I was at a dive bar in Mexico when a man called George Stapleton approached me about using my boat to film a “discovery channel special for shark week”. I declined at first, then the man in the freshly pressed business suit whipped out his checkbook and… Well…. The number of zeros took my breath away. I know that sounds a bit cliche, but it did.
“Now what kind of shark week special is worth that much money?” I asked.
The dark headed man rubbed the stubble on his chin as he laughed.
“Let’s just say, it’s gonna be a very special case.”
I’m gonna be honest… I don’t know shit about sharks other then a real big one tried to eat Chief Brody in Jaws. I wasn’t sure just how helpful I would be. But Stapleton reassured me that all I needed to do was steer the boat. My boat wasn’t a big one. It wasn’t small either. It was a 36 foot blue and white cruiser/trawler that typically operated a crew of three. But I was in Mexico on vacation at the time of meeting Mr. Stapleton. My crew was back in Maine. We’d had a relatively good season so I’d decided to take the ship down the coast for vacation.
I’d met Stapleton and his team as the sun rose over the ocean. I can remember the sunrise because there were streaks of pink across the sky. He’d traded his freshly pressed business suit for a tight black t shirt and blue jeans. That was when I noticed that the man was very very muscular. His muscles bulged in his shirt. He had an entire team with him. I assumed they were the film crew. There were six or seven of them. Which wasn’t a problem because my boat could honestly hold everyone if they’d brought enough food. I guided Stapleton to the ship. Four of his men carried large black trunks behind us. Which I assumed was filming equipment. I did notice that all of the men looked soldier esque. All were in shape with chiseled jawlines and muscular features. They also wore the same kinda clothing as their leader like they had some kinda uniform on.
“So what’s your boats name Mr. Hayward?” Stapleton asked as we made our way down the dock.
“The Maria. But I’m assuming you already knew that.” I answered.
“What makes you think that?” Stapleton asked with a smirk.
“Simple.. You approached me at the bar. You knew I had a ship. Which means you’ve done your research on me.”
Stapleton scoffed.
“So what else did you guys dig up on me?” I asked.
“Just the basics. Ex-navy. Served eight years before refusing to renew your contract. During your time in you married a woman named Maria. Then shortly after you were left the navy she passed away in a car accident. That’s when you invested your life savings in this boat and started a fishing business.” Stapleton said plainly.
I just about stopped dead in my tracks. The Discovery channel had way too much power.
“I didn’t think you could find all that information on a background check.” I said.
Stapleton shrugged, “You’d be surprised what kind of information I can dig up. Now…. Let’s get this show on the road. Shall we?”
I put aside my discomfort as I led them onto my ship. The water gently rocked the boat beneath us as the men put their trunks down. I walked straight into the helm and started the ship up. It’s engine roared beneath me. Stapleton stood on the deck directing his men. One of which produced a tablet from one of the trunks and handed it to him.
“Ahh.. There it is..” Stapleton said with a smile as he walked towards me.
“Don’t leave yet. We’re still waiting on Dr. Stein.”
“Dr. Stein?” I asked.
I could see Stapleton shift a bit with what seemed like discomfort.
“You could call him my boss.” Stapleton said.
“What is he? The host of the show or something?” I asked.
Stapleton scoffed, “You could call him that.”
I watched the men move around my boat for a good thirty minutes before Dr. Stein and his assistant Samantha Nicole Jenson showed up. It was at that point that I started to actually wonder if we weren’t overloading my boat. Stein was another tall dark headed man. His hair was combed back neatly, and he had a thin black mustache on his upper lip. He wore a pair of cargo shorts and a Hawaiian themed polo shirt. Despite his flashy appearance. He didn’t say much when he stepped on the boat.
“Mr. Stein.” Stapleton greeted.
Stein ignored him as he continued up the deck and straight into the wheelhouse where I was standing.
“You must be Captain Mayfield.” Stein Greeted.
“It’s Hayward!” I corrected.
Stein smirked as he reached out to shake my hand.
“My mistake. I’ve worked with a lot of ship captains lately. I trust Stapleton is paying you well.” The man said.
“So.. What kind of shark week special are we filming anyway?”
