Chapter 1
Everything was still and people’s screams faded into the background. I was terrified, but I knew there was only one way to go. Down. I took a deep breath and dove off the gravel rock. It felt like I was falling forever. The air whooshed past my skin, and even though people were cheering and shouting, I couldn’t hear them. All I heard was the whooshing of the air as I plummeted down to the warm ocean below.
Splash! I hit the water like a torpedo, and my speed sent me far deep into the ocean. When my head broke the surface, people erupted in cheers. One of them pulled me up onto the boat, and I grabbed a clean towel and a soda, and sat down next to my boyfriend Xavier.
“You stayed underwater so long I was afraid you weren’t coming back up,” Xavier said in a concerned tone.
“I did a straight dive, and you know I like to dive deep,” I said mulishly.
“Just please be careful,” Xavier said.
“You know I’m careful.”
But he did make a fair point. I can be reckless, but hey, it’s kinda in the job description of an explorer.
“Hey diamond, how long are we here in Australia?” asked the captain, mission planner, and map maker, or as we all call him, Griffin.
“Four more days,” I said
“Doing what?” asked Xavier.
“First, we need to pick up some supplies in town,” Griffin said before I could answer.
“Do we need supplies?” Xavier challenged.
“Why else would we be going into town?” Griffin countered.
Griffin and Xavier had always clashed a little bit. It never got in the way of missions, but it was slightly annoying.
“Where’s the nearest town?” asked Xavier, cutting into my thoughts.
“I think It’s about 10 miles,” I said, pulling out my phone and opening Google Maps.
“There’s no internet out here,” I said, pulling out a paper map of Australia.
“Fifteen miles. You were five miles off,” Xavier said, glancing over my shoulder.
“Where to after here?” Griffin raised at me.
“Amazon rainforest.”
“And what will we do there? Are you and Xavier going to ride off into the sun set?” Griffin said sarcastically.
“I don’t know yet,” I said, glaring at him. “Are you jealous that Xavier and I are engaged and you’re still single?” I asked with a smirk.
“If I wanted a girlfriend, I could get one. I just have never been able to connect with anyone yet,” he grumbled.
“Well, I’m sure you’ll find someone,” I said reassuringly.
“If we’re going to make it to town before dark, we better get going,” Xavier pointed out.
“You’re right. Let’s get going.”