She had no idea how they’d climb that high. If they could only find notches in the wall, they might have a chance. So hopefully, the mission was possible after all. “We’ll figure something out.” Through the hole, a blur of green caught her eye. She blinked. In the far distance, lush green mountains sharpened into focus. She smiled, her heart pounding like a jackhammer. It was the miracle she’d been praying for. Emotion overwhelmed her as she pointed a trembling finger. “LAND!”
Mike shook her shoulder. “Where?”
“
Look…there’re mountains way off to the left,” she said.
He did a double-take and threw his arms up. “Woo hoo!”
Squinting, Jack tilted his head. “Oh yeah! I see them now.”
They laughed and hugged, Mike’s arms tightening around her waist, his face pressing into the soft spot at the nape of her neck.
“
Well, what’re we waiting for?” asked Casey. “Let’s swim across to the other side and check out that wall. My fingers are shriveling up like prunes.” She disconnected their embrace, and with a lunge forward, pushed off the cave wall with both legs, her arms cutting through the green water.
“
Wait for us!” called Jack from behind.
Mike said goodbye in his usual dramatic fashion. “Twinkle on, glowworms, twinkle on!”
Casey sped across the water to the far end of the cave and lifted her gaze. The gap was unreachable. They’d have to climb up a sheer vertical wall towering hundreds of feet above the surface of the water. There was no way they could do it without killing themselves.
They all exchanged a look before Mike broke the silence. “I can do it.” He flashed Casey his trademark cocky smile. “I ate my Wheaties this morning.”
She prayed he could, but deep down, she knew he just wanted an excuse to pull a crazy stunt.
Jack’s gaze swept over the ceiling and the wall. “With the proper equipment, maybe, but right now, it’s a suicide mission. The last time I checked, you weren’t Spiderman.”
“
Yeah, what’re you going to do?” Casey asked, half-smirking. “Get a radioactive spider to bite you? We’ll just have to find another way.” It might’ve helped if she’d thought to bring along a Mount Everest climber’s guide.
Movement broke the stillness of the lavender water. Tiny bubbles popped and then disappeared. She leaned forward and peered into the ocean. Something glistened and swirled beneath the surface. “Did you see that?”
“
Oh yeah, baby!” Mike slipped out of his life jacket as his voice brimmed with excitement. “Maybe I can wrestle with a giant squid.”
Casey slapped his arm playfully. “Focus. Don’t let your imagination run wild again.”
“
I’m kidding,” he said. “It could be fish, and if that’s the case, they’ve got to come from somewhere. Maybe we can swim our way out of here like frogmen.”
She pushed back a long strand of hair from her eyes and heaved a sigh. “We’re not trained Navy SEALs, but I see your point.”
“
It’s a great idea,” said Jack. “I’m onboard.”
Casey nodded. “Me too. Let’s go for it. Mike, you lead the way.”
He threw up a hand. “Wait. When did you two learn to free dive?”
Jack’s brow furrowed. “We didn’t, but—”
“
Then it’s settled.” Mike’s mouth stretched into a wide smile. “Since I’m the one who can hold my breath for five minutes, I’ll go search for an underwater way out.”
Casey had been cut from synchronized swimming last year. She let out a sigh at the remembrance of that embarrassing situation.
But come on! It was gymnastics, aerobics, and ballet all combined in one, requiring strength, flexibility, and precise timing all while holding your breath—and smiling too.
She sucked underwater big time and would certainly be of no use to Mike.
Jack cut into her thoughts. “Mike’s right. He’s the most experienced one outta all three of us. He should go.” Jack spun in the water to face Mike. “No crazy stunts, okay?” He slapped him on the back. “Be careful and hurry back, bro.”
Mike pointed to himself and laughed. “Me? Pull a crazy stunt?” He playfully rolled his eyes. “Never.”
They laughed and traded fist bumps.
Casey’s gaze connected with Mike’s. “I hate it when you disappear underwater for long periods of time, especially now with all of this going on.” She pointed around her. “We don’t know where we are. What if it’s not safe?”
