Becoming A War God: Rise Of Darius Holloway

Chapter 4: Surprise

CHAPTER FOUR

The rescue team dispatcher answered on the first ring.

"Coast Guard, what is your emergency?"

Lisa's voice was small, almost childlike. "I need to report a missing person. My husband. He was on the Sea Serenade. The cruise ship that went down in the storm."

There was a pause on the other end. Then the dispatcher's tone changed. "Ma'am, the Serenade sank approximately three hours ago. Search and rescue operations began immediately. Why are you only calling now?"

Lisa gripped the phone tighter. Her nails dug into the plastic case. "I—I was dealing with an emergency. A friend of mine had a medical crisis. I had to take him to the hospital."

Another pause. Longer this time.

"Ma'am, I'm going to transfer you to the Captain. Hold on, please."

The line clicked. Static hissed. Then a man's voice came through—rough, tired, and sharp as broken glass.

"This is Captain Reeves. Who am I speaking to?"

"Lisa Crawford. My husband is Darius Hamilton. He was on the Serenade. I need you to find him."

Reeves did not hide his anger. "Ms. Crawford, we have been pulling bodies out of the water for three hours. And you're just now reporting that your husband is missing? Where have you been?"

Lisa's throat tightened. "I told the dispatcher—"

"I don't care what you told the dispatcher," Reeves cut her off. "We have a list of survivors. Your husband's name is not on it. We have a list of confirmed deceased. His name is not on that either. That means he is either still out there, or he went down with the ship." His voice lowered. 

"Do you understand how dangerous this is? The water temperature is barely fifty degrees. Hypothermia sets in within minutes. Every hour we don't know about a missing person is an hour we waste. You should have called immediately."

Lisa had no answer.

She opened her mouth, but nothing came out. What could she say? That she had been too busy holding Harry's hand? That she had forgotten her own husband existed?

"Just—please," she whispered. "Just do your best."

Reeves exhaled loudly. "We're doing our best, Mrs. Crawford. But you need to come to the shore now. We may need you for identification."

The line went dead instantly. 

Lisa's legs felt weak. Her head felt foggy. Three hours. How had three hours passed? How had she forgotten?

"I have to go," she said, more to herself than to Harry. “I have to be at the shore.”

But Harry was already stirring on the bed. His eyes fluttered open. His face, still pale, seemed to grow even whiter. 

"Go? Where?" He reached out and caught her wrist. "Lisa, please. I still feel awful. The head keeps spinning."

Lisa hesitated. “You are going to be fine, Harry! I'm going to be back within an hour. I need to check on the rescue team!”

"I'm scared," Harry whispered. "What if something happens to me while you're gone? What if I pass out and no one finds me?"

Lisa looked at the door. Then back at Harry's face—soft, vulnerable, exactly the way she remembered him from years ago, before he left the country.

Darius is strong  and can wait, a small voice whispered in her head.

She sat back down.

"I'll take you home first," she said.

Harry smiled weakly. "Thank you. I don't know what I'd do without you."

~~~

The drive to the apartment was quiet. Lisa stared at the road, but her mind was elsewhere. She kept picturing Darius in the water. His face when she threw him the life jacket. The way he had said, "I can't swim."

She shook the image away.

After fifteen minutes on the driveway, they got home. She helped Harry to the couch, then to the bedroom. He moved slowly, leaning on her shoulder, his weight heavier than it should have been.

"Thank you," he whispered as she pulled the blankets up to his chin. "I don't know what I'd do without you."

"You'd be fine," Lisa said, but she smiled anyway.

She sat on the edge of the bed, planning to wait just a few minutes. Just until his breathing evened out. Then she would go to the shore. She would find the rescue team. She would do whatever it took to bring Darius home.

But the room was warm. The bed was soft. And Lisa had not slept in nearly twenty-four hours.

Her eyelids grew heavy. Her head nodded forward.

She told herself she would close her eyes for just a moment.

~~~

Her phone was screaming loudly.

Lisa jolted upright, disoriented, her heart hammering against her ribs. She was still with Harry on the bed. 

Beside her, Harry groaned and pulled a pillow over his head.

"Turn that off," he muttered. "It's freaking loud."

Lisa grabbed the phone. The screen showed seventeen missed calls. All from the same number.

Her blood turned to ice.

She answered on the fourth ring.

"This is Lisa."

Captain Reeves did not bother with greetings. His voice was so loud she had to hold the phone away from her ear. "Mrs. Crawford, where in God's name have you been? I have called you over a dozen times. Do you have any idea what time it is?"

Lisa glanced at the clock on the nightstand and gasped in shock. 

"I'm sorry," she said quickly. "I fell asleep. I didn't mean to—"

"Save it," Reeves snapped. "We recovered a body from the water an hour ago. Male, mid-thirties, dark hair, approximately six feet tall. Matches your husband's description. I need you to come to the morgue immediately and confirm identification."

The phone nearly slipped from Lisa's fingers.

"A body?" Her voice cracked. "You mean—he's—"

"I mean we found someone," Reeves said, his tone softening just slightly. "We don't know for certain it's your husband. But you need to come now. Bring any identifying information you have. Photos, documents, anything."

Lisa stood up. Her legs felt like they were made of water. "I'll be there. I'll leave right now."

She hung up and turned to find Harry standing in the doorway.

His face was a mask of concern. But his eyes were different. Curious and eager to know what happened. 

"What happened?" he asked. "You look terrible."

Lisa's lower lip trembled. "They found someone from the water. They think it might be Darius."

Harry's hand flew to his mouth. "Oh no. Oh no, Lisa. I'm so sorry." He walked toward her, arms open. "How could this happen? He was so strong. He knew how to swim, didn't he?"

"He couldn't swim," Lisa whispered. "He told me on the ship. He told me, and I didn't—"

She couldn't finish.

Harry wrapped his arms around her, pulled her close. His chin rested on top of her head. "We should go," he said softly. "We should go see. Maybe it's not him. Maybe it's someone else. There's still hope."

Lisa nodded against his chest. "You're right. You're right. Let's go."

They walked to the door together, Harry's arm still around her shoulders. He reached for the handle, turned it, pulled the door open.

And froze.

Darius stood on the doorstep.

He was soaking wet. His clothes were torn, hanging off his body in shredded strips. His skin was pale, almost gray, and there were dark circles under his eyes.

Behind him, lightning split the sky.

Harry screamed.

A was a high, thin, terrified shriek that tore out of his throat like an animal caught in a trap. His legs gave way. He fell backward, landing hard on the floor, scrambling away on his elbows.

And then—there was no delicate way to say it—Harry wet himself out of fear.

The front of his expensive pants darkened. The smell hit the air almost immediately.

Darius did not move. He stood in the doorway like a statue, like one of the gods from that strange temple beneath the sea, and watched Harry crawl across the floor like the worm he was.

"Surprise," Darius said.

Harry lay there on the cold marble floor, trembling, staring up at Darius with eyes full of pure, naked terror. 

"No, that can't be," he whimpered. "No, no, no. You're dead. They said you were dead."

Darius didn't move. He didn't speak. He just looked down at the man who had stolen his wife, sabotaged his life jacket, and left him to drown.

The silence stretched.

Then Darius smiled. It was not a kind smile. It was not a forgiving smile. It was the smile of a man who had walked through death and come back with something dark living inside him.

"Sorry to disappoint you, Harry," he said quietly. "But I'm very much alive."

Lightning flashed again.

And somewhere in the distance, thunder rolled in like a promise.