Stein gave me a confused glance as he turned to Stapleton. Who smiled and shrugged. Stein turned back to me.
“We’re looking for a very special shark.” Stein said.
I looked past him at his assistant. Who stood next to Stapleton as he fiddled with the tablet. I’d be lying if I didn’t say there wasn’t something off about this whole thing. But with the money I was making. There wasn’t much I wasn’t willing to do. Stein and I didn’t say much more before we left.
As we headed out into the open ocean I let my mind wonder. I watched the sun go the rest of the way up through the boats windshield. I pondered what I would spend this money on. I thought of my wife. The crash. The memory of the glass flying everywhere as her body was sent sailing out the windshield gave me pause. It had been her dream to buy a boat and just live on it. Not mine. There was always something about the freedom of the open ocean that fascinated Maria. If she was still alive I’d have spent the money on getting her a nicer boat. Not that this fishing boat wasn’t run down by any means. But like I said, it was a fishing boat. Nothing more. It had sleeping quarters but it wasn’t comfortable to live on. Maria would have wanted a yacht or something. Maybe that’s just what I’d get.
We’d been traveling for about an hour when Stein’s assistant came into the wheelhouse with the tablet in hand. She was a nice looking young woman. With short dark hair and an olive tint to her skin.
“Mr. Mayfield?” she asked.
I sighed as I rolled my eyes.
“It’s Hayward.” I said. “But you can call me Sam.”
“I’m sorry.” she said.
“It’s okay. You got a name?” I asked.
“Uhh… Funnily enough, it’s Samantha actually.”
I scoffed. “I’m not calling you Sam.” I joked.
She smiled, “I hope not. Anyway, what I’ve got here is our heading. You see this red dot?” She asked.
She showed me the tablet, which showed a massive map of the open ocean. With a blinking red dot maybe fifty miles from us.
“Kinda hard to miss.” I said.
“This is our target.” She said.
“Target? That the shark were filming?” I asked.
She took a deep breath.
“That’s the shark we’re after..”
“How do you know where it is?” I asked.
“Stapleton tagged him before he es-“ she started before stopping herself. “It’s a tracking device.”
That sent up a red flag. I was just about to ask about it when Stapleton came in.
“Hey Sam. Stein needs you.” He said.
I looked at Samantha, then Stapleton.
“I meant the girl, Mr. Hayward.”
Samantha nodded at me. Then walked off. I sat there thinking for a second before I realized something. There were a lot of S names on this boat.
We reached where the red dot had been late in the afternoon. The red dot was still in the area. Less then a mile out. But we did come to a stop. Mainly because of the boat wreckage ahead of us. I can still remember seeing the splintered wooden pieces of a small sailboat floating in the blue ocean.
“What the hell?” I muttered to myself.
My first thought was to keep going past it. But Stapleton poked his head into the helm.
“Hey stop here. Stein wants to take a look.” he said. I brought the boat to a stop. I could feel the boat rocking gently with the waves underneath me.
I wondered back out onto the deck. Where I found Stapleton directing his men. They were busy bolting a heavy duty harpoon launcher to the wooden deck.
“What the hell are you doing to my boat?” I asked as I stormed out.
Stapleton turned to me.
“Don’t worry Mr. Hayward. Once this is over we’ll buy you a whole new boat!”
I started to protest but the words got caught in my throat. That was when I noticed Stein directing two men dressed in scuba gear. Both armed with spearguns of their own.
“Now remember! If you see them! Aim for the brain! We don’t need anymore of these things running… or swimming around!” Stein said.
My face contorted in confusion.
“Wait? You’re hunting something.” I stated.
“Yeah. What gave that away?” Asked Stapleton.
“I thought you said you were filming a shark week special?” I asked.
“Oh. Yeah.. I lied.” Stapleton stated.
“Well no shit! Who are you really? Poachers?” I demanded.
That was when I heard the splashes of the two divers.
Stapleton smiled.
“Mr. Mayfield!” Stein called out from behind me.
I turned back to him.
“It’s Hay-.. You know what? No! Who are you people? Why did you lie about shark week?” I practically growled.
