Chapter 11

The mingehe moved stealthily through the vent shaft stopping occasionally to sniff for signs of its assigned victim. This one's scent was everywhere making it difficult for it to zero in on the strongest source. As it reached a junction it finally caught a strong whiff and began to follow it finding itself behind the vent grate in Crane's cabin.

It listened for sounds of its prey and heard the slow and steady breathing of someone asleep in the room. It quietly pushed on the grate until it opened then lowered itself to the floor. It quickly scoped out the room and spotted its victim stretched out on the bunk along the wall. It moved silently over to the bunk and climbed up onto the foot of the bed. It regarded the sleeping man for a moment as it prepared to attack.

(o)(o)(o)

Never one to sleep too soundly, Lee found himself suddenly awake, aware that someone or something had entered his cabin and was now seated at the foot of his bed. He hadn't heard the door or seen the corridor light invade the cabin so he knew whoever it was had to have come in through the vent. Moving as slowly as he could, he eased his hand under his pillow quickly finding his primed .45 automatic pistol. He flicked off the safety then reached up and snapped on the light over his bunk.

Squinting against the sudden rush of light he was momentarily frozen by the sight of the hideous creature poised to attack at the foot of his bunk. Lee immediately took aim and fired off three shots each one impacting the creature slamming it back against the wall. It snarled in anger then opened its mouth wide baring its formidable fangs.

Lee rolled quickly off the bed and hit the deck hard as his feet became entangled in the sheets. As he got to his knees the mingehe pounced on him slamming him back onto the deck and raking its claws across his back. Lee screamed out in pain and rolled over throwing the animal off of him splaying it onto the deck. He forced himself to his feet, took aim and fired three more times again each bullet hitting the mark.

The animal roared furiously and bared its teeth again. Lee watched in horror as he realized that his bullets were inflicting no harm whatsoever. He braced himself as he watched it crouch then launch itself at him slamming him hard into the bulkhead behind him. As they hurtled backwards it sank its fangs deep into Lee's shoulder eliciting another scream in pain.

Stunned but not totally out of it, Lee managed to get his leg up between him and the ape and was able to shove the beast off him and across the room. He staggered back up to his feet as the creature regained its equilibrium and prepared to launch another assault. Just as it was ready to attack Lee's cabin door was hurled open and the security detail barreled into the room startling the occupants.

Unable to get a clean shot at the thing, Henderson turned his rifle into a club and bashed the animal in the head. The mingehe roared in anger and charged the man delivering a vicious bite to his arm. Henderson screamed in agony and stumbled backwards as Baker swung his rifle at the beast knocking it away from his partner. The animal recoiled and prepared to attack again but froze as it was assaulted by the screeching klaxons and additional men rushing into Crane's cabin responding to the gun shots. It roared in anger and frustration unable to complete its task then bolted for the open vent shaft and disappeared into the bowels of the boat.

(o)(o)(o)

The animal now gone and momentarily safe, Lee staggered forward towards the admiral and Chip nearly collapsing into Harri's arms. He was bleeding badly from the bite to his shoulder and was just moments away from passing out from blood loss and the aftereffects of the adrenaline rush following his struggle with the ape. Chip rushed into the head and grabbed some towels. He tossed one to Baker to take care of Henderson and then placed the other on Lee's injury trying to stem the flow of blood.

Harri in the meantime had taken control of his dazed captain and managed to get him seated in his desk chair before he passed out. Lee feebly tried to fend him off as he wanted to check on his men and then lead the hunt for that thing. Seeing the chief enter his cabin he spoke, "Sharkey, get security on alert. Have teams placed at all the large vents and secure them all so it can't get out if it's still inside or back in if it's out. Check every single space on this boat, now," he ordered weakly.

"Aye Skipper I'm on it," Sharkey replied as he turned and headed out the door to carry out his orders.

"Lee just sit still," commanded Nelson. "We'll take care of everything, you relax."

"Admiral," Lee nearly gasped out. "I shot it six times and nothing…nothing… slowed it down. It just kept… coming back at me. Only…only thing…that slowed it down…down…was the…the alarm."

"All right Lee we'll take care of it now. You just relax and settle down, that's an order son," Harri replied trying desperately to quiet his captain and hide his concern.

Just as Chip prepared to call sick bay Jamie rushed into the cabin also alerted by the gun fire and alarm. Knowing gunshots usually meant injuries he had grabbed the medkit he kept in his cabin for emergencies such as this. He quickly checked on Henderson and applied a pressure bandage to the ragged wound to his arm. He instructed Baker to get another man and escort his partner down to sick bay immediately and send John back with a stretcher for the captain.

