1. Freedom

 

 

David closed his eyes and breathed in the fresh scent of salty sea air as the speedboat bounced across the surface of the Atlantic. The wind whipped around him, and water splattered the seats every time they hit a bigger wave. The whitecaps their boat made stood out sharply against the deep blue of the Gulf Stream.

     David and his friends had left Miami two hours earlier and were approaching Bimini, ready to cut loose and have fun before their high school graduation. With college just around the corner, this could be their last chance to relax before reality hit them with fraternity hazing and long-winded professors.

     He ruffled his short hair and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. The tropical air was cooler than he had expected, but the sun felt warm on his skin. He rubbed his chin, feeling the coarse stubble of his goatee beneath his fingers.

     “Hey, Ryan,” he called over the roar of the engine to the blond boy sitting next to him.

     Ryan’s green eyes flicked from David back to the sea. “Yeah?”

     “Do you want to hit the beach after we get settled into our condo? Maybe there’s a volleyball game going on somewhere.”

     “Maybe. When it comes to scouting for beach bunnies, you can never start too soon.” He folded his hands behind his head, elbows on the back of his seat. “I’d like to meet a redhead on this trip. I’ve never had a redhead.”

     Like hunting deer.

     The thought made David chuckle.

     “What are you guys talking about?” Bryce shouted from the front seat. His black spiked hair remained motionless in the wind. His tanned arms bulged from beneath his navy blue T-shirt, and his red shorts stood out against the boat’s white leather interior.

     “Just making plans.”

     Ryan flashed David a devilish grin. David could see the wheels in his friend’s head turning, and they wore bikinis and carried tropical drinks.

     “Picking victims is more like it,” he said with a short laugh.

     Ryan ignored him.

     “Isn’t this great? No parents, no hassles…”

     David rolled his eyes. Ryan had no right to complain. His mom and dad were rarely home.

     “Where are your parents, again?”

     “I think they’re in Cancún,” Ryan said, his voice nonchalant. “It’s hard to keep up with their busy schedules.”

     Big surprise.

     Something in the water beyond the boat leapt into the air and landed with a foamy splash. Before it disappeared into the depths, David caught a flash of bright yellow glistening in the sunlight. He squinted to get a better look.

     A couple of seconds later, it returned, and it wasn’t alone. Now there were two, fighting something David couldn’t see. Something hidden in the deep. As crazy as it sounded, he could have sworn they were human-like from the waist up.

     “Look at that!” Ryan yelled, making him jump. “What are those things?” Without taking his eyes off the violent struggle, he screamed at Bryce, “Stop the boat!”

     Bryce didn’t hear; he kept going as the creatures disappeared beneath the waves.

     When the surface had grown still, Ryan asked again, “What was that?” He shielded his eyes with both hands. “Did you see that? Bryce, turn off the engine.”

     “What? Why?” Bryce called back from the driver’s seat. “What’s going on?”

     “Just turn it off!”

     When the engine died, the boys scanned the water.

     “It was over there.” David pointed to where they had seen the mysterious beings. “I don’t know what they were, but it had to be some kind of new species. I’ve never seen anything like it.”

     “Man, I can’t believe I didn’t get that on video. Where’s my cell?” Ryan searched under his seat and around the floor, coming up empty-handed. “Have you guys seen my phone since we left Miami?”

     “You probably packed it,” David said.

     “Shit! I need it in case those things come back. I could put this on YouTube,” Ryan complained. “Bryce, let me see yours.”

     “Why don’t you just walk to the front of the boat and get your own?”

     “Come on, man,” Ryan said with an exasperated sigh. “I have no idea which bag it’s in, and besides, you always have yours strapped on like a Siamese twin.”

     “Fine.” Bryce reached down, grabbed his cell, and handed it to Ryan. “But you’d better be careful with it, unless you want to go for a swim to get it back.” He relaxed in his seat and watched the water as Ryan brought the camera up.              “They were probably just dolphins. I don’t know what you’re getting so excited about.”

     David raised an eyebrow and smirked.

     “Yellow dolphins with arms? Come on, man.”

     “Arms?” Bryce laughed. “Seriously? Dave, you’re talking like a sailor who’s been out at sea too long.”

     “Ryan saw them, too. What did they look like to you?” he asked Ryan.

Ryan threw him under the bus.

     “Hey, I never saw arms. Long yellow tails, yes. Arms, no.”

     Thanks for nothing. David fought his irritation.

     “Well, I don’t care what either of you say. I know what I saw.”

     The water was calm, gently lapping at their boat. Whatever was hiding in the depths was probably long gone, so why did he feel like unseen eyes were watching them? His uneasiness grew.

     “Well, whatever they were…” He sighed, still sure it wasn’t an illusion, “…they’re gone now. I say we get to the resort. I don’t want to find out the hard way that the office closes at two.”

     Bryce let out an exasperated sigh.

     “You didn’t ask the lady on the phone when we needed to check in? What time is it now?”

     Ryan glanced down at the phone.

