“Thank god, Jack. What can I do?” The man bobbed closer, listening.

“One thing – take care of Cate.” He pulled Vincent’s facemask down over his eyes.

“What?” Vincent snatched at him, but Jack had already started swimming – hard – back to the Slava.

One chance, one chance only. Jack stopped swimming for a moment, to roll on his back, and try and calm his racing heart. He could hear Cate screaming his name, and he shut it out.

“Hello Jack.” Mironov floated close to him.

“Jesus!” He spluttered coming upright. “Valery, get back to the group,” Jack said as he snatched out the stick flare.

“Will that make me safer?” Mironov asked.

Jack could swear the man was smiling. “No, but it’ll stop you giving me a freaking heart attack.”

He saw what Jack had in his hand. “A flare… yes, do it.”

“Like you said; a bad plan… but the only one we’ve got.” Jack ripped the end off and punched it against his fist, immediately igniting it, and throwing a massive ball of red illumination around them.

Jack waved it back and forth, and slapped an arm on the water. As if in response, a huge sail-like fin appeared a hundred feet away and then turned sharply and submerged.

“It’ll come now,” he said, noticing his voice seemed strangled.

“The devil rises to meet us,” Mironov said. “It’s been a pleasure knowing you, Jack.”

“Here goes nothing.” Jack waved the flare again. “Alexi!”

The flare was so bright; he could barely see anything beyond its glow as his night vision had been temporarily ruined. He held up the flare, and thought just maybe he could see the Slava’s silhouette in the weak glow of the moon. But as he concentrated, something rose up, fully blocking it from his view.

“Oh god,” he whispered, and felt his balls shrivel. Jack knew what it was, and he knew the cavernous jaws would already be open, extending forward, to then slam those vicious blade-teeth down on him. The ten-inch triangles shearing him in half… if he was lucky. He shut his eyes.

The thump, and hot concussive blast blew flesh in every direction. His eyes flew open as chunks of meat splashed heavily in the water around him. The massive shark listed sideways, and then began to slide away.

Jack pushed the flare down below him, lighting up the ocean, and used the facemask to illuminate the beast on its way. He lifted his head to quickly gulp in a deep breath, and then dived to follow it down.

The Megalodon shark wasn’t moving, but a thick blood trail billowed from its massive head. The angle made it impossible to make out the damage, and soon, Jack’s lungs began to rebel and pressure in his ears was becoming punishing. He stopped swimming and just let himself hang in the water.