Chapter 22
My heartbeat skyrocketed, and adrenaline rushed through my veins. Panic was the last thing I needed at a time like this. I needed to manage what oxygen I had. Surely somebody heard the violent dump of Nitrox from my tank?
I tried to get a grip and calm down.
Somebody grabbed me.
It was Luciano. He handed me his octo.
I spit out my regulator and put the backup in my mouth. I tried to control my breathing and gave him the thumbs up.
The two of us swam together, making our way through the rest of the tunnel.
It was a tight squeeze in places, but we made it through.
Finally, the sapphire light at the end of the passage became visible, and relief washed over me.
I wasn't out of this yet, but the oppressive feeling of impending doom at 130 feet dissipated.
The best way to die was probably in your sleep. If I had to pick, I would say fire would be the worst, and drowning a close second. But no matter how you sliced it, I didn't want to die anytime soon.
Zach checked on us as we exited the tunnel. I gave him the okay sign, then we began our ascent, did our safety stop, and finally reached the surface. I spit out the regulator and breathed a sigh of relief.
"Are you okay?" Luciano asked.
I nodded.
"Thank God. That could have been disastrous. But you handled yourself well."
"I don’t know how well I handled it, but I'm glad you were there," I said. It sounded strange to say, given I had accused him of murder.
"What happened?" Zach asked as he swam to us.
I shrugged. "I don't know. It free-flowed. The second stage must have failed.”
He looked confused, then examined the regulator.
We swam back to the boat, and I climbed onto the swim platform.
Julio helped me aboard and assisted me with the tank.
I examined the regulator again, but there was nothing obvious wrong with it.
Probably faulty internal components. A valve or something above my pay grade.
I climbed on the main deck and took a moment to regroup.
The other divers boarded one by one, then all huddled around me. I told them the story.
“I'm so glad you're okay," Sophia said. “It’s a miracle.”
Declan didn't say anything, and I got the feeling he wouldn't have been upset if I drowned. I began to wonder if that failure wasn’t an accident. But I would never be able to prove it.
Zach continued to study the regulator. Confusion twisted his face.
"I don't understand. I checked all of these.
They were working fine." He shrugged. "Sometimes it happens.
I'm really sorry about that. Listen, there's no charge for the dive today.
I know that doesn't make up for this. But I can assure you, I'm going to have all of these checked and do a thorough overhaul.
" He shook his head. "I feel terrible about this.”
"It happens," Declan said.
I glared at him. Declan didn’t like me, and I was pretty sure I didn't like him either.
Julio weighed anchor, and Zach took the helm, navigating us back toward the Vesper. That was the end of the adventure. Nobody trusted the equipment after that.
The engines howled, and the wind swirled around the deck as we plowed across the sapphire swells.
"I'm freaked out for you," Vanessa said. “That must have been so frightening. I can’t imagine. I mean, my God, I would have felt horrible if you died. I'm the one who invited you on this trip. It would be my fault. I don't know if I could live with something like that."
As usual, Vanessa made it all about her.
I let her ramble on. It didn't matter. I was alive, and that was all I cared about at the moment.
"We're off to a rocky start, aren’t we?"
"Little bit," I said dryly.
"I promise this is going to get better."
I gave her a doubtful look.
"There are plenty of things to do around here that don't risk death. Plus, there are some cute shops, and we can spend Declan's money on touristy stuff. He doesn't mind, do you, honey?"
"It's cheaper than what she spends at Versace every month."
Vanessa smiled at him. "You like spending money on me. It makes you feel good."
Declan finally smiled. "I must feel great, then."
She gave him a kiss.
He still didn't say much to me.
We returned to the Vesper, and Zach apologized to me once again. "If you ever come back to Puerto Maya, your next dive is on the house.”
"No offense, Zach,” I said. "But I'm never coming back to Puerto Maya, and I’m never diving the Devil’s Abyss again."
"Understandable. But when you fall off the horse, you gotta get right back on. Otherwise, that fear festers. Trust me. You gotta do the things you're afraid of.”
"Food for thought, Zach. Food for thought.”
It was my way of saying not a chance in hell, but I found the phrase seemed to satisfy most people.
Once aboard the Vesper, I went back to my stateroom to take a shower and wash off the saltwater. It was almost time for lunch, and I was more than ready for a bite to eat.
I peeled out of my clothes, ran the water, and steamed up the bathroom. I slipped into the stall and let the hot water wash away all my stress. At least for the moment.
My relaxing cruise had been anything but.
I’d been on hundreds of dives and never had anything like that happen. Then again, I always used my own gear and knew what condition it was in. Still, in the back of my mind, I kept thinking that maybe somebody was trying to get rid of me.
I took a long, Hollywood shower.
Refreshed, I stepped out, grabbed a towel, and dried off. My heart leaped into my throat when I looked at the mirror.
Someone had written in steam, "Be careful."