Makayla clamped her lips tightly together to prevent the air in her lungs from escaping. She allowed the weight of the backpack to pull her down below the surface of the water. Once she felt sure that she was down far enough not to be seen, she struggled to push the straps weighing her down off her shoulders and let it drop to the bottom. Kicking her legs, she swam underwater until she could make out one of the pillars holding up the dock. Only then did she slowly release the air she was holding and silently rise to the surface.
It took every bit of her scuba diving training not to gasp out for air once she reached the surface. Instead, she treaded water, keeping her head above the waves, and peered through the slats in the dock. Just as she feared, a moment later she saw the dark shadow
