Ocean Blue (Sea Lab Book 1)

CHAPTER 67

Tony and Sarah sprinted past the luxury suite and took the stairwell to the ship's lower levels.

While planting the bombs, somehow, Jake and Tony must have lost Ishikawa, unbeknownst to them, if only for a moment. The blast's epicenter was right beneath them from the way the vessel rocked after he detonated the charge. That would place the pack of C4 just aft of the bridge on the same floor of the moon pool room. Judging by the severe list, he knew the icebreaker's port side was taking on water at an exponential rate.

At the bottom step, they shot through a passage into the main corridor and then slipped again through another doorway.

Up ahead, the moon pool room door came into view.

Tony slowed, panting. He looked back, searching for Jake. No sign of him. "I hope he's on his way."

"We should've stayed and helped him," Sarah said, no hint of labored breathing.

"We went over this scenario while setting the charges." He stopped and faced her. "We agreed to take you and run."

"But―"

"No buts. We have to go."

Tony opened the door and stepped through the passage.

Sarah moved past him. He realized she was going for the switch that would open the moon pool.

"Wait," he said. "Can you tell if the ship cut its engines?"

"I'm not sure. My ears are still ringing from the blast."

"My guess is the crew would cut power to slow the ship's sinking. If they keep plowing ahead, we'll drop like a rock in no time." He paused. "This room is on the starboard side. The hull breach is on the port. That means this area will stay above water the longest."

"What are you thinking?"

"Nothing big. I just know we need to be dead in the water before opening the moon pool. If we open it too soon, the surge could overpower us, and I don't know about you, but I don't have any desire to be sucked into the propellers."

Sarah's eyes widened, and her complexion paled. At first, Tony suspected she was reacting to the thought of the ship's twin screws chopping her to bits. But she was stiff, unmoving. Shellshocked.

He realized his back was near the door.

"Jake?" he asked her, but he already knew the answer.

She shook her head, slow, calculated. Fearful.

A cold gun barrel pressed into his scalp.

"Turn around," a voice said.

Tony didn't have to see the face to know who the voice belonged to. He inched around until the giant form materialized in front of him. The man was holding a Browning nine-millimeter pistol.

"If it ain't my good pal, Takeshi." A nervous grin grew on the corners of Tony's mouth, revealing teeth. "You're just the guy I was looking for. How did you get down here so quick?"

"I am more nimble than I appear." Ishikawa returned the smile, which faded into a disgruntled snarl in seconds. "Where is Jake Soloman?"

"He's still going toe to toe with your boss."

"Then he is dead man."

"I wouldn't bet on it," Sarah said. "The show's over. This ship is sinking. You might as well save yourself."

"I plan to," Ishikawa replied, keeping the gun trained on Tony. "But first I kill you."

Footfalls thudded behind him.

Ishikawa turned in time to catch Jake's shoulder straight in the abdomen. He gasped, and the gun skittered across the floor. Tony lunged for the weapon, but it disappeared into the moon pool's wash of water. The doors had retracted only a foot when the pistol vanished into the torrent. He looked up to see Sarah standing by the switch.

"Sorry," she said. "Time's running out."

"Get out of here," Jake yelled with a deflated Ishikawa pinned beneath his legs. "I'll take care of him."

Tony stormed for the storage closet that held their dive gear. He came out with his arms loaded as the beefy paw of Ishikawa swung up from the floor. The fist struck Jake flat on the cheekbone. In a microsecond, he lost his advantage and flew toward the port side, which was already flooding.

Jake splashed into the gathering water, sloshed about, and then staggered to his feet. "Go," he said to Tony and Sarah, as Ishikawa rose.

Tony froze mid-step and then returned his attention to their escape, realizing he'd have to share his breathing regulator and DPV with Sarah. He would have to leave the other set for Jake. He peered down. The water had settled in the moon pool, signaling the ship had ceased cutting through the sea. The icebreaker was now enthralled in a death grip, the unfathomable waters of the Tasman Sea sucking it to the bottom, where it would lie for eternity.

"We have to help Jake," Sarah said.

"I want to help him, too. He's my friend. But we've got to get off the ship or we die. Jake will be okay. He can take care of himself." Tony cast a doubtful eye in Jake's direction.

Sarah tried to move past him, but he blocked her path. Then she darted around him, attempting to slink away from his grasp. But Tony wrapped an arm around her to hold her back as she fought to reach Jake, who, at the moment, wore a look of defeat as he faced off against the towering Ishikawa.

Sarah wailed out and thrashed, trying to break free, but Tony dragged her toward the waiting pool. "We promised never to leave each other... in Key West."

Tony remembered the company vacation where Jake told him he was going to ask Sarah to marry him.

But he had no choice. Jake would never forgive him if he allowed her to get killed. Finally, with a powerful arm and Sarah sobbing miserably, he pulled her into the water and forced her under.

The last image he had of Jake was that of him advancing toward Ishikawa. For all he knew, he might never see his friend again.