Doctor Who_ Storm Harvest - Mike Tucker [3]
Now they darted in, jaws gulping at the tiny shrimps disturbed by the cable. He waved them away from the front of his visor and tightened the final bolt.
‘Right. Done. Let’s get the cable unhooked and get the hell out of here.’
‘I’ll do it.’ Auger lumbered over to the end of the cable run and began unscrewing the guide wire.
There was a sudden flurry of movement in the water. Geeson turned his head inside the bubble of his helmet in time to see the cloud of fish sweep past him like a rainbow wave. ‘What the hell...?’
He looked over at Auger. The other diver shrugged. ‘Beats me.
5
They’ve gone. All of them.’
Holly was down on the deck helping Jim with the starboard motor when she heard the communicator shriek again. She hauled herself up into the cabin. Trevor handed her the mike.
‘Thanks, Trey. Go give Jim a hand, would you?’
She settled into the pilot’s chair. ‘What is it now, guys?’
‘ Holly, it’s Geeson. Anything strange going on up there? ’
Holly was puzzled. ‘Strange? How d’you mean?’
‘ I don’t know exactly. All the fish Just quit the area. ’
‘You’re worried about the fish?’
‘ They’re all gone, Holly. Now something sure as hell scared them off. You got anything on the radar? ’
She glanced at the screen. The two tracer blips of the divers were bright and glowing, their low pings keeping steady time in the small cabin.
‘Only you two on the screen.’
‘ Well, keep an eye on it, will you? ’
Holly frowned. Geeson didn’t usually get this freaked. ‘You sure you’re OK, Martin?’
‘ Yeah. ’ There was a short barking laugh from the speaker. ‘Just been down here too long, I guess. We’re packing up now. ’
‘OK, Martin. I’ll keep an eye on the screen and let you know if anything shows up.’
She glanced idly over at the small radar screen and her eyes widened with horror.
‘Jesus Christ!’
The screen was suddenly alive with signals moving through the water with impossible speed. The tracers of the two divers were swamped. The cabin was filled with a cacophony of electronic noise.
She snatched up the microphone. ‘Auger! Geeson! What the hell is down there with you?’ She could hear screams over the speakers.
‘ Martin! ’ There was nothing but static now. She raced on to the deck.
‘Jim! Get them up!’
He looked up at her, puzzled.
‘Auger and Geeson are in trouble! Get them up! Now!’
Jim slammed the emergency winch button. Klaxons blared out over the platform. The winch mechanism screamed as the divers’ safety lines reeled in. Holly threw herself at the rail, her eyes scouring the water for the first sign of the divers. Jim spotted them first. ‘There!’
Holly followed his gaze. A smudge of light was rising from the deep
– the high beam from one of the suit helmets. The helmet broke the 6
surface of the water and Holly stepped back from the rail, fighting down the bile rising in her throat.
Geeson’s suit was nothing more than a collection of shredded metal lumps. She could see his face through the visor, but the rest of him... It was scarcely possible that the lumps of ragged meat could once have been a man. Jim hauled the other cable from the water. The end was severed. There was no sign of Auger.
Holly stared across at Jim. All the crew were looking at her, waiting for her to give an order.
She never got to give it. The platform heaved suddenly, sending them sprawling across the deck. There was a ragged tearing noise.
‘That was the hull!’ Jim was on his feet now He darted across the deck and punched buttons on the winch control. ‘I’ve got to release the cable!’
The platform lurched again and the engines whined in protest as the autopilot laboured to keep the craft level.
Holly struggled to her feet. ‘I’ll take us off auto! See if I can get us out of here.’
She staggered over the deck as the platform pitched again. Two crewmen tumbled against the rail. Holly’s head snapped up in shock as something reached up and snatched the men over the side. Their screams mingled with a guttural, bubbling roar.
The remainder of her crew were struggling