Page 24 of Lagoon

She gestured with the bat. “Stay back.”

He backed away, going back to Bub’s tank. He touched the crack. Water was leaking out of it. He shook his head. “This… you’ve destroyed it. This won’t hold. He’s going to get out now, and he’s going to—”

“Can’t you… I don’t know… tape it?”

He gave her a look of disbelief. “What?”

“So, he gets out, and he comes after me again?”

Bub swam over to the crack. First he put his hands up against Jonathan’s. Their gazes met.

Jonathan felt his stomach go sour, seeing it now, understanding it all now.No, I need another way. There must be another…

There wasn’t.

Bub slammed a fist into the crack, which deepened.

Nancy let out a cry.

Jonathan ran away from her, heading for the wall where the tranquilizer pistol was hanging. He snatched it up.

Bub slammed into the crack again. There was a groaning noise.

Nancy ran for the door.

“Leave the bat,” he yelled at her.

She stopped, looking at him, wide eyed, and then she dropped it. She sprinted out of the room, leaving him alone.

Bub hit the crack again.

Water rushed out like a dam being burst. Glass shattered and went out with the rush of water.

Bub stepped out of the tank, even as the floor of the lab began to fill with water. There was a drain, right in the center of the room. It would all drain out, Jonathan knew that.

He raised the gun.

Bub saw him. He roared at him. It was a plea.

“Sorry, Bub,” said Jonathan, and his voice wasn’t strong. “You’ll never know how sorry.” And then, he pulled the trigger.

The dart missed.

Figured.

Of course.

Bub waded through the water, letting out more pleading cries.

Jonathan pulled the trigger again.

This time, the dart hit Bub in the thigh and he lost his balance and fell over.

Jonathan, throat tightening, went over to retrieve the bat. It was floating. It was made of wood. He waded through the water, bringing the bat along.

The big tank was destroyed now. There was nowhere for Bub to go. He couldn’t let him out in the wild, because he’d attack the women and kill the men. He didn’t have another tank large enough to contain him.

There was only one thing he could do.

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