Encantado

By Chris B.

Admiral Harriman Nelson, founder of the Nelson Institute of Marine Research, sat at his desk quietly reading the final report on a recently completed research project when he was interrupted by his admin assistant on the intercom. “Admiral there is a Dr. Jorge Vilas from the Brazilian Ministry of the Environment calling, would you like to take the call?”

Harri looked up from his report and smiled. It had been quite some time since he had heard from Jorge and was actually happy for the interruption since the report he was reading was proving exceedingly dry. “Yes Angie, I’ll take the call. Put Jorge through.”

“He’s on line one for you sir.”

“Jorge, Como vai? How are you my old friend?”

“Harriman, I am well. How about you,” Vilas answered.

“I can’t complain. What drags you out of the Amazon? I pretty much figured it would take an act of God to pry you out of the jungle.”

Vilas laughed, his old friend knew him well. He loved the Amazon and was only happiest when he was exploring some remote region looking for as yet undiscovered animals or plants that called his homeland home. “I have a bit of an enigma, Harriman and was hoping to tap into some of that genius to help me solve it.”

“Really? Now I am most intrigued if you can’t answer the question. What seems to be the problem?”

“The river life in a segment of the Amazon has been exhibiting some unusual and disturbing behavior lately that has resulted in a number of people being injured. Some of the injuries have been quite severe and there is a growing sense of alarm. Of late a number of species have become hyper-aggressive in their interactions with humans and other animals in the environment. We are at a loss to identify what is causing this change. The most disturbing circumstance is with the boto, the river dolphins in the region. Normally they are very shy and reluctant to come near human encampments, they are now appearing in greater numbers around some of the remote villages and smaller river port towns and have actually attacked humans in and on the water.” Vilas explained.

“That is some reason for concern. What is it you need from me, Jorge?”

“Harri, I know your specialization is marine species but I was hoping you would be willing to come out and take a look at the area and the animals and see if you can discern any reason for this sudden change in behavior. We’ve pretty much exhausted our list of possible causes and would greatly appreciate a fresh perspective. Would you have time to make a visit to this corner of the world?”

“Sure Jorge, I’m more than happy to come down and take a look at what you’ve got. If you could send me any reports you have on your efforts thus far that will really help me prepare for my visit.”

“Outstanding, Harri, I knew you would come to our aid. I’ll have my assistant send you everything we have and he can help with any travel arrangements you might need. I would recommend flying into Manaus and meet me there then we can go down river to where the attacks are occurring,” Vilas replied.

“That sounds like a plan, Jorge. I’ll get things rolling here and will be in touch once I’m ready to travel.”

“Thank you so much Harri, I really appreciate your help. I look forward to seeing you soon. Adeus meu amigo.”

“Good bye Jorge, I’ll see you soon,” Nelson replied then hung up the phone. He quickly jumped on his computer and searched for any information on the web relating to the attacks Jorge had described. He was taken aback at the level of aggression being reported from the normally shy boto. They had recently taken to ramming small boats, knocking the riders out of the vessel then attacking them with body slams and in some instances bites and mauling. These attacks were then compounded by subsequent attacks by piranha and other aggressive fish in the river drawn to the fresh blood. To date no one had been reported killed, but with the escalation of the attacks it was only a matter of time.

“Angie,” Nelson said as he walked out of his office. “I’ll be making a visit to Brazil shortly and need travel arrangements to get there.”

“Yes sir,” Angie replied. “Do you need flight arrangements or do you intend to take FS-1?”

“I think I’ll take FS-1. I’ll have Lee fly me down. We’ll be heading to Manaus in 5 days. Please make hotel reservations.” He smiled as he walked past Angie’s desk. “I think I’ll head down to Lee’s office and see what he’s doing.”

SV

Lee Crane, captain of Nelson’s research submarine SSRN Seaview, was sitting in his office reviewing the recap of their last mission looking for areas where they could improve their performance. As he sipped on his coffee there was a quick rap on the door and Admiral Nelson entered. He began to rise but Harri quickly waved him down.

“Morning Lee, how are you today?” Nelson asked as he grabbed a seat in front of Lee’s desk.

“Doing well sir, how about you?”

“I’m fine. I just got a phone call from a friend of mine Jorge Vilas down in Brazil looking for some assistance in solving a problem they are having along the Amazon with a number of species of fish and mammals becoming hyper-aggressive. I’m planning to fly down there in 5 days and was wondering if you were up to being my pilot?”

Lee smiled broadly at the invitation. Short of being at the helm of Seaview there was nothing else he enjoyed more than flying FS-1, commonly known as the ‘Skipper’s Baby” by the rest of the crew. “I think I might be able to squeeze that in, sir. What kind of problems are they having?”

“It seems that the animals have suddenly become much more aggressive especially towards humans. This is a big problem because so many of the villagers are required to be on the river or along its banks to catch their food and for their livelihood. Jorge has invited me down to take a look at the region to see if I can spot anything they’ve missed.”

“Intriguing,” Lee responded. “Are you going to have Seaview move into the region as well?”

“Not right now, I want to get a feel for what’s happening before I commit her to action. If it looks as though the problem is moving further downstream and into the delta area, I may have you bring her down,” Nelson replied.

“That sounds like a good approach, sir. I’ll give Chip a head’s up so he can do the initial planning for the mission in the event you want us down there.”

Harri chuckled. “Always making sure we’re ready to roll, aren’t you Lee?”

Lee returned Harri’s laugh and smiled. “I guess I’m just a big Boy Scout at heart, sir, I believe in always being prepared. It saves us from a mad scramble at the last moment and lessens the chance we’ll overlook something.”

“Alright lad, I leave it to you. Well I’ve got to get back to my office so I can clear my desk before we leave. I’ll talk with you later.”

SV

Lee gently landed FS-1 on the river’s surface then motored his way towards the dock in the port city of Manaus. Standing on the pier was Harri’s friend Jorge Vilas there to welcome them to Brazil. As Lee snugged the little sub up to the pier the dock hands tied her securely to the dock just as Harri popped open the top hatch.

“Jorge, good to see you again my friend,” Harri hailed as he climbed up out of FS-1. “You’re looking well.”

“Good to see you too Harri, you’re looking quite fit yourself,” Vilas replied and extended his hand to Nelson and pulled him onto the dock. “That is quite some boat you have there. You’ll have to take me for a ride in it before this is all over.”

“Count on it Jorge,” Harri answered. He turned around and watched as Lee climbed out of FS-1 and passed their bags over to the dock hands, then secured the sub. “Jorge Vilas I would like you to meet the captain of the Seaview, Commander Lee Crane.”

Lee stepped quickly from FS-1 to the dock and extended his hand to Vilas. “It’s a pleasure to meet you Dr. Vilas.”

Vilas took Lee’s hand and shook it. “The pleasure is all mine Captain, I’ve heard a great deal about you. Please call me Jorge.”

“It’s Lee, and I wouldn’t believe everything the admiral has told you,” Lee responded with a smile.

“Well gentlemen I have a car waiting for us over here to take you to your hotel. Once you’ve had a chance to freshen up from your long flight we can get down to business.”

“Excellent,” Nelson replied. “Lead the way. I’m anxious to get caught up on all you’ve done and to get set up for our trip down river.”

The men moved down the dock and got into the sedan waiting for them at the gate. The driver adeptly wended his way through the busy streets and dropped them off at the hotel. They went inside checked into their rooms then returned to the lobby ready to get started on the investigation.

Jorge indicated they should head into the lounge where they could get a drink and talk without interruption. Once the waiter had brought their drinks, Jorge began updating the NIMR men on their continuing investigations and a recent spate of apparently unprovoked attacks by boto and piranha along the stretch of river.

“That doesn’t sound encouraging, Jorge. It sounds as though things are escalating,” Nelson commented.

“Yes, and that’s not the worst of it. It seems that there is a corresponding increase in violence among the people living along that section of the river. Whether that is directly attributable to what is going on in the river or as a result of the increased anxiety these people are feeling because of the attacks we’ve yet to determine. The people in the surrounding villages are a superstitious lot and are of the opinion that someone must have killed a boto and they are now taking revenge against the people they think did the deed. In many of the outlying villages it is considered extremely bad luck to injure or even worse kill one of the river dolphins. There have been reports that some upstream villages have taken to killing and eating the dolphins which is about the worst thing you can do in their cultures. We are concerned that if this keeps up it may escalate into armed conflict if one or more of the downstream villages blames the upstream villages for the attacks and try to put a stop to their new practice of eating dolphins.”

“Now that is something to be concerned about, should this situation escalate to war,” Lee commented.

“We agree which is one of the reasons we’ve asked you down here to take a look at our problem. One of the intriguing things we’ve discovered is that the violence seems to be cyclic, almost tied to the phase of the moon. The fact the violence peaks right around the full moon adds just that much more credence to the villager’s belief in the supernatural source of their problems.”

“Well Jorge it looks like we should get on this as soon as possible. We’ll spend the night here so we can rest up and get some provisions then Lee can fly us down to Santarem in the morning and we can begin our investigation,” Harri offered.

“That sounds like an excellent plan Harri. I’ll notify my staff down there to expect us and we can head out first thing in the morning.” Jorge smiled happy to have his friend ready to engage in solving this mystery. “I look forward to riding in your FS-1. It should be quite an experience.”

Lee returned Jorge’s smile. “I think you will be adequately impressed, Jorge. I’ll make sure I give you a smooth ride.”

“Thank you Lee, I appreciate that,” Jorge replied with a wink and a chuckle. “Well gentlemen I’ll be on my way. I’ll have my people put together the supplies we’ll need for our expedition and have them delivered at the dock by 0800 tomorrow if that is acceptable.”

“That would be perfect Jorge. We’ll kick back here and acclimate to the time and the climate and be ready to fly tomorrow. If you could meet us here at 0700 or send a car we can be at the dock in time to receive the supplies, get loaded and be on our way,” Harri added.

“I will be here with bells on at 0700. Have a good evening gentleman, until tomorrow morning.” Jorge rose from the table and exited the lounge to put things in motion for their trip downriver the next day.

“What say we go grab some dinner, take a quick walk around the town then call it a night,” Harri offered.

“That works for me sir,” Lee answered as he rose from the table and made his way towards the dining room.

SV

The following morning they checked out of the hotel and were met by Vilas at precisely 0700. They made their way through town and down to the government docks where FS-1 was moored. Upon arriving Lee quickly opened up the little sub and started moving things around so they could stow their supplies and be on their way as soon as possible. The equipment and supplies arrived on time and were tucked securely away aboard the sub then the men climbed on board and prepared for departure.

“This is absolutely amazing Harri,” Jorge exclaimed as he fastened his seatbelt. “And you say this little ship flies?”

“Yes it does Jorge, and Lee will demonstrate how that works once we’ve made it away from the docks and have a little room to take off. Sit back and enjoy the ride. If you have any questions, just let me or the captain know.” Harri smiled and finished buckling his restraints as well.

Lee pushed off from the dock and motored into the middle of the channel then made a short run and was airborne in a matter of seconds. Harri looked back at his friend and had to laugh at the looks of both terror and delight on his face as Lee punched it and they leapt into the air. The trip to Santarem was quick taking just under an hour and Jorge had an exceptional time looking out over his jungle.

They had decided shortly after taking off that it would probably be a good idea not to let the locals see FS-1 as some might take it as another sign of bad times. Once they got close, Lee dropped the little sub softly into the water and they travelled submerged until Jorge directed them to an out of the way backwater near the road. They inflated a raft, loaded up their supplies and floated into town with hardly anyone taking notice. At the dock Vilas was met by a couple of his staff who picked them up and took them to one of the local hotels.

As they left, Lee submerged FS-1 in about 30 feet of water using the remote control device the admiral had recently developed. It allowed them to stow the vessel out of sight until it was needed thereby keeping unwanted attention at bay. A touch of the button on the remote re-started the little sub, activated the lights and then it either came to the operator or would rise up off the bottom and maintain position allowing a diver to enter depending on which button was depressed.