Turning his attention to the captain Jamie moved quickly across the cabin to check out his most frequent and difficult patient. The amount of blood loss was alarming as the front of his pajama shirt was saturated as was the towel Chip had pressed against the wound. Lee's eyes were becoming glassy and he was fighting desperately to remain conscious as he moved deeper into shock.

He pulled out a pressure bandage and added that on top of Chip's towel to keep from disturbing any clots that may have started forming. As he pulled the captain forward to bring the bandage around his back he was dismayed to find the back of his pajama top shredded and also saturated with blood from the scratches the animal had inflicted. He pulled yet another pressure bandage out of his bag and added that to Lee's badly lacerated back.

The bleeding somewhat controlled he picked up Lee's wrist and measured his heartbeat. The rapid and weak pulse he registered confirmed the captain's precarious grip on life as his blood volume dropped. Just as he was ready to yell about not having a stretcher ready to transport his patient he was relieved to see John enter with the skipper's ride.

"John, over here. Chip, Harri help me get him up and on the stretcher," Jamieson directed. As the three men helped Lee to his feet then moved him to the stretcher Lee had a vague feeling of being passed from one person to the next like a platter of meat. Ready to protest that he could easily make it to sick bay on his own, his world suddenly went dark as he finally gave in to his injuries.

Once Lee was down Jamie and John quickly secured him for transport on the stretcher. That done John and Kowalski grabbed either end and beat a hasty retreat to sick bay where the doctor could work his magic on the injured man. Knowing their presence would not be tolerated until Jamie had control over the situation, Morton and Nelson remained in Lee's cabin as the doctor and crew headed to sick bay.

"Well now we know what we're looking for," Chip said grimly as he stared at the blood covering the walls and floor.

"That we do, but how the hell did it get on board and where is it holing up?" Nelson replied as he too noted all the blood. "I know the security teams have checked every space and every container large enough to hold something of that size and come up empty."

"The only thing I can think of is that it's tied somehow to the people we brought aboard in Cameroon. It's the only possible explanation but how it's tied to them is beyond me right now," Chip answered frustrated at not possessing the answers he needed. "Do you think Lee really shot it 6 times?"

Nelson nodded affirmatively. "I think it's a very distinct possibility. You know Lee's a marksman and always hits what he's shooting at even while under attack. Look around the cabin I don't see any bullets or marks on the wall only six empty shell casings. Come on Chip, let's go talk with Blanchard and crew and see if we can shake something loose."

"Aye sir," Chip replied.

(o)(o)(o)

Amherst had made his way rapidly back to his cabin then crawled immediately on top of his bunk and drew himself into a tight ball in one corner. He sat there rocking back and forth as he tried desperately to calm his nerves after his attack on Cummins. Never in his life had he physically assaulted anyone and the flush of adrenaline he'd experienced was wearing off leaving him a trembling mess.

As he sat there trying to rein in his emotions and plan for what he had to do next he inexplicably experienced three ripping, tearing pains in his chest. He felt as though he'd been physically slammed against the back wall of his bunk which left him crumpled over on his side gasping for breath. Though not nearly as bad as the pain he'd felt after Watkins had been killed the agony he endured now was equally crippling. Fighting hard to regain his breath he waited for the sound of the emergency alarms announcing the animal's attack.

Lying there nursing the pain in his chest he had to smile knowing Crane most likely had met his doom. Just as the ache began to wane he was nailed with another three stabbing pains through his chest which left him drooling and in tears on his bed. His eyes screwed shut against the pain he breathed heavily between clenched teeth as he tried to fight his way through the second wave. Again just as he was beginning to make headway he felt as though his head exploded as a searing jolt thundered through his skull which was followed seconds later by another. Fred moaned in pain and tasted salty bile in the back of him mouth as he fought the urge to vomit as the waves of agony overwhelmed his ability to cope. Just then the alarms sounded adding more to his misery.

Drenched in sweat and curled into a fetal ball he notionally became aware of the fact the klaxon had stopped. He managed a relieved sigh and was finally able to push himself back into a seated position. As he gained more control over his body he eased his way off the bed and staggered into the head where he began to vomit and once his stomach was empty he endured several minutes of dry heaves. When his stomach had settled he doffed his clothing then climbed into the shower and rinsed off. He brushed his teeth to cleanse his mouth then exited back into the cabin. As he regarded himself in the mirror he thought a cadaver looked more lifelike than him.

Moving to the closet to collect some clean clothes he became aware of a scratching noise behind the small air vent in his cabin. He quickly pulled on his clothes then placed a chair under the vent climbed up and opened it to collect his doll. He reached in cautiously picked it up and jumped down to the deck. Just like the first time there was a coating of blood over its fur but this time its eyes were still open and as he wiped the blood off, it shifted in his hand causing him to almost drop it.

