by Anna Hackett
The creature slammed into the glass.
***
Dakota jumped and barely managed to swallow her scream.
She saw the shark swim away and then circle around, coming back at them. It was coming in fast.
Her heart beat like a drum, and she decided this was the stuff of nightmares.
Olok was cursing and tapping at his controls. Suddenly, she saw some sort of green chemical shoot out into the water from the exterior of the ship, hanging in the water like fog.
As soon as the shark hit it, the creature started thrashing wildly. It turned fast, and swam away.
“Chemical deterrent. The tortugas hate the stuff.”
Dakota’s shoulders sagged. Dare slid an arm across her shoulders and she leaned into him. He touched the special Maronian earpiece Olok had given him.
“Ry, come in,” Dare said.
“Saw you had some company,” came Rynan’s reply.
“Yes, of the unwelcome kind. Olok says there is a chemical deterrent you can use. Keep your finger on the button.”
“Don’t worry, I will.”
“We are coming up on the map coordinates. You two circle around and come in from behind the coordinates. If you see anything of interest, let us know.”
“Acknowledged.”
“And stay in contact.”
Dakota watched as the other craft zoomed off and was swallowed by the darkness. She could tell Dare was worried. She scanned the water all around them, but she didn’t see anything that looked like a starship wreck.
The sub’s bright light illuminated a rocky bottom with patches of sand in places. She saw a whole lot of wildlife scurry off and disappear back into the shadows.
No one had been joking. The Abyss was a scary place.
“We’ll move in a search grid across your coordinates,” Olok told them. “Don’t expect to find anything, though.”
They moved in long, sweeping lines back and forth.
Finally, Olok drew them to a stop. “Nothing here,” he said. “Told you.”
Dakota bit her lip. It had to be here. Somewhere.
“Rynan? Justyn? You guys found anything?”
There was no reply to Dare’s questions.
Dare tried again. Still nothing.
“Happens down here.” Olok smacked the console. “It’ll probably come back soon.”
Dakota could tell Dare was unhappy to be out of contact with his brothers.
“Circle around again,” she told Olok. “Keep looking.”
They did a few more sweeps. “Nothing here.” Olok wiped his arm across his brow.
Dakota frowned at him. The man was sweating profusely, even though the sub was cool. She was a master at reading people, and something about the seafarer was off.
She narrowed her gaze. “Dare, check the coordinates on the comp.”
Dare shot her a dark look and moved out of his chair. He tapped the comp screen.
He straightened and shot a scathing look at Olok. “We’re not in the right place. You’ve been purposely searching the wrong coordinates.”
“What? You’re accusing me of—?”
Dare’s hand snapped out, circling the man’s throat. Olok’s eyes bugged out.
“What game are you playing?” Dare asked in a low, silky voice.
“Nothing. Nothing. I must have just gotten it wrong.”
Dare released the man. “Get to the correct coordinates. I’m watching.”
Olok did as asked and the sub swung around. They continued on, working on the new search pattern.
Dakota could still sense the nerves wafting off Olok. She had the impression that normally nothing made the grumpy man nervous. So what was he so worried about?
Then she grabbed Dare’s arm. “Oh, my stars. Dare, look.”
He turned his head and froze.
Ahead, spikes of twisted metal speared up out of the sand.
As they got closer, she knew there was no doubt this was the Southwind. She could make out the engines and lots of hull paneling.
Then something else emerged from the murky darkness behind it.
Dakota saw a small golden dome. It was glowing like a small sun. She glanced at Olok and saw a rapt expression on his face.
As they got closer, she saw the dome was of similar construction to the city domes, and through the glass, she could see that there was some sort of temple inside.
Temple? She looked at Dare. “Is that what I think it is?”
He nodded. “A temple.”
Someone had built a temple by the wreck of the Southwind. “This is where the Atocha Treasure is. But who would’ve built a temple for it?”
“We’ll have to find out.” He looked at Olok. “Can you get us closer?”
The Maronian shook his head. “See the rock formations on the seafloor? And the razor seaweed? It’s too dangerous. It’ll tangle us up and cut us to shreds.”
“Dammit,” Dakota said.
“You could take the small two-man sub. That can get you in closer.”
Dare was frowning at the Maronian. Clearly, he didn’t like the idea of leaving Olok alone here. “Remember you don’t get paid until you get us safely back to the surface.”
Olok nodded. “I like getting paid.”
“If we get…separated, is the small sub capable of returning to the surface?”
“Yes.” Olok tapped the screen. “You can look at the specs yourself.”
Dare looked them over and finally nodded.
Dakota looked at Dare. “Shall we?”
He nodded.
They both grabbed their helmets. It took them a few minutes to climb aboard the small sub and get settled. The seats were reclined backward and the viewscreen was small. It was a pretty tight fit, with their bodies pressed up against each other.
“You want to drive?” Dare asked Dakota.
“Hell, no.” She shook her head. “I’m a terrible pilot.”
“Olok, you stay in this position until we get back,” Dare said through his communicator.
“You’re the one paying,” Olok replied.
