High Tide Sebastian Inlet Novels & Stories

Chapter 100: The Fjord of Shadows The water within the northern fjord did not mirror the sky; it swallowed it. Tucked deep beneath the sheer, vertical overhangs of the Razorback northern shelf, the hidden inlet was entirely cut off from the open sea by a massive, natural breakwater of jagged black basalt. The air here was freezing, dense with a thick salt-fog that smelled faintly of dead kelp and the sharp, clean ozone of the receding winter gales. It was a subterranean mouth where the rushing currents of the Serpent's Mouth river finally emptied into the deep ocean channel, completely hidden from the view of the Sultan’s distant lookouts at the Point of Solitude.

They reached the coastal shelf at 3:40 AM, which was forty minutes before Silas's calculation of first contact. The inlet was exactly what Kincaid's intelligence had described and better than Xander had hoped. Not better as in easier — better as in defensible. The deep-water entry channel ran between two basalt cliff faces that angled inward, creating the maritime version of the choke point geometry he'd been using on this mountain for the last several days. The submerged reef line forced incoming craft to reduce speed before they reached the shore, which meant anything coming through the channel was committed and slow for approximately ninety meters before it could ground.

After Howard said those things, he pretended to accidentally bump into Sharon and coincidentally looked in her direction. Their eyes met, and Sharon did not evade him. Her gaze looked calm, yet Howard was smirking, though no one realized it. Sharon thought to herself, 'They both sue did come at the right timing…' Despite their sudden appearance, it did not stop Sebastian from wanting to fish. Manager Weiss had said that if they wanted to fish, the best time to do so was after the evening when the tide was rising. He said that they could catch a lot of fish then. There were even some fishes that would only appear at night.

She could see the relief on his handsome face, as if her willingness to talk had allowed him to breathe easier. “Ten minutes, Gavin,” she told him. “Can’t we make it thirty?” he asked hopefully. She glanced towards the sea. When she turned back to Gavin, she said, “It’s not possible. High tide is approaching.” She also looked at the tent he set up. It might get reached by the water later. But maybe he would move it to a higher part of the island, so she didn’t ask Gavin about it anymore. “It’s better to take advantage of the sea journey while it’s still low tide.”

“Why’s that?” “Along that rocky point, the waves roll in bigger. Sometimes reach over twelve feet high. The Salt Creek break is where they test their skills.” Blink laughed at the expression on Evelyn’s face. “Now, don’t you worry none. Salt Creek is where the experts go to get barreled, sure, but it’s also a great place to swim and sunbathe. The sand is powder soft and the views are stunning. Come sail again. You’ll see.” **

My fear was channeled into pure operational acuity. "Sebastian, the compound's main villa sits on a slight rise," I explained, highlighting the terrain on the holographic map. "The lagoon entrance is the most protected area because it's the only viable landing point. Thorne will be secured in the subterranean level below the main villa, which requires access through an electronic door either inside the villa or via the heavily fortified boathouse."

*** Street bench by the riverbank *** Sebastian's POV~ "Bwubwubrrr!" I shivered as sea breeze blew inland. It was sorta chilly tonight. I took a look at my watch and look up at the night sky. It was rather star-studded and I could clearly see the milky way spread out across the sky. "She's quite late tonight" I muttered as I looked around for her. It's a good thing I brought my coat. I didn't expect that it would be this chilly. Why did she even pick this place?

His brown eyes were shrewd and scrutinised the tablet in his hand. “The entrance should be up ahead,” he said. “When’s high tide, Mercer?” The man standing next to Mercer was bigger. He had a high forehead and blonde hair that was shaved close to his scalp. The bushy beard appeared to compensate for the lack of hair on his head. His eyes were as blue as Mercer’s windbreaker. Mercer checked the read-out on his device. “Six hours, Professor Kane.” The last man’s foot slithered from under him and he cursed as he went down hard onto his backside.

Deepwater 9. The Main Deck. 4:15 PM (Blizzard Conditions). CRASH. The blast doors of the laboratory flew off their hinges. Sebastian and The Warden tumbled out onto the frozen steel deck, locked in a death grip. The blizzard hit them instantly. Wind howled at 80 miles per hour. Snow blinded everything. The Warden kicked Sebastian in the chest. CLANG. Sebastian skid backward, his magnetic boots sparking as they dug into the deck to stop his momentum.

No sign of subject. Coast Guard search initiated at 19:47 hours. Air and sea search conducted for 72 hours. Severe weather conditions hampered recovery efforts. No body recovered. Subject declared legally dead in absentia on March 1, 1991. I pull up the tidal charts for that night. February 14, 1991. High tide at 18:42 hours. The Atlantic currents don't care about narratives; they only obey gravity. That night, the current was flowing northeast to southwest.