Stein took a deep breath. “Well.. when people hear the phrase zombie-megalodon, they tend to either run away or laugh their asses off.”
My face contorted in bewilderment now.
“What did you just say?” I asked.
“He said zombie megalodon!” Stapleton said.
“Megalodon? Like the shark from that Vin Diesel movie? And did you use the phrase zombie?”
“Please tell me you didn’t just mix up Vin Diesel and Jason Statham..” Stapleton said with an annoyed tone.
“I’m not a shark or a movie person!” I argued.
“Regardless…” Stein interrupted. “This changes nothing…. We’re still paying you. In fact, I’ll pay you double to press on.”
I groaned under my breath. I figured that they were probably lying. But at the same time. They’d lied about shark week. I wondered if they’d lied about paying me too. My eyes caught Samantha, who was sitting on one of the trunks with an earpiece in. She had her tablet in her lap as she guided the divers. I thought for a second. A fucking zombie megalodon. How the hell does that even work? Part of me thought I was part of some kind of prank. The rational part of me. But I could see everyone on the boat had a dead serious demeanor about them.
I looked back at Stein.
“Well… Doesn’t seem like I’ve got much of a choice, do I?”
Stein shrugged nonchalantly. “Not if you wanna live!”
That statement alone made my blood run cold. I think I actually trembled a bit. I inhaled as I turned and walked back into the wheelhouse. I agreed to drive these people. I didn’t agree to be around them. If I had any sense I would have called the coast guard then and there.
As I walked though, I heard Samantha’s voice go up in pitch.
“DANIELS, GET OUT OF THERE NOW! ITS RIGHT BELOW YOU!” she shouted into her ear piece.
I turned towards the wreckage of the other ship. Where I could see one of the divers had surfaced and was frantically swimming towards our boat. He was maybe thirty yards away.
“Help! There’s-“ The man managed to shout before being yanked under the waves.
“Shit!” Samantha said as she shot up from the trunk.
The blue water where he’d been swimming was suddenly painted a shade of crimson. I turned to Stein. Who remained stone faced.
“Must have lost their spear guns…. Get the depth charges! We gotta kill these things before they make an even bigger mess!” Stein commanded.
The other men went to work. Pulling out what I can only assume was some kind of plastic explosive. It looked more high tech then anything I’d used in the navy. But then again, that was fifteen years prior. The explosives themselves were metallic black spheres that were around the size of basketballs. Stapleton’s remaining men tossed several over the ships edge. Stapleton himself tossed one a good twenty yards out.
We all stood there in silence and anticipation as we waited for the explosives to go off. When they did the boat shook with an audible boom. Volleys of bubbles and water went skyward all around us. It took maybe ten or fifteen seconds before the bodies of three large sharks floated to the surface.
“Ugh! I wanted a live one!” Stein complained.
The smell that penetrated my nose was awful. It was like a salty rotten fish stench that made me wanna gag. I walked over to the edge of the boat where I could see the sharks more clearly. If I remembered anything about the “Jason Statham” movie. Then I remembered that Megalodons were massive. And while these sharks were big. They looked closer to the shark from jaws, if not maybe ten feet smaller. Not only that… They all had chunks of flesh missing. One even had its skull exposed.
“Looks like our friends been busy..” Stapleton said as he looked at the bodies.
“How?” I asked.
“Well… The Zombie meg is infected with a pathogen of sorts. It’s also a swimming corpse. Which means a lot of rotting meat. Rotting…. Infected…. Meat. It just takes one curious shark taking a curious bite. Then that shark gets infected. Then it can either bite or get eaten by another sea creature. Then so on and so on until the whole ocean is infected with nothing but hungry corpses.”
“Well that’s…. Horrible..” I said.
“Hence why we have to capture the big one!” Stein said as he approached us.
I took another deep breath.
“Why not call the Navy?” I asked.
Stein and Stapleton looked at each other.
“I’m not paying you to ask questions Mr. Mayfield! Go back to driving the ship.” Stein said sternly.
