Somewhere in the Shallow Sea Read online

  SOMEWHERE

  IN THE

  SHALLOW SEA

  A Novel of Suspense

  Dennis Macaraeg

  SOMEWHERE IN THE SHALLOW SEA

  Copyright © 2015 by Dennis Macaraeg

  This novel is a work of fiction. Names, characters, organizations, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, businesses, places or persons living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  It took me years to write this book. Please do not copy or post this novel in parts or its entirety wherever.

  Interior e-book design by Pen 2 Ink Designs.

  CONTENTS

  ONE

  TWO

  THREE

  FOUR

  FIVE

  SIX

  SEVEN

  EIGHT

  NINE

  TEN

  ELEVEN

  TWELVE

  THIRTEEN

  FOURTEEN

  FIFTEEN

  EPILOGUE

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  THANK YOU

  ONE

  On the glass-like surface of the Pacific Ocean, the sun floating high in the sky reflected a silver sheen through the office window of Danilo “Danny” Maglaya’s laboratory. The thirty-year-old marine biologist placed the handset back on the cradle, feeling troubled. It was the third time he had called the crew members of the Desert Sea via satellite phone in the last ten hours, but oddly, his calls went straight to the universal sound of voicemail. He knew that sometimes the weather conditions can affect global communications but those were only temporary. Worried that something had gone wrong, he hurriedly got up from his seat and as he was heading to the door to report the anomaly to his supervisor, he stopped in his tracks when he saw his company president, Jeff Smith, and an unknown man in a dark suit standing at the door. Jeff had never visited his office—not once in his two years of employment as a research scientist at SDM Biosciences. The combination of Jeff, accompanied by a person he had never seen, sent alarms off in Danny’s head, and he instantly thought that the grant for his research had run dry and his project would be shut down. He had feared this day arriving but it was the nature of business in the highly competitive world of marine biotechnology.

  “Danny,” Jeff said, his serious face directed at him.

  “I was just on my way out to…”

  “You might have been wondering why you haven’t been receiving data from the Desert Sea.”

  “Yeah…this is highly unusual. Have there been issues with the ship’s onboard communications gear?”

  “The ship had been in total radio silence. Why don’t I let FBI Special Agent McAllister give you the details?”

  McAllister took a big step forward and said, “About four hours ago, we received a report from the captain stating that it was boarded by armed men in the southern part of the Philippines.”

  “How could that happen?” Danny faltered, looking straight at Agent McAllister. “Doesn’t the Philippine Coast Guard heavily patrol the Sulu Sea? And aren’t the U.S. Navy warships in the area conducting exercises?”

  “These thugs drive speedboats. They can slip in and out without being detected,” added McAllister with firmness in his voice.

  Danny shifted his gaze at the ocean he had spent half his life exploring—where he found solace through roaming its reef and atolls. His knees weakened from the shocking news he just heard. He placed his hands on his desk trying not to lose his balance.

  “According to the captain’s initial report, a group of armed men on a fast-moving skiff approached and demanded to board the vessel,” Jeff said.

  “Did the crew try to defend themselves? Or shoot those bastards with flares at least?”

  “They used water cannons but when the armed men started shooting, the captain ordered the crew to stop. Fearing someone in the ship might get shot, they had no choice but to let them climb onboard,” Jeff added.

  “Are those people still on the ship? Why don’t you call in for some military action and send the Navy SEALs to surround it?” Danny responded, his voice cracking. “Don’t let anyone get off.”

  “It’s not that easy. The incident happened within Philippine waters and their government prohibits foreign interventions with domestic issues. Besides, the armed men were on the ship for less than half an hour and have already left,” Jeff added.

  “Can you please call the captain and order the ship to Honolulu?”

  “It’s on the way back to San Diego as we speak,” Jeff said in a monotone voice. “We’re already a step ahead in trying to resolve the crisis.”

  “I’m sorry to inform you but Blake Mason was taken,” McAllister said with a straight face.

  Danny couldn’t believe his ears. Just a month ago he was having a drink with Blake. He could still picture his unruly head of dark yellow hair, parted on the side, his long bangs covering half of his forehead. His slightly plump face hid behind the thinnest of beards. The thought of his best friend in the hands of money-seeking criminals was surreal.

  “Was he kidnapped?”

  “As of right now, we are treating this incident as a hostage situation,” McAllister said.

  “Why was Blake taken? Research scientists aren’t rich.”

  “The agency is in contact with the Philippine authorities to figure that out,” McAllister answered.

  “How much do they want?” Danny asked, scared of the figure McAllister would blurt out.

  “The group is demanding the Rx-18 compound as ransom,” Jeff interrupted.

  “The Cube? Only a few people even know it exists!” Danny exclaimed. “Why do they want my invention?” Bewilderment was palpable in Danny’s face.

  “We really don’t know but the Philippine military are aware of the incident and already mobilizing their Scout Rangers to rescue him,” McAllister said.

  “What are we going to do while Blake languishes on some forsaken island?”

  “Wait for further instructions,” Jeff said. “That’s all we can do for now.”

  “From who?” Danny said, frustration echoing in his voice.

