CHAPTER FIVE
Shark!
The next weekend Amity is very quiet. The beaches do not open.
Hooper goes up and down the shore in Ben Gardner's boat. “I don't think that shark is here,” he tells Brody on Sunday night. “There are other fish near the beaches. And other fish don't stay in the water near Great White Sharks.”
“Maybe you’re right,” says Brody. “But I want the beaches to stay closed.”
On Thursday morning Larry Vaughan calls Brody into his office. Hooper is there, and there are some other important men from the town.
Everybody sits around a table. Then Vaughan says, “Martin, we want you to open the beaches. The town is dying. People are losing their jobs.”
"And what do we do about the shark?" asks Brody.
Vaughan says, “Mr. Hooper will tell us about that."
"I don't think the shark will come back," says Hooper.
"I'm sorry,” says Brody. "I'm not opening the beaches."
Larry Vaughan is very angry. “The people of this town gave you your job. You work for us."
Brody says, “You can have my job any time you want it."
The phone rings on Vaughan's desk. He looks very angry but he picks it up. "It's for you, Martin," he says.
Brody goes outside to take the call. It is from Harry Meadows.
“What's happening?" asks Harry.
“They want me to open the beaches," says Brody. “What should I do, Harry?"
“Open them."
“But why!”
"I think Hooper is right. And Vaughan is going to open the beaches. You can't stop him."
“OK," says Brody. "I'll think about it. Thanks for the call." He puts down the phone and goes back into Vaughan's office.
Brody looks at his old friend. "I'll open the beaches," he says.
“Thanks, Martin."
"I'm not finished. I'll open the beaches, but Hooper will go up and down in the boat. I want everybody to know the danger."
“You can't do that!” Vaughan says.
"I can do it, Larry, and I will."
On Saturday morning, Brody stands on the Scotch Road Beach.
About a kilometer out to sea Hooper is in Ben Gardner's old boat. Brody watches it move slowly to the east.
Brody takes out his radio and says, “Hooper, this is Brody. Is there anything out there?" There was no answer. “Hooper, this is Brody. Can you hear me?"
A short time later Hooper answers. “Sorry," he says. "I thought I saw something. The light is very strong out here."
It is a sunny day. Most of the people on the beach are young. Nobody is in the sea.
A man and woman come over to Brody. They are very fat. Behind them are two fat children.
“Can I help you?" Brody asks.
"Is this the beach with the shark?" asks the man. "I saw it on TV."
“There was a shark here," says Brody. “But it isn't here now. And with any luck, it won't come back."
The family goes away. They are not happy. Brody looks at his watch. It is 12:15.
By 2:30 there are not many people on the beach. Brody walks down towards the water. A boy walks past.
“What are you doing?" Brody asks the boy.
"I'm going swimming."
“Don't stay in the water too long."
"I won't." The boy runs into the water and begins to swim.
Brody watches him swim out a hundred meters.
Suddenly the Flicka begins to move faster. Brody puts his radio to his mouth and says, “Can you see something, Hooper?"
The boat slows and then stops. Another of Brody's policemen hears him speak. “What's happening?" he asks.
“I don't know,” says Brody. Again he says into the radio, “Can you see anything, Hooper?"
“Yes. I can see something," Hooper answers.
“What is it?"
"I don't know... Maybe my eyes are tired."
“There's a boy swimming out there," says Brody. “Where?" asks Hooper. "About fifty meters out. I'll tell him to come in." Brody turns the radio off. Then he puts his hands to his mouth and calls out, “Come in!”
The boy does not hear him. Brody turns on the radio. “Hooper, he can't hear me. Can you tell him to come in?"
“OK,” says Hooper. "I'll be there in a minute."
The boat moves towards the boy. Below the water the shark feels something move in the sea. It turns and follows the boat.
The boy stops swimming. He looks back to the shore.
Brody calls out again, “Come in!” Now the boy hears him and he begins to swim for the shore.
Hooper, in the Flicka, follows the boy. The boy looks back. “What's wrong?" he says.
“Nothing," says Hooper. “Go back to the beach."
The boy swims for twenty meters and then stands up in the water. He begins to walk towards the shore.
Suddenly Hooper cries out, “Shark! Get the boy out! Quick!” The boy hears Hooper and tries to run. He falls into the water. Brody runs into the water, but the sea pushes him back.
The boy moves fast now. He does not see the shark behind him.
“Quick!” says Brody. He runs into the water and pulls the boy out.
The shark goes under again and swims away from the shore.
The boy lays on the beach. "Are you OK?" Brody asks.
"I want to go home," says the boy.
A man from the TV runs up to Brody and the boy. “Can you do that again?" he says. “We didn't get very good pictures."
Brody is very angry. “Go away!” he says. “Everybody go home! I want nobody to go near the water. This beach is closed."
