Jaws of Love

Chapter 5

Hooper and Samantha were standing at the door of Martins house. Hooper was holding two bottle of wine in his hands.

They had picked some up before they came. It was a hopeful attempt to try and get Martin drunk enough to cut open a shark.

"You think it'll work?" Matt asked.

Samantha sighed. "Hell if I know." She shrugged. With a sigh she knocked on her brothers door. She listened as footsteps from behind the door drew closer and soon it opened.

"Sam, hi." Ellen smiled, pulling her sister-in-law into a warm hug. "Martin didn't tell me you were coming over." She rolled her eyes.

"I didn't tell Martin." She grinned, letting out a slight chuckle. "Sorry."

"No no, it's fine." Ellen looked over to Matt who was standing slightly behind Samantha.

"Oh, uh," he extended his hand, allowing Ellen to shake it. "I'm Matt Hooper."

Her eyes widened, sparing a quick glance at Samantha. "Oh, hi! Ellen Brody." She smiled, shaking his hand.

"Your husbands home?" Matt asked, looking past Ellen.

"Yes, he is." She nodded, dropping his hand.

"I'd really, uh, like to talk to him." He smiled, taking the two bottles of wine from Samantha.

Ellen sighed. "Yes, so would I." She nudged Samantha arm. "You're brother is in one of his moods."

"Ah."

Ellen looked back to Matt. "Well, come in! Come in! Can I get you some coffee?"

"No no, nothing thank you." Matt shook his head, holding up the wine.

"Oh wine, how nice." She turned to Samantha as Matt walked towards Martin. "Coffee?"

The younger woman smiled. "Yes please." She stood with Ellen, getting down three wine glasses, knowing it was best if she didn't drink.

"He's cute." Ellen whispered, pouring Samantha's coffee.

She scoffed. "That's all in the past."

"Sure it is." Ellen winked, handing her the cup of coffee.

The two women walked into the dining room where Matt and Martin both sat.

There was an awkward silence as they both sat down, Samantha passing around the wine glasses.

"How was your day?" Matt asked, grinning to Brody.

He smiled and then began to chuckle. "Swell."

"Yeah." The other man laughed. "I got, uh, red and white. I didn't know what you'd be serving."

"Oh that's nice." Ellen smiled.

Another silence.

Samantha stifled a snort as Matt slid Brody's untouched plate towards himself. "Is anyone eating this?"

"No." Ellen said awkwardly. Samantha let out a small giggle as she watched him eat. "My husband tells me your into sharks."

Matt and Samantha both laughed. Into sharks.

Hooper coughed. "Excuse me. Well yes. I-I've never heard it quite put that way, but uh, yes I am." There seemed to be a lighter air at the table now. "I love sharks."

"You love sharks?" Ellen chuckled. "My goodness, you sound like Samantha."

He grinned at Samantha. "Well she's got the right mindset. I love them. When I was twelve years old my father got me this boat, and I went fishing off of Cape Cod. I hooked a scup and as I was reeling it in I hooked a four and a half foot baby thresher shark, who proceeded fo eat through my boat."

Samantha smiled. She had heard this story before. It was one of things that made her like him so much, the way he talked to passionately about the things he loved.

As his story came to a finish, Sam noticed he said that he would be leaving the next day. A weird feeling settled in her gut.

"Why'd you have to tell them that?" Brody asked, referring to Hooper speaking of the shark that was caught earlier.

"Sorry." He mumbled.

"I'm sorry. I though that- you told me that the shark was caught." Ellen to looked to Brody. "And I- I heard it on the news on the Cape station."

"They caught a shark. Not the shark." Samantha spoke up. "Big difference."

"Not the shark that killed Chrissy Watkins... and probably not the one that killed the little boy." Hooper agreed.

Ellen let out a long breath.

"I wanted to prove that today by cutting the shark open but-,"Hooper cut himself off as Martin began to pour some wine. "You ought to let that breath... nothing, nothing."

He poured the other two a drink, Samantha rolling her eyes at her brothers antics.

"You know... uh, you'll be the only rational man left on this island after I leave tomorrow."

That feeling was back.

"Where are you going?" Samantha couldn't stop herself from asking.

"I'm going on the Aurora."

"Oh." She had heard of that before.

"The Aurora what is that?" Ellen asked, leaning on the table.

"It's a floating asylum, only for us shark addicts." Samantha chuckled.

"It's uh, pure research. Eighteen months at sea." Hooper added, laughing along with her.

"Martin hates boats." Ellen touched her husband's arm.

"Martin hates water." Samantha sighed, glaring at her brother for his silent state. "He sits in his car when we get the ferry to the mainland." She looked at Hooper.

"I guess it's a childhood thing." Ellen shrugged. "It has a clinical name for it right?"

"Drowning." Martin said. "Listen is it true most people get attacked by sharks in three feet of water about ten feet from the beach?"

"Yes."

Martin continued. "And that before people started to swim for recreation... I-I mean before sharks knew what they were missing, that a lot of these attacks weren't reported?"

"That's right."

Samantha watched as her brother picked at the wine bottle. "Now this shark that swims alone, what's it called?"

"Rogue." She and Hooper both answered.

"Rogue?"

"Yeah."

"Now this guy, he keeps swimming around in a place where the feeding is good until the food supply is gone?" Martin looked up.

"It's called territoriality." Hooper nodded. "It's just a theory that I happen to agree with."

"I do as well." Samantha piped up.

Martin looked down at the table and sighed. "Why don't we have one more drink and go cut that shark open?"

"Martin?" Ellen sounded weary. "Can you do that?"

"I can do anything... I'm the chief of police."