Dark Island Book 1 (Complete)

Chapter 1

It was at 6 a.m., that the small Suburban neighborhood started rousing itself to begin the new day. Refuse Lorries arrived first, saluting each home like a captain visiting guards stationed at each driveway or front curb. Then it was the turn of the street-sweeping vehicle that cleaned the asphalt with revolving brushes. The gardeners’ mini-vans soon followed. The lawns and drives were then cleared of leaves and weeds, and the hedges pruned to their ideal height. Their task accomplished, they went away, leaving behind a neat, silent, motionless world. Every night was quiet here. At about 7 a.m., every daybreak the houses began languidly to awake. Behind the windows, fathers, mothers and children could be seen cheerfully preparing for the new day ahead. This small Suburban place was ready to greet its happy inhabitants.

The sun just started showing itself through the bedroom window causing me to stir. I threw an arm over my eyes, shielding them from the light invading the room. I stretched lazily, as my slim, lightly muscled body adjusted to being awake. I sat up, throwing the blankets to the end of the bed, blinked at my surroundings as my mind caught up with me.
Today has finally arrived.
We are finally going to set sail for the Southern Ocean to search for legends and treasures that had never been discovered by man. The phrase kept playing repeatedly in my head almost like a broken record player. We have been planning this ' adventure of a lifetime' trip for months now, and now it is finally happening.
I glanced at my nightstand. It was a hand carved wooden affair that my grandfather had crafted for me 20 years ago. It was worn slightly of age, and the drawer had seen better days, but I had never had the heart to get rid of it.

I reached over and plucked the digital wristwatch from amid the items there. The wristwatch itself was silver, with a compass encircling the face. The date and time 6:10 am October 15th were displayed in black.
Gosh! Is that the time. I thought to myself.
I jumped out of bed. Stretched again, and drop to the floor to do a few push-ups, just a quick 20 to get my blood pumping in the morning.
That ought to do it, I thought giving one final stretch before I went to the wardrobe.
It was a Victorian painted pine chest of drawers, with two short and three long graduated drawers with glass handles. It was the last antique piece that my wife Susan- who was an antique collector- had bought at a yard sale not so long ago from the Andersons, who lived a few houses down the street from us.
I swiftly opened the bottom two drawers, grabbed a pair of everyday blue jeans, white tank top and a white and red button long sleeve shirt.

I got dressed, hustled downstairs with my packed bags and gear, dropped them by the front door and then slipped into the kitchen to grab a quick cup of coffee. I shrugged it down as if it was some sort of cold beverage.
"Thanks Susan, you do make the best coffee in the world you know." 
"Oh, do I? Susan replied half grinningly.
The expression on her face almost looked like the one she had on our first date way back in college, I thought. She always had that type of personality that screamed confidence and I... well I was a nervous wreck back in the day that spend most of my time with my nose buried in a book. Our first encounter was during our senior year one afternoon when I was busy reading a book under a tree next to the field where the tennis girls usually worked out. Susan was a bit of a tomboy in school. During her college years her tomboy tendencies channeled themselves into a love of fitness and sport, her cute little face evolved into, and then surpassed gorgeous. She excelled at everything she did. Every sport she entered, she dominated. She had her pick of friends, and was the most popular girl in college. After completing college, Susan became a personal trainer. Not long into her profession, she realized that she didn’t like the kind of people in that field so she turned to part time journalism and started a hobby of collecting antiques. As for me however, I landed a Monday to Friday, nine to five, repetitive job after graduation at a law firm.

I scooted closer, hugged her tightly, and gave her a kiss on her soft blossom lips.
The clock in the corner of the kitchen next to the fridge caught my attention. I stared at it for a moment and realized that it is 6:30.
"Gosh! It’s almost time, I'd better hurry"
I quickly went upstairs to the bathroom to freshen up. I started brushing my teeth, checked out my hair in the mirror, plucked out a grey one. Grimaced at the peppermint flavor, I hate peppermint. My gaze then shifted to scar that ran from my left cheekbone to under my chin. It had been so long now that it had become part of who I am. Suddenly it felt as if I were back on the battlefield, back on that same dreadful day I almost lost it all...

