Another of Tay’s men edged closer. “There’s a ton of dolphins surrounding the ship.” He turned back just in time to see Alison’s grin.
“Just wait until dawn.”
Once the sling was in the tank, Sally moved forward, easing her sleek gray body into the fabric cradle. She waited while Lightfoot and another engineer ran their hands alongside, ensuring nothing was restricted and the overhead cable was taut enough to keep the dolphin secure in the event of a problem.
When they’d loaded the dolphins in Puerto Rico, it was done as carefully as possible. This time would be different. Their priority now was to get them off as quickly as possible.
Alison’s expression grew increasingly nervous as she watched the men trying to work and at the same time struggling to maintain their own footing.
“Lightfoot!” Tay yelled. “Man the control line. The rest of us will help lift her out. Once she’s out, it’s going to be all winch.”
“Aye.” Lightfoot gripped it tightly. “Ready.”
Tay glanced to his man, Smitty, controlling the winch. “Okay, we’re going to time this with a roll to port. We lift in the middle and gravity will swing her out over the water. Lightfoot will slow her down. Everyone understand?”
Tay nodded. “All right, here we go. On my mark. Ready…wait for the roll.”
The lower deck promptly began to rise again.
“UP!” he yelled.
The winch’s cable lurched and immediately grabbed, hoisting Sally up while those around her steadied the sling. But the vessel rolled too quickly. Her heavy body was abruptly pulled out of their hands and swung hard toward the falling side of the ship. The swing accelerated too quickly, sending her far out over the water and back again.
“Look out!” Tay shouted. “She’s coming back!”
No sooner had he yelled than the weight of the Pathfinder’s enormous keel overcame the upper sway of the ship and the motion reversed. Sally’s momentum increased even more rapidly, sending her swinging toward them and missing the rim of the tank by inches. Her four hundred pound body passed over the tank and smashed into Chris at full speed, throwing him careening into the winch’s thick base.
“Chris!” Alison shrieked and let go of the tank, sliding across the wet deck. She scrambled to get her feet out in front of her and managed to stop herself between the winch and one of the ship’s stanchions.
She grabbed Chris’s limp body and pulled him closer. “Chris! CHRIS!” Seconds later, Smitty dropped into place on the other side. He wrapped an arm around Chris’s frame, preventing him from moving.
“Check him!” Smitty yelled.
Alison frantically ran her hands over him until she found Chris’s neck. She pressed two fingers in, searching. She felt nothing and moved to the other side of this neck.
“Get the control line!”
Standing above her and Smitty, the other men struggled to secure the control line while Sally slowed and began swinging back again. The line, now wet, whipped past them, whipping through Lightfoot’s outstretched hand.
Tay watched Sally swing uncontrollably back over the water.
“Wait! Wait!” he shouted. “Let her go!” He twisted around and stared at Smitty, who was trying to right himself with one hand.
“Smitty!” Tay yelled. “Let it go!”
Smitty’s eyes found Tay’s and looked at him in confusion. He pushed Chris’s body toward Alison and she grabbed him with both arms. He then rose onto one knee and steadied himself against the base of the winch.
“Smitty!” Tay yelled again. “Let it go!”
It took only a moment for Smitty to understand. He braced himself against the winch and grasped the metal handle controlling its motor. He watched Sally’s thrashing tail as she sailed toward the water yet again.
When she was far out enough, Smitty released the tension, letting Sally’s momentum catapult her out over the ocean and into the water with a splash.
Lightfoot struggled to the side, where he watched the sling billow in the water just enough for Sally to escape.
Behind him, Tay was already on the phone to the bridge. “We need medical on the main deck now!” He turned back to see Smitty raise the cable and empty sling back out of the water.
Within moments, the ship’s doctor and medical assistant burst from a door above them on the upper deck. They sprinted down the metal grating until they reached the ladders and descended. Even with the swaying of the ship, they made it to the stern in less than a minute.
Doctor Kanna wrapped his fingers around Chris’s neck, searching. He then moved to his wrists. “I’m not getting anything. Get a stretcher down here!”