Stuart Woods_Stone Barrington 14

Holly said. She stood up, dropped her towel and ran into the sea, swimming strongly a hundred yards out. She looked back to see that Stone had followed her to the water’s edge and was keeping an eye on her. She waved for him to follow, and he entered the water and began swimming.
    Holly ducked underwater and swam a few strokes, looking for the sandbar that she knew ran parallel to the beach. She found it after a moment and stood up in waist-deep water.
    Stone shortly joined her. “How did you know about the bar?”
    â€œThomas told me. He said not to go farther out, though.” She splashed water in his face.
    â€œStand still,” he said.
    â€œWhat?”
    â€œJust don’t move around. Stand perfectly still.”
    He was looking back toward the beach, and she followed his gaze. A large gray fin was slicing through the water inside the sandbar, between them and the beach. “Oh, shit,” she said.
    â€œJust don’t move,” Stone replied. Slowly, he slid under the water for a moment, then, just as slowly, reemerged. “It’s a hammerhead,” he said. “A big one.”
    The fin went a few yards past them, then reversed course. “How big?”
    â€œI’m guessing fourteen, fifteen feet. Tell me you’re not having your period.”
    â€œI’m not having my period.”
    â€œThank God for that; we don’t need that scent in the water.” She looked back toward the beach and saw Dino and Genevieve walk into the water and begin swimming toward them. “They’re splashing,” she said, pointing.
    Stone turned and looked at the swimmers and began waving his arms. Dino waved back. Stone, with both hands, began making a pushing motion, waving them back to the beach. It took Dino a moment to understand, then he tapped Genevieve on the shoulder, and they began swimming back. They stood in knee-deep water and watched. Dino pointed out the shark’s fin to his girlfriend.
    â€œThis is ridiculous,” Holly said. “Four naked people watching a shark swim.”
    â€œTwo of them in the water with the shark,” Stone pointed out. “That’s even more ridiculous.”
    â€œWhat are we going to do?” Holly asked.
    â€œWait for it to decide we’re uninteresting.”
    â€œAnd if it has a different opinion?”
    â€œHit it with our fists in the eyes, which, I think, are at the ends of the hammer. I wish now I hadn’t missed that field trip to the aquarium when I was a kid. I was home with the flu.”
    â€œI wish I had a gun,” Holly said, looking at Stone. When she looked back at the shark, the fin was gone. “Oh, shit.” She pointed.
    â€œOh, shit, indeed,” Stone replied. He ducked slowly under the water again, and this time he was under for a full minute before he came up again.
    Holly kept looking for the fin. “Could you see it?” she asked.
    â€œNo, it vanished.”
    â€œVanished where?”
    â€œI don’t know, it’s just gone.”
    Holly ducked under the water and did a slow three-sixty. She wished she had goggles. She wished she had a shotgun. She came up again. “I can’t see more than thirty feet.”
    â€œNeither could I.” Stone suddenly pointed outside the bar. The fin had reappeared, moving slowly down the beach, away from them. “I think it’s time to rejoin Dino and Genevieve,” he said. “No overhand swimming; breaststroke.”
    But Holly was already swimming steadily toward the beach. She had a weird feeling that the big hammerhead was an omen, or maybe a metaphor for what might be waiting for them on St. Marks. She tried to shake off the feeling and failed.

    T hey walked out of the water a few minutes later and flopped down on the blanket next to their friends.
    â€œI’m exhausted,” Holly said. “Too much adrenaline; I’ve used it all up.”
    â€œLooked like a dolphin to me,” Dino said.
    Stone shook his head. “I saw it underwater; a hammerhead.”
    â€œEeeew,” Genevieve said.
    â€œMy feelings exactly,” Holly replied. “I’m going to shower, then I have to make a phone call.”

    T wenty minutes later, she dialed Bill Pepper’s satphone number. He answered immediately. “Scrambling,” she said, and pushed the button.
    â€œOkay, I’m scrambled, too,” Pepper said. He sounded as if he was very far away. “What