Daniel gave them a quick bob and made as if he was following the procession to the café. It was decided earlier that Colin and Stella would sneak away first and that Don and Daniel would join them later after they confirmed that their departure was unnoticed.
Colin reached for her hand. “Are you ready?”
Stella hesitated. “There’s something I want to take with me. Can I go grab it?”
A dark eyebrow rose, but he nodded and added in a soft whisper, “Hurry.”
Stella jogged into her bungalow and crouched down to retrieve her journal. Inside it was the folded newspaper Colin had given her. She read the entire thing last night and desperately wanted to keep it, but Margie had stated that it belonged here. She respected that.
With little time for deliberation, Stella yanked it out and placed it on the desk. She wrapped the notebook in two plastic bags she had found and tucked it under her dress inside the waist of her shorts. It would suffer some water damage, but she hoped it retained enough of the print.
With a hasty glance around the gloomy dwelling she had called home for a month, Stella rushed outside to join Colin.
The Beatles distorted crooning mingled with laughter. Jill glanced over from her spot at the café. At seeing Stella, Jill quickly grabbed Frederic’s arm to spin him in a dance move that would prevent him from spotting the stealthy exit.
Stella felt a hard pang of sadness at leaving her friend behind. She recited the mantra, we will be back to save you. That was the only thought that kept her going.
Colin was alert, guiding them off the trail whenever possible so that the shadows could mask their getaway. The only way out of the Underworld passed before Etienne and Sarah’s shack. It appeared dark and dormant inside, but still Colin and Stella were vigilante as they progressed, pausing afterwards to see if anyone had stirred. The driftwood home remained lifeless.
“Let’s hope Dad and Daniel get by them,” he whispered.
Once they were out of Etienne’s range, they hastened their pace, jogging until they reached the outskirts of the cavern. There they grabbed two torches and started the long trek through the tunnels to reach the hidden pool. As they advanced, all traces of ambient light were left behind. Only the torches cast quivering shadows on the curved walls–fanciful caricatures of themselves.
“Col, call me paranoid, but I have this feeling that we’re being watched.”
“You’re paranoid,” he quipped with a hasty grin thrown over his shoulder.
She could tell the smirk was forced. He was as edgy as her.
“We’re almost there,” he assured.
Stella glanced behind her. People had called her tall in the past, but never as tall as the long shadow she cast. Just beyond the tip of that shadow she sensed motion.
“Daniel?” she called. “Mr. Wexler?”
Colin stopped and she collided with him.
“I don’t see them back there. Let’s keep going,” she urged, pushing against his back.
A scuff sounded behind Stella. They both whirled, their torches casting dueling globes of light over an empty cavern.
“It must be Dad or Daniel,” Colin said quietly. “The acoustics carry far.”
Stella’s palms perspired.
“The pool is just ahead,” Colin encouraged.
She pressed forward, eager to reach it, but another scrape jerked her into an about-face. At the furthest scope of the torchlight a figure hunched, its profile barely visible. The flames reached the luminous green eyes and she shrieked.
“Run!” Colin urged.
They broke into a sprint, slipping on loose rocks, but catching their balance just as they reached the pool ledge.
Colin dropped his torch on the ground and yelled, “Dive!”
Stella didn’t hesitate. She tossed the torch to the side, and in full stride dove into the water, aiming for the wide hole that would usher her into the submersible cave. Black water surrounded her and the obscurity catapulted her into full panic mode. She kicked her legs and thrust forward into the dark until a soft glow beckoned. As she surfaced with a gasp, she saw several torches–a few diminished to just smoldering sticks. Just ahead, the sphere-shaped submersible bobbed in the water, its top hatch open like the spout of a tea kettle.
Motion in the water alarmed her until Colin’s hair broke the surface. He whipped his head, shaking water out of his eyes. They both tread water for a moment staring back at the black passage they had just passed through. Nothing emerged.
“Come on,” he urged hoarsely, “let’s prep the sub.”
CHAPTER 20
Colin dropped two plastic containers into the cockpit. One contained fresh water, the other, a jar filled with canned corn from last night’s dinner.
“It’s going to be dark, Stel,” he warned. “Pitch black. Nothing to orient ourselves.”
“Yeah, I get it.”
He rubbed her arm. “I’m just warning you. It could be more than either of us can handle in such a tight space–that combined with the limited oxygen–”
“Just say it. Basically the worst possible environment you can imagine?”
“Not the worst,” he hedged. “You are going to be sitting on my lap.”
Stella smiled and tucked her head down. She had gotten a glimpse of the small cockpit. It had a single seat for a single pilot, but where there was a will, there was a way.
“I’m worried about them,” she stared at the black water. “What if that thing got them?”
“I’m worried too. But it didn’t actually attack us. We had the torches.”
“So much for Etienne’s theory that they stay beyond the waterfall.”
“I don’t buy a thing Etienne says,” Colin remarked. “For all I know, they’re his pets and he sent that creature to try and stop us.”
Stella hugged her arms at the thought.
The water stirred with a soft splash.
Colin neared the ledge, his stance wavering between aid or attack. Daniel’s head popped up, his longish hair covering his eyes. He used his hand to comb it back and looked up at them with a discreet smile.
