Having successfully rescued Clay, the four of them began relocating immediately. The strong scent of blood was sure to attract other sharks, and once that happened, there would be no way out.
But they were also injured, and the blood seeping from their wounds could just as easily draw in more sharks.
"Use this on your wounds. It'll keep the blood from leaking out…"
Still panting heavily, Clay pulled out a small jar of cosmetic cream and tossed it to the others.
With this stuff, things would be much easier. It could temporarily seal the wounds and stop bleeding—an incredibly practical feature.
"What do we do now?"
Everyone looked at Susie. She was supposed to know this place best. But even Susie was at a complete loss.
"What about the vertical shaft?"
Owen proposed an option. He looked cautiously toward Susie and Clay, only to find both of them looking confused—they clearly knew nothing about the structure.
Owen wasn't just guessing. When he first arrived, Scott had thrown him a stack of documents. He had quickly memorized the key parts, and one of them had mentioned the shaft.
Seeing everyone's confusion, Owen explained, "The vertical shaft exists to balance pressure and runs through the entire underwater section. It's fully sealed, but we don't know what the situation is like at the surface. If it's been breached above, opening this door will cause the ocean to flood in due to the pressure difference. The water will rapidly fill this area. Once it covers more than two-thirds of the shaft's height, the pressure will exceed what the lab's structure can handle. The support beams will collapse first—they'll snap like toothpicks. Then the walls will bend, then rupture. The entire underwater lab will be crushed into rubble, and we—everything in here—will become the filling in a soggy sandwich…"
It was an option, but a risky one.
"So if we shut the door again afterward, the pressure would rebalance, right?"
"In theory, yes."
"Then I agree. There's no better option anyway, is there?"
Everyone nodded in agreement. For now, Owen was the most knowledgeable among them. His opinion carried the most weight. With no better options, they might as well try.
"Where is the shaft located?"
Owen only remembered the general layout, not the exact location.
"I know. This way…"
Fortunately, Clay knew where it was. The group set off, but almost immediately, a loud explosion rumbled nearby. They steadied themselves—it wasn't far off. Listening carefully and hearing no further disturbances, they moved forward again.
Before long, they were near the vertical shaft. Then came the distinct sound of a sealed door valve being turned. The four of them exchanged glances and silently moved toward the source.
If something was turning a valve, it definitely wasn't a shark. Those beasts weren't that smart—at least not yet. But humans could be even more terrifying. Eddie, for example, had nearly gotten them all killed. And then there was Avril.
Owen signaled for Susie and Clay to stay back while he and Jason flanked the sealed door from either side.
The door opened. Standing there in a black leather jacket was Avril, completely unaware of their presence. But as she stepped through the doorway, a powerful gust shot toward her face.
Her reflexes were incredibly fast. Though taken by surprise, she still managed to block the strike. Then, with a sharp pain in her hand, her gun flew out of her grasp. Only then did she realize—they hadn't been after her, but her weapon.
After disarming her, her attacker pressed forward with a flurry of strikes, giving her no chance to retrieve her gun. Avril parried two more blows and stepped back, finally getting a clear look at who was attacking her. But what shocked her was that these two were working together.
Owen and Jason took fighting stances, one in front and one behind, cutting off all her escape routes.
Avril braced herself carefully. Owen and Jason slowly advanced.
The three formed a standoff, time itself seeming to slow. Avril lunged toward Jason, but mid-air she pivoted sharply and struck toward Owen—clearly choosing him as her breakthrough point.
Owen blocked the blow and countered with a sweeping strike that forced her back. He followed up with a rapid series of elbow strikes that Avril had no choice but to absorb directly.
With Jason coordinating, Avril had no room to maneuver. She could only take Owen's hits head-on. Their arms collided with a muffled thud.
The clash pushed Avril back several steps, and Jason seized the opportunity to lock her in a chokehold. Avril kicked wildly, knocking Owen back, and struggled with all her strength—but Jason's grip held firm.
Seeing Avril was subdued, Owen didn't attack again. He stood guard instead, in case she lashed out in desperation. All he had to do was wait for Jason to choke her unconscious.
Avril's situation grew worse by the second. Jason's arms clamped around her throat like a vise, and breathing was becoming increasingly difficult.
Three fighters of equal skill—two against one left little chance for the lone combatant.
Avril was clearly showing signs of hypoxia. Jason still showed no intention of releasing her. At first, Owen thought he was just waiting a bit longer—but then he realized something was wrong.
"Stop! Let her go—now!"
Owen shouted sharply. Jason clearly wanted to kill Avril. When he didn't react, and even twisted as if to snap her neck, Owen immediately struck—landing a punch in Jason's side, forcing him to release his grip.
Pain surged through Jason's ribs, and he had no choice but to let go. Avril fell forward, coughing violently, her eyes rolling back.
Jason wasn't going to let the chance slip away. He lunged again—but Owen blocked him, and the two began to fight. Owen wouldn't let him kill Avril. She was too important to CTU's mission to dismantle the White Mask organization.
Their fight confused Susie and Clay. Just moments ago, the two men had been teaming up against Avril—and now they were fighting each other?
Caught off guard, Owen was slammed to the ground by a back-body drop. Jason moved quickly, sprinting toward Avril. He knew that as long as she was alive, Owen would never let him finish her. But if he succeeded in killing her, then any disagreement between them would vanish. A dead Avril was useless to CTU.
But as soon as he reached her, he was sent flying by a sudden kick.
Owen, who had caught up, was stunned. Jason wasn't some pushover—Owen knew he couldn't land a kick that powerful.
He turned to the source—and saw Avril, still the same person, but her presence had completely changed. Her aura was sharper, like a blade unsheathed.
What the hell just happened?
Only moments ago, Avril had been overwhelmed. Now, she radiated a chilling intensity. Something had clearly changed. Owen looked around—and spotted an empty vial at her feet.
Suddenly, he understood.
It was the drug!
______
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