"They'll have to take care of the megs," Jiuming moved furiously around the back of the DSV. "While we draw the octopus away... Mac!"

He ripped Mac from his seat, shifting the DSV from the lack of controls. Saying held it steady, trying to keep her mind off the bodies falling into the water; flailing and fighting for life. Her throat closed to the size of a pin and she tore her eyes away. We stop now, the megs will be on us!

In truth, they had branched off, distracted by something on the far side- oddly oblivious to the kraken finding the defenseless boat. Course, that could only mean there were other, more, people in the water. Through the oval glass, Suyin observed the ocean floor making its slow incline into what the Thai government called Fun Island. A few shelves jutted up from the very bottom, stemming and stretching into spare outcroppings above; these became more frequent closer to shore. The DSV could only travel in so far.

"You sure about those timers?" Mac was asking nervously. "And how do we get attach them?"

Little dots along the surface became paddle boats, tubes, legs. Human lives, enjoying the serene day. What a rude awakening they were in for.

"Two helicopters with happy trigger fingers just landed." DJ reported over the walkie, adding weight to their hearts and minds. So many problems... too many... Suyin bore down on the controls, knuckles already white. She pushed her breath out, refusing to give in to the impulse to let go. Just sink to the floor and lay, unmoving and unhearing till it was all over. They need you! Meiying, Jonas... they want you to be okay. I WANT TO BE OKAY!

The realization broke sweat across her forehead, stirring emotions, urgent, poignant. She grabbed the walkie. "DJ, you need to find a signal; get us backup! Jonas and Rigas, we drew the megs in, now you need to draw them out. We'll take care of the kraken."

"Oh..." Mac squirmed into his suit alongside Jiuming. Suyin waited a breath, then Jonas clicked on. "On it, boss."

She licked her lips, withholding a smile. The slow return of control felt good.

"I think," Mac leaned on her shoulder, minus his helmet. "I'd rather stick with sub. Maybe you'd like to take this initiative into the open ocean."

Suyin smirked at him. "The suit's too big."

He sighed- loudly- before turning around. Giving Jiuming the space to lean in. "As they draw the megs out, best we draw the kraken in?"

"I can anchor it with the hooks." Suyin suggested, nodding to the three buttons. "Keep it distracted enough for you to attach the bombs."

He nodded. "I'm sure Jonas has something similar in mind. He'll get them."

"Even Haiqi?" Suyin watched his face waver as she said this. Jiuming gave a resolving sigh, straightening up. "Probably best he takes care of it."

}{}{}{}{

"Get out of the water!"

"Gǔnchū shuǐmiàn!"

They all yelled over the sides of the raft, Rigas steering past the multi-colored tubes the tourists lounged in. No surprise, few were listening. Even with the language barrier, they had to notice the urgency in their tones! It unnerved Jonas how people could just ignore-

"Driscoll's team should've landed inland." DJ worked the satellite phone over, growing frustrated. "Still no signal."

"So they're jamming it?" Rigas grunted, their raft finally hitting sand. "How do we stop them?"

"Gee, let's go walk right up and ask." DJ agitated, tightening his pack on his shoulders.

"You need to get to shore!" Meiying continued to yell, gesturing inland. Her face turned to Jonas, exasperated. "Why won't-"

BANG! BANGBANGBANG! BANG!

Jonas and everyone else jolted at the sudden echo of gunfire. Which set the islanders off like rockets. Down from the resort they scurried, screaming and fleeing the untold danger... right into the shallows! Jonas' first instinct pushed Meiying down, but the rapid firing continued far off through the trees.

"I don't think it's for us." DJ suggested. Hardly easing the situation, as people clamored onto the docks, into the water. Rigas stood up, squinted at the tree line. "Then- what would they be for?"

The raft shifted at the water became torrent with panicked people. Adults and children knocked aside, shouts in every direction; everything was chaos! Jonas and DJ jumped over the sides of the raft to hold it. A balding American shoved through Rigas and tried boarding, but Jonas about ripped his shoulder off, yanking him back. "Stay dry, trust me!"

