Take My Breath Away

"They're new?" Wesley asked. "How new?"

"They started work yesterday," the man answered.

Wesley punched the door furiously. "So you let a couple greenhorns pilot the boat?"

The sailor was frightened. Wesley was intimidating even when he wasn't angry. But now, he was enraged. "It's not like that," the sailor explained hurriedly. "They're qualified. They've got all the required certificates, and they have a lot of experience."

Based on this, Wesley realized that Carlos and Debbie had been set up. The most important thing was to track down their boat and rescue them.

Soon, Blair found Kinsley. He was trying to get Stephanie to take a dip with him. "Hey Kinsley! Debbie and Carlos are in trouble," she told him. "Wesley wants you to grab some boats to find Carlos and Debbie."

Kinsley was holding Stephanie in his arms. When Blair said her piece, he let go of Carlos' fiancee instantly.

As a result, Stephanie fell into the water with a splash. She thrashed around and swallowed some seawater, choking as she spit it out.

She was about to get angry, but she realized the news was about Carlos. She got out of the water, grabbed Blair's hand and asked, "What happened?"

"I don't know. Wesley asked me to find people, have them hop in a boat, and try to find them." Blair didn't stick around to talk with Stephanie. She had to let Niles know too.

Meanwhile, underwater, Debbie tried to calm down. She broke the surface. Finally she could breathe, and the storm had passed over them.

The island Carlos told her about seemed to be closer, close enough to swim to. She swam towards it as fast as she could.

After a while, she had to take a break. She panted hard and put a hand over her eyes to shield them from the sun. The island still looked quite far away, and now she lost track of Carlos.

"Carlos!" she shouted, tears in her eyes. She couldn't even hear an echo. The sea was quiet, and swallowed her words. No one answered her.

She couldn't panic. Carlos had coached her on saving her energy. If she relaxed, she could float. Debbie had to make it to the island.

So she swam and swam. Her legs ached and started cramping up. 'One more, ju

n.

Carlos and Debbie stood in the under-chest-high water and watched. The brutal sight shocked Debbie. "That thing was scary. Why didn't the shark fight back?"

Eyes fixed on the ongoing feast, Carlos explained, "If they're knocked over, they faint. Then they're easy prey. Killer whales know this. Everyone thinks the shark is a powerful killer. It is, but the orca is even more powerful."

His remarks surprised Debbie. "I remember now. There was one at the aquarium when I took Piggy there. I thought he was adorable. I didn't expect it to be so fierce."

"They look cute, but they are dangerous. Just not so much to us. They want to play with us, thinking we're just another mammal."

Debbie was scared. With a pasty face, she started dragging Carlos towards the shore. "Okay, let's get out of here before it decides it's feeling playful!"

Her flustered and lovely demeanor amused him. Instead of leaving, he led Debbie closer to the killer whale, smiling the whole time.

"Are you crazy?" she yelled with fright.

Carlos kissed her on the lips to comfort her. Then he pushed a lock of wet and disheveled hair out of her eye and said, "Don't move."

Debbie calmed down. But what she saw next alarmed her again. Carlos was waving at the fed killer whale! Her mouth went instantly dry from fear. After a hard swallow, she asked him, "Level with me. Did you hire the two men on the boat? Are you with James? Are you here to kill me?"