Page 70 of Sunburned

Allison’s perennially calm countenance was cracked, her face like a broken mirror reflecting all our anxiety right back at us.

“Where’s Tyson?” Samira asked as Allison climbed aboard the yacht.

“They went to get him,” Allison said. Her usual confidence had been replaced by a jittery energy that seemed all wrong on her.

“What?” Cody asked.

“Where is he?” Samira overlapped, her voice rising with panic.

“He—We—We don’t know,” Allison said quietly.

“What do you mean?” Cody asked.

“We couldn’t find him,” Allison answered.

“Oh my God,” Samira muttered, her hands covering her mouth.

Allison swallowed. “Rémy and I searched until we were running out of air—”

“He’s down there without air?” Samira cried. “He’s gonna die!”

“Shh…” Gisèle said, wrapping her arms around Samira, whose legs seemed to have turned to noodles.

“He’s a very experienced diver,” I offered, hoping I was projecting more confidence than I felt.

“Oh my God,”Samira said again, pressing the heels of her hands into her eyes.“Oh God. Shit. Oh my God.”

“They’re gonna find him,” Allison said unconvincingly.

“How much more oxygen does he have?” Cody asked.

“I don’t know,” Allison answered. “It varies from—”

“I know it varies,” Cody snapped. “How much did you have left when you surfaced?”

“Five minutes.”

“We need tanks,” Cody said, turning to the crew members, who were flapping around helplessly. “Now. We have to go help them look for him.”

“I’m sorry, we don’t—” Marielle started.

“They don’t have any more tanks,” Allison finished. “And even if they did, they won’t let us go back down unless we’re certified rescue divers. I already asked.”

“Goddammit.” Cody clenched his fists, turning on the crew. “We have to do something! My brother’s down there running out of air right now. What can we do?”

Two male crew members hurried down the stairs, their arms laden with safety rings and life jackets, their faces anxious.“We’re taking the dinghy out to scan the water, see if he came up somewhere else,”one of them said to Marielle in rapid French. He jumped into the tender, starting the engines as the other guy quickly untied its rope.

“I’ll come with you,” Cody said, rushing over.

Marielle stopped him with a gentle hand to his chest. “I’m sorry, we can’t allow you to go.”

“He’s my brother, I’m going,” Cody said, pushing past her.

“It’s a liability issue,” said the guy with the rope. “Please…there is not a lot of time.”

Before Cody could protest, the guy had jumped into the tender and they were off, skating across the water, one driving while the other held binoculars to his eyes, scanning the water.

“Our crew know the area well,” Marielle said in a soothing voice. “And the rescue divers all have full tanks. It is a good situation.”

---