He bolted to the closet and fished through the backpack looking for its box. He panicked momentarily as he realized he had left it in the storage room after he'd attacked Cummins. Not willing to make a run to the room and chance being spotted he gently placed it inside his backpack and zipped it shut hoping that would put the thing back to sleep. After a couple of minutes he unzipped the bag slightly and was disconcerted to find that its eyes were still open and staring directly at him. He momentarily pondered the meaning of that and then it dawned on him that Crane probably wasn't dead. He closed his eyes and gulped in dread.

This was all starting to unravel on him. Surely by now the admiral must believe that these attacks were somehow tied to them and with his attack on Cummins that would lead directly back to him. He cursed quietly aloud at the rotten luck and tried desperately to see some way out of this predicament. He had to get rid of Cummins, that was a certainty otherwise he would tell them of Amherst's attack on him. As he played possible solutions through his mind he was pulled back to the present by a knock at his door.

(o)(o)(o)

"Just a second," he called out in response to the knock. Amherst quickly shoved his backpack containing the mingehe into his locker then answered the door.

"Mr. Amherst we need to talk with you and Mr. Cummins," Chip said.

"Sure no problem," Fred replied. "However Greg's not here. I don't know where he went, he was gone when I woke up."

"Really?" Chip walked down the corridor and grabbed the mic. "Mr. Cummins please report to Dr. Blanchard's cabin immediately. Acknowledge." He stood there for a minute waiting for Cummins to reply to his page but was met with silence. He repeated his call and waited again receiving no reply.

"What's this all about Commander? Does it have something to do with the latest round of emergency sirens?" Amherst asked innocently.

"Please join me in Dr. Blanchard's cabin and we'll fill you in," Morton replied as he turned and walked to the cabin next door. Inside were Blanchard and Nelson waiting for the other men to arrive.

"No Cummins?" Nelson asked as Morton and Amherst entered.

"No, Mr. Amherst said he wasn't in their cabin when he was awakened by the klaxon," Chip answered.

"Hmm, interesting," Nelson replied.

"What's going on Admiral?" Blanchard inquired becoming concerned about his missing man.

"Kevin there was another attack this evening. This time Captain Crane was attacked by a large mandrill leaving him critically injured. One of my security men was also injured in his defense of the captain. The animal managed to get into the ventilation system and disappear," Nelson explained.

"What's that got to do with us?" Blanchard queried.

"We've come to the conclusion that these attacks are somehow tied to you and/or your men," Nelson answered. "First off the attacking beast is indigenous to the regions where you were conducting your research and the attacks started only after you all came aboard. I need you to be honest with me because all our lives may be at risk. Captain Crane was quite certain he shot the animal at least 6 times with no effect. Two of the security team delivered serious blows to the animal's head with their rifle stocks, again to no effect. If there's no way to injure or kill this thing we're all in mortal danger."

"I told you Harri after the first incident that we have nothing like that in the cargo we're bringing back. I will gladly open each and every box to show you that. Each one is crammed full of plant and insect specimens to be used in my research, nothing else would fit." Blanchard explained.

"What about you Mr. Amherst, anything you're not sharing with us?" Nelson inquired.

"No Admiral, I did not hide a 100 pound ape in my backpack and sneak it aboard. I can't speak for Cummins, but I'm pretty sure he didn't either," Amherst replied defensively. Nelson and Morton regarded him for a moment finding his response off given the situation.

"Well as soon as we locate Mr. Cummins we'll ask the same questions of him. Do you have any idea where he would have gone?" Chip asked.

"Maybe the lab, or the wardroom. Other than those two places I can't think of a reason for him to be elsewhere," Amherst replied.

"All right gentlemen, I appreciate your assistance. I would appreciate it if you remained in your cabins for the time being until security can complete their search of the boat. Once that's completed we'll let you know when it's safe to exit your cabins. I would also ask that you limit your excursions to the wardroom, the lab and the nose for the time being," Nelson ordered.

"Of course Admiral, we will stick to our cabins until you let us know we can leave and then go only to the areas you've identified," Blanchard responded.

"Thank you gentlemen, we appreciate that. Also please have Mr. Cummins contact Mr. Morton when he returns to his cabin. I don't like the fact he's currently not answering and I fear for his safety," Nelson added. Both Blanchard and Amherst nodded their agreement as Nelson and Morton exited.

"So you really don't know where Greg went?" Blanchard asked Amherst now that they were alone.

