Up From The Deep by Vaughn Jackson (highly recommended books txt) 📕

“Nobody wins that shit, man.”

Truman shrugged and shuffled off to his desk. “You can sit in on the interrogation, Sanderson.”

“You better save some of that whiskey for me,” Arnett shouted after him.

“After all that talk of sea dragons? Maybe I better not.” Laughter mixed with phlegmy coughs echoed down the hall.

Arnett shook his head. “That man.”

“Seems a bit...stuck in his ways.”

“That’s one way to put it.”

“Oh?”

“He’s an asshole, plain and simple, but he means well, and on top of that, he drinks real good.” He leaned in conspiratorially. “We put up with him for the whiskey.”

Raymond smirked and chuckled. It didn’t hurt as much as his last laugh, but he still regretted it immensely. Arnett joined in on the short-lived laugh.

“I hear y’all out there,” Truman’s voice shouted.

Arnett waved his hand to signal that no, he didn’t, and helped Raymond to the interrogation room.

Marleen Cromwell sat across the table from Ashleigh in the small black box of a room. The two women looked up as the men entered. Marleen didn’t look like the kind of woman who would be afraid of water. Her thick, well-toned arms rested across breasts that were more muscle than fat. Short, spiky hair stood at odd angles atop a head that slanted into a well chiseled jaw. She clicked her teeth as Raymond entered. He took one of the seats across from her, between Ashleigh and Arnett.

“Name, please,” he said.

“You know my name.” Marleen’s voice was much more feminine than her appearance would have indicated, but with just the right amount of attitude.

Guess when water’s not involved this is what she’s like, Raymond thought. “That’s right Ms. Cromwell, it’s just standard procedure, but we can skip it.” He opened his folder. “Your boyfriend, Eric Warner, will not be joining us?”

“No. He thinks I shouldn’t be here. Says the government will just make us all out as lunatics if it means sweeping this thing under the rug. I think people should know about it though.”

“Even if you’re made out to be crazy?”

“Am I crazy?”

Raymond didn’t know how to respond to that, so he pressed on. “So, you claim to have seen a... dragon?” He didn’t want to color her story with his own input, so he feigned ignorance of the situation.

“I didn’t see it,” she said, shifting in her seat. “Eric did, not that he’ll admit it, but I heard it, and I saw what it did to the cruise ship.”

“Which is?” Raymond gave a rolling wave that said, “Continue.”

“Sunk it, obviously,” she said. “With one bite!”

“How do you know it was only one bite, if you couldn’t see it?” Ashleigh asked.

“I heard the noise of one impact. A big crunch. The rest was just the boat collapsing on itself.”

Arnett jumped in. “Why did it attack the ship?”

“Because it fucking wanted to? I don’t know.” Marleen gave an exaggerated shrug.

“Can you think of any reason it might have singled out your boat specifically?” Raymond asked.

“Wait,” she said, holding up her hands. “Do you guys believe me?”

Raymond and Ashleigh shared a look.

“You could say that we might,” Ashleigh said.

“We may have woken up this dragon.” Raymond rubbed his temple and scrunched his eyes closed. “More or less.”

“So, it’s your fault all those people are dead.”

Raymond opened his eyes to see her steely gaze piercing into him. She didn’t look angry, but the look was harsh and judgmental. He took a deep breath and wrung his hands. “I wouldn’t say that.”

“I would,” Marleen snapped.

“Then you’d be an idiot,” Ashleigh bit back.

Marleen narrowed her eyes but didn’t respond.

“Should we take a break?” Arnett asked, pushing back from the table awkwardly. “Maybe get some coffee? Whiskey?”

“No, no, it’s fine,” Raymond said, “she’s entitled to feel how she likes. I would appreciate an answer to my last question though. Any reason it might attack your boat?” He steepled his fingers together.

“You mean besides being pissed that you interrupted its beauty sleep?”

Ashleigh tensed, ready to pounce across the table and take the woman with her bare hands, but Raymond waved her down. Marleen tapped the side of her cheek as she thought. A soft hum escaped her lips.

“Were there any whales?” Arnett asked. “We think it eats whales.” He looked at Raymond and nodded. “Right?”

Marleen snapped her fingers. “Maybe that’s it.”

“Enlighten us?” The heat from the pack faded against Raymond’s back, and the irritation and pain were beginning to settle in. He needed to lay down.

“About an hour before the attack, the captain had been playing whale sounds to attract a pod he said was nearby.” Horror crossed her face. “Oh my god, did it kill the whales?”

“I can’t see why it would have attempted to eat your boat had it eaten the pod,” Raymond said. “If anything, the pod sensed the creature coming and left the area.”

“Smart motherfuckers,” Arnett quipped. His laugh was met with silence. “Alright then.” He scraped his chair across the floor as he pushed all the way back from the table.

Ashleigh rose in silence and exited the room.

Raymond stood. “Thank you for your time.”

“I’m sorry about what I said before,” Marleen said. “I just can’t stop hearing their screams…”

Raymond gave a solemn smile. “It’s quite alright. Trust me, no one blames me more than I do.”

Without warning the entire room began to shake. Marleen caught Raymond as he toppled over. Glad he didn’t fall, but in agony from the sudden stop, he righted himself against the wall.

Ashleigh bolted back into the room. “Outside, now!”

Raymond ground his teeth and set off at a half-jog, half-limp. Arnett met him in the hallway. “What the hell is this?”

Outside the police station a familiar roar rose above the sounds of panicked people and emergency sirens.

Arnett froze, and stared wide eyed at Raymond. “Is that…?”

“Afraid so.”

“Is this the part where we run towards the danger?” he asked.

“Afraid so.”

“Fuck.” He pulled the keys to a patrol car out of his pocket and jingled them up and down. “Alright, let’s go.”

Chapter 5

The city was burning. Raymond could smell the acrid smoke