Sharkbait Ch. 36-40

The next day was moderately successful; we tagged two Great Whites and one Shortfin Mako before we had to shut down due to high winds. We lost a day as the storm blew through, and Erik did interview me for a few hours during that time. The next day we were back off the eastern edge of Cape Cod, tagging nine new Great Whites over the next three days. The last days of the expedition would be with cameras only, trying to catch footage of attacks on the grey seal colonies along the rocky shores.

We started setting up the cages in the early morning as we transited around the northern edge of the cape to the seaward side. Chip and Theresa were helping me learn about the design as they set them up. "Previous cage designs were limited because they hang down from the boat, and the divers are dependent on the tanks on their back," Chip said. "We designed these to be autonomous. These aluminum-clad foam floats along the top provide plenty of positive buoyancy to keep the cage up top. Instead of hanging from the boat, we anchor with a rope from the bottom."

"These eighty-pound concrete blocks are plenty, and you can have over two hundred feet of rope. We place the anchors in the target area, feed the rope into the wheel here, and you have depth control anywhere in the water column without needing assistance." Theresa demonstrated the mechanism for me. It was as simple as a boat winch. Release the brake, then use the crank to move up or down. "When you are ready to surface, you can just release the brake and let your buoyancy take you up. In an emergency, cut the rope here with your knife and float up."

"This is the best thing," Chip said as he showed the four extra-large air tanks along opposite sides near the bottom. "Eight times as much air as from carrying your own on your back, and your regulator hose connects into it. Without the tanks, you have more room in the cage to move around. You can stay down for about three hours at a time. We press up the tanks while the dive team rests, then you go back down again. One cameraman and one safety diver per cage." We'd use all four, as we only had four cameramen.

"What if something happens to your regulator or hose," I asked.

"Buddy breath to the surface, or use this device that you'll be carrying on your weight belt," he said as he showed me the emergency air regulator. It was a small tank with an integral regulator and mouthpiece. "Twist the mouthpiece ninety degrees to start the air, and it's good for three minutes."

We finished assembling our cage just after the other three finished. We didn't arrive on station until almost nine in the morning, but with safety briefs done, we were ready to go. We set one cage in shallower water, about twenty feet, while the others we anchored over the drop-offs closer to where we had caught the sharks earlier. The seal colonies were loud and avoided the ship as we set up.

We had four cameramen and seven divers, meaning we would be rotating the safety divers. When the deepwater cameramen were on their rest cycles, we would be sending a pair of researches down with hand cameras. I was up first, in the shallow-water cage set in place only thirty yards off the crowded beach. The anchor went over the side before the cage was put in the water. I swam to the cage in my skin-diving gear, going in the top hatch and going on air before connecting the floating nylon rope to the wheel and cranking it tight. Once I had it stabilized, Frank swam over and handed in his camera gear before pulling himself in. He latched the top closed and gave the thumbs up, and the Ocean Explorer moved to the next location.

We did one last check of our gear before I started cranking the cage down to the bottom. I stopped when we were suspended just a few feet above the seafloor and set the brake. Frank got his camera going, taking a full rotation around as we got used to moving together. We had to make sure the air hoses didn't get tangled, but other than that? This dive was fun, and it was going to last for hours.

The seals quickly went back to normal as the boat left, and a few curious ones came up to the cage before zooming off. Since this was Erik running the show, each cage had multiple fixed cameras showing inside and outside, a small camera attached to the top of my mask, plus the big underwater camera Frank had. As the safety diver, my job was to make sure nothing snuck up on Frank while he was focusing on his camera work. The aluminum cage had openings big enough for a shark's nose to get in, and we'd all watched Jaws a few too many times in our lives.

For an hour, we saw nothing but seals. Their sudden absence was a tipoff that a predator was around, and it didn't take long to find it. A thirteen-foot Great White with a tag was swimming near the bottom towards us. The shark circled the cage, even taking the bars in her teeth before deciding we weren't dinner and moved on. It disappeared into the deeper waters.

