Page 62 of Dangerous Mission
Things like this happen.
I twist around, trying to free myself, but my other fin catches on a rock and wedges.
Oh, great.
I can ditch my fins, but I need to keep my gear. Swimming without fins is twice as hard.
Struggling, my pulse rate kicks up. The throb in my throat matches the beat inside my ears.
I twist around one more time trying to free my right leg, even though my left fin is caught. That’s when everything goes to hell in ahandbasket.
The hose to my regulator bursts.
Millions of bubbles surround my face, like I’ve been shot in the face with champagne. Panic explodes inside me.
My light slips out of my hand, falling a few inches to dangle on my wrist on the strap.
Calm. Aria. Calm. You know what to do.
I’m trained. Divers prepare for this kind of thing. That doesn’t mean it’s not scary as hell.
I scramble for my backup regulator—my octopus—but I’m so disoriented by the bubbles in the moving water, I can’t find it.
It has to be here. Right here. On a loop under my neck…
Easy… Easy. You’ve got this.
My lungs squeeze. I need air.
I feel around, but my fingers are shaking badly.
Then I feel a rush of water. I flinch. But a hand touches my face, gripping my chin.
Scout pushes his octopus regulator into my mouth.
Oh my god.Oh. My. God.
He saved me.
I suck in a few breaths, telling myself to go slow. His arm brushes my neck as he reaches past my shoulder. Gentle tugging tells me he’s turning off my tank to stop the escape of the air.
As the bubbles stop, the water slowly returns to the gray-green haze it was moments before my mishap. And as it does, his face comes into view in the circle of light.
My stomach clenches when he looks in my eyes, followed by a warm rush of relief rolling through me all the way to my toes.
His calm eyes are everything.
The anchor in the storm.
He stays right with me. Breathing slowly. Giving me something to pace.
The entire time, he holds the regulator, pressing it to my mouth, making sure I have what I need.
Finally, with a shaking hand, I give him the okay sign.
He eases back and uses sign language to communicate to me.What happened?
I motion to my leg.