In that moment, screams came out from the sea. There was a few seconds of standstill as the beta's head popped up just outside the bay. Jaws wide and gapping, an entire paddle boat waved in the air before it- and the couple inside- vanished down its throat. Rigas gaped, then stared into the foliage, where the shots continued.

"Get me outta here!" the guy spun out of Jonas' grip, bolting like mad down the sand.

"Jonas-" DJ readied his firearm from his pack. "We'll find a signal, man, but... I've only got so many rounds. How many are going to die before anyone gets here?"

Enough were already dead. Jonas watched a mother dredge her son out of the reef and onto the rocks. Then started when he realized the raft was drifting. "Meiying!"

She appeared, sliding down the side... holding the bag with the explosive pipes out to him. "You'll need this."

Jonas took it, pulling her with him onto the beach. The gunfire had moved away, but they saw the fins closing in. Problems were pressing in on all sides, while all he felt was Meiying's hand pressing on his.

"The kraken's closing in!" Suyin came over the walkie. "We'll try to stall it from reaching the sundeck."

Jonas glanced down the shoreline, spotting a lifeguard tower jutting out from the rocks into a tide pool... beyond the kill zone. He motioned her toward it. "There. You get there and stay until one of us comes to get you."

Meiying nodded earnestly. He stared at her, hard. "Don't make us worry about you. We need to do our jobs."

She swallowed but acknowledged him again. "I won't go anywhere. Just... promise you'll come back."

He couldn't do that. But he would give her a kiss on the head. "I love you."

"I love you too." she smiled encouragingly. Jonas held onto that- and the pipes- as he ran back to DJ and Rigas. She arched a brow as they flanked toward the docks. "How are we going to work this?"

"Lure them away from the people." Jonas stated eyes over the docks to the bay on the other side. "I'll use the jet ski."

"You can't take all 3 alone!" Rigas stopped him by the strap of the bag. Jonas pointed. "There's only one ski. And you need to cover DJ-"

"I can cover myself." DJ emphasized as they jumped the dock. Sure, but there was still one ski. Jonas wrapped the strap over his shoulder, resisting the cringe at the weight of the pipes. He entrusted the one walkie to Rigas, splitting up the other set between him and DJ. "We stay connected; update me when help's on the way."

"You got it." DJ assured him, following Rigas up the beach and between the palms. Jonas checked the strap a final time before straddling the jet ski. The key attached to the ignition, he started it up. He blew out, blasting himself from the safety of land. "I got this."

}{}{}{}{

"WHAT is that?!" Rigas unwittingly asked, fear and agony full front. She and DJ had halted along the sand path, where they were praying to stumble upon even one bar of communication. From the overgrowth, came the feeling of being hunted. DJ steeled his shoulders against the icy prickle along his skin. Those days are over!

"There!"

DJ followed Rigas' direction and aimed at the prowling sea dino monstrosity. He grinned at the fatal blow. "Yeah! Rigas- Rigas!?"

He bolted after her, unappreciative of being abandoned so quickly. It took seconds to catch up, but that was due to her nearly tripping into a clearing. She pushed him back, indicating the camo helicopter lingering in the grassy plain. Perhaps where the shots had originated, as two mercs played tag with several of the lizards. Luckily, neither had spotted them... yet.

"That's Driscoll." Rigas whispered, watching the curled head cowering within the helicopter. DJ licked his lips. "And probably the signal jammer they've been using."

Their eyes met as DJ opened his pack. "Spray, taser, and my baby."

Rigas' brow arched, catching the pack of gum in the topmost pocket. "No hatchet?"

"If Mana One was stationed in Yellowstone." DJ shushed her. They hunkered among the tall grass, watching the gunfire fly as a lizard dragged a merc by his cargo-panted leg. "We just need to make it past Driscoll and the pilot."

"Assuming you're right."

"Power of deduction..." DJ pointed at the idle helicopter. "And the faraday case beside Driscoll."

Rigas shoved a stick of gum in her mouth. "All without your glasses."

"You need a crash course in compliments." DJ glared at her. Rigas waved it off. "Buying us time to think up a plan."

