Apocalyptic Pirates 5, page 1
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Chapter 1
“Oh, my goddddd,” Dia moaned.
“Come on,” Ally encouraged her. “You can do it.”
“Noooooo.” The Latina woman dropped her head so her black curls covered her face. “I’m dying. I’m literally dying.”
“You’re so goddamn dramatic,” Shannon said with an eye roll that was suddenly cut off by a huge yawn.
“See!” Dia crowed. “It’s not just me.”
“We’re all tired,” Letty told her as she reached over to pat Dia’s shoulders.
“Sorry, guys,” I said with a rueful grimace. “I know I ruined your beauty sleep.”
“Oh no, Drew, don’t worry about that,” Ally assured me. “You did the right thing.”
“Yeah,” Shannon added. “I think even Dia will agree that it’s better to be a little sleepy than have our heads ripped off by wild dragons.”
“I guess so,” Dia grumbled and gave a yawn that stretched her pretty mouth to indecent proportions.
Saying that it had been a stressful night would be putting it mildly.
It hadn’t been long since we left Colombia behind, and the crazy events that had happened in the city of Cartagena were still fresh in our minds. We’d been trying to find Dia’s mom and uncle, and even though we’d found them okay, we had all ended up trapped in an old church before making our way out via a secret smuggling tunnel that ran underneath the city walls. Once we’d said goodbye to Dia’s family, it had been time to get started on the next leg of our journey to Hawaii, which meant we had to go through the Panama Canal.
There had been just one little problem.
The Panama Canal was crawling with dragons.
I’d been on night watch when we approached the Canal, and so I’d been the one to hear the cacophony of dragon roars that were waiting there for us. There was so much jungle down here that it was basically a rainforest, and it was the perfect place for dragons to hide out and thrive. I’d debated whether or not to wake the women, but I eventually concluded that even if it was the middle of the night, we still all needed to be on high alert.
That decision had gone better with some of the crew than with others.
“I think I’m hallucinating,” Dia announced. “I think I see Drew in a tuxedo offering me a fresh mug of coffee.”
“You’re definitely hallucinating the tuxedo,” I told her. “But I can make you a coffee?”
“Maybe it’s not a tuxedo,” Dia sighed. “Maybe it’s just one of those Magic Mike bow ties.”
“Okay,” I chuckled. “You definitely need coffee. Who else wants one?”
All of the women raised their hands.
“Keep your eyes open for any trouble,” I warned. “That means you too, Dia.”
Dia mumbled something incoherent.
I went below deck into the yacht’s little kitchen area. Letty had offered to make coffee earlier when we first woke up, but Ally had said it would ruin our cortisol levels, and we had to wait for the coffee window to open before we drank any caffeine. I thought Dia might have murdered her there and then if she hadn’t been so sleepy, but according to Ally, the coffee window only opened once we’d all been awake for several hours, and drinking it before the window was open would only fuck up our hormones, or our circadian rhythms, or something like that.
It was a little funny to think of all the effort people had once expended on trying to ensure that they operated at maximum efficiency. Every week, it would seem like there was some new article or thinkpiece shared on social media about how green tea was the answer to everything, or some weird berry from the Amazon, or extra butter and no gluten, or a little bit of gluten and no butter, or some new supplement or wonder powder.
And now we were in the middle of a dragon apocalypse. The world had been changed in ways we could never have imagined. And of course Ally was still worried about our cortisol levels.
I smiled to myself and shook my head as I filled the kettle and clicked it on. It was one of the things that made me love the redhead with the fierce passion that I did. We could be fighting mutant mole rats on the moon, and she would still probably be worrying about whether we were all eating enough fiber.
I spooned Folgers Classic Roast into five mugs– a glug of creamer for Ally and Letty with a spoonful of sugar for the redhead, just a dash of creamer for Shannon, no creamer at all for Dia, and a moderate splash of it for me– and placed them on a tray which I carried back up.
And yes, against all odds, I’d gotten a bit domesticated these days. But what the hell. I figured any man lucky enough to find himself with four gorgeous and insatiable lovers to spend the apocalypse with should damn well embrace the lifestyle.
Dia had slid down from her sitting position at the rail and was now lying completely prone on the deck with one forearm flung over her eyes.
She was wearing her white ribbed tank top, and the tight fabric clung to her olive skin and enhanced the size of her already impressive cleavage as her breasts rose and fell with each breath she took. Dia was always so energetic that there was something very cute about the sight of her hovering on the edge of sleep. Her full lips were slightly parted, and I had to fight the urge to drop a secret kiss on her pink mouth as I walked by to see the other women, who were standing at the rail and looking out at the landscape.
Even though the jungle was dangerous and full of bloodthirsty monsters out for human blood, I couldn’t deny that it was an awe-inspiring sight. The water was a deep, rich, blue color, and the greenery on all sides was a lush green that was so intense it looked almost unreal, as though it had been run through a filter rather than something found in nature. The sky overhead was an untouched light blue with the faintest wisps of soft white clouds.
