That’s an impressive dog — sainthood sounds appropriate to me. I wonder if any of my dogs would ever do anything so heroic. Hell, I’ve never done anything close, and my life is probably about over. It’s one thing to be un-heroic, but another to realize the time for heroism is almost up.
1
“You’re Culann Riordan, aren’t you?” asked the first officer, a short and stocky young woman wearing a polo shirt and baseball cap, both bearing the words Alaska State Trooper.
“Yes.”
Culann’s little rowboat floated next to the police boat, the bow of which rose about five feet above the water line. Culann had to crane his neck to see the officers. The second officer, a tall, middle-aged black man—the only black man Culann had seen in Alaska—tossed down a line.
“Please tie one end to your vessel, Mr. Riordan.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Mr. Riordan,” the first officer continued, “we have a warrant for your arrest.
You’ve been charged with statutory rape in Illinois, and we’ve been asked to extradite you. Do you understand?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“We’d like you to climb up onto our vessel. Officer Williams is going to help you, and we would like you to cooperate with us. Do you understand?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Good. Please climb aboard.”
“There’s something you should know,” Culann said.
“Why don’t you climb aboard so you can tell us?” she replied.
“It might be dangerous for you to be near me.”
“Are you threatening us, Mr. Riordan?”
“No, ma’am.”
“Get in the boat,” she said with such authority Culann found himself clambering aboard without consciously deciding to do so. Officer Williams pulled him up by the arm, and before Culann realized what was happening, he was face down on the boat bottom with his hands cuffed behind his back.
“Hey, Schuler,” Williams said. “Do you see that?”
“Jesus, what happened?”
“I count three.”
Culann still lie face down on the damp bottom. Williams yanked him up and
shoved him into one of the rear seats. The officer plunked a life jacket over Culann’s head and snapped it into place.
“What happened here, Mr. Riordan?” Officer Schuler asked.
“They’re all dead,” Culann said. “Not just them. The whole town. I’m the only one who survived.”
“How did they die, Mr. Riordan?” Schuler asked.
“I don’t know. It’s got to be some kind of virus or maybe poison. That’s why I’m not sure it’s such a good idea for you to get too close to me.”
“Thanks for the advice, Mr. Riordan,” she said.
“I’m going to call this in,” Williams said. He pulled his walkie-talkie to his lips.
“Dispatch, this is one-oh-five.”
There was no response.
“Dispatch, this is one-oh-five. Do you copy?”
Still nothing.
“Whatever it is, it seems to affect communications devices,” Culann said.
“You’re saying that there’s a virus or poison that breaks our radios?” Schuler said with a raised eyebrow.
“I know it sounds crazy, but there’s something weird going on here.”
“We better take him in and then come back to investigate,” Williams said.
“But we can’t just leave these bodies here,” Schuler replied.
“Okay, let’s fish them out.”
“Stay seated, Mr. Riordan,” Schuler said. “If you move, we’ll have no choice but to use force.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Williams sat in the driver’s seat and pushed down the throttle to bring the boat closer to Alistair’s rowboat, which floated about ten feet away. The engine sputtered and then shut down. He twisted the key in the ignition, but nothing happened. He went back to inspect the motor.
“Don’t bother,” Culann said.
“Please keep quiet, Mr. Riordan,” Williams responded.
Culann pressed his lips together and settled into his seat. He tried to guess how long these two had to live. They were half a mile from the orb, yet it still had managed to knock out the radios and engine. Culann wondered if he was somehow carrying the orb’s powers with him, like an infection. He reasoned that he had to be immune since he’d been the first to touch it and was still alive, but he’d seen too many people die to have much confidence in his own chances of survival.
Williams fiddled with the engine for a few minutes while Schuler kept watch on Culann. Then Williams gave up, and the two switched roles. After a few more minutes of futility, Schuler plopped down in the shotgun seat and stared out across the ocean.
“We’re dead in the water,” she said.
“May I say something?” Culann asked.
“You know, Mr. Riordan,” Williams said, “I’m really not interested in the child molester’s opinion. So why don’t you just sit there quietly while we wait for someone to find us?”
“With all due respect, sir, it would be better if no one finds us.”
Williams turned his head and spit into the water.
“Okay, Mr. Riordan,” Schuler said, swiveling around to face him. “Why is that?”
“Because anyone who finds us is going to die.”
“Because of the virus, right?” she replied with a wry smile.
“I don’t know what it is, but it seems to act like a virus. And I might be a carrier.”
“Don’t encourage him,” Williams said to Schuler. “I really don’t want to hear any more of his bullshit.”
“Sir, please just think about it for a second. Isn’t it an amazing coincidence that your radios and your engine would go out at the same time you found me? Not to mention the dead bodies.”
“There’s nothing coincidental about the dead bodies, you creep,” Williams snapped. “There’s not a doubt in mind that you are responsible, and I’m going to make sure you fry for this. You understand?”
“Okay,” Culann responded. “Let’s say I did kill them. That I somehow convinced four people to get in two separate rowboats and row halfway out to sea. Then they all died at once. I’m unarmed, and there is no blood. How did I do it? It would have to be something biological, something you wouldn’t want innocent people exposed to.”
“Four people?” Schuler asked.
“There’s one more, but she fell out of the boat.”
“Enough,” Williams shouted. “If you say another word, I’m tossing you over the side.”
“Lighten up, Williams,” Schuler said. “We’ve got an hour or two to kill before someone finds us. Just humor the guy.”
“I’m sorry, Schuler. I just don’t find mass-murdering child rapists all that funny.”
“Fine, but I’m going to talk to him. Like I said, we’re going to be here for a while.”
“Suit yourself,” Williams said, turning his back to Culann.
“So, Mr. Riordan,” Schuler said, “you think you’ve been exposed to something biological? Something that has also disabled our boat?”
“I know it sounds crazy, but you’ve got to believe me that there is something serious going on here. It’s not just these four people who are dead, it’s the whole town.”
Williams raised his binoculars to his eyes and stared across the water.
“Take a look at this.”
Schuler turned away from Culann and peered through her binoculars. She rose slowly without taking her gaze from Pyrite’s shoreline.
“That’s definitely another body,” she said. “What’s with all the dogs?”