59
The shark raced toward the channel between the two boats, its fin slicing through the teal water.
Deputies pulled Jack out of the water and over the gunwale just as the toothy bastard snapped at him. The shark's jaws clenched tight. All he got was a mouthful of air. But the monster slammed into the patrol boat, knocking it to starboard, damn near capsizing it.
I gripped the spear tight, cocked my arm back, and threw it as hard as I could.
The sharp spear flew through the air and punctured the dorsal side of the shark. It drilled deep and planted into the shark’s flesh as it submerged.
Between the waves and the wake of the leviathan, I lost my footing on the steep hull and slipped into the water.
The shark circled back around.
I swam to the patrol boat.
Jack reached a hand down and helped me aboard.
The big behemoth made another run, but its dorsal fin began to list like a sail in the wind. Jay had added propofol to the mix. Within a minute, the creature was already feeling the effects of the cocktail.
The shark rolled onto its side.
It was now or never. The shark would begin to sink soon without motion.
I hustled into the wheelhouse, keyed the mic, and radioed the divers.
The dive leader’s voice crackled back through the speaker. “Are you sure this thing is out?”
“Only one way to find out,” I said.
Our dive gear was now at the bottom of the ocean, or I’d have been in the water with them.
They deployed and ran a sling under the shark’s belly. Lift bags kept the shark afloat until they could attach the hoist.
The Maxlift 2 maneuvered into position. When the hook was connected to the spreader, the crane operator lifted the mammoth shark out of the water like it was nothing.
The crane swung from port to starboard, and the operator set the shark on the deck of the semisubmersible that was already a meter or two below the surface.
Another crew of divers secured the monster for transport.
It wasn’t over yet, but the hard part was done. I breathed a sigh of relief.
The thump of rotor blades circled overhead. A black SH60 helicopter had joined the mix. It circled the Mighty Marlin and touched down on the helipad. Two G-men in dark suits and sunglasses hopped out and crouched low as they hurried across the pad to the superstructure. A team of special operators dressed in black with M4s followed.
RHIB boats with special operators swarmed the area.
“What the hell do you think this is all about?” Daniels groaned. He muttered a few obscenities, keyed the mic, and barked, “Somebody want to tell me what the hell is going on?”
60
“Dan Carney,” a man in a suit said when he joined us on the deck of the sheriff’s patrol boat. “Office of the Sec. Def.—Special Capabilities. Working the JSOC and SOG, along with Homeland. I’m officially reading you into the project. You are hereby ordered to stand down. Due to the classified nature of the project, you are to surrender all evidence and logs and delete or destroy any official reports pertaining to the project. You are all under a non-disclosure order. This incident did not happen.”
I chuckled. “Tell that to the news crews and the congressional oversight committee.”
“The media exposure will be contained and redirected. We believe Weaver was working with direct support from Chinese Intelligence. The shark will be taken to a classified location and studied. Your country thanks you for your patriotism and your service.”
After the paperwork was signed, Carney transferred to a RHIB boat and vanished.
The last time JD and I had violated a gag order, we paid the price. This time, the cat was already out of the bag, and I was inclined to just keep my mouth shut.
