outfitted. And unlike yesterday, being in a group gave everyone a much better level of protection.
Why did I go diving by myself yesterday? she wondered. It was really reckless of me.
Hans pointed ahead at the coral reef and Annja saw a moray eel poking its head out of the crevice in the formation. She nodded back at Hans and they continued on.
Spier seemed only marginally interested in the reef life itself. He never paused and Annja could see the strength of his leg muscles as they slowly powered him deeper into the depths. For an eighty-year-old man, Spier had remarkable strength and he seemed to have an endless supply of it.
Annja might have wondered what his diet was if she hadn’t seen him devour a ton of fish, beef and pork last night. He seemed to eat whatever he pleased and not suffer for it. But then again, he was also extremely active for his age. Maybe his metabolism had something to do with his extraordinary health.
Spier led them along, past the part of the coral reef where she’d met the shark. Annja was surprised. I thought we’d start with exploring this part of the reef, she thought.
She glanced at Hans, but he didn’t seem to notice.
Annja poked him and he turned. Annja gave him an inquisitive look but he only winked and then pointed for Annja to follow Spier’s lead.
What was going on here?
Annja kicked her legs, pleased that her head hadn’t started aching once she’d descended. The last thing she wanted was to prove Dr. Tiko right by coming back ashore with a worse headache than how she’d shown up yesterday.
But she felt good. Powerful.
She smiled, tasted the salt water and spat it out around her mouthpiece.
Hans swam ahead of her and Annja churned her legs to catch up. They had gone past a school of surgeonfish and Annja spotted a sea turtle lingering nearby, its hooked beak giving it the appearance of an odd-shaped nose.
Annja felt a lot better seeing it. If the sea turtle was around, the chances of spotting another tiger shark seemed even more remote. Tiger sharks loved to eat sea turtles and their teeth were especially suited for cracking the shells to get to the rich meat inside.
Spier led them farther along the reef and then hovered in the depth of the water. He turned and gestured for Annja to come closer. Annja kicked and moved over to where he floated.
Spier pointed at the area of the reef Annja hadn’t had the chance to explore yesterday. She swam down and looked at the conical-shaped coral.
The formation was very strange.
From her past diving trips, Annja knew that shapes like that didn’t appear naturally.
But if it wasn’t natural, then what was it?
She looked at Spier and gave him a quizzical look. He nodded and pointed to another area. Annja glanced around. Heinkel and Mueller had already branched off from the team and were exploring on the other side of the reef. She looked at Hans and he pointed in the same direction that Spier had.
So we’re going to split up, Annja thought. All right, then.
She swam over to Hans and they glided along the base of the reef, careful to avoid any dark holes that might conceal more moray eels. A reef shark swam lazily by, barely even glancing at them.
Hans looked at Annja as if to make sure she was okay being that close to a shark. She gave him a thumbs-up and he nodded. They continued swimming.
Finally, Hans had them stop near the edge of the reef. Looking up, Annja could see their boat some distance above. They’d gone down and then moved perhaps a half mile farther away, running the length of the reef.
From where she floated, Annja could make out the drop-off where the reef gave way to much deeper, darker water.
Were they on the edge of some sort of atoll? She frowned. Yesterday it hadn’t seemed like the reef stretched on for such a distance, and yet here they were.
Hans started exploring the base of the reef and Annja followed. They poked and prodded the various outcroppings, but Annja couldn’t see anything that
Why did I go diving by myself yesterday? she wondered. It was really reckless of me.
Hans pointed ahead at the coral reef and Annja saw a moray eel poking its head out of the crevice in the formation. She nodded back at Hans and they continued on.
Spier seemed only marginally interested in the reef life itself. He never paused and Annja could see the strength of his leg muscles as they slowly powered him deeper into the depths. For an eighty-year-old man, Spier had remarkable strength and he seemed to have an endless supply of it.
Annja might have wondered what his diet was if she hadn’t seen him devour a ton of fish, beef and pork last night. He seemed to eat whatever he pleased and not suffer for it. But then again, he was also extremely active for his age. Maybe his metabolism had something to do with his extraordinary health.
Spier led them along, past the part of the coral reef where she’d met the shark. Annja was surprised. I thought we’d start with exploring this part of the reef, she thought.
She glanced at Hans, but he didn’t seem to notice.
Annja poked him and he turned. Annja gave him an inquisitive look but he only winked and then pointed for Annja to follow Spier’s lead.
What was going on here?
Annja kicked her legs, pleased that her head hadn’t started aching once she’d descended. The last thing she wanted was to prove Dr. Tiko right by coming back ashore with a worse headache than how she’d shown up yesterday.
But she felt good. Powerful.
She smiled, tasted the salt water and spat it out around her mouthpiece.
Hans swam ahead of her and Annja churned her legs to catch up. They had gone past a school of surgeonfish and Annja spotted a sea turtle lingering nearby, its hooked beak giving it the appearance of an odd-shaped nose.
Annja felt a lot better seeing it. If the sea turtle was around, the chances of spotting another tiger shark seemed even more remote. Tiger sharks loved to eat sea turtles and their teeth were especially suited for cracking the shells to get to the rich meat inside.
Spier led them farther along the reef and then hovered in the depth of the water. He turned and gestured for Annja to come closer. Annja kicked and moved over to where he floated.
Spier pointed at the area of the reef Annja hadn’t had the chance to explore yesterday. She swam down and looked at the conical-shaped coral.
The formation was very strange.
From her past diving trips, Annja knew that shapes like that didn’t appear naturally.
But if it wasn’t natural, then what was it?
She looked at Spier and gave him a quizzical look. He nodded and pointed to another area. Annja glanced around. Heinkel and Mueller had already branched off from the team and were exploring on the other side of the reef. She looked at Hans and he pointed in the same direction that Spier had.
So we’re going to split up, Annja thought. All right, then.
She swam over to Hans and they glided along the base of the reef, careful to avoid any dark holes that might conceal more moray eels. A reef shark swam lazily by, barely even glancing at them.
Hans looked at Annja as if to make sure she was okay being that close to a shark. She gave him a thumbs-up and he nodded. They continued swimming.
Finally, Hans had them stop near the edge of the reef. Looking up, Annja could see their boat some distance above. They’d gone down and then moved perhaps a half mile farther away, running the length of the reef.
From where she floated, Annja could make out the drop-off where the reef gave way to much deeper, darker water.
Were they on the edge of some sort of atoll? She frowned. Yesterday it hadn’t seemed like the reef stretched on for such a distance, and yet here they were.
Hans started exploring the base of the reef and Annja followed. They poked and prodded the various outcroppings, but Annja couldn’t see anything that
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