The coastguard called for reinforcements. Another vessel was prepared to bring heavier nets, sonar gear, and even tranquilizers. “We can’t risk losing him,” he said, though doubt hung heavy. The research crew exchanged uneasy glances. They knew whales were not monsters, but desperation pushed reason aside. A life was balanced against the survival of the species.
Nathaniel shifted as his host slowed. The whale’s vast body hovered, its tongue pressing him securely in place. Through thin curtains of baleen, he glimpsed open water again—and there, unmistakable, the looming shape of the shark. Its movement was predatory grace, slicing arcs that circled closer with each pass.