The Good Intentions of a Cyborg Werewolf

Lurking Below - XVI

Luke waited by the gate to the loading zone, though it was hardly high security. Anyone could jump it, or simply walk twenty feet to the right where it arbitrarily ended, though it likely more defined the property line than anything. The whole community was fairly lax, unguarded, and it didn't surprise him one bit that people were being abducted. He resisted the urge to snoop in the office, still wondering about the altercation he and Erin witnessed yesterday, but he could already hear footsteps approaching from about a hundred metres. Sure enough Hihio approached, alone, carrying a bag and a tray with two covered drinks.

"Punctual," he said from down the path, "great start."

"I'm eager to please," Luke said. Hihio held out the tray and Luke could smell the coffee.

"Figured I'd give you the ten cent tour to start," Hihio nodded towards the dock, "this'll help get you going."

"Appreciate it," Luke accepted the token. "You're pretty hospitable to strangers."

"Everyone's a stranger before you get to know them," Hihio unlocked the gate. "You planning on staying in Four Rock?"

"I'm not planning on bailing on you if that's what you're wondering."

"Not at all. Just curious about your intent."

"I'm more of a go with the flow kinda guy," Luke shrugged as they entered the property. "I don't sweat things outside of my control."

"You may get along here better than I thought," Hihio smiled. He led Luke around the office towards the docks. The entire area was divided into three main sections. The docks themselves were largely empty as the boats were no doubt already on the sea, the area where Luke observed much of the loading and packing was done, and then the large paved area where trucks and pallets were organised. It wasn't a large operation by any stretch, but it seemed straightforward.

"Four Rock survives off our fishing," Hihio explained as he pointed to the docks, "we supply restaurants and fresh markets all along the coast. Our goal is to have the product off the boat and into customers' hands within an hour."

"That's one hell of a tight ship you run."

"Freshness is everything," Hihio seemed very stern about it. "We don't tolerate waste and I'll die before I sell to big box retailers or supermarkets."

"Your passion for the industry is certainly something," Luke mused.

"It's a matter of respect," Hihio explained, "we take only what we need from the ocean, and we do what we can to keep it clean and sustained. Small, local businesses get that, but the big corporations don't care about things like marine life."

"How right you are." Luke resisted the urge to confront Hihio right now, but he worried he'd lose his cooperation if he did. From their perspective Luke was an outsider, and they were already suffering losses. It'd be hard to trust anyone right now, let alone someone like Luke.

"I'm glad you get that," Hihio smiled, "we have a good community here. Locals appreciate that integrity and our transparency. That's why we don't shy away from our commercial dealings like some resort towns who act like business doesn't factor into it."

"You sound like you own more than just the fishing industry here," Luke said.

"Hardly," Hihio chuckled, "but I do sign a good number of the cheques. My wife actually owned the boardwalk and was part of the town council."

"She retire?" Luke asked, picking up on the past tense.

"She..." Hihio cleared his throat, "yeah, you could say that." Suddenly his demeanour shifted, a little less cordial as he brought Luke to the loading yard. "You'll be on car three, that's our 'overflow' for when the ships come in overstocked. Get acquainted, Genmu will be here in about twenty minutes to..." Hihio stopped as he held a hand to his greyed temples, "no, sorry, Patrick will be your boss today. He'll get you started."

"Sounds good," Luke nodded. It was odd that Hihio was leaving him alone, but the entire area was basically empty. What's more was the noticeable lack of chatter, and Luke felt things were eerily quiet. Either this place really was operating with a skeleton crew, or something was deeply wrong. That's when he heard the splashing.

Luke followed the sound towards the edge of the yard, beyond the stacks of pallets and net crates. A chain link fence separated the tarmac from the ocean, a small patch of grass between the retaining wall and the water. He could hear it, subtly, like running a hand through bathwater. It wasn't violent, but in the eerie silence it stood out. The sun was already rising, but it wasn't completely bright yet, so it was difficult to make anything out in the water. There was something, however, just beneath the surface. It was hard to see at first, but before long began to solidify. It was in the shape of a person, just below the surface, and it slowly started to rise out of the water.

"Help me..." they uttered, still so low that the darkness obscured their features.

"Hold on!" Luke shouted, leaping over the fence. He landed on the grass, slipping slightly on the morning dew, and scampered down the incline towards the water, but he froze. He didn't know what to do. He couldn't go into the water, but he had to help this person. They could be another victim. Yet at the same time the water seemed unnaturally black in the rising dawn light, an endless, suffocating void. Luke couldn't move, he couldn't think, and didn't even consider reaching for the Assembler. It made it all the more sudden when something grabbed his leg, pulled him down, and dragged him into the water.

He struggled, trying to hold his breath but already feeling the water rush into his nose. He gritted his teeth, more water coming in through his mouth. He thrashed, but his movements were slow and heavy, and he was disoriented from the buoyancy and lack of light. Anywhere could be up or down, but he felt himself pulled. He was spinning, choking, panicking. He curled up, knowing whatever had him gripped his ankle, and swung his arm as hard and fast as he could. It connected with flesh, rubbery blubbery flesh, and it sheared off from the force of his blow. The spinning stopped, the movement stopped, and for a brief moment he saw some nondescript mass undulating in the darkness, along with the shape of a person near it. The smaller figure likewise seemed snared, and Luke made out their reaching hands in the dim light. But he couldn't reach back. He couldn't do anything. Whatever it was moved too fast, and even though Luke tried to swim it was just no use. He couldn't breathe, and he could hardly swim to begin with, and hardly had the time to think about it before they were gone. He struggled to reach the surface, doing his best to paddle upwards, but his lungs were full. Things were getting hazy, it was hard to think, and he was rapidly losing strength. Soon he couldn't move at all, his mouth hung open as he began to sink, and everything went black.