Matthew Silver and the Monster Hunters, Book One: The Darkest Waters

Chapter Twenty-Eight

SilverCHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

By the time we had reached our own boat and started out onto the loch again, it was already well past 2 in the morning. If I had learned anything from the conversation we’d eavesdropped on, it was that Parker was headed for the monster’s lair.

            Petals had given him a deadline, and Parker had grabbed the harpoon and gun, so that meant that he was going to make his move against the monster right away. I didn’t know what chance he stood against a Class One with a harpoon gun, but I couldn’t imagine it going well, even if the harpoon was big enough to make a whale shish-kebab.

My plan was to take down Parker at the lair, stop him from releasing the monster, and free our friends from the Pukwudgies. If all worked out, we’d all just wait until the Loch Ness monster would be too weak to fight back, capture it with Parker’s own harpoon gun, and call for Extraction.

Unfortunately, the first half of that plan would be much easier said than done. The second half wouldn’t be a piece of cake either. If Parker managed to release the monster from its cave in order to capture it, then we’d not only be facing Parker, but also a really ticked off Class One.

I had the boat on full throttle with a course set for the lair, but I was feeling very nervous. Our cover was horrible, and our boat was noisy. We were in danger of being found out by both the authorities and Parker. I could only do two things: turn all lights off and hope no one would cross our paths by some random, unlucky chance.

Finally we began to get a little bit of luck. The weather began taking a turn for the worse, and storm clouds came rolling in. A light shower came over us, and while it was demoralizing and uncomfortable, the unsettled waves and rain helped cover our boat as we sped along. It also made things more dangerous. When a boat at top speed hits a sizeable wave, it can go flying. It took all my concentration to try to steer us as best as I could through the choppy waves, while keeping us at full throttle.

I wondered how sailors of old were able to make it through bad storms or hurricanes. They didn’t have the easy technology we did, like motors and propellers. I figured that they must’ve been way better sailors than I was. Jay was probably thinking the same thing, because she was holding onto her seat with all her might, her knuckles turning white. She didn’t say anything, but her face was a shade of green.

It took us twice as long to reach the end of the loch than it had the first time, but on the first time, there had been clear skies and great weather. I slowed us down, and we began scanning the area for any signs of Parker. I didn’t see anyone, but through the rain and receding darkness, it was hard to tell.

I gradually steered us to about the same spot that we had stopped last time. No one was around.

“I don’t get it! I just don’t get it!”I yelled in frustration. I punched the wheel. “He should’ve been here!”

“Do you think we beat him here?”

I glanced at her leg and quickly looked away. “I doubt it.”

She self-consciously rubbed her ankle, and I felt a tinge of guilt for my inconsideration. She paused with a funny look on her face glanced around. “What’s that noise?”

I listened carefully, surprised she could hear anything other than the rain splattering against the water, and the thunder rumbling in the distance. There was a small noise in the background, like a humming, and it was getting closer.

“Yeah…what the h—”I didn’t get to finish, because right then, something rammed our starboard side.

Jay tumbled out of her seat and hit the exterior wall of the cabin. She rolled across the ground limply and didn’t get up.