atlantis. Do you read me?"

Static ruffled over the airwaves.

"This is Captain Jack Oliver of the Atlantis research vessel. Identify yourself, over."

Still no answer.

The first mate stared at Captain Oliver and Kevin, his expression awash in disbelief. "Their sailing like a ghost in the dark, not one light or red beacon flashing. If they know our position and won't answer our calls, then it's clear they aim to sink us." He checked the radar again. "They're only a half mile away now and closing fast, no course change."

While the captain attempted to contact the vessel by radio again, Kevin burst through the bridge door and leaned out over the starboard rail. Still, no lights appeared on the horizon. Only a bank of shadows was visible in the gloom. Maybe they were encountering a radar glitch? It wasn't unheard of. Those things happened.

Then he saw it.

Like a vague outline of a mammoth beast, the leading edge of a ship's bow sliced through the sea, aimed straight for the Atlantis. Like background chatter in a strange dream, he heard the captain's repeated plea for the vessel to alter its heading to avoid a disaster. Kevin stormed into the bridge and didn't wait for Captain Oliver to give the command.

"Hard to port," Kevin yelled. "Hard to port... do it now."

The helmsman spun the wheel, even though the captain hadn't given the order. He twirled the spokes so fast the grips slapped the back of his hands.

The ship lurched left, tilted at an odd angle from the sudden turn. Kevin latched onto the door frame and took the pivot in stride. Through the opening, the giant fortress barreled their way, dead set on a collision course.

"Keep turning," Captain Oliver said. "Pray to God that thing doesn't send us to the bottom."

The bow loomed over them, a black bull steaming toward a monstrous impact. The Atlantis had maneuvered well for a ship of its size, spinning, turning, trying to steer clear of the cloaked vessel. But it wouldn't be enough.

A savage jolt flung Kevin onto the deck. Metal struck metal, grinding, shaking, two ships rocking in the water.

The dark vessel slid by like an apparition.

Kevin looked up and caught a glimmer of white letters on its port side. He tried to read the words, but the ship glided by so fast everything was a blur. Then it was gone. It left them floundering in the abyss, waiting to be swallowed by the deep, dark sea. And in all the chaos as the crew scrambled to access the damage, Kevin wondered if Sea Lab was fighting a battle it couldn't win.