chapter 1 TENTACLES AND TERROR Water ran steadily from the bill of Gabe Water ran s Brown’s rain slicker hood His gaze never left the black water of Lake Thunderbird The storm turned the waves angry Gabe blinked against the wet His heartbeat pounded in his ears When normal people took a boat out on a lake they expected fun When the Monster Hunters did it they hoped they wouldn’t be eaten Gabe leaned over the water trying to see past the darkness Something struck the bottom of the boat His best friend Tyler slammed into him nearly sending him headlong into the water Do you see anything Tyler bellowed in his ear No Gabe yelled back The boat bucked in 4
the water again Tyler pitched halfway over the side but Gabe grabbed the hood of his jacket and hauled him back Gabe At the sound of his brother’s voice Gabe turned around He could barely see the shadow of his older brother against the deeper darkness of the stormy night Ben waved his arm beckoning Gabe toward him Come and get the camera Ben yelled I think something’s about to happen Gabe started toward the rear of the boat as the first tentacle erupted from the water More followed waving madly They knocked into the boat sending it rocking A particularly rough jostle slammed Gabe against the side of the boat One of the thick tentacles slammed into Gabe half wrapping around his middle before jerking him over the side of the boat Gabe bellowed Ben 5
Dark water rushed into his mouth but the thick tentacle didn’t seem interested in holding him Gabe squirmed free Still the water was full of thick thrashing tentacles Gabe couldn’t see them in the dark He was swatted back and forth as he struggled to reach the boat Gabe He turned toward the sound of his brother’s voice Grab the pole
As Gabe splashed toward Ben’s voice something bumped his head He reached up to push it away thinking it was another tentacle Instead he felt the pole He grabbed it and Ben pulled him toward the boat He saw another pole with a hook on it poking at the tentacles Finally Ben hauled him over the side of the boat Are you all right Ben bellowed 7