I huffed and puffed as I turned around and went back to the wheelhouse. I wasn’t sure if I completely bought what was going on. But I knew one thing. If they were telling the truth then they were almost certainly involved in this thing getting out. I reached the steering wheel, my mind was still lost in thought. I tried to find my own happy place. I even tried thinking of Maria. But that didn’t work. All I could think about was the man who’d been yanked under the waves. That and another thing…. If this creature was actually a megalodon… I was gonna need a bigger boat. That or a way to get out of here before Stein got us all killed.
It was around nightfall, when Samantha walked into the wheelhouse and advised me to keep my distance from the red dot at night time.
“The shark has better vision then we do at night.” She explained.
“Yes.. But I have radar.” I answered sarcastically.
She smirked and rolled her eyes. “Radar won’t save you from a sixty seven foot killing machine!”
I honestly didn’t wanna go anywhere near this thing. So staying clear throughout the night was fine with me.
“So what’s the plan for when we find this thing?” I asked.
Samantha took a deep breath.
“Stein wants to capture it….”
“Do you really think he can pull that off?” I asked.
“I think he’s capable.” She replied.
“Can I ask you a question?” I asked.
“Yeah?”
“You guys have the money to charter a better boat then this one. Why’d they pick me?” I asked.
“Cause you’re all alone.” She said bluntly. “If you don’t come back. No one will ask questions.”
“And if I do and tell everyone what happened out here?” I asked.
“You won’t.” She said.
I tilted my head to the side with confusion.
“Look! Mr. Mayfield.”
“It’s Hayward!” I corrected.
“Whatever.. A zombie shark is just a taste of some of the things that are out there in the darkness. There are things that are a whole lot worse. Things that Stein has in his employ. Do yourself a favor and don’t fall victim to them.”
With that she left me alone in my wheelhouse. The next day wasn’t very eventful. We tracked the red dot some more. But even when we were right over it we failed to get it to surface. Stein claimed that it was too deep under the water. He also didn’t want to use depth charges on it because he was afraid of accidentally killing the thing.
We did however, come across the corpse of a humpback whale that had been bitten in half. It floated limply in the water. A feeding frenzy of sharks knawed on it. I remember driving the boat alongside of the carcass and seeing nothing but the splashes of fins and teeth in the now scarlet water. I tried to think of Maria to get my mind off of what I was witnessing. But that was interrupted by Stapleton and his men tossing more depth charges onto the carcass.
“Mr. Mayfield. Pull us far away. This whale is about to explode.” Stein said bluntly.
I did as told, driving the boat forward and past the whales hear. Where I unceremoniously made eye contact with one of its still open eyes. The eye was dead… It looked dead, not just metaphorically, but physically as well. It was pale and black with a whitish glaze. I looked closer at it. Then suddenly, it seemed to move. The whales eye locked onto me. I felt a singe of fear crawl up my spine as I made the boat go as fast as it could.
I didn’t look back when the explosives detonated. I zoned out as the bits of whale rained down all around the boat. A few miles later, I could hear Stapleton and Stein talking just outside the wheel house.
“You do realize that all the little pieces of meat you just sent into the ocean are infected right?” Stapleton’s voice asked.
“I’ll have Victor Sanitize the area.” Stein replied. “We just need the Meg first.”
“Thank God for Gideon’s advanced science division. If this works then we can start planning Operation Lazarus.” Stapleton groaned.
“Don’t you dare thank God in my presence! Thank me!” Stein’s voice replied.
“Someone’s got a power trip.” I said under my breath as I watched the red dot on the tablet that Samantha had left for me.
It was still a few miles away. But it was still. Like the creature was hovering in the same place plotting its next move. I looked out across the ocean. Where I could see the sun setting in the distance.
“Oh Maria… What have I gotten myself into?” I said to myself.
Later that night, I sat at the wheel of the ship. I’d tried sleeping but that was a fruitless effort. All I could see in my dreams was the man being yanked under the water. Then the whales dead eye staring at me. My groggily eyes shifted from the tablet to my sonar display. That was when I heard the boop of the sonar.
My eyes widened when I realized that, in my groggy state. I hadn’t realized that the red dot was coming our direction and at an extraordinary speed.
“Shit!” I barked.
I could hear the wheelhouse door open behind me as Stein entered the room.
“Mr. Hayward, the shark is coming.” He said in an unusually calm voice.
