Chapter 2

“Ethan, are you kidding me?”

David, the dispatcher at the command center, chuckled, as if he genuinely didn’t understand what I was saying.

“Last year, during the floods, you dove alone into forty meters of murky water and pulled that kid out of the shipwreck, didn’t you?”

“You’re the record holder for live underwater rescues. No offense, but if you say you can’t go down, then no one in this country can!”

He paused, a hint of playfulness still in his voice.

“You’re telling me you can’t handle this level of a rescue?”

“I’m not kidding.”

“Ethan…”

“I’m serious. I can’t take this mission. Find someone else, don’t waste time with me.”

After that, I hung up.

But before I could even zip up my gear bag, the door burst open.

Hayes practically stumbled in, his forehead slick with sweat.

“Ethan,” he braced himself against the doorframe, his chest heaving, “You… you can’t leave yet.”

“Hayes, there’s nothing to discuss.”

“Just hear me out first.”

He closed the door, leaning his back against it as if afraid I’d walk right out.

“You know Gale Creek Bay’s conditions. Our regular teams have been searching for two hours. Three teams have rotated through, and they haven’t found a trace.”

He paused, lowering his voice.

“The boy who’s missing, his dad is Marcus, the owner of the biggest commercial diving equipment company in the country. His mom, Olivia, she used to be a diving team captain, too.”

“Without their funding for the rescue team all these years, where would we get all this top-notch equipment…”

“Then use the equipment to search.”

I cut him off. “Since the underwater search equipment is so advanced, it’s not like I absolutely have to go down.”

I picked up my bag, ready to leave, but Hayes rushed forward and grabbed my arm, holding it tight.

“All the equipment has been used! Sonar can’t reach all the blind spots, we still need divers to search by hand!”

“Ethan, if we weren’t utterly desperate, I wouldn’t be begging you.”

I didn’t respond. Hayes paced frantically, stomping his foot.

“Ethan, are you worried about safety?”

“Gale Creek Bay is dangerous, I admit, but I guarantee you, the shore support is top-tier.”

“Dry suits, spare oxygen tanks, underwater comms – whatever you need, I’ll get you. I’ll stake my life on your safety!”

“Hayes, it’s not a safety issue.”

“Then what is it?”

“Personal reasons.”

“Personal…”

His voice rose a notch. “Ethan, there’s a ten-year-old kid down there, and you’re telling me ‘personal reasons’?”

By then, the news of my refusal to dive had spread.

Rescue team members gathered in small groups around the doorway.

“Ethan, you’re the benchmark for our rescue team! If you don’t take it, who else would dare?”

“What kind of legend? Stop praising him. I think he’s just a coward, scared to die.”

Curses erupted, one after another.

I showed no expression, glancing down at my watch.

“Hayes, you’ve wasted another five minutes.”

“I don’t want this mission. You can find someone else. Time is running out. I suggest you start the rescue immediately.”

Ignoring their attempts to stop me, I turned to leave without a word.

A voice from the back of the crowd rang out.

“Ethan, your sister… she died in Gale Creek Bay, didn’t she? How can you be so heartless, just leaving someone to die?!”