Claiming Dias (book 1 of Alpha claiming series)

Sinking ship

Chapter 10

Leon

I turned to head for Morgan, walking through the quickly rising frigid water grasping onto anything I could find to pull myself forward. There was no use running, it was impossible with the current of the water sweeping in and the water level as high as it is. Morgan’s voice was still coming over the comms, I could tell he was panicking as each minute ticked by. After what felt like ages of struggling through the water, I finally made it to the pilot’s cabin door. The ship had lost most of its power when it crashed and only the minor systems were functioning. The doors were not one of them.

“f**k!” I shouted out in frustration.

There is only one way I could think of to open the door. The emergency override system. Heading back to the main hall, pulling myself along the water from door handle to door handle. I quickly reached the seats my crew and I were just sitting in. My hands are drenched in water, my clothing is soaked, and the cold lake is starting to cause my feet to go numb. This is one of the few times I’ve actually been in a lake in my entire life. I am used to being cold out in space. Like out in space, there is no warmth, but the suits offer some comfort. Sometimes, if you lose power on a shitty ass vessel, you have time to kill before you can get that power back, or a rescue crew is sent to help. The oxygen masks help in space, but out here they do not do a damned thing underwater. Much like those situations, time is not on your side.

Crossing the distance around the chairs, grabbing onto the beams in the haul, I pulled myself towards the panel. With more than half of the panel covered by the water and small shots of electricity sparking off the damaged lines, I hesitated to take in the sight. Bits of electricity hit my stomach as the currents waver through the water. Looking over the board, the lever I need is under the water, I know which one it is. I was forced to memorize this board for a just in case of emergencies, and this is a just in case emergency.

Grasping on the lever, I pull it up, till I hear a dull clicking sound and a hiss as the lever clicks into place, causing the doors to start opening. Shocks of electricity sting up my fingers into my arms causing the muscles to jump and twitch. Yanking my hand back, I took a few seconds to breathe deeply, letting my body absorb the shock waves of electricity now coursing through me. The electricity is not strong enough to cause major damage, but that does not mean I enjoy being electrocuted to any degree. As my mind returns to the present situation, I notice the water is cascading into the ship at an alarmingly faster pace than before the doors opened.

Shit, this is not going too well!

The water has risen to my chest, and it is only a matter of minutes. Before too long, I will have to take a breath and get the hell out or drown. I refused to give in just yet. I trudged back to the haul to see Morgan coming down the hall from the pilots’ cabin. I looked around for the co-pilot, Ralph, for a moment, realization dawning over me. He did not make it. I grab Morgan on the shoulder and start shoving him towards the rip in the back of the haul. He weighs almost nothing in my massive hands, I hold him steady, shoving him against the current of water that seems determined not to let us leave this sinking ship. As the water rises up to my neck, I pick Morgan up even higher, so his face is at least above the water. Gulping a lung full after a lung full of air, I prepare to hold my breath. Finally reaching the tear in the ship’s outer surface, the force of the water rushing in has enough force to feel like an engine jet blasting air straight at me. Struggling forward, I grabbed onto the side of the hall to anchor myself from being shoved back. I shove Morgan towards the hole as I brace myself.

“Take a deep breath then get out of the f*****g ship!” Morgan’s face is pasty pale and he only nods as he acknowledges my instructions.

The water is now rising over my chin as I push Morgan through the opening, sucking in the last full breath of air before I plunge into the water. Grasping the sides of the hole to pull myself through the gap, angling my body to fit through it. The water keeps pushing me back in as I struggle to get my massive body through the gap. Propping my legs on the outside of the ship haul one by one. Once they are outside the ship, I push myself off the exterior and into the wide-open lake. I never really took swimming lessons in space. You kind of float regardless of what you do out there. I would like to think that swimming comes naturally, but who the f**k am I kidding? I am kicking my legs and just trying to reach the surface of the water with my arms before my lungs give out. My lungs start to burn with the need to absorb new air as I urge my arms and legs to move faster.

Breaking through the surface of the water, I cough a few times as my lungs burn, air rushing back into my body easing the burning sensation. Grasping onto the closest floating item I can reach for floatation support, I hold onto it while kicking my legs to propel me towards land. I simply close my eyes for a moment as I continue to work my way out of the water. Kaden starts yelling at me, and I turn to see Morgan waterlogged on a floating crate.

Fucker could not even save his own ass! I sure as hell am not going to take his ass out of the water now.

Morgan starts shouting and cussing, but I am not saving his prickly ass again. f**k no.

