“Hey, Gretchen,” Ed said.
“Ed. I didn’t realise you were coming today.”
“Couldn’t miss it. This is Tess, and Brandon’s military mates, Sam, Heath and Dobby.”
“Welcome,” she smiled. “I’ll take you out now before the bus with the other guests arrives.”
Good. When she was on the boat, she would be safe. Ed had promised to stay next to her, so no one could hurt her.
Tess’s steps slowed as she walked along the jetty to where an inflatable boat was tied. It was a decent size, and the ocean was smooth, but the tour boat was a distance from the shore. A different fear gripped her. Was it really safe for her to go?
Ed glanced back and stopped, waiting for her to catch up. He took her hand. “Nervous?”
She nodded as her pulse raced for an alternative reason, but the butterflies in her stomach settled.
“Gretchen can get you a life jacket.”
She didn’t want to be the odd one out, the one too frightened to go on a boat which must be safe. They did this every day. She would not be a wimp. Da Lim would take it all in her stride. “I’ll be fine. You’ll sit next to me?”
“Sure.”
So easy going. She closed her eyes. Could she forget about being on the run today? Swimming with a shark was a huge adventure, one she should enjoy. Her mother would be horrified if she knew about it. Tess smiled. For the first time, she was doing something she had hoped to do—experiencing Australia.
She climbed onto the inflatable and sat between Sam and Ed, with the other two men balancing the opposite side. Once on board, she was given a long-armed, long-legged suit to wear, which was kind of like a wetsuit, but with a thinner Lycra fabric. “We haven’t had any sightings of Irukandji recently, but better to be safe,” Gretchen explained.
“Irukandji?” Tess asked.
“Jellyfish,” Gretchen replied.
Tess stiffened. Was that something else she needed to be terrified of?
Ed murmured, “Don’t worry, they’re rare at this time of year.”
Was there any animal in Australia which wasn’t deadly?
After the rest of the dozen passengers joined the boat, the crew was introduced, and Gretchen took them through a safety briefing. Then they were given the equipment they needed; mask and snorkel, as well as flippers. Tess looked at Ed for guidance.
“The core thing is making sure the mask fits properly, so it doesn’t leak,” Ed said. He helped her put it on and demonstrated how to tighten it and how to breathe through the snorkel. It didn’t seem too complicated.
After taking off the mask, she inhaled deeply, smelling the salty air, and gazed at the crystal clear ocean. The boat barely rocked as it cut its way through the still water. Dark patches in the water were the coral reef, and she spotted fish moving under the water. Sam chatted to the captain, Faith’s father, an older man about retirement age.
Then the boat slowed and people donned masks. Gretchen gave her a life jacket and checked she did it up correctly and also handed her a pool noodle. “For extra flotation.”
Other crew were helping the guests, and there was a woman with a large waterproof camera who would take photos for them.
Dobby and Heath were the first to get in, sliding off the marlin board into the water and hovering by some nearby coral. Tess waited where she was until most of the guests were in the water, and then she and Ed went down to the board.
Heath gave her a thumbs up and she realised he and Dobby were waiting for her like they promised. “I’m fine,” she called. “You go.”
They swam off and her heart thumped as she slipped on the flippers and adjusted the mask. She looked at Ed.
“Ready?” he asked.
“Yes.” She stuck the snorkel in her mouth and pushed off the back of the board and into the surprisingly warm water. She half expected to sink to the bottom, but with her life jacket she floated, bobbing on top of the water.
“Lie on your stomach, and put your head under the water,” Ed said.
She flopped forward and the sandy bottom appeared with clarity only a couple of metres below her. A fish darted along the bottom, and she kicked, trying to follow it. The movement propelled her faster than she expected and she stopped, awkwardly looking up to find Ed swimming next to her, close enough to touch. He took the snorkel from his mouth. “You’re doing well. Want to kick over to the coral?” He pointed ahead of them to where most of the group had gathered.