After they had checked in, they went back down to the dock and boarded one of the government boats and headed down river to get a firsthand look at the troubled stretch of river. The effects seemed to start about 30 miles west of Monte Alegre and then disappeared approximately 10 miles past the town so whatever the source, the effects remained very localized. Nelson wanted to get a feel for the area during the daylight, and then they would return later in the evening in FS-1 for a subsurface view.

Once they got into the area of interest they began taking water and fish samples at various locations along their route. Lee would take them back to NIMR when he left in a couple days so they could be analyzed using the Institute’s state of the art GC/MS^* to look for any unique chemical signatures that shouldn’t be there. When they returned later that night they would take additional samples and explore more of the area where the change in the animal’s behaviors was first seen. Finishing their daytime survey, they returned to Santarem and went back to the hotel to clean up and have dinner.

“Jorge, that was some incredibly beautiful country we saw today,” said Lee as they made their way into the lounge.

“Yes it is. I never get tired of all the variety and wonders that exist. Hopefully you and Harri will be able to identify why this section of river is proving so problematic of late.”

“I hope so too. Once we get back from our nighttime outing Lee will fly the samples to NIMR for analysis so we can get a good start,” Harri added. “I’m thinking it would probably be best to relocate to Monte Alegre so we can get a feel for what may be going on in the area besides fishing and farming pursuits.”

“I think that’s a good idea Harri, then we’ll be much closer to the source and better able to observe the animals. As the residents become more accustomed to us they may be inclined to talk with us more as well,” Jorge replied. “As I said they are a very superstitious lot in the smaller towns and villages so we don’t want to spook them.”

“Agreed,” Harri said with a smile. “I find it curious that the effects are in such a limited area. Do they extend to both sides of the river or just around Monte Alegre?”

“They seem to be limited to the north bank of the river.”

“Well that limits our search considerably.” Harri took a sip of his scotch and pondered the possible scenarios for a moment. “I think we best move to the dining room and get dinner taken care of then we can shove off for a little night time reconnaissance.” They all nodded, finished off their drinks and made their way out of the bar towards the restaurant.

SV

After dinner the men headed back to the dock and took the inflatable raft up river to claim FS-1. Lee hit the remote control button and the little sub immediately lit up and rose to the surface of the river. He jumped on top cracked the top hatch, dropped down inside and fired up the engines. Jorge and Harri made their way over next then Lee motored towards the shore so they could secure the raft out of sight before they left.

Once everyone was aboard and the hatch dogged, Lee submerged FS-1 and made his way down river towards Monte Alegre. Visibility in the river was never good and the difference between night and day was negligible. Lee flipped on the underwater lights as they neared the outer edge of the zone. They encountered a large school of piranha which sped quickly away from the light.

As they motored forward they spotted a small school of the white river dolphins moving slowly back and forth before them. When the light hit them they were startled and darted off in all directions. Seconds later there were a number of loud thuds as the dolphins returned and butted FS-1. The impacts were hard enough to noticeably shake the little sub.

“Damn,” Lee swore as he tried to back out of the animal’s way. “There was no warning and no real investigation by the dolphins before they attacked. Aren’t they usually more inquisitive than that?”

“That’s the generally held opinion based on implied characteristics from their marine cousins, but they are so elusive and there has been so little study of them we can’t say for sure. We know very little about them, we can’t even tell you if they are endangered by activities on the river,” Jorge explained.

“Lee try and hold your position while I grab some samples of the water,” Nelson said as he activated the remote arms on FS-1.

“Aye sir, just tell me where you want me to go.”

After a couple of minutes, Harri retracted the arms. “Got it Lee, now get us out of here before we stress the animals any more than they already are.”

“Yes sir.” Lee quickly engaged the engines and moved away from the pod of dolphins as best he could without striking one as he went. “That was eerie sir. I’ve never seen such an unprovoked attack before.”

“Me either, have you Jorge?”

“No I haven’t either, but what we saw tracks very closely with what’s being reported all over this region. They are large and powerful animals and if this keeps up, it’s only a matter of time before someone is killed in one of their attacks,” Jorge replied.

“Based on what I saw I think there’s something being introduced into the water either intentionally or as a byproduct of a manufacturing process. We’ll have a better idea of what that may be once Lee gets the samples to the lab and they’re analyzed. I’ve seen enough for tonight Lee why don’t you take us back to Santarem.”

“Yes sir.” Lee spun the sub around, surfaced and made a quick run then launched into the air. They quickly flew the few miles back up to Santarem. Lee went several miles past where they had tied off the raft and dropped FS-1 gracefully onto the water’s surface then quickly returned to their starting point.

Once in position, Harri cracked the top hatch climbed out snagged the line to the raft and pulled it on top of FS-1. As he was doing that, Lee eased the little sub into her temporary pen and set the remote settings for retrieval in the morning. That complete Lee indicated Jorge should head up the ladder and followed close on his heels. They climbed aboard the raft and shoved off at which point Lee hit the remote and FS-1 sank silently down to her home for the night.

They returned to the hotel and made their way to Harri’s suite where he downloaded the video he had shot during their night visit and replayed it on the TV in his room. They all scrutinized the images closely looking for anything that would have caused the dolphins to react as they did. After reviewing the footage numerous times none of them could specifically identify an action on their part or other trigger for the attack.

“This is incredibly strange; I can’t see anything we did that was threatening in any way to the dolphins. Our approach was slow, with no sudden moves and we stopped once they spotted us. I wonder if there was anything sonically that set them off,” Harri posited aloud.

“I agree,” replied Jorge. “I am at a loss to identify anything that should have triggered that much aggression. They weren’t feeding and from what I could see there were no pups with the pod, so there wasn’t that protective element in play. I’m sure you noticed that the moon was nearly full which again fits with the reports we have received.”

They sat quietly for a moment mulling over all they had experienced. “Lee, I want you to head back to NIMR tomorrow with the samples and have McGregor get the analysis done ASAP. Have him do a full suite of tests to see if he can identify anything that shouldn’t be in the water or in the tissue of the fish we collected. We’ll collect some additional water and fish samples from around FS-1 tomorrow morning as a baseline since there are none of the reported effects here in Santarem.”

“Yes sir. Do you want me to put Seaview in motion yet?” Lee replied.

“Not yet, I want the results from the analysis before we mobilize her. Although definitely have Chip alert the crew that a departure may be imminent.” Lee nodded his agreement.

“Well gentlemen, it’s been a long day for all of us so I’m going to head off to bed. I’ll see you bright an early in the morning,” Jorge said as he rose and stretched.

“I’m with you there, Jorge,” replied Harri as he likewise rose and walked his friend to the door. “Good night and sleep well.”

“I think I’ll turn is as well, sir,” Lee said as he collected up the glasses and set them on the bar. “I’ve got a long flight ahead of me and should probably get a little rest.”

“Alright Lee, sleep well son. Let’s get together at 0700 and we can get everything packaged for your flight.”

“Night, sir.”

SV

The following morning they all met up and ensured that the various samples were appropriately packed and ready for transport. They got in the raft and motored upstream to where FS-1 was parked and recalled the sub to the surface. As Lee stowed the samples from Monte Alegre, Harri and Jorge collected fish and water samples from the area around FS-1 and then packaged them for transport. Once everything was stowed they bid Lee farewell as he headed back to NIMR and they returned to town to pack up their gear for their trip to Monte Alegre.

Arriving in the small river port Jorge and Harri were definitely scrutinized closely by the people at the dock as the government boat tied up. They hailed a cab, loaded their gear and headed to the hotel to get checked in. Jorge had made arrangements to meet with the mayor of the town to explain their presence the following morning. Once they were settled, they headed out to start interviewing the local fishermen and villagers about what they had seen or heard. They would have about ten days before the lab results on their samples would be available.

The story they got was basically the same regardless of the source. People were either working on the water in small boats or in the shallow waters along the shoreline when suddenly the fish and more surprisingly the dolphins began to attack. Among the fish it was akin to a feeding frenzy when fresh blood or chum hit the water. A number of people had been badly bitten by piranhas and other fish along the bank or chased back on shore by black caiman. Thus far those attacked had been able to escape to shore or get back in their boats, but it was only a matter of time before someone was killed if things kept going as they were.

The dolphin attacks were even more frightening as the boto were large and powerful animals. They had been credited with at least 20 attacks on smaller fishing boats favored by the local villagers and had actually sunk and destroyed two of those boats. Some of the fishermen had been physically slammed by the animals and sustained broken and cracked ribs from the encounter.

Amongst the villagers the prevailing theory was that the boto were unhappy, most likely because someone had injured or killed one or even worse eaten one of their number and they were seeking retribution. They were encouraging the other animals in the river to assist them which explained all the attacks. There had also been several disappearances of young women from the local villages and they believe the boto had taken them away to Encante, their magical city, to replace the members of their group killed and to have their children.

Another interesting correlation with the increase in on-water attacks was a similar increase in violence among the members of the various villages and town members. Where the police would only make 10 to 15 arrests a month because of fights those numbers were nearly triple now with the greatest number occurring around the full moon.

As they completed their interviews, Harri and Jorge were more than a little perplexed. What the hell was going on that centered these unwarranted acts of aggression in this particular spot along the Amazon?

SV

It was a Wednesday morning when Lee called Harri with the results of their water and fish samples. What he had to report was alarming but did explain much of what was occurring.

“Admiral, it’s Lee.”

“Good morning Lee, what are you doing up so early this morning?”

“We got the last of the results from the water and fish samples late last night and I thought you would be very interested in what we found,” Lee answered.

“And what are the results?” Harri inquired.

“There are a number of chemicals present in the water and the fish tissue that are byproducts of cocaine and crack cocaine production. From what McGregor was able to identify, there are exceptionally high concentrations of the drug and especially high concentrations of the compounds suspected of triggering aggression in users. Sam theorizes that someone is cooking up huge batches of the drug somewhere in the general vicinity, distilling and purifying it to remove those compounds and then dumping the wastes and byproducts in the river to be consumed or absorbed by the local flora and fauna. He also theorizes that the drug is bio-accumulating in the flesh of the fish and the residents eating the fish are getting a healthy shot of coke with their lunch and dinner with the added dash of aggression for dessert.”

“So based on Sam’s theory the drug producers are probably making huge batch dumps of their waste materials to coincide with the full moon. As the effects wear off during the month things quiet down to near normal and then they get hit with another dose with the next full moon.” Harri posited.

“That’s what Sam thinks,” confirmed Lee. “What would you like for us to do now Admiral?”

“Why don’t you bring the results of our sampling down in FS-1 and we can show them to Jorge and probably share them with the anti-drug agency here in Brazil. Also have Chip get Seaview underway and headed in this direction. While they’re heading this way have them check satellite imagery of this area to see if they can spot a likely location for the manufacturing plant.”

“Will do sir. Is there anything special you need me to bring from here?”

“Yes, grab a couple of bottles of the good family label and our dress whites.”

“Our dress whites, sir? Really? What for if I may be so bold to ask,” Lee inquired not at all thrilled at the prospect of donning his hot uniform in a tropical rainforest.

“The town is celebrating the anniversary of their founding and we have been invited as representatives of the US Navy and NIMR to the mayor’s formal ball.”

Lee grimaced at the news. “When is this party?”

“Saturday and before you ask, no you cannot put off your arrival until after the event. If I have to wear that thing in the tropics so do you. I will not suffer alone.”

“You’re all heart,” Lee replied. “Really willing to take one for the team, aren’t you sir.”

“Misery loves company and you get to be my date, as it were, Commander,” Harri answered with a chuckle.

“I’ll remember this sir, believe me,” Lee groused. “I should be there Thursday morning. Do you want me to park FS-1 as we did in Santarem?”

“Definitely, the locals here are a thousand times more superstitious and suspicious than the folks up river. We don’t want to cause any more concern and alarm than Jorge and I have already stirred up. Have a safe flight son, give me a call when you land and we’ll come pick you up.”

“Aye, sir. I’ll see you Thursday.”

SV

When Harri met Jorge for breakfast that morning he relayed Lee’s findings and the suspected reason for the contamination. Jorge shook his head and sighed, there had been recent problems with increased drug production but had thought the national police had closed it down.

