Rogue Wave (Aka the Palmyra Impact) by Morrison Boyd

Author:Morrison, Boyd [Morrison, Boyd]
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Published: 2011-01-14T19:10:32+00:00

Chapter 43

11:55 AM

17 minutes to Third Wave

The fast-flowing water whisked Kai toward the doorway of the condo facing the ocean. He flailed his arms, hoping to find something solid to grasp. The wildly roving spot from the dive light tied to his arm showed the entry rush by. As he tumbled through the hallway, his hand brushed against the doorway of the opposite apartment. He whipped his body around and slapped his fingers onto the jamb's edge.

His progress stopped, but Kai was still without an air supply. He had less than two minutes before his lungs would require air.

He thought about trying to swim back toward the air tanks, but the current had to be above 20 knots. It was all he could do just to hold on. Pieces of debris pelted his head, but he concentrated only on the fading grip he had on the door jamb.

Kai had two very simple choices, neither of which was very appealing: he could either hold on until his breath ran out in hopes that the water flowing out would lower itself to his level, or he could let go and try to swim for the surface, getting towed out to sea in the process. Kai knew that very few people who were dragged out by a tsunami lived to tell the tale. In fact, most of them were never even found.

On the other hand, if he did hold on and ran out of air, he would drown and be dragged out to sea anyway. Kai decided to take his chances at a few more minutes of life, so he prepared to let go and swim for it.

Just before he released his grip, he noticed that he could make out vague forms where the dive light wasn't pointing. The murky water was getting brighter; Kai must have been nearer to the surface than he thought. Sunlight streamed from the direction of the condo windows, meaning fresh air couldn't be more than ten or twenty feet above him. With that realization, he decided to stick it out for another minute, or until he panicked, whichever came first.

The room got brighter and brighter until he could actually see some of the shapes around him without the light: the edge of the door, the pattern of the wood parquet on the floor, the pieces of flowered wallpaper that hadn't been ripped away. Just a few more seconds. His lungs were on fire, but he willed himself to make it.

Kai took a chance and inched himself up the edge of the door, hoping that he would be exposed to the air that much quicker. In short order, he reached the ceiling just as a new sound filled his ears: the unmistakable roar of water falling. At the same time, a blessed air pocket opened above his head. Kai thrust his face upwards, careful to maintain his grip, and gulped in a huge breath.

The water level dropped faster than an unplugged bathtub as it shot past him into Malama Bay.

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