What else was there but the direct approach? A few minutes passed before the second merc was taking down when he tried reloading. Seeing their chance, DJ circled the copter with Rigas until they faced the tail. DJ sighted his baby, keeping their front covered as they edged closer and closer... until his hand was flinging the back door of the helicopter open. "Freeze!"

Driscoll started, having been captivated by the gruesome action ahead. Rigas grabbed at the jammer in the moment of surprise.

"Sonny." Driscoll ordered. The pilot suddenly had a rifle pressing to DJ's head. He felt the sweat, but didn't blink. Rigas hesitated However, he eased his hands up, giving her go-ahead. "I wouldn't point that at me if I were you."

"Back up." Sonny gestured at him and Rigas as he stepped from the helicopter. Driscoll used the space to ease off the seat. She slid her sunglasses down to pierce Rigas thoroughly. "Hmm... Jess made you that offer cuse I thought you were smart. That we shared common interests."

"I've never looked forward to killing business partners." Rigas bit out at her.

"Drop the pack!" Sonny glared at DJ. He snorted. "Guess again."

"Relax, Sonny." Driscoll scanned the immediate area. "Everyone's probably fighting the megalodons... where's Meiying?"

DJ blinked at the odd question. "Why?"

Driscoll played with her scarf. "Safety. And someone needs to convince her family to pass the reins of the institute-" she showed a sly smile. "There's only so much death and loss one can take. Suyin will need the space to pick up the pieces of her fragile little mind."

"You expect that to work?" Rigas took a step, only to be checked by Sonny.

"I always make things work." Driscoll returned her sunglasses over her entitled smile. "It's what puts you there, and me here."

"Yep," DJ snorted with his own step back. "Right where we want you."

What started as a laugh ended in a scream as Driscoll was flipped onto her back and dragged beneath the helicopter. Sonny turned and fired, giving DJ opportunity to crack his neck from behind. He shuffled the rifle to Rigas, getting to the jammer. He glimpsed Driscoll's desperate grasp across the ground as she fought to stay alive between screams and moans of horror. The lizard let go toward the end of the clearing, trading her leg for her stomach. The twinge of guilt at least assured DJ he was human, keeping his focus on the faraday case. Of course, there wasn't a simple button to press-

DJ righted at the sounds of growls. He looked back, where the waist-high grass was parting- revealing more of the prowling beasts.

"We're surrounded." Rigas analyzed with tight breath.

"Wh-" DJ backed up frantically. "They stealing our moves? Hop in!"

Rigas was already slamming the door- how long before they realized there was no front door? DJ punched past the password, checking the code back and forth. "They just isolated our frequency, so I only need to reopen it..."

"Faster." Rigas urged as a lizard attacked the window. Claws and teeth gnashed against glass, soon joined by two then three. DJ polished off the last line of binary, beaming at the bright orange dot symbolizing their link back to civilization. "I got it! Check the phone!"

"Later!" Rigas shoved him out the other end and they abandoned the helicopter. With maybe 4 seconds before the lizards figured how to follow. DJ knew he had seen more paths, winding on the other side of the clearing. What lay beyond that? He picked up his legs a little more as Rigas rushed past him. "Hey, the phone!"

"I'll find a signal!" Rigas shoved at him so they veered opposite directions. "Get to Meiying!"

He really didn't like splitting up. DJ wanted to say so but needed all his breath for running. Reaching the path they'd entered on, he heard Rigas yell out, getting their attention. He didn't turn to see if it was working. Just make that call, Rigas!

"Biến đi!"

DJ's shoes skidded, whipping around at the voice. A goddess in a lacy orange skirt and bikini top swung a crooked branch at a stray lizard. She was trying to guard her friend, whose leg was already bleeding. DJ whistled, then aimed when the lizard spotted him. It didn't make two steps before he laid it out."Yeah! Get some!"

The woman turned hastily to her friend, gesturing him over. "Um... please..."

"Look," DJ pointed back to the beach, feeling torn. Then guilty. "I- this is... I wanna help, but- I gotta go rescue a little girl."

Meiying would resent that. But if he explained it to her- gently- she'd understand. He broke into a hard run. "Just make sure... there is a later."