“He’s right behind me,” he assured, spitting some water out of his mouth.
As he swam to the ledge, Don Wexler surfaced, coughing slightly.
“Damn,” he barked. “This place is a maze.”
Hoisting out of the water, he reached over and clapped Daniel on his back.
“You’re a pro. You made that almost seem easy.”
Daniel bowed his head.
“I’m so glad you’re both all right,” Stella gushed, making room on the ledge for them. “Did you guys see it? The Chimaera?”
Don looked perplexed. “One of those things was here? The creatures you told me about?”
“It was in the cave on the other side,” Colin stated. “It was in the shadows. It seemed like it didn’t like the flames, but we didn’t stick around to find out.”
“I think I saw it,” Daniel acknowledged. “You left your torches on the ground, and we had ours–it wasn’t going to mess with us. And now we have four torches waiting for us on the other side when we go back, so we should be okay.”
“You’ve seen them before?” Stella asked, fascinated.
Daniel nodded. “There isn’t much I haven’t seen in these caves.”
The graveyard?
She stopped herself from asking the question in front of Colin’s dad.
From Daniel’s level gaze she gathered he was well aware of it.
“They’ve never attacked you?”
“They tried,” he shrugged. “You just always need to carry a torch when you leave the Underworld.”
“Etienne told me they stayed behind the waterfall. Was that a lie?”
Daniel helped Colin test the weight ropes. “Not necessarily,” he uttered over his shoulder. “That is where they primarily live because that is closest to their food source–the caves by the thermal vents. But every now and then they venture out–mostly from curiosity, or se
arching other pools for new sources of cuisine.”
“So they fish in the very same caves that Frederic and Etienne do?” Don asked. “Without incident?”
“None that I know of.”
Don shook his head in marvel, then turned his attention to his son as Col began to recite the plan.
“How far do we have to push the sub?” Don questioned.
Colin deferred to Daniel who hiked up a shoulder. “About six feet or so. Once we cut the weights the ocean will pull it out on its own.”
“Are you sure?” Colin frowned. “I mean, that downwell current that dragged us down here–it’s strong enough to haul anything in. I’m worried we’re going to float out of this cave, only to be sucked back into the grotto we first came in at.”
Daniel hefted his eyebrows, but only one was visible under long bangs. “It’s a possibility, but we believe that downwell, as you call it, is very narrow. Like a tight siphon.”
“So the odds of us ending up in that siphon from the surface were extremely rare?” Don contemplated.
“Yep,” Daniel hiked up the corner of his lip. “You’re looking at one lucky group here.”
They laughed–as much as they could under the circumstances.
Don stepped up to his son and reached for his shoulder. “You have no tools, no GPS, no sextant, nothing to chart where you are when you make it up there.”
Stella didn’t like that they had no tools, but she did like that Don worded it when you make it up there rather than if.
“Remember that Orion’s belt rises due east and sets due west from every latitude. You can kind of guess your latitude by the height of the North Star on the horizon, but–”
Colin gripped his father’s arm. “We will find you again. If we make it up there, I swear we will find you again.”
Don’s eyes were sad. They all knew the odds of ever finding the downwell current again were one in a million.
“I believe you will,” Don uttered huskily. “Your Mom will guide you.”
Colin dropped his head to avert his eyes. The two Wexlers embraced, Don patting his son across the back.
“I’m not comfortable with the risks, son. Neither of you have to do this. You’re safe. You’re alive.” He reached up and cupped Colin’s face. “Alive,” he repeated.
“I have to go, Dad,” he pleaded. “I have to try.”
The elder Wexler gripped his son tight. “I’m sorry, Col. I know you and I didn’t always see eye to eye. I want you to know that I’m proud of you. I’m proud of you for pursuing what you clearly excel at.”
Stella could tell by Colin’s profile that the apology hit its mark. Pain and relief took turns gripping his jaw muscles. Emotion took care of the rest.
“Take care of Jill,” Colin uttered in a husky voice.
“I will. I’ve been going through a tough time, but you’ve given me some clarity back.”
“Dad, the weights, are you sure?”
“I’m not that old. And look at this bad ass.” He held up an eight-inch knife with a blade that wasn’t as sharp as Colin might have hoped.
Daniel pulled his knife from his belt. It looked in slightly better shape.
“We’ll get it done,” he assured.
“And you,” Colin turned to her, his voice softening. “This is it, babe. You don’t have to do this. Like Dad said, you’re alive.”
What type of life would it be never knowing if you made it to the surface?
“I’m going. We’re going. We’re going to do this,” she finished, beaming.
Her smile was infectious. She stuck her hand out flat and Colin cocked his head at it, curious. Then he smiled and placed his on top of hers. Don reached in and placed his palm on top of his son’s. Daniel looked at the union and finally dropped his hand on top.
“On three say, sunshine,” Don suggested.
In unison they all counted, “One. Two. Three. Sunshine!”
The momentary exhilaration over, Col announced, “Okay, I’ll climb in.” He looked at Stella. “Give me a minute and you follow.”
“Affirmative.” She pumped her head, but the muscles in her stomach were twisting in torment.
