Page 102 of Spencer

“Roger that,” she replied.

Tabitha walked a careful circle, and everything looked normal to her. “There are no wires, or closed packages that might hold surprises,” she told her ear-buddies. “Thereisthatpaper I mentioned on top of a pile of scuba gear. It’s a note, and I’m going to pick it up and read it.”

She eased the rock slowly off its perch, then picked up the fluttering paper to read it out loud.

“Look out into the ocean. Do you see the red buoy?”

Tabitha did as the note said, and spotted the beacon right away. It was no more than thirty feet out, and bobbing innocuously in the peaceful, afternoon chop. She shifted her eyes back to the letter and continued, filling everyone in on the rest of the missive.

“Your sister is in a specially made wooden box on the ocean floor directly under the marker. I’ve supplied her with air that will last until 12:50.Unlessyou didn’t follow my instructions to come alone. If I see one cop with you, I’ll pull the plug on Sheila, and she’ll die immediately.”

Tabitha let out a moan.

“Put my bag of money right here on this rock, then use the scuba suit to go rescue your sister. Tick-tock. Good luck. Or not.”

Tabitha could almost hear the evil laugh that would have accompanied those last words. She stood frozen for a moment, unable to move.

Then she managed a look at her watch.

Twelve minutes. She had twelve minutes.

Panic rose in her chest.

“Tabitha.” Mason’s strong voice broke her out of her immobilizing terror. “Focus. Twelve minutes is plenty of time. I’m sorry none of us can go with you, but if he’s keeping watch from underwater, he’ll see us as soon as we go in.”

“I understand,” Tabitha answered stoically. “I’m ready to do this by myself”

“Okay. Don’t use the gear he left, though, just in case he’s given you damaged goods. Go back to the truck and get the stuffwe packed for you that has the inflatable signal-tube attached to your belt. Put on the suit, then grab the duffel and go back and do what he says. Quickly now.”

Mason’s no-nonsense tone catapulted her into action. She ran back to the SUV, and wrenched the back open, quickly extracting the scuba gear that she knew would fit her because it belonged to Ellen Sothard.

Luckily, Ellen still dove all the time, as did Tabitha.

Tabbi was able to put the suit on by rote. If she’d been unfamiliar with such equipment, it might have been a time-sucking disaster. But as it was, she had herself suited up in less than three minutes.

Nine minutes left.

Tabitha yanked the bag of fake money out of the back of the SUV. She lugged it to the drop point. She didn’t pause for a second, but threw it down, then headed right into the water.

She was a fast swimmer, and ten seconds was approximately the time it would take Tabitha to get to the buoy.

“The drop-off right there, under water, isn’t steep. You’ll be going down fifteen feet, max,” Spencer said in her ear, before they’d no longer be connected.

Unfortunately, with such short notice, Julian hadn’t been able to put his hands on waterproof communication devices. The one she wore would be useless as soon as it got wet.

“Spencer’s right,” Mason confirmed. “We’re estimating that the dive is no greater than fifteen feet to the seabed under where the buoy has been placed.”

Easy, peasy, thought Tabitha.

For Ghillie’s nefarious purposes, farther out and deeper certainly would have been better, but if he reallyhadsubmerged a box with Sheila in it, he probably couldn’t accomplish that by himself, in deeper water.

“Keep your eyes open, Tabitha,” Spencer told her. “I can’t lose you now. I…”

His words stumbled and stopped.

“I, what?” Tabbi choked out.

She knew they hadn’t been disconnected. Spencer had simply paused, clearly uncertain of his next words.

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