“That’s not good Harri. Though it is nice to know these problems have a point source and it can be eliminated assuming the production plant can be located. I’ll forward your preliminary results to my friends in the drug enforcement agency and they can begin preparations to come out and investigate these findings. Do you think this explains all of the incidents that have occurred, even the disappearances?”

“I think it probably does Jorge. The disappearances can probably be attributed to the drug workers kidnapping local girls for shall we say… entertainment purposes. They’ve used the local superstitions to hide their activities and it fits in with the legends as you’ve described them to me,” Nelson answered.

“I wonder who all is involved in this. Do you think the local government or the mayor have a hand in it?”

“That’s up to your authorities to determine. I think it best that aside from the national authorities we keep this information to ourselves.”

“I’m inclined to agree. It’s not unheard of to have the local elected officials as paid employees or even owners of the plants. That’s not the impression I get from the mayor but one can never tell. So when will Lee be returning with the test results?”

“He’ll be here sometime Thursday morning and will stage FS-1 just as we did in Santarem. The full moon is in two days, we should probably go grab samples so we can compare the before and after chemical signatures as a demonstration of our proof,” Harri offered.

“Alright, that’s probably best. It will at least kill some time until Lee arrives with the proof. I’ll have the splits from the samples we took earlier sent to our labs in Brasilia to hopefully confirm your findings.”

“Good idea. I’ve also got Lee mobilizing Seaview and have her heading our way as we speak. It will be good having a large platform from which to continue our investigations for a source of the poison. My XO will be reviewing satellite imagery looking for possible locations of the manufacturing plant during their transit.”

“That’s fantastic Harri. That should send quite a message to whoever is making this poison. Plus I’ve always wanted to get a tour of your incredible submarine.”

Harri laughed and clapped his friend on the back. “Consider it done, Jorge. Lee loves nothing more than showing off his Gray Lady. Come on, let’s get some breakfast and get on with our work so we can play come Saturday.”

SV

Unable to sleep, Lee decided he might as well get on with his flight to Brazil so he could help Harri and Jorge with anything they might need. He quickly packed what he needed for the trip, including his dress whites and headed for NIMR. Once on post he drove to the admin building to grab Harri’s uniform then dropped down to the sub pen to pre-flight FS-1. As he stowed his luggage and the admiral’s attire he sighed, the last thing he wanted to do was attend the party especially in a formal uniform. He immediately started working on excuses to get him out of the gala as soon as possible.

Within 30 minutes he was finished with all his checks and was ready to fly. He contacted NIMR flight control, filed his flight plan then was airborne and on his way. He caught an incredible tailwind and arrived outside Monte Alegre almost an hour ahead schedule. He scanned the shoreline using night vision and identified a secluded backwater about 100 yards from a side road leaving town.

He expertly dropped FS-1 gently onto the river surface then submerged and maneuvered quietly to his selected mooring point. After he completely scoped out the area he was satisfied with his choice and surfaced the boat. He quickly inflated a rubber raft and loaded his luggage aboard then rowed to shore. Next he secured the raft out of sight, hit the remote control and watched FS-1 sink silently out of sight and go dark.

Looking at his watch it was just after 0200 so he decided he would hike into town instead of disturbing Harri for a ride. He grabbed his gear and Harri’s whites and started walking towards the hotel. There was no one around as he ambled down the road and walked up to the hotel’s front desk in just under an hour.

“Good morning sir, may I help you,” asked the clerk as Lee approached the desk.

“Yes, I believe I have a reservation. My name is Lee Crane.” Lee answered in perfect Portuguese.

The clerk quickly reviewed the reservations on his computer. “I’m sorry sir, but I don’t seem to have one under that name.”

“How about under Harriman Nelson? I’m supposed to meet him today and both rooms may be under his name.”

The clerk again typed in the information. “Ah yes sir. The admiral has reserved the best suite in the hotel and has left instructions that you are to be given a key to the second room in the suite. If you would please fill out this card so we have you on record, I’ll have the bellboy take your bags up to your room.”

Lee began filling out the registration card. “That won’t be necessary, I don’t have much with me, plus I don’t want to disturb the admiral.”

“As you wish, sir. The admiral is in room 820, here is a key to the room. If there is anything you need, please do not hesitate to let me know.”

Lee nodded his thanks, picked up his bags and headed for the elevator. As the doors opened on the 8^th floor Lee exited the car, headed down the hall and quietly let himself into the suite. One of the bedroom doors was shut and Lee assumed that to be the room Nelson had selected. He walked over to the other and peeked in finding it unoccupied. He went inside, shut the door and turned on the lights.

He unpacked his things and hung up their uniforms to keep them from getting too wrinkled. After that he grabbed a quick shower and climbed in bed to catch a few hours’ sleep before the admiral got up. He was out almost before his head hit the pillow.

SV

Around 0800 the enticing aroma of fresh brewed coffee made its way into Lee’s room drawing him from his slumber. He got up, donned a pair of shorts and a t-shirt and made his way to the bedroom door. He opened it and saw that the door to Harri’s room was open but he was nowhere in sight. He headed over to the pot and poured himself a cup and stood their silently inhaling the aroma and sipping on the beverage.

After a couple of minutes he heard the admiral rustling around in his room as he came out of the bathroom and started getting dressed. Lee moved over to the small table in the kitchen nook and sat down to nurse his cup of brew. Harri entered the room with a towel over his head drying his hair after his morning shower. As he pulled the towel down and draped it around his shoulder he nearly jumped out of his shoes as he spotted Lee sitting in the corner.

“Where the hell did you come from?” Nelson groused trying to bring his heart rate under control.

“Good morning to you too Admiral,” Lee replied, an amused smirk spreading across his face.

“Geez Lee you nearly scared the crap out of me. When did you get here?”

“I landed about 0200 and made it to the room about 0300. It was rather late and I didn’t think you’d appreciate being rousted out of bed in the middle of the night. Although by the look on your face, I may have been wrong in that assumption.”

“I appreciate the consideration, I just wish you had left a sign that you were here. Well I won’t have to lie to Jamie about getting adequate cardio activity now,” Nelson replied with a chuckle. “It’s good to see you again, lad. Welcome to Monte Alegre.”

“Thank you sir, I’m happy to be here.”

Harri walked into the kitchen poured a cup of coffee and brought the pot out to the table and refilled Lee’s cup. He then sat down and took a deep drink of his beverage and let the high powered brew give him that much needed jolt.

“So how was the trip down?” Harri asked.

“It was smooth flying the whole way, I just hit autopilot and I was here,” Lee replied with a smile. “Chip and Seaview should be shoving off within the hour and on their way to the Panama Canal. Based on their time estimates to traverse the canal, they should be at the Amazon delta in two days and available to come up the river on your order.”

“Well done Lee. Did you bring everything I asked for?”

“Yes sir. I have all the analytical data in multiple formats, two bottles of your private reserve and your dress uniform all cleaned and pressed. So you couldn’t talk them into allowing us to wear tuxedos or suits, it had to be the dress whites in the tropics?”

Harri laughed knowing how much Lee hated donning the dress whites and that starched, itchy high collar. “Nope, once the mayor invited me as Admiral Nelson, USNR and head of NIMR, the evening’s attire was set. I don’t know why you’re so upset; you always seem to have to beat the ladies away with a stick in your whites. What am I saying; you always seem to have to beat the ladies away regardless of what you’re wearing.”

Lee glowered at him and rolled his eyes. “You know I could go out and get Montezuma’s revenge and let you go alone.”

“As I said son, misery loves company and you’re my date.” Both men began laughing at that. “Jorge says the Mayor’s Ball is a very high brow affair and actually a lot of fun. He said it’s quite an honor to be invited and we all should have a good time.”

“I’m sure we will. So sir what are the plans for today?”

“Well we need to sit down with Jorge and go over the sample results and then scope out areas where the illicit dumping could be taking place. Has Chip been able to tap into the satellites to look for potential locations as well?”

“He should be on it once they shove off from port,” Lee replied. “He’ll give us a call with any candidate locations they find.”

“Good. Well let’s head on down to the restaurant for breakfast and you can brief Jorge on what information you have and we can set a course of action for the day.”

“Yes sir. I’ll just slip into something a little less comfortable,” Lee replied with a smile and both men headed to their rooms to get dressed for the day.

SV

Harri and Lee walked down to the hotel restaurant and grabbed a table. The waitress quickly served them coffee and they sat sipping their beverage waiting for Jorge. A few minutes later he hurried in and joined them.

“Harri, I’m sorry I’m late, I overslept a bit. Lee! Welcome back, it’s good to see you again. When did you arrive?” Jorge asked.

“Thanks Jorge. I got to the hotel about 3 this morning.”

“I’m definitely interested in seeing the data you reported to Harri on the water and fish samples. I never would have imagined that cocaine manufacturing could have such an impact on the ecosystem. I know the fishermen will be happy to have things back to normal.”

“After breakfast we can adjourn up to our room where we can both go over the results. Also hopefully by then Seaview will have come up with some possible locations for the manufacturing plant and we can conduct some initial investigations,” Harri added.

“That sounds like an excellent plan. I can also transmit the data to my friend at the DEA and they can get busy on mounting their investigation as well. Will we be looking on top of the water or under it?”

“I think we should start on top. I don’t want to give away FS-1’s location and stir up any more concerns amongst the locals. There’s no telling who is involved in all of this,” Harri replied.

“I agree Harri; anyone here could be working at the plant or protecting it.”

“Well let’s all have something to eat then adjourn to the room.” They all nodded as Harri flagged down the waitress and they placed their orders.

“Tell me Jorge, what can we expect at this party on Saturday?” Lee asked.

“Oh it’s quite a big deal here in town. All the women wear their finest gowns and the men get all decked out in their tuxedos or traditional dress clothing. There is a huge feast with traditional dishes from Brazil and Portugal then lots of dancing and singing afterwards. From what I’ve heard some of the balls have gone on until sunrise.”

“Now that’s some serious party folk,” laughed Lee. “I don’t see me making it anywhere near that late or early, depending how you look at it.”

“City Hall will be all decked out and the mayor’s event will take place inside. There will also be a number of other street parties going on all over the city, so if you aren’t having a good time at the Mayor’s Ball you can go party in the streets,” Jorge replied with a smile.

SV

Once they finished breakfast they went up to Harri’s suite and the two scientists began pouring over the information Lee had brought back with him. While they worked on that Lee contacted Chip on Seaview for an update on their ETA and to find out if they had located any areas of interest for them to investigate.

“Hey Chip, just wanted to let you know I made it safe and sound. How are things on Seaview?” Lee asked.

“Everything is in great shape. We’re right on schedule and we should arrive at the mouth of the Amazon right on time. I’ve got Patterson reviewing the satellite images of the area and thus far nothing has really jumped out at him. He said it’s damn near impossible to see anything under the canopy, so if your drug makers haven’t hacked out a clear compound odds are we won’t be able to spot anything. He’ll keep at it though until he’s reviewed the entire area,” Chip replied.

“Okay, thanks Chip. Keep me informed. We’re going to head out in a bit and do a little snooping around the area in hopes we can spot something.”

“That’s good to know. Keep out of trouble, okay.”

“Always.”

“Yeah right, at least the admiral is there and can keep an eye on you.”

“You’re funny as a crutch, Morton,” Lee retorted. “Have a safe trip and shoot us any info from the satellite if you get some possible locations.”

“Will do Lee. See you in a couple of days, Morton out.”

Lee turned off his phone then went into the sitting room where Harri and Jorge were sorting through the sample results. “Admiral, Chip says they’re right on schedule and they have yet to really spot anything that could be a manufacturing lab. He’ll keep Patterson focused on reviewing satellite imagery until he’s scanned the entire area.”

“Thanks Lee, that’s good to know. I think we’re about done here, the evidence is pretty conclusive. I believe it’s about time we go out on the boat and take a look around for potential dumping sites. The moon should be full in two days so they should be pouring their poison into the river any time now,” Harri replied.