It is cold, dark, and raining.
I felt the iciness of the rain pouring down on my face while lying on the ground. My ears are buzzing. I cannot hear properly, every sound I had heard so clearly became so deafening...hushed.
A stinging sensation rushed throughout the left side of my face. From a distance, I heard a strange gasping like noise almost like something or someone is struggling to breathe. I turned my head slowly to investigate where the noise was coming from. A few feet next to me, I spotted a fellow soldier lying on the ground with a piece of scrap-metal pierced through his throat. He gasped and shook for a moment but then...stillness.
The motionless expression on his face gave me a cold chill down my spine. My heart started beating faster than usual.
I am scared.
"Is this it? Is this also my fate, dying in this place?" I said to myself.
I forced myself to look away, gazing back into the black-night rainy sky, trying to forget about everything around me. From a distance, I heard someone calling out to me.
"Jack! Jack can you hear me? Jack!
"Damn, soldier you are one lucky bastard to be alive...

The memory washed out when my little boy grabs my leg.
"Daddy, daddy! Where are you going? How long will you be gone, Daddy?
His brown eyes started tearing up a little. I saw he was getting a bit upset so I got down on my knees, putting my hands gently on his shoulders and then hugged him tightly.
"Robert, you'll be a good boy now ok? Daddy is going on a trip but will be back before you know it. You must look after your mom for the time being, ok? You are the man of the house now. Oh, and daddy will bring back something very special for you when daddy returns, ok?
Susan stood by the door staring at me with her big blue eyes, the most beautiful eyes I have ever seen.
"You're just like your father", she said endearingly.
"All this treasure hunting and weird conspiracies you're always chasing...You know that someday your son will likely follow in your footsteps."
"Well, that wouldn’t be such a bad idea."
I stood up, walked towards her gazed deeply into her eyes, and kissed her softly on her lips. Her lips tasted like cherries. She loved her cherry blossom lip balm.
Our little warm and fuzzy moment was suddenly interrupted when a series of bangs came from the front door.

"Hallo! You home... Jack anybody home?" I smiled at Susan knowing it is only Ronny. "I'm coming Ronny, just a sec." I went downstairs opened the door and were greeted with a hug and a pat on the bag. "Hey buddy, how are you doing? Are you ready for our adventure, it's going to be just like the old times" He said.
“Hey Ronny, never been better. It’s going to be larger-than-life, Ronny. Come in. I am just glad my leave days were approved. I need some time off and away from the office and what better way to use them on he-he. Most of my stuff is already packed and ready to be loaded, as you can see. What about Harold. Where is he?"
"He is already on the vessel, making sure everything is okay and ready. You know if I didn't know any better I would say he is married to that ship of yours."
"Yeah you're right there Ronny, Hey Ronny I just want to do a quick run through to check if everything is packed and ready."
"No problem Jack"
I went back to the bedroom got a few more things from the closet that I forgot to pack earlier. In the corner of the closet was my old military bag.
This brings back many memories, I wonder if it is still in there. I thought
I gently opened it, everything still in the same place just as I left. Then I saw it, the dagger that got me out of some very uncomfortable situations, and the very same dagger that once belonged to a great heroic man. I picked it up. The dagger lay cold in my hands. It was twelve inches. The handle was solid wood. It had the name 'Sgt Mat field' in craved on the side. The blade was cold grey steel and very sharp even the gentlest of touches to the flesh would result in a free bleeding cut.
"I'm definitely going to take you with me, it might come in handy." I took a cloth and wrapped the dagger neatly in it.
"So, this is it, that's everything"
Ronny was waiting for me by his old truck with Robert already in it, and Susan busy checking if everything is packed correctly
"Let's go Jack, we haven't got all day you know. Those legends aren't going to be found if we're here chit chatting and standing around."