He gave the odd bond a short minute, then reluctantly backed away, displaying an upwardly raised thumb, indicating he was about to head for the surface.
She nodded, then tapped her watch followed by two-hands, palms-up in a questioning gesture.
Spencer gave her a count on his hands.
Ten, twenty, thirty, forty, fifty.
Yeah. He’d be out of her sight for fifty minutes, which was fifty more than he wanted. But waiting above at this juncture to spend the proper amount of time successfully off-gassing, would help them both. He could not only avoid potential oxygen toxicity, but because of the leak-rate in the sub, he’d be able to start cutting immediately upon his return without danger of causing a great pressure surge inside.
Tabitha nodded her understanding.
Yeah. She’d told him last night that she was a certified diver, so she’d know the risks they’d both be taking to foolishly speed things up.
Still, it looked like she was also having an especially hard time saying goodbye for this—incrementally longer—separation. Just like he was.
Fuck no.
What was he thinking? It would bewaymore difficult for Tabitha.
She’d have nothing concrete to do while he was gone to keep doomsday thoughts from swirling inside her head while water crept up her body.
Spencer, at least, would be physically busy. That might or might not help his mental angst.
Damn.
He hated to be away from her, for sure, but at least, upon his return, they’d have an hour and a half left in her survival window. Plenty of time for him to do his imitation of a can opener. A more than adequate shot, actually, if things didn’t go FUBAR. But he wasn’t going to think like that. This was clearly going to be tricky, either way, but he’d damn well make it happen.
Before Spencer turned to swim away, Tabitha gave him a wan, but heartfelt smile.
He blew her a kiss, then spun about reluctantly and headed for the winch line that would lead him directly up to the ship. He’d never felt so bereft in his life. It was like he was leaving a part of himself behind on the ocean floor.
Which was stupid. He’d only just met Tabitha.
There was no way she could mean so much to him already. Could she?
He reached the cable and stoically began his ascent.
Stopping at the fifteen-foot mark as indicated by his computer, Spencer took that mandatory break as an opportunity to notify Pietro that he was a few minutes from the surface, then forced himself to relax for the prescribed interval before he continued the rest of his short swim upward.
Looking skyward, he expected to see the underside of one, additional hull, since the Coastguard was supposedly sending out that patrol boat with additional divers onboard, but there was nothing more above him than the familiar keel of the Atlaua.
Spencer frowned. Where the hell were they? They’d have additional tanks that could be crucial.
Right. Hope for the best, plan for the worst.
If he didn’t get help in the form of other divers and more Nitrox, he’d damned well make this work by himself.
When he finally broke the surface, swimming close to the ship to climb the ladder, hands were at the ready to help him up the last few rungs, hauling him aboard.
“How’s she doing down there?” Pietro asked right away as Spencer pulled off his mask. “We lost all contact with her a few minutes ago.”
“Yeah. Me, too,” Spencer told him, taking a deep breath of fresh air. “Her power seems to have gone out for good. The water must have finally shorted her batteries.”
“That sucks.” Pietro shook his head.
“It does, but she’s a trooper. Even though the water is coming in a little faster now, she’s not looking too anxious,andwe’ve got a favorable time-table,” Spencer informed his friend, as well as the captain who had arrived to hear the latest. “This time around, I’ve got the appropriate interval of forty minutes to off-gas, because I’ve got about an hour of do-nothing time before I can start cutting through the titanium layer with impunityafterher water levels have reached what’s she’s told me is the proper depth for final flooding.”
The captain grunted. “With luck, we’ll have help for you by then.”