     “Fifteen till two… but I want to hang out for just a few more minutes. With as many tourists as come through here, two o’clock sounds pretty early to shut down the concierge desk.”

     “We can always come back later,” Bryce suggested. “I don’t know about you guys, but I really don’t want to sleep on the beach tonight. I don’t camp.”

     “Well, as soon as we—”

     Something bumped the boat from underneath, stopping David mid-sentence. A strong sense of foreboding came over him. The boys froze. No one spoke.

     Whatever lurked under the boat rammed them again. It knocked a blue cooler over and rattled the fishing rods under the back seats. The duffel bags on the deck jostled with every rock.

     His terror growing, David tried to control his shaking voice.

     “What the hell is that?” He leaned over the edge of the gunwale, scouring the dark depths. “Damn it, I can’t see anything.”

     The hidden threat bumped them again. Hard. As David lurched forward, the sea came up to meet him in slow motion. His breath caught in his throat, and he frantically reached for anything to stop his fall.  

     Ryan grabbed the back of David’s shirt before he could tumble overboard and screamed at Bryce, “Get this thing going!” He yanked David back into his seat, his gaze darting nervously around. “Start the engine! Hurry up!” And when Bryce didn’t move: “Go, go, go!”

     David’s heart threatened to beat a hole through his chest. He couldn’t think straight as he continued to scan the water for their attacker.

     Bryce snapped from his horrified trance. He cranked the engine and opened the throttle, and Ryan and David held onto the seats in front of them to steady themselves. Bryce got control and they raced toward the island in the distance. “Is it following us?” His voice quivered with anticipation. “Do you see it?”

     David scanned the water.

     “No, it looks like we lost it.” He hoped his prediction was right.

     “That was awesome!” Ryan cried, eyes as big as saucers. “Can you believe that just happened?” He swallowed hard, his gaze probing the water.

     “While I don’t share your enthusiasm,” Bryce said, his face pale, “I have to admit this is a day I’ll never forget.”

     Although David couldn’t shame Bryce for his reaction—he couldn’t stop his own hands from trembling—he had to laugh at his friend’s rattled demeanor.

     “You looked like you were going to shit all over yourself.”

     “Ha-ha, very funny.” Bryce glanced back at David’s fidgeting hands. “So, what’s your problem? Did you have too much caffeine this morning, or are you going through withdrawal from an addiction we don’t know about?”

     David chuckled nervously, still trying to quiet his thumping heart. Well played.

     The friends rode in silence for the rest of the trip. No matter how brave they tried to act, fear hung in the air until the marina drifted into view like a beautiful mirage in the midst of a watery desert.

     The beaches glittered like powdered diamonds, and the deep blue of the sea abruptly transformed to a beautiful turquoise. Swaying palm trees and two-story pink stucco condominiums with red roofs and white balconies hugged the shore, welcoming them. Tourists crowded around an infinity pool just down the coast, horsing around and dancing to hip-hop.

     “Okay, one of you guys needs to hoist the yellow quarantine flag. All foreign vessels have to have one until they clear customs.” Bryce slowed the engine, grabbed it from the floorboard, and handed it to David as he passed him on the way to the front deck. While Bryce guided the boat through the narrow entrance, bypassing other boats leaving the safe-harbor marina, David attached the flag to the bow staff and grabbed a seat next to the luggage to admire their surroundings.

     Rock walls and rows of condos greeted them on either side, and signs warned against hunting sharks. The floating concrete docks were jammed with yachts, sailboats, and speedboats. Tourists thronged the piers, lounged around a smaller pool, and swarmed the tiki bars.

     "Yee-hah, guys," Ryan said, doing a terrible imitation of a Southern accent. He combed his fingers through his hair, sat back in his seat, and stretched his legs out in front of him. “We finally made it.”

     David took in the scenery, relieved to be back in civilization. The buildings ringing the marina made a low impact, and guests watched the comings and goings from the comfort of their balconies. A young couple aboard one of the more luxurious vessels across the way grilled out on their deck. Quarantine and Bahamian flags attached to staffs and masts fluttered in the breeze.

     Bryce steered toward the nearest empty mooring.

     “Let me know when to shut the engine down,” he told David. “I don’t want to hit the pier.”

     David focused on the approaching concrete structure.

     “A little closer,” he said. “A little closer… closer… now.”

     Bryce turned off the engine, allowing them to drift, and David grabbed the hawser lying on the pier. He attached it to the cleat and then to the post leg, minding not to scratch the bow.

     "I'm heading over to let customs know we’re here and pay for our permits." Bryce climbed onto the dock and looked back at Ryan. "Behave yourself,” he joked. “If I come back and see cops, I'm running. I swear I'll leave you here to swim home."

     With a wag of his finger, he walked away.

     Ryan batted his thick, dark lashes—a feminine trait he considered his secret weapon.

     "Me? I never get in trouble. I'm a perfect angel."

     Talk about snapping the truth in half, David thought.

     "Really?” he said. “How soon you forget Dawn Littleton, Lisa Miller, Leanne Riley… must I go on?"

