Chapter 4

Elaina Valencia POV:

The thrumming intensified, rattling the very structure of the crippled submersible. My mind, still swimming in the murky depths of near-unconsciousness, tried to dismiss it as a hallucination. The brain playing tricks, a cruel joke before the final surrender.

But the sound persisted, growing louder, more distinct. It wasn't a trick. It was real.

A blinding white light pierced through the swirling snow and gloom outside, cutting through the viewport. It locked onto our position, a stark, accusing finger pointing directly at the damaged sub.

Jeffery and Jaden, still in the control room, froze. Their faces, pale with fear, turned towards the light. Confusion, then alarm, flickered in their eyes. They hadn't expected this.

The thudding of rotor blades filled the entire cave. A massive Coast Guard helicopter, emblazoned with its distinctive orange and blue markings, hovered directly above the fissure, its powerful downwash whipping the snow and debris into a frenzy.

A cable unspooled, and a figure, clad in a heavy-duty rescue suit, descended with practiced ease. He moved with a sense of purpose, his eyes scanning the wreckage, ignoring the startled faces of Jeffery and Jaden. He headed straight for me.

"Hey! You can't just barge in here!" Jeffery, recovering his composure, stepped forward, his publicist's voice laced with indignation. "This is a restricted research site! Plus, the structural integrity of this chamber is compromised! It's not safe!"

The rescuer didn't even pause. He simply raised a gloved hand, pushing Jeffery aside with a firm, almost dismissive gesture. Jeffery stumbled, caught off guard.

The rescuer knelt beside me, his gaze sweeping over my battered body, the damaged suit, the blood from my head wound. His movements were swift, efficient, professional.

"Hypoxia, hypothermia, head trauma, probable fractured wrist," he murmured to himself, his voice calm amidst the chaos. He turned to the two other rescuers now descending. "Get the medic kit! Stabilize her vitals! Move!"

His team moved with precision, a well-oiled machine.

Jeffery, regaining his footing, bristled. "What are you talking about? She's fine! Just a little dramatic! She's been causing problems all day!"

The rescuer looked up, his eyes, framed by the visor of his helmet, were cold, piercing. "She activated an emergency beacon, Mr. Castillo. A distress signal. Her life is in critical danger."

Jeffery paled. "A... a beacon? Impossible! All our comms were down! And she certainly didn't activate anything!" He stammered, his eyes darting to Jaden, then back to the rescuer.

The rescuer ignored him, gently taking my pulse with his gloved fingers. His touch was firm, yet surprisingly gentle. "Elaina," he said, his voice softer now. "Can you hear me? We've got you. You're going to be okay."

He knew my name.

His team was already working, attaching monitors, administering an oxygen mask. The rush of pure oxygen to my lungs was a dizzying sensation, a pure, exquisite relief.

The rescuer turned back to Jeffery, his voice a low, dangerous rumble. "You left her here, didn't you? In this condition? After she activated a distress signal?"

Jeffery puffed out his chest, trying to regain some semblance of authority. "Who are you? You have no right to question me! I'm the expedition leader!"

The rescuer slowly removed his helmet, revealing a stern, unyielding face, framed by dark, short-cropped hair. His eyes, a startling shade of blue, held a quiet intensity. "Captain Alaric Williams," he stated, his voice devoid of inflection. "U.S. Coast Guard, Deep-Sea Search and Rescue. And right now, Mr. Castillo, I'm in charge."

He pulled out a satellite phone, his gaze never leaving Jeffery's face. He dialed, then held the phone to his ear, his eyes still locked on Jeffery. "This is Captain Williams. I'm on site. Submersible Poseidon's Eye." He paused, listening. "I need to speak with George Campos, immediately. Tell him it's regarding his expedition."

Jeffery's face went ashen. George Campos. The head of the Oceanographic Institute. His sponsor. His financial lifeline.

A gruff voice boomed from the other end of the line, audible even over the helicopter's roar. "Castillo! What the hell is going on down there?!"

Jeffery stammered, "Mr. Campos! Sir! There's been a... misunderstanding! Elaina... she had a breakdown! She's been very erratic! She attacked Jaden, damaged the equipment herself!" He shot a desperate glance at Jaden, who nodded vigorously, her eyes wide with feigned terror.

Mr. Campos' s voice, now a furious roar, crackled through the phone. "Captain Williams just told me your lead engineer, Elaina Valencia, activated a personal emergency beacon! She's on the verge of death! And you're telling me she's 'erratic'?! You abandoned her?!" There was a pause, a pregnant silence. Then, a final, chilling declaration. "Jeffery Castillo, you are officially fired. Effective immediately. And I promise you, I will be pursuing criminal charges for attempted negligent homicide. Don't leave that site. Do you understand?!"

Jeffery' s jaw dropped. He stared at the phone, then at Alaric, then at me, his eyes wide with a dawning horror.

Jaden let out a small, terrified shriek, burying her face in her hands.

Alaric calmly ended the call, stowing the phone in a pouch on his suit. He looked at Jeffery, his blue eyes like chips of ice. "You'll be hearing from my legal team, Mr. Castillo. And the authorities. They're already en route."

He turned his back on Jeffery, signaling to his team. With a practiced motion, they secured me to a stretcher. Alaric himself climbed onto the cable, cradling my head, his gaze steady, reassuring.

As we ascended, rising slowly out of the wreckage, I caught a final glimpse of Jeffery. He stood there, alone in the flickering light of the crippled submersible, his face a mask of utter despair. The once-charming publicist, now just a hollow shell.