SV

They exited the hotel and drove down to the dock to get Jorge’s boat to begin their search for the source of the toxic dumping. Jorge headed up past the first area where they detected the contamination and collected samples for background purposes and then they slowly worked their way along the shoreline trying to spot where the drug makers could be operating.

“Man this jungle is dense,” Lee commented wiping away the sweat from his brow as they worked their way up a small tributary. “I can see why Pat is having a tough time spotting any potential locations for this plant. As long as they keep the canopy intact there’s almost no way to see through it to what’s hidden below.”

“I agree. Hell they could even operate from a large ship that transits up and down the river and just stops here to dump their poison,” Harri added.

“That’s a cheery thought,” Jorge replied. “It would make it easy for them to get their raw materials up river, manufacture the drug en route, dump their waste here and deliver the finished product once they clear the delta. It would make them that much more difficult to catch.”

“We can check with the harbor master and get a listing of vessels that make a port call during the time period we’re looking at and see if there are any patterns,” Harri suggested.

“That’s a good idea. Why don’t we return to port so I can get the records from the harbor master and we can review them in the air conditioned comfort of your suite?”

“I like that idea, Jorge,” Lee remarked with a laugh as he slapped at the mosquitos buzzing around his head. “We can probably get through that fairly quickly and tell if there’s any discernible pattern.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Harri replied. “Let’s grab a couple of water samples from here and then head on in.”

Jorge and Harri quickly collected the samples and got them stored in the cooler. Once they were ready Lee turned the boat around and started working their way back towards the main river and the port.

Upon their arrival Jorge made his way to the harbor master’s office to see about getting the records they wanted.

As Harri and Lee waited for Jorge to return, there was a commotion down at one of the docks as a small boat used by villagers pulled up and the operator was yelling excitedly for assistance. They followed the group of men that ran down the dock to meet the upset boatman. In the bottom of the boat was a man who had been bitten by something and looked to have been severely beaten as well. One of the dock workers called for an ambulance to transport the man to the hospital and treatment.

Waiting for the ambulance to arrive the man driving the boat began relating what happened. They were out fishing along the river edge up river when all of a sudden a pod of boto appeared. The men became concerned and began pulling in their finishing lines when unexpectedly one of the large mammals rammed the injured man’s boat knocking him into the water. Once he was in the water the boto surrounded him and nipped at him inflicting small bites on his arms and legs. As he struggled to fend them off and make it over to the other man’s boat the boto began head- butting him causing extreme bruising, breaking ribs and most likely inflicting internal injuries.

The other man finally managed to maneuver his boat between the man in the water and the boto and pulled him on board before the piranha could get to him. The boto then turned their focus to the empty boat and began ramming it again and again until it sank to the bottom of the river. When the boat was gone they started circling the other boat. Afraid that they might attack him, the fisherman grabbed his pike pole and stabbed at one of the white dolphins drawing blood. The animal’s startled cry seemed to change the temper of the pod and they all swam away.

The man was almost afraid to stay on the water because injuring a boto was thought to bring bad luck but he had to get his friend back to town for help. He was sure that the injured boto’s brothers would be coming after him as he motored to the port. As the man finished relating his story, the ambulance arrived and the EMT’s rushed down to the boat to collect and treat the injured man.

After hearing the man’s tale Harri and Lee moved back up the pier. “It sounds as though the dump for this month has already occurred. It will be most interesting to see which vessels have been in the area. I hope we were able to get a sample of the freshly contaminated water,” Harri said quietly so as not to be overheard.

“It sounds that way given the animal’s behavior. That poor guy in the boat looked as though he’d gone 12 rounds with a heavyweight prize fighter.”

They continued to watch the flurry of activities down on the dock until Jorge returned. Harri related what they had heard and seen. As they talked the EMT’s hurried past them with their injured charge and quickly loaded him into the ambulance and drove off.

Jorge indicated he was able to get the records they wanted when he explained they were investigating the suddenly aggressive behavior from the fish and dolphins. The harbor master was more than happy to provide the logs and gladly gave them his records for the last year. With that in hand they returned to the hotel and began their review of vessels making port calls during the full moon.

SV

It took the three of them the better part of two days to get through the logs; there was an amazing amount of traffic on the river. When they finished they had identified five container ships and four barges that were always in the vicinity around the full moon. They would keep a watch on the port in the next couple of days to see if the vessels held to their pattern and if any of them seemed suspicious.

“Well I think we have some good candidates, all these vessels make routine port calls in their trek down the river.” Harri remarked as he reviewed their list. “Unfortunately I think we missed the dump given what happened down at the dock on Thursday, unless they make multiple discharges. We’ll have to take FS-1 out tomorrow and check if any of these vessels are in the vicinity. Lee, give Chip a call and provide him with the names of the boats so they can keep an eye out for them as well.”

“Will do sir,” Lee responded. He excused himself and went to his bedroom to make the call.

“It looks like we’ve got a good plan forward,” Jorge replied. “DEA should be in town Monday and we can provide our information to them as a potential lead. I’m going to head back to my room now Harri and get cleaned up and changed for the party. Give me a call when you and Lee are ready and we can head to the party together.”

“Alright Jorge, we should be ready to roll at 1900. We can catch a cab down, since I don’t really want to be driving after I’ve had a few.”

Jorge nodded his agreement with the plan and walked over to the door. “See you then,” he said and left the suite.

Having completed his call Lee reentered the room. “Jorge leave already?”

“Yes, he went to his room to get ready for the party. We’ll head out about 1900.”

“Good deal. Chip says they are stationed about 50 miles outside the river delta. They’ll keep an eye out for the vessels and are ready to head up river any time you want.”

Harri nodded. “Looks like we’re set then. We might as well start getting ready for the party too.” Lee grimaced at the thought of putting on his hot uniform and Harri laughed. “Come on Cinderella you’ll have a grand time at the ball.” Both men laughed and adjourned to their rooms to get ready for the evening’s events.

SV

Harri and Lee left their room at precisely at 1900 and caught the elevator down to the lobby to meet up with Jorge. As they exited the elevator car, they caught the attention of nearly everyone in the lobby. Decked out in their dress whites they both cut a very dashing figure and the looks of appreciation and desire on the ladies faces were quite obvious.

Not seeing Jorge, Harri walked over to the lobby phone and rang his room letting him know they were down in the lobby. Lee had moved over near the entrance to the lounge near the glowing neon “Open” sign, to get out of the way and to wait for the rest of their group. He smiled and nodded to the other patrons that passed by also apparently going out to celebrate for the evening.

Jorge arrived shortly and they exited the hotel and hailed a cab to take them to City Hall for the Mayor’s Ball. Once they arrived and paid the driver they walked up the steps were ushered in and announced to the rest of the party goers.

The main atrium of the hall was lavishly decorated for the event. As Jorge had described, all the ladies wore formal gowns and the men were decked out in tuxedos or traditional dress clothing. The evening meal was a gourmet affair with both European and Brazilian cuisines to honor the origins of the city. After the meal the tables were pulled back and the orchestra began playing dance music as the ball kicked into high gear.

Harri and especially Lee drew all sorts of attention from the ladies at the party and looks of envy from most of the men. Both were actively sought out as dance partners and as the party neared the midnight hour they were danced out.

Harri having finally escaped the dance floor was having a grand time discussing the river ecosystem and the reason for his visit with a number of people from the city environmental department. Lee had to chuckle watching how animated he became as they discussed the possible causes and impacts. Growing tired of the party Lee caught Harri’s eye and tilted his head to the side indicating he was going to leave. Harri gave him a slight nod indicating that was fine and to have good evening. Lee nodded in return then went to the coat check room to collect his cover and exited the building.

SV

Once outside he sighed in relief, put on his hat and descended the steps to the street. Not really ready to go back to the hotel, he figured he’d head down to the river and check on FS-1 before calling it a night. The full moon bathed the town in a brilliant white light from its perch up high in the cloudless night sky. As he made his way down the streets he could hear the music and crowd from one of the many street parties Jorge said would be going on tonight.

Walking towards the river he finally ran into the party. The street was festooned in banners, bunting and balloons. Tables and chairs had been set up in the square around the small park and a band was playing music from the gazebo in the center. The people were dressed more casually as opposed to the formal affair at City Hall. Couples danced to the music in front of the bandstand while others sat around the tables drinking, chatting and having a grand time.

Lee stood back at the edge of the square and watched, enjoying the dancers and the music. As the last song came to an end, the bandleader picked up the microphone and called for the attention of the crowd. “Ladies and gentlemen your attention please, it is now time for the serenade. Any of you men willing to serenade the Festival Princess for the chance of a dance need to come forward now.”

A number of young men moved forward and lined up for their opportunity to demonstrate their talent to the lovely young woman selected as the Festival Princess. Each contestant told the bandleader which song he wanted to sing and then belted out his tune to the fair maiden. Those with a tin ear were immediately booed off the stage along with good natured ribbing and a round of applause for the effort. A few of the young men weren’t too bad and were kept on stage for the Princess to select from.

As the line of men dwindled, the bandleader spied Lee at the back of the crowd. “Sir you in the white, why don’t you come up and give it a try.”

Lee laughed and shook his head no, declining the offer. The crowd then cheered him on and he was eventually hustled to the stage to dazzle them with a tune. Lee reluctantly climbed the steps onto the stage and accepted the microphone.

“I’m afraid I don’t know any of your local songs, I’m from out of town,” he said to the bandleader. “Do you know the song Sway?” Lee hummed a couple of bars and the bandleader nodded enthusiastically. He spoke quickly to the band and then nodded to Lee.

The band began playing then Lee started to sing:

When marimba rhythms start to play
Dance with me, make me sway
Like a lazy ocean hugs the shore
Hold me close, sway me more

The crowd was stunned into silence by Lee’s smooth and sultry voice as it flowed melodically out of the speakers. Lee directed his attention totally on the Festival Princess as he tried to garner her favor. The women in the crowd pushed forward and screamed like teenagers as they drooled over the incredibly sexy and sensual young man singing and moving seductively across the stage. By the time he reached the end of the song the gazebo was surrounded by the ladies just itching to get their hands on him. The applause that rose up with the last note was deafening. Lee smiled his million dollar smile, bowed and waved to the crowd.

“Outstanding!” the bandleader yelled quieting the crowd down. “All right Princess Karolina, have you made your selection of the young man you wish to favor with a dance?”

The Princess blushed and nodded her head affirmatively. “Yes I select the stranger in white.”

The crowd applauded and cheered appreciatively. Lee bowed to the young lady and made his way across the stage to take her hand and escort her to the dance floor. The crowd parted as they descended the stairs and cleared the dance floor so they could dance unimpeded.

“My name is Lee, by the way.”

The young woman blushed and smiled shyly. “I’m Karolina.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you Karolina. I hope I don’t embarrass you too badly on the dance floor.”

She laughed. “I hope I don’t do the same to you.”

They were quite a stunning couple. Lee in his dress whites which fully accentuated his sculpted physique, his black hair, molten golden eyes and killer smile. The young lady was equally stunning in a form-fitting red dress on her fit and trim figure. She was tall and slender with light mocha colored skin, long straight black hair, and dark chocolate colored eyes.

Once they were in position, the bandleader gave the downbeat and the band started playing a samba. They moved flawlessly around the floor as if they had danced together forever. Lee expertly guided her across the floor their moves matched perfectly as they performed the sultry, sexy dance. Usually other dancers would join in after the Princess and her consort made the first circuit of the dance floor but this time everyone stood on the side mesmerized by their performance. As the song came to an end those watching burst into a loud round of applause. Lee gave Karolina a quick hug then gallantly bowed to her, kissed her hand then escorted her off the dance floor.

“Thank you Karolina for the dance. I had a fantastic time, you are an excellent dancer.” Lee said as he escorted her back to her seat.

“I enjoyed it as well Lee. You are an incredible dancer too. So where are you visiting from?” Karolina asked.

“I’m here from the United States, California specifically.”

“Really, California? I’ve always wanted to go to California and see Hollywood. Do you live near there?”

