The captain’s call reached the coastguard, urgency bleeding through every word. A patrol boat launched from the nearest harbor, its engines roaring across the waves. Protocol was unclear—how do you rescue a man from inside a whale? But a life was at stake, and hesitation could not be afforded.
Deep under the water, Nathaniel fought his panic. Darkness wrapped him in humid warmth, the air faintly sweet with fish and salt. He tried not to thrash, afraid sudden movement would change the whale’s tolerance. He felt his body pressed against slick muscle, confined yet oddly cushioned, like a passenger in some impossible cradle.