|
Page 1 of 3
CHAPTER
2
Warheads
& Hammerheads
Police
lights flashed brilliant colors on our faces as everyone watched The Rapture approach the dock. But,
someone on shore fumbled and dropped a mooring line. Then, another line hooked
on, but failed to hold fast and fell into the water. The Rapture glided out of control in front of the baffled crowd who
broke out in Oohs! and Aahs! as she scraped hard against a concrete piling.
Accusations about the speed and screwing up were exchanged. “Captain Briefly”
ran off the bridge screaming ugly things at the crew.
Gun
turned and smiled like he knew something but wouldn’t want to talk about it.
Instead, he inquired, “So, Caleb, what was that you wanted to find out about
sharks?”
Turning
away from the accident scene, I replied, “How do you know which
sharks are dangerous?”
“No
whiskers,” old Jim butted in again.
“Long
and slender. Very high tail,” added Gun. “But I really knew I was in trouble
when I saw those white fin tips.”
“White
tips, never good.” Carl laughed in a half-snorting way.
Killis
tightened his lips in disapproval and descended the stairs into the main cabin
like he was making a statement about not being interested. He had a wide
forehead and a sharp rim of hair trimmed up in the front like a shield.
“So,
white tips means they’re killers?” I asked.
“These
were man-eaters,” Gun replied like there was a big difference. “I should say
man-biters. Once they get the taste.”
“They’re
everywhere.” Carl grinned my way and put on a cap with a Hammerhead shark logo.
“You get used to it.”
The
shaved-head man was serious. If I was going to do this diving I’d run into
sharks, and my adrenaline pumped at the actual vision of it.
Gun
smiled. “Relax, Caleb,” he said. “I have a spear.”
“What
if you’re a second late? Or you don’t get a good kill shot? I’m dead.”
“Nah,
you don’t die right away!” Spurts of laughter rolled out from Carl’s large
mouth. “Gun always misses his kill shots! Don’t forget that guy last year, you
know the one!”
“He’s
just messing with your head,” Gun told me and smiled again.
|
