The warm water rushed to the cold, rising rapidly and taking everything with it. The current created was irresistible, even for the sixty-five-foot giant. The Megalodon and everything around it, was caught in the torrent and dragged upwards. It was drawn higher and higher, and its home of tropical darkness, suddenly became freezing cold and strangely light.

Most of the other creatures sucked up with it died immediately, not able to deal with the rapid change in pressure, temperature and even light waves. But the Megalodon was a creature that had come from a line that had existed for four hundred million years, and could tolerate all manner of extremes.

When the rushing maelstrom had subsided, and then collapsed behind it, the monstrous shark found it wasn’t in its own world anymore.

CHAPTER 22

CHAPTER 22

Cate sat for a moment and squeezed her hands into fists to quell the throbbing. Her fingers ached, her palms were raw, and even though she had short nails, she was sure every single one of them was broken and ripped. She leaned back, letting her head rest against the cool stone and sucked in humid air. The climbing had been difficult, and there were no easy tunnels with nice flat cave floors leading upwards. Instead, there had been a torturous climb up one narrow chute after the other.

Jack climbed up to sit beside her. She looked across to his face, sweat slicked and dusty, and she could see his eyes were red-rimmed.

“I’ve just about had it,” she puffed, trying to smile, but failing miserably.

He nodded, looking up into the chute momentarily. “I know how you feel – we’ve come a long way. But I promise you this is a good thing. As long as we continue towards the surface, then every damn inch up, means one less inch down someone needs to dig.”

“Yep.” She tried to spit out cave dust, but there was nothing but sticky dryness in her mouth. She just swallowed it, where the grit travelled a little to then lodge painfully in her throat.  She coughed, and spat again.

“Yeah, I get it, think positive thoughts.”

Abby climbed back down. “All clear ahead.”

“Good.” Cate took off her light band and handed it back to the young geologist. “Here, you’re the one who’s blazing the trail; your turn to take it.”

She looked like she was going to refuse, but Jack nodded to her, and she relented. They all knew she was the only one young and limber enough to scamper ahead and scout for all three of them.

Abby turned, leapt up onto the next ledge, and was gone. The darkness quickly crowded in. Jack helped her up.

She stood back. “You go next, I’ll be along in a minute.”