The Ascent

The climb was a nightmare. The rock was slick with algae. Declan went first, finding footholds, then hauling Ivy up. She was stronger than she looked, driven by the adrenaline of survival.

Below them, the cave flooded. The ledge where they had been standing disappeared under the churning black water. If they had waited five more minutes, they would have been dead.

They reached the fissure. It opened into a dry, brick-lined tunnel. The air smelled of mold and earth.

"The basement," Ivy panted, collapsing against the wall. "This leads to the wine cellar."

Declan stripped off his heavy tanks and weight belt. He kept the dive knife strapped to his calf.

"We get to the house," Declan said. "We get a car. We get to the ferry."

"The ferry doesn't run at night," Ivy said. "Especially not in this storm."

"Then we find a radio. We call the Coast Guard."

Ivy looked at him. Her eyes were dark, unreadable in the gloom. She reached out and took his hand. Her fingers were ice cold.

"Thank you," she whispered. "You came for me. No one ever comes for me."

Declan felt a pang in his chest. "I needed to clear my debt."

"You did more than that," she said.

They moved through the tunnel. It sloped upward. Finally, they reached a heavy wooden door. Declan pushed it open.

They emerged into the wine cellar of the Blackwood Estate. Rows of dusty bottles lined the walls.

"We're safe," Ivy breathed.

The lights clicked on.

Standing at the top of the stairs, holding a suppressed pistol, was Kael. Behind him stood two other security guards.

"Safe," Kael repeated, a cruel smile touching his lips. "That's an interesting word for it."