He watched Flying Bird-1 come back in; the half disc of a huge setting sun silhouetted the small boat as it threw up a rooster tail of white spray behind it.

“I think…” Oleander’s words froze in his mouth. Flying Bird-1 was rising in the air, a mountain of dark flesh coming up beneath it that was wider than the entire boat.

There were no screams, as most of the dinghy seemed to fall back into a massive hole that extended forward before a prison of jagged white bars closed over the small boat. The thing fell back into the water, creating a massive wave.

“What…?” Olander gulped, his brain feeling like it was short-circuiting from confusion.

There was little debris, except for a solitary figure, swimming furiously towards them.

“What just happened?” His brain was still locked.

“We need to pick them up,” Annabel screamed.

Once again the huge lump rose in the water, coming up behind the single swimmer. This time a recognizable triangular shaped fin also lifted. Big. Bigger than anything Olander had ever witnessed in his life. Whether the figure saw or realized what was behind him, he never knew – he hoped not. In the next second, the lump surged, a massive maw opened, lined with huge jagged teeth, and then it crashed down on top of the poor soul. Just as quickly as it appeared, the behemoth submerged.

Olander stood in the bow, eyes wide and mouth hanging open. He looked down in time to see the huge shape surge past just below the clear water. The thing was momentarily turned sideways. Time seemed to slow as his brain fired into overdrive and adrenaline surged through him. He saw it all – the dead black eye as large as a dinner plate that he was sure was fixed upon him. A single arm, hanging only by the tattered red material of its sleeve, extended from the side of massive jaws now clamped shut, and a gray-black torpedo shaped body that seemed to go on forever.

He sunk to his knees; his legs wouldn’t hold him upright anymore. “Fu… fu… fucking, get us out of heeere!”

The dinghy started up with a roar, and spun in the water, heading back to their mother ship. He suddenly realized what the Slava crew were yelling at them – not dark, but fucking shark – they had been trying to warn them.

All of Olander’s teeth showed in a grimace that was like a frightened chimpanzee. It was miles to the Gaia Warrior, an impossible distance with this creature in the water.

Olander spun. “We’ll never make it.” He pointed. “To the Slava.”