“Soon,” she said. “When you return.”
Her voice seemed to catch, but before he could respond, Phyl crowed, “Dad, Daddy! I got a fish!”
The pole arched, bending down. He hurried over and grabbed it, pulling it from the holder, and spun the reel several times to make sure the hook was set.
The fish fought back, pulling hard enough that Les almost lost the rod.
“Here, help me reel it in,” he said. He moved back from the rail and bent down to let Phyl grab the reel handle.
“Twist it,” he said.
Phyl turned the handle, intent on the prize.
“It’s a big one, Papa!” she said.
Les couldn’t see the fish, but whatever it was, it was big.
He held the rod as she turned the reel.
The three women stepped up to watch.
“Don’t let it get away,” said his wife.
“Phyl’s got this,” Les said.
He spotted a long, narrow shadow swimming below the surface. It darted away, then back again. He raised the rod, pulling the fish toward the surface.
“Faster!” he said.
Phyl let out a grunt.
The silvery fish broke through the surface but then went back under, darting away again.
“Holy wastes,” Les said. Did they have a big tuna on the line? It was so damn fast and powerful.
Pulling up on the rod, he got the fish closer to the surface again while Phyl spun the reel.
When it was just below the waves, Les yanked on the rod, and the fish burst out of the water, somersaulting in the air. He reeled it the rest of the way up until he could grab the line in one hand.
“Take the rod,” Les said to Katherine.
She grabbed it, squealing as Les pulled the fish over the railing. He grabbed the back with his other hand and brought it to the deck, where he put a knee on the slender body.
The fish had to be two feet long, with needle teeth that were snapping at his hand.
He glanced up at Phyl. “You did it, sweetie,” he said. “You caught a big fish!”
Phyl walked over timidly, staring with wide eyes.
“What is that thing?” Katherine asked.
“I’m not sure,” Les said.
Layla bent down. “Looks a lot like the crest that Rhino wore, and the ones that Mac and Felipe have on their armor,” she said. “I think it might be a barracuda.”
“Wow, a barracoooda, Papa,” Phyl said.
Les carefully removed the hook from the mouth and then held the fish up in both hands.
“Want to touch it before I throw it back in?” he asked.
Phyl moved over, cautiously. Then she brought up a finger and ran it along the body. The barracuda squirmed, forcing her back into Katherine’s arms.
“Okay, I better get it back home,” Les said. “Say goodbye.”
“Bye, Barracooooda,” Phyl said.
Les gently tossed the fish over the rail. It landed with a splash and swam slowly in a circle, stunned.
“I want to see,” Phyl said.
He picked her up for a better view just as the silver body vanished into the depths.
“That was so cool,” Phyl said.
“Great work, kiddo. You can now tell the other kids you caught a barracuda, one of the fiercest fish in the ocean.”
She smiled wider and looked up at him.
“I figured out what I want to be when I get older,” she said.
“A fisherwoman?” Katherine said.
Phyl shook her head. “Nope.”
“What, then?” Les asked.
“I want to be a barracuda warrior that fights the monsters.”
Les and Katherine exchanged a worried glance.
“I better get going,” Layla said. She held up a high five to Phyl before parting. “Good job, little lady.”
“Thanks,” Phyl said, slapping her hand.
Eevi smiled at Phyl and left with Layla.
“See you in a bit,” Les said.
Phyl’s smiled disappeared as Les put her back on the deck. The time had come to tell her the truth about his mission.
“I wish Trey were here to see me catch that fish,” she said. “Maybe he’s watching from above.”
“Oh, he is, sweetie,” Katherine said.
Les bent down so he could meet his daughter’s eyes.
“What’s wrong?” Phyl said. She looked to her mom and said, “Something’s wrong, isn’t it, Mama?”
Katherine looked at Les.
“I’m going away for a while again,” he said.
“To fight the monsters?”
“Yes. But this time, it’s different,” he said. “I’m going to make sure they never come back again and that you can fish whenever you want and grow up and be whatever you want to be.”
“When will you be back?” Phyl asked.
“I don’t know,” he said. “Hopefully, I won’t be gone too long.”
Phyl looked at the sky. “I want to come this time,” she said. “I caught a barracuda; I’m strong enough. I promise.”
“Not this trip,” he said, “but maybe someday.”
“But…”
“Barracuda warriors don’t pout,” he said. “Barracuda warriors are like Hell Divers. They don’t cry. They just do what they have to do so humanity can keep carrying on.”
Phyl thought on it, then nodded firmly, her pigtails bobbing. “Okay, but promise me you’re going to be back soon so we can go fishing again.”
“I promise,” Les said, trying not to choke up. “Just remember, no matter where I am, I’m always here.”
He tapped Phyl over her heart and kissed her forehead.
Storm clouds rolled in with the darkness over the Vanguard islands. X watched the footage Cricket had captured of Raven’s Claw.
On his tablet, the recorded video feed was grainy, but there was no mistaking the massive Cazador warship that the bastard son of el Pulpo had stolen and sailed to the Outrider.
Soldiers patrolled on the deck, wearing human skin over their armor. X zoomed in on the one wearing a horn on his helmet.
“I’m coming for you, hijoeputa,” X said.
He set the tablet aside and went back to writing letters. When he finished the last one, he sealed the envelope with a hot wax stamp of the Hell Diver Raptor symbol. Writing with his left hand had taken him longer than he expected, and now he was running late for the launches.
You’d be late to your own funeral, Sloan had told him.
I’ve never met a warrior who can’t tell time, Rhino once said.
X put the letters in his backpack and gestured for Miles to follow him out of his quarters. He blew out the candle and shut the door.
They took the stairs down to the docks. Dozens of soldiers waited in the moonlight, their armored silhouettes turning in his direction. There would be no ceremony for the departing warriors tonight, no boats with thousands of Cazadores holding torches and candles to wish them success on their missions. No flower petals being cast before them to show love for the men and women defending this audacious miracle in the middle of the ocean.
Tonight, they were leaving in silence, as discreetly as possible.
Layla waited on the docks with Phyl and Katherine, all of them wearing robes against the unusually cold wind. Michael stood with them, arms around his wife and unborn son.
Several other people were outside, having said goodbye to their loved ones, while many more were on their balconies, gazing out at the warships.
“King Xavier,” Michael said.
“You ready?” X asked.
Michael and Layla ended their long embrace, and he hefted his pack and gear.
“Look after Les for us,” Katherine said to Michael.
“I will.”
X fished in his bag and handed a note to Layla. “Read this after we leave,” he said.
She took it gingerly, then tightened her grip as the wind gusted.