From the Deep (8 page)

CHAPTER 19

California,

10 miles off the coast of Venice beach

Zimmer’s muscles flexed as he raced the fifteen-foot sailboat through the water. He had been taking part in the annual Venice Beach international boat race for the third successive year, but until today, had never led. Now, the twenty six year old German turned the boat slightly, feeling the rush of acceleration as it cut through the water. His nearest challenger was three-time world champion, British born, Ben Green, who had suffered technical trouble earlier in the race, and for the last mile or so, Zimmer had been steadily increasing his advantage at the front. There were over sixty entries for this year’s event, and popular opinion was that it was going to be a two horse race between Green and his bitter rival, Jonas Haim, who as expected, was right with Green as they tried desperately to close the gap.

Nobody however, had expected Zimmer, a fifty-to-one outside bet, to become such a fly in the ointment. As he carefully repositioned his one man sailboat, Zimmer half wished he had placed a bet on himself for the win, and then reminded himself there was still a long way to go and his arms and back already burned with the efforts of his exertion.

Zimmer could see the next buoy marking the route ahead, and angled towards it. After he had made the turn, he would be heading against the wind, which would make things infinitely more difficult for the remainder of the race, however, he was confident he could pace himself against Green, who still seemed to be struggling with his boat. The main threat would likely come from Haim, who looked to be shadowing Zimmer at a distance and waiting for his chance to strike. Gulping a shallow breath of air, Zimmer passed the buoy and pulled the sailboat into a graceful turn, as he set out towards his next waypoint. He hoped his stamina would last the distance. With the sun in his face, Zimmer lowered his head and increased his efforts.

The near four hundred feet behemoth lay on the ocean floor, allowing the currents to flow through its body as it rested. It hadn’t fed for twelve hours, and although it could sense the other sea life on the outer edges of its territory, it was reluctant to expend the needed energy by pursuing them. With the ability to slow its metabolism by regulating the tempo of its pickup truck sized heart, it was able to sustain itself on the energy stored in the fatty sacs below its forward flippers.

It’s near slumber was disturbed by the series of vibrations which were making their way directly towards the creature and into its territory. Its simple brain compelled the creature to defend the waters it had claimed as its own. It pushed up from the seabed on its array of tentacles, and with one powerful flick of its fluke, was racing to intercept.

Until they had made the turn, Ben Green had been pretty sure he was losing his edge. He was world number one, ranked as the best in his profession, and as a result, losing was unacceptable. Although not as glamorous as football or motorsport, he still lived his life under an ever-growing mountain of pressure and expectation. He had sponsors to keep happy, as without them, there was no money, and without money, there was no racing. There was also the personal pride that came with testing himself against the best in the business. He’d been leading the race until a twisted line had caused his main sail to malfunction, dropping him back into seventh place. He’d recovered to second, and had now dropped back to third. Ahead of him by around twelve feet was his main rival, Jonas Haim. The press had made more of their rivalry than actually existed. In reality, they were actually friends, although it was a distant relationship built on respect. They knew well enough that controversy brought viewers, and with it money, so they both took every opportunity to play up their non-existent rivalry in order to make the show more exciting. What Green didn’t expect however, was the performance of Zimmer, and he was starting to think he had underestimated the young German who was a good forty to fifty feet out in front on him.

He wondered if now at thirty-six, age was starting to go against him. Certainly, his body was less able to cope with the stresses of racing like it used to, and although he was still a regular winner, his performance edge was undeniably reducing. He asked himself if this was how it happened, and when the first signs of age knocking on the door start to tell you maybe it’s time to start slowing down. Time to think about passing the torch to the younger generation like Zimmer and the other up and coming stars of the future, or if he should go all out to try and bag one last title, one last chance to squirrel away enough money to make his life comfortable. He was aware that the working life of a sportsman is short, and he also knew he didn’t have enough eggs in his nest to take his foot off the gas yet. He saw that Zimmer was starting to struggle with the headwind, perhaps a sign of his inexperience. Green increased his speed, pulling alongside Haim, leaving a good distance between himself and his rival. They were both closing on Zimmer quickly, and he positioned his boat to go alongside him, Haim taking the opposite flank. Perhaps he had fixed his issue, or the sight of the two closing in had spurred him on. Zimmer now also increased his pace, and the boats were three abreast as they cut through the water. Green smiled.

He lived for these moments.