Dare palmed the controls, and the sub detached. It spun in the water, and shot forward. The little craft was fast and maneuverable. They headed straight toward the dome.
Dare moved them around some rock formations. Some were tall twists of rock, and others tumbled piles of boulders.
They’d crossed half the distance, when the sub started to make a strange whining sound.
“What’s that?” Dakota asked.
“Not sure, but the engine is losing power.”
Suddenly, all the lights flicked off. A faint glow remained on the control console, but then a moment later, that, too, flickered and died. It plunged them into absolute darkness. Dakota reached out, clamping her hand on Dare’s. A second later, a red emergency light came on.
“Olok, do you copy?” Dare’s voice held a hard, angry edge. “Our sub lost power.”
“Yeah, I read you.” The seafarer’s voice rumbled through the speakers. “You know, you should never have come here.”
Dakota gasped.
“Now the depths of the Abyss will be your grave.”
Chapter Sixteen
Dare slammed his hands down on the controls. What. The. Hell? Now, they were just floating aimlessly. Nothing more than sitting ducks for the tortuga sharks, and whatever other nasty creatures were lurking around.
“We protect our heritage,” Olok said. “The very existence of the Maronian culture is all thanks to Captain Fisher and the crew of the Southwind.”
Aw, hell. The Maronians had known about the Southwind all along. Dare thumped the controls again. They’d been played.
“Fisher was the guardian of the Atocha Treasure. A treasure from the deep. All Maronians are its guardians now.”
Dakota had frozen as she listened to Olok. “Not a single person on this damn planet has been telling us the truth.” She shook her head. “They conned me, and I never saw it coming.”
“You shouldn’t sound proud of them.”
“Well, you have to admit they did a pretty good job. We’re lost at the bottom of a giant ocean trench with no power.”
“We venerate the treasure,” Olok continued. “We built the temple shrine for it, to ensure no one would desecrate it.”
Dakota touched the controls. “Olok, we don’t intend to ruin the treasure. We didn’t realize it was this important to your people.”
“Well, you do now.”
Lights appeared though the viewscreen. Dare’s pulse leaped. Maybe it was his brothers.
But as the sub approached, he saw Olok’s large figure in the bubble. Apparently, the bastard could maneuver here just fine.
The sub came straight at them.
“He’s going to ram us,” Dakota shouted.
The larger sub slammed into them, with a sickening crunch and groan. Dakota was tossed against Dare, and he threw an arm across her chest. Their smaller craft spun in a sickening circle.
Through the viewscreen, Dare watched as the larger sub turned and disappeared into the darkness.
“No.” He slammed a closed fist onto the console.
They were all alone.
“How much air do we have?” Dakota asked quietly.
That was Dakota. Straight to the point and facing the facts, no matter how grim.
“We should have several hours.” He moved his hands over the controls to check. “Hopefully, we can make contact with Justyn and Rynan before we run out.”
“If Olok hasn’t sabotaged their sub, as well.”
Shit, he hoped not. He tried to contact his brothers. There was no response.
Suddenly, there was a creak of metal, and then Dare heard a trickling sound.
“Oh, no,” Dakota muttered.
They both looked up.
There was a fissure in the wall of the sub. Water was leaking in.
No, dammit. Dare stared at it.
“That’s not good, is it?” Dakota asked.
Dare tapped into the computer. “I need to calculate how long we have before the sub fills with water.” The information flashed up on the display. Fuck. He sat back in his seat. “We have just under twenty minutes before the sub is full of water.”
Even in the red emergency light, Dare saw her face go white.
“Get your helmet on.” Dare grabbed his helmet and looked at Dakota.
She swallowed and held up her helmet. It was shattered. “It must have broken in the collision.”
Dare felt as though a cold wind blew through him. “There must be another one in here.”
Together, they tore all the compartments open. There was no extra helmet.
His gaze locked on hers with the unwanted news. This was bad. Indescribably bad.
“We’ll have to swim for the dome,” Dakota said, interrupting his thoughts.
He stared ahead through the screen. “It’s too far. Whoever doesn’t have the helmet will run out of air before we get there. And the pressure…” That was if some hungry shark didn’t eat them along the way.
“Olok said the aglia injections would help with the pressure.”
“I’m not really feeling like trusting anything that bastard has told us.”
They both sat back. Dare held the helmet out. “Okay, I want you to take it and get to the dome—”
“No. That’s not a plan, Dare.”
“Now’s not the time to argue.” The water was already rapidly filling the tiny sub, lapping at their knees. “I want you in that dome. I want you safe.”
“I’m not leaving you here to die.”
“You want the treasure, don’t you? Go and get it. Find a way out of here—”
“I want you!”
They stared at each other, both of them breathing fast.
“I won’t leave you,” she said brokenly.
Dare grabbed her, yanking her to his chest. There was so much inside him, more than he’d felt for so long. Ever. “I can’t watch you die, Dakota. I can’t. And if you don’t go, then we’ll both die.”
“Try to contact your brothers again.”
The desperation in her voice made him nod. He got back on the controls, calling out for his brothers.