The panicked swimming of a big seal caught my eye, and I got Frank's attention on it just as the Great White came rushing up from the deep. He wasn't going after that one, but at a smaller seal at the surface. The big shark rose like a rocket from the deep, slamming into its victim as it breached the surface. Frank kept the camera on the scene as the shark swallowed half of the seal, the rear half spiraling down as the water was colored red. The big shark circled for the rest, tearing it apart to swallow it in big chunks as the remoras picked off the small pieces. They quickly swam back and attached themselves to the shark as it headed for deep water.

Ho. Lee. Shit.

Frank was still filming, and he brought two fingers to his mask and then pointed them away, the signal to keep my eyes peeled. With blood in the water, more sharks might show up, and they did. A smaller male Great White swam through the blood looking for the source but moved on. A half-dozen smaller sharks, including a shortfin mako, made an appearance as well. I checked my dive computer and the tank pressures, calculating we had less than thirty minutes of air left. By our safety rules, it was time to come up.

I tapped Frank on the arm, pointed at the dive time, then signaled for the surface. He nodded, still filming, as I released the brake. The cage rose slowly to the surface, finally bobbing in the waves. I set the brake so it wouldn't drift off, and we waited on air for the Ocean Explorer to return.

"Tell me you got that," I said as soon as I was up on deck.

"Money shot," Frank said with a big grin. He pulled his fins off, then stood and picked me up, spinning me around. "THAT WAS FANTASTIC," he said. "Nice job spotting it, or I might have missed it."

We told the story of the hit as Erik downloaded the file to his laptop; the removable memory card would be locked up in the safe when he finished. Most of the crew watched as he played the segment, whooping in glee at what we'd caught. "I think we need to move another cage closer to shore," he said.

"We should get the first shift out and see what they have first," I said. "Who knows? They might have better shots."

"This is tough to beat. I dream of footage like this," Erik said.

We spent all but one of the remaining days doing shark dives, but no footage came close to what we had gained that first dive. We did some chumming, bringing big sharks in close to the cage, but that wasn't the same.

All too soon, we were heading back to Woods Hole. We left about four in the afternoon, leaving us time for a celebration dinner. Chef Boyar did it up, with surf and turf, twice-baked potatoes, and mixed vegetables for dinner. I was enjoying the lobster tail when the big television screens fired up. "We have a LOT of work to do in the editing room, but we put together some of our favorite footage for this sneak preview," Erik said. "Enjoy."

It was scene after scene of our success, roughly in chronological order. It showed us leaving port, then first Great White shark we tagged. There were shorter views of other sharks, but Eric showed the entire process of capturing thru releasing the second-biggest Great White ever tagged. I slumped in my seat as Brian insulted me, only to be hugged and congratulated as I saw myself take him down. I hadn't seen what happened when I left until now. I saw Sally running after me, while Chip ran to get Doctor Goodwin. Nobody went to Brian's aide as he woke up and pushed himself until he was sitting up. "What happened," he asked.

"You got your ass kicked," Dale said. "You're lucky she did it already, so we don't have to." Doctor Goodwin took him back to the infirmary, while Theresa and Dale left to talk to the Captain.

"Thank you," I told my friends as the scene ended.

"No problem, Sharkbait," Theresa said as she handed me my dessert. The crew had started to call me that after the Shark Barbie incident. They found my original nickname to be more fitting, given my success at attracting sharks. I took a bite of the Turtle cheesecake. Fluffier than at Wiederholts, but still good. Yum.

There were great shots of us tagging sharks, and some fascinating "shark-cam" footage. The highlight of the night was the beginning-to-end attack run by the Great White on the grey seal that Frank had captured in our first dive. When the preview ended, there was a loud cheer that I enthusiastically joined.

Erik sat with me after; he had months of editing to do with the thousands of hours of footage they had taken. He knew they had more material than a single one-hour Shark Week show could hold. He was going to push for two hours, or better, a series of one-hour episodes throughout the week. He would call me when he was ready for me to do more interviews and voice-over work as he finished the edits. "You did a great job out here, Vicki. The camera loves you, and the audience will relate to you. I'm so happy Bert opted out, and we hired you in his place." Bert was the original host who backed out weeks before.