He was starting to edge ahead when he saw something explode out of the water ahead of them.

It looked like a wall at first, a greenish brown barrier that had thrown itself out of the ocean. He had only a split second to comprehend the impossibility of what it actually was, but by then, it was too late. Its near thirty-foot jaws opened, and Ben Green was looking down a deep red maw of serrated teeth.

Zimmer had seen it too, and because he was already in the zone, was able to react fastest, veering the boat to the left in the hope of avoiding the immense mass as it launched toward the trio. Zimmer’s boat collided with Haim’s, and the pair was ejected into the water. Green was not so lucky, and barely had time to register that his life was about to end when the creature bit down, devouring both Pilot and boat in one powerful bite. Blood, bone, and sinew quivered down the creature’s gullet, and its dim brain told it that it had mortally wounded the creature that had dared enter its territory. Mistaking the thirty-one other boats competing in the race as the death throes of a single creature, the animal went into frenzy.

The water bit into Zimmer as he struggled to regain his senses. He drew breath as he saw the full size of the creature as it passed. It was beyond comprehension. His head broke the surface and he let out a gasping cough as his lungs took in much needed air. Haim had also surfaced, and was in the process of pulling himself back into his boat.

Zimmer thought Haim had the look of a man who had peeked into hell and was trying to come to terms with what he saw, and he supposed, as he kicked towards his own boat, he probably looked pretty much the same. He pulled himself out of the water and glanced over to Haim.

“Jonas,” he said breathlessly as he looked across the water to his rival, “did you see it?”

Haim nodded and even from ten feet away, Zimmer could see that his rival was in shock.

He was about to speak again, when they both heard the splintering crack from behind them. They looked just in time to see the marbled, arched back of the creature duck beneath the waves, taking one of the following boats with it.

“We have to get out of here,” Zimmer said.

Haim didn’t respond, he simply sat and watched the creature as it systematically destroyed the other boats that were now crashing into each other and changing course wildly, as they tried to avoid the beast. The air was filled with the sounds of screaming and splintering wood & fibreglass as the creature continued to rampage.

“Come on, this is our chance to get out away,” Zimmer pleaded. Haim was unmoving. All he could do was sit in his boat shivering and staring at the carnage.

“I’m going,” he said with finality. Haim didn’t respond, and left with no choice, Zimmer set sail alone, aiming at a diagonal for the coast. He lowered his head, and found a current of air that drove him forwards, his speed quickly building as he raced towards the beach.

It had attacked the pod of creatures that had invaded its territory, and now it detected only one. Even though it was fleeing, the enraged creature spun around to pursue it, pushing through the splintery and bloody debris of the sailboats that it had destroyed.

Jonas Haim watched as the immense wake surged past his boat, pushing it a further fifty feet out to sea as it chased Zimmer. He looked on open mouthed and shivering, and was still unable to comprehend what had happened.

Ahead, Zimmer had noticed it too, glancing over his shoulder as the great wave of water closed the distance to him. Despite the fear, he smiled, because the adrenaline junkie in him found a sick excitement in the situation. The race he had been competing to win was now meaningless. This race was for his life. The wind was strong behind him, and the boat was flawless in its precision as it cut across the ocean, the ride smooth and as close to perfect as Zimmer could have ever hoped.

Don’t look back, don’t look back, don’t look back.

He repeated it in his head, but couldn’t help a quick glance over his shoulder. The wake had halved the distance to him, and he thought it would be a pretty close call as to whether he would be able to get to the beach before the creature got to him.

Forget it, focus on the beach, and focus on maintaining the speed. Get to the finish.

The voice in his head was right, and he did as it instructed, making minute adjustments to the angle of his sail, and ignoring the burning in his back and shoulders from his efforts. He knew he was approaching the shallows, and with it, as the water became less stable, he knew the breaking waves would slow his progress. He didn’t look, and didn’t have to. He could sense the creature behind him, and knew time was up. Unsure if it was by instinct or awareness, he veered the boat sharply to the right, almost coming to a stop as he changed course. A split second later, the giant exploded out of the water, its jaws slamming on the space that he had occupied seconds earlier. He laughed, or maybe it was a scream. He couldn’t tell the difference anymore. He spun the sailboat back towards the beach, which was tantalisingly close. He could see people watching, pointing, and taking photographs. He aimed towards them, wondering when the water would be too shallow for the creature to follow.