ASHES OF HER MERCY
We broke the surface into a chaotic world of roaring wind and screaming alarms.
I gasped, choking wildly, cold air and salt water tearing through my lungs as I coughed uncontrollably. The air burned like acid. All around us, the ocean was covered in a thick layer of burning oil, floating debris, and black smoke. The stern of the Vance Empress was gone, swallowed by the waves, leaving only the burning bow tilting high into the sky before sliding into the deep with a sickening roar.
"I have her! Secure the line!" a voice roared beside me.