Page 99 of Secrets Beneath the Waves
Something yanked at her ankle—one of the loose weight straps catching around her boot. Panic flared through her body. She twisted, kicking wildly as the shark came within feet of her. Finally, the strap gave way. She shot toward the surface, her lungs burning, heart hammering in her throat.
She broke through, gasping, and barely had time to grab the second body before a massive shadow passed directly beneath her.
They were done circling. The next attack would be real.
With a final, desperate heave, she threw the second body onto the boat, gripping the edge with raw fingers. No time to think, no time to hesitate. She hauled herself over the side just as the water beneath her exploded.
The sharks circled the boat now, their dorsal fins cut menacing paths through the water. One of them bumped the hull, and the thud reverberated beneath her.
Ellie lay there for a moment, catching her breath. She’d never forget the cold, black eyes of those sharks, so void of fear, so full of hunger.
Her hands trembled as she secured the men’s bodies in the life preserver cabinet and locked it tightly.
Ellie rifled through their belongings. She found phones, IDs, and other items of interest, all of which she secured in a waterproof bag. Once she’d gathered everything she could, she tied their boat to hers and towed it to the edge of the Cayman Trench.
She got back on their boat and opened the drain plug and watched as water flooded the hull. Then she climbed back onto her boat and stared as the vessel slowly sank out of sight.
The weight in her chest eased slightly, though the unease lingered. She looked back at Luke, who sat where she had left him, his face ashen but alert.
His voice broke the silence. “Who are they?”
“I don’t know.”
“Why are they after you?”
She shot him a sharp look. “I don’t know.”
“Did you know they’d be here?”
“Of course not.”
Luke leaned forward, his eyes narrowing. “Then how? How did they know where to find you?”
Her jaw clenched. “You tell me. Did you tell anyone we were going diving?”
His eyes darkened in anger. “No. Did you tell your boyfriend, Mark?”
She stiffened. “Why would I?”
“Somebody told them, Ellie. Someone betrayed you. I told you I don’t trust him.”
The words hung between them like a dark cloud. She wasn’t about to tell Luke that she had intended to go scuba diving with Mark the next morning.
That wasn’t possible now. She’d have to cancel. Too risky.
“My date with you is none of Mark’s business.”
“Well, somebody knew you’d be here. At this time of day. It can’t be a coincidence.”
“I don’t believe in coincidences.”
Luke exhaled sharply, raking a hand through his damp hair. “Then what do you believe? That some random hit squad just happened to show up in the middle of the ocean?”
“I’m the one who needs answers. And I don’t like the direction they’re pointing.”
She glared at him.
He studied her, voice dropping lower. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
