“Mylon?” Novak said. “Tatiana? Paris? How about you guys?”
“I’d be okay with pulling a double tonight.” Paris spoke so softly that they had to strain to hear her over the rain and the waves. “I could use some more sleep this morning.”
Tatiana nodded in agreement. “I know that’s right.”
“Doesn’t matter much to me,” Mylon said. “I’ll do whatever you think is best, Novak.”
“Okay, then. Me, McCann, Gail, Warren and Lynn will go ashore. That leaves enough room in the lifeboat to carry back supplies—unless we hit the mother load, in which case, we’ll just make a couple trips. You guys stow those weapons again, and then get some frigging sleep.”
“Sounds good.” Mylon’s tone was relieved.
As they walked away, Morgan muttered something about being woken up. Gail noticed Novak stiffen and bite his lip, but he said nothing.
“Would you have really thrown him overboard?” she asked.
“I don’t know.” Novak climbed into the lifeboat. “I just don’t know anymore. The kind of man I used to be? Of course not. But sometimes it feels like that man was part of another life.”
* * *
Gail was tense during the short journey from the ship to the mysterious island. She assumed that the others were, as well, because nobody spoke. The only sounds were the waves, the oars creaking as Warren and McCann rowed, and the ever-present patter of the rain. Novak sat at the bow, leaning forward and watching the formation intently. Lynn and Gail watched either side of the lifeboat, alert for any signs of trouble.
Despite their fears, the crossing was uneventful. Debris churned by, floating on the surf, but none of it was salvageable. They encountered an eight-foot-long aluminum bass boat with the name ‘Goffee’ emblazoned on the side with the type of block letter stickers usually used for mailboxes or front doors. Gail wondered if ‘Goffee’ was the name of the boat’s owner or the boat itself. Warren prodded the capsized craft with one oar. It spun slowly, and they recoiled. One side was covered with white mold.
“You didn’t get it on the oar, did you?” McCann asked.
Warren shook his head. “No, we’re okay.”
They fell silent again. It occurred to Gail that she hadn’t heard any seagulls or other birds. Normally, they were as ever-present as the rain, but now they were noticeably absent. She frowned, trying to remember when she’d actually last seen one. A few days ago? A week? She didn’t know.
The mist grew thicker as they approached the formation. It swirled around them in thick, chilly clouds. Gail glanced behind them and was alarmed to see that the ship was no longer visible. What if they got lost out here? What would they do then? Would Novak’s suicide solution become more palatable after a few days of drifting aimlessly in the lifeboat? Suddenly, she toppled forward in her seat as the lifeboat came to a jarring halt against the island.
“Easy,” Novak hollered. “What the hell, McCann? You trying to bottom us out?”
“I can’t see shit out here. This fog’s like cream of mushroom soup.”
“You’ve gotta be more careful.”
McCann nodded, and then laid the oar across the bench. “Look on the bright side, boss. We’re here. Let’s check it out.”
CHAPTER 36
“Ladies first.” Grinning, Novak made a sweeping gesture.
“I don’t think so,” Gail said. “You should have the honor.”
“Yeah,” Lynn agreed. “After all, you’re leading this expedition. It’s only right you go first.”
Nodding, Novak stepped forward and onto the island. The boat rocked slightly. Gail went next, followed by Warren and then Lynn. McCann went last. He stood next to the boat with a rope in his hand.
“Don’t see anywhere to tie off, boss.”
“Is the current strong enough that you won’t be able to hold it?”
McCann shook his head.
“Standby then,” Novak said. “I think we’ll be alright. Just make sure you keep a good grip on that line. You let that boat float away, and we’ll eat you first.”
He tried to sound lighthearted and joking, but Gail noticed the edge in his voice. Novak was nervous. So was she.
They spread out and began slowly exploring the formation. The ferocity of the rain and the swirling mists hampered their visibility, and even now, standing atop the mass, Gail still couldn’t tell for sure what it was. The gray surface was hard like stone, but smooth and unmarred by cracks or fissures. Raindrops bounced and splattered against it, and pooled at their feet. As they’d seen from the ship, there were no buildings, trees or grass. Other than the strange hill in the middle, the island was utterly featureless. It was also larger than it had appeared to be from the ship. Gail knelt and placed her palm against the surface. It was warm and slick.
“What do you think, guys?” Warren asked. His voice sounded distorted in the fog.
Novak sighed. “I think we wasted a fucking trip. There’s nothing here.”
“Maybe we should try that hill?” Lynn motioned with her makeshift spear. “There could be something behind it, or maybe inside of it.”
“Might as well,” Novak agreed. “We’ve come this far.”
They shuffled forward, weapons held at the ready, but without conviction. Gail was about to stand up and join them, when the ground trembled slightly. She felt the vibration run through her palm and up her arm. She glanced up to see if any of the others had noticed, but their attention was focused on the hill.
From the shore, McCann called, “The waves are starting to get stronger.”
Novak turned around. “What do you mean?”
“I mean it’s picking up all of the sudden.”
Gail frowned. Could it be an earthquake? She grabbed her pistol and stood up. Novak was still facing her and McCann. Lynn and Warren were approaching the hill.
“There’s something here,” Lynn said.
They all looked to where she was pointing, and as they did, the hill opened up, looked at them with one giant, baleful black eye, and then blinked. The island shuddered beneath their feet. Screaming, Warren scampered backward. Gail was torn between running toward him and fleeing for the boat.
McCann gasped. “Holy shit!”
The eye opened again. Lynn, prodded by fear or panic, jabbed her spear forward, thrusting it into the orb.
“Don’t,” Novak shouted. “Let’s just—”
The island shivered, and then surged upward, knocking Gail, Warren and Novak off their feet. The handgun slipped from Gail’s grasp and slid away from her. She realized that it was plunging toward the water, and that she was suddenly clinging to a slippery slope. She scrabbled for a grip on the smooth surface, but her fingertips couldn’t find a purchase. Warren zipped past her, following the pistol’s trajectory.
Gail screamed, and then the island roared.
CHAPTER 37
“Do you see anything?”
Yawning, Mylon shook his head. He lowered the binoculars and pointed at the lenses. “Can’t see shit through these things. They’re all fogged over. Got anything dry I can wipe them with?”
Riffle laughed. “You’re kidding, right? I can’t remember the last time I had something dry.”