“A few miles north, it’s a little too busy for my tastes. I’m from Santa Barbara.”

“Sounds lovely. Do you have a girlfriend or a wife in Santa Barbara?” Karolina inquired.

Lee laughed. “No I’m away from home so much it’s tough to maintain a steady relationship.”

“Oh that’s too bad,” she said as she suggestively placed her hand on his thigh.

Lee smiled and picked up her hand. “Would you grace me with one more dance before I have to leave?”

“I would love to dance with you again. But you can’t leave yet, it’s still quite early,” she replied earnestly.

Lee smiled once more then escorted her onto the dance floor. The band was playing a slow tune and Lee pulled her close and they swayed with the music. When the music stopped she looked up at him and kissed him lightly on the lips. “That was wonderful.”

“Yes it was. Come on let me take you back to your friends, I have to be on my way.”

As Lee escorted Karolina back to the table he suddenly felt a hand grip his shoulder hard and pull him back. He spun around quickly to see who had grabbed him. Behind him was a young man about Karolina’s age looking very upset with Lee’s presence.

“Get your hands and your lips off of my girlfriend,” he growled at Lee.

“My apologies, I meant no offense. I was just going anyway,” Lee replied quietly as he watched the young man’s friends begin to circle around them.

“Roberto I am not your girlfriend and leave Lee alone,” Karolina growled back at the young man. She grabbed Lee’s arm and started to move back towards their table when Roberto pushed Lee in the back nearly knocking him down. The crowd around them became silent at the tense situation.

“Look I don’t want any trouble, so back off. I’m taking Karolina over to her friends then I’m leaving end of problem.” Lee said positioning himself between Karolina and Roberto. Karolina’s friends hurried forward and pulled her back off the dance floor. Sensing that she was no longer in danger Lee began to back away off the floor.

Roberto rushed him intent on engaging in a fight but Lee with all the flourish and grace of a bull fighter brushed him easily aside. That act infuriated the young man even more and he made another run at Lee. Lee once again brushed him aside, this time sending him to the floor. He tried once again to exit the dance floor only to have Roberto come at him one more time, this time armed with his fishing knife.

Lee had had enough by now and was in real danger of being injured. As Roberto rushed him Lee effortlessly disarmed him and sent him crashing to the floor. He dropped down in a slight crouch pointing the captured knife at the man, staring intently at him as he struggled to get up. “Do that one more time and you won’t be getting up, do you understand me? I don’t want to fight you but I will defend myself and you won’t like what happens I promise you that.” As he spoke the light from the festival torches flared and his eyes appeared to glow like polished gold.

Roberto looked up in anger and fear realizing he had been outclassed and now looked the fool. He stared intently at Lee then something suddenly occurred to him. He pointed at Lee and screamed “Encantado! He’s an encantado here to steal our women!”

There was an immediate murmur in the crowd and Lee quickly scanned the faces. He saw looks of suspicion, fear and hate ripple across the crowd. Knowing things would most likely turn ugly Lee sprang into action and dashed from the dance floor heading towards the river hoping no one would give chase. He kept hearing calls of ‘encantado’ as he flashed through the assembled revelers as he ran. Chancing a quick look over his shoulder he noticed that he now had a number of men on his trail as he tried to make his escape.

He pushed through the crowd as he made his way towards the river to where he had left FS-1. He had left the majority of the crowd behind but Roberto and his friends were still giving chase. As he ran he fumbled around in his pocket trying to get the remote control out so he could activate the little sub once he got to the river’s edge. Looking behind him again he now had, for some reason he had yet to discern, an angry mob hot on his tail. He was easily outpacing them and was on the verge of getting away as he reached the river’s edge. Preparing to dive in a shot rang out and a bullet hit him hard in the back sending him tumbling out of control into the dark water.

Just as the bullet hit his back he reflexively squeezed the remote control and as he hit the water FS-1 flared to life saturating the water with its brilliant search lights blinding the pursuing mob. At the same time a boto, startled by the lights, leapt up out of the water. The men giving chase pulled to an immediate halt frightened by what they had just seen. On the dance floor Roberto had called out encantado to try and salvage his dignity; he really didn’t think Lee actually was one, until now.

The men quickly turned tail and bolted back up the street in fright to get away from the enchanted creature. They had wounded and most likely killed one and that would not bode well for anyone thought to be involved from either the animals or their fellow villagers.

Lee hit the water hard unprepared for the unceremonious entry. He too was blinded by the bright lights and hit the button again to dim them. His back was screaming out in pain as the water invaded the new wound. After what seemed an eternity, he regained enough control over his body to swim down to FS-1to try to get inside before anything with a taste for fresh meat discovered him.

As programmed FS-1 had fired up and rose up off the bottom giving a diver access to the bottom hatch. Lee fought desperately to get down beneath the little sub so he could get inside. His strength was waning fast as blood flowed from his back and he started going into shock. He suddenly became aware of something prodding him and forcing him towards FS-1. Using the last of his strength he grabbed that hatch wheel and turned it with all his might. The clamps released and the hatch fell open inviting him in.

He pushed up towards the sub and made it into the well where he gratefully grabbed a gulp of air. He bobbed there for a moment trying to recoup his strength and calm down. He reached up to the top of the well but didn’t have the strength to pull himself inside and as he lost his grip he slipped unconscious back into the water.

SV

It was nearly 0330 by the time Harri made his way back to the room. He and Jorge had stayed at the Mayor’s Ball until 0100 then hit a couple of the local parties to see how the locals celebrated. They had had a grand time talking with the fishermen learning all about the river and what they thought was causing the problems. He quietly opened the door to the suite so as not to wake Lee then tiptoed to his room. As he turned on the light he noticed that the door to Lee’s room was open.

He walked over quietly and looked in. He found it more than a little disconcerting that his young captain had not yet returned. Lee generally was not a big partier and he was surprised to find that he was not back. ‘Well maybe he got lucky,’ Harri thought to himself, returned to his room and crawled into bed. He was asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.

Around 0900 Harri groaned loudly as he moved his head and found much to his consternation he had one hell of a hangover. He pushed up out of bed and stumbled into the bathroom to take care of business and get a fistful of aspirin. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt this hung over after a night on the town.

He grabbed his robe and made his way out to the kitchen area to start a pot of coffee. As he looked across the sitting room he noticed that Lee’s door was open and his bed was still unslept in. Where the hell was he? As the coffee maker finished its job Harri grabbed a cup and filled it with the restorative brew. He sipped on it cautiously so as not to burn his mouth and groaned in pleasure as the caffeine charge hit his system.

He walked over to the phone and called the front desk to see if Lee had left him a message regarding his whereabouts, but they had nothing for him. Next he dialed Jorge’s room in the off chance Lee had contacted him. Jorge, not in much better condition than Harri, said that he hadn’t seen Lee since the party then groaned loudly and hung up.

Harri next tried calling Lee’s cell phone and got no answer. It went directly to voice mail which meant the device was powered off. He headed back into his room to take a shower and get dressed so he could go out looking for Lee.

When he hit the lobby he stopped at the front desk to see if anyone had seen Lee or if there were any messages for him that had been misfiled. No one had seen him come into the hotel and there were no messages. Harri was now becoming even more concerned; it was very unlike Lee to not leave word where he was when not on an ONI mission. His next place to look would be FS-1; however he didn’t know exactly where Lee had left her. He had generally described the area and the distance from the hotel but the surrounding area pretty much looked the same once you got next to the jungle.

Harri went outside and hailed a cab to take him down to where he thought Lee had left the little sub. He didn’t even have a remote to activate her if he found it. Once down by the road Lee had described he walked along it scanning the river bank and shoulder for any sign that Lee had been there. There was nothing that indicated he or anyone else had been there and the water was too turbid to see anything below the surface. Harri kicked in frustration at the dirt then turned around got back in the cab and returned to the hotel.

By the time he returned it was nearly 1500 and Jorge was almost human as the effects of the night of overindulgence wore off. Harri went to his room and filled him in on all he had done to find Lee. Jorge could plainly see by Nelson’s face that he was concerned about his friend and captain. He suggested that they head to the police station to see if perchance he had been arrested for too much fun or if anyone there had seen him.

SV

Harri and Jorge arrived at the police station around 1600 and walked up to the front desk to inquire after their friend. The officer sitting at the desk looked somewhat harried no doubt due to having to deal with the aftermath of the festival.

“Good afternoon, officer,” Jorge started. “We are looking for a friend of ours who has not returned to the hotel after last night. We’ve checked where we think he could have gone but found nothing so we’re hoping maybe you have him as a guest here. His name is Lee Crane.”

“Just a minute and let me check,” the officer said as he typed the information into his computer. “Nope nobody by that name was brought in last night. We have a couple of men that had no identification on them when they were arrested and they’re still sleeping it off. Describe your friend and I’ll see if he matches one of the men we’ve got.”

“He’s about 6’2”, short black curly hair, slim muscular build, 195 pounds, and golden hazel eyes.” Harri said.

“Nope he’s not one of our mystery guests. Let me get a full description and we can send it out to the officers in the field to see if they can spot him. What was he wearing when you last saw him?”

“He was in his dress white US Navy uniform. We were attending the Mayor’s Ball and he left early to return to the hotel.” Harri added.

The officer stared at him a moment startled by the description. “When did you last see him?”

“He left the ball around midnight. I think he was going to check on a piece of equipment we have down by the river then return to the hotel. Here I have a picture of him on my phone.” Harri quickly flipped through the pictures stored on his phone until he came to a good picture of Lee. He showed the officer the picture of Lee in his khakis standing by Seaview.

The officer scrutinized the photo closely. “You wouldn’t by any chance have one of him in his white uniform would you?”

“Let me check,” replied Harri. He returned to scrolling through the pictures until he finally found one from Lee’s Medal of Honor award ceremony held on Seaview. He handed the phone to the officer.

“Well that makes sense now,” he said.

“What makes sense? Has someone seen him?” Harri asked urgently.

“Yes I think so. At one of the street parties last night officers responded to an incident after a stranger dressed in white had won the serenade contest for the first dance with the Festival Princess. From all accounts he had an incredible voice and easily beat out the other contestants for her attention. According to those in the crowd he swept the young lady off her feet much to the displeasure of a man who claimed she was his girlfriend. He tried to pick a fight but the man handled him as though he were fighting a child; brushing him off as you would a fly. He told him repeatedly he didn’t want to fight and was leaving but the guy kept coming after him.”

“After he had dusted him a couple of times, the guy came after him with a knife and your friend disarmed him without effort. The man then started calling him encantado and accused him of trying to seduce and steal their women. Well that stirred the crowd up into a frenzy given all that’s happened with the boto lately. The man bolted out of the square down towards the river but had a mob of men after him. Someone reported gunfire and said the encantado was struck in the back as he dove into the river. Just as he hit the water a brilliant light shown from under the river and then a large boto jumped out of the water into the air.”

“Encantado, what’s that? What does that have to do with the boto?” asked Harri in confusion.

“I can explain Harri,” Jorge said. “It’s an ancient Amazonian folktale. An encantado is a shape shifter and during the day he is a boto, a white dolphin, but at night he transforms into a young man dressed all in white. My grandmother told me the tale as a small child. The encantado always makes an appearance on a festive night dressed in fine white clothing and a matching hat. He always wears a hat to hide his blowhole which remains even when he takes human form. The young man has a soft seductive voice, eyes that would stun any woman on the spot and a most handsome and masculine face. There are three things that mark an encantado: superior musical ability, their seductiveness and sexuality and their love of parties.”

“The myth is that the encantado live in a paradisiacal underwater world called Encante, but they get bored or lonely and enter our realm to be near humans. They are well known for seducing women and mating with them or luring them back to Encante to live with them. Once someone is taken to Encante they can never come back. They are most often seen at festivals near the river and when they are pursued they head immediately to the river and transform back into a boto when they hit the water.”

“My god,” said Harri stunned by the story. “That tale was custom-made for Lee and given what he was wearing last night, being outdoors and in uniform, he would have kept his hat on while at the party. So it sounds as though the spurned boyfriend noticed the similarities and used it against Lee to get rid of him.”

