Cate took the yellowing light band from her forehead and held it out. “Here, you need to direct us.”

“Thanks.” He took it, slipped it on, and rechecked the compass once again.

“Paddles?” Cate asked.

“Home-made.” Jack turned and held up his hand, fingers together. He pointed. “You two on that side, me this one. Once again, just ease the water back, nice and slow. Going to take us a while, but we’ll get there.”

Laying down, he reached over and dug an arm in and dragged the water back. The raft, like a giant lily pad, barely inched forward.

Cate and Abby dug in and pulled. She turned her head; behind them there was nothing but a wall of dark. For all she knew there was a monstrous fin gliding up behind them. She dug her hand in again; it tingled, probably from fear, knowing what could be down there.

She looked up to the comfort of the light. Only to the front could she see anything, and even now, Jack’s light range was shrinking. When that went out, they had Abby’s in reserve, and then…

Cate shut her eyes, and stroked. There’s nothing there, there’s nothing there, she kept repeating with each drag of water.

Minutes passed, then more minutes. They were surprisingly quiet, with just the odd gentle lap of water against one of their prone bodies that came over the side. There came a splash from out behind them. And Jack’s head whipped around.

There was something out there.

“Jack.” She hissed his name, pulling her arm up from the water. Cate suddenly felt her stomach flutter as she realized how vulnerable it was laying on the raft.

“Stay still, and be quiet.” Jack’s light played over the water.

The huge body glided closer, and a pressure wave pushed at the raft. Abby whimpered, and turned away. Cate was transfixed and Jack’s light stayed hard on the massive thing.

It rolled then, and the whale’s far too-human eye regarded them with curiosity. Another one, smaller, surfaced beside it, blowing spray into the air. Then another came up, and another.

“Whales…” She laughed, feeling relief wash over her. “Thank god. Abby, it’s okay, look.”

Jack commenced to paddle again, as one of the huge bodies came beside them, and nudged the raft, lifting it momentarily. They all felt the solid bulk beneath them, like they’d been beached.

“Easy, big guy.” He looked back. “They might not attack us, but they can still swamp us.”

The raft tilted again as a smaller whale lifted them up onto its back and carried them twenty feet. “Shit.”

It submerged, leaving them still scudding along the surface. “Thanks,” he said, looking down. “At least if there’s a Megalodon down there, it’ll see these big guys long before it sees us. Keep paddling, harder, and we’ll try and stay with them.”