ATER STARTED OVERFLOWING the basin.

My eyes darted, searching for escape. Found nothing but solid stone walls.

“What should we do!?” Shelton yelled.

“Stay together!” I said. “We may have to swim out!”

“How!?” Hi shouted. “Where!?”

I tried to concentrate. There had to be a way!

Ben leaped from the platform, hands outstretched, and caught the waterfall’s edge. Incredibly, though pummeled by the flow, he held and tried to pull himself up.

No good. The deluge loosened his grip and washed him to the floor. Ben popped to his feet and yelled in frustration.

We weren’t getting out that way.

“I don’t wanna drown!” Shelton wailed.

I looked down. Water swirled like a vortex inside the pool. If the roof was impossible, that left the floor.

Maybe.

I jumped into the pool and fought my way to the bottom. Water was draining through an opening no wider than a Hula-Hoop. Just not fast enough.

We could squeeze through, but there’s no turning around.

I kicked to the surface and crawled out of the basin.

“What are you doing!?” Shelton screamed.

“I have a plan.” As calm as possible.

The boys gathered close, eager for something, anything.

“We swim out through the bottom of the pool,” I said.

“What!?” Shelton was nearing full-blown panic.

Hi looked at me as if I’d proposed we grow wings and fly.

Ben stood motionless, dripping, neck veins bulging.

“It’s our only chance. The drain must lead somewhere.”

“What if there’s no air?” Hi yelped. “We could drown!”

“The pool might empty into the chasm,” Ben warned. “Straight shot, right into the abyss.”

I blinked back tears. “I don’t have another idea.”

The group stood, paralyzed by indecision. The water was up to our shins, heading for our knees.

“We can’t just wait here to die,” I said.

“Fine,” Ben said. “Let’s go for it.”

“Just like a waterslide.” Hi. Shaky.

“Don’t put me last.” Shelton’s voice cracked. “I won’t be able to do it.”

Ben tapped us, one by one, then himself. “Tory. Shelton. Hi. Then me.”

“I took skin-diving lessons,” Hi said. “Well, one. To maximize oxygen intake you take two deep breaths, then hold the third and go.”

Ben nodded. “Don’t exhale until you have to, then release the air slowly. And don’t panic. Just keep swimming no matter what.”

Inside my backpack was a Ziploc bag. I folded the treasure map, zipped it tight, and crammed the baggie in a pocket.

“Our flashlights are supposedly waterproof.” I didn’t say more. No point.

“I’ll take the lantern,” Ben said.

We’d come down to it. No one wanted to move, but we’d run out of time. The water was at waist level.

I hugged each of them. “I’ll see you in a few seconds!”

Grim faces.

I couldn’t hesitate any longer. If I did, we’d all lose our nerve. Maybe our lives.

I stepped to the pool’s edge and whispered a prayer.

Inhale. Exhale.

Inhale. Exhale.

Long inhale.

Splash.

I dove, kicked hard for the bottom, and fired through the hole. Beyond was an underwater tunnel. I dolphin kicked, hauling with my hands. The flashlight slowed me, but I had no choice. Without it I’d be in total darkness.

Seconds ticked by in my head.

Eight …

Nine …

Ten …

The tunnel veered left, then angled downward. My beam barely dented the inky black. I dragged myself forward, arms aching. To my horror, another flooded channel stretched before me.

Fifteen …

Sixteen …

Seventeen …

Panic threatened, but I shoved it aside. Dribbling air from my lips, I struggled on. Ahead, the channel descended even more sharply.

Twenty-two …

Twenty-three …

Twenty-four …

Desperate, I kicked harder, arcing the light wildly. Ten feet ahead lay another bend.

My lungs burned. I was out of time.

Primal terrors howled full throat in my brain.

SNAP.

The flare blasted through me.

I coughed out my last remaining oxygen. Gagged on seawater.

The walls closed in.

I was done.

Then I saw it.

Just around the bend, the roof of the tunnel bubbled upward.

Dropping my flashlight, I thrust with both arms. When I broke the surface, my head nearly slammed into the low ceiling.

Air pocket!

Thank God!

I gulped greedy mouthfuls of air.

Inside, my powers raged. Images flashed from some hidden corner of my psyche. Thoughts burned in my skull.

Somewhere, I knew Coop howled.

