Up From The Deep Vaughn Jackson (book club suggestions TXT) 📖

important thing in the video?” Skylar asked, ignoring him. She looked around the room expectantly.

“Kaiju Smackdown Raw could make a man rich?” Brannigan offered a shrug.

“Brannigan,” the general barked, “if you have nothing productive to add, you are dismissed.”

“Sorry ma’am, just trying to lighten the mood.”

“He’s technically not wrong,” Skylar said, “but no, Inkanyamba needs to return to the water every so often or her skin starts to dry out and fracture.” She rewound the footage and zoomed in on the larger creature and enhanced the image. All along the surface of its scaly skin, angry fissure zigged and zagged, oozing with blood and bodily fluids. “This could be how we get her.”

Devonte’s phone rang loudly in the small control room. He looked down at the device and grimaced. “Sorry, it’s my dad, I have to take this.” He wheeled out of the room and into the hallway, before answering. “Hello?”

“D! I finally got access to a phone. Are you okay?” His dad’s voice boomed out of the phone speaker. “Alison said you went with the FBI just before…oh my god, you were right…giant monsters…I can’t believe it.”

That bitch lied to you, Devonte thought. “I can hardly believe it myself. And no, I didn’t go with the FBI,” he paused, wondering how much was safe to tell, “that was just me messing around. I evacuated with a group closer to my apartment.”

“And you didn’t try to call? Where are you? Can you get to Carson City? That’s where they moved us to.”

Nevada, Devonte thought, good, he’s out of state. “I’m fine dad. I’m…at a military shelter.” He tried to shrug his injured shoulder as a test, wincing and gasping slightly at the pain. “I’m safe.”

“Where’s the shelter?”

On the island across from where the giant monster made its nest. “They told us Carson City was too crowded and so they took us to a place in the Black Rock Desert,” he lied.

“Okay. I’ll see if I can find a car and I’ll come pick you up.”

“No!”

His father made a noise of surprise on the other end of the phone.

“I mean, I’m fine here, you should stay and take care of Alison. I’m sure she’s freaking out, right?”

“D…Alison didn’t make it.”

“What?

“There was a cruise ship that left California to go down to Hawaii.”

“She was on that ship? The one the sea monster attacked?”

He could hear his dad take a shaky breath. “I tried calling her after I heard the news, to see if she was one of the survivors, but…”

“I’m so sorry dad, I know you…I know she was important to you.”

His dad didn’t answer.

“Dad?”

“I think that’s the nicest thing you’ve said about her,” his dad said with a sad chuckle.

I’m an ass. “Her and I never connected,” Devonte said. “Too different, I’m me and she was…”

“Not the brightest, I know. But she was good, D.”

“Dad, I’m—”

“It’s fine, she never held it against you. Neither did I. But now she’s gone and I…I miss her so much.”

Devonte didn’t know what to say. He never thought he’d be comforting his father on the intricacies of a broken relationship. “You spent the last few years with her. I’m sure that’s a normal feeling.”

“Yeah.” His father paused. “Hey, um, when this is all over, do you think you’d want to move back with me for a while? I know you moved out because of me, but…given everything it would be nice to…you know what, never mind. Stay safe, kiddo.”

“Dad, I didn’t move out because of you. I just needed—to get away from Alison—some time to sort myself out and, you know, pursue my passions.”

“So, yes?”

“I don’t know about that. I’m used to my independence at this point.”

“Oh.”

“But I will definitely visit more often and…you’re welcome to come over as well. Does that work?”

“Yeah,” his dad said, “that works.”

Skylar came out of the control room and mouthed, “Everything alright?”

Devonte nodded. “Hey, dad, thank you for calling. It’s great to hear your voice, but I’ve got to go. My phone battery is dying, and I’ve promised some of the other evacuees here that they can use it to call their loved ones as well.”

“You’re a good kid, D. I love you.”

“Love you too, dad. Stay safe. Bye.” He hung up the phone and turned to Skylar. “What do you need?”

“Nothing, just…checking up on my friend,” she said with a shy smile. “Making sure the king of the monsters still reigns.” She laughed without a hint of awkwardness. Devonte couldn’t help but laugh along with her despite the tears rolling down his cheeks.

“I’m here. My dad was just checking up on me. Nothing serious. They moved evacuees to Carson City.” He remembered his brief conversation with Skylar’s father. “Has your dad…?”

“I doubt he even cares,” she said, with a forced smile. “That’s…actually why I came out to San Francisco. I ran away.”

“You ran away?” Devonte asked. “Do you have family here or—”

“I have a friend here, who I thought might let me stay with them while I try to get my feet up under me.” She smiled. “I’m kind of desperate for a change of pace.”

“Oh? Where do they live?”

She cocked an eyebrow at him.

“You know, I just thought that maybe I could help you find them after all of this is over.” Devonte scratched his head awkwardly. “If you wanted?”

Skylar sighed. “Hey, Devonte, where do you live?”

“My apartment complex is over by North Beach, why?”

“That’s where my friend lives.”

“Oh, they live near—”

Skylar’s frown cut him off.

“Wait, you mean…me?”

“No, I mean the other guy I spend countless hours of my life chatting with online about all the things we have in common.” Her smile returned.

“I, uh…yeah, I knew that, I was just messing around,” Devonte stuttered. “So you wanted to—”

“You wouldn’t mind if I stayed with you for a while after this is all over, right?” she asked. “At least until I can get up on my own two feet. I can help with rent and food and—”

“Of course!” Devonte cursed the eagerness in his voice. He tried