Alex kept himself from panicking at the sight of such an enormous creature, knowing that the stress would only cause him to use up his body’s oxygen too quickly. Instead he swam for the door, where the eel had been, and searched for the button or lever that the eel had used. As he searched, his eyes glanced to Spike, who swam around wildly at the top of the cage.
Beyond the cage, Alex looked straight into the middle floor of the strange island. He could see some activity, but he knew he couldn’t concentrate on it. A moment later Carina caught Alex’s eye. She waved frantically to get his attention and pointed. Floating near the top of the cage, tiny and limp and seemingly lifeless, was Ms. Octavia. No wonder she hadn’t come back up. The eel had gotten her, too! There was no time to waste.
Alex lit a blinding highlighter and pulled himself along the door until he found a round carving in the glass. Inside there was a wire. Was that the door opener? He pushed his fist into the space and pressed the wire as hard as he could.
Nothing happened.
He pressed it again, pushing and swimming against it, trying to get some force behind it. But it was no use. Desperately, he searched for another button or lever or something that would trigger the opening of the door. But there was nothing.
He pounded on the door, trying to wake up Octavia, but her body looked wrung out, squeezed by the eel. There was nothing they could do. Alex, Sean, and Carina looked at each other, knowing they didn’t have time for anything else anyway—their lungs were growing uncomfortable. They needed to get to the surface.
Alex took a single glance through the cage to the area where he’d last seen Lani, but there was no one there now. Had they made it out? Or had they been captured?
He pounded once more on the glass and then, giving up, pointed to the surface. As they rose, Alex saw a familiar flash of light. Spike had heard his tiny pounding and moved over to the glass wall where Alex had been. Alex hesitated, and then, motioning to the others to go ahead, he turned back and went to the glass where Spike was, putting his hands against the cage.
“Spike Furious,” Alex said. They’d all practiced speaking underwater during their training time, and now he did his best to sound as clear as possible without using up too much air. The words sent bubbles floating upward. He stabbed a finger into his chest. “Alex.” The whale pressed her side up against the glass where Alex’s hands were, lining herself up perfectly with where his hands had been when he brought her to life.
She knows! His face lit up. “We’re coming back. Hang on!”
Spike seemed to calm down. Her eyes followed him as he pushed back from the glass and began to make his way to the surface, carefully and deliberately, and, as always, watching out for the eel.
When he broke through the surface and waved the squirrelicorns away so they wouldn’t pluck him out of the water, Alex knew they were running out of options. As soon as he caught his breath, he looked up at Simber, shielding his eyes now that the sun was finally coming up. Sean and Carina floated nearby.
“Big problems,” Alex said, his chest still heaving in the water. “Ms. Octavia’s in the cage. We can’t get it open.” He filled his lungs with air and let it out again. He had to catch his breath before he could go down that far again.
“Sean and Carrrina filled me in,” Simber said.
Alex nodded his thanks. “I think the eel sends some sort of electric shock through the wire that it uses to control the door.”
“Speaking of the eel, you guys keep talking. I’m going to be the lookout.” Carina ducked down under the surface again.
“Has anyone returned from Operation Copper?” Sean asked.
“Not yet,” Simber said.
“Sim,” Alex said, “I hate to do this.” He pushed his shock of wet curls out of his eyes. “I’m afraid we need you . . . to . . .” Alex pressed his lips together and looked down at the water.
Simber regarded Alex. He closed his eyes for a long moment. And then he opened them again. “I’ll do whateverrr it takes. But I’m worrried I won’t have the momentum I need. And I don’t want to hurrrt anyone.”
“We don’t have a choice,” Alex said in a low voice. “It’s the only way. We’re out of time.”
Simber nodded. “I’ll need to get sufficient airrrspeed. You head down firrrst and warrrn them. Push them to the north end of the cage.”
Carina popped up, catching the tail end of the conversation. “No eel,” she said.
Alex looked at her. “Can you head down? Sean, you too. I’ll follow in a minute.”
A second later, Sean and Carina went back below the surface. Alex looked at Simber. “Is there any way you could be destroyed doing this? The glass is very thick.”
“In waterrr?” Simber chuckled. “No chance. I’ll just need something to push off from to get back up again after it’s over. It might take a few trrries. Orrr I’ll climb up on top of the volcano and rrride up with it the next time it goes. You don’t have to worrry about me.”
“Okay. That’s a relief. I’m going back down. You’re very brave.”
“Orrr stupid. I’m heading up. See you shorrrtly.” Simber lifted up, then looked back. “And stay farrr out of my way.”
“I will!” Alex rolled his eyes as the statue ascended, and muttered, “Trust me. I will.”
“I can still hearrr you.”
Alex shook his head, sucked in an enormous breath, and swam back down toward the cage. It was now or never.