“Well it may have backfired on him because the members of the community are quite upset with him, he’s been threatened a number of times and has gone into hiding. It is considered very bad luck to injure or worse kill a boto and it will bring nothing but bad luck down on those who have done so. Of the people we’ve talked to there is no doubt your friend went into the river and if he was shot it is highly unlikely he made it out. The responding officers did a quick scan of the area but found nothing along the banks of the river. We can send a search boat out to where this happened and look for him if you’d like,” the officer offered.

“We’d appreciate that,” Jorge answered as he took in the shocked expression of his friend. “We’re staying at the Altimonte, I’m Jorge Vilas and this is Harriman Nelson, please let us know if you find anything.”

“We will,” replied the officer quietly.

Harri looked as though he were ready to keel over. All the color had drained from his face and he had a stunned and lost look in his eyes. Jorge herded Harri over to a couple of chairs in the corner of the lobby and got him to sit down.

“We don’t know that it was Lee, Harri.” Jorge offered.

Harri looked at him and sighed. “How could it not be, Jorge? I didn’t see any other men dressed in white last night besides Lee and myself.”

“Come on Harri let’s head back to the hotel and regroup. We can get changed, go out in the boat and look for any signs. He always could have found a partner for the evening and is shacked up somewhere.”

Harri shook his head no. “No, that’s not Lee’s style. Let’s head back to the hotel I need to get in contact with Seaview and get my XO up here with another remote for FS-1 so we can try and find her and Lee.”

SV

It was dark and quiet as Lee slowly made his way towards consciousness. As he lay there in the dark he could feel the cold hard metal beneath him leaching away his body heat. He was so cold and a shiver tore through his body. As he took further stock of his situation he found a nearly intolerable pain in his back that radiated throughout. He rubbed his hands on the floor around him and realized that he was in FS-1 but he couldn’t quite remember how he got inside. The last thing he recalled was his hands slipping off the edge of the moon pool and sliding down back into the river.

Giving it all he had he rolled over onto his back and pushed himself to a sitting position. He stifled a cry of pain as he stressed the wound to his back with his movements. Tendrils of moonlight filtering through the murky waters of the Amazon gave him enough light to see where he was in the small boat. He reached up, found a light switch and flipped it on. He squinted hard as his eyes fought to adjust to the bright light. As he scanned the inside of the sub he realized that he was not alone. Sitting in the co-pilot’s seat was a young man dressed in white. He smiled at the Lee and nodded.

“Who…who are you?” Lee asked.

“My name is Dar,” replied the man. “And you are?”

“I’m Lee. What…happened? How did I get here?”

“You were being chased by a group of men towards the river and then one of them shot you in the back. As far as getting here, when you were unable to climb into this interesting boat and slipped back into the river, I pushed you back up and pulled you inside,” Dar explained. “Why were the men chasing you, if I may ask?”

“They called me ‘encantado’ whatever that means and accused me of trying to seduce and steal the young woman I had been dancing with at the party.”

Dar scrutinized Lee closely taking in his sodden and bloody clothing. He snorted after a moment and nodded. “I can see how they could have assumed that.”

“Why, what is an encantado?” Lee ground out.

Dar quickly related who and what the encantado are and why Lee was mistaken for one. Lee stared at him blankly struggling hard to follow the explanation and to keep from passing out from the pain and blood loss.

“You’re…not… serious are you?” Lee finally asked.

“Oh most definitely, for I am an encantado,” Dar said then removed his hat and showed Lee his blowhole. Lee blinked startled by Dar’s admission and the unmistakable evidence that he was telling the truth. He felt the world begin to spin around him as he was fast becoming overwhelmed by all that had happened to him this night.

“I have a question for you, why are you here, in this strange little boat? Why have you and your friends been going up and down the river collecting water and fish?” Dar asked.

Lee shook his head lightly trying to clear the fog and stave off the loss of consciousness. “We are here investigating why the animals and to a lesser degree the people have become so violent. We think that there are people polluting the water with the wastes from their drug manufacturing operations either in the area or from a boat. We want to bring it to a halt and return things back to normal.”

Dar sat quietly pondering Lee’s answer. He scrutinized him even closer trying to discern if what he had said was the truth. After a moment of internal debate he arrived at the conclusion that Lee was exactly who he said he was.

“There is a boat that comes into the waters around Monte Alegre each month as the moon becomes full. They empty their bilges into the water then move down the river to the delta. When this first started we all became sick but there was also a feeling of euphoria that was more than anything we had ever encountered but some of us became angry and combative. To avoid the poison, we encantado now move out of the area when the men dump into the water but the boto and other animals seem to be drawn to it. They get very aggressive and seem to be protecting their part of the river with the poison in it. As time goes on and the river clears they return to normal but as the full moon approaches they become edgy and restless as they wait for the vessel to return.”

Lee fought hard to remain engaged as Dar related what he knew. He was unable to bite back the groan as the gaping wound in his back reasserted its presence. “Do… do you know the name of the boat?” Lee gasped out.

“No but I can describe it for you,” Dar replied. “It has the large boxes stored on top; those change from month to month. The boat itself is painted dark green with blue and white stripes up near the top of the boat. There is a large star painted on the side of the wheelhouse and matching smaller ones at the front of the boat near the anchors.”

Lee grimaced and groaned again in pain as he slid slowly down the bulkhead as the injury took its toll on him. Dar watched with some concern as he slipped down the wall leaving a bloody streak. He liked this man and believed that he was here to protect the waters around them but there was nothing else he could do for him. He stood up moved over to Lee and placed his hand on his shoulder.

“I am sorry that I cannot help you more. I have limited power here and I am forbidden to bring you to my home in Encante where we could heal your injury. Plus if I did take you, you would never be able to return to your world and I think you wouldn’t like that. I thank you for what you are trying to do to save our waters, I wish you luck. It is almost dawn and I must be going. If I see your friends I will try to draw them here and hopefully they can find you before it’s too late. Good luck Lee.”

Dar knelt down and carefully picked Lee up and placed him in the bunk along the wall of the small sub then pulled the blanket at the foot of the bed over him. With that Dar dropped into the moon pool. A moment later a boto poked its head back up into the pool and chattered at Lee. Lee stared at the animal, nodded then passed out.

SV

Harri trudged dejectedly back into his suite and sat down heavily on the sofa. Jorge followed closely and moved into the kitchen to brew up some coffee. Harri pulled out his phone and placed the call he was loathe to make.

“Mr. Morton, I have the admiral on the line for you sir,” Sparks called out across the conn.

“On my way.” Chip walked to the radio shack and accepted the handset from Sparks. “Chip here sir.”

“Chip I need you to get up to Monte Alegre as fast as you can and bring the spare remote to FS-1.” Nelson said.

“Yes sir. May I ask why? Did Lee break the other one?” he said jokingly.

“Lee’s gone missing Chip and there’s a very real possibility that he’s been shot. The last time we think he was seen was running from a mob of men towards the river and I assume to FS-1 when they shot him in the back. It was reported that he went into the river and then there was a brilliant flash of light when he hit the water which makes me think he was trying to activate FS-1,” Harri explained.

“No one followed up sir? Has anyone searched the river?” Chip asked incredulously.

“The police responded to the report of a disturbance and a gunshot but that’s about it. As with anything that involves Lee, the situation is complicated to say the least and I don’t have time to explain it to you over the phone. The police are conducting a sweep now and Jorge and I will go out once we hang up but if he was injured and did go in the river there’s very little chance he’s still alive.”

Chip sank slowly down onto the chair next to the radio shack, the blood drained from his face and his knees weak from the shock. “Surely there’s a chance, Admiral,” he said after a moment grasping desperately at straws.

“This is the Amazon Chip, between the blood loss and the things that live in the river like piranha and caiman it’s highly unlikely he could survive. We’ve not given up all hope yet, there’s no physical evidence one way or the other which is why Jorge and I are heading back out onto the water. But we need to reclaim FS-1 and use her to help look for Lee. So as I said I need you up here as fast as you can make it and bring Seaview up river as well.”

“Aye sir. I’ll check into the fastest way up and call you back in 15 minutes.” Chip said quietly as he fought to get control of his emotions.

“Fine Chip, we’ll wait here until you call back. Nelson out.”

Chip handed the phone back to Sparks and sighed deeply. “What’s the matter Mr. Morton?” Sparks asked noting the shocked expression on the XO’s face.

“The captain is missing and possibly injured. We need to get to Monte Alegre as fast as we can. See how long it will take me to get to Belem and catch a flight to Monte Alegre,” Chip ordered. “Mr. O’Brien plot us a course up river to Monte Alegre best possible speed and get us moving towards the river mouth now.”

“Aye sir,” O’Brien replied and began issuing orders to get them moving.

After a couple of minutes Sparks called out to Chip. “Sir it will take you approximately 20 hours to get to Monte Alegre by plane. We have to get you ashore and then the next scheduled flight is late tomorrow evening. If you want I can see if we can charter a plane.”

“Check on that option and let me know how much we’ll shave off that arrival time.” Chip answered.

“Chip, we can get Seaview to Monte Alegre in 19 hours barring any obstructions in the river,” Bobby said showing Chip his calculations.

“All right Bobby, get us moving in that direction, best speed. Sparks have you heard anything back on the charter flights?”

“No sir, I’ve checked with a number of companies but they don’t have aircraft available. I contacted Angie back at NIMR to check as well.”

“Okay, if you come up with anything within the hour that can get me there in less than 18 hours we’ll go for that otherwise I might as well stay here on Seaview.” Chip replied resignedly.

“Aye sir. I’ll keep checking and let you know,” Sparks replied.

“Fine Sparks, put me through to the admiral please.” After a moment Sparks handed the handset to the XO. “Chip here sir. Right now it looks like the fastest way there is on Seaview. I’ve got a course laid in and were making best speed up river to Monte Alegre. Our ETA is just under 19 hours sir…. Yes sir, we’ll push forward as fast as traffic and conditions allow….Yes sir. Please let me know if you find out anything.”

Chip handed back the handset and moved over to the chart table. He looked over Bobby’s course calculations and found nothing he could improve on. “Ski, keep a keen eye out for vessel traffic or anything else that can get in our way. We’re lucky this river is so deep so we can travel submerged and hopefully avoid the surface traffic.”

“Aye sir,” replied Kowalski as he focused even closer on his screen.

“Come on Lee, you have to be there for us to find. You can’t leave us this way,” Chip said under his breath.

SV

Having heard from Chip and getting his estimated arrival time, Harri and Jorge headed down to the dock to get the boat. They motored out to the general area where they suspected Lee would have left FS-1 and scoured the shoreline but found nothing. As it drew near dark, Jorge turned the boat around and floated with the current down the river bank towards the dock. Harri never took his eyes off the shoreline searching for any clue of Lee’s passing.

Jorge pulled the boat up to the dock as the last rays of sunshine slipped below the horizon. After mooring the boat he urged Harri out of the boat so they could return to the hotel, get something to eat and some rest so they could start again in the morning. It was more than obvious from the look in Harri’s eyes that any hope he had was dimming fast as time wore on.

When they got back to the hotel there was a message from the police saying they had not spotted anything in their search but would resume their efforts in the morning as well. Harri and Jorge went up to Harri’s suite to regroup. Harri pulled out one of the bottles of scotch that Lee had brought back with him and poured them each a shot. The silence in the room was oppressive as one man dealt with the devastating potential loss of his friend and surrogate son and the other with trying to support his friend dealing with that loss.

After a few moments Jorge got up and called down to the kitchen for room service. He ordered a couple of sandwiches since neither of them were exceedingly hungry but they needed to eat something to keep them going. When the steward arrived Jorge signed for the meals and rolled the cart into the room.

“Here Harri, you need to eat something to keep up your strength.”