Don and Daniel stooped to secure the ropes that moored the sub in place. Colin’s weight caused the submersible to dip slightly and then bounce back buoyantly. Stella could see him through the acrylic domed window. As he settled into the cockpit seat he gave her a thumb’s up.
Stella turned towards Don and Daniel. Both men looked sober. Both struggled to seem positive. Don gave her a meaningful nod.
“Take care of my son,” he uttered.
“I will.” Her voice cracked as she hugged him.
She looked at Daniel and mouthed the words, thank you. He gave a brief nod and then she was maneuvering through the hatch, poking her legs down to straddle Colin’s. Finally in position she sat down on his sturdy thighs.
“Comfy?” he tried to joke, but she could hear the gravity in his voice.
“Extremely.”
Through the murky acrylic they saw Don gesture towards the latch, and they heard his distant voice say, “I’m closing it.”
Colin gave another thumbs-up, and they both tipped their head back to watch the heavy hatch lower over them. The only light inside the submersible was the minimal glow from the outside torches.
A grating sound came from above and Stella swallowed as the flat latch wrenched into place.
“He can lock it from on top, and we can twist that latch to open it again.”
With the complete cessation of sound after the latch was secured, Colin’s voice sounded tinny.
“Probably not a good sign if my ears are plugged already,” she remarked.
“It is good. It means the seal worked. When they let go of those ropes and we start to sink we’ll know for sure whether it’s locked tight. If it’s not, we’ll have to reach for that latch real fast.”
Stella glanced around, but couldn’t see much of the interior in the dark. “No seatbelts?”
Colin wrapped his arm across her stomach.
“That’ll work,” she murmured.
“Okay.” He dragged in a slow breath. “This is it. I’ll give them the signal to drop the ropes. The sub will begin to sink. They are going to swim underwater and give us a nudge and then they are going to cut the weights.”
“What if they can’t cut the ropes?”
Colin remained silent behind her.
“Col?”
“Then we sink. We’ll pull that latch and swim like hell.”
Stella clutched the arm clamped around her abdomen.
“Let’s do this,” she whispered.
Colin squeezed her.
“Would now be a bad time to tell you that I love you?” he asked huskily.
Stella smiled even though he couldn’t see it. “No, now is the perfect time,” she said. “I’ll tell you when we reach the surface.”
Colin tipped his head up and kissed her cheek. “Deal.”
And with that he gave the thumbs-up sign again.
There was a quick wave through the domed window. She couldn’t tell if it was Don or Daniel. Her stomach rolled when they began to sink. Within seconds water covered the acrylic window and she lifted her hand, holding her palm up beneath the hatch, her fingers inquisitively testing the rim for leaks.
“So far so good,” she observed quietly.
There was a weightless sensation and then they felt the managed nudge as they were pushed into the darkness.
Stella sat up straight, her spine rigid as she listened to every little sound which reverberated inside the cockpit. Unidentified pops of adjustment. The touch of a hand on the hull. The thuds of the knife strokes. She silently urged Don and Daniel on, aware of each second that they remained underwater. Soon they would be forced to retreat for oxygen.
The submersible listed as Stella held her arm out to support herself.
“One down,” Colin chronicled quietly.
There was a knock on th
e hull, a quick sequence of three strikes, a farewell signal from someone’s knuckles, and then a sickening lurch as they began to drift.
CHAPTER 21
There was a dreadful sequence of clangs as the submersible butted up against the roof of the tunnel.
“Daniel said it wasn’t far to the open water,” Colin tried to encourage.
“Do you think they’re okay?”
“Yeah. It went exactly as planned. It didn’t take them too long to cut the weights, and they gave us a good shove.”
“But we’re still stuck in this tunnel.”
Another loud clunk from above testified to that.
“We have no control, Stel. We have nothing left but faith. Daniel said it would be a short distance. I know it feels like forever–”
“Oh!” Stella grabbed his arm and flattened her other palm against the inside of the hull. It was cold to the touch.
“Do you feel it?” Colin asked.
“We’re moving,” she replied in a hoarse whisper. “Up.”
There was nothing to see now outside the thick window. It was a black sheath, as was the entire cockpit. Only motion and sound gave them any sense of progress, like the momentum of an ascending elevator.
Sickening groans sounded from the steel hull as the water pressure tested its resiliency. A loud pop caused Stella to scream. Any second now she expected to hear the rush of water hissing through a hole. What had Col and his father mentioned? Crush depth. The maximum pressure a hull could withstand without imploding.
“The hull is just contracting under the pressure,” Colin explained gruffly.
“Contracting? Like a waffle iron? I don’t want to be a waffle.”
“No,” he answered quickly. A little too quickly.
More groans ensued, but the submersible didn’t turn into a trash compactor, and there was no water on the bare toes poking out of her sandals.
“Look!” she pointed.
A tiny flash of light meandered in front of the domed window and then sped off.
“Bioluminescent fish.”
Stella leaned forward on his lap to see if she could find it.
“Hey,” he arrested her attention. “Stay still. I’m trying to gauge when to drop the next set of weights and you wiggling around on my lap isn’t helping my concentration.”
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