"This was a life-changing adventure for me. If you need me for the next one, give me a call." It was true; I'd chased my dream these past two weeks, and found out I could hold my own. I'd even earned the respect of my peers along the way.

After dinner, I had to pack my bags and get ready to leave. I'd made a lot of friends, and I had their numbers stored in my phone now. It was almost sundown when the Ocean Explorer approached its pier.

I expected a driver to be waiting for me. Instead, Luna Adrienne was there with three big warriors from the Baxter Pack.

It couldn't be good news.

Ch. 40

I thanked the crew and Captain before stepping off the boat and on to the pier. It was only a few steps before Adrienne had me in her arms, hugging me tightly. "You look like you had fun," she said as she let me go again.

"It was more than I dreamed it could be," I said. "No offense, but why are you and the muscle here?"

"Things happened while you were at sea." One of the guys grabbed my bags and put them in the back of the big Ford SUV before climbing in the passenger seat. The other two headed for a second car in the lot, whose driver hadn't gotten out. I caught a glimpse of a submachine gun under one of their jackets; they weren't kidding around. You needed serious credentials to pack that kind of heat in THIS state. "I'll tell you on the way to the airport."

I climbed in the back seat with her, enjoying the air conditioning after the long day. As soon as the doors closed, I was looking at my Aunt, but she was already on the phone. "Olivia? It's Adrienne. I've got Vicki with me, and we're leaving Woods Hole now. We'll see you in an hour and a half."

An hour and a half? We couldn't even get to the airport by then. Why would Mom be here in Boston? "Can I talk to her?"

Adrienne hung up instead. "There's time for talk later, Vicki. Right now? I need you to listen." She had that look she got when the shit was hitting the fan, so I just waited. "Two days ago, we were informed that a contract is out there on you. Someone on the dark web is offering a two-hundred-thousand-dollar bounty on your head."

I could feel my wolf forcing herself forward; nails began to lengthen and dig into the seat, and teeth started to push down in my mouth. I focused and forced her back; losing control here would accomplish nothing. "Who?"

"We don't know for sure. We're on our way to meet the one who sent the warning. He wants to tell us in person, and insisted you be there."

That seemed odd. "Can you trust him? Is that why you've brought the security?"

"We have mutual respect and seek to maintain the peace between our species, but never make the mistake of trusting one of them. The warriors are with us because even though one man turned down the job, another may have taken it. Leo and Alpha Steven have already agreed on this much; you will have an armed detail with you at all times. The leader of this detail will be at least Beta rank."

I slumped down in the seat; this would be obvious to everyone, and I'd lose any freedoms I had enjoyed. "What about Amy? And the twins?"

"We haven't heard of any threat to them."

That was good. And bad. It meant Amy would be able to stay in San Diego while Kai was stationed there, with the twins to help. Coronado was exposed; the apartment was on a public street, with a canal behind it and no security outside its walls. It didn't have patrolled borders, surveillance systems, and hundreds of wolves around. "Am I being ordered back to Pack lands? Is that why you are here?"

"We're evaluating our options, Vicki. In the end, the Alphas do what is best for you and the Pack. You know that."

Shit. I did know that. "I have obligations, modeling appearances! I owe Mercedes an answer on the additional events that she wants Amy and me to participate in." I let my head fall back. "This is happening at the worst possible time."

"Life sucks at times," she said without a hint of sympathy.

Fine. Adrienne had never pulled punches in my training; as a future Alpha, she expected a lot from me. Alphas had to make hard decisions, sometimes unpopular ones, for the common good. "Who are we going to see?"

"Alexander Corvinus. He is the Master Vampire of the New England region."

VAMPIRE? Oh, SHIT. Vampires and werewolves do NOT mix, and it's not because one is sparkly and the other drools. Packs share an uneasy truce with them and other supernatural beings, staying to borders established over a century ago after the last war. Vampires controlled the big cities, Werewolves the countryside, and Merpeople the fishing villages and coastlines. "A vampire is looking to kill me?"

"No, but he is the one who has the information we need. Vampires never do anything out of friendship or charity, though. He will want something in exchange. I'm pretty sure that's why he wants you there instead of dealing with me again."

What could a Master Vampire want with me? "Why?"