Harri stared at him for a moment and just shrugged. There was nothing he wanted other than the safe return of Lee and it truly looked as though he’d been lost for good this time. As Jorge handed him the plate he accepted it and set it down in front of him on the coffee table. He very much appreciated Jorge’s attempts to reassure him and to keep a positive outlook but reality was knocking very hard at the door. He picked up a half of the sandwich and took a bite; that was the best he was going to be able to do tonight. He put the sandwich down, picked up the bottle of scotch and refilled their glasses then took a large sip trying to kill the growing ache in his heart for his missing son.

They sat there quietly for another couple of hours until Jorge finally got up and collected the mostly untouched food set it on the cart and rolled it outside the room door. “Come on Harri time to grab some sleep, we’ll be up and on the river come sun up so you need to try and get some rest so you’ll be alert while we search for signs of Lee.”

Harri nodded solemnly. “Thank you Jorge, I appreciate all you’ve done today. I don’t think I could have done any of this without your help.”

“You’re welcome Harri, it’s the very least I could do. Don’t give up hope yet, aren’t you the one who told me Lee has more lives than an alley cat. Based on the stories you’ve related I wouldn’t count him out. We just aren’t looking in the right place, yet.”

Harri gave Jorge a weak smile and nodded. He rose up from the sofa and escorted his friend to the door. “You get some rest as well my friend, we both need to be awake and alert tomorrow. Goodnight Jorge, see you in the morning.”

Jorge nodded to Harri and patted him on the shoulder then left for his room. Harri locked the door behind him then returned to the sofa sat down and hung his head in his hands trying desperately to fight back the tears. Finally giving up the fight he sat back on the sofa and let them flow. He eventually fell into a restless sleep.

SV

Overnight Seaview had made excellent time coming up the river. Ship traffic had been very light and they had been able to kick the speed up to nearly flank. The crew was totally focused on coming to their captain’s rescue as quickly as they could. It was nearly 0600 when Chip descended the stairs into the nose and moved to the chart table.

“Morning Bobby, how are we doing on our ETA to Monte Alegre?” Chip asked.

“Morning Chip, we made good time last night and it looks as though we will be pulling into the dock around 0900.” O’Brien replied.

Chip smiled in appreciation of the hard work the night crew had done to get them to their destination so soon. He clapped Bobby on the back. “Well done. I think I’ll contact the admiral and give him our updated ETA. I’ve got the conn Bobby go ahead and crash for a while okay.”

“Aye sir. If you need anything just call,” Bobby replied as he headed towards the nose.

“Sparks put me through to the admiral.”

“Yes sir, one moment please,” Sparks replied and set to placing the call to Nelson. The phone rang a number of times until a groggy sounding “Nelson” responded. “Sir, it’s Sparks, I have Commander Morton here for you.” Sparks nodded to Chip and he picked up the handset.

“Morning sir,” Chip said. “Have you heard anything new about Lee?”

“Morning Chip, no, nothing and we didn’t find anything during our search yesterday. What time is it?” Nelson replied as he realized he was still on the sofa.

“It’s just past 0600 sir. Admiral, I called to give you an updated ETA for our arrival this morning. We should be pulling up to the dock around 0900 if you would like to meet us there.”

“0900?! What were you doing running at emergency flank last night?” Nelson asked incredulously.

“Not quite but we were able to bump up our speed considerably since traffic was light on the river. You can thank Bobby for our early arrival he worked it all very carefully last night.” Chip answered.

“I definitely will. Thank everyone for their hard work for me, Chip. We’ll be at the dock at 0900 to meet you then we can go back out and see if we can scare up FS-1 with the remote.”

“Aye sir, we’ll see you shortly. Morton out.”

SV

The arrival of Seaview at the dock was an impressive sight and stirred the sleepy port immediately to life. No one had ever seen such a thing before. Harri and Jorge were there as the large vessel surfaced a couple hundred yards outside the harbor then made her way elegantly to the largest berth available. As the crew worked to secure the large boat to the dock the two men hurried down the gang plank to greet Chip as he emerged from the sail.

“Good morning, sir.” Chip called as the admiral crossed onto the boat.

“Good morning Chip; I can honestly say it is extremely good to see you so early. Jorge Vilas may I present Commander Chip Morton, Executive Officer of the Seaview. Chip this is Jorge Vilas the scientist and friend we’ve been working with on this puzzle.”

Chip and Jorge shook hands. “A pleasure to meet you Doctor, welcome aboard.”

“Thank you, and the pleasure is all mine, please call me Jorge.”

“Very well Jorge, I’m Chip. Sir I’ve got the remote for FS-1 and we’re ready to roll when you are. I’ve alerted Jamie and he should be topside shortly along with Ski and Patterson to help with the search and anything else we might need.”

“Good Chip. We’ve got a power boat located down the pier a ways and will head up river to where I think Lee parked FS-1.”

“Have you heard anything new, sir?”

“No Chip, unfortunately he seems to have vanished without a trace. We’ve been combing the shoreline looking for any sign that he may have been there but nothing has yet to turn up. It’s as though he’s disappeared from the face of the earth.” Nelson replied.

Just then Dr. Jamieson, Kowalski and Patterson arrived on deck carrying medical supplies and other items that might be needed when they found the skipper. There was no doubt in their minds that they would find him. Harri made quick introductions then they headed up the gang plank and down the pier to Jorge’s boat. Once aboard, they stowed the equipment and shoved off to start their search in earnest.

SV

Lee groaned quietly as he scrabbled at the consciousness that had so far eluded him. Applying all the energy he had left he was finally able to crack his eyelids and focus on the scene before him. There was a faint brownish-gold light filtering through the windows of FS-1 barely illuminating the inside of the sub but Lee had no idea whether he was seeing sunlight or moonlight. He had lost all concept of time and couldn’t hazard a guess as to how long he had been aboard. The air seemed somewhat stale which told him he had been there awhile.

As he tried to move off the bunk and towards the controls he found himself pinned in place by a trio of ills. The bullet wound in his back screamed out in protest at his movements announcing its displeasure with an angry throb with each beat of his heart. His tongue felt plastered to the roof of his mouth as an urgent need for water vied for his attention as well. The fever he was now running sapped what little strength he had left making him feel as though he were buried beneath an overcoat of wet cement. He was so hot now, he almost longed for the cold he remembered earlier.

He knew he needed help fast but had no way to call for it himself and he cursed his weakness. Lee laid there trying to piece together all that had happened and he had experienced. He clearly remembered the party, the dance with the pretty young woman and then his flight towards the river after her wannabe boyfriend and pals chased him. He definitely remembered the bullet blundering into his back but after that it all became rather hazy. He couldn’t quite remember how he got on board FS-1; the last he recalled was sinking back down into the river unable to pull himself up on deck.

Then there was the rather surreal discussion with the man in a white suit sitting in the co-pilot’s chair. Did that really happen or had he become delirious by then? He thought the man said he was an encantado and had rescued Lee to find out what he was doing in the Amazon. But that wasn’t possible, was it? Trying desperately to resolve that incongruity he was startled by FS-1’s lights and systems flaring to life and the very recognizable feeling of the little sub moving towards the surface. A small smile spread across his face, ‘they found me’ he thought in great relief then once more succumbed to the darkness as his injuries took their toll.

SV

Jorge moved out from the dock and started to slowly make his way up river, giving the other men aboard the opportunity to closely scan the riverbank for any sign of their missing friend. As they moved Chip repeatedly punched the button on the remote ordering FS-1 to awaken and surface, but as yet had had no success.

As they continued forward a boto suddenly surfaced off the starboard side of their boat and butted the side forcefully urging them out from the bank. Jorge put the engines in idle offering no resistance and waited for the animal to move away. The boto hit the boat a couple more times but then eventually swam off.

“Is that the behavior you were investigating?” Jamie asked as he looked after the animal.

“Yes,” Jorge answered. “The boto are usually very shy creatures and generally go to great lengths to avoid humans though lately they have taken to attacking people in boats on the river. We think we’ve found the reason why but have yet to find the source.”

They waited a few minutes more to see if the dolphin was going to return and when it didn’t Jorge resumed moving up river. Minutes later the boto reappeared and this time seemed to have something white in its mouth. It jumped out of the water and tossed the object out in front of the boat. Jorge once again stopped and they all looked at the item floating half submerged in the water. It was a hat, but more importantly it was Lee’s hat.

The men were momentarily frozen in amazement at the animal’s action and the item it had brought up from the river bottom. Ski was the first to react; he grabbed a pike pole and tried to snag the hat to bring it on board. As he reached for the hat the boto surged forward and snapped it up then began swimming up ahead of the boat.

It once more released the hat to float just out of reach. Jorge engaged the engines and moved slowly forward in hopes of getting Ski close enough to recover it. But again as Ski made to snag the hat the dolphin surged in to grab it and move further up river. The men were amazed and intrigued by the boto’s actions and willingly followed as it continued to swim forward.

“It seems to be playing with us,” Chip said in frustration as the animal once more moved the hat out of Kowalski’s range.

“I’ve never seen anything like this,” Jorge replied. “They normally try to avoid boats and humans and I’ve never heard of them playing keep away before.”

“It must be some artifact of the drug wastes that have been dumped in the river,” Harri offered. “I just wish it could tell us where it got Lee’s hat, it would be a starting place for our search.”

The dolphin lured them forward for another twenty minutes, playfully moving the hat up river and then into a small backwater near the shore. Jorge maneuvered the boat once more near the hat so Kowalski could make another grab when suddenly the boto grabbed the hat, submerged then burst up out of the water and threw the hat to them before gracefully reentering the water.

The men stood there stunned, mouths agape at the apparent gift of the hat from the dolphin. They stared at each other wondering what would have possessed the boto to have done such a thing. Harri was the first to recover this time.

“I wonder…”he said quietly.

“What sir?” Chip replied.

“Hit the remote Chip.”

Chip stared at the admiral for a moment then depressed the button that would signal FS-1 to wake up and rise to the surface of the water. After a moment there was a sudden bubbling of the water as though ballast tanks were being emptied. Jorge quickly reversed the boat away from the frothing water and watched in amazement as FS-1 dutifully answered her master’s call.

“You don’t think…,” Jamie said as he gaped at the sub floating before them.

“Somehow I do,” replied Harri. “That boto purposely led us to this spot for a reason. How, I don’t know but for the moment I don’t care.”

Ski and Patterson had in the meantime, latched onto FS-1 snugging her tight against the side of Jorge’s boat. Chip quickly jumped aboard spun open the latch on the top hatch and pulled it open. He descended the ladder into the little sub and the next thing they all heard was “LEE!”

A tremendous sigh of relief passed from each man still on the boat and Harri nearly collapsed as his knees went weak. After a brief moment Chip hurriedly came up the ladder. “Jamie, Lee needs you bad. He’s got a bullet wound to the back and he’s burning up with fever.”

Jamie sprang into action quickly climbing aboard FS-1 and waited on top only long enough to catch the medical bag tossed to him by Patterson. He descended the steps and moved immediately to his most frequent patient to once again work his magic on the injuries that so often plagued the man.

Harri was the next one over and descended the ladder quickly. As he entered he saw Jamie working feverishly over his patient assessing his condition and taking the actions necessary to stabilize and reverse Lee’s condition. Chip meanwhile was busy activating the rest of FS-1’s systems readying her for their return to Seaview.

Harri moved over to the bunk and took in his captain’s pale and pained appearance. He reached out and placed his hand carefully on his head assuring himself the young man was in fact here and alive. He closed his eyes and thanked the boto and whatever other river deities led them to his son. He silently wondered why the universe seemed so set on testing this young man at every opportunity. As he opened his eyes he saw Jamie looking at him, fully aware of what this man meant to him and what he must have gone through thinking Lee could be dead.

“Harri we need to get him back to Seaview immediately. He’s lost a lot of blood, he’s severely dehydrated and the wound is badly infected. As best I can tell the only injury is the gunshot wound but I need to get him back and on the table to know for sure.”

“Chip, are we ready to go?” Harri asked.

“Yes sir. All of FS-1’s systems are operational and responding normally. I’ve already notified Seaview we found the captain and to have corpsmen standing by with a stretcher. I’m just waiting for your order to go.”

