Page 69 of Visions of You

And if a part of me wanted to stay wrapped in his arms all night long and feel him snuggle back every time I changed positions? That was why we had the pact. To keep me from falling.

Because Gabe was exactly the type of man I could fall for.

My group wasfive advanced divers plus Rick, their own divemaster, all diving their way down the Keys on what was known as the Wreck Trek. Shipwrecks were strewn throughout the area from Key Largo down to Key West. Some had been intentionally sunk to become artificial reefs, and others were the result of natural or man-made disasters.

We descended to 110 feet, and I led the divers single file into a covered deck running along the side, like a promenade deck on a cruise ship. At this depth, the ambient light was dim, and the colors of the spectrum had faded except for blues. I turned right and entered a large chamber, turning on my dive light for extra illumination.

With a group of advanced divers, I was comfortable leading them through the ship. The route I used was safe for recreational divers—easy outlets from the structure were never far away.

As long as they followed me, anyway.

Which everyone in the group should know to do, including their divemaster who was unfamiliar with theBenson. I’d given everyone thorough instructions to keep the diver ahead in sight at all times. My dive plan was far removed from a full wreck dive and needed no guidelines or extra tanks.

A staircase lay at the end of the hall, and I finned the fifteen feet up it, emerging onto an open deck. A smile rose on my face as I encountered Clarence, an enormous goliath grouper who called the wreck home. I moved away to keep from startling him and enjoyed the divers’ reactions when they ascended the staircase and saw him.

Clarence was mottled gray in color and nearly seven feet long. The divers fanned out so everyone could see him and take any photos or video they wanted. I glanced at the dive computer on my wrist, ever mindful of the time. Divers used substantially more air at this depth.

After a quick air check to confirm no one was sucking through their tank, I proceeded with my dive plan. We left Clarence behind and swam through the ship from the port side to the starboard. I loved this section. I descended through a large hole cut in the floor and finned through a chamber. Gears, pipes, and other nautical mysteries surrounded us and beams bounced all over the room from the divers behind me. I exited into a hallway and proceeded a short distance before turning into another room.

This was an old cabin, and a bedframe was still welded to the steel hull. A metal desk sat across from it. I continued through another hole cut into the wall and entered yet another hallway. After ten feet, I proceeded into an expansive chamber, swimming across it to the exit cut in the side of the ship’s hull.

Back in the open ocean, I hovered nearby, counting silently as my divers exited theBensonin single file. Rick, their divemaster, was third in line and we exchanged nods. He gave me an enthusiastic okay signal, making me smile. Then he was out, and I waited for the final two divers. After several seconds, number five exited, her eyes enormous behind her mask and her smile obvious around her regulator.

I applauded her and she swam off to join the others.

Turning back to the exit hole, I waited for Ted, the final diver.

Andwaited.

I counted to ten in my head, and when he still hadn’t appeared, I marked the time on my dive computer. I signaled the group to wait.

After thirty seconds, he still hadn’t appeared.

Shit. Where is this guy?

My heartbeat accelerating rapidly, I beckoned to Rick. He swam over as I wrote on my dive slate:

I’m going back in to find Ted. Take the group to the surface and do a safety stop.

Rick nodded and gave me the okay signal. I exhaled a line of bubbles, relieved I had a qualified divemaster to hand the rest of the group off to.

At a hundred feet, Ted would be using air rapidly, especially if he was lost and beginning to panic. I swam back into the steel hull and retraced my path. I kept my light off so I could see the lost diver’s beam easier.

I reached the area where we had traversed the hull of the ship with no sign of Ted. A sense of dread crept over me as I stared at Clarence. This was the last place I had seen the diver.

He’d taken a wrong turn somewhere.

Turning around, I retraced my path yet again, peering into every room and chamber I could. I kept my breathing regular to conserve my own air supply. This time I turned on my light, so I’d be more visible to Ted. I shined it into every chamber, and all were empty.

I almost missed it.

Just as I was ducking out of a room, I saw a flash of light in the distance. Surging forward, I entered an empty chamber, but I could see a light frantically bouncing around outside an open door. My training and experience kicked in. As I finned across the chamber, I made mental notes of where I was and how to get out.

I emerged out of the doorway into another long hallway I had never explored. Ted was at the far end, frantic bursts of exhaled bubbles illuminated in his light as he slashed it around the narrow area.

Unclipping my metal pointer, I banged my tank loudly with it.Ted spun at the noise and motored toward me. I stopped immediately and tipped upward, placing my fins slightly in front of me. If he lunged for me in panic, I needed to be ready to move backward or kick him off me if necessary. The first rule of rescue was making sure the person being saved didn’t kill the rescuer in the process.

Ted’s eyes were huge round discs behind his mask. He breathed rapidly but not explosively, and his shoulders relaxed at seeing me. I held out both hands in aneasy, easygesture, and he slowed as he approached.

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