She tapped on Sam’s chest three times and then jerked his shirt upwards, hoping he would understand she wanted him to push off on three.
Then she tapped three times and together they pushed. She kicked hard, and it was impossible to know if they were getting anywhere in the dark.
Her lungs burned. Using too much of her precious air. If this didn’t work, they were going to be very low.
Her fins hit something. The bottom.
They still weren’t buoyant enough to surpass the weight of the anchor with the two of them.
Shit.
Despair filled her, and she tugged on the lock again, trying to break it, looking around the reef for a sharp rock, but she couldn’t get enough momentum to hit it hard.
Down to thirty bar. They had maybe one last try.
Sam grabbed her hand and pointed to the surface, shooing her away.
No way she was leaving him behind.
She slowed her breath. Think. She was always prepared for the worst. She patted the pockets and found her notebook and pen, then her inflatable safety marker buoy. Elated, she scribbled a note. Found Sam. Low on air. Need key to lock. Anchor too heavy.
She tied the notebook to the marker buoy, ensuring it was secure, and then used some of their remaining air to inflate the buoy, ensuring she had a firm grasp on the end of the rope. It shot straight up and disappeared from the glow of the torch.
A moment later, the rope tugged and her hope raised. They’d found the message. Would Murray turn over the key?
She checked her air. Twenty bar. Not long at all with both of them using the same tank.
A minute later, the rope jiggled in her hand as if they were strapping their own note to the buoy. When it stopped, Penelope pulled it in.
Her heart leapt.
Taped to the buoy was a key.
Carefully she pried the key loose, conscious if she dropped it she would effectively kill Sam. With shaking fingers she bent and stuck the key into the lock. It turned.
Saved.
She closed her eyes for a moment, dizzy with relief.
Then before she unhitched it, she released most of the air from their BCDs so they didn’t shoot to the surface. No point getting there alive and getting the bends.
Sam waited patiently, as if trusting she knew what she was doing. She unhooked the lock and unwrapped the chain from his ankles. Not enough air for a safety stop.
She had to risk it. Had to hope they hadn’t been down long enough for the bends to set in. Had to hope somewhere around town there was a decompression chamber if they had been.
Otherwise she might lose Sam anyway.
Her chest cramped as she wrapped her arms around him and slowly kicked towards the surface.
By the time their heads hit the air, they were on their last few bars.
Sam spat out his regulator, opened his eyes, ran a hand over his face to clear the water, and grinned at her. “I love you.”
Chapter 20
Penelope had saved him. Sam had a jolt of hope and fear when he’d first seen the light slide past his eyelids. He’d wondered whether Murray was coming after him, then he’d considered he was dying and this was the light coming to claim him, but the moment he’d felt the light touch on his cheek and the regulator at his mouth, he’d known it was Penelope.
He didn’t question how she’d found him, he didn’t much care as he’d sucked in the life-giving air.
