Chapter 14

Seb wasn't worried about the diver swimming twenty-five yards ahead of him. He was careless. Assuming they'd cornered him and Alexis, he had yet to turn around and check the water behind him. The men in the boat carefully swept the surrounding water, occasionally checking the water further behind them. They'd eventually spot Seb.

He'd hung back, observing the men on the boat. Their scrutiny of the water had a predictable pattern, which gave Seb an opening. Like an analogue fuel gauge on a car, they swept the water around the boat from stern to bow and then reversed the process. He'd only have a few seconds to reach the man in the water, but it would be enough.

Once again, the men in the boat scanned the water along the densely packed Mangrove roots and then shifted their gaze, working their way toward the boat's bow. Seb swam hard, trusting Alexis to follow.

Sensing movement behind him, the diver turned. Seb punched his mask, stunning him long enough to land a roundhouse kick to his stomach. The powerful kick pushed his target out of striking distance.

Two swift strokes and Seb reached the diver. Recovering from the blows, the guy attempted the same move. He was too slow.

Seb caught the kick with his left arm and pulled the diver toward himself while he reached for the knife strapped to his calf. He sliced through the diver's hamstring as he bent his head to the side, anticipating the guy's fist.

It grazed Seb's check. The water softened the blow and the snap of Seb's head. Seb released the guy's leg. In a blind panic, the guy thrashed at the water, fighting to reach the surface. His leg dangled uselessly beneath him. A crimson stain spread through the water.

It wasn't the blood that would draw the shark. The fish weren't attracted to human blood. The guy's frantic splashing mimicked the desperate movements of an injured fish.

Seb dropped beneath the diver, careful to stay clear of his flailing arms. The diver's leg kicked out in an uncoordinated attempt to push himself to the surface, barely missing Seb. The guy had skills. On land, they may have been evenly matched. Seb was grateful the battle had taken place in the water.

He could see Alexis in the clear water ahead. She'd turned to face him. There was no need to look back to know his plan had worked. Her hand was against her forehead, mimicking the dorsal fin of a shark. The Tiger Shark had returned, mistaking the sound of the wounded man as easy prey.

Seb raised his hand in the okay signal as he slid his knife into the sheath. Alexis didn't wait for him. She knew he'd catch up.

Sharp, guttural cries of fear echoed through the water. The diver had spotted the shark and had removed his regulator, screaming for the two men on the boat to help him. His screams rose to a fevered pitch, sheer terror in his voice. Seb could hear the men on the boat cry out in horror when they spotted the shark.

The men in the motorboat were occupied now, but the minute they pulled the diver into the boat, they'd resume their search. This time, the men wouldn't underestimate them.

There was also the Tiger Shark to worry about now.

Alexis pointed to something up ahead in the water. Seb silently prayed it was the rowboat. He was unsure how long they had before the men, the shark, or both headed in their direction.

She stopped. It had to be the rowboat. Seb glided through the water, using slow, controlled movements. He didn't want to be the shark's next victim.

Alexis was already shaking her head when he'd joined her. There was a problem. As Isandro had described, the rowboat was half-in and half-out of the water, wedged in the tangled roots.

Alexis dove under the rowboat, and Seb followed. She pointed to the boat's submerged stern. There wasn't enough room for them to crawl under the boat. The boat had moved as the roots holding it in place had shifted.

They could continue to swim to the end of the island, watching for a break in the Mangroves and hide on land, but the odds weren't on their side. It wouldn't be long before the men came after them. Seb didn't want to think about the shark. He'd taken a risk and it had paid off, but the sooner they were out of the water, the better.

Seb wrapped his hands around the keel at the boat's stern. It took no effort to lift it up, but keeping it in place was the problem.

He unclipped the pen from his dive slate. Alexis moved beside him so she could read the message.

I'll hold up the boat. You swim under. Once you reach the cave, call Javier. They haven't had time to sabotage the internet.

She shook her head.

He wouldn't take no for an answer. The algae sample and USB drive in her dry pouch were more important than him.

