Olander turned away and continued to climb, just as the side of the boat clanged deeply, and was rocked as something struck it hard. Looking back, he saw the massive jaws of the beast scraping the ship where Annabel had been seconds before. He thought he saw her face screaming even under water, but knew it was probably only his imagination.

The monster shark pulled back, and with it started to go the netting that had snagged on its shovel-sized teeth.

Olander whimpered and climbed; the shaking net became impossible to hold onto as its angle moved outwards. He started to hear rope strands popping and separating, and to his horror saw that the tears were occurring above not below him.

He wailed as gunfire sounded just over his head. The shark momentarily released and then re-gripped the ropes a little higher, as if it was trying to climb after him. He scrambled up a few more of the rope squares, but actually felt he was lower towards the waterline than before, and he knew his boots must only be feet above that cavernous mouth.

Olander refused to look back, but he could smell something now – the deep sea, old and new meat, and a sense of ancient waters lost in some dark primordial time. He knew he was smelling the insides of thing as it opened its jaws trying to get to him.

Olander realized he was crying when he was finally pulled up and over the gunwale. The nets tore then, and as he fell to the deck, they were whipped away and below the now pitch dark water.

He stayed down. Fear had rolled him into a tight ball, shivering uncontrollably. Olander felt a soft hand on his shoulder, one of his crewmembers, and he swung an arm.

“Get away, you little prick.”

It was not supposed to happen like this, and he quickly wiped his face with a soaking arm. He stood, and saw his crew staring at him, confused and frightned as hell.

He straightened, hating the monster, but hating them more for fucking up. He quickly wiped his eyes and face again, and then met their eyes. “I weep for our lost brothers and sisters. You should too.”

*   *   *

Jack caught Cate as she slid to the deck. Her face was bleached of color and her eyes had momentarily rolled back. “It’s okay, I’ve got you.”

She moaned, and then sat forward. He rubbed her neck, and after another few seconds she nodded, but he still felt her shaking beneath his hands.

“So scared.”

“Me too.” He turned. “Get me some water, quick.”

Regina rushed back with a plastic bottle, and knelt to look into her face as Cate drank. “She’s in shock.”

“I’m fine, I’m fine.” She drank deeply, waving Sonya and Drago away.

Jack leant closer to her “We’re okay, darling; it can’t get us here.”