Chapter 2

"Hello, am I speaking with the lead technician for the deep-sea rescue?"

The voice on the other end was steady and arrogant. It had been ten years, but I still recognized it.

"That's me. Go ahead."

My own voice was nothing like it used to be. A decade of deep-sea work, between the breathing equipment and the harsh conditions, had done irreversible damage to it.

"Good. This is Griffin Lattimer, from Lattimer Maritime Group. I assume you've already reviewed the situation." He paused briefly. "Name your price."

"I'm not taking the job."

The line went quiet for a moment, then he laughed. "I'm sorry. Did I not make myself clear? I said, name your price. Whatever you want."

"I said no."

"$50 million." There was not a trace of hesitation in his voice, as though he had just tossed out a number at random.

"$50 million in cash. You’ll get half when you go down, and the other half when you bring her up. This is a once-in-a-lifetime offer.”

I said nothing. He took my silence for deliberation and raised the stakes.

"If you'd prefer equity, that works too. Half a percent of Lattimer Maritime in your name, with annual dividends—"

"Mr. Lattimer." I cut him off. "When I said no, I was not negotiating."

His breathing grew heavier on the other end. "Tell me why."

"I don't need a reason. I have the right to refuse any job.”

"The right?" His voice turned cold.

"Do you have any idea what's happening down there? Over 3,000 feet deep, the submersible’s hull is already deforming. There’s a human life inside there."

"I know."

"You know? Yet you're just going to turn me down like that?" He was speaking faster now.

"You're the only person around here who can dive to those depths, yet you won't even think about it. Do you realize you're leaving someone to die?"

My hand tightened around the phone. "Leaving someone to die? Mr. Lattimer, that's an interesting choice of words, coming from you."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing." My voice stayed level.

"The point is, I can’t take this job. Find someone else."

"There is no one else!" He was nearly shouting.

"I've done the research. You're the only person with the capability and the equipment to descend those waters right now. If you won't do it, you owe me a reason."

"Then there is nothing I can do for you."

He drew a deep breath, forcing his anger down. "Listen to me very carefully."

His voice dropped low, every word ground out through clenched teeth. "I don't care what your reasons are or what your attitude is. I'm giving you two hours to reconsider. If your answer is still the same after that, you and that little base of yours can kiss goodbye to this industry."

I closed my eyes and gripped the phone tighter.

"Mr. Lattimer, save your time for yourself. If you don't start looking into other options now, you can forget about getting your daughter back alive. You might not even be able to recover her body."

"You—"

"Good luck."

I hung up.

Brody poked his head in from the doorway, studying my expression. He clearly wanted to speak but was unsure whether he should. "Maren, that Lattimer guy... Did he just threaten you?"

I slid the phone back into my pocket and bent down to continue checking on the equipment. "He can't touch me."

"But he..." Brody hesitated. "He said he'd shut the base down."

"He can say whatever he wants. I don't owe him anything."

Brody did not ask again, but before he turned to leave, I caught the look on his face. It was hard to read.

"Maren, what exactly happened between you and that man?"

I tightened the last valve, stood up, and wiped my hands.

"He owes me a life."