Z. Raptor by Steve Cole Read Free Book Online

helped him to stand. The floor was shifting with the swell of the ocean, but Adam held it together and managed to reach the door by himself. He opened it and shuffled into a narrow corridor, which in turn led to a flight of steps stretching up to the deck.
    Woozily, with a little help from Stone, he scaled the staircase and rested in the doorway. Above decks, the air was sharp and fresh; it helped to clear his head.
    The first thing he noticed was that the ship was big; the deck was almost as wide as a typical classroom and maybe four times as long. It was lit with red lanterns, turning the handful of crew into crimson silhouettes as they scrambled about on deck and in the rigging. One of them was Doug, his familiar gray cap still in place; Adam took a step back on instinct. Staring past the shadow figures, Adam searched out the blurred split between boundless black sea and starry night. With a slow tingle of dread, he made out a low hump of distant darkness beneath the pale disk of the moon.
    â€œI might not have seen it at all, if not for the tower,” Doug called, and Adam saw what he meant—a thin ungainly stack thrust up at the stars. “Not long now till we bag ourselves a monster, guys. Its head’s gonna look good on the wall of the vets’ club.”
    â€œWhat do we do with the rest of the thing?” someone else asked.
    â€œBarbecue!” Doug declared with an exaggerated pirate’s brogue. “Argh, bet you that monster tastes sweet.”
    â€œIt’ll taste like charcoal, the way you cook it.”
    Laughter rang out into the empty darkness, and Adam’s heart began to pound helplessly. He was glad that Stone at least wasn’t smiling.
    Then the whine of an outboard motor stole into Adam’s ears; he turned to find a small, sleek orange boat skimming over the white-crested waves from out of the shadow of another large sailing ship.
    â€œYour dad’s quartered on the Pahalu there,” Stone said, coming up behind him. “I brought him around yesterday. He’s fine. If a little . . . aggrieved.”
    â€œI want to see him,” Adam repeated.
    â€œYou’ll have to talk to Chen.”
    Nerves balled in Adam’s stomach when he saw Chen at the helm of the powerboat as it pulled up alongside the Hula Queen .
    â€œHey, Adam,” he called, his features half in shadow. “Welcome back.”
    A big guy in a red T-shirt came and flipped a steel rope ladder over the side of the ship. Adam watched coldly as Chen climbed up. “You kidnapped my dad and me.”
    â€œI’m sorry. I needed your dad, Adam, and I couldn’t leave you home alone in case Geneflow came looking. You’re a lot safer here, believe me.” Chen swung his legs over the side of the ship and pulled a radio from his pocket. “Go ahead and talk to your old man. Press down the button on the side when you want to speak.”
    Without comment, Adam seized the radio. “Dad, are you there?”
    â€œAdam! Are you all right, Adam?” His dad’s voice sounded strong and vibrant even over the tinny speaker. “Don’t be afraid, okay? It’s going to be fine.”
    Adam glared at Chen as he talked. “I want to see you, Dad. Why have they split us up?”
    â€œTo keep you safe,” his dad said. “You’re staying on that ship with Dr. Stone and a guard, well away from the island. As for me . . . I’ll be going ashore with the second group.”
    â€œSecond group?” said Adam numbly, still trying to catch up as the situation raced on around him.
    â€œSure.” Chen pulled a pair of night-vision binoculars from his pocket and trained them on the island. “I’m leading the first expedition ashore in the RIBs.” He must’ve noticed Adam’s blank look. “Rigid inflatable boats, like that one I took over here. We’ll land discreetly, check out the area, and if it’s safe”—he