Gomez and the lieutenant dragged the man’s upp+-er torso into their boat. Gomez had to fight with himself not to puke as he handled the corpse, severed below the rib cage. The ribs shone brightly in the morning sun, internal organs fell from the body into the craft as they hauled it in.
“He’s been gotten at by ‘gators,” the captain said casually. “I’ve seen these bite marks before. This is a timely reminder that the waterways of Florida are not safe.”
Gomez gulped and looked into the murky river trying to see this silent enemy. “I thought all the alligators were in the Everglades.”
“They are everywhere,” the captain replied. “It’s common for an odd ‘gator death this far down, a couple a year usually. But now, without all the noise of the boats and tourists maybe they’re getting braver and trying out new territories,”
The lieutenant pointed at a limb floating in the water near them, he reached out to get it, then suddenly pulled his arm back in as if he expected the snapping jaws of an alligator to spring from the water. He waited until the craft was upon it, then quickly snatched the leg and hauled it aboard.
Gomez gagged once more, and could tell that it too had a clean bite mark in it. “Would an alligator attack the crew?” he asked to cover his nausea.
“No way. The renegades somehow overpowered them and left them as ‘gator food.”
“Does this leg belong to that torso, or is the leg all we’re going find of this sailor,” Gomez asked.
“That leg does not belong to that body, sailor. I’d say this leg is Chinese, certainly oriental.”
“Chen,” Gomez said flatly.
“Captain?” the lieutenant called his attention with hope rising in his voice. “I think there is another one over there on the lawn behind the cruiser. I think its breathing — I think he’s still alive!”
The captain steered the naval craft to where the lieutenant had indicated, and they disembarked slowly, so as not to dip their feet into any part of the river after seeing the damage the mighty jaws of an alligator could inflict. Gomez flipped the person over. “It’s Matthers, Captain — he’s still breathing.”
The lieutenant bent closer. “Can you hear me Matthers? You’re safe now, wake up.” He did not respond. “He’s trying to say something.” He leaned in closer to Matther’s mouth, but could not understand him. “I can’t hear him coz of this damned helmet.”
He went to take it off when the captain grabbed him roughly by the wrist. “Do not remove your helmet.”
“I can’t hear him, Captain.”
“That’s an order, sailor.”
The captain bent near to Matthers whose eyes started to flutter. “Help me…” he croaked. “I need water…”
The captain hooked his arm under his head and raised him up. “I need you to look at these photos, it’s imperative to our mission that we capture the terrorists. Was this person involved?” Captain Phillips held up a headshot of Sophie. “Was she the terrorist that did this?”
Matthers eyes focused on the photograph, but then he looked as if he would pass out again. The captain shook him, “Matthers! Look at the photo, that’s an order. If she was involved nod your head.”
Matthers stared at the photo for the longest time, and then almost imperceptibly nodded.
“I knew it,” said the captain. “Now we have some solid proof. I’ve got to speak to the ship so they can let high command know.” He hopped back onto the craft and picked up the radio.
Matthers tugged on Gomez’s sleeve, but he still could not hear through the plastic visor of his helmet. “What? What you saying? Can’t you speak louder?” Gomez begged.
Matthers beckoned to Gomez, who looked around shiftily then quickly whipped off his helmet, leaned down to Matthers who said; “Tell your sister… that I love her…”
Gomez swiftly donned his helmet. “You can tell her yourself, buddy, because you are going to make it.” He smiled at his friend and fiddled with the catches of his helmet.
The captain turned sharply and almost caught him. “Did you take your helmet off?” he asked in disbelief.
“No, Captain, not me. Getting hot is all,” he lied weakly.
“Come on we’ve got to go,” the captain ordered.
“Aren’t we taking Matthers, Captain?”
“Don’t question orders, boy.”
Gomez was not about to give up on his friend. “What about, Matthers?”
“He’s a plague victim, you’ll deal with him the same as anyone else suffering with the Black Death,”
“He’s one of our own, sir.”
“You know what to do, Gomez.”
“W — What do you mean, Captain?” Gomez asked, with a quaver in his voice.
“He’s been exposed. He’s a darkie. Dispatch him.”
“I can’t, Captain, he’s marrying my sister. I’m going to be the best man, please, Captain, there must be something else we can do?” Gomez said.
The captain nodded to the lieutenant who had no qualms, as quick as a flash and much to Gomez’s utter horror, shot Matthers between the eyes.
CHAPTER 32
13:00 PM
Several miles upriver Sophie and Luke watched in amazement as the tall mast of an eighty-foot yacht drifted slowly toward them along the Intracoastal Waterway. They crouched in some bushes, near to the water. “How the hell did that get on the river?” Sophie asked.
“Beats me.” He shrugged as the tall mast snapped the overhanging tree branches. “Maybe it drifted in from the ocean.”
“But it’s under engine power,” she said, “I can hear it.”
“Perhaps it has some sort of GPS and is trying to re-correct its course.”
“So you think it will continue all the way down the river to the tributary we came in on?”
“That’s my guess,” he said.
She smiled, “Y’know that would make one hell of decoy. They would think we’re miles south, while we head north.”
“Cool. What weapon do you have?” he asked her.
“One flare left. That’ll have to do,” she waited for the yacht to draw level, then lit the flare and tossed it onboard. “Fingers crossed,” she smiled.
“You never know, what with all this dry weather, it could catch alight.”
13:30 PM
Gomez sat at the back of the naval motor launch staring at the corpses of Matthers and Weston along with the leg of Chen. He sat in silence, not daring to speak after watching his friend and fellow sailor murdered in cold blood. He formulated the letter he would send right to the top, to Vice-Admiral Reed. He would report this to the highest level. There is no way he would let the murder of his best friend go unchallenged. He would complain vehemently that the killing was unlawful, that Matthers had still been alive and who could say if he was going to recover or not. They had not tested him to determine whether Matthers had the disease, they just shot him dead anyhow and then tossed his lifeless carcass onto the boat like an old garbage sack. Matthers’ dead eyes stared at him accusingly and he had to look away.
The captain spoke on the radio; “Affirmative, we’ve identified the remains of Matthers, Chen and Weston. They have been informally identified and will be buried at sea in accordance with our mandate, thank you, Vice-Admiral.”
The captain turned to Gomez. “Over the side with them, we can’t have them contaminating the ship, now can we?”
Gomez’s face registered absolute horror. “B— but, Captain,” he stuttered unable to believe his ears.
“Why does everything have to be an argument with you Gomez? You do not question the chain of command, when I give an order you damn well follow it — no questions, is that understood?”