“Yeah. Yeah. I know.” I said as I started the engines.
“Don’t move the boat until I tell you.” Stein said.
I turned to him with wide eyes.
“What? Why?”
Stein didn’t answer the question. He only narrowed his eyes.
“Don’t move the boat.” He said sternly before leaving the room. I could see two of Stapleton’s mercenaries bolting another harpoon gun to the front deck through my windshield. At this point I was actively considering calling either the coastguard or the navy. Maybe just screaming for help over my radio.
“We’re all gonna die.” I mumbled to myself.
“Don’t get your hopes up just yet.” Stapleton said as he entered the room.
“What are you doing in here?” I asked.
“How far out is the shark?” Stapleton asked his earpiece.
I could see on my sonar that it was less then a minute. I could also see one of the men aiming the harpoon.
“So what’s the plan for capturing this thing?” I asked.
Stapleton chuckled, “Just be ready to move the boat.”
That was when I watched Stein step onto the boats front deck. He stood alongside the men manning the harpoon. I watched as he traced his finger along the metal point before pricking it. He didn’t jerk away. He only looked at his finger calmly and then turned and looked at me. He smiled and waved, I noticed a small amount of blood running down his hand.
“The fuck?” I asked.
He turned back to the men on the harpoon.
“Remember… Aim for the brain. I can’t control this thing if you miss.” Stein said.
The sonar panel beeped again. The shark was even closer now. Half a mile out. Then a quarter. I could feel my heart pounding in my chest. Then I saw the massive black fin zipping through the water in the moonlight. It was coming straight for the front of my boat.
“Holy shit!” I said as instinctively reached for the metallic wheel. Buy before my hand could reach it though. I felt cold steel press against the side of my head.
“Not.. Until… Stein says!” Stapleton growled.
That was when I realized what he’d been in there for.
“On my mark! Turn is to port!” Stein said as he entered the wheelhouse behind us.
The shark was maybe fifty yards away now.
“Come on. Come on.” I heard Stapleton mutter.
Forty.
Thirty.
“Now!” Stein barked.
I turned the steering wheel as fast as I could. The ship turned a bit faster then I’d expected. The harpoon on the front fired. Then as soon as we were completely turned the one on the back fired.
I found my eyes glued to the tablet as the red dot was now on top of us. I braced for impact. One hundred percent expecting to be inside of a sharks stomach by midnight. But the impact never came.
I honestly wondered if the shark had passed under us. At least until I looked through the side window and saw the shark fin in my side window. It was floating in the water. Still as can be.
It was then that Stapleton lowered his weapon. I turned to where Stein had been standing, but he was already gone. I followed Stapleton onto the rear deck where I found Stein standing at the side. Samantha stood next to him. Stein had his hand up. Almost like he was signaling the shark to stop. Several of Stapleton’s men had lights shined on it.
The massive creature was smooth and black. At least it was on the remaining skin. There were bits of it where I could see the sharks skeleton. The smell was rotten and fishy. Its black eyes were fixated on Stein.
“Ah. The revenant obeys the master.” Stein said to himself.
“How did you-“ I started.
“Simple…. Mr. Haywood.. Blood magic.” Stein interrupted.
I shouldn’t have even asked. Things were only getting crazier and crazier. Stein turned to me and smiled.
“This creature… Is one of four infected with an ancient primeordeal prion. We found it frozen in a glacier. The fact that it was still alive was astounding. It was also surprising. Which is part of the reason it escaped us the first time. It was only luck that Stapleton here managed to tag it before it outran our submarine.” He said as he looked me up and down.
I honestly don’t know what any of that meant. I’m not a scientist. All I know is undead shark is undead.
“I-I- Who are you?” I asked.
“The one who signs the checks. Now get back to the wheel and call the coast guard. I think a test is in order.” Stein said.
“A test?” I asked.
I felt Stapleton shove me.
“Go! Tell the coast guard you need help or I’ll blow your fucking brains out!” Stapleton growled as he pulled his pistol on me.
I turned and took off towards the wheel house. I entered and practically fumbled out the radio.
“This is the Maria! Mayday! Mayday! I’m being held against my will! I need help!” I pleaded.
