[2:30 a.m.]
All was dead silent.
The crashing "whoosh" of waves against the rocks had vanished. In its place came a deeper, more oppressive rumble, as if rising from the bowels of the earth.
It was the sound made when the tide fell to a critical point, and seawater, under a massive pressure differential, was sucked back into countless underwater caverns, grinding against the rock walls. Amplified by this natural underground labyrinth, it formed that unique "Devil's Breath."
"The tide has stopped dropping." Mike's voice came through the radio; he was locked onto a reef they used as a tidal gauge, watching it through a high-powered telescope.
"The theoretical 'slack tide' period has begun. This window will last about an hour and a half. For these ninety minutes, the tide level will remain at a relatively stable minimum."