“
Don’t worry,” said Mike, scoping out the water as if he had some kind of brilliant plan playing out in his head. He probably imagined himself riding out of there hanging on to the dorsal fin of a whale, and she knew she hadn’t signed up for that excursion. Dolphins, yes, but a fish as big as a submarine? Maybe not so much.
Mike gave her a quick hug and pushed his floating life jacket toward her. “Hang on to this for me, okay? And try not to look so sad. This isn’t goodbye. Besides, what could possibly go wrong?”
“
You want a list a mile long?” she retorted.
He smirked, then took several large breaths before one giant gulp, and dove under the water with a splash.
She called after him, her voice anxious. “Mike, no!”
A trail of bubbles trickled to the surface. Watching his toned, tanned body disappear deeper, Casey pressed her lips into a grim line. “We should go with him.” She peered at Jack, waiting for an answer.
“
Listen, we’d only get in the way. Mike’s our best chance at finding a way out.”
She stared at Mike’s empty life jacket bobbing in the ripples. “What if the water changes to a dark color? He’ll be as blind as a mole, a bat, and a sea cucumber all put together.”
His gaze fixed on her. “It’ll only be for thirty seconds. If anybody can do this, it’s Mike. Remember, he’s a skilled free diver. He’s been diving on one single gulp of air for how many years now?”
She hoped he was right, but somehow Jack’s reassuring words failed to convince her. She slumped on a nearby rock and closed her eyes, waiting for Mike to resurface. The seconds trickled slowly by. By the time the five minutes had passed, she couldn’t stop fidgeting with the hem of her life jacket. The surface remained undisturbed, not a ripple or a bubble in sight.
Where is he?
She pushed off the rock and peered into the water. “Do you think he’s all right?”
Confidence shone in Jack’s weary face. “Caves can have lots of chambers. Maybe he’s found one.”
Casey clutched her yellow vest, her heart racing. She tried to think positively, but it wasn’t an easy task.
What if he got lost, or there’s been a cave-in right on top of him? Even worse, what if he’s run out of air?
“
Hey, can you guys hear me?” Mike’s voice echoed from the other side of the cave wall. “Are you two ready to make a prison break? I can see land, and it’s—wow!—you’re not going to believe it! It’s awesome.”
“
Whoo Hoo!” shouted Jack. “Mike, you rock!”
Casey smiled, and the tears welled up all over again. “He’s okay, and he found a way out.”
Jack’s blue eyes lit up as he grinned. “This is the best news ever!”
She cupped her hands like a megaphone and directed her voice toward the gap high in the rock. “Fantastic! You did it. Catch your breath and hurry back.” She smiled even bigger as Jack’s arms wrapped around her waist and spun her in the deep water.
Minutes passed before Mike emerged with a gasp. Letting out the biggest sigh of relief, she threw her arms around him and relaxed in his embrace. His risk had definitely paid off. He sucked in mouthfuls of air and caught his breath. His green eyes bulged underneath the disheveled mess of blond hair.
Meeting his gaze, Casey asked, “What’s it like down there?”
“
All I can say is…wow! The water turned crystal clear, and I saw everything—I mean everything! There were tropical fish, these cool-looking sponges, twisted rocks, amazing coral beds, and—”
Jack laughed. “Slow down, slow down. You’re talking a million miles an hour.”
Casey loved seeing Mike so excited, especially since he’d found a way out. “Sounds neat.”
He flashed his trademark smile. “It’s awesome! There’re colors down there that Crayola crayons has never even invented! And there’re all kinds of fish I’ve never seen before in my life.” He gave her hand a squeeze and then clapped Jack on the shoulder. “C’mon, guys. I found a hole about two minutes away. There’s an air pocket halfway if you need it.”
She gripped his hands tightly. “Are you sure? I can only hold my breath for a minute. What if I pass out?”
Mike grinned. “Hmm. In that case, I guess I’ll have to carry you out the rest of the way and give you CPR on the surface.”
“
Wouldn’t you love that?” said Jack.
“
I won’t be loving it so much if I have to suck your face too,” shot back Mike.