"Honestly Kevin I haven't a clue. He didn't say anything to me before we went to bed and he was gone when the alarms woke me up," Fred offered hoping to come across innocently to his boss.

"Okay, well let me know when he returns. You probably best head back to your cabin now."

"As soon as he walks through the door," Amherst promised. "See you in a bit."

(o)(o)(o)

As Jamieson entered sick bay he began issuing orders immediately. "Frank get the captain prepped for surgery stat. Tom I need two units of AB negative. Get an IV started with ringers, get a surgical tray and get prepped to assist me."

"Yes Doctor," responded both medics.

As the corpsmen moved to carry out their orders Jamie walked to the sink and began scrubbing for surgery. He was racing the clock knowing that the animal bite most likely nicked the subclavian artery in the captain's right shoulder given the volume of blood on the front of his shirt and the rapid and weakening pulse of his patient. If he didn't get that repaired Lee would bleed to death in short order.

Finished with his scrub he turned around and was pleased to find Lee already prepped, IVs in place and Frank standing there with a pair of surgical gloves waiting for the doctor's hands. "Well done Frank," Jamie replied as he shoved his left hand into a glove. Donning the second he saw Tom walk over to join them having completed his scrub and was soon ready to assist the doctor with the captain's surgery.

"All right Tom, let's get to it. Frank take care of Henderson, debride the wound and get it stitched up if there aren't any complications."

Frank nodded. "Yes Doctor. Tom already started the process so it should go quickly."

"Excellent," Jamie replied as he turned his attention to the man lying on the gurney before him.

(o)(o)(o)

It had been nearly two hours since Jamieson had whisked Lee out of his quarters and down to sick bay and Nelson and Morton were beginning to get very concerned and antsy as time dragged on. Chip had logged nearly a mile pacing around the conn and Harri was probably closer to two as he prowled the nose and privately lamented the fact he had given up smoking. As Nelson checked his watch for 100th time he was paged over the intercom by Jamieson.

"Admiral, this is Jamieson."

"Nelson here, what news Jamie?"

"The captain is out of danger. If you would like to come to sick bay I can update you on his condition and Henderson's."

"Great to hear Jamie, we're on our way. Nelson out," Harri replied with a huge sigh. As he looked up he caught the relieved looks from Chip and the rest of the control room crew. "Come along Mr. Morton, let's go talk to the doctor."

"Aye sir," Chip replied. "O'Brien you have the conn. If you need anything we'll be down in sick bay."

"I have the conn sir," O'Brien replied a relieved smile spread across his face.

Nelson and Morton walked quickly down to sick bay to get Jamie's update on Lee's and Henderson's status. Entering the space they immediately spotted Lee tucked into one of the lower bunks still unconscious following his emergency surgery. He had both an IV and whole blood draining into his body. His right shoulder was heavily bandaged and the arm immobilized against his chest.

Nelson walked over to the bunk and gently placed his hand on Lee's uninjured shoulder. "Sleep well son, you're safe now," he whispered into his ear. He moved on to the bunk containing Henderson and checked on him as well. He thanked him for his actions in protecting the captain.

Chip followed behind him and likewise touched Lee's shoulder and whispered words of encouragement to him, letting him know they were there with him. He thanked Henderson as well then moved into Jamie's office and claimed a seat next to the admiral.

"How are they doing Jamie?" Nelson asked once Chip sat down.

"Henderson received a bad bite and will be on sick list for the rest of the mission. He has a lot of damage to his bicep. Luckily for him the thing just missed the brachial artery in his arm," Jamie replied.

"All things considered Lee's doing well. Luckily for him that thing only nicked the subclavian artery when it bit him instead of severing it. That gave us enough time to control the bleeding and get everything patched up but it was close. That thing tore up a lot of muscle tissue both with the bite and with the scratches it inflicted on his back. He's going to be weak for a while due to the blood loss and very sore from the injuries," Jamie continued.

Harri and Chip both blew out sighs of relief at the news. "How soon before he's conscious?"

"I'm going to keep him out for another 24 hours. The patched artery needs to begin to heal before I let him wake up and start stressing it with his attempts to escape."

"That's probably a wise course of action," replied Chip. "If we haven't captured that ape before he wakes up he'll be chomping at the bit to be part of the search party. I think restraints would be the only other way to keep him in his bunk."

"Speaking of which, has there been any progress in locating it?" Jamie asked.

"No, it's like a damn ghost or something. It just suddenly appears, attacks and then vanishes without a trace. We think it's somehow related to our passengers but I can't prove it. Right now Cummins is missing and security is conducting a thorough room by room search of the boat," Nelson answered.

(o)(o)(o)