Secrets at Sea

Chapter 19

I open my eyes to the dark hallway. I'm alone still clutching the knife in my right hand and my backpack full of goodies strapped to my back. I spin around looking for the monster but it's gone. I tighten the straps on my backpack and rush down the hallway towards the exit. I burst through the double doors and run into the Entertainment Center. The chairs are all scattered around the room, tables are flipped on their side, and bodies are everywhere. I cover my mouth and nose with my hand. The smell is unbearable. I carefully walk over a pair of corpses directly in front of me, making sure not to step on the limbs disconnected from their bodies.

I don't want to deal with the psycho or psychos that slaughtered this room. 

I run towards the closest door, jumping over chairs and bodies alike, trying to get out of this rancid grave as soon as physically possible. The smell blinds me to the thought that there might be crazies outside the EC and it doesn't occur to me that I'm still in immediate danger until I'm through the doors and out in the fresh air. 

The light is blinding after being stuck in the dark for so long. I shade my eyes with my hands as I survey my surroundings. I'm on a balcony overlooking the water park. I can clearly see Sarah, the cruise director, impaled on the lifeguard tower, the color completely drained from her face. She must have been up there for hours. I skim the pool and see three bodies floating face down in the water. One of them is the woman I saw last night and one of the two men is probably the guy that Kepner and I heard trying to escape the psychos.

There's movement past the pool and I duck down out of sight. I peer over the railing of the balcony and see a small group of bandanna wearing men come out from the farthest corridor. They have in tow four people, fighting against their captures, with hoods covering their heads. The prisoners are thrown onto their knees and have the hoods ripped off their heads. My chest tightens and a small gasp comes from my lips. Mason and Kepner are in between two other men neither of whom I recognize. The psychos create a semicircle in front of them and I can hear the crazies start laughing and taunting their prey.

I have to do something to save them. I won't survive without Kepner and Mason. I think to myself as I begin crab walking towards the stairs. 

I'm clutching my knife hard, my knuckles turning white from the pressure I'm putting on the metal. I slowly descend the steps, out in the open now, but luckily everyone's attention is on the four hostages. I drop my bag behind a planter at the base of the staircase for safe keeping. Now that I've freed up my shoulders and back, I feel a tiny bit more confident with what I'm about to do.

I'm feet away from the group. Through the psychos legs I make eye contact with Kepner. His eyes widen and he shakes his head slowly. I hold up my knife ready to use it on my target, ignoring Kepner's warning. I lunge forward, sinking my knife into the neck of the closest crazy. He drops like a sack of potatoes clutching his neck as he starts choking on his own blood. It's a matter of seconds before the other crazies realize what has happened and they pull out their own weapons. Kepner jumps to his feet and plows into the psycho in front of him, tackling the man to the ground. Mason follows suit and takes down another psycho.

I slash at the masked man that rushes towards me, cutting the arm that is holding his gun. He stumbles back and drops his weapon, clutching his injury. I jump at the man and bury my knife into his chest. He screams in pain and punches me across my face. My vision blurs and I almost black out, but I continue to stab the man over and over until his hits become weaker. He gives one final swing then doesn't move again.

Kepner cuts the ties binding his wrists with the machete that had fallen out of an attackers' hands. Once free, he swings his weapon, slashing the thigh of one of the men and on his back swing he knocks the bat out of another crazy's hand. I get up off my kill and look down to see the front of my white chef's coat is now covered in blood. Kepner unties Mason and hands him the machete. I pick the gun off the floor and toss it over to Kepner. Now that he's armed, he's lethal. He wipes out the remaining crazies in a matter of seconds.

When silence falls after his last shot Kepner turns to me and breathes a sigh of relief. "You're insane." He whispers and I smile.

"A simple thank you would suffice." I grunt as I stand up.

"How did you get away from that man baby? And why are you dressed like you're auditioning for Top Chef?" Mason asks, wiping off the blood from his machete on his pants leg.

"You know, I thought I would listen to my culinary calling and become a sous chef in all this chaos." I roll my eyes. "The baby was clueless enough to leave a sharp object out giving me enough time to sneak away from him. He took my bag and my clothes so I've been vulnerable since we got separated."

"He took your clothes?" Mason exclaims and rage fills his face.

"You're safe now, that's all that matters." Kepner walks towards me and rests his hand on my shoulder. "Thank you for coming for us." He says and I nod. I can see frustration in his green eyes but he doesn't say anything.

"You guys would do the same thing. It was a no brainer." I shrug and walk back towards where I stashed my backpack. I hand it to Mason and we start our walk back towards the bridge.