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“You okay?” Linc called out from the darkness
“I ar, but, yeah, I’m fine”
“I’ over”
An instant after Linc said it, Juan heard him dive into the water He was at Cabrillo’s side moments later, with their boots laced across his shoulders and their clothes tied around his waist “I double wrapped your cell with the condoms,” Linc said “It’s in your pant pocket”
“Thanks I forgot all about it”
“That’s why you’re givingtone then vanished “Just so we’re clear, if your little Frankenstein experien we just keep going?”
The distance was too great for even the best swimmer, so when Juan replied he kneas their death sentence “That’s the plan”
The detonator was too distant and sh the water, so Juan let tenLinc if he was ready They began to hyperventilate, each knowing their bodies enough to keep froen
Together, they dove for the tunnel For some reason, it looked oht ebb tide sucking at him, it seeht was fading fast, so he shut it off as he and Linc swa from beyond the cave After a an searching for the oxygen pocket The tunnel’s ceiling was featureless rock The underside of the bubble should flash silver, like a pool of suspendedbut blank stone Juan had slowed as he searched and had just a second to decide if they should accelerate in a desperate, but hopeless, dash for the exit or keep searching for the dimple
He panned the light around and realized they had drifted to the right He cut left, followed by Linc, and still couldn’t see the bubble
The taste of defeat was as bitter as the salt water pressing his lips His oxygen generator hadn’t worked, and he and Linc were going to die He started stroking hard toward the distant tunnel exit when he felt Linc’s hand on his ankle Linc was pointing a bit ht he saw a flash like a s before surfacing carefully so as not to hit their heads
Neither cared that the oxygen was still warm from the exothermic chemical reaction and had a foul srinning like an idiot
“Nice piece of work, Chairman”
There was only enough oxygen for a three-reedily before they co of their journey
“Last one to the entrance buys the beer e get back,” Juan said, taking one last breath before dropping into the tunnel