The shark’s eye flickered as he approached, rolling slightly toward him, black and bottomless. Marcus steadied his breathing, forcing calm into his movements. He circled cautiously, keeping distance from the gaping jaws. The rope was wound tight, coiled cruelly across the body. He pressed closer, feeling his heartbeat hammer in his throat.
Raising the knife, he slid it carefully beneath the thick line. The shark shuddered, a ripple of tension flashing through its body, but it did not lunge. Marcus cut, sawing steadily until the rope parted in a cloud of frayed fibers. He worked quickly, slicing through coil after coil, freeing the shark inch by inch.