“Excellent Chip, hold on one second,” Nelson replied as he made his way up the ladder. “Patterson, Kowalski you stay on the boat with Jorge and head back to the dock. Once you arrive please escort Jorge on board.”

“Aye sir,” Ski replied. “The skipper, is he going to be all right?”

“Doc says he’s in bad shape and needs immediate treatment but sounded like he should be okay. We’ll see you back at the boat gentlemen.” Harri said as he descended the steps and dogged the top hatch closed.

SV

Lee slowly crept up on consciousness, afraid that if he moved towards it too swiftly it would once more elude him. He began to take stock of the world around him, noticing first that he was on a soft bed, that he was neither too hot nor too cold and there was a very distinctive and familiar odor on the air. He started to take a deep breath when suddenly the wound to his back reminded him it was there and he gasped slightly as he tried to roll away from the pain only to find himself held firmly in place by a number of hands.

“Easy Skipper, just relax. You’re back on Seaview and you’re safe,” a familiar voice informed him. “Can you open your eyes for me please?”

“Come on son, open your eyes for us,” Nelson said as he patted him gently on the shoulder.

Lee sighed and gave it one more shot this time successfully prying his eyes open to find the relieved faces of his friends smiling down at him. After a moment he returned their smiles with a small one of his own as it finally registered that he was back aboard his gray lady.

“How do you feel Captain?” Jamie asked as he held Lee’s wrist measuring his heart rate.

“Tired and a little sore, but otherwise fine,” Lee replied as he blinked his eyes trying to wake up. “How long have I been out?”

“Just short of four days,” Nelson replied. “You had us all very concerned, son.”

“Four…days?”

“Aside from the bullet wound you had one hell of a raging infection from your dip in the river and then going untreated for close to two days. You’ve been running a temperature of 104 for the last three days meaning you’re going to be tired and more than a little weak for a while,” Jamie said as he popped a thermometer into Lee’s mouth. After a minute he pulled it out and looked at the reading. “Ninety-nine, that’s good, almost back to normal or as close to normal as you ever come,” he said with a wink and a reassuring smile.

Lee just glowered at him a moment then returned his smile. “Glad to see you found FS-1 and the remote retrieval system worked.”

“Yeah, it worked like a charm once we found her,” Chip replied. “However we did get quite a bit of help finding her.”

“Huh?”

“A boto lured us to your location using your cover as the bait. Damnedest thing I’ve ever seen, it would throw the hat in front of the boat and just as we got close enough to get it, the thing would snap it back up and swim further upstream. When we finally got to where you had parked FS-1 it tossed the cap to us and swam off,” Harri explained.

“Well I’ll be…,” Lee said quietly. “Then I didn’t imagine the whole thing.”

“Imagine what Lee?” Nelson asked.

“After I was shot and knocked in the water, I activated the remote and tried to get inside FS-1 through the bottom hatch. I just didn’t have the strength to get inside and found myself sinking back towards the river bottom when something suddenly started pushing me back up. I passed out at some point and when I came to, there was a man in a white suit and hat sitting in the co-pilot’s chair. He asked me why I was being chased and why they shot me. I told him someone had called me an encantado at the street party I had attended and accused me of kidnapping their women. He looked me over pretty carefully and said he could understand why, and then proceeded to enlighten me about encantado and where they live in Encante. I pretty much figured he was pulling my leg until he removed his hat and showed me his blowhole. That shocked the hell out of me.”

The men in the room stared in amazement and exchanged questioning looks. After a moment, Lee continued.

“Once that was settled, he was curious about FS-1 and about what we were doing running up and down the river collecting water and fish. I told him we were trying to find the reason for the change in behavior of the boto and other animals along this section of the river and put a stop to it. He confirmed that the waste is being pumped into the river from a container ship that pays a monthly visit to Monte Alegre and then described the boat. He said it was dark green, with blue and white stripes near the top, a large star on the wheelhouse and smaller ones on either side of the anchors.”

“He thanked us for trying to take care of the waters and the animals that live there and apologized for not being able to help me more. He said if he ran across you on the water, he would try to bring you to my aid.”

The room was silent as Lee related his story and remained that way for some time after he finished. He looked at the faces of his friends certain that they were going to tell him his story was a byproduct of being shot, the on-set of shock and the infection. Surprisingly no one was inclined to discount his tale after what they had witnessed with the boto on the river.

“That is absolutely amazing,” Jorge said finally breaking the silence. “I had always thought that story to be just an old wives tale or a cautionary tale for young girls to make them wary of the boys they meet at festivals. I never in my wildest dreams thought it to be true.”

“We’ve found in our voyages that many of the so called myths and fairy tales do have more than a grain of truth to them,” Harri said. “I’ll have to tell you about some of the other creatures we’ve met. Until you’ve actually run into one yourself, you are inclined to consider those telling the tale to be crackpots.”

“I can believe that Harri,” Jorge responded with a chuckle. “Had Lee told me he had met an encantado before I had seen the boto I would have thought he had consumed one too many glasses of your fine Irish scotch.”

Everyone laughed and nodded in agreement. Lee tried heartily to stifle a yawn which did not go unnoticed by the ever vigilant CMO. “Well gentlemen, I think it’s time you go about your business as it is time for the good captain here to get some badly needed rest.”

Lee sighed in exasperation and rolled his eyes. “I’m fine Jamie; I just haven’t properly woken up yet.”

“And there’s no need for you to do so. You need your rest and everyone else can come back later.”

With that less than subtle hint Chip and Jorge immediately stood up and bid the captain a good evening. Jamie moved off into the other room to collect the appropriate sedative to ensure Lee got all the sleep he needed and to also give the admiral a bit of private time with his ‘son’.

“It’s good to have you back lad, I had some serious doubts that we would ever find you based on the report we received from the police,” Nelson said as he squeezed Lee’s shoulder.

“I’m glad that you found me sir, because there was no way I was going to make it back without help. I’m sorry if I caused you to worry. I really had no intention of even participating in the party, it was just on my way down to the river where I had stowed FS-1. Once I got there they pretty much insisted I have a try at the serenade and was shocked when I was selected by the Princess’ to be her partner for the dance,” Lee explained.

Harri rolled his eyes. It still amazed him that Lee was so blind to his talents and his effect on other people, both female and male. Chip kidded him about it constantly but he still just shined it on as though Chip was exaggerating.

“It’s not a wonder to me. After hearing the tale Jorge’s grandmother related to him you were the perfect candidate to be mistaken for an encantado and unfortunately I set you up perfectly by insisting that we attend the ball in our dress whites.”

“It wasn’t your fault sir; we had no idea about their local folk legends. Though I guess they aren’t legends are they?” Lee responded with a smile. “You need to see if the boat Dar described plies these waters.”

Harri smiled and shook his head; Lee was always about the mission and never himself. “Don’t worry son, I’ll see to it that the federal authorities are provided with the description you gave us. What you need to focus on now is regaining your strength and getting out of sick bay.”

“Always my plan,” Lee said unable to fight back the yawn.

As if on cue Jamie entered with a hypo loaded with a sedative and painkiller to help him do both of those things. He injected the contents into Lee’s IV and picked up his left wrist to once again take his pulse. Lee’s eyes began to droop almost immediately much to Jamie’s relief. “Say good night, Captain.”

“Good night, Captain.” Lee parroted back groggily then slipped off to sleep with the sound of laughter from the two older men in his ears.

SV

Using FS-1 as a spotting platform, they were quickly able to locate and identify the ship described by Lee’s rescuer, Dar. The ship had recently completed its trek to the delta and was returning upriver no doubt to pick up raw materials for their drug manufacturing. The Estrela da Noite or Evening Star was quickly identified as the vessel of interest and the Brazilian DEA began covertly following the boat as it made port calls up the river.

Feeling they had found enough evidence the BDEA raided the vessel and were rewarded beyond their wildest dreams. They found tons of base chemicals used in the manufacture of the drugs, millions in dollars, rubles, Euros and other currencies, samples of the bilge tanks found the wastes identified in the waters near Monte Alegre and most importantly ten girls missing from various villages along the river.

The Brazilian authorities were thrilled with the outcome of the investigation and asked Nelson and Vilas numerous times how they had come up with the vessel. Harri and Jorge both would just smile and say they received an anonymous tip from someone who was concerned with what was happening on the river.

The mayor of Monte Alegre offered to host a dinner in honor of the NIMR personnel and the Brazilian authorities as a thank you for catching the criminals and making the waters safe for the fishermen and bathers once again. In accepting the mayor’s invitation, Admiral Nelson made a special request that the attire for the evening be casual so everyone could relax. The members of the crew were forbidden to wear white much to the puzzlement of those not privy to the captain’s encounter.

Lee had sufficiently recovered to be allowed to attend and the mayor issued a grand apology for what had happened to the captain during the festival. Lee graciously accepted the apology and said that he could understand the people’s apprehension and distrust of outsiders given all that had occurred on the waters over the past few months.

As the party carried on past midnight, Lee grew tired and was ready to return to Seaview. They would be sailing in the morning back to Santa Barbara and he cited the need for a good night’s sleep to captain the boat. He thanked the mayor and bid Jorge a fond farewell since they would be leaving very early.

“Sir I’m heading back to the boat now,” Lee told Harri.

“Okay Lee, I’ll see you in the morning.” Harri waved Riley over to them. “Riley see to it the captain makes it back safely to the boat.”

“Sir really, I’m quite capable of making it back to Seaview without an escort,” Lee fumed.

Harri stared at him, an undisguised look of disbelief clearly written across his face. “Humor me Lee.” Harri said with a wink and a quick salute.

“Aye sir, if you insist,” Lee grumbled. “Come on Riley, the sooner you get me there the sooner you can make it back.”

Riley smiled. “Aye, aye sir, I’m ready any time you are Skipper.”

“Let’s go then. Jorge it’s been quite an experience and one I’ll not soon forget. Thanks for the hospitality and all your assistance.”

“You’re welcome Lee and you are of course welcome back any time for a visit,” Jorge said as he shook Lee’s hand.

SV

Lee had to laugh as Riley nearly shoved him out of the car in his haste to get back to the party. He walked slowly down the pier watching the boats sailing up and down the river and made his way to where Seaview was docked. The evening was warm with a slight breeze and Lee stood on the dock looking up at the stars and the moon as it hung low on the horizon.

As he spotted the constellations he thought he heard something jump in the water further down the dock. He assumed it was probably a fish and didn’t pay it much heed. After a moment he was aware of someone standing behind him and he whirled around quickly to see who it was. Much to his surprise he found himself face to face with Dar.

“Good evening Lee. You are looking much better than the last time we met,” Dar said.

“Good evening Dar. I feel much better and I owe much of that to you for saving my life and for guiding my friends to my boat. I at least assume that was you.”

Dar nodded and touched his hand to the brim of his hat. “I promised that I would bring them if I found them on the river. I must thank you for keeping your promise to end the dumping of the poison in the river. It has travelled up and down the length of the Amazon that the criminals have been caught and their poisons destroyed. We all appreciate that more than you can imagine.”

“We couldn’t have done it so quickly without your help. So what brings you out tonight? Not many festivities going on this evening.” Lee inquired with a small smile.

“I heard that you were departing tomorrow and I wanted to thank you and your friends for all you did and to wish you well. It is not often I find a kindred spirit among your people and I do consider you one with the water. Viagem segura, safe journey Lee and take care.”

“Thank you Dar. I wish you well also,” Lee replied.

The encantado nodded and smiled. He strolled slowly down the dock then dove into the river. A moment later a huge boto sprang from the water and did a flip in the air before disappearing into the depths of the Amazon. Lee laughed and gave the boto a quick salute. He stood there a few more moments staring absently at the water recalling all he had experienced on this adventure. Giving himself a slight shake he turned and made his way to the gangplank. Crossing over to Seaview he smiled thrilled to be home aboard his own Encante.

The End.

Boto - Mythical Creatures list

Encantado Encantado

^*Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) is an analytical method that combines the features of gas-liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry to identify different substances within a test sample. Applications of GC-MS include drug detection, fire investigation, environmental analysis, explosives investigation, and identification of unknown samples.