PREDATOR ISLAND (Sea Lab Book 2)

CHAPTER 43

The sound of the waterfall was a continuous thundering that dominated the space behind it, invading and filling every crack and crevice in the rock walls, even the tiny canals leading to Jake's eardrums. It provided security because it drowned out any noise he, Sarah, Tony, or Rachel might make. Of course, that same collision of foamy water also made it impossible to detect if the cat was anywhere near them.

Despite the steamy jungle, Jake's body shivered in the chilly water. Because of the darkness, he couldn't see anything but the outlines of Sarah, Tony, and Rachel's faces. But he heard their teeth chattering as they sank low in the pool with their chins above the surface, hiding behind the waterfall. By his estimation, they didn't have to worry about hypothermia, but their comfort level was a serious issue. The water at the lagoon had been almost as cold, but Jake only entered it to save Sarah. He had a purpose...something to do that distracted him, and he had to worry about being sucked down the drain hole. Now, he had nothing to do but wait and think. Ponder the possibilities. Contemplate how they were going to survive a creature that conjured up images of childhood nightmares. He remembered when he was a kid, how he sat around and thought up impossible to escape scenarios. Like what if he was on his bed and a lion appeared at his door? How would he get away? What would he do? The obvious answer was get eaten. He wouldn't be fast enough run away or strong enough to defend himself. He would die. And that's exactly what he hoped to avoid tonight.

As the waterfall continued its relentless downpour, Jake wondered if and when the freakishly big black tiger would poke its head through the curtain and send them scurrying. He hoped never. To begin with, he thought it would burst through the waterfall at any second. But as time passed, he grew more confident in their hiding place. The steady flow of water extended from one side of the cave entrance to the other, sealing them off from the outside world. In reality, the falls afforded them no real protection. It wasn't a steel reinforced door and they weren't in a panic room that could keep them safe and secure.

Panic, Jake thought. That was a wrong choice of words.

Occasionally, he shifted in the water and examined the cave entrance behind them. This time, as he turned, Sarah took notice.

"Maybe we should get out of the water and take refuge in the cave," she said.

"I've considered it," Jake replied. "But then I keep picturing the cat trapping us in there."

"But the water's so co-co-cold."

Jake felt her hand rubbing her upper arm. His teeth chattered as he talked, but he raised his voice for everyone to hear. "Since we're all in this together, what should we do? Stay here or see how far back the cave goes?"

"I know the cat sees better in the dark," Tony replied. "But in here, it's really dark, and I think we've proved that the water masks our scent. Yet at any second it could swim in here and eat us all."

Jake heard a light pop.

"Hey," Tony said. "Why'd you hit me?"

"The last thing I want to hear about is us getting eaten," Rachel replied.

"If we enter the cave, the cat could corner us," Jake said. "And if that happens, the odds of any us walking out of here are none to none."

"Doesn't sound promising," Sarah said.

"If we stay here...if the cat decides to pass through the waterfall, it might find us right away and...well...you know. Or if we stay here, it might miss us when it enters, if we're submerged and hidden good enough. Then it might enter the cave while we hightail it out of here. In that scenario, we at least have a chance."

"But the cat might never know we're back here," Tony replied. "If that's the case, we'd be freezing our tails off for nothing."

"Good point. So, what do we do?"

"Stay here...at least for now," Rachel said. "I like a slight chance of survival more than no chance, even on a bet that might not ever take place."

"You know." Sarah rubbed her arms vigorously. "Speaking of the cat, whatever the heck it is, it only comes out at night."

"Dr. Graham confirmed that," Jake said.

"Right, but maybe it has an albino trait somewhere in its gene pool?"

"That's conceivable. But it's black. I've never heard of an albino animal that was black."

"I thought albinos were white in color?" Tony replied.

"Me too," Rachel said.

"Usually," Sarah answered. "But its eyes might still be affected somehow, if there's an ocular issue to blame. It could have a loss of pigment in the eyes."

"But its eyes are yellow and creepy." Rachel quivered as she spoke. "Like a jaguar's."

"But there could be something wrong with its retina. Light sensitive nerves in the back of the eye."

"Hey," Tony said.

"What?" Jake, Sarah, and Rachel replied in unison.

"Any idea what happened to Dylan and Savannah?"

"Not a clue," Jake replied.