Finally reaching where I can stand on solid land, I dredge through the water till I am completely out and on the beach. I turn around and sat in the sand running my hands through my hair, inhaling the scent of fresh water, fire, trees, and Kaden. I knew he was there before I felt his hand on my shoulder.

“You alright man?” Worry was laced in his voice, along with his scent, but I simply nodded my response. That was a close call, too close of a call. Taking in a few deep breaths, I ease the tension from my body. The scents of this world fill my lungs till the pilot shouts again as if I forgot the fucker.

“Kaden have one of the guppies who can swim decently. Go fetch the f*****g pilot,” I grumbled out, rubbing my neck.

After a near-death experience, I sit appreciating the view around me, and instinctively start shifting through the scents in the air. The acrid scent of fear stains the air just lightly enough that it reminds me of the taste of a bitter berry. I stand walking around tracking the acrid scent. Wondering over my men as they stood, sat, crouched down, or shifted through the supplies, they managed to get off the ship. None of them have this strong scent of fear that is like acid in my mouth. There is shock, anger, and disbelief, but not a heavy trace of fear. Walking around, I search for where the trail begins. Before I knew it, I had walked clear to the tree line.

Kaden comes jogging up to me as loudly as possible, stopping to stand behind me in silence as he waits.

“What do you need?” It is not really a question I want to answer at this time, but I know he will.

“What do we do next, Sir?” I hate it when he calls me Sir as if we have not known each other for a long time. I waved my hand towards him.

“Cut the s**t Kaden, you know I hate that name.” turning, I faced him.

“Let us set up a temporary camp here, see if we can scout freshwater, and a means of food. Send out men in teams of three to keep an eye on each other’s backs. Our troops need to be on the lookout for anything that is aggressive, mutated, or they think is a beta but does not act like it. Shoot first, and ask questions later. Unless it intelligently talks, then do not shoot it. From the reports, the mutated creatures of this planet cannot talk, much less intelligently.” I eye my team as they dive through the supply sorting and counting.

“I’m glad you're OK Leon, you had me worried there for a moment,” Kaden's shallow smirk does little to lighten my mood, but I knew he was being serious. It was a narrow escape for most of us, and a fatal call for a few.

“I’m going to go out and look and see what is around. I have picked up on someone’s fear and if they are smart enough to be afraid, then they cannot be one of those f*****g mutated creatures. I want the camp set up and fires lit by the time I come back. Shifts starting 2 per position around the perimeter guns locked and loaded, I don’t want any more surprises.” I grunted out in aggravation.

This is why I hate surprises; they are never good.

Kaden started hollering out orders, listing off teams and positions before turning back to me. “At least take a ration pack and water jug. The trail doesn’t seem that old.” He lifts his hand with the items in it. Snatching the items, I look into his eyes one at a time, searching for the answers to some unknown secret in them.

“Fine. Take care of camp until I return.” With that, I walked into the tree line shoving the jug and ration pack into my soaked pants pocket.

The longer I trek into the woods the stronger the smell becomes, but the layers of the scent start shifting. I could smell salty sweat in the air, telling me they were physically exhausted. I can tell that this being is a female by the way her pheromones color the air. She smells of a lily flower after it first blooms. The scent is so strong that it carries on the wind for miles. If not for the scent of her fear turning the air acidic, I would have smelt it first on the beach.

Her scent seems familiar to me, but I cannot place it. In my mind, I tried to rationalize her scent. I know it is impossible for me to recognize her scent.

After following her scent for what seemed like ages, the sun was coming down out of the sky by the time I came to a small rock mountain in the distance. I have been walking long enough through the dense vegetation that my clothes have dried, but not my boots. The sun is close to setting by the time I reach the boulder where sweet lilies linger strongest. I leaned down, pressing close to the boulder, inhaling her scent deep into my lungs. Towering over the large rock, I looked around, wondering where she could be. Need courses through my veins as I have never experienced waking up my body from the inner turmoil that has been playing over and over since making it to shore.

Walking towards the mountains, I could hear her quiet little snores coming from the protruding crack in the mountain, a few feet away. Working out a plan to watch the girl, I decided that it's best if I climb into a tree and make myself comfortable for a bit, who knows how long she could sleep for. As I started climbing a large tree trunk, I heard howling in the distance. Not the kind that comes from a wild beast, but one that comes from a creature that was once a man. The sound that reverberates through the woods is a blood-curtailing painful moan. Almost as if the creature is being tortured. Realizing these creatures are out here waiting runs my blood hot, adrenaline spiking through me as I work out where these monstrosities might be. I will not let it get close to the sleeping Omega before I have the chance to discover what she is to me.