  “From the hostage negotiators as soon as contact is established.”

  * * *

  As soon as Jeff Smith and Agent McAllister left his office, Danny stared at the Manila Galleon he kept on his desk. He had always been fascinated with Spanish trading ships and the year-round sailing voyages they made across the Pacific from Asia to the Americas during the Spanish colonial period. He couldn’t just sit on the sidelines, waiting for the Philippine government officials in charge and hoping that their rescue efforts would be fast and decisive. Negotiations might drag on for months just like they had with previous hostage crises. Blake was probably suffering every minute he was held captive and would likely be killed if his abductors became frustrated with the slow progress of the negotiations. Danny felt he had no choice but to take care of business himself and bring the Cube to the kidnappers. But locating Blake’s captors was not going to be easy. He couldn’t guarantee that the American or Philippine governments would share their intelligence on Blake’s abductors. And he especially needed the tactics they planned to implement for his rescue effort. Danny realized he might never see his best friend again if he put his blind trust in some government bureaucrat.

  Danny knew he had to do something to save Blake even if doing so would potentially cause his own demise. He thought of that one fateful night in San Diego that forever brought their friendship into the heights of considering each other as brothers…

  On a beautiful August night in downtown San Diego, Danny and Blake were walking on the street without a care in the world. They had
just finished having dinner with friends. The sky was clear and the streets were filled with lovers holding hands. As they were rounding the corner, the saucy sound of a saxophone and the rhythmic beats of drums floating out of a jazz bar caught Danny’s attention. Since the night was still young, he suggested to continue their celebration by listening to some live music. The line outside the club was long but no one was in a hurry to get home anytime soon. While waiting to get in, the commotion from a nearby boutique caught their attention. The high-pitched sound of the store alarm was going off, and a woman from the store came out shouting “Thief!” at a man in ski mask running out the front door. Two squad cars arrived. Weapons drawn, the police officers ordered the thief to drop his gun, but instead of complying, he became agitated and rushed at Danny. He was unprepared when the gunman grabbed him by the waist, pointed a Glock to his head, and ordered him to go with him. Danny tried to push him away, but the masked man smashed him in the back of the head with the gun.

  Blake, not thinking of his own safety, jumped the masked man and pried his arm away from Danny. Then he heard the pistol pop and felt a searing pain cut through his shoulder. As Danny was falling, he saw the masked man on the ground as the police wrestled him and tried to cuff him. Turning paler with each passing second, Blake came to his aid immediately. He felt Blake’s hand pressing over his shoulder where bright red blood was oozing. He could hear Blake shouting something at him but could not understand a word. He promised to the gods listening that he’d do anything to repay Blake’s selflessness if he survived his ordeal. After what seemed to be a century, Danny finally heard the ambulance’s siren wailing in the distance and then suddenly lost consciousness.

  If Blake was willing to take a bullet for him in order to save his life, the least Danny could do was the same for him.

  * * *

  Confused on what to do next, Danny left his office to clear his mind and headed towards the edge of the cliff near his office building. There were tourists on the beach taking selfies and enjoying the crisp weather. Though the ocean wind stroking his face had a calming effect, it couldn’t cleanse the sour guilt of passively letting the events take their unpredictable course. His thoughts turned to Blake, scared and lonely on some tiny island just beyond the horizon some 7,000 miles away. His mind raced with the million reasons why anyone would want the compound they had discovered together in their makeshift lab during the final years of their Ph.D. program in oceanography.

  With Blake working on their company project about the complex fish migration patterns on the research vessel in the southern part of the Philippines, Danny wondered if there was any connection to the Rx-18 compound.

  Danny was desperate and knew there was only one person to call—Melchor Rodriguez, a biology professor who had been assisting Blake with his research. As he made the long-distance call, he hoped that Rodriguez would answer immediately. It seemed like an eternity as the sound of an overseas ring droned on and on until finally…

  “Hello?”

  “Professor Rodriguez, it’s Danny. I’m calling from the States.” He was relieved that Professor Rodriguez had picked up right away.

  “I’m glad you called. I’m so pissed with what’s happened to Blake.”

  Danny could sense blame in his voice’s low tone.

  “I thought the research vessel’s operations were kept secret for security reasons?”

  “That’s true. I wasn’t even told where we would drop anchor. It happened so quickly. All of a sudden, we saw a speedboat approach and then six armed men started shooting and demanded to board. Our captain tried to start the engine to get us the hell out of there but they were just too fast,” Rodriguez said with apprehension in his voice.

  Expecting the worst, Danny asked, “Was anyone hurt?”

  “No, thank goodness. They only took Blake.”

  “I’m glad you and the crew are safe.”

  “How much is the group demanding?”

  “They want the Cube,” Danny responded.

  “Isn’t that the Rx-18 compound you two have been working on since college?”

  “Yes, that’s right. It’s nothing but a supercharged food and I don’t understand how they knew about it and want it so badly.”

  “I’m worried sick for Blake’s safety. The radical group who took him call themselves ‘Kulog ng Timog,’ led by the crazed leader they call Commander Berto. They were responsible for beheading a British man a year ago because the ransom they demanded wasn’t met.”