Alexis held up her hand, signaling for him to wait. She swam to the other side of the boat and returned with an oar. Leo must have left them in place. Alexis pointed to the gnarled roots and mimed placing the oar's blade underneath them while using the oar to prop up the stern.

Seb took the oar. It was still strong enough to do the job despite being in the water. The boat wasn't as old as it appeared. Seb suspected Leo instructed his men to periodically inspect the hiding place, replacing the rowboat when it became unstable.

It only took a moment to prop up the stern. There wasn't much room. Alexis could swim under the stern without a problem. But it would be a tight squeeze for him.

The screaming had stopped. They'd run out of time.

Alexis pointed to the tanks on her back and then to him. She was right. It would be the only way he'd make it through the narrow opening without scraping the sides of the rowboat and risking it falling on top of them.

Seb unstrapped his BCD and slipped it off his shoulder as Alexis swam into the opening. She turned to face him and extended her hands so he could pass her his equipment.

He quickly glanced in the motorboat's direction. The Tiger Shark swam along the Mangrove roots, straight for him. Seb sucked in a deep breath, pulled the second stage regulator out of his mouth, and thrust the BCD at Alexis.

His wetsuit scraped against the rowboat, and it teetered on the oar. Alexis scurried backwards, her body tense. She'd seen the shark.

The cramped space prevented him from turning around, so he rolled onto his back. There was enough room to sit facing the opening. The shark glided past their hiding spot under the rowboat. Seb followed its movement through the spaces between the Mangrove roots. It turned and headed back in their direction.

Alexis thrust the second stage regulator into Seb's hand and he popped the mouthpiece into his mouth, purged the unit, and drew in a deep breath. She passed him the BCD. They remained perfectly still, fearing any motion would draw the shark's attention.

It was huge. Too big to fit into the opening they'd created, but it was curious. You didn't turn your back on a curious shark.

It swam by the opening to the underwater passage.

The sound of the motorboat revving its engine echoed through the water. Alexis wrapped her hand around his upper arm and tugged. They needed to move before the men in the boat reached them.

They slowly backed away from the opening, keeping an eye on the shark. It turned and headed out into the cove as the purr of the motorboat's engine traveled toward them.

Seb tucked the BCD under one arm and followed Alexis through the passageway Leo had carved through the Mangrove roots to the underwater tunnel. Darkness closed in around them, but lights glowed faintly in the distance, marking their way.

The space around them felt bigger than the small opening in the Mangrove roots, but Seb waited until they reached the lights until slipping on his BCD. There was enough room for Alexis and him to swim side by side. LED lights set into the rock walls illuminated their way. He'd underestimated Leo's wealth. The cost for lighting and maintaining the naturally formed tunnel would be staggering.

They hadn't gone far when the tunnel widened, forming a small pool. Alexis pointed to a metal ladder at the far end. Seb motioned to her to stay in the water, close to the passageway entrance, and let him check it out. If there was a problem, he'd deal with it as she made her way back to the opening hidden by the rowboat.

They appeared to be in a naturally formed grotto, illuminated with the same lighting in the passageway. Seb swam along the side of one wall before raising his head out of the water. The grotto was as beautiful as any of the sea caves he'd visited. The dim lighting barely reached the domed ceiling at least thirty feet above the water.

From his vantage point, Seb couldn't judge how far the cave extended beyond the edge of the pool where the ladder extended out of the water. He listened carefully to the ambient sounds, assuring himself they were alone, before slipping back into the water and signalling Alexis the grotto was safe.

Seb climbed the ladder and lifted himself out of the water. He pulled out his mouthpiece and breathed in a lungful of the salty air as Alexis climbed out of the water. He waited patiently for his eyes to adjust to the gloom.

"When I heard the screams, I was worried you hadn't made it." Isandro stepped out of the shadows off to one side and lowered the weapon he had aimed at them.

He'd had a lot to choose from, judging from the crates stacked along the cave's walls further ahead. They'd just walked into Leo's armory.