More images formed. Shelton. Hi. Ben.

Underwater. Gripped with panic. Losing faith.

As I gasped and sputtered, my brain fired a message.

Air pocket at the third bend! Don’t give up!

I could feel the thought knife into each of them. Their minds latched on and their limbs paddled madly.

Shelton’s head broke the surface. I dragged him to me with one hand. Hi appeared next, hacking and spitting. Then Ben’s face erupted from the liquid.

“Everyone okay?” I yelled.

The boys were too shell-shocked to answer. Only Hi still held his flashlight.

We treaded water, clinging to projections from the tunnel wall.

I noticed that none of the boys were flaring.

“What’d you do?” Hi backhanded water from his eyes. “I heard you inside my head!”

“You saved me!” Shelton said. “I was all turned around!”

“Later.” Ben was still breathing hard. “We have to get out of here.”

“Follow me,” I said.

We swam down the tunnel, using a stone outcropping to pull ourselves along. I thanked the heavens for our last remaining flashlight, and prayed it wouldn’t fail.

Then we hit another dead end.

“Oh no!” Shelton wailed.

“Shh!”

My ears picked up a familiar sound. My nose identified a familiar scent.

Waves crashing. Sand.

“We’re near a beach!” I said. “I can hear the surf!”

“Promise?” Shelton sniffled in the darkness.

“Promise.” I glanced down. The water seemed deeper, but I couldn’t tell how much. “Wait here a sec.”

Holding my breath, I sank to the bottom of the channel. Through the murk, my glowing eyes detected a diffuse light. An opening, several yards ahead. I rose to the surface.

“We’re going to have to dive again,” I said. “Follow my light. I won’t let you down.”

“Just get us out of here, Tory.” Hi was near his breaking point. “Now, if you don’t mind.”

“Will do. Ready?”

“Ready.” Times three.

Inhale. Exhale.

Inhale. Exhale.

Long inhale.

Splash.

I kicked forward, then through the gap into a murky sea cave. The others were right behind.

The surface was twenty feet above. Beyond it, moonlight.

Treading in place underwater, I pushed Hi and Shelton past me. Ben was just behind. We fired to the surface as one.

My head struck something hard. Light exploded between my eyes. I sank, stunned. The flashlight slipped from my fingers.

SNUP.

The power fizzled.

My mind drifted. The world grew fuzzy.

A hand grabbed my arm, yanked hard, dragging me upward. Lightheaded, I allowed myself to be pulled.

My head broke the surface. I took a giant breath.

“Tory!” Ben’s face was inches from mine. “You okay?”

“Fine,” I said. “Dandy. I bonked my head.”

Ben looked at me oddly. “Let’s get to shore.”

“Shore?”

Ben smiled for the first time. “Look around.”

I did. Knew the place.

We were floating just off the Battery, at the very tip of the downtown peninsula. We’d traveled roughly seven blocks underground.

Hi and Shelton waved from a staircase embedded in the seawall.

“An easy way up for once!” Shelton sounded ecstatic.

Ben and I paddled to the steps and slip-slid up to street level. The four of us crossed into White Point Gardens, found a park bench, and collapsed.

My watch was missing. I had no idea of the time.

But dawn was purpling the eastern sky.

Beside me, Hi broke into laughter, sides shaking with spasms of uncontrolled amusement.

“What?” The sound was infectious. I felt a smile tickle my lips.

“Say hi to our buddies.” Hi jabbed a thumb over his shoulder.

I turned, came face-to-face with a monument dedicated to Stede Bonnet and his pirate cronies. I nearly busted a gut.

Cackling, Shelton stumbled to the big hunk of granite. Kicked it twice. Hard.

“Thanks for nothing, you jerks! Tell your buddy Anne we don’t accept IOUs.”

Ben guffawed, reigniting the rest of us. We let the giggles flow, taking the tension with them.

“Do you guys have any idea how screwed I am?” Hi moaned. “My mother gets up in ten minutes.”

“I feel you,” Shelton said. “I’m just as toast.”

“No point worrying about it now,” Ben said. “We survived. We can take whatever comes next.”

Definitely. Kit was going to filet me, but at the moment, that seemed trivial.

“Let’s enjoy the fresh air for a while,” I said.

So we sat, side by side, and watched the sunrise.