Nothing.
The water was at their waists now. He had to convince her to go.
“Please, Dakota, I want you to go.” He cupped her face, leaning down to kiss her. It was a desperate, hungry taste of her. A goodbye.
When they pulled apart, she opened her mouth. He shook his head. “No, don’t say anything.”
“I’m not giving up. I have a plan.”
He eyed her warily. “I’m listening.”
She shoved the helmet at him. “You’re stronger, and I’ve never been much of a swimmer. You can make it to the dome faster.”
“Yes, but I won’t be able to make it back to you in time.”
“I know. We’ll go together.”
He stilled. “What? We can’t share the helmet. We can’t take it off out there—”
“I know. I need you to drown me and pull me through the water to the dome.”
Dare sucked in a shocked breath. “Drown you? Are you crazy?”
She shook her head. “You can’t risk taking me out there fighting to breathe, I’ll slow you down, and the pressure would crush any air inside me. But if I’m not breathing, I’ll be still and my lungs would be full of liquid.”
“No.”
“Dare, it’s the only way.”
His heart was beating so fast he felt like it was going to burst out of his chest. “No.”
“My suit will protect me from the cold. You can revive me at the other end—”
“No.” He shook his head. “We have no idea if I can make it to the dome in time.”
Her gaze, so unusually serious, stared back at him. “Then we’ll both die here.”
Dammit. His fingers dug into her skin and he pressed his forehead against hers. “Making decisions has been my life. Usually it comes so easily to me.”
A faint smile. “You don’t say.”
“This is the hardest thing I’ve ever had to decide.”
Her hand wrapped around his. “It’s not your decision, Dare. It’s mine. It’s the only option.”
He felt the water rising up around their chests now. The struggle inside him was tearing him apart. He couldn’t put her at risk…but she was already at risk.
“Please, Dare. I trust you. You can do this.”
Fuck. He gave a single nod.
She let out a breath and sat back. “Good. I know this will work.”
Not letting himself think, Dare shoved all the wild emotions battering at him—fear, anger, terror—down deep inside of himself. Just as he’d done in that basement when they’d heard the door creak open and heavy footsteps descend. He reached down and took the helmet, then looked out through the viewscreen toward the dome. In his head, he was already planning. He needed the quickest route to get to the dome.
The water kept rising and soon both of them were floating near the top, breathing the last bit of air.
“Dare.” Her hands reached for him. He grabbed them, holding tight. Now he could hear the fear she was trying to hide.
“I’ll get us there.” It was a vow.
She gave him a small smile. “Of course you will. You’re Dare Phoenix.”
He pressed his mouth to hers, the water cold on their cheeks. He put everything he had into the kiss. Her hands clutched at him and she made a small sound that almost broke his heart.
Then he set her back. He pulled on the helmet and clicked it into place, sealing it. There was a rush of air as the breathing system kicked in. Through the visor, he saw Dakota watching him as best she could, with her face pressed up to the roof.
The water was only inches from the top of the sub now. He grabbed her hands, holding on tight. She dragged in one last breath and the water closed over her head.
Dare tugged her close, and they stared at each other through the h
elmet’s visor. She leaned forward and pressed her lips to the helmet, kissing him one last time. When she pulled back, she winked at him.
Damn. Only Dakota would wink at a time like this.
It only took a minute before her body jerked, as she fought not to open her mouth. He knew her lungs would be burning, and she was fighting all her instincts. Then her mouth opened, water filling her lungs.
She started to choke and shake, convulsing in his arms. Dare held her, his heart breaking into tiny, jagged pieces.
She reached forward, her hand pressing against his helmet. Her struggles slowed, her movements turning sluggish.
Then she went limp.
Dare heard a roar and realized it was his own agonized sound. He wrenched open the door of the sub, and, after getting a good grip on the back of her suit, he pushed out of the craft.
With powerful kicks, he started swimming. He aimed straight for the dome, pulling his precious cargo behind him.
Ahead the dome glowed gold-orange. He had to get there. That was his only thought.
He kept swimming. He didn’t think about what other creatures might be lurking around. All he could think about was the lifeless body of the woman he loved that he was dragging along behind him.
He loved her. Dare Phoenix loved Dakota Jones. She was his and he had to save her.
A few more kicks, and he reached the smooth gold glass of the dome. He swam along it. Where the hell was the entrance?
He kept moving, the hiss of the air in his helmet the only sound to pierce his chaotic thoughts. Come on! They didn’t have much time. Finally, he spotted something that looked similar to the iris-like entrance he’d seen at the Sori Sanu city dome.
He reached the entrance and turned back to look at Dakota. She was so still, her dark hair floating out around her.
He looked around the door frame and found what he guessed was some sort of control panel. He slapped a hand against it, and when the door retracted, he kicked his way inside. As soon he was in, the door closed again and the water started draining out of the space.
Come on. Hurry up.
His boots touched the ground and he dragged Dakota into his arms. The second the interior door opened, he staggered into the dome.
He didn’t bother looking around, just laid her out on the ground. He tore his helmet off.
