Chapter One
(Sabrina)
10 miles off the coast of southern Maine
Sabrina grinned up at the sky as wind whipped through her long copper-red curls, and ocean spray splashed in the air. Her hazel brown eyes monitored the horizon line for any sign of life as The Dauntless cut through the warm coastal waters of southern Maine.
The sun shone down on the retrofitted search and rescue vessel, and its meager but determined crew. They wore bright red search and rescue style jackets. Emblazoned across the back were the wordsMaine Marine Rescue.
Sabrina Hamilton wore hers proudly. Her jacket was old, well loved, and beginning to fade. She had been part of rescue missions for over twenty years; since her parents had started the non-profit.
She walked towards the front of the vessel and breathed in the rushing, salty ocean air. It filled her lungs and settled something wild and restless within her.
As they neared their intended coordinates, Sabrina spotted an unnatural, neon-green tinge in the water ahead and signaled Uncle Walter at the helm of the boat.
While not related by blood, Sabrina couldn’t remember a time in her life that she hadn’t known Walter. He had a large build with wide shoulders and seemed to live in the same pair ofCarhartt coveralls and grey, scuffed duck boots year-round. He worked on a lobster boat most of the day, and when he wasn’t on a boat, he seemed to be in the woods or at the rescue.
Walter steered the boat confidently as they crept along with the current, slowly approaching what looked to be hundreds of yards of neon-green netting. Tangled in the ghost gear were large patches of trash and floating marine debris.
Sabrina searched the line of netting for any sign of marine life, as Travis, an old friend from high school, joined her at the helm with a pair of binoculars.
“Do you see anything?” She asked.
“Nothing moving.” He muttered grimly. He handed Sabrina the binoculars, and she took another step forward, stepping up towards the railing to get a better view. It was a precarious move. Sabrina was cognizant of Travis’s hand grabbing the back of her jacket and holding her in place to prevent her from falling over the front of the boat.
Sabrina suddenly gasped and let out a triumphant whoop. “Walter! Movement half a klick to the east!”
Travis kept his hold on Sabrina’s jacket as they neared the cause of their response. Sabrina refocused the binoculars as they drew closer and gave another gasp. “Shit.” She muttered.
“What do you see?” Walter yelled over the engine of the boat.
“It’s a shark!” Sabrina yelled back, her eyes wide on the visual in front of her. “It’s trapped, but it’s alive!”
“Well then, let’s get it out!” Walter groused, as they carefully maneuvered their way alongside the large great white held captive in someone’s abandoned ghost net.
Walter was careful to keep their own vessel from becoming entangled with the netting.
“Holy shit.” Travis exclaimed.
“Can you get the line cutters?” Sabrina asked him.
“If you could kindly put your feet back on the deck, I’d be happy to.” He immediately answered.
Sabrina gave an amused huff and stepped down to safer footing, and Travis left for the equipment cabinet off the small galley below.
Sabrina glowed with quiet purpose as she turned back to the sight of the captive shark. She let out a slow exhale.
Its teeth were sharp where they were visible, and its eyes were fierce and laser-focused on Sabrina.
“It’s okay, honey.” She soothed, her voice as sweet and cajoling as it could be; as if she were speaking to a toddler that wasn’t capable of consuming her in seconds.
“You did nothing wrong.” She continued. “You got stuck in something that shouldn’t have been there in the first place. Somebody mean and thoughtless left this here. But we’ll get you out as soon as we can, and you can catch up to your friends.”
In response, the shark gave another flip in the netting, looking painfully constricted by the nylon cords, as its body remained stuck on its side. Sabrina nodded sympathetically. “I know it’s frustrating. We’ll get you out soon, I promise.”
Walter cut the engine of the boat and dropped anchor, then joined Sabrina at the side of the search and rescue vessel. “You realize you’re speaking to an apex predator, right?” Walter grumbled. “Not to be confused with a teddy bear or stuffed rabbit.”
“Don’t you listen to the grumpy fisherman.” Sabrina cooed at the shark in response. “You’re going to be just fine.”
