Marcus’s mind raced. He couldn’t overpower him. He couldn’t outswim a harpoon. But maybe… maybe he didn’t have to. He saw it then — a dark fin cutting briefly above the surface, only a few yards out. The shark had returned. Marcus’s breath hitched, and an idea surged through him, reckless and desperate.
He shot to his feet, arm thrust past the pirate, finger stabbing toward the water. “Shark!” he shouted, voice cracking with urgency. The pirate spun, a crooked grin twisting across his face as he lifted the harpoon gun eagerly. For him, it was opportunity — the very beast he’d been chasing surfacing again. His focus snapped away, just as Marcus had hoped.