Page 2 of Austen

Hunter swam down to help his wife, and the two got jammed up in one of the spokes.Worse, Elise’s mask had dislodged, and she struggled to clear it.

So she was clearly not watching the predator as he circled.

When the shark darted in and veered off, Austen knew she had to engage.She swam down, outside the satellite, reaching back for her tank tapper, the metal ball strapped on a band that encircled her tank.The tapping might scare him away.

Nope.He circled just below them, then darted in again.

Elise had broken free, her mask on but still half filled with water, in full-out panic as she swatted and kicked away.

No—stop!

The tiger shark jerked away, but Elise’s movement only fueled his curiosity.

Austen grabbed Elise’s hands.Shook her head.Glanced at Hunter.

He got it, nodding, and took Elise’s hands.She struggled, but Hunter gripped her BCD, stilling her.

Of all the places to have a panic attack, a hundred feet down on the ocean floor might be the worst.

Stay calm.Austen tried to communicate with her eyes while also looking for the tiger.

Go down.She pointed to the upper deck of the structure, flattened her hand, and indicated that they should sink down to the platform.

Sharks typically attacked from behind or below?—

Hunter pointed behind her, his eyes wide.

Austen turned, andyep,he’d come in for another look-see.

A shout filled her regulator.The sound echoed in her head, but it might startle the shark.Then she blew out hard—bubbles rising around her.

The shark jerked away some six feet from her.

Glancing down, she spotted Hunter and Elise on the platform, also blowing bubbles.Hunter had put himself in front of Elise—sweet—and pulled out his dive knife.

Okay, everybody calm down.

Austen sank down to them, held up her hand, shook her head.Indicated that Hunter should put the knife away.But he shook his head and she turned.Oh no.The tiger wanted a taste.

Most likely it was just very, very curious about these erratic seals.But she faced him, stayed vertical, and despite the thundering of her heart, she kept her eyes on the animal and Didn’t.Move.

At the very least, the tiger wanted a bump, but she put her arm out, kept her elbow stiff, and caught it on the snout.

It had opened its mouth, but she deflected it even as it started to roll.

She pushed with her other hand, moving herself away from the shark.

It darted away, probably a little stunned.Hunter was right about the snout being sensitive, but she hadn’t hurt it.

The shark swam around the end of the superstructure as if retreating.Her watch beeped, a tiny shrill in the depths.Austen gestured toward the line leading to the surface, and Hunter grabbed his wife’s hand.

Turning her back to them, Austen searched for the shark as she grabbed the thick rope with her glove.Then she let out the air in her BCD and started to ascend.Twenty feet from the ship, a dark shadow still circled the superstructure.She didn’t take her gaze from the shark as they rose to their deep deco stop at fifty feet.Her dive watch settled into a three-minute countdown and she searched the water.

So much for flying.She hung here like bait, waiting, the outline of the ship below.

A shadow in her peripheral vision caught her eye and she glanced over.Stilled.

A barracuda.Long and silvery, but not a threat as long as No.One.Panicked.

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