"Only one way to find out. Now, while we drive, tell me what you know about Vampires."

"Vampires are a cursed race that conquered death, never aging and capable of immortality. The curse makes them dependent on human blood to survive. They must feed every few days to maintain peak condition; if they stop, they become weaker, and a powerful bloodthirst comes upon them. The feral vampire attacks are the source of the human legends about them." Adrienne nodded to continue. "To feed, vampires entrance unwilling victims by looking into their eyes. The victims become compliant throughout the neck bite while the vampire feeds off the artery. Vampire saliva heals the wound almost instantly, leaving no evidence behind. The human does not remember anything about the attack; they wake up an hour later, down a pint of blood, and feeling hung-over. Older vampires can enter a human's mind to read and remove memories."

Adrienne seemed pleased by my recall. "As werewolves, we are unaffected by their attempts at hypnosis. However, the blood of another supernatural is like rocket fuel for them. It makes them stronger, sharpens their senses, and focuses their powers for a few days. Before the Transylvania Accords, vampires held werewolves captive to collect their blood, and werewolves killed vampires on sight. The Accords have held, thanks to defined borders and open communications between the ruling Councils."

"You've talked to them?"

"Of course, in my time on the Council. We have to resolve conflicts, get permission to enter territories, and even request their services to clean up accidental werewolf sightings. I've dealt with Alexander several times in person. Now, what can you tell me about Vampire society and structure?"

"They are ruled by a North American Council, made up of Master Vampires based in the largest cities."

"Which cities?"

I had to think about it. "Boston, New York, Washington, Atlanta, Miami, Port-Au-Prince, New Orleans, Houston, Dallas, Kansas City, Chicago, Detroit, Toronto, Montreal, Minneapolis, Denver, Phoenix, Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Mexico City. Twenty-one Master Vampires with New Orleans as their home base. Each Master Vampire rules a region and can place a Coven in the larger cities within their territory. A Coven can have no more than five vampires, of which only one can be less than ten years turned." Oh shit. "Wait; San Diego is with the Los Angeles territory."

"Yes. Coronado is technically not big enough to be within a Coven, but the Master Vampire in Los Angeles gave your Alpha her permission for your group to move there. That kind of communication is key to preventing misunderstandings. Without permission, werewolves can visit major cities for innocent reasons, but cannot live there. Now, what happens to vampires with time?"

"They get stronger, but there is a limit."

She nodded. "Unlike werewolves, vampires do not have Mantles or wolves of Alpha or Beta strength that makes leadership predictable. Master Vampires want strong vampires to defend their territory, but too strong a challenger gets you killed. They can live forever, but most vampires live shorter lives than we do."

"It doesn't sound like a fun existence," I said.

"They have money and power, high sexual appetites, and they don't sleep," Adrienne said. "Add in the chance at immortality, and you can see why Familiars want in."

"I guess."

We'd made it back to the Interstate and were heading north towards Boston. "Now for the important stuff. Why are vampires dangerous to us?"

"Teeth that can rip and tear, claws that grow to the length of their hands and are razor-sharp. The tips can inject a venom that causes paralysis in seconds, and you suffocate within minutes." Even a newly turned vampire is lethal.

"And how do you kill them?"

"Coordinate your attacks like you would a moose or elk. You have to separate the head from the body, blow them up, or burn them to keep their flesh from regenerating. Stakes in the heart, sunlight, crosses, silver, garlic, all are useless against them." All warriors had to learn the tactics passed down from previous generations, even though none of them had ever fought one.

"How widespread is the hunting of humans," she quizzed.

"Random attacks are discouraged, as surveillance cameras and cellphones have made it more dangerous. Vampires will meet victims and bring them to apartments or buildings where they can feed out of sight. Like werewolves, vampire law has harsh penalties for endangering their kind. Master vampires rely on their stables of familiars, humans who are loyal to them alone. Familiars provide services including blood and sex, hoping to prove themselves worthy of a turn. Turning a human into a vampire requires Council permission. Newly turned vampires are unstable, and they require careful supervision and a reliable food source to prevent problems. An unauthorized turn gets the whole coven wiped out."