  “Why would those thugs want a scientific experiment?” Danny said, stroking his forehead to calm his nerves.

  “It does not matter if this is about science or money. All I care about is getting Blake back alive and well. Can you come to Manila and bring the compound right away?”

  “But how are we going to meet with the kidnappers?” Danny asked.

  “As they were taking Blake, the group’s leader gave me his go-between’s contact number since I was translating for him. I had a feeling he knew who I was. No one knows I have it but I was instructed to send text messages only and to not pass the number on to the authorities or Blake would be harmed.”

  Danny paused for a moment. He knew that he had to take the Rx-18 compound and fly across the ocean to Manila immediately if he wanted Blake freed by his captors.

  “There is a flight leaving LAX tonight. I’ll bring the Cube with me,” Danny replied.

  “That’s great.”

  “Where can I meet you?” Danny asked.

  “Get a taxi as soon as you land and tell the driver to take you straight to the university where I’m teaching.”

  TWO

  Danny’s thoughts returned to his outbound flight 18 years ago when he was just twelve years old and his family was immigrating to America. It felt like a lifetime ago. His family had ultimately settled in San Diego. It hadn’t been an easy adjustment but he had found comfort and inspiration in science. After graduating from high school, he majored in biology in college and then went on to graduate school. He had always known he would eventually visit the land he was born in but couldn’t have imagined he’d be returning on a mission to save his best friend from getting killed by a group of kidnappers.

  Manila. The city had been named after a flower and nicknamed the Pearl of the Orient. He still found it hard to imagine that for more than 300 years, the Spanish colonized the Philippines. Then, after the Spaniards left, the Americans took over spreading their own brand of colonialism. Just as the United States was about to return control of the islands to its native sons, the Japanese invaded in 1941. For almost four years, the Philippines was under the harsh control of the Empire of Japan. No wonder the Filipinos were wary of foreign intervention—even the kind that might be construed as benign help with no strings attached. The country now took pride in dealing with its own problems. It was a matter of showing the world that the Philippines could handle its own domestic issues. Danny knew this attitude made logical sense, but it wasn’t going to make finding Blake any easier. Getting involved—and bringing the Cube—was the key to securing his friend’s release and ending Blake’s nightmare.

  The chaotic and claustrophobic scene at the airport was intimidating, especially for someone who hadn’t traveled to an Asian country in a long time. Though he spent his childhood in the streets of Manila, Danny now felt like a stranger in the Philippines. He spotted the lines of passengers standing next to their corrugated balikbayan boxes usually filled with chocolate candy, soap and Spam. Returning Filipinos with their balikbayan tourist boxes snaked around the open floor space as everyone waited for the customs agents to clear them, moving at a snail’s pace. Danny noticed the Overseas Filipino Worker customs line. These hard-working men and women were commonly known as “OFW” and most had just returned from parts of Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. Most stood guarding their precious possessions bought after years of toil and time away from family and friends.

  A customs official approached in a neatly-pressed uniform, aski
ng if he had brought anything illegal into the country. Danny took a breath trying to calm his racing heart. If he didn’t get the Cube into the country all hope of rescuing Blake would be lost.

  “Just some personal items and clay,” he said, casually pointing to the Rx-18 compound in vacuum-sealed plastic containers, neatly arranged in the rollaway bag.

  The customs official took Danny’s passport and compared his face to the photo inside. After a cursory look, he handed the passport back and smiled.

  “Welcome back to the Philippines. Mabuhay.”

  Danny tried to hide his relief as he slung his knapsack over his shoulder, grabbed the Cube’s bag, and quickly exited through the airport’s wide doors. Manila’s hot and humid air welcomed him immediately. It kissed his face as if it was an old friend he had not seen in a long time. Beads of sweat began to form on the back of his neck, slowly rolling all the way down the groove of his spine. He wiped a layer of perspiration off his forehead and, summoning all his courage, walked out into the draining Philippine sun.

  * * *

  As he craned his neck looking for a taxi, Danny noticed a man in blue jeans and a T-shirt looking straight at him with strange intensity. A cell phone in his hand. Something about the man was troubling. Disturbed by the thought that someone might be following him, Danny pretended to not see the stranger and searched the immediate area for a quick exit. He spotted an OFW wearing a beige jacket with a black messenger bag hanging off his shoulder and pushing an overloaded baggage cart. He quickly stepped next to the OFW and casually followed him. Cars and vans clogged the airport’s entrance as they waited for passengers exiting through the front door. Standing at six feet—taller than most Filipino men—Danny tried to blend in with the rest of the passengers waiting for their rides. He worried that he could be easily picked out in the crowd. With a quick backwards glance, he saw that the strange man was indeed following him, ever so slowly. Could there be others in the vicinity that might nab him? Who was this man and what did he know about the Cube or Blake’s kidnapping? He continued to pretend that he didn’t have a care in the world and wasn’t aware of the man’s presence. The last thing he wanted to do was create a scene. Without further delay, he stepped off the curb and onto the street of waiting taxis.