Pressure by Brian Keene Read Free Book Online Page A

at Paolo. She did not blink. The waiter shuffled off.
    â€œI’m sorry,” Paolo apologized. “Perhaps I could have said that more tactfully.”
    Carrie didn’t reply. She simply continued to stare at him, refusing to speak, to blink, to move. Her body felt like a tuning fork, vibrating with anger and frustration. What did he want? What was his angle?
    The answer, when it came, surprised her.
    â€œI’m not here to jeopardize you, Carrie. This isn’t about revenge or blackmail. Despite what you might think, I still care about you. I know we’re not exactly friends anymore, but I wish we could be. Time has a way of changing a person—of making a person see things in ways they didn’t before. There are things from the past I regret, very deeply. I’m sorry for what I did.”
    Carrie finished her seventh glass of water to keep herself from responding.
    â€œObviously,” Paolo continued, “you have your reasons for wanting to go back down there. Judging by the fact that you haven’t informed our employers and have apparently enlisted Abhi and sworn him to secrecy, I have to assume it’s important. If you want to guarantee my silence, all you have to do is let me come along with you.”
    Carrie nearly spit her water out. “W-what?”
    Paolo grinned. “Exactly what I said. I want to accompany you.”
    â€œWell, that’s an interesting offer, but as it happens, I’ve already got a sidekick.”
    â€œAbhi?” Paolo laughed. “Oh, Carrie. I like him, too. But you know as well as I do that you’ll need a diving partner. That’s one of the first rules of free diving. Always have a partner—a partner who understands the intricacies and special challenges that can occur. Peter was a good diver, but he was not a free diver, and he wasn’t nearly as experienced as you. You barely survived, and Peter is … gone. And while Abhi might be clever and capable, and can work miracles with a wrench and a roll of duct tape, he can’t help you if you run into trouble down there again.”
    â€œAnd you can?”
    â€œOf course, I can. I am better than Peter is … was. You and I both know that. But you made this personal. You played politics, to get back at me. Had it not been for that, I would have been your dive partner, rather than him, and things might be very different now.”
    Carrie gripped the edge of the table. She wanted to shout at him for implying that she was somehow responsible for Peter’s death, but worse, she wanted to shout at herself out of fear that Paolo might be right.
    â€œSo,” Paolo continued after a moment, “with that in mind, I’m going along this time. I’ll spot you, and ensure no other accidents occur.”
    Carrie considered his offer. “Why do you care, Paolo?”
    â€œIt’s not just your reputation that’s on the line here, Carrie. You may have been picked as the lead on this expedition, but my name was attached to this, too. Maybe you can fall back on your celebrity, but my name in this field is all I have. This research mission already has too many black marks against it in the public eye. If another mishap occurs, it might render all of our reputations unsalvageable.”
    â€œSo, your interest in this is purely self-preservation?”
    â€œNo. It’s also scientific, the same as you. And, to be perfectly honest, I’d rather not hear tomorrow that you’ve died, too.”
    The waiter returned with the check. Carrie paid cash, leaving it on the table, and rose up from her chair. Paolo followed, walking her to the door. She caught a whiff of his cologne. Apparently, he’d changed scents since they’d dated. She preferred this new smell. It didn’t come with memories or wistful nostalgia.
    They stepped out onto the street. After having been inside the resort’s air-conditioned comfort, the heat struck Carrie