And of course, the scenery was only enhanced by the rest of the natural beauty that was on display in front of it.
The sight of the women standing together never failed to melt my heart and send excited tingles through my body. They were gorgeous by themselves, of course, but seeing them all together like this just flipped a special switch inside my brain.
Ally was wearing a white button-up shirt through which I could see the outline of her favorite lacy black bra cupping her full, pale breasts. It might have been her favorite, but I’d developed a real fondness for it, too. She’d recently started wearing her white shirt and black bra combination with some casual capri pants, and I, for one, was a real fan of the new look.
Shannon’s outfit was simple but no less sexy. We’d raided some fancy hotels a while back, and while Shannon had kept her usual black bikini top, today she’d paired it with a low-cut black camisole top and a pair of pale denim shorts that she’d cut off just above the knee. The shorts accentuated her long, toned, brown legs, and she’d pulled her silky black hair back into a high ponytail to show off her killer cheekbones.
Letty was a little more reserved in her clothing choices. Today she was wearing a cropped, baby pink tee shirt that contrasted against her deep brown skin and hugged every gorgeous curve of her. She wore denim shorts as well, but hers were shorter and tighter, and they cupped her juicy ass the way I wanted to every damn day.
The wind lifted their hair and sent it fluttering across their faces– Ally’s red curls, Shannon’s shining black locks, Letty’s tight black ringlets– and I could have stood there and looked at them for hours, but the coffee was getting cold, and I knew they needed a pick-me-up.
“Isn’t it pretty?” Ally sighed as I joined them.
“Bob Ross could never hold a candle to this,” Letty agreed.
“Glad to see you took my advice about staying alert, Dia,” I said with a teasing note in my voice. “It’s reassuring to know that you’re ready to spring into action at a moment’s notice.”
“You’re welcome,” Dia sighed. “I aim to please.”
“Do you?” I nudged her leg with my foot. “You could have fooled me.”
“You’re only allowed to be mean to me if you’re wearing the Magic Mike tux,” she replied. “Are you wearing it?”
“Nope,” I replied. “But I do have coffee.”
Dia’s eyes shot open. She sprang to her feet and almost sent the tray flying as she grabbed the mug and took a huge gulp.
“The roof of your mouth must be made of cast iron,” Ally said with a shake of her head. “I don’t know how you just guzzle that stuff down. And without any creamer at all.”
“This is the good shit,” Dia replied with a grin. “You ruin it when you add creamer and sugar.”
“You’re such a hipster.” Shannon rolled her eyes.
“Am not,” she retorted.
“Hey, guys, hush,” I interrupted and held up my hand.
They fell silent, and I strained my eyes to make out the shape I’d just spotted on the horizon.
“What is it, Drew?” Ally whispered.
“There.” I pointed. “We’re coming up to a bridge.”
“Atlantic Bridge.” Dia nodded. “Puente Atlántico.”
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“That’s the first bridge on the Atlantic Ocean side, right?” I asked.
Dia had spent her childhood in and around Colombia, so she had some knowledge of the area, and earlier this morning in-between yawns, she’d given us a brief rundown of everything she could remember.
“Yep.” Dia nodded. “That means we’re close to the first set of locks. Gatun Locks.”
The first time Dia had mentioned locks, I’d had no idea what she was talking about. I’d had a vague idea that there was some system that helped boats go through the Canal, but no real understanding of what that meant. Dia had explained to me– with an uncharacteristic lack of jokes at my expense– that the locks lifted the boats above sea level to a manmade lake and then back down to sea level on the other side. A boat entered a chamber, the lock doors closed behind it and the water levels in the chamber rose and lifted the boat so that it could then enter the next chamber. Once the boat was in the next chamber, the process was repeated all over again, and after the final chamber, the boat was released into Gatun Lake, which we had to cross in order to reach the next set of locks. And then we would have to go through the whole system again in order to get back to sea level and sail the yacht into the Pacific Ocean.
“Right.” I strained my eyes. “Are you guys seeing that? A shape on the bridge?”
Ally ran to the cockpit and came back with the binoculars. She handed them to me, and I raised them to my eyes and focused.
And then my heart sank.
There were several familiar ugly shapes sprawled on the bridge. Their outlines made a blot on the beautiful landscape, and the dangers of the Canal came crashing down on my head.
“Fuck,” I hissed.
“What?” Shannon demanded.
“Dragons.” I handed her the binoculars for her to see for herself. “On the bridge. I think I can make out three or four.”
“Ah, shit,” Dia whispered.
“They’re lying very still.” Shannon peered into the lenses. “They might be asleep.”
“Or dead,” Ally said hopefully.
“Or lying in wait,” Dia muttered.
“We won’t know until we get closer.” I pushed back my hair as I thought. “If we get closer and the dragons are asleep, we can just sail underneath them. The bridge is high up enough that they won’t hear us.”
“Or we take them out as soon as we get close enough.” The coffee seemed to have perked Dia up, and her dark eyes gleamed with excitement at the thought of shedding dragon blood.
