Still within the second-floor corridor, although the sealed doors were shut, seawater continued to leak in through various cracks and joints. Most of the second floor was now submerged up to the waist in water.
Having escaped death multiple times, Owen and Dr. Susie were still making their way through the corridors.
To his astonishment, Susie had actually suggested going back to her quarters to retrieve some documents, claiming they were vital research records that would allow her to reconstruct the entire success once they escaped.
Owen rejected the idea without hesitation. If she wanted to dedicate herself to medical science, that was her business, but he wasn't about to play along. If she was going to go mad, she'd have to do it on her own.
Truth be told, Owen was now filled with resentment toward this so-called medical elite. In a sense, this whole incident had stemmed from her. While Avril's accomplices sabotaging the base was the direct trigger, Owen firmly believed that if it had just been that, he could've found a way out. Now, not only did they need to escape, but they also had to deal with being hunted by the apex predator of the sea—and an upgraded one at that.
If it were possible, Owen would have gladly left the woman behind. Unfortunately, Susie wasn't a fool. After Owen refused her request, she wisely chose to focus on surviving and followed closely behind him.
Above the ocean, the storm raged violently. Giant waves crashed against the marine base, and seawater surged through the exploded breach. The first floor had become a flooded swamp.
On the second floor, the two trudged carefully. Overhead, various pipes creaked and groaned constantly. The flooding below had put enormous strain on the structure. The noises were signs of imminent failure.
Owen and Susie walked on cautiously, keeping a wary ear on the ominous sounds above. God only knew what might collapse next.
Suddenly, loud cracking noises rang out. They looked up to see one of the overhead ventilation duct's mounting points come loose from the concrete ceiling. The flat duct dangled precariously, and then the second mounting point gave way—sending the duct crashing down.
Owen yanked Susie aside just in time, both of them splashing into the water and narrowly avoiding being crushed.
Fortunately, the fallen duct didn't trigger a chain collapse. As they rose from the water, they saw that the ventilation duct had broken in the middle: one end now lay submerged, while the other remained attached to the ceiling, suspended midair.
They were still catching their breath when, without warning, a wooden door in front of them creaked open. A dorsal fin surfaced.
Susie almost screamed, but strong hands covered her mouth. Turning, she saw Owen signaling for silence, then pointing at the collapsed ventilation duct.
Susie instantly understood and nodded. Only then did Owen release her and signal her to follow.
The shark was only a few dozen meters away, but it hadn't spotted them yet and continued to circle lazily in erratic patterns.
Owen carefully climbed onto the fallen ventilation duct and began to crawl upward. Susie followed close behind.
The duct was made of thin sheet metal. As they moved, it inevitably made some noise, but the great white shark below showed no sign of reacting. It continued to wander below them.
Finally, both of them reached the duct's upper section and breathed a sigh of relief. The whole duct hung from iron rods beneath the ceiling. There was just enough space between the ceiling and the duct for a person to crawl through.
They moved forward slowly and carefully, terrified that any large movement would dislodge the ceiling mounts like earlier and send them plummeting. The shark swam directly beneath them, its dorsal fin and pale silhouette clearly visible through the water, only a few meters away—mere feet separating life and death.
Owen led the way, Susie followed. The metal surface was slippery and dusty, making it hard to maintain grip.
Suddenly, Susie let out a small yelp. Her hand had slipped. She nearly fell. Her body got stuck in the gap, but one arm dangled downward.
Owen froze in alarm, about to scold her—when a massive mouth suddenly burst from the water below, jaws wide open.
The shark had leapt, aiming directly for Susie's dangling arm.
Frozen in fear, Susie didn't even retract her arm. Fortunately, the shark's jump fell short—her arm was spared. It splashed back into the water.
Now aware of prey above, the shark became increasingly agitated. It circled below, unable to leave, increasingly erratic—until Owen drew his pistol and fired twice.
Only then did the shark dive out of sight—either fleeing or lurking unseen.
Suddenly, the sound of splashing echoed from the far end of the corridor. A figure rounded the corner, running frantically.
"Watch out! There's a shark nearby—!"
"Be careful!"
Owen and Susie called out in warning from above. Owen recognized the figure—it was the man who had attacked Avril earlier. From Glaz's comments, this guy was likely CIA—one of Avril's enemies.
Jason Bourne paused, startled by the warning. But it was already too late.
Only twenty meters ahead of him, a dorsal fin broke the surface, slicing toward him with frightening speed.
Jason's heart sank. He hadn't expected his desperate flight would lead him straight into another trap.
From above, Owen and Susie could see everything more clearly. That damned beast hadn't left—it had been hiding all along, lying in wait to lure them out. Now, Jason was about to be devoured.
Owen wasn't about to just stand by. Maybe Eddie had taught him a harsh lesson about betrayal, but Owen hadn't gone cold-blooded. He raised his pistol, preparing to shoot.
But at that moment—something unexpected happened.
From above, Owen saw it clearly—a massive black shadow surged past Jason underwater, straight toward the charging great white.
In the next second, the shadow broke the surface.
It was another great white—but even larger.
Its massive jaws clamped down on the attacking shark. Shaking its head violently, it dragged its prey forward, leaving a long, red trail in the water.
The scene was brutal and stunning. The once-fearsome predator that had terrorized them now became food—devoured in seconds by a bigger monster.
The power difference was overwhelming.
Owen was suddenly struck by a sobering thought: if that great white could be taken down so easily… then where did they stand on the food chain?
"That's a first-generation shark…" Susie murmured.
Owen turned to her in confusion. "First-generation? What first-generation shark?"
Dr. Susie took a breath and began to explain. "We bred three sharks in total—two first-generation sharks… and one second-generation."
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