The Noah Redford Adventures!
Chapter 20: High Seas War Part IV
Dr. Stroud and his men were gone. There was not so much as a whisper left of their aircraft. Alone in the churning open water, nature was now the enemy. Blood brought this shark to them, and blood is what the beast wanted. Yelena tried two separate weapons, neither fired. Just as with Noah’s the water washed away its fight.
Noah’s mind snapped into overdrive, the warrior within taking control. Fear was there, but he buried it beneath cold calculation. No way he was letting a shark decide their fate. His eyes locked onto John-Boy, floating nearby, barely hanging on, blood mixing with the ocean.
“John-Boy,” Noah called out, the pain in his body secondary to the urgency in his voice.
“You’ve got a knife on you, right?”
John-Boy nodded, as he fumbled for the blade at his belt. The shark’s fin was slicing through the water, closing in fast. Precision death, on its way.
“Give it here. Now!” Noah’s voice was a sharp bark, his legs pumping to keep above water. John-Boy’s weak hand finally produced the knife, passing it over. Noah snatched it from the air.
It was time to fight.
The shark torpedoed in, a hulking blur beneath the surface. Noah braced himself, muscles wired tight with adrenaline. The beast lunged, its jaws yawning wide, teeth gleaming like primordial razors in the sun. Noah drove the knife down, hard and fast, aiming for the gills with mechanical precision.
The blade bit deep, and the shark reacted violently, thrashing with the fury of a dying savage. Water exploded around them as Noah twisted the knife deeper, his hand steady, pushing the cold steel into the soft underbelly. The predator’s tail whipped the water into a froth, its death throes violent and unrelenting. It took off toward John-Boy, Noah kept his grip. He pulled the blade free and reset it into the shark’s guts.
Then, in one final, primal jerk, the shark’s jaws snapped shut—on John-Boy.
A sharp, strangled cry tore from John-Boy’s throat as the shark’s teeth tore into him, crushing flesh and bone with brutal ease.
“Ah, the son of a gun’s got me!” John-Boy began punching at the beast to no avail.
Noah’s heart slammed in his chest as he watched, powerless, the shark’s jaws locking onto his comrade’s leg. Blood poured into the water in thick clouds, and Noah knew there was no saving him.
“No!” Rebecca’s scream was guttural, her rage palpable as she splashed toward them. Blood turned the ocean into a red pool of horror.
Noah surged forward, his gut twisting, but his hands steady as ever. He reached for John-Boy, but the damage was done. John-Boy’s face was ghostly pale, his breath coming as shallow wheezes, each one a fight. The shark, its life finally drained, sank into the depths, taking part of John-Boy with it.
“Noah…” John-Boy’s voice was a whisper, his grip on Noah’s arm weak, his strength fading fast. “You take those sons of bitches down. You don’t let them win. Hear me, pilot?…”
Noah Redford said nothing. He would be speaking to a ghost if he did. John-Boy’s grip loosened, the life leaving his eyes. Noah held onto him, but the ocean was already claiming what was left.
“Noah, look!” Yelena pointed skyward. Another aircraft appeared, materializing through the horizon from the west. “That’s our ride! It’s made it!”
Noah, Yelena, and Rebecca immediately sprang into action, waving their arms, shouting over the relentless crash of waves. The plane descended, its engines a roaring leviathan of iron and thunder. The pilot, a pro, knew how to play the danger zone, bringing the craft in low, skimming the surface with calculated precision.
Rebecca’s heart pounded in sync with the engine’s deafening rumble. She felt the inhuman grip of fear loosen its hold as the rope ladder unfurled from the plane, swinging just above the waterline. Relief washed through her, her body trembling with exhaustion and adrenaline, the sight of that ladder—salvation—pushed her forward.
Noah treaded water for a moment, his eyes drawn to the dark waters, the saltwater tomb where John-Boy would stay. Noah’s jaw clenched. There were no words, just the silent promise that burned into his heart. Something in his expression hardened—an unspoken vow, deadly in its simplicity.
When Noah lifted his gaze back to the plane, the fire was back. But now it burned hotter, with a white-hot lethality. He moved with purpose, driven not just to survive, but to see this through—whatever it took.
See you next time with one of the final installments of... The Noah Redford Adventures!
Disclaimer:
Dear Readers, please note that the chapter you've just enjoyed is a raw, unedited draft and has not yet undergone professional editing. It is part of my bi-weekly serialized release, and I appreciate your understanding if you come across any errors. The final, polished version of this adventure will be compiled and edited professionally by my lovely editor, Robin Seavill before its official release. Thank you for your patience, and I hope you continue to join me for the unfolding excitement in the upcoming installments of The Noah Redford Adventures: Fire on the Water.
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