Mega 4: Behemoth Island Read Free Page A

intended.”
    “The mascot helps with morale,” Popeye said, ignoring the slight. “I’m boatswain. Morale is important, but not my priority. My priority is making sure the ship runs to its highest efficiency. Sometimes you have to take a shit on morale for that to happen. Gun always knew how to break the tension and keep the crew from getting too pissy.”
    “Why do you think that is?” Jowarski asked.
    “He grew up around the Thornes and Darren,” Popeye replied. “If you are part of that crowd then you learn how to diffuse tension in a hurry or you’ll get chewed up and spit out.”
    “Have the Thornes always been such a violent family?” Jowarski asked. “Were they aggressive even back then?”
    “Military families sometimes are,” Popeye shrugged. “But I don’t know enough about them to say what their history is. I do know that Kinsey is one tough-as-nails firecracker. You cross her and you’ll be holding your junk in your hands before you can blink. Her dad ain’t much better.”
    “What about Mr. Chambers? Is he just as dangerous?” Jowarski asked.
    “Darren? Nah. He has anger management issues, but then so does pretty much everyone I know,” Popeye said. “He can keep the anger in check. Unless you mess with Gun or Kinsey. Then I’d say he’s probably not the guy you want to be around.”
    “He’s protective of them?” Jowarski asked.
    “Hell yeah,” Popeye said. “He loves that girl like nobody’s business. He’d kill, die, come back to life, and kill again for her. Same for Gunnar. Those two are thicker than brothers.”
    “Speaking of brothers,” Jowarski smiled. “Tell me about the Reynolds boys. How do they fit into the family dynamic?”
    “The Reynolds? Shit, those two are misfits of the worst kind,” Popeye replied. “They never shut up and never stop cracking wise. Drives Thorne nuts. Drives most of us nuts. But you gotta love ‘em.”
    “Why is that?” Jowarski asked.
    “Because they know their jobs and they are great at them,” Popeye replied. “Drive you nuts or not, them boys can shoot, can fight, can find a way to survive. Shit, look at them. All burned and torn up. One’s missing half his face and the other is missing an eye. See ‘em with their shirts off and it’s nothing but a fucking Rand McNally map of scars on display.”
    Popeye started to say something else, but stopped and shook his head.
    “What? What is it?” Jowarski asked.
    “Nothing,” Popeye said. “Just thought about how Max looked at that Darby woman. Makes me think of how Darren looks at Kinsey. Funny how shit happens on a boat.”
    “Darby?” Jowarski asked, leaning forward quickly. “What does Darby have to do with Max Reynolds?”
    “Ha!” Popeye laughed. “Ain’t that the question of the century! What could a stone-cold chick like that see in a clown like him? Don’t make a lick of sense. Personally, I’d be scared to death to be alone with that woman.”
    “You are not the only one, Mr. DeBruhl,” Jowarski said. “That’s a wild animal being domesticated. It never ends well.”
     
    ***
     
    The sound of rushing water drove Dr. Chen on. Not that the sound of the trees behind him being broken and mangled wasn’t enough to keep his ass moving. It was plenty. But those were sounds that almost made him want to fall in a heap and just lie on the ground in the fetal position. The rushing water meant he was close to escape. Close to maybe surviving the nightmare that his day had become.
    He stumbled and nearly ran headlong into the trunk of what he guessed was in the metasequoia family. The massive redwood-like tree had to be nearly forty feet wide and stretched up into the air almost farther than the man could see. He shoved himself away from the giant conifer and stumbled around the massive trunk.
    His breath caught as he saw what was before him. The edge of the jungle was backed up against a sheer cliff. Dr. Chen hurried to the edge, careful of the crumbling earth