Danger In The Deep. Karen Kirst
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My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.
—James 1:2–4
Acknowledgments
Rachel Richardson, Sleep in the Deep educator—Rachel, I’m sure you weren’t expecting me to actually follow through with my idea! I appreciate the time you took to answer my questions throughout this lengthy process. Your knowledge was invaluable in creating my heroine, as well as grasping aquarium operations.
J.T. Young—I appreciate your insight into what it means to be a USMC helicopter pilot. Thank you for tpatiently answering my many questions.
Andrew Benson—Thank you for sharing your diving knowledge and helping me craft plausible situations suited to an aquarium.
Jeff Sardella—Thank you for providing a clear understanding of light aircraft procedures and helping me with those all-important details.
Dan Rowe—You may not remember our chat last year, but I still have the notes. Thanks for telling me about your experiences as a USMC pilot.
Any mistakes are my own.
Contents
Note to Readers
Olivia Smith entered the North Carolina Coastal Aquarium’s vast ocean tank and slowly maneuvered through the balmy water. Something felt off about this dive. Her wet suit was uncomfortable. Her air cylinder was heavier than usual. She was having trouble adjusting to the rush of compressed gas and—for a terrifying moment—experienced a suffocating sensation. Bubbles spurted past her eyes, and the gurgling sound that accompanied being underwater pulsed in her ears.
Focus. There’s no reason to panic. No one has drowned in this tank, and you’re not about to be the first.
She concentrated on regulating her breathing and calming her agitated mind. This had nothing to do with her scuba gear and everything to do with the unpleasant night ahead—playing tour guide for a man who could barely tolerate her.
US Marine Corps pilot Captain Brady Johnson was her late husband’s best friend, and he was on his way to her aquarium. More specifically, he was coming for tonight’s Sleep with the Sharks overnight program. Olivia would be stuck with him the entire night as she guided his group of at-risk youth on an after-hours behind-the-scenes tour.
While Derek was alive, she and Brady had played nice. Well, she hadn’t been playing. She genuinely liked Brady, and it hurt that he didn’t feel the same. Now that Derek was gone, she didn’t know how to act around the standoffish pilot.
Their one and only green sea turtle, Terry, swam over to greet her. He was an aquarium favorite. He had survived a collision with a boat propeller and had lost one of his back legs, yet he’d retained his innate curiosity. He noticed her co-diver, Erin, and swam over to say hello. Beneath