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The silver Camaro approached to find a clutter of police cars, ambulances, and bulldozers. There were fire trucks and fireboats putting out the remnants of a fire, as sand and smoke filled the air. Steve and Danny approached Duke and his men.
"What happened?" Danny asked
"It appears that a boat lost control and slammed into the structure causing it to just give way. The outdoor dining area is completely submerged and the building collapsed on top of it. According to the hostess, there were 8 people eating outside. Only two have been accounted for. The people inside managed to escape before the remainder of the building went down. We have to assume that those that went into the water did not survive. It appears that they were buried beneath the rubble." Duke was saddened by this.
The fire chief approached. "The accident should not have been enough to bring the building down, but from my brief examination, it appears that the building was not up to code. The recent remodel was done on the cheap and it appears that the materials were black market. The building is clear for now, you can go in whenever you're ready, but be careful, it is very unstable and there is a lot of debris and broken glass"
"Thank you" Steve responded. "Has anyone interviewed the witnesses? What about the driver of the boat?"
Duke approached "The driver was rushed to the hospital and yes, we did interview the witnesses, but no one really saw anything. They were eating, there was a loud noise, and suddenly the building shook and the patio area plummeted into the water. The guests ran out immediately and within seconds the remainder of the building collapsed. Apparently the people on the patio didn't have a chance to react. The collapse was instant. We managed to fish out two bodies and have identified them. The recovery team is going back in the water to try to find the others. The hostess was able to give us descriptions of the patrons that are missing, but we have no names. We expect families to begin to look for their loved ones. Here is the list"
Danny took the list and scanned it. Mumbling as he read "There was a young local couple approximately 27 years old, three businessmen with a woman, dressed in business attire, two women one wearing a flight attendants uniform and the other with shoulder length dark hair. The hostess remembered that the dark haired woman was limping." Danny paused. Oh, God, no. Covering his face with his hands and trying to keep the benefit of the doubt, he picked up his phone and moved away from the crowd. He desperately hoped that it was a coincidence and that it wasn't them, but deep down he knew it was. The number he dialed rang and rang, going to voicemail. Danny hung up and called HPD, all the while keeping a look out to see if Steve was looking. Steve was coordinating with the dive team.
"Hey Larry, do me a favor, track the number I just sent you and tell me where this phone is" Danny instructed the officer at HPD.
"It's coming from your location, actually about 15 feet from where you are standing" Larry responded.
"Thank you" He hung up the phone and sat on the ground rubbing his fingers through his hair. Fifteen feet was in the water, beneath tons of concrete and wood. Gathering whatever strength and composure he had, he approached Steve, placing his hand on his shoulder and guided him away from the crowd.
"Steve, sit down." Danny instructed as Steve looked at him with a confused look.
Danny paced as Steve watched. "Listen, I tried to call Mary and she isn't answering her phone. I triangulated her signal and its coming from….here" He handed Steve the list of descriptions and pointed to the bottom. " I am so sorry" Danny touched Steve's arm.
Steve pulled his arm away from Danny and walked away with a determined look on his face.
"Where are you going?" Danny shouted.
"I'm getting equipment, I 'm going in the water." He continued walking towards the dive team and shouted "They are not dead, Danny. I know they are not dead! They can't be" he continued walking without turning to see Danny's reaction.
"I'm cold" Mary was shivering as she clung to Catherine.
"Hang on, they'll find us. That stupid brother of yours will find us" Catherine knew that chances were slim. Nobody knew where they were. All she could do was hope. She hoped that they would eventually be missed and Steve and Danny would start to look for them. Mary had a flight to catch; perhaps the airline would call looking for her. Maybe Steve and Danny will look for them and track their phones. Maybe they're already here. But no, they have the weekend off; they're probably out fishing or hiking. They probably have no clue that this has even happened. Her thoughts were running wild. Her adrenaline was in full swing, she needed to calm herself down. She needed to keep Mary calm. The air pocket was getting smaller, she could feel the oxygen levels decrease with each breath. The water was rising and the visual mark she had on one of the columns was now submerged. We don't have a lot of time.
"We're going to make it, ok Mary? Just don't give up on me." Catherine was afraid Mary would give up and give in to cold and exhaustion.
Steve was shirtless and proceeded to adjust his dive tank. Danny approached. "I just spoke to the rescue leader and he said that he advised you not to go in. He said he pulled his team out, because the debris is unstable. You can't go down there Steve"
"Watch me!" Steve proceeded to the water's edge and dangled his feet in the water. He adjusted his mask and placed it over his head. Danny grabbed his arm.
"This is suicide. There is no way they could have survived and if they did, there is no way they could have held their breath this long" Danny words were harsh but Steve needed a reality check.
"You forget something Danny." Steve looked up to where Danny stood. "She's my mermaid. If anyone can survive this, it's her. And she will never leave Mary behind. They're alive, I know it. I just know it. I feel it" He lowered his mask and jumped in.
Every few minutes or so, Steve emerged from the water carrying one body after another. He had retrieved 3 of the 6 people that were missing. Tired and emotionally drained he climbed up on land and requested a new dive tank. "I need something lighter, something smaller" he shouted to the rescue divers. "There are some tight spots in there, and I can't get through with this Damn tank". His patience wore thin.
Danny recognized Steve's frustration and sat down next to him while Steve drank a bottle of water. "Let me go in with you" Danny suggested.
"No! The dive commander is right. It's very unstable down there. Every time I touch something or move something, everything shifts. He was right to call out his men. "
"You can't do this alone. " Danny added
"You don't have to sir" one of the rescue divers announced.
"That's right sir, I would also like to offer my services, sir" another diver announced
"You have been ordered to stay out of the water. I won't override your commander. He's right." Steve continued as he adjusted the smaller tank and prepared to reenter.
"With all due respect sir, our commander is an ass and we quit. We are just good Samaritans offering our expertise." The two divers looked at each other and nodded.
"Thank you, let's go, but be very careful, your safety comes first" Steve shook each of their hands.