Thunder cracks in the black sky above, bringing forth a few drops of rain. Killian’s demeanor changes. He can’t rely on optimism. “I’d like to believe that, darling. But I saw something different. That night, I watched her kill herself. She drowned. I’ll go with you to the Iron Eye, and I’ll sure as hell fight whoever wants to stand in our way. But I don’t have the same faith as you. When people leave, they leave for good.”
The rain intensifies. Violent gusts of wind force against his body and face. The ocean builds around them. Ruby’s eyes widen. “Maybe now’s not the time. Get Vash.”
A wave smacks against the side of the vessel, flooding the deck.
Killian turns to head down to the cabin, but Vash is already soaked in the rain. His eyes crease, and his body is stiff. The turn of weather must have abruptly woke him.
“Systems control,” Vash shouts. “Get to the downstairs control panel!”
Ruby slides across the deck as a wave brings the vessel sideways. Swinging her feet around the base of the knee rail, she balances and stretches her arms to open the downstairs control center.
The boat stabilizes, and she swings herself down, hitting her ass on every slick step. Killian follows and braces as he rolls headfirst into a rising pool of water.
The downstairs systems control is wrecked. The ocean soaks through the chip units. The display screen floats by his chest.
“Auto-pilot is shot,” Killian says. “We must run the ship manually on deck.”
“Okay. Good plan—”
Another wave hits, shattering the glass of the control center. The tide takes Ruby. She holds on to Killian and the edge of the window as the tide
pulls her with the strength of a hundred arms.
The water is rising inside. She let’s go.
Killian gulps in air and ducks underwater. Opening his eyes doesn’t do him many favors, but he sees her red hair, illuminated by a bright light. Is his mind playing tricks on him? There’s no time to gauge. But for that one second, he doesn’t see Ruby. He sees Rae’s body, floating endlessly away from him.
It’s horrible.
“No...” he growls.
He pulls her back inside, bringing her back to safety on the deck. Another wave smashes the side, but he’s got her steady.
Ruby coughs out a lungful of water. “We will die out here,” she gasps. “Won’t we?”
Vash is already manually maneuvering the boat away from the giant crests of water. “We’re not going to fucking die,” he says, clenching his mouth tightly as he arches the wheel.
Killian saw something. The light behind Ruby’s head. It wasn’t his imagination. It was an intruder.
He struggles to get a breath in. “Under water,” he coughs.
“Take a second to breathe,” Vash says.
Killian stumbles forward, grabs Vash’s chin, and turns his head for him. “We don’t have a second.”
Rising from the black sea is a shiny submarine. Like a serpent, it disappears back into the depths. For a second, there is no sound. Even the weather seems to pause for what’s coming.
Vash and Killian share glances, both swallowing hard.
The sound of water swaying and slapping from the movement underneath.
Vash runs to get the children.
Silence. Silence. Get ready...
It hits them from the center. The submarine’s nose crushes the bottom of the boat.
They’re sent flying across the deck. Metal beams fall and thrash against the waves that follow.