While I agreed with her in principle, unfortunately it wasn’t that simple.
“If we do that, we’ll alert every dragon around to our location,” I said. “We can’t use our guns here.”
“Shit.” Dia’s face fell. “I hadn’t thought of that.”
“And that’s why you’re not in charge of making the important decisions around here,” Shannon teased her.
Dia stuck out her tongue at the Indian woman.
“Sailing underneath the bridge and hoping for the best sounds like a crazy idea,” Ally said. “But I don’t see what other choice we have.”
“I reckon we’ll be okay.” Letty was nodding her head. “We know that noise attracts them, and if we keep as quiet and as still as possible, we should make it under the bridge without any trouble.”
“Keeping still is important, too,” I agreed. “We don’t want the wind carrying our scent to them.”
“Don’t you dare say what I know you’re about to,” Shannon warned Dia.
“I’m saying nothing.” Dia batted her eyelashes.
“Good,” Shannon retorted.
“Nothing about how some of us might have more scent than others…” Dia grinned and ducked as Shannon aimed a light slap at her head.
“Guys, come on.” Ally put her hands on her hips. “This is exactly the kind of thing that is going to get us in trouble.”
“Alright, Mom.” Dia rolled her eyes.
“I mean it!” Ally insisted, which only made Dia grin wider.
I butted in before things could escalate.
“Okay,” I said. “Let’s all finish our coffee and take some deep breaths.”
There was a moment of silence as the women buried their noses in their coffee mugs.
“We need to arm ourselves,” I said. “We’ve got more than enough knives for everybody from all our trades and looting, so as soon as we’re finished up here, we’re taking these mugs down and swapping them for weapons we can use without worrying about making too much noise.”
“Good plan.” Shannon nodded.
Everyone finished up their drinks, and then the women headed below and left me on deck to keep watch. They were back in a moment with their knives ready, and Shannon handed me a heavy Bowie knife in a sheath. I still wanted the comforting weight of my rifle nearby, so I slung it over my shoulders, just in case the worst happened. I’d rather have a gun nearby and not need to use it than need it and not have it in hand.
I got out my phone and tried to open up a search browser. The internet connection was incredibly slow, and I held the phone up and walked around the deck to try and make it load faster.
“What are you going to search for?” Letty asked.
“Just some general information about this area,” I said. “I know Dia already told us about it, but anything more would be useful. I tried to search earlier, but the internet service was even worse.”
“I mean, boats go through the Canal all the time,” Ally said. “It can’t be that dangerous, can it?”
“They do,” I acknowledged. “But in very different circumstances. I’m sure I remember seeing a nature documentary or something about the wildlife in the Panama Canal, and it said there were crocodiles and poisonous snakes and spiders and all kinds of things.”
“Oh, what?” Ally squealed. “No one told me there would be spiders.”
“Don’t worry,” Shannon consoled her. “Next time there’s an apocalypse and we have to travel down the Canal, we’ll let you know in advance and you can stay at home.”
“I’m sorry for not liking the idea of there being poisonous spiders everywhere.” Ally grimaced.
“I’m not exactly thrilled at the idea, either,” I said as I put my phone away. “We just have to be careful, and we were going to be on our guards anyway.”
The corners of Ally’s mouth turned down as she stared at the horizon.
“It’ll be okay,” I reassured her and gently touched her arm.
She leaned into me, and I put my arm around her shoulders and gave her a hug.
“What’s that?” Letty suddenly hissed.
We all fell quiet, and in the resulting silence, we heard a terrible, familiar sound.
It was the roar of a dragon.
Then there was another roar, and then another.
We couldn’t see them, but I could make out movement in the greenery that could have been dragons, or some other animal, or the wind. But the sounds were unmistakable.
I heard a chorus of low, coughing growls that rose in crescendo, and then suddenly a blood-curdling roar drowned out all the other sounds. It exploded into the air and left my ears ringing, and when the sound faded away, the entire jungle was unnaturally silent.
I pressed my finger to my lips to indicate to the women that the time for talk was over. Shannon handed me back the binoculars, and I trained them on the bridge to see what the fuckers might do next.
Thankfully, the dragons on the bridge didn’t seem to be bothered by the sounds of their kin on the ground. The yacht was getting closer and closer to the bridge, and now I could see that there were three dragons sprawled out there. It was difficult to make out exactly how big they all were, but these weren’t small fry– they could easily have been ten feet long from nose to tail. They were lying on their sides, and they were so still that for a moment I wondered if Ally was right and they actually were dead.
I looked through the binoculars again and kept them trained on the three monstrous creatures that were getting closer by the second.
I thought I could just make out the rise and fall of their chests, but it was difficult to tell from the distance and with the yacht bobbing on the water. Their bellies looked rounded, so they could all be sleeping off a feeding frenzy. There must have been plenty of wildlife in the surrounding jungle that they could feed on. Not to mention canal workers and any unfortunate souls who could have been attempting to make the crossing.