But all I got was static.
“Mayday! This is the Maria! I need help! There’s a psychopath with a gun!” I pleaded again.
“Maria! This is the Coast guard! What are your coordinates?”
I gave the coast guard my location and they advised me to stay calm and barricade myself in the wheel house. I sank down, my back against the steering wheel. My eyes on the closed door to the wheelhouse. It took all of about five minutes for me to realize…. Things had gone quiet. I was too scared to get up however.
I think I sat there for a few hours sobbing. Then I heard shouting. Bright lights flooded through the Maria’s windshield. There was a bang on the door.
“Coast guard! Is anyone there?” A voice asked.
My heart jumped into my throat.
“I-I’m here!” I pleaded.
I got up and shakily opened the door. There was a man in a coastguard uniform there with a rifle in his hands.
“Are you okay sir? Can you tell me what happened?” He asked.
I struggled to get the words out. He helped me to my feet as a medic came aboard my ship to take a look at me. The ship they’d sent was a medium response boat. They’d pulled up right next to the Maria and tied the boats together. I looked around on the dock.
“Where’d they go?” I asked.
“Where’d who go?” The medic replied as she shined a bright light in my eyes.
My deck was empty now. The only evidence that Stapleton or Stein had even been there were the holes where the harpoon guns had been bolted down.
“What?” I asked as I wondered out loud.
Then Stein’s words echoed in my head like a bad dream.
“I think a test is in order!”
My eyes grew large as I grabbed the medic by her wrists. She gave me a shocked and afraid glance.
“We need to leave!” I shouted.
I could see the man raise his rifle at me.
“Stand down!” He shouted.
I turned to him.
“No! You don’t understa-“
That was when I noticed the black fin coming towards the Maria. The moonlight seemed to reflect off of it.
“NO!” I screamed.
But it was too late, the Shark’s mouth came out of the water as it collided with the Maria. Bits of metal and wooden splinters flew everywhere. I was somehow thrown overboard. I hit the black water with a splash. I tried to scream but the cold water poured down my throat. It took me maybe four seconds to gather my thoughts and swim to the surface. When I did, I was met with a gruesome sight. The Maria.. The ship I’d spent my life savings on. The ship that was my wife’s namesake, was now in two pieces. The zombie shark’s massive body in between them as it chomped down onto the coast guards vessel.
I could hear assault rifles firing. I could hear screams. But it wasn’t enough. The shark’s jaws grinded the metal ship to bits in seconds. I watch both my ship and the coast guards sink below the black water.
Im only alive now because I cling onto a piece of wood that ironically was a piece of the hull that had my wife’s name written in black cursive on it. I floated for a few hours before a second coast guard boat found me. Turns out, we’d ended up in the Gulf of Mexico. They took me to a hospital where I was treated for a concussion. When asked what happened I claimed that I’d been attacked by pirates. I claimed they’d used a rocket launcher to sink the coast guard boat. It was a lie yes. But… I mean… No one would believe the truth. That and I remembered exactly what Samantha had said about Stein. I’d watched him control a zombie shark like a fucking puppet. I didn’t wanna know what else he was capable of.
So I went home. Hopefully to forget about this whole nightmare. But when I got there, I found an envelope on my bed. One that read (Mr. Mayfield) in black cursive writing. I knew exactly who it was from. It took me a good few minutes of staring at it to open it.
It was a massive check. I’m not gonna say the exact amount. But I could have used it to never work again. If it wasn’t addressed to Samuel Mayfield. I couldn’t help but laugh to myself. I rolled my eyes as I tossed the check onto the bed. That was when I noticed the writing on the back.
The note read
I’m impressed that you actually survived Mr. Hayward. Check your bank account. Stay quiet, and thank you for your cooperation. :).
I still think about the coast guard members that died that night. I’d say I haven’t touched that blood money but that would be a lie. I kept most of it. Enough to live off of. I also made anonymous donations to every single person on that coast guard ships families. I’m not a total monster. I know the nightmares will never go away. I know that I can’t exactly tell my story to anyone who can do anything. I also know…… That I’m NEVER…. EVER….. WATCHING SHARK WEEK AGAIN.