We’re only thirty meters in.
Margaret and Finn also notice the heat.
“If we run into any of your shimmering patches, what’s the protocol?” Margaret asks Finn.
“If we see them, we’ll turn back at once. But we’re unlikely to run into a sudden shift in temperature that we won’t detect in time to survive.”
“That’s reassuring,” Margaret says sarcastically.
For a scientist, Finn acts on gut and intuition more than I’d expect. But I guess that’s why we’re in the caves right now, actually doing something instead of in a room talking in circles.
Finn curses. “Eighty-four degrees. Bloody hell.”
We’ve got summer open water temperatures in here, in a cave. I’m going to be just as pissed as him if we have to end the dive before we’ve even started it.
“Bollocks. We just jumped to eighty-six degrees.”
“One more degree of buffer,” Margaret says.
Finn pauses and studies the data on his computer. A small nod, as if a decision has been made. “We can push to ninety-two for a short period. Watch your exertion. Fifteen minutes tops once we get there.”
The hell? What’s he doing? He’s the one who suggested the safety maximum of eighty-seven degrees.
“We’re not doing that. We dive the plan,” Margaret states, staring at Finn with disdain.
“Right. Well, for now we’re still holding at eighty-six degrees.”
We continue. Pointing my flashlight at the line for Margaret so she can inspect it, she checks it quickly and then moves to the next tie-off. After a few minutes, I notice our breathing is elevated, and my cheeks are burning. I pull away the neck collar to flush my suit. It does very little to relieve the heat. We’ll get heatstroke if we don’t get out of here soon. Margaret snaps her head toward me.
“It’s too hot.” She swivels around. “Where’s Finn?” I look around and don’t see him either.
She presses on her PTT. “Finn, where the hell are you?”
Margaret raises her voice. “Finn?”
She switches channels. “Scott, we have a problem. Finn’s pushing limits. Suggested we could go hotter. Now he’s out of sight.”
“When?”
“Six minutes. My temperature reading is ninety.”
“The fuck—” Scott says something to Jamie. “I’m calling the dive. Jamie and Liam will guide Sid’s team out. You and Nathan leave now. I’m heading to theHecatefor Finn.”
“Copy.” Margaret anxiously scans the passages, still looking for Finn. Then she turns to me. “You heard him. We’re ending the dive.”
I stare at the tunnel offshoot where I last saw Finn and point.
“I’m going to check that tunnel. He was there. He couldn’t have gone anywhere else.”
“Scott said…”
“I know. But there’s no time. It’s too hot.”
Reluctantly, Margaret nods. “Ten minutes tops.”
Quickly, I enter the tunnel. My God. It’s like a hot tub in here. I was sweating in my suit a few minutes ago, but now I’m too hot to sweat. I’m cooking. Checking the temperature, I’m shocked to see ninety-six degrees. No wonder my heart is pounding in my chest and ears. I’m already way past the dangerzone for hyperthermia. I swipe my light from left to right, top-down, searching for any sign of him. This will take longer than ten minutes.
“Finn, where are you, man?”
