Rex hooked the man’s arm and swung him around and away from Kimo.
The aggressor came at Rex with his knife, swinging it wildly, his eyes squeezed tightly shut against the stinging saltwater.
Rex reached for the man’s wrist and shoved it against a jagged rock. The fight moved as if in slow motion. Every shove sent his opponent in one direction and Rex in the opposite.
He had the advantage over the other guy because he didn’t have his mask, and the saltwater was clearly causing him distress. Finally, the man touched the inflater assembly on his left shoulder, sending him toward the surface.
Rex’s watch pinged from the guys on the surface with the message, Incoming Bogey. He glanced up to see the propeller and underside of a speeding boat whip past them.
When he looked toward Kimo, she was waving frantically and pointing behind him.
Before he could turn, someone rammed into him and pushed him away while tugging at the hose connecting his regulator to the tank. He clamped his teeth around the mouthpiece and held on.
Rex twisted, trying to spin and face the aggressor. When he did, the strain on his regulator hose snapped, and he sucked water in through his mouthpiece.
His hose had been cut.
Rex spat out the water and ruined regulator, held his breath and blocked a jab from a knife the guy held. He didn’t have time to fight this guy. He needed to get to the surface and air. He let the diver come close, blocked his attempt to cut him and delivered his own knife into the man’s midsection, sinking it deep.
The diver clutched his belly and kicked away. He swung the propulsion vehicle up from where a strap attached it to his BCD. Moments later, he blasted past them, leaving a trail of blood and bubbles.
His lungs burning for air, Rex started for the surface.
A hand on his arm stopped him. He turned to find Kimo beside him. She removed the regulator from her mouth and held it in front of his face.
He took it, sucked in a deep breath, let it out and took another. Panic abated, and he handed the regulator back to Kimo.
She put the regulator in her mouth and pointed to the surface.
He gave her the okay sign and grabbed her BCD, bringing her chest to chest with him. He held on as they kicked their fins, rising no faster than the bubbles from the breaths they released.
They hadn’t gone far when Rex realized all was not well at the surface.
That motorboat that had zoomed over their heads had turned around and slowed to a stop above them.
Rex and Kimo stopped their ascent and reversed course, sinking back among the reef rocks, continuing to share the air from her tank.
The people above hauled one of their divers aboard. The wounded diver who’d sped away on the DPV raced up to the boat. He, too, was dragged aboard.
About the time the boat finally sped away, Angel and Leilani converged on them.
Angel messaged Rex, Are you all right?
Rex gave him the hand signal for okay and rose with Kimo, buddy-breathing all the way to the surface.
Devlin and Teller brought the tour boat close enough to where they were, without risking running into the reef.
Waves splashed over them, the water rougher than when they’d started the dive. The sun hovered over the horizon, appearing to slowly melt into the ocean.
Devlin helped Leilani up onto the boat while Teller stood guard with a rifle.
Rex pulled himself out of the water and turned to help Kimo on board.
“Are you okay?” he asked, inspecting her neck. “Did he hurt you?”
Kimo shook her head. “He didn’t have me long enough.”
Rex didn’t see any bruising. He relaxed a little. “You scared me.”