Jack gagged. “Gross.”
Mouth-to-mouth CPR? Well, that would be one way of getting Mike’s affection.
It sounded like a brilliant plan, minus the passing out part. Casey didn’t want to spend another minute in that cave. “Okay, let’s do this thing.” She slipped off her life jacket, and Jack followed suit.
The water changed to sky blue as Mike turned toward them. “On the count of three. One…two…three!”
She took a long, deep breath and ducked her head under the water.
Mike held Casey’s hand, and they dove deeper under a rocky curtain into a gigantic subterranean chamber. The visibility there was awesome. The high walls were beautifully decorated in a kaleidoscope of marine life; from clusters of colorful anemones to large sponges, coral, and starfish. Thick carpets of strawberry anemones covered the bottom, and Jurassic-sized sea fans swayed in the current, like branches in the wind. Casey noticed every light and shadow and thought how wonderful they would look captured on canvas.
She grinned at passing tropical fish in startling reds, blues, greens, and yellows. There had to be zillions of them. Her eyes opened wide as she noted their sparkling appearance, complex patterns, and vibrant coloration. The spots, stripes, and shapes were all different. She couldn’t identify most of them.
Have we discovered some new, unknown species?
Mike’s blond hair flowed out, waving back and forth to the rhythm of the sea. A stream of bubbles came out of his mouth as he smiled, his eyes wide. He picked up a huge stingray measuring at least five feet across, from wingtip to wingtip. Mike tugged Casey’s arm and pointed directly above them to a swirling hole.
Good. It must be the halfway point where I can catch my breath.
She reached out and touched the gentle giant as it swam out of Mike’s hands and disappeared into the sandy sea bottom.
Too cool!
It felt soft and slimy, like a big, wet Portobello mushroom. She resurfaced in a large air pocket and gasped for air.
Leaning back against the hard rock, Mike asked, “You guys doing okay?”
She kept her arm raised so her head wouldn’t hit the sandy-colored and white marbled roof that looked like melted candle wax. “I’m doing good, thanks.” No way was she going to admit fear. Besides, she was an adventurous girl who was willing to try anything—at least once. “Jack, are you alright?”
He nodded and said between breaths, “This place…it’s incredible…the colors…the fish…” He let out a soft groan and turned away.
She touched his shoulder. “What’s wrong?”
“
I cut my leg on one of the stalagmites, but it’s no biggie.”
“
Oh, man, sorry you got nailed,” said Mike. “You okay?”
“
Yeah, I’m fine. I shouldn’t have swam so close.” Jack’s voice echoed in the small, confined place.
“
Especially since I left the needle and thread at home,” said Casey.
“
You sew about as good as I do painting portraits in your art studio,” he retorted with a smile.
“
That bad, huh? But if I saved your life, who’d care about crooked stitches?” She inched closer. “Let me see your gash.”
Jack clung to the wall, holding back a grimace. “I’m fine, Nurse Nightingale. Besides, it’s the least of our worries.”
Minutes passed. She didn’t like the pressure on her lungs, but she trusted Mike. The sooner she got going, the sooner she’d find herself in an open space again. “The water’s clear. You guys ready?”
They both nodded.
Casey inhaled one last time and dove back down again. She kicked hard to propel herself forward, gliding over a beautiful coral garden. The formations offered vivid patterns, fantastic shapes, weird textures, and unique colors she’d never seen before: bolder, brighter, and more brilliant than any she was used to from what she’d seen on previous dives. Casey couldn’t resist touching a colony of green coral as she swam by. In an instant, the entire colony changed color, from green to red.
The pressure on Casey’s chest increased, and her lungs burned. She gave Mike’s arm a hard tug. He pointed upward to a giant hole in the ragged rock. She struggled, swimming as fast as she could through the natural doorway, and burst through the surface. Sucking in long gulps of air, she noticed radiant sunbeams glinting in Mike’s golden hair and Jack’s blue eyes. They were officially out of the dreary bug hotel and into the beautiful sunshine, and nothing could feel better.