“Is okay, little sparrow. You wait here.” Yegor waved her down into her seat, and then turned to Jack nodding. “Go; is important.”

Jack was up the ladder in a few seconds, and gone.

*   *   *

Greg’s fists were balled as he stood before Cate. In the glow of her flashlight his face looked beet-red. But in a moment or two, he sucked in a few deep breaths and shook his head. It was if he had opened an escape valve, letting all the pressure escape.

He sunk to his knees. “I’m sorry; I’m just…” He covered his face for a moment before pushing strands of long hair up off his forehead.

“I know; it’s okay. Hey, I’m scared as well.” Cate laid a hand on his shoulder. “But you’ve got to hold it together.”

“Hey.” Jack jogged towards them. “What’s happening? Did you make contact?” He stared hard at where the cliff wall met the shelf, momentarily transfixed.

Greg scoffed, and simply gazed off into the darkness.

Cate sighed. “No, no we didn’t.” She pointed. “We couldn’t; it’s dead.”

“What?” Jack pulled up frowning. “Dead? Not working?” A dawning realization broke over his expression. “What if…” He turned to the pair. “What if those who sabotaged the crane…?”

Cate nodded. “Got here too.”

Jack tilted his head back, putting his hands on his hips and looking up at the dark ceiling hundreds of feet above them. “Well that’s just god-damn great.” He rubbed his face. “Greg… Greg!”

“What?” The young scientist’s head whipped around at Jack’s raised voice.

“Go check out the other buoys and see if there’s anything else there we can use… or is still working.”

Greg’s mouth worked for a moment before he nodded, and stepped in amongst the coils of cable and other pods.

Jack turned back to Cate. “That’s it; show’s over.” He panned his light around, stopping at the cliff wall, his eyes narrowing.

She nodded, knowing there was only one priority now – escape.

The sudden noise from the submersible confused her at first, and also caused Jack to frown and turn as well. The thumping stopped, and then the next sound was monstrously out of place, but recognizable as hell.

*   *   *

Valery Mironov gripped his armrests, curiosity now burning inside him. “What’s happening?”

Yegor grunted. “I think there is trouble.” The big Russian leant forward onto the u-shaped wheel, trying to see around the edge of the curved glass at the trio on the rock ledge.

“I should go out there,” Mironov said evenly.

“What are they doing?” Abby said, standing and then trying to see over Yegor’s shoulder.

“Talking; they’re fine… busy.” Dmitry spun in his seat. “We should all sit down, and wait.”

Yegor turned slowly. “Is okay, you can come up here, little sparrow.”