Frank Schatzing - The Swarm

'You want to take that phony Indian with us?' Shoemaker said indignantly. 'Are you crazy?'

'I think it's more a case of him taking us.'

'In our boat.'

'Look, you and Davie are in charge around here, but I've seen what we're up against and I'm telling you now: we'll be glad to have him with us.'

The Devilfish was the same size as the Blue Shark and had the same horsepower, so it was small and easy to turn. Anawak prayed it would give them enough of an advantage. The creatures still had the element of surprise on their side. No one could tell when or where they might attack next.

As the Zodiac sped across the lagoon, Anawak wrestled with the question of why. He had thought he knew about whales, but now he was at a loss. He couldn't begin to work out what was happening. The attack on the Barrier Queen was his only obvious lead. It must be some kind of infection, he thought. A strain of rabies, perhaps.

But what kind of disease would affect different species? The attacks had been carried out by humpbacks, orcas and grey whales. The more he thought about it, the more certain he was that a grey had overturned his Zodiac.

Could the high levels of PCBs in the sea and the toxins in their food have played havoc with their instincts? But orcas ingested toxins through contaminated salmon and other creatures. Grey whales and humpbacks ate plankton. Their metabolism was different from that of toothed whales.

Disease didn't explain it.

He stared at the glistening water. He'd made this trip hundreds of times before, and each time he'd been full of anticipation at the thought of seeing a whale. He'd always known about the dangers: fog might come down; the wind might change and send treacherous waves pounding into the cliffs – in 1998 a skipper and a tourist had died like that in Clayoquot Sound. And then there were the whales: placid, friendly, but unpredictable animals of enormous size and power. They were a mighty force of nature, as any experienced whale-watcher could testify. Yet if you sought out storms, monstrous breakers and wild animals, they no longer seemed so terrifying. Fear gave way to respect – and Anawak had immense respect for nature.

But now, for the first time, he was afraid.

Seaplanes cut through the sky above the Devilfish as she sped across the waves. Anawak was at the wheel with Shoemaker, who had insisted on steering, and Greywolf was at the bow, scanning the water for trouble.

The tree-covered shores of tiny islets flashed past on their left. On the rocks, sea-lions sunned themselves, as if nothing could disturb their tranquillity. The Zodiac roared past them. The open sea lay ahead – a uniform expanse of endless water, at once familiar and forbidding.

Beyond the sheltered waters of the lagoon, the swell was higher. The Zodiac bounced noisily over the waves. During the past half-hour the sea had grown rougher and dark clouds gathered on the horizon. There was still no sign of a storm, but conditions were deteriorating rapidly – as was often the case in these waters. A rain front was probably heading their way. Anawak strained his eyes to glimpse the Lady Wexham . What if she had sunk? In the distance he saw another vessel, one of many cruise ships passing the Canadian coast at this time of year, heading north to Alaska.

'What brings them here?' shouted Shoemaker.

'I expect they heard the mayday.' Anawak peered through the binoculars. 'MS Arctic . She's from Seattle. I've seen her before – she's sailed this way regularly over the past few years.'

'Leon!'

A small, pointed outline had appeared in the distance, barely visible above the swell. Only the Lady Wexham superstructure was still above water. People had gathered on the bridge and on the viewing platform in the bow. Orcas circled menacingly, biding their time until the vessel slid into the water.

'Oh, God,' said Shoemaker. 'It doesn't seem possible…'

Greywolf turned to them, making signs for them to slow down. Shoemaker backed off the throttle. A grey, grooved hump surfaced in front of them, followed by two others. The whales lingered on the surface for a few seconds, expelled their bushy, V-shaped blow, then dived without showing their flukes.

Anawak could sense their approach underwater. He could practically feel the impending attack.

'Go, go, go!' yelled Greywolf.

Shoemaker slammed down the throttle. The Devilfish pitched forward and shot away. Behind them, the huge dark bodies of the whales surged out of the water and fell backwards. Travelling full-speed ahead the Zodiac shot towards the sinking Lady Wexham . At last they could make out individuals, waving at them from the platform and the bridge. Shouts carried over the water. To Anawak's relief the skipper was among the survivors. One by one the gleaming black blades disappeared underwater.

'We'll be next,' said Anawak.

'You mean they're coming for us?' Shoemaker was panic-stricken. For the first time he seemed to take in what was going on. 'What will they do? Capsize us?'

'They might. The grey whales and humpbacks seem to be in charge of demolition, while the orcas take care of the rest.'

Shoemaker's face drained of colour.

Greywolf pointed to the cruise ship. 'They're sending reinforcements,' he shouted.

Two small motorboats left the side of MS Arctic and moved leisurely towards them.

'Tell them to hurry or get out of here, Leon,' Greywolf yelled. 'At that speed they'll be easy pickings.'

Anawak grabbed the radio. 'MS Arctic . This is Devilfish . You're in danger of attack.'

For a few seconds there was silence. The Devilfish was almost level with the Lady .

'This is MS Arctic . What kind of attack, Devilfish ?'

'The whales will try to sink your boats.'

'Whales? Is this a joke, Devilfish ?'

'For your own safety I advise you to turn back.'

'We received a mayday from a sinking vessel.'

Anawak lurched forward as the Zodiac careered over a wave. He steadied himself and shouted into the radio, 'We don't have time to talk, but you can take my word for it – you need to move faster.'

'Are you kidding? We intend to assist that vessel. Out.'

Greywolf was signalling frantically from the bow. 'They've got to get away from here!' he veiled.

The orcas had changed course. They were no longer bearing down on the Devilfish but swimming out towards the open sea, in the direction of MS Arctic .

'Shit,' cursed Anawak.

A humpback soared out of the water directly in front of the motor-boats, a corona of droplets shimmering round it. For a moment it was suspended in the air, then it dropped to one side. Anawak gasped. The motorboats continued unharmed through the cloud of falling droplets.

'MS Arctic ! Pull back your boats! Clear the water! We'll take care of this.'

Shoemaker cut the engine. The Lady Wexham's bridge jutted through the surface at an angle and the Devilfish halted in front of it, where a dozen men and women were huddled. 'The swell crashed against the bridge, spilling over the side. Anawak saw more people on the viewing platform in the stern. As the waves battered the boat, they hung on to the railings, like monkeys in a cage.

The Devilfish chugged forward between the bridge and the platform. Beneath the Zodiac, the Lady ?, main deck shimmered green and white. Shoemaker manoeuvred the boat towards the bridge. A powerful wave seized the Devilfish and raised it into the air. The boat rose like an elevator till they were level with the bridge. For a moment Anawak was in touching distance of the outstretched hands. He looked into the frightened faces, seeing hope mixed with horror in their eyes. Then the Devilfish plummeted.