The Dusk

Skull Hill (Drew)

I watched Andie activate her all-purpose mask and dive hastily into the still, icy waters. The rest of the team looked at me, once again shocked by her actions, but I had no time to think. I don't care how mad Andie is at me but she was certainly not going into that water on her own. Especially when she's upset and won't think clearly.

"Drew, no-" Jacob started.

Drew YES! I thought. I want that on a t-shirt.

"I'm sorry Jacob. But I'm not losing Andie."

I pressed the hidden button in my suit on the right part of my neck (near my sternocleidomastoid) and a glass began to form fit onto my face. My nose and mouth had an oxygen filter attached to it and stats began feeding into my SmartMask.

Location... (1.744044, 128.041523)

Oxygen levels... (90%)

Temperature... (10 Celsius... unusually cold)

Pressure... (normal)

My fins extended from my dark gray and black suit shoes and the ice-like temperatures hit me like a truck. This felt like those polar-bear swims that literally no one likes. My lungs briefly constricted and my legs powered me deeper, following Andie's light. I could switch into a shark, but I need my SmartMask stats to affirm that a), I'm still following Andie, and b), where she's going is safe.

Temperature... (unusually cold)

Thermal measures activated.

Approaching object! WARNING! WARNING!

I panicked, my mask flashing red as I turned around. Thankfully, I only saw the warm and concerned faces of my team.

Incoming message from JACOB JOUBERT: We're following you.

Incoming message from BRYN OLIVEIRA: Go get your girl, Drew.

I blushed a little, and felt a sense of pride. "Your girl"... My girl. Andie.

My orb helped guide me father down, and my ears began to feel a little pressure, even though we were already miles beneath the surface. I guess I'm cool like that.

[ANDIE LOST SIGNAL]

I abruptly turned around to the group and they had the same confused and alarmed faces as I did. I held down a digital yellow circle on my FBI watch and spoke through my mask as an unseen microphone picked up my words.

"Andie? Come in Andie. Andie Myeong, report to Drew Vasiliev immediately after receiving this message."

Silence.

"Andie?" I started with a softer tone. "Andie we really need you to come in, I have to make sure you're okay."

WARNING. WARNING. TAKE SHELTER IMMEDIATELY. CAVE FALL IN APPROXIMATELY ¼ MILE FROM LOCATION. UNKNOWN IF SURROUNDING AREA IS SAFE.

сыр и крекеры. Andie.

"SmartMask, track location of fall in."

Tracking... COORDINATES FOUND. Would you like directions to the fall in?

"Yes."

Incoming message from BENJAMIN TREMBLAY: No sweat Drew, we're still on your tail. Swim as fast as you can. If we lose sight of you, we have your tracker.

I swam as fast as I could, my legs burning and my heart pounding, trying to see through the pitch black water. When I finally made it to the coordinates, I had no idea what I was looking at at first.

"Ember, I need help. Can you find weak rock? There was already a fall in, and it looks to be internal since we can't see an opening, but Andie has at least turned into a nurse shark. Who knows if the cave was open and is currently blocked."