     "Yeah, yeah." Ryan grumbled, staring at a bikini-clad sunbather a few boats away. "Lisa, Riley, Dawn Miller. I'll be right back."

     As he started to climb onto the pier, David stopped him.

     "We have to wait until Bryce gets back. I’ve told you that a hundred times. Until we clear customs, only the captain can leave the boat."

     Ryan sat back down, slumped into his seat again, and crossed his arms.

     “Well, he’d better hurry up,” he mumbled. “I don’t want to spend the rest of the day just sitting here.”

     Sorry, buddy. Your hormones will just have to wait.

     Then, David thought of a way to pass the time. He dug through his bag for his passport and smartphone. Shorts, T-shirts, shaving cream…. Aha! He grabbed them, brought up his phone’s video camera, and strolled back to his seat.

     "We know how you are with the ladies," he egged Ryan on. "What does your momma think of her man-whore?"

     "My mother raised me right. I'm a perfect gentleman, and I'd never do it on the first date, blah, blah, blah." He smirked at David. "Please. What my mother doesn't know won't hurt her… or me. Because if she knew how I love the ladies…." He stopped when he realized what David was doing. "Hey, give me that!" He landed on top of David, trying to snatch the evidence from his iron grip. "Turn it off, man. I’m serious."

     "But don't you think Mama deserves to know what her little boy's up to?" David teased him. "The truth shall set you free, after all."

     “So, are you two getting engaged, or are we starting this vacation?"

     Bryce stood above them along with a Bahamian official dressed in a crisp white shirt and black pants. David felt his cheeks warm and shoved Ryan onto the boat deck.

     "Get off. People might get the wrong idea."

     "Yeah, you wish,” Ryan snapped. “And you’re erasing that video, too."

     “I need you to fill out these immigration cards, please—sections one and two, and sign near the bottom,” the customs agent told them in a thick Bahamian accent. “And I need a passport from each of you.”

     While Ryan dug around in his pockets for his papers, David handed the man his passport and took the cards. To his surprise, there really wasn’t much to it. Country of birth and citizenship, passport number, and questions found on any ER admissions form—first and last name, sex, contact information, and date of birth. Easy enough.

     A couple of minutes later, when everything was in order, the man took the forms and shuffled them together.

“Welcome to the Bahamas,” he said with a smile. “You may now take down the quarantine flag. I hope you enjoy your stay with us.” With a stiff back, he made his way back down the pier to the customs building.

     David took down the yellow flag and replaced it with the flag of the Bahamian people.

     “Okay, we’re ready,” he said, setting his luggage on the dock.

     Bryce helped him from the boat and picked up his own bags.

     “Let’s find our condo.”

     They made their way along the wharfs, unable to take their eyes off their newfound paradise. Parents chased their kids down the pier, and couples walked hand-in-hand. David recognized many of the other kids from school.

As they passed the condo office, he stopped.

     “We still have to check in,” he reminded Bryce.

     “Already did it.” Bryce handed them their cards. 

     "Which one is ours?" Ryan gestured toward the buildings.

 "We need to look for Three-A," David said. "It should be oceanfront."

     “According to this map, it’s in this direction,” Bryce said, leading the way.

     They hadn’t gotten fifty feet when Ryan waved at a group of women having a drink at the nearby tiki bar. When they waved back, he turned and grinned triumphantly.

     "Man, did you see that? They want me."

     Bryce chuckled. "You're like a rabbit," he said. “You think every girl wants you.”

     "Just call me Thumper… and they do."

     The boys continued the length of the boardwalk to the far side of the marina.

     “There’s unit eight.” Ryan gestured at the buildings they passed. “Seven… six. Bryce, you couldn’t have docked the boat farther from our condo if you tried.”

     A voluptuous brunette wearing a yellow halter top and the shortest cutoffs David had ever seen strolled past. She flashed Ryan a coy smile and kept walking. Ryan flung his bags down and darted away, calling back over his shoulder, “Welcome to paradise, guys.”

     David couldn’t help but laugh.

     “Maybe we could leave him on someone’s doorstep.”

     “As long as they don’t have any daughters,” Bryce said, turning to watch Ryan. “Oooh… struck out. Looks like Daisy Duke isn’t here alone.”

     Great!

     David swung around to see a teenage boy with a body like the Incredible Hulk interrupting Ryan’s little get-to-know-me-and-we-can-go-back-to-my-place routine. He didn’t look happy.

     “Why does Ryan always go after girls who are attached to muscle-bound steroid freaks?” David shook his head.                “Think we should step in?”

     “And do what? You take one arm, I take the other?” Bryce groaned. “Only if things get out of control.”

     Thankfully, the Hulk let Ryan bow out with his kneecaps intact. He caught up with them, the irritation evident on his face.

     "Okay, grandpas, you’re telling me you didn’t think she was hot?"

     “You’re unbelievable.” David shook his head. “That guy could have killed you, and all you can think about is how hot his girlfriend is?” He chuckled at Ryan’s stupidity. “You need to settle down, man. One of these days someone’s