Poseidon Awakens (Chapter 9)

Chapter Nine of a serialized novella
New chapters every Tuesday and Friday

“No way. Are you guys nuts?”

“Miranda. It’s a matter of life and death.”

“On that we can agree. MY life, or rather, death!”

“I’m telling you...the Kraken will destroy this place, or...I don’t know what he’s going to do, but it won’t be good, of that I’m sure.”

“Are you serious? It’s a squid, Frank. There’s no way you’re going to convince me that it’s a shapeshifting creature in the employ of a god. The only reason I’m even on this stupid ship is because I need the field experience for my degree.”

“Your degree won’t mean a thing if you’re dead,” said Oscar.

“Exactly the point I’m trying to make to you two. If I steal the professor’s notebook he’ll know it was me. Why? Because I’m the only one who can get my hands on it. Not his bodyguards...not his team leads...nobody but me!”

“Okay, well what if I told you I think the professor is giving his crew members to Poseidon...as a sacrifice?”

“I’d say you’re a few bricks short, Oscar.”

“Haven’t you noticed how empty the ship is in the past few days? What else could it be?”

“We’re wrapping things up, so we can run things with a smaller crew now. They were paid and sent home.”

“Are you sure? Did you see them get off the ship? Or is that what the professor told you?”

Miranda frowned. “Look. Even if I was to help you, that doesn’t mean it can help you do whatever in the heck it is you want to do with it. I mean, why do you need the damn thing anyway? I could risk my life for nothing!”

“Seriously?” Frank growled. “That madman had Oscar jabbed in the neck with a drug by one of his psycho bodyguards and left to die with that....that thing!”

Miranda sighed. She cleaned her glasses with the tail of her t-shirt, then pushed a stray lock of brown hair away from her face. She shook her head, then paused to study her teammates.

“Fine. I’ll think of something. But we don’t have a lot of time...the professor is in a rush to wrap things up before we leave port.”

“You don’t have to worry about us. Oscar has seen a little bit of the notebook, so he can probably find what we’re looking for quick enough that you can put it back before the professor even knows it’s missing.”

Miranda nodded. “I’ll be back...not sure when, but I’ll bring it here.”

“Thanks Miranda...you know if we get out of this thing alive I’ll make sure that everyone knows that it couldn’t have happened without you.”

The girl rolled her eyes. “I’m not like that, but, thanks anyway.”