Fire in the Firehouse 16

All three men couldn't believe their eyes. Especially the part about it being in all of their names. Mitch was taken aback the most. He finally felt part of the family. Colby was stunned by his Dad's generosity. Nick suggested, "Well, I think we should get going sons, daylight is fast approaching." The four men grabbed their gear and loaded up. Soon they were on their way out to sea.

Marie had gotten word from her hired goon and knew she had to act fast. She had immediately gotten on the phone. "Yes, hi. I need to rent a helicopter. And then I'll need a speed boat to take me out on the Pacific. There's $10,000 in it, no questions asked. You can do it? Great! I'll get to the airport in Reno and be waiting for you." She hung up the phone and quickly got ready. She took all the pains of getting ready. She wanted to look her best for what she was about to do to all four men. She wasn't about to miss out on this opportunity.

Marie sang songs and laughed at how close her come uppance seemed to be. A day she'd long planned and calculated was close to becoming reality. She could hardly contain herself. Amazing how wicked some people can become and how calloused to other human emotions they be.

Once ready she headed out. She stopped at a butcher shop and got some stuff she needed. Her plan was set. She had the contents packed in ice and in an air tight bucket. Once satisfied with her purchase, she headed out to the airport. Once she arrived, it wasn't long before the pilot arrived right at the locale he'd described.

"Morning Ma'am," the pilot spoke. "To SFO, correct?" The guy was an older gentleman. The kind typically up at this part of the day. It was now approaching 6:00 in the morning. Marie nodded her head. She figured the less she said, the better it might be for her in the long run. Marie was too caught up in her plans and how she'd make her arrival. She wanted it flawless. This was her day and no one or nothing could stop her now.

She boarded the helicopter with her bucket and they soon made their way in the air. The man attempted small talk, but Marie just answered in short replies. The man finally knew to leave well enough alone. It mattered little to him. He was getting paid a good price to get Marie to SFO. 

Within a short time they were touching down at the airport. Marie had a limo arranged to get her to the marina. She only hoped they'd be able to find the yacht. Marie deduced by the name she was given that Nick owned it. And the mere fact he could spend such money while in the midst of their divorce drove her crazy. She figured it could just be one more thing she could take the man to the cleaner's for. Assuming she could get the prenuptial declared null and void. She was contesting she signed under duress and in a weakened state as her Mom had just passed not too long before hand.

In what seemed to be no time at all, the limo arrived at the exact marina, even with a slight pit stop on the way. She touched bases with the man she'd hired. He gave Marie what little info he had. Marie was swift to load her bucket and herself on the boat. She had a mission and was determined to follow through with it. The pilot of the boat drove out. He told her where he figured they might be. He explained that more than likely they were off by the Farallon Islands. The fishing there was great. They headed there to see what they could find. 

The two people on the speed boat looked and looked. Marie saw a few boats she hoped was the one she was seeking. But they turned out to be other boats. Naturally, par for the course this got Marie into one of her usual moods. If she wasn't a ticking time bomb ready for a heart attack or a stroke, no one was.

Back on the yacht, the four men were setting up their poles. Each man had two or three poles to lower into the water. The air was mostly calm. It was rather warm where they were, but the breeze was cool. They all bundled up a bit more, but the air still felt and smelled amazing. 

Mitch made his way over to Colby. He caught himself. For a second he almost stood next to Cory. He realized at the last second who was who. He brushed it off, making it seem like he was seeing how Cory was doing. None of the others were any the wiser. As he stood next to Colby he spoke gently. "Hi there. How ya doing? Looking to catch JAWS?" Colby laughed it off. The rod, reel and line he was using seemed to be enough to nab a small shark. Mitch was attempting to flirt. Colby loved the attention.

"No, but you never can tell what might be at these depths. I always say its good to be prepared. I think it'd be so awesome to catch something never seen before." Mitch smiled and listened to his lover's hopes. As they stood side by side, the stared silently at the sky watching the sun trying to peer through the marine layer. The colors in the sky were fantastic. They were mostly muted by the strained light, but the ones that shone through were quite the site to behold. 

It was quite romantic being up and out and on the sea so early in the day. The mood was breath taking. Mitch couldn't think of anywhere else he'd rather be than right here and now. He somewhat wished they were alone to utilize the inside of the boat. He'd gotten off at home, but many times when the two men expressed their feelings so profoundly it did more to make him full of more passion and desire. He was more in love with Colby than ever. He even tapped into his Empathy as he was getting better at controlling it. He felt Colby's emotions. Colby even caught on. Mitch always had the same look on his face when he used this ability. "Knock it off. I get to know my own feelings before you." They quietly laughed. Nick had no clue of Mitch's abilities and they'd yet to share it with Colby. 

Cory and Nick were engaged in baiting their poles. Both had already snagged a fish. Nick had snagged a red snapper and his son had pulled up small tuna. In the distance they heard a sound that seemed to draw closer. The marine layer was high, with some light fog tickling the surface of the ocean. Colby and Mitch both heard the sound as well and wondered what it could be. But out on the open ocean there would be sounds all day long. God only knew where any of these boats might be headed. It was all part of the mystery and wonder of being at sea.

After a few moments the sound drew closer, the faint sound of a familiar voice could be heard, no one wanting to accept this fact. Marie was standing next to the pilot shouting orders. "That's it! I just know it. I knew I'd find them." The pilot had reason to be suspicious, but cared less. What mattered to him was the money he was paid. It would help him out of his financial jam. Marie instructed the man to get as close as he could, but to hold off by at least 15 feet. He didn't understand why, but did as he was asked.

The four men on 'The Second Chance' instantly recognized now who it was, even at the short distance. A shrilling voice cracked the mostly still air. "Good morning my four favorite men. How long has it been?" She laughed a sinister laugh. She then ordered the pilot to circle the yacht. While doing so, Marie made her way back on the boat, leaned over, bucket open and began scooping a bloody-red mixture into the sea.

The pilot knew it was against the law to chum in these waters. "Lady, President Clinton declared these waters 'The Red Triangle' back in the 90's. You can't not chum here. Its illegal." Marie scowled and groaned.

"Spare me your legal bull shit. You've been well paid and I think that buys your silence." She went back to her chumming, ordering the pilot to circle the yacht. In mere moments the water around the ship was a mixture of blue and red. The red being blood laced with oils and entrails. Marie was planning on feeding the men to the sharks. "My dears, you make this all too easy. The Farallon Islands are notorious for Great Whites. Your demise shall be soon." 

Mitch, although never really having had the chance to speak to Marie shot back, "Hate to tell you Miss Know-it-all, but Great Whites don't have a taste for humans. If you'd maybe watch some educational TV or read instead of marinating your liver with booze, you might know this." This enraged her more. What a time bomb. She lived her life to the most stressful.

She shouted back, "Oh, my darling cock-suckers, don't worry. Soon there'll be a feeding frenzy. And trust me darlings, I've brought something along to insure you make it into the water." Marie stood looking. Soon there were at least three fins swimming around the yacht. One larger shark, about 19 feet actually bumped the yacht. Then men grabbed hold of the railing. "See? They're already begging you in my darlings. Fear not, I'll make sure you each have the proper funeral." Being this evil and nasty was music to her black soul. She was confident she had them where she wanted them and there was to be no escape this time.

Nick snapped. "You psycho bitch from hell, get the fuck outta here! Why must you continue to threaten my family like this?" He was livid. He wished she'd just leave. "I've had enough of your shit! Go the fuck away! Why don't you just jump in and feed the sharks you loon? Fuckin'-A!" His blood pressure was soaring-luckily he was in great shape.

"Oh, Nick, precious. Don't be so hostile. You don't want your last moments on Earth to be consumed by bitterness. Enjoy your time, borrowed as it is." Marie was so confident in her destructive ways. She gloated, knowing that soon she'd take down the four men that kept her from her ultimate goal. She stood cocky with a glass of wine in her hand and reached for something in a knapsack she'd brought along. She had her limo driver make an early morning pit stop before arriving at the marina. She had bribed the man at the army surplus store to sell her a grenade. Marie had finally cracked totally.

All the while more Great Whites had stealthily gathered at the depths below both boats. The smaller ones waited their turn while the larger ones feasted on the smell and entrails that seemed to ballet through the water. There must've been at least seven sharks gathered below by now. It made sense. Though a few weeks off, November is the key time when Whites are seen and known to be around the Farallons. Some had apparently arrived a bit prematurely.

Cory ran over, grabbed some binoculars. They'd all noticed something in her hand. "Oh, cripes! She's got a grenade, the loony bitch." The three other men stood fast, awaiting Marie's move. As expected she pulled the pin and tossed the explosive devise. They were amazed she actually threw it straight. 

Mitch had reached for the fishnet and managed to catch it. They all gasped, praying it'd not explode. They had never been more afraid in their lives. Cory had an idea. "Mitch, quick, hand it to me. We only have seconds." Mitch reached in nervously, took out the live grenade and handed it over to his lover's twin. "Let's hope I still have my arm from my days as high school quarterback. Ungh..." He tossed the explosive long and far. It must've sailed at least a good 75 yards away. When it hit the water it exploded. The impact and explosion rocked both boats. 'The Second Chance' wiggled and warbled under the waves.

The speedboat didn't fair as well. It rocked and swayed violently in the currents created by the detonation. The pilot held the wheel tight, which insured his stay on the small boat. Marie wasn't quite as lucky. Kerplunk! In she went, glass of wine and all. She kicked and thrashed-big mistake with Great Whites at hand. The head of these sharks are equipped with a large number of small pores that lead to an elaborate system of sensory tubes. These tubes, known as ampullae of Lorenzini, are sensitive to electrical fields, allowing these ancient terrors of the deep to locate and capture a fish by sensing the small electrical field produced by its gills. But in this case they were alerted to a presence they weren't so familiar with. Curiosity took hold and caused three of the larger Whites to investigate.

As the larger sharks moved in, some of the smaller ones made their way to the goodies floating above. The three bigger ones sensed some faint scents, one being unfamiliar. The first being the scent of Marie's recent menstrualcycle-she'd yet to experience 'the change'. The other being a faint scent of urine. This piqued the curiosity of the man eaters. 

The drama of the moment was taking hold for all those around. It had to be seen to be believed. Things like this happen on TV and in movies or stories. Yet, here it was playing out right before their eyes. Terror and fear gripped all five people.

As Marie saw the fins close in, she began splashing, kicking and thrashing. This added excitement also caused her heart rate to speed up. She was making things all too easy for the predators. With there being so much blood in the water and the bigger sharks seeing the smaller ones move in, they became more vicious and ruthless. They wanted to protect their meal. She was screaming, "Help me! Someone fucking help me! God, no! I can't die now, damn it! You fucking beasts, save